Minister's Manual

the ministers manual 2009
EightY-Fourth Annual Issue
Edited by Lee McGlone
EDITORS OF THE MINISTERS MANUAL

G.B.F Hallock, D.D., 19261958 . M.K.W. Heicher, Ph.D., 19431968 Charles L. Wallis, M.A., M.Div., 19691983 James W. Cox, M.Div., Ph.D., 19842007 Lee McGlone, Ph.D.
Translations of the Bible referred to and quoted from in this book may be indicated by their standard abbreviations, such as NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) and NIV (New International Version). In addition, some contributors have made their own translations and others have used a mixed text. THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009. Copyright 2008 by Lee McGlone. Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 941031741
www.josseybass.com
Except as specically noted below, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-750-4470, or on the web at www.copyright.com Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, e-mail: permcoordinator@wiley.com. Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3986, or fax 317-572-4002. The materials contained on the accompanying CD-ROM are designed for use for individual pastors and may be reproduced for single-congregation use only. This following notice must appear on all reproductions as printed: Reproduced from The Ministers Manual, 2009 Edition, with permission of the publishers. Copyright 2008 by Lee McGlone. Published by Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint. This free permission is restricted to use for individual pastors and single congregations. It does not allow for systematic or large-scale reproduction, distribution (more than 100 copies per page, per year), transmission, electronic reproduction, or inclusion in any publications offered for sale or used for commercial purposes. Jossey-Bass also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging Card Number 25-21658 ISSN 0738-5323 ISBN 978-0-470-22942-2 Printed in the United States of America
FIRST EDITION
HB Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
PREFACE
SECTION I GENERAL AIDS AND RESOURCES 1
Civil Year Calendars for 2009 and 2010 3 Church and Civic Calendar for 2009 4 The Revised Common Lectionary for 2009 5 Four-Year Church Calendar 9 Forty-Year Easter Calendar 9 Traditional Wedding Anniversary Identications 9 Colors Appropriate for Days and Seasons 10 Flowers in Season Appropriate for Church Use 10 Quotable Quotations 10 Questions of Life and Religion 13 Biblical Benedictions and Blessings 15
SECTION II
LECTIONARY RESOURCES FOR FIFTY-TWO SUNDAYS: SERMONS, ILLUSTRATIONS, CONGREGATIONAL MUSIC, CHILDRENS SERMONS, WORSHIP AIDS 19
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iv
CONTENTS
SECTION III RESOURCES FOR PREACHING 323
Chapter One Preaching on Sexual Ethics: A Five-Sermon Series

Dr. William C. Viser, Associate Professor of Christian Ministries, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
325
Chapter Two Advent and Christmas Preaching
350
Dr. Leith Anderson, Senior Pastor, Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Chapter Three Gleanings from Great Preaching
359
Dr. Lee McGlone, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
SECTION IV A LITTLE TREASURY OF SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS 377
CONTRIBUTORS 395 INDEX OF CONTRIBUTORS 397 SERMON TITLE INDEX 399 INDEX OF SERMON TEXTS 402 INDEX OF PRAYERS 404 INDEX OF MATERIALS USEFUL AS CHILDRENS STORIES AND SERMONS 405 INDEX OF MATERIALS USEFUL FOR SMALL GROUPS 407 TOPICAL INDEX 409 HOW TO USE THE CD-ROM 414
PREFACE
As in years past, The Ministers Manual 2009 gathers worship, sermonic, and devotional material from a broad range of preachers and teachers, as well as from a variety of denominational backgrounds and theological convictions. This variety is provided with a broad audience in mind. The writers do not always agree on interpretation or on the application of ideas in the Church of our day. They do, however, speak out of conscience and conviction, and are therefore deserving of careful attention. Again this year, I express my thanks to Marcia Thompson, friend and teacher from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who secured and edited the lectionary childrens sermons for each week. I also express appreciation to Ted Faszera professor at Sioux Falls Seminary, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Minister of Music at First Baptist Church of Sioux Fallsfor providing the musical suggestions for the lectionary texts. My friend Bill Viser has provided a chapter on preaching on sexual ethics, along with sermon suggestionsa topic sure to spur discussion. Leith Anderson, noted pastor from Minneapolis, has allowed us to produce condensed portions of a year of his Advent and Christmas preaching. You will notice a new section this yearGleanings from Great Preaching that summarizes sermons from some of the Churchs most well-known personalities. I trust you will be challenged by these chapters. I also wish to express appreciation to the editorial staff at Jossey-Bass Publishers, especially Alison Knowles, for the ne attention to detail given to this volume.
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PREFACE
I pray that The Ministers Manual 2009 will provide encouragement, inspiration, and challenge to the sacred work of preaching, and that we will speak clearly Gods eternal message. Lee McGlone, Ph.D. Pastor, First Baptist Church Arkadelphia, Arkansas
section I
GENERAL AIDS AND RESOURCES
General Aids and Resources
Civil Year Calendars for 2009 and 2010
2009
January S M T W T 1 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 15 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 29 May S M T W T
3 10 17 24 31 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28
February F 2 9 16 23 30 S 3 10 17 24 31 S 1 8 15 22 M 2 9 16 23 T 3 10 17 24 W 4 11 18 25 T 5 12 19 26 F 6 13 20 27 S 7 14 21 28 S 1 8 15 22 29 M 2 9 16 23 30
March T 3 10 17 24 31 W 4 11 18 25 T 5 12 19 26 F 6 13 20 27 S 7 14 21 28
April S M T W 1 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29 T 2 9 16 23 30 F 3 10 17 24 S 4 11 18 25
June F 1 8 15 22 29 S 2 9 16 23 30 S M 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 29 T 2 9 16 23 30 W 3 10 17 24 T 4 11 18 25 F 5 12 19 26 S 6 13 20 27
July S M T W 1 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29 T 2 9 16 23 30 F 3 10 17 24 31 S 4 11 18 25
August S M T W T
2 9 16 23 30 3 10 17 24 31 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27
F
7 14 21 28
S 1 8 15 22 29
September S M T 1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29 W 2 9 16 23 30 T 3 10 17 24 F 4 11 18 25 S 5 12 19 26
October S M T W T 1 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 15 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 29 F 2 9 16 23 30 S 3 10 17 24 31 S 1 8 15 22 29 M 2 9 16 23 30
November T 3 10 17 24 W 4 11 18 25 T 5 12 19 26 F 6 13 20 27 S 7 14 21 28
December S M T 1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29 W 2 9 16 23 30 T 3 10 17 24 31 F 4 11 18 25 S 5 12 19 26
2010
January S M T W T
3 10 17 24 31 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28
February F 1 8 15 22 29 S 2 9 16 23 30 S M 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 T 2 9 16 23 W 3 10 17 24 T 4 11 18 25 F 5 12 19 26 S 6 13 20 27 S M 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 29
March T 2 9 16 23 30 W 3 10 17 24 31 July T 4 11 18 25 F 5 12 19 26 S 6 13 20 27
April S M T W T 1 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 15 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 29 August F 2 9 16 23 30 S 3 10 17 24 31 S 1 8 15 22 29 M 2 9 16 23 30 T 3 10 17 24 31 W 4 11 18 25 T 5 12 19 26 F 6 13 20 27 S 7 14 21 28 F 2 9 16 23 30 S 3 10 17 24
May S M T W T
2 9 16 23 30 3 10 17 24 31 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27
June F
7 14 21 28
S 1 8 15 22 29
S M T 1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29
W 2 9 16 23 30
T 3 10 17 24
F 4 11 18 25
S 5 12 19 26
S M T W T 1 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 15 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 29 November
September S M T W 1 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29 T 2 9 16 23 30 F 3 10 17 24 S 4 11 18 25
October S M T W T
3 10 17 24 31 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28
December F 5 12 19 26 S 6 13 20 27 S M T W 1 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29 T 2 9 16 23 30 F 3 10 17 24 31 S 4 11 18 25
F 1 8 15 22 29
S 2 9 16 23 30
S M 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 29
T 2 9 16 23 30
W 3 10 17 24
T 4 11 18 25
THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009
Church and Civic Calendar for 2009 January 1 New Years Day 6 Epiphany 7 Orthodox Christmas 14 Orthodox New Year 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day 20 Muharram (Islamic New Year) 25 Conversion of St. Paul February 14 Valentines Day 16 Washingtons Birthday 24 Shrove Tuesday 25 Ash Wednesday March 1 First Sunday in Lent 8 Second Sunday in Lent 8 Daylight Savings Time Begins 15 Third Sunday in Lent 17 St. Patricks Day 20 Vernal Equinox 22 Fourth Sunday in Lent 25 Annunciation Day Fifth Sunday in Lent 29 April 5 9 9 10 11 12 16 Good Friday Holy Saturday Easter Sunday Last Day of Passover (Jewish)
May 5 10 21 25 31 June 7 11 21 29 July 4 30
Cinco de Mayo (Mexican) Mothers Day Ascension Day Memorial Day Pentecost Sunday
Trinity Sunday Corpus Christi Fathers Day St. Peters Day
Independence Day Tisha BAv (Jewish)
August 6 Transfiguration Day Mary, Mother of Jesus 8 September Labor Day 7 19 Rosh Hashanah (Jewish) Autumn Equinox 22 Yom Kippur (Jewish) 28
Palm Sunday Maundy Thursday First Day of Passover (Jewish)
October 4 World Communion Sunday 12 Columbus Day 27 Reformation Day 28 Yom Kippur (Jewish) 31 All Hallows Eve (Halloween) November 1 All Saints Day 2 All Faithful Departed Day 3 Election Day 11 Veterans Day 26 Thanksgiving Day
29 29
First Sunday in Advent Christ the King Sunday
December 6 Second Sunday in Advent 12 First Day of Hanukkah (Jewish) 13 Third Sunday in Advent 19 Last Day of Hanukkah (Jewish) 20 Fourth Sunday in Advent 25 Christmas Day 26 Kwanza (until January 1) 31 New Years Eve
The Revised Common Lectionary for 2009 The following scriptures are recommended for use by various Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church and include first, second, and gospel readings, and psalms for 2009. Season of Epiphany Jan. 4: (Epiphany of the Lord): Isa. 60:16; Ps. 72:17, 1014; Eph. 3:112; Matt. 2:112 Jan. 11: (First Sunday after EpiphanyBaptism of the Lord): Gen. 1:15; Ps. 29; Acts 19:17; Mark 1:411 Jan. 18: (Second Sunday after Epiphany): 1 Sam. 3:110 (1120); Ps. 139:16, 1318; 1 Cor. 6:1220; John 1:4351 Jan. 25: (Third Sunday after Epiphany): Jon. 3:15, 10; Ps. 62:512; 1 Cor. 7:2931; Mark 1:1420 Feb. 1: (Fourth Sunday after Epiphany): Deut. 18:1520; Ps. 111; 1 Cor. 8:113; Mark 1:2128 Feb. 8: (Fifth Sunday after Epiphany): Isa. 40:2131; Ps. 147:111, 20c; 1 Cor. 9:1623; Mark 1:2939
Feb. 15: (Sixth Sunday after Epiphany): 2 Kings 5:114; Ps. 30; 1 Cor. 9:2427; Mark 1:4045 Feb. 22: (Last Sunday after EpiphanyTransfiguration Sunday): 2 Kings 2:112; Ps. 50:16; 2 Cor. 4:36; Mark 9:29 Season of Lent Mar. 1: (First Sunday in Lent): Gen. 9:817; Ps. 25:110; 1 Pet. 3:1822; Mark 1:915 Mar. 8: (Second Sunday in Lent): Gen. 17:17, 1516; Ps. 22:2331; Rom. 4:1325; Mark 8:3138 Mar. 15: (Third Sunday in Lent): Exod. 20:117; Ps. 19; 1 Cor. 1:1825; John 2:1322 Mar. 22: (Fourth Sunday in Lent): Num. 21:49; Ps. 107:13, 1722; Eph. 2:110; John 3:1421 Mar. 29: (Fifth Sunday in Lent): Jer. 31:3134; Ps. 51:112; Heb. 5:510; John 12:2033 Holy Week and Easter Season Apr. 5: (Sixth Sunday in LentPassion or Palm Sunday): Liturgy of the PalmsMark 11:111; Ps. 118:12, 1929; Liturgy of the Passion Isa. 50:49a; Ps. 31:916; Phil. 2:511; Mark 14:115:47 or Mark 15:139 (4047) Apr. 12: (Easter Day): Acts 10:3443; Ps. 118:12, 1424; 1 Cor. 15:111; John 20:118 or Mark 16:18 Apr. 19: (Second Sunday of Easter): Acts 4:3235; Ps. 133; 1 John 1:12:2; John 20:1931 Apr. 26: (Third Sunday of Easter): Acts 3:1219; Ps. 4; 1 John 3:17; Luke 24:36b48 May 3: (Fourth Sunday of Easter): Acts 4:512; Ps. 23; 1 John 3:1624; John 10:1118 May 10: (Fifth Sunday of Easter): Acts 8:2640; Ps. 22:2531; 1 John 4:721; John 15:18 May 17: (Sixth Sunday of Easter): Acts 10:4448; Ps. 98; 1 John 5:16; John 15:917
May 24: (Seventh Sunday of EasterAscension Sunday): Acts 1:1517, 2126; Ps. 1; 1 John 5:913; John 17:619 May 31: (Day of Pentecost): Acts 2:121; Ps. 104:2434, 35b; Rom. 8:2227; John 15:2627; 16:4b15 June 7: (First Sunday after PentecostTrinity Sunday): Isa. 6:18; Ps. 29; Rom. 8:1217; John 3:117 June 14: (Second Sunday after Pentecost): 1 Sam. 15:3416:13; Ps. 20 or Ps. 92; 2 Cor. 5:613, 1417; Mark 4:2634 June 21: (Third Sunday after Pentecost): 1a Sam. 17:1a, 411, 1923, 3249; Ps. 9:920; 2 Cor. 6:113; Mark 4:3541 June 28: (Fourth Sunday after Pentecost): 2 Sam. 1:1, 1727; Ps. 130; 2 Cor. 8:715; Mark 5:2143 July 5: (Fifth Sunday after Pentecost): 2 Sam. 5:15, 910: Ps. 48; 2 Cor. 12:210; Mark 6:113 July 12: (Sixth Sunday after Pentecost): 2 Sam. 6:15, 12b19; Ps. 24; Eph. 1:314; Mark 6:1429 July 19: (Seventh Sunday after Pentecost): 2 Sam. 7:114a; Ps. 89:2037; Eph. 2:1122; Mark 6:3034, 5356 July 26: (Eighth Sunday after Pentecost): 2 Sam. 11:115; Ps. 14; Eph. 3:1421; John 6:121 Aug. 2: (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost): 2 Sam. 11:2612:13a; Ps. 51:112; Eph. 4:16; John 6:2435 Aug. 9: (Tenth Sunday after Pentecost): 2 Sam. 18:59, 15, 3133; Ps. 130; Eph. 4:255:2; John 6:35, 4145 Aug. 16: (Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost): 1 Kings 2:1012; 3:314; Ps. 111; Eph. 5:1520; John 6:5158 Aug. 23: (Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost): 1 Kings 8:1, 6, 1011, 2230, 4143; Ps. 84; Eph. 6:1020; John 6:5669 Aug. 30: (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost): Song of Sol. 2:813; Ps. 45:12, 69 or Ps. 72; James 1:1727; Mark 7:18, 1415, 2123 Sept. 6: (Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost): Prov. 22:12, 89, 2223; Ps. 125 or Ps. 124; James 2:110 (1113), 1417; Mark 7:2437 Sept. 13: (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost): Prov. 1:2033; Ps. 19; James 3:112; Mark 8:2738
Sept. 20: (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost): Prov. 31:1031; Ps. 1; James 3:134:3, 78a; Mark 9:3037 Sept. 27: (Seventeenth Sunday after PentecostWorld Communion Sunday): Esther 7:16, 910; 9:2022; Ps. 124; James 5:1320; Mark 9:3850 Oct. 4: (Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost): Job 1:1; 2:110; Ps. 26 or Ps. 25; Heb. 1:14; 2:512; Mark 10:216 Oct. 11: (Nineteenth Sunday after PentecostLaity Sunday or Childrens Sabbath): Job 23:19, 1617; Ps. 22:115; Heb. 4:1216; Mark 10:1731 Oct. 18: (Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost): Job 38:17 (3441); Ps. 104:19, 24, 35c; Heb. 5:110; Mark 10:3545 Oct. 25: (Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost): Job 42:16, 1017; Ps. 34:18 (1922); Heb. 7:2328; Mark 10:4652 Nov. 1: (Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost): Ruth 1:118; Ps. 146; Heb. 9:1114; Mark 12:2834 [or] (All Saints Sunday): Isa. 25:69; Ps. 24; Rev. 21:16a; John 11:3244 Nov. 8: (Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost): Ruth 3:15; 4:1317; Ps. 127 or Ps. 42; Heb. 9:2428; Mark 12:3844 Nov. 15: (Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost): 1 Sam. 1:420; 1 Sam. 2:110 or Ps. 113; Heb. 10:1114 (1518), 1925; Mark 13:18 Nov. 22: (Christ the King Sunday): 2 Sam. 23:17; Ps. 132:112; Rev. 1:4b8; John 18:3337 Advent and Christmas Season Nov. 29: (First Sunday in Advent): Jer. 33:1416; Ps. 25:110; 1 Thess. 3:913; Luke 21:2536 Dec. 6: (Second Sunday in Advent): Mal. 3:14; Luke 1:6879; Phil. 1:311; Luke 3:16 Dec. 13: (Third Sunday in Advent): Zeph. 3:1420; Isa. 12:26; Phil. 4:47; Luke 3:718 Dec. 20: (Fourth Sunday in Advent): Mic. 5:25a; Luke 1:46b55; Heb. 10:510; Luke 1:3945
Dec. 27: (First Sunday after Christmas Day): 1 Sam. 2:1820, 26; Ps. 148; Col. 3:1217; Luke 2:4152 Four-Year Church Calendar 2009 2010 Feb. 25 Feb. 17 Apr. 5 Mar. 28 Apr. 10 Apr. 2 Apr. 12 Apr. 4 May 21 May 13 May 31 May 23 June 7 May 30 Nov. 25 Nov. 26 Nov. 28 Nov. 29
Ash Wednesday Palm Sunday Good Friday Easter Ascension Day Pentecost Trinity Sunday Thanksgiving Advent Sunday
2011 Mar. 9 Apr. 17 Apr. 22 Apr. 24 June 2 June 12 June 19 Nov. 24 Nov. 27
2012 Feb. 22 Apr. 1 Apr. 6 Apr. 8 May 17 May 27 June 3 Nov. 22 Dec. 2
2009 April 12 2010 April 4 2011 April 24 2012 April 8 2013 March 31 2014 April 20 2015 April 5 2016 March 27 2017 April 16 2018 April 1
Forty-Year Easter Calendar 2029 April 1 2019 April 21 2020 April 12 2030 April 21 2021 April 4 2031 April 13 2022 April 17 2032 March 28 2023 April 9 2033 April 17 2024 March 31 2034 April 9 2035 March 25 2025 April 20 2026 April 5 2036 April 13 2027 March 28 2037 April 5 2028 April 16 2038 April 25
2039 April 10 2040 April 1 2041 April 2 2042 April 6 2043 March 29 2044 April 17 2045 April 9 2046 March 25 2047 April 14 2048 April 5
1 2 3 4 5 6
Paper Cotton Leather Linen Wood Iron
Traditional Wedding Anniversary Identifications 7 Wool 13 Lace 35 8 Bronze 14 Ivory 40 45 15 Crystal 9 Pottery 20 China 50 10 Tin 11 Steel 25 Silver 55 60 30 Pearl 12 Silk
Coral Ruby Sapphire Gold Emerald Diamond
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Colors Appropriate for Days and Seasons White. Symbolizes purity, perfection, and joy and identifies festivals marking events in the life of Jesus, except Good Friday: Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Eastertide, Ascension Day; also Trinity Sunday, All Saints Day, weddings, funerals. Gold may also be used. Red. Symbolizes the Holy Spirit, martyrdom, and the love of God: Good Friday, Pentecost, and Sundays following. Violet. Symbolizes penitence: Advent, Lent. Green. Symbolizes mission to the world, hope, regeneration, nurture, and growth: Epiphany season, Kingdomtide, Rural Life Sunday, Labor Sunday, Thanksgiving Sunday. Blue. Advent, in some churches. Flowers in Season Appropriate for Church Use January: carnation or snowdrop July: larkspur or water lily August: gladiolus or poppy February: violet or primrose September: aster or morning star March: jonquil or daffodil April: lily, sweet pea, or daisy October: calendula or cosmos May: lily of the valley or hawthorn November: chrysanthemum December: narcissus, holly, or poinsettia June: rose or honeysuckle Quotable Quotations Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.Robert Frost Kites rise highest against the windnot with it.Winston Churchill Love a man, even in his sin, for that love is a likeness of the divine love, and is the summit of love on earth.Fyodor Dostoevsky Call your opinions your creed, and you will change them every week. Make your creed simply and broadly out of the revelation of God, and you will keep it to the end.Phillips Brooks When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, its a sure sign youre getting old.Mark Twain He that waits upon Fortune, is never sure of a Dinner.Benjamin Franklin
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6.
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7. We can refute assertions, but who can refute silence?Charles Dickens 8. Freedom is the last, best hope of earth.Abraham Lincoln 9. He who thinks himself wise, O heavens, is a great fool.Voltaire 10. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.Benjamin Franklin 11. Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.Oscar Wilde 12. Charity begins at home, and justice begins next door.Charles Dickens 13. To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards out of men.Abraham Lincoln 14. Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to.Mark Twain 15. The sum of the whole is this: walk and be happy; walk and be healthy. The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose.Charles Dickens 16. Die when I may, I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.Abraham Lincoln 17. It aint those parts of the Bible that I cant understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.Mark Twain 18. With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us finish the work we are in.Abraham Lincoln 19. God heals, and the doctor takes the fee.Benjamin Franklin 20. Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. Charles Dickens 21. Methuselah lived to be 969 years old. . . . You boys and girls will see more in the next fifty years than Methuselah saw in his whole lifetime.Mark Twain 22. Come my friends, tis not too late to seek a newer world.Alfred Lord Tennyson 23. If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, thank you, that would suffice.Meister Eckhart
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24. Education is hanging around until youve caught on.Robert Frost 25. I destroy my enemy when I make him my friend.Abraham Lincoln 26. What is hell? I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love.Fyodor Dostoevsky 27. A fanatic is one who cant change his mind and wont change the subject.Winston Churchill 28. Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in bonds of fraternal feeling.Abraham Lincoln 29. A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.Oscar Wilde 30. A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.Aesop 31. Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.Voltaire 32. Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Abraham Lincoln 33. Adam and Eve had many advantages, but the principal was that they escaped teething.Mark Twain 34. Moral science is better occupied when treating of friendship than of justice.Thomas Aquinas 35. As much as I converse with sages and heroes, they have very little of my love and admiration. I long for a rural and domestic scene, for the warbling of birds and the prattling of my children.John Adams 36. The things that we love tell us what we are.Thomas Aquinas 37. Gods gifts put mans best dreams to shame.Elizabeth Barrett Browning 38. As I live and am a man, this is an unexaggerated talemy dreams become the substances of my life.Samuel Taylor Coleridge 39. It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.Aeschylus 40. Of all virtues and dignities of the mind, goodness is the greatest, being the character of the Deity; and without it, man is a busy, mischievous, wretched thing.Francis Bacon
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41. A mans character is the reality of himself; his reputation, the opinion others have formed about him; character resides in him, reputation in other people; that is the substance, this is the shadow.Henry Ward Beecher 42. Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.Abraham Lincoln 43. One must change ones tactics every ten years if one wishes to maintain ones superiority.Napoleon Bonaparte 44. Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves. Abraham Lincoln 45. No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character. Ralph Waldo Emerson 46. Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased by tales, so is the other.Francis Bacon 47. It is not death or pain that is to be dreaded, but the fear of pain or death.Epictetus 48. To have joy one must share it. Happiness was born a twin. Lord Byron 49. A loving heart is the truest wisdom.Charles Dickens 50. The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.Abraham Lincoln Questions of Life and Religion In marriage, is the husband truly the head of the house? I heard at school that all religions are the same. Is that true? How do religion and science relate? Or do they? What is the biblical view on war? How can we understand war today? The money I earn is mine, isnt it? My neighbor is impossible to get along with. How can I improve our relationship? Am I to forgive and forget? Should I not rather remember and learn? My parents dont understand me. What can I do?
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
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9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41.
My children dont understand me. What can I do? What is the controversy between evolution and creation? Our world is filled with trouble. Where is there hope for the future? What are spiritual gifts? What are mine? How important are biblical doctrines to my Christian life? How can God help me to handle my failures? Are there modern-day prophets? Who are they? What do people mean by the providence of God? How can I know if I am doing the will of Godor not? Can a believer be both a patriot and a disciple? What is the science of eugenics, and how does it affect my faith? Can morality be learned? Why cant we (couples) live together? Why does marriage matter? I saw a faith healer on TV. What is that about? What did Jesus mean when he said, Blessed are the poor? What does the word gospel mean? How is the Bible different from the Koran? I read the book of Revelation. What is that about? My friends parents are getting a divorce. How can I help her? How can nations relate justly toward each other? Are there some things we cannot forgive? I dont believe in miracles. Should I? What is the Kingdom of God? Who is a disciple? Would someone define evangelism? How can we witness to other world religions? Why is church attendance important? I am fearful of death. Can you help me? Movies seem to be filled with un-Christian language and behavior. Should I go? Should a person be happy all the time? Prayer seems difficult for me. Is prayer real? What does it mean to be called into ministry? Does honesty in the business world matter?
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42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.
How can a family discover the joys of home life? I would like to know what heaven is like. Can someone tell me? Do career choices involve my Christian life? How? What does it mean to be a steward? What role does music play in joint worship? What role does the Holy Spirit play in a Christians life? How much tolerance are we to have toward those who differ with us? What is fasting? How can I know that God loves me?
Biblical Benedictions and Blessings The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent from one another.Gen. 31:49 The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.Num. 6:2426 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers; let him not leave us, nor forsake us; that he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.1 Kings 8:5758 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus; that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify Christ. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Now the God of peace be with you all.Rom. 15:56, 13, 33 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the beginning of the world, but now is manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the
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everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever.Rom. 16:2527 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.1 Cor. 1:3 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.2 Cor. 13:14 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.Eph. 6:2324 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you.Phil. 4:79 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.2 Thess. 11:1112 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.2 Thess. 3:1618 Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Tim. 1:2
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Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.Heb. 13:2021 The God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Greet one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus.1 Pet. 5:1011, 14 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.2 John 3 Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you as faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.Jude 2425 Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.Rev. 1:46
section II
LECTIONARY RESOURCES FOR FIFTY-TWO SUNDAYS

Sermons, Illustrations, Congregational Music, Childrens Sermons, Worship Aids
Sunday, January Fourth
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2009

Epiphany Gifts Matt. 2:112 OTHER READINGS: Isa. 60:16; Ps. 72:17, 1014; Eph. 3:112
LECTIONARY SERMON TOPIC: TEXT:
We remember the Magi mainly for the gifts that they presented to the infant Jesus. We are moved by the fact that they traveled so far to deliver their presents. We are inspired by the fact that they presented valuable gifts, perhaps the best that they could offer, to the newborn King. We think of our Christmas gift giving as being inspired by the gifts of the Magi. There is no doubt they did offer ne gifts, and there is no doubt that their gift giving is inspiring to us still. I. Gods gift and our gifts. The gifts of the Magi were given, however, in response to a gift that they had received. They gave because they had been given to. They gave their gifts because God had shown them a star, which they followed to the Christ child. Can we even begin to imagine what an astounding gift that was? The Magi were astrologers, likely from the area of modern-day Iraq or Iran. They spent most of their time gazing at the stars. Out of all the stars on which they could have focused, God led them to see the one that would lead them to Jesus. Thats awe inspiring. Think about it. How many stars are there in the universe? The number is larger than a simple mind like mine can comprehend. Just to get some idea of the kind of number we are talking about, think about this: there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches in the world combined!1 No wonder that, when we look into the night sky, the vastness of it all amazes us, and when we do such stargazing, we are seeing only a tiny fraction of our own solar system, which is, in turn, only a tiny fraction of the
1See
http://www.cs.csubak.edu/Physics/phys110/UniverswScale.
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universe. No wonder that we can so readily echo the words of the psalm, When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy ngers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? (Ps. 8:34, KJV). And yet out of that vastness God directed the Magi to the one star that made all the difference. II. Gods gift is for you and me. We may have lost sight of how astounding this event is in terms of its implications for us. I fear that we lose something if we lose sight of the wonder of the truth that Whosoever meaneth me. The astounding thing about the revelation to the Wise Men is that they were Gentiles. According to the gospels, the rst announcement of the birth of the Messiah was to Jewish shepherdsmen who lived on the fringe of Hebrew society. The second announcement was to Gentilespeople who lived on the outside of that society. We are Gentiles. The announcement to them was the rst announcement to people like us. John Wesley called the Magi the rst fruits of the Gentiles.2 Even though it was always Gods intention for the Hebrews to be a light to the nations and for Gentiles to be included in his Kingdom, it took the coming of Jesus as the Messiah to throw the way for us wide open. Even then it was a hard sell. It took much debate and the heroic efforts of people like Paul to make full Gentile inclusion in the Church a reality. But Gods truth won out: salvation is by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ and nothing else. We come in from different backgrounds, but we all come in the same way: through Christ. God went to the extreme of extremes to make salvation possible for people like us, who were the outsiders; we will gain something very valuable here at the beginning of this new year if we reclaim the truth that the salvation of people like usof someone like youof someone like meis a great gift from God. III. Gods gift is for everybody. We may have lost sight of just how astounding this episode of the Christ event was for everyone. God went to great lengths to let the Magi know about the birth of Jesus. He went to great lengths because what he was saying to the Magi was what he wanted to say to the whole world. His sign to the Magi signaled from the very beginning that
Wesley, Notes on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, found at http://ccel.org/w/ wesley/notes/notes/Matthew.
2John
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Gods gift of his Son was for all, not just for a select few. The revelation of God to the Magi was an eye-opening experience for those Wise Men, no doubt, but the revelation to the early readers of Matthews gospel was just as much of an eye-opening experience. After all, the Magi were foreigners, they were practitioners of another religion, and they were astrologers. They bore characteristic after characteristic that should have (the people in Israel would have thought) disqualied them from having a positive experience with the Messiah. And yet God showed them the star, they saw the star, and they followed the star. They were Gentiles, and yet God gave them the gift of his Son; Jesus came for them, just as much as he came for the people of Israel. We will gain something very valuable here at the beginning of this new year if we reclaim the gospel truth that the coming of Christ means that the walls have come down, that the door is opened to all, and that the Church to be gathered around Christ will be a Church that makes no distinctions because of race, gender, or social standing. IV. Responding to Gods gift. We dont always take advantage of the gifts that are given to us. When the Wise Men came to Herods court at Jerusalem and inquired as to where the king of the Jews was to be born, the priests and scribes knew the answer because they knew the Biblehe was to be born in Bethlehem. So the Wise Men headed off to Bethlehem, which is only six miles from Jerusalem. Can you believe that the priests and scribes didnt go with them? It is as Sren Kierkegaard said: What a difference! The three kings had only a rumor to go by. But it moved them to make that long journey. The scribes were much better informed, much better versed. They sat and studied the Scriptures . . . but it did not make them move. Who had the more truth? The three kings who followed a rumor, or the scribes who remained sitting with all their knowledge?3 It makes me wonder about us. God has given us such tremendous gifts. God has given us salvation; he has included people like us in his great plan of salvation, and he has even included me. God has given us our Christian fellowship, our Bibles, a free country in which to exercise our faith, and so much more. How, though, are we responding to his tremendous gifts to us?
3Sren
Kierkegaard, Only a Rumor, Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2004), p. 289.
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A poet put it this way:

What can I give Him, Poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man, I would do my part Yet what can I give Him, I give my heart.4
But are we really giving him our hearts? Are we really giving him our lives? Kierkegaard went on to say, What an atrocious self-contradiction that the scribes should have the knowledge and yet remain still. This is as bad as if a person knows all about Christ and his teachings, and his own life expresses the opposite.5 The early Jewish Christians had a hard time accepting the fact that God wanted Jews and Gentiles in his Church on the same terms. Now the Church is a Gentile Church. Are we ready to accept the fact that God welcomes all into his family? We withhold a large part of our greatest giftour livesfrom God if we withhold our hearts from anyone. And what a gift we cost ourselves if we dont accept Gods gift of that great multifaceted collection of people who canand shouldmake up the Church. Many years ago the actress who played the mother on the television series Eight Is Enough died, and her death was written into the story line of the show. In one episode, the family members began to nd Christmas presents hidden around the house that she had acquired for each of them. Each gift found was a reminder of her love for them. We are surrounded by people for whom God has the great gift of salvation and who would be a great gift of God to us. They are hiding in plain sight all around us. As we nd them, love them, and relate to them, we will be reminded of Gods love for them and for us. What a gift that will be!Michael Rufn
4W.
M. Rossetti, ed., Christina Rossetti: The Poetical Works of Christina Georgina Rossetti (London: Macmillan and Co., 1904), p. 97. 5Sren Kierkegaard, Only a Rumor, p. 289.
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I L L U S T R AT I O N S
Hope. Rogers and Hammersteins musical South Pacic has long been a favorite for many of usand continues to be now, nearly fty years after the end of World War II. In the play, Nellie Fawbush, from Little Rock, Arkansas, falls in love with a French planter, Emil. The two are discussing the war. Is it the end of the world? she cried. Maybe its the end of some worlds, he replied. Nellie, gathering herself, declared, Well, I just cant feel like that. Its a terrible time, but I dont believe its the end. Her friends at the hospital where she worked thought she was nave, and so gave her the nickname, Knuckle-head Nellie. Later she sings, People think Im a cockeyed optimist. I can see the sun and forget every cloud Ive ever seen. The last line of the song is, Im stuck like a dope with a thing called hope, and I cant get it out of my heart. Well I cant either. Not because I believe in shallow optimism but because I trust in the grace of God. I like the song, but I disagree with Nellies view of hope. Hope isnt something were stuck with. Hope is something we choose. At times it may come unstuck, but when it does we can choose to hope again. We will disagree with the writer of Ecclesiastes, that there is nothing new under the sun. There is something new: the renewal of life.Lee McGlone Empowerment. The New Year is lled with opportunity. Sadly, a disquieted spirit within will cause the opportunities to vanish. A renewed spirit is needed for the new year. Charles Allen writes of the terrible tortures of the Spanish Inquisition. The worst of all was to put a man in a jail cell with the ceiling so low he could not stand up fully. He was never able to stand up straight, never able to hold up his head. This was discovered to break even the strongest mans spirit. As we step into the months ahead, may we do so standing on tip-toes, anticipating Gods grand work among us. As Allen said, Christian, stand up straight; be a real person.6Lee McGlone
6Charles
Allen, The Sermon on the Mount (Westwood, NJ: Revell, 1966), p. 30.
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Musical Selections Appropriate to the Day

Isa. 60:16 Ps. 72:17, 1014 Eph. 3:112 Matt. 2:112 Arise Your Light Is Come! Jesus Shall Reign Grace Greater Than Our Sin As with Gladness
1 Childrens Lectionary Sermon

Wake Up SCRIPTURE: Isa. 60:16 KEY VERSE: Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. (Isa. 60:1, NASB) KEY CONCEPT: Jesus as the Light of the world MATERIALS: Bible, bathrobe (or pajama shirt with a pocket), toothbrush, teddy bear PREPARATION: Have an accomplice ready to shout, Wake up sleepy head: Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
TITLE:
Put on the bathrobe and mess up your hair. As the kids come up for the childrens sermon, say things like, I got up too early this morning, I need to go back to sleep, or, It is so bright in here. Wont someone shut off the lights, or, I have got to go back to sleep! Then curl up with your teddy and pretend to fall asleep. As the kids are wondering what is going on, have your accomplice shout out the phrase, Wake up sleepy head: Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. Huh? Did you say, Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon ME? Wow, I never thought of it like that. I better wake up. I better put my clothes on and get ready for today. (Take off bathrobe). That means Mr. Sleepy has to go back to his little bed. (Put teddy bear down.) (Open Bible.) Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. This is from Isaiah 60:1. (Point at each child as you say this.)
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What a fantastic reminder for you and me. We should wake up every day and say this. Can you say it with me? (Repeat the verse several times with the children.) This verse is prophecy, telling us that Jesus came to the world for me and for you. Jesus is the Light of the world. Light is a picture word used to describe Jesus to help us understand that Jesus can show us the way to live. This verse reminds us of Jesus love for each one of us. It is like the brightest, sunniest day that we have ever seen. Light helps us to see when it is dark. Jesus wants each one of us to live every day like we have him shining through us. Jesus wants us to light the wayto show others how to follow him. Now, lets say that verse one more time: Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.Lizette Hunt
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new (Rev. 21:5 KJV). Invocation: Almighty God, ll our rst worship of this New Year with winds of renewal and direction, that we may faithfully worship and serve our God this year and every year. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and into the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8, KJV). Offertory Prayer: Lord God, allow our rst offering of this New Year to set a steady pattern of stewardship that will nd us at years end faithful soldiers of the cross. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: Kind Father, as we begin this New Year, guide us into it with the sense of your loving direction, ever-present Spirit, and unending wisdom. We give thanks for the accomplishments of the year past and eagerly anticipate your gracious work among us in the year ahead. May today mark not only the beginning of the year but a new beginning in a life of faith.
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Renew us, we pray, for the living of our days. Give to us, we pray, keen sensitivity that we may see where you are at work around usand courage necessary to enter into that great work. We ask that our lives may be molded into the image of your dear Son, Jesus, and that our witness to his name will be clear and bold. And grant that we may walk closer to you at this years ending than at its beginning. We pray in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.Lee McGlone Benediction: Now may the majesty and the power and the glory of our great God go with you, sons and daughters of God. Be strengthened in these days to live faithfully for the sake of the Kingdom. And let us rejoice. Amen.
SUNDAY, january 11, 2009

First Sunday after Epiphany Following Jesus in Baptism Mark 1:411 OTHER READINGS: Gen. 1:15; Ps. 29; Acts 19:17
Ive heard it all my life. The preacher says when someone is to be baptized, He is following Jesus in baptism. I assumed that the preacher meant at least two things by that. First, he meant that to baptize was to follow Jesus instructions. After all, Jesus said that the Church was to make disciples and to baptize them. So to follow Jesus in baptism was to follow Jesus instruction that we baptize and be baptized. Thus we Baptists refer to baptism as an ordinance; we are following Jesus order. The second thing that I assumed the preacher meant was that we were following Jesus example in baptism. Jesus was baptized so we ought to be baptized, too, since he is our example in all things. But theres something strange going on here. Mark tells us that John the Baptist proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (v. 4). Jesus was not in need of repentance or of forgiveness. Yet he came to be baptized by John. What is going on, and what can we learn from it about our own baptism?
Sunday, January Eleventh
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I. He identied himself with the hopes of all those who had come to be baptized. Jesus came to his baptism as part of the crowd. Mark presents the baptism of Jesus in the context of the Johns general baptismal activity. Lukes gospel makes Jesus a part of the crowd in an even more explicit way: Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus had been baptized and was praying (v. 21). You can picture Jesus just standing in line with the rest of them, waiting his turn.7 Hes about to be singled out, but for now hes a member of the crowd. He joins himself to the expectant ones (v. 15). They had come wondering if John might be the Messiah. Both John and Jesus knew better than that. Still, Jesus identied himself with those who were expecting God to do something, with those who were faithfully looking for God to fulll his promises. II. Jesus was also identifying himself with the sinfulness of those who came to be baptized. Jesus himself did not sin. He alone among humans lived a perfectly obedient life. Still, Jesus was tempted as we are. He was subject to all the temptations and problems and trials that are common to humanity. In his subsequent life, death, and Resurrection, he overcame those for us. Jesus faithful obediencehis baptismis the symbol of his solidarity with us. Jesus identied with the sinfulness of humankind and took on a life in the midst of this fallen world so that he could overcome it all. Jesus is clearly different fromand set off fromus. Still, in signicant ways he became one of us and walked among us. When we come to be baptized, we also come as those who are expecting God to do something in our lives and in this world. We come as a part of the crowd, recognizing that we are sinners, too, just like everybody else. We do come differently from the way Jesus came: we are aware of our sins, and we confess our personal sinfulness. But we come identifying ourselves with Jesus, whose death and Resurrection overcome the power of sin in our own lives. III. Jesus came to his baptism as an act of submission. It is one of the most beautiful pictures in the entire Bible. Jesus, who had no sin of which he
7Cf.
Stephen I. Wright, First Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of the Lord), Year C. The Lectionary Commentary, Roger E. Van Harn, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001), pp. 316317.
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needed to repent, nonetheless submitted himself to the public humiliation of baptism in order to be obedient to his Fathers will. There is something so fundamentally Christian about what he did. Jesus life was dominated by two concerns: (1) to serve the Father and (2) to serve other people. Did Jesus need to be baptized? No, not the way that we need to be. But he wanted to do what his Father wanted him to do. His attitude was completely submissive. Was Jesus baptism more benecial to him or to us? To us, I think, because of what it teaches us. But he still did it. What a model of humility and submission! And lets face it: baptism is an act of humiliation. We come before a crowd of people, and we let ourselves be made wet right there in public. In so doing we are following Jesus example. The Christian life is, at its heart, a life of submission to the will of God and service to other people. Baptism is the appropriate beginning to such a life. Baptism marks us as those who are dedicated to submission submission to the will of God and submission to the needs of others. Baptism is the beginning of a lifelong process of thinking less and less about self and thinking more and more about the will of God and the needs of people. We are baptized with great joy that God has called us to live life in his Sons way, in the submissive way. IV. In his baptism Jesus received conrmation of his identity. We do get something out of baptism for ourselves! In his baptism experience, Jesus received a conrmation of his identity: You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased (v. 11). He heard who he was. He heard that he was loved by his Father. He heard that his Father was pleased with him. I have been moved for a while by the fact that Jesus heard these conrming words before he had begun his ministry; the conrmation was based on who he was and on his relationship with his Father, not on what he had accomplished. There is a difference with our baptism, though, for it is truly a beginning for us. It is the sign of our new life in Christ. Before, we were not saved; baptism is the outward sign that we have been saved. Things really change for us. When Jesus was baptized, he became publicly identied with what God was up to in the world. There was no doubt about it; he had been set apart. When you are called by name and claimed as Gods own, you then have a
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part to play in Gods purpose, in his mission of taking the love and grace of Jesus Christ to those around you. So you see that the baptism of Jesus teaches us so much that we need to know, both about him and about us. Have you followed Jesus in baptism? Do you feel the call to do so?Michael Rufn
Inclusion. In Flannery OConnors story The River, a young son of alcoholic parents is taken by his babysitter to a river baptism. Moved by what he sees, he throws himself into the river so he can be baptized, too. As he comes up out of the water, he hears the preacher say, You count now. In our baptism we hear that we now belong to Gods family. We hear that we are his beloved children. We hear that we matter and our life matters.Michael Rufn Truth. Jesus lived and taught a positive message. He reminded people that Gods way was summed up in two clear declarations: loving God and neighbor. The difference between Jesus and those who opposed him was his emphasis on an authority from within and not prohibitions from without. Even today, there are those for whom everything is already decided. For these, there are no questions, only enforcement. Ernest Fremont Tittle wrote, Religions of authority in some form will not only survive, but they will ourish as long as there are people who would rather feel certain than nd the truth.8 True religion of the Spirit offers the chance for fullness and joy of life.Lee McGlone

Baptism of the Lord Gen. 1:15 Ps. 29 Acts 19:17 Mark 1:411 All Creatures of Our God and King To God Be the Glory Baptized in Water On Jordans Bank the Baptists Cry
8Charles
Allen, The Sermon on the Mount (Westwood, NJ: Revell, 1966), p. 52.
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Voice Power! SCRIPTURE: Ps. 29:111 KEY VERSE: The voice of the LORD is powerful, the voice of the LORD is majestic. (Ps. 29:4, NASB) KEY CONCEPT: Gods power MATERIALS: Bible, CD containing nature sounds, either purchased or obtained from free Internet sources PREPARATION: Use your Web search engine to nd free nature sound effects online. Download several two- to three-second sound effectsthunder, rainstorm, waterfall, ocean surf, wind, or hurricaneand burn them onto a CD. Write down the order of the sounds on the CD, or prearrange with the sound person the playing order of the sounds. Have that person play them for you at the appropriate times over the sound system in the sanctuary (or wherever you are preaching your childrens sermon). One site I found: http://partnersinrhyme.com/soundfx/Weather.s.
TITLE:
Good morning, everyone. I need you all to be very quiet as we listen to some different sounds. (Have the sound person play a sound.) What do you think that sound was? (Continue on this way using three to ve different sounds.) The sounds we heard are all sounds you might hear in a storm or when you are out visiting a park, like the waterfall sound. Have you ever heard one of these noises before? (Let the children answer.) Some of these sounds can be scary sounds, like the loud clap of thunder. Maybe one reason these sounds can be scary is because we know how powerful a storm can be. It is a powerful experience to watch the rain fall hard and see lightening strike and hear the thunder boom. (Open Bible.) Our Bible verse for today is Psalm 29:4: The voice of the LORD is powerful, the voice of the LORD is majestic. We need to remember that our God is more powerful than any storm. One big reason we can be afraid of stormy weather is because we have no control over it. We cannot control or stop the weather. And we cannot control God, no matter how hard we try. God is powerful and mighty. God created everythingyou and me, and the sunshine and the rain. This verse reminds us that the powerful sounds of nature were created by God. He is stronger than any weather we might experience. Gods voice
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is powerful enough to create the world. Our God is powerful, and he is majestic. We can praise him together today.Lizette Hunt
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: My voice shalt you hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will make my prayer unto you, and will look up (Ps. 5:3, KJV). Invocation: Lord, lead us in our worship today to embrace wholeheartedly the will and promises of God in whom we live and move and have our being. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful (1 Cor. 4:2, KJV). Offertory Prayer: Lord, we bring these gifts of tithes and offerings today as expressions of our devotion to you. We ask that you bless and multiply the effectiveness of these gifts for the building of your Kingdom. And, as we give, give us grateful hearts. Amen. Morning Prayer: Father, today I pray for my church. As with Paul in days of old, I thank God in all my remembrances of each person in this congregation and with delight make my prayers of entreaty for them. I am thankful for the fellowship we share, for our partnering in ministry, the work of the gospel in which we are co-laborers. Lord, you have graciously guided us all the days of our lives, have brought us to this place today, and will lead your people to the fulllment of your intention among us. The good work you have begun you will bring to fulllment. May the grace that has guided us all the way continue now and forever. For those among us suffering the hurts of our human predicament, O Lord, hold them up with your gracious hand of love. Give strength to the weak, hope to the despairing, and peace to the troubled hearts. And above all, give to us your presence. Walk beside us and hold our hands. We now give you thanks and praise forevermore. And we do so in Christs name.Lee McGlone Benediction: God, go before as we go forth in the days of this week to proclaim your wondrous deeds. Give to us open minds and ready spirits to speak your name often and lovingly. May your holy name be praised! Amen.
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Second Sunday after Epiphany Hearing Gods Call TEXT: 1 Sam. 3:110 (1120) OTHER READINGS: Ps. 139:16, 1318; 1 Cor. 6:1220; John 1:4351
LECTIONARY SERMON TOPIC:
It is important that in every generation Gods people hear his call in their lives. This text is about the young man Samuel hearing Gods call. Usually when we think or talk about God calling someone, we think about him calling a young person. Although that is the scenario on which this textand thus this sermon focuses, it is important to say at the outset that Gods call can come to anyone at any stage in his or her life. It is also important to note that Gods call comes in this text in the context of a transition in generations and a transition in leadership. I. Every generation needs to hear Gods call. People in every generation need to hear Gods call and to do the best they can to carry out that call. People in every generation will have mixed success at carrying out Gods call. No doubt the priest Eli had experienced many successes in his ministry at Shiloh, but he had also experienced his share of failures. The Bible tells us that the Lord decided to take the leadership away from the family of Eli because of the sins of his sons and Elis inability to correct them. Leadership could not be passed on to Elis sons, so it was going to pass to Samuel instead. Regardless of the reasons and the circumstances, though, the call of God must be passed on to new leadership in every generation. The circumstances of Elis generation demanded that a new generation hear the call of God. The text uses light and darkness imagery to drive home the twin points that things were very bad indeed but that there was hope for better things. We are told right off that The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread (v. 1b). Then we are told that Elis eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see; Elis encroaching physical blindness symbolizes the increasing spiritual blindness of him and
Sunday, January Eighteenth
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his generation. But hope is not lost, for where Samuel was lying in the temple, the lamp of God had not yet gone out (v. 3a); the physical reality of the still-burning lamp symbolizes the fact that Gods light might still break through the spiritual darkness that seemed to permeate the land. II. Every generation needs to be available to hear Gods call. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord when he heard Gods voice. It is possible that the young man was participating in a ritual whereby he slept in the tabernacle near the Ark of the Covenant in order to put himself in a position to hear the voice of God. If that is the case, it raises two questions. First, might Samuels mentor, Eli, have guided him into that situation? Those of the older generation of leadership need to encourage our young people to put themselves in a position to hear Gods call in their lives. We can do that (and parents have a special role here) by making sure that our children are in worship and in a small group and on a ministry team so that they will be available to hear Gods voice. The Church also has a role in providing worship, study, and service opportunities that are geared to our youth so that they might hear the voice of God in their own languageanother version of Pentecost, if you will. The next generation is responsible to hear for themselves, but the older generation is responsible to help them hear. Second, why did Samuel mistake the voice of God for the voice of Eli? Perhaps he was just not mature enough to know the voice of God when he heard it. Regardless, here we get a glimpse of a situation that people, and especially young people, struggle with in their efforts to ascertain the call of God. Are they hearing the voice of God? Are they hearing the voice of circumstances? Are they hearing the voice of peers? Are they hearing the voice of family? Are they hearing the voice of church members? Or are all of those voices combining to give voice to the call of God? If our younger generation is put in a position to hear the call of God, they just might hear it. One of the senior adult ladies in the church I serve used to have the children of her neighborhood in her home for a Saturday morning time of refreshments and Bible stories. She told me that one of the boys would always want her to tell them his favorite story, which was the story of the call of the boy Samuel. In that there is great hope! III. Every generation needs to accept the challenge of Gods call. The dynamics created when the call of God is heard and responded to by a new
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generation can be difcult. Both the old guard and the new guard experience signicant challenges that must be navigated. The handoff of leadership can be difcult for the old guard. Eli had to face the fact that the leadership of Israel was being taken away from him and his descendants. He also had to face the hard fact that it was being taken away because of the personal failings of himself and his family. Those in the present generation of leadership are faced with the challenge of facing and owning up to our own sins and shortcomings. Facing our sins and shortcomings does not necessarily mean that we have done a bad job or that God is displeased with us and our leadership. Regardless, we do have to pass the baton to the next generation, and that can be hard. As Eli appropriately confessed, It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him (v. 18b). We need to have the faith that throughor in spite ofwhat we have done and are doing, God is working his purposes out. The proclamation and witness that is required of them can be a challenge for the new guard. Often the Old Testament prophets were called to proclaim a message that was hard for people to hear and hard for the prophets to speak. And so Samuel was afraid to tell Eli what God had said to him because that message contained negative words about Elis family. Those in the new generation need to be open to the call of God on their lives, and that means facing squarely and speaking boldly the words that God gives them to say. If they have to say things that are hard for the old guard to hear, so be it. If they have to say things that will be difcult for their own generation to hear (and they most certainly will), then so be it. So there are signicant challenges to all generations in hearing Gods call, but faithfulness requires that we face them.Michael Rufn
Hearing Gods Voice. I perceived that God was calling me to preach when I was fourteen years old. When I got older and became a little more reective, I began to ponder the circumstances that surrounded my perception of that call. My mother, a very devoted Christian, was terminally ill with cancer. My
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church family spoke of Gods call only in terms of a call to full-time Christian ministry and never in terms of a call to a profession as a Christian layperson. My emotional stability was very much based in pleasing people. Might I have heard those voices rather than the voice of God? I came to realize, though, that I had heard the call of God and that if he had used some of those other voices to get my attention, they had nally led me in the right way.Michael Rufn Current Darkness. Some folks would claim that it is darker now than it ever has been. We feel like the little boy who exclaimed upon hearing the clock strike thirteen, Its later than its ever been before! Perhaps it feels that way in every generation. When I was a teenager my wise father would tell me, Your generation isnt any worse than mine; you just have better weapons to work with than we did! We do have our share of darkness in this generation. Is the darkness affecting our ministers and other church leaders? Are too many of us pursuing misguided goals and basing our leadership on standards that fall short of those of the Kingdom of God? Does the emerging church movement have things to say to us about taking the unchanging gospel to a rapidly changing world that we entrenched leaders are proving too slow to hear? However dark we judge our present situation to be, we need to encourage the next generation to hear Gods call.Michael Rufn

1 Sam. 3:110 (1120) Ps. 139:16, 1318 1 Cor. 6:1220 John 1:4351 Here I Am, Lord Search Me, O God Built on the Rock I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

Grains of Sands SCRIPTURE: Ps. 139:16, 1318
TITLE:
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God, your thoughts about me are priceless. No one can possibly add them all up. If I could count them, they would be more than the grains of sand. If I were to fall asleep counting and then wake up, you would still be there with me. (Ps. 139:1718, NIRV) KEY CONCEPT: Gods love MATERIALS: Bible, sand-lled hourglass, a timer
KEY VERSE:
I want to know who of you can count. Please raise your hands. (Name the children who raise their hands, and praise them for being able to count.) Thats fantastic! I have a special counting job for each one of you. See this hourglass. (Show the hourglass to everyonethe children and the rest of the worshippers.) We are going to see if we can count the grains of sand in this. (Let a few of the children try to count the grains of sand as they fall. See if anyone has some ingenious way to try to count the sandlike holding the glass sideways. But always come to the fact that you really cant count the grains of sand in the hourglass.) Todays passage from the Bible is from Psalm 139: 1718. (Open Bible.) It says, God, your thoughts about me are priceless. No one can possibly add them all up. If I could count them, they would be more than the grains of sand. If I were to fall asleep counting and then wake up, you would still be there with me. (Hold up the hourglass.) Now this little thing can only hold what it will hold, even if we cannot count all the grains of sand inside it. But have you been to the beach at the ocean or at the lake? There is so much sand you cannot count all of it. There have to be millions and billions of grains of sand. It is an impossible task to try to count all the grains of sand on one beach. We just cant do it. And God loves us much more than that. You and I do not have the ability to count high enough to count how much God loves each one of us. And as much sand is at every beach in the whole world, all put together, still does not add up to the amount of love God has for each one of us.Lizette Hunt
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high (Ps. 7:17, KJV).
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Invocation: Lord, let this hour of worship be life changing for us because we grew a little closer to our God, and catching divine initiatives, we go forth to serve and love in Christs name. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Pet. 4:10, KJV). Offertory Prayer: Out of your abundant grace, O Lord, we live each day. You have lovingly provided for our needsand beyondand so today we come with grateful hearts. We offer these gifts to you as expressions of our love and commit ourselves, as we commit our gifts, for the cause of your eternal Kingdom. Amen. Morning Prayer: O loving God, we know that you hear the heartfelt needs that arise within us. We voice our concerns, needs, hopes, and dreams to you this day. We come acknowledging that we often pass unaware of your presence along our pathway; yet, we know that you are in the sky, the owers, the trees, the lakes, the faces of children; you are in the hurts of those in need and in the lives of persons we love. Teach us to see you and hear you wherever you are. Enable us, like children, to come alive to the wonder and mystery of your presence around us. We lift our hearts to you, young and old, children and adults, singles and married, men and women. Teach us how to be sensitive to your presence and responsive to the needs of those around us. As we pray in the name of the One who is the most sensitive person of all, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.William Powell Tuck Benediction: We go forth today with grateful hearts, ready to engage our world in condence and hope. We covenant to stand faithfully by one another, to seek each day our Lords guidance, and to speak boldly and graciously of our Saviors love.Amen.
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Third Sunday after Epiphany
Follow Me
OTHER READINGS:
Mark 1:1420 Jon. 3:15, 10; Ps. 62:512; 1 Cor. 7:2931
We are told nothing of what kind of day it waswhether it was cloudy or clear, cold or hot, rainy or dry. We are told nothing of what was in the shermens mindswere they happy or sad, focused or distracted, fresh or tired? We are told nothing of what had been happening in their lives before this momenthad they ever seen Jesus before, were they faithful in the practice of the Jewish faith, had they been pondering the meaning of their lives? Yes, we are told nothing nothing except that on that day Jesus came walking by and said to these four shermen the words that changed not only their lives but the very course of human history: Follow me. And, amazingly, they followed. I. Will you follow him? Why did they follow? I have no better answer than that something happened to them in that moment; they heard the voice of Jesus, and it sounded signicant and authoritative to them. Something about that voice in that moment made it necessary for them to make a decision that would change the course of their entire lives. They did not, so far as we can tell, have a signicant amount of prior information about Jesus. They certainly were not privy to the kind of knowledge about Jesus that we now possess. Yet the power of his presence and the summons of his voice were, to them, irresistible. And so here you are today, mending your nets and getting ready to do the stuff you do in your life, or busy thinking about all that you need to be doing. You are busybusy with your work, busy with your family, busy with your hobbies, busy with making money, busy with spending money, busy with worrying, busy with playing, busy with parenting. Youre just plain busy. But now here comes this voice saying, Follow me. And believe me, that voice
Sunday, January Twenty-Fifth
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is just as present and just as real today as it was two thousand years ago beside the Sea of Galilee. Through the activity of the Holy Spirit, that voice still calls, still summons, still beckons for us to follow. So youre hearing it today, maybe for the rst time, maybe for the thousandth time. The four Galilean shermen apparently responded to the voice the rst time they heard it. So can you. Others of you have heard it over and over and have not yet responded. Why not? I dont know, and it doesnt really matter, not today. What does matter is that you can hear his voice, and you can follow today. II. What does it mean to follow him? At issue here is whether or not you will become a disciple. Jesus says, Follow me. We know now, in light of the life and ministry of Jesus, that to come after Jesus means to follow him in the way of the cross. It means to take up our cross and follow him. It means to abandon our lives and our priorities and to give ourselves over to him in radical obedience. It doesnt mean to follow perfectly. Youre not going to do that. So if youre sitting there thinking that you have to wait until you can get it just right, then youre going to spend the rest of your life just sitting there and waiting. Youll never get it down perfectly, and thats not what being a disciple is all about anyway. It doesnt mean to stake your life on the quality of your following. That would deteriorate into a works righteousness that will drain your life from you. If youre wondering if you can do well enough to make it all the way through, then you need to know that the answer is no. Besides, what youre able to do is not what being a disciple is all about anyway. Yes, you are the one being called to be a disciple, but what you are being called to do is to follow Jesus. You must keep your focus on him, not on yourself. Watch him, learn from him, follow him, and let him empower and enliven and enable you, and then you will be a disciple. The focus is not on being a disciple; the focus is on being his disciple. Furthermore, the focus is rst and foremost on being his. Dont think too much about outcomes. Dont think too much about destinations. Dont think too much about results. Just follow. Just trust. Just rely on his presence with you, and then no matter where he leads you, it will be all right. That is important to know, because where he leads you may not be an easy place to be. The road these four shermen had to walk was not an easy road. It was a road of deprivation, of sacrice, of misunderstanding, of
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failure, of loss, of grief, and of pain. For most of them it was a road that ultimately led to martyrdom. But it is the only road that, no matter what it takes you through, nally leads to joy. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who died as a Christian martyr in a Nazi prison camp, put it this way: Discipleship means joy.9 And if we answer the call to discipleship, where will it lead us? What decisions and partings will it demand? To answer this question we shall have to go to him, for only he knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ, who bids us follow him, knows the journeys end. But we do know that it will be a road of boundless mercy. Discipleship means joy.10 Do you really need to know anything else? Discipleship means following and sacrice and obedience, but at the bottom of it all, discipleship means joy! III. Will you decide to follow him? You must make a decision. Your life was given to you by God, and so it really belongs to him, but he has given you stewardship over it and freedom to do with it as you choose. What will you do with the rest of your life? And so must be your response to the call to follow Jesus. Everything that has happened before this moment is signicant; those events have brought you to this moment. But this is the crucial moment. This is the moment when, either for the rst time or the tenth time or the one thousandth time, you are hearing the voice of Jesus saying to you, Follow me. Following him is where your future lies. Following him is where your purpose and your meaning lie. Following him is where your hope lies. You just need to do what he calls you to do: follow him.Michael Rufn
Prayer of Thomas Merton. My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does, in fact, please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that
9Dietrich 10Ibid.
Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, rev. ed. (New York: Collier, 1963), p. 41.
Sunday, January Twenty-Fifth
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I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.11Michael Rufn Future Paths. In the classic post-World War II lm The Best Years of Our Lives, Dana Andrews played one of several returning veterans on whom the movie focuses. A drugstore soda jerk before the war, he had risen to the rank of captain as a bombardier in the Army Air Force. During the course of the lm, life goes wrong for him. Now, his marriage over, his job gone, he is preparing to leave home, going anywhere. Before he leaves, though, he goes to an old aireld where many junked bombers are stored. He climbs into one of them, crawling into the nose cone. The camera shows the wings of the bomber, now without engines. That plane is going nowhere for him. His former life is over; there is no future there. He would have to nd a different path and follow it if there were to be a future for him.Michael Rufn

Jon. 3:15, 10 Ps. 62:512 1 Cor. 7:2931 Mark 1:1420 God Is Here! O Love That Will Not Let Me Go Abide with Me Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

My Hiding Place SCRIPTURE: Ps. 62:512 KEY VERSE: On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. (Ps. 62:7, NIRV)
TITLE:
11Merton,
Thoughts in Solitude (Garden City, NY: Image, 1968), p. 81.
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KEY CONCEPT: MATERIALS:
Gods power and protection Bible, a rock to show the children
There are all kinds of rocks in the world. There are small rocks, big rocks, tiny rocks, gray rocks, and even shiny rocks. There is just about every kind of rock you can imagine. Rocks are very strong. I have one here. Can you crush this in your hand? (Let the children try to squeeze it.) (Open Bible.) This Bible passage was written by a man named David. He lived a long time ago, and the place where he lived was a hilly country. There were hills, rocks, and caves all throughout the countryside where David grew up. David wrote, God is the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. God is so powerful and strong; God cant be crushed, just like we cant crush the one we have right here. David also speaks of God as his refuge. A refuge is a place of safety, maybe like a cave on a mountain. David knew about being in trouble and hiding out. David had been in trouble time and time again. No matter how hard David fought against his enemies, he always knew God had been the one who really had kept him safe. David knew God had protected him. Here in my hand I have a small rock. (Show the children.) It would be impossible to hide behind this little rock or to crush it in our hand. David used picture language, saying God is strong and powerful like a rock. We can go to God when we dont feel safe or have a problem. This little rock reminds me that when I am sad or mad or scared, I can go to God and he will be my strength and my refuge. I can pray to God and tell God everything. When we see a rock, we can remember that God is strong and is ready to protect us and offer us Gods strength.Lizette Hunt
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvelous works (Ps. 9:1, KJV). Invocation: Lord, let this be an hour of victory over the sins that so easily beset us because we nd victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, who sinned not. Amen.E. Lee Phillips
Sunday, February First
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Offertory Sentence: Every one of us shall give account of himself to God (Rom. 14:12, KJV). Offertory Prayer: God of grace and mercy, you who have made our world and us in it, we count it all joy to share in the work of eternity. We praise you for inviting us to participate in so glorious a pursuit. You allow us to share by giving of our means. Bless these tithes and offerings, and multiply them for your intended purpose. Amen. Morning Prayer: Come Lord Christ to woo us with the voice of silence, the two or three gathered in your name, the leaven in the lump, the one light held against the darkness, the mustard seed of faith, the one-man atonement. Give us the courage to live what we already know. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Tom Conley Benediction: Now and forever we stand grateful at Gods side. We go forth this day into the days of the week and pledge loyalty to God and to one another. May our words and actions express these commitments as a clear witness to Godwhom we name Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
SUNDAY, FEBRUAry 1, 2009

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
The Alphabet of Praise
Ps. 111 Deut. 18:1520; 1 Cor. 8:113; Mark 1:2128
OTHER READINGS:
The ancient Semitic people had three forms of poetic rhyming, which are depicted in the book of Psalms. One method was called parallelism. In this form, one line would state a truth, and the next line would repeat in different ways what was said in the other. Recurrence was another method. Certain sounds, consonants, or vowels occur again in the next line. Psalm 111, our text
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for today, is an acrostic poem. Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which contains twenty-two letters, was used to begin each line in this poem. This method was used to help the worshipper remember a psalm. Most likely, this was a psalm that a singer would sing as a solo in the temple as the people gathered for the annual festival. They had likely learned this psalm when they were young. This psalm was a familiar one because they have used the acrostic aid the Hebrew alphabetand each letter brought back into their memory the words of the psalm. We will examine this psalm, not with all of the letters but with the emphasis on only four. I. A psalm reminds us that we need to attain an attitude of adoration as we come to worship. The psalmist begins with the admonition, Praise the Lord. He afrms that he will praise God with all his heart in the faithful company of all those who gather for worship. The psalmist acknowledges that his adoration of God was not done in isolation but was offered in the midst of the congregation of fellow worshippers. Even in monasteries, monks gather together as a group to worship and praise God. They afrm the importance of corporate worship. The weakness of worshipping by oneself might be illustrated this way. When a hot coal is taken out of a re, removed from the other coals, and laid on the hearth, one notices that soon the coal begins to cool and turn dark. It needs the warmth of the other coals. The congregationthe fellowship of the churchencourages, strengthens, corrects, and sustains us. A Christian does not grow in worship in isolation but in a community and fellowship of believers. No one individual has all the resources, strength, or insights to face life alone. Separated from others, we may become weak and fragile in our relationship with God. II. The letter B might stand for a benevolent memory. In the fourth verse the psalmist declares that God has caused his wonderful works to be remembered. Then he recounts some of those works to be remembered in this psalm. He notes especially the gift of food. Worship affords us an occasion to remember Gods wonderful world and the blessings we have experienced in life. If you have traveled in our country or abroad, you can reect on the majestic mountains and lakes in the Cotswold and the Lake District in
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England or the rugged highlands and seashore in Scotland or the beauty of our own mountains in Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and West Virginia, or some of the other breathtaking beauty of America or some other part of the world. Remembering such beauty reminds us of the One who created our world and summons us to praise God anew. The psalmist also reminds the worshippers that they need to remember what God has done for them in their spiritual heritage. He may have been urging them to recall the time they were slaves in Egypt and how God, through the Exodus, set them free. Remember that. Remember how God fed Israel with manna in the wilderness wanderings. Remember the laws God gave us from Mt. Sinai. Remember how God brought us back to Jerusalem from exile in strange countries. Remember the covenant God made with us. Remember! III. The C in our alphabet is the psalmists call to celebrate the consistency of God. The psalmist notes in the seventh verse that the works of Gods hand are faithful and just. All of Gods precepts are trustworthy. Unlike many in the ancient world, as reected, for example, in mythologies like those seen in the Iliad and the Odyssey, the psalmist did not believe that God was unpredictable. The creator God was a God of order, justice, and faithfulness. God was not capricious or cruel but sovereign, just, kind, and loving. Think what our world would be like without the consistency of Gods creation. Suppose as you came to worship you could not be assured that the church pew on which you were sitting would remain a pew. In a blink of the eye, suppose it could become an alligator or cream cheese. Suppose you had no assurance but what the chandelier might become a basket of snakes or that your car might be changed into a pumpkin when you left the church building. That lack of dependability was the view that many ancient persons had of the world in which they lived. The psalmist reminds us that God is faithful and consistent. Let us praise God for that consistency. IV. Note the emphasis on D. The psalmist reminds us to direct ourselves to divine devotion. In the last verse of our text, the psalmist states: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and they who live by it grow in understanding. Praise will be his forever. Here is the thrust of the whole psalm. Everything the psalmist has been talking about comes to culmination
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in this verse. Here are the ABCs of the psalmists basic focus. Real, genuine wisdom is fear of the Lord. This fear is not anxiety or terror. It is awe, wonder, mystery, and joy. Wisdom is more than the accumulation of facts, information, education, or degrees. We have all known persons who had numerous degrees and factual knowledge but did not know how to use the knowledge they had for meaningful purposes. Genuine wisdom, according to the psalmist, comes from using all that one knows for an end greater than the persons own personal goals. That real wisdom is reverence that issues in devotion to God. To live apart from that kind of devotion, the psalmist asserts, is not really to be a wise person. Christ is the source for understanding the wisdom of God. His disciples declared that no one ever spoke like this man (John 7:46). In Colossians 2:3, Paul notes that in Christ was hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. How do we understand this mysterious God who created this universe? We look to Jesus Christ, who has revealed the nature of Gods love and grace to us. Let us follow the direction of the psalmist as we gather for worship and use our ABCs to help us focus our worship on the God who has been made known to us through Jesus Christ. Let us praise the Lord! William Powell Tuck
Awe. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Trinity College in Cambridge, England. In the college chapel was a statue of Sir Isaac Newton, along with some others, and some of his scientic papers under glass in the library. Newton once observed that in his scientic work he felt like a small boy on a seashore picking up pebbles with the vast, unending sea before him. This great scientist was aware that we are always standing on the edge of mystery. None of us fully knows God. At this edge of mystery we fall down and worship. Genuine reverence will include the wonder of the scientists, the awe of the artist, and the adoration of the saint.William Powell Tuck
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Memory. As you and I gather in worship, it affords us an opportunity for remembering. We can open the scrapbook of our mind and walk down the pages of memory and recall when we had our rst experience with God in church or in some other place. You may remember that meeting and how your life was forever changed. Corporate worship also summons us to remember our religious heritage and the impact others have had on our lives through the years. I remember walking in a twelfth-century English cathedral and reecting on the religious heritage that had gone before me. We gather to worship and remember the impact of the heritage of Matthew, Mark, John, Paul, Lydia, Mary, Jacob, Isaac, Moses, Abraham, and so many other biblical personalities. Our memory carries us through the centuries to sacred places where others have met or talked about God, and remembering their experience aids our experience as well. Every time we observe the Lords Supper, we do that as a memorial act in memory of Christs sacricial death. And in remembering, we pause to express anew our praise in thanksgiving to God. A benevolent memory affords us an occasion to reect on Gods grace and providence. William Powell Tuck

Deut. 18:1520 Ps. 111 1 Cor. 8:113 Mark 1:2128 God Has Spoken by the Prophets Gods Holy Ways Are Just and True Will You Let Me Be Your Servant Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners

Red LightGreen Light SCRIPTURE: Ps. 111 KEY VERSE: Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord. Those who obey his orders have good understanding. He should be praised forever. (Ps. 111:10, ICB)
TITLE:
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Obeying God MATERIALS: Bible, two large signs made of colored tag boarda red one that says STOP and a green one that says GO PREPARATION: This sermon uses the childrens game Red LightGreen Light to illustrate following Gods rules. Use the wording of the sermon as a guide to explain to the children before they come down front that they will need to follow the rules. The rules are for them to only go when you hold up the GO sign, and to stop when you hold up the STOP sign.
KEY CONCEPT:
Before you come down to the front of the church with me, let me explain the rules for today. When I hold up this green GO sign (show sign), I want you to walk from where you are down toward the front of the church. Now when I hold up this red STOP sign (show sign), I want you to stop where you are. Here we GO. (Hold up green sign and wait a few seconds.) Now it is time to STOP (Hold up red sign and make sure everyone stops.) Now its time for every. one to GO. (Hold up green sign. Do this a few times so all the children get a chance to stop and go.) Now that we are all here, what was that like? (Let children tell what it was like.) When we are driving or walking along the street, where else do we see red and green signs? (Let the children answer.) The signs remind us of the rules to walk when the light is green and to stop when the light turns red. These rules protect us from getting hurt. And these rules protect the car drivers from hurting anyone, too. It helps us know what to do. Our passage today is about following Gods Word. It is from Psalm 111, verse 10 (open Bible), and it says, Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord. Those who obey his orders have good understanding. He should be praised forever. Gods Word was given to us to help us know how to live together as people who believe in God. We honor and respect God when we obey and follow Gods Word. We praise God when we follow Gods Word.Lizette Hunt
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lords throne is in heaven (Ps. 11:4a).
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Invocation: We are privileged to gather in your name, O God, and to sing as your people the hymns of faith, to join our hearts in prayer, to declare your word in scripture and in preaching, and to sense the warm embrace of this place and these people. Deepen our commitment, O Lord.Amen. Offertory Sentence: The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein (Ps. 24:11). Offertory Prayer: Lord, we have trusted in you all our days, and your steadying hand has led us all the way. Faith has taught us what we need to know and how life can be lived at its best, and now faith presents to you these offerings that your eternal love has inspired. Amen. Morning Prayer: Sometimes, O God, we seek your presence in prayer, but the words just dont come easily. We want to be open to your Spirit, but the knowledge of our own weakness makes us close down and pull back from your love and from the love of those around us. When we feel frightened, alone, confused, and frustrated with our own feeble efforts, it is your Spirit that intercedes with sighs too deep for words. We can let go in trust and faith that you know our needs and desires, even before we are able to put them into words. We can rest in your presence that you are involved in our daily lives, working to bring forth that which is good and true. We thank you for the abundant love and grace you make available to us, in spite of our weaknesses and shortcomings. We thank you for the gift of your Son and for the assurance that nothing can separate us from your love. Your Spirit reaches out to us in our weakness with strength and power beyond our understanding. It is in that strength and power that we pray. Amen.Susan Gregg-Schroeder Benediction: People of God, go forth this day in the power of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and for his pleasure. May we be vessels of grace in a world of un-grace. And may our deeds match our creed. Amen.
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2009

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Reaching the Needs of Others
OTHER READINGS:
Mark 1:2939 Isa. 40:2131; Ps. 147:111, 20c; 1 Cor. 9:1623
Several years ago on a trip to Israel, I had the opportunity to visit a house in Capernaum that archaeologists claim is where Simon Peter lived. Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, and Syriac grafti are on the walls, along with etchings of boats, crosses, sh hooks, and other symbols. Whether this is actually Peters house may be questioned, but tradition states that it is. In this house or one similar to it, Jesus performed a private miracle. He and his disciples had just returned from the synagogue where Jesus had cast demons out of a man on the Sabbath. The people were astonished and reported this wonder to all who would listen. I. Caring for an individual (vv. 2931). Jesus and his disciples likely went to Peters house after being in the synagogue to partake of the main Sabbath meal, which normally came right after the service in the synagogue. Arriving at Peters house, they found Peters mother-in-law ill, in bed with a fever. Although there is no mention of her name, if Peter had a mother-in-law, he obviously had a wife. He could have been widowed, or she was simply left out of the story. 1. A private miracle. Peters mother-in-laws illness was probably not serious, and no mention is stated about what kind of fever she had. This miracle reveals how Jesus was concerned about the slightest ailment. Mothers-in-law are often disparaged in our society today. In Jesus day it was worse, and women were seen as the property of men. Jesus lifted her up. This is a sign of Jesus concern for the least in our world. No need is ever too small for his consideration and compassion. In the synagogue
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Jesus had been surrounded by a large crowd when he healed the demonpossessed man by a spoken command. Here in the privacy of a home, Jesus simply takes Peters mother-in-laws hand, lifts her up, and the fever immediately leaves. 2. Trust of the disciples. The disciples had just begun to follow Jesus and had much to learn about his powers and ministry. Nevertheless, when they discovered that Peters mother-in-law was ill, they turned to Jesus for help, assured already that this teacher not only would be concerned but could help. Should this not be a reminder to us that there is no burden that we cannot take to Christ? One of our hymns voices this well with the refrain: Take it to the Lord in Prayer. Whatever our need, problem, fear, doubt, ailment, or struggle, we have the assurance that Christ will respond with love and grace. We may not always get exactly what we think we should receive, but we know that Christs grace will be sufcient to sustain us. 3. Healed to serve. After Peters mother-in-law was cured of her fever, our text states that she began to serve them. This likely meant that she was preparing the meal for them. Normally, when a fever leaves a person, that individual is still weak for a period of time. Her ability to serve others was a sign that her healing had been complete. Here is a good lesson. Jesus healsredeemsus for service. When we experience the redeeming grace of Christ, we should nd occasions to minister in his name. Our redemption should not end in selsh concern but in seeking avenues to serve in his name. II. Caring for a crowd (vv. 3234). By evening, the text notes, crowds of people had gathered at the door of Peters house to seek healing from Jesus. The word had spread throughout the region about Jesus healing of the man in the synagogue and likely about Peters mother-in-law as well. Both of these healings had been done on the Sabbath, and healing was usually considered as working on the Sabbath, which was not permitted. However, there is no evidence that this caused a controversy at the time. The people, however, waited until the evening of the Sabbath, probably after sundown, before they came to seek healing from Jesus. The Sabbath would have been considered over by that time.
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1. Jesus healing power. The people had witnessed the healing power of Jesus in the synagogue, in the home of Peter, and now in the streets outside Peters house. Jesus showed that his ability to heal was not restricted to any one location or time. Wherever there was a need, Jesus reached out with his compassionate love. In church he met a hurting man and offered a healing presence. We need to open our eyes and ears to hurting people all around us and extend to them loving support. Every family circle has some need that Jesus can address. Jesus entered the home of Peter at his invitation. We also should open our door and invite Jesus into our home to bring his blessing and redeeming grace. Hundreds of homeless people gather at our church doors every day seeking a welcoming hand of love and support. Will we turn them away without concern or nd ways to minister to them in the name of Christ? 2. Using Jesus for selsh ends. Mark reveals that the crowds of people who came to see Jesus at Peters house came because they had witnessed his extraordinary power and wanted to draw on that resource. They did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, nor were they committed to following him and his teachings. They had likely not even heard him teach. They had heard about his powers and wanted something selsh for themselves. Unfortunately, some today still want to use Jesus to achieve selsh ends. They pray that Jesus will make them rich, famous, or powerful. Their goal is to try and manipulate Jesus into granting their selsh desires. Sometimes this desire may be subconscious and at other times quite overt. Our prayers, whatever our need may be, should be voiced with the desire to be within what God knows is best for us. Praying is not a magic lamp to entice God to grant us our every wish, no matter how selsh, vain, or absurd it may be. 3. The messianic secret. In verse 34 Mark notes that Jesus commanded the demons not to speak and reveal who he was. This seems strange to us. Could it be that Jesus was trying to keep the focus off his healing powers and the popular desire for the spectacular? The mystery of Jesus ministry was not yet fully disclosed and would not be understood until after his death on the cross and the Resurrection. III. Caring for the wider challenge (vv. 3539). Mark presents his readers with the wider challenge that confronts Jesus. Jesus cannot remain re-
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stricted to a synagogue or church building, to the home of a friend, or to the doorsteps and street outside that house, but he is called to a mission that will take him into all of Galilee to proclaim the good news of Gods Kingdom. 1. The importance of personal prayer. Although Jesus may have wanted to conceal the works he had done to prevent people from coming after him, seeking the spectacular, he was not able to keep it a secret. The temptation to use spectacular means to achieve his Kingdom goal must have been one of his greatest and constant temptations. Wasnt that one of his temptations in the wilderness by the devil? This seems to have driven Jesus to seek time apart from his disciples and the crowds to meditate and pray. Our text notes that it was still dark when Jesus arose and went out to pray by himself. Our Lord needed that personal time of prayer to fortify himself for his spiritual ministry. The disciples did not know where he was and went searching for him. They literally had to track him down. While his disciples were looking for him, Jesus was probably praying to know his Fathers will, how to confront the crowds craving for the spectacular, where to preach, how to identify the Kingdom so people could understand its meaning, how to clarify discipleship, how to describe the cross that lay ahead of him, and other deep concerns. How much more do we need that quiet time apart to pray to get strength to serve Christ more effectively and face the temptations, struggles, and burdens we have to bear. 2. Commission to preach. When the disciples found Jesus, he arose from his prayers and told them that he was to go into the villages and other regions preaching the good news about the coming of the Kingdom of God. He could not remain in that one synagogue, or in Peters home, or in that one town. God had commissioned him to proclaim the message of redemption to all he could. Later in the Great Commission, Jesus would challenge his followers to take that message of Gods grace into all the world, and he assured us that he would be with us until the end of time as we proclaim that gospel. Every Christian is challenged to share the gospel message with others. All Christians are commissioned to preach through words and actions. As someone once said: we are called always to preach the gospel and, when necessary, to use words.William Powell Tuck
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Importance of Prayer. Several years ago a ministerial conference was called for an early breakfast time. I remember one of the pastors declined by saying: Sorry. I cant come at that hour. That is my quiet time. Nothing takes precedence over that! Oh, that more of us would be like that in our prayer devotion. If so, we would be more like our Lord.William Powell Tuck Discipleship. Jesus does not want anyone to follow him for the wrong reasonsa desire for the spectacular or for selsh endsbut only with the awareness of the call to take up ones cross and follow him in service. Discipleship is always a costly venture. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us, there is no such thing as cheap grace. To follow Jesus one has to be aware of the cost of discipleship.1William Powell Tuck

Isa. 40:2131 Ps. 147:111, 20c 1 Cor. 9:1623 Mark 1:2939 On Eagles Wings Earth and All Stars Make Me a Servant Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness

Gods Joy SCRIPTURE: Ps. 147:111, 20 KEY VERSE: But his joy is in those who reverence him, those who expect him to be loving and kind. (Ps. 147:11, Living Bible) KEY CONCEPT: Gods joy MATERIALS: Bible
TITLE:
1Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, p. 66.
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(Personalize this portion to your own experiences.) I can think of a lot of things that give me joy, like when I am driving and every light I come to turns green. I feel joy when I come home after a really long day, and there is a card in the mail for me from one of my good friends. I just love it when that happens. But what can I do to bring joy into other peoples lives? I know there is a simple thing I can do every day that gives my family joy, like cooking a good meal or xing a special treat. What about you? What can you do to give someone joy? (Let the children respond.) Today our passage is from Psalm 147, verse 11. It says (open Bible), But Gods [his] joy is in those who reverence Him, in those who expect Him to be loving and kind. The word reverence means to admire or worship. The word expect means to believe. Our verse tells us that it gives God joy when we believe that God is loving and kind toward us. All we need to do to give God joy is to worship God, knowing God is loving and kind toward you and me. Lets thank God for loving us.Lizette Hunt
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Call to Worship: I will sing unto the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me (Ps. 13:16). Invocation: Lord, let us not leave this place today until we have sensed the holiness of God and found the worship a pure heart brings. Amen. E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon the thousands of hills (Ps. 50:10). Offertory Prayer: We bring to you as gifts, O Lord, what is already yours. You have entrusted to us all that we possess and often, foolishly, that which we call our own. Now as stewards of your graciousness, we bring these tithes and offerings and ask that you bless and multiply them for the sake of the Kingdom. Amen. Morning Prayer: Almighty and loving God, with our minds and our hearts, we come before you in prayer. We are grateful for the privilege of praying to
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you, our great and merciful God, the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the universe. We give thanks for your amazing love, expressed most clearly to us through the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Lord, you know the many concerns, both public and private, that burden our lives today. You know the sufferings, both shared and silent, that accompany our journeys through life. You know the sins, both committed and omitted, that so easily beset us each day. Dear Lord, open our eyes to the needs of those around us. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that day by day we may see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly. In the name of Jesus, who is EmmanuelGod with uswe pray. Amen.Charles Scalise Benediction: Go forth today, people of God, to be salt and light in our needy world. May we speak graciously, live harmoniously, seek the greater good, and declare by word and deed the ways of our loving Lord. Amen.
SUNDAY, FEBRUAry 15, 2009

Sixth Sunday after Epiphany When the Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary 2 Kings 5:114 OTHER READINGS: Ps. 30; 1 Cor. 9:2427; Mark 1:4045
We have to admit it: most of us long for the dramatic. We would love to beor seethe one who makes the winning touchdown, stars in a great movie, writes a best-selling book or play, saves someone from drowning, or becomes the president of the United States. Many of our daydreams or longings focus on the spectacular. Why? Maybe because we feel that our ordinary accomplishments are not very signicant or important. Did Naaman, the gure in our text today who had leprosy, almost miss his cure because he was looking for a dramatic cure when he traveled to Israel? Naaman was a great warrior and a captain in the Syrian army. Although he was
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prestigiousa man of power, position, and wealthhe suffered from the dread disease of leprosy, which in biblical times had no known cure. A slave in his home, who was from Israel originally, told Naaman about the prophet Elisha in Israel who could cure him. I. Naaman almost missed the miracle because he expected the prophet to do something spectacular. He had sent expensive gifts ahead to Elisha, which conveyed something about his status, wealth, and power. Elisha did not even go out to meet him but simply told him to go and dip himself seven times in the Jordon River. Did Naaman say, Thats great! I can easily do that. No, he was highly insulted and exclaimed in anger: Why should I wash in that muddy river? We have two rivers in Damascus that are far superior to this one. He was ready to go back home when his servant said to him, Master, think for a moment. If the prophet had asked you to do a difcult thing, you would have done it immediately, wouldnt you? Well, the prophet has asked you to do a simple thing. Try it and see what happens. So Naaman went down into the Jordon River, dipped himself seven times, and was cured. Naaman almost missed being cured because he had anticipated that the prophet would do something spectacular. He looked for an extraordinary answer to his problem. How contemporary can a story be? Often we miss the working of God in our lives or in our church because we are constantly looking for something spectacular, extraordinary, dramatic, or unusual. While we look for an extraordinary vision of God, we miss the divine presence in the lightening on a stormy night, the movement of Gods spirit in the evening breeze, in the fragrance of the owers, in the multicolored hillside in the fall, in the slumber of a newborn baby, in our regular worship or quiet devotional reading of the scriptures, or in the needs of those around us. The longing for the spectacular may cause us to miss the presence of God in the ordinary world all around us. II. Naamans childishness, immaturity, or self-centeredness blocked his vision of the varied ways God can work. When the instructions from the prophet did not conform to his expectations, he was angry. He likely felt that he had not been given enough recognition or notoriety, and in his anger, he almost walked off. His servant showed more maturity when she
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suggested that he should not overlook this request simply because it was a simple one. In many ways all of us act at times like we are still children, especially in our expectations of God. The Christian pilgrimage is a call to maturity. Maturity for the Christian is continuous openness to Gods spirit however and in what ways God may lead us. Maturity is learning to serve God without a desire for recognition. It is to see a task or need and to do it or ll it without seeking to call attention to oneself. Maturity is being willing to serve in an obscure place, aware that God alone may see that service and declare it great. Maturity is serving without waiting for anyone else to praise us or notice what we do. III. Go back to the text again and note that God can turn any place into a shrine. For Naaman, God took the dirty Jordon River and turned it into a miraculous shrine for him. Naaman thought that Gods shrinesGods holy placeswere only in Damascus. But God used an ordinary river to produce a miracle. Keith Miller wrote about a friend of his who decided he would visit some of the great religious shrines to see if he could discover something about their experience with God. He visited Aldersgate, where Wesleys heart was strangely warmed by God. He went to Wittenberg and found the spot where Luther had a dramatic experience with God. He visited several others but could nd nothing spectacular about any of them. He found that these shrines were just ordinary, common places. When he got back, he preached a sermon titled, Any Bush Will Do!2 IV. Go a step further and notice that God can work through very ordinary means to bring about healing. In our text we read that God used water to heal Naaman. Naaman dipped seven times in the ordinary Jordan River water, and his healing came. In an age that puts its focus too often on the large and spectacular, from large bank and stock accounts to the biggest armies and the most atomic weapons, to the largest house or biggest church building or megasize church memberships, we can get lost in this emphasis on Jumboism. The sad note is that many people lose sight of
2Keith
Miller, Habitations of Dragons (Waco: Word Books, 1970), pp. 6263.
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the fact that many of the most important things in life are accomplished by persons like you and me as we labor daily in our ordinary, common tasks. When God comes into a life, the most ordinary or routine task or place can become extraordinary. Oh, it may not appear that way to the eyes of the world, but it may indeed be extraordinary in the eyes of God. Jesus touched the lives of some simple shermen and called them to come and follow him. And those ordinary shermen became a part of the force that pioneered the Church as Gods instrument to herald the good news of redemption through the centuries. Hopefully, God can give us eyes to see and ears to hear to sense the extraordinary dimension in the ordinary world all around us. When God touches something or someone with the divine presence, it is never ordinary again. Any ordinary or common place can become a shrine where God can communicate with us. Remain open and teachable. William Powell Tuck
Spiritual Maturity. Recently, I visited a woman who is seventy-eight years old. She told me that she was still so excited about life and wanted to continue learning new things. I feel like a young child, she said. There is so much I want to learn yet. Thats maturitynot thinking you have arrived! Our mind should not be closed, but open. A mature Christians mind is expansive, growing, seeking, and willing to let God through whatever avenue the divine selects.William Powell Tuck The Power of the Ordinary. Jesus has reminded us, He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a little is dishonest in much (Luke 16: 10). In C. S. Lewiss classic The Screwtape Letters, the senior devil instructs a junior devil to nd some way to communicate with people to turn them away from God. When trying to convert them, he advises: Keep pressing home on him the ordinariness of things.3
3C.
S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (London: Fontana Books, 1956), p. 14.
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2 Kings 5:114 Ps. 30 1 Cor. 9:2427 Mark 1:4045 For the Healing of the Nations Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above Forth in Your Name Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Practice Makes Perfect SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 9:2427 KEY VERSE: Everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict training. They do it to win a temporary crown, but we do it to win one that will be permanent. (1 Cor. 9:25, GWT) KEY CONCEPT: Following Christ MATERIALS: Bible; choose one: a soccer ball, a running shoe, a boxing glove, or a hockey stick PREPARATION: The purpose of this sermon is to use the practice of being on a sports team as a representation for living a life devoted to Jesus. As we practice our faith, we become more and more devoted to Jesus. Use an example of a sport that is popular in your area or a sport you know well.
TITLE:
Has anyone here been on a soccer team? I played soccer when I was in high school. I loved it. Do you go to practice any sport? What do you do at practice? (Let the children answer. Focus on the basics of the sport. Acknowledge their replies, without overemphasizing the competitive aspect of the sport: That is wonderful that you won, or, It doesnt feel good to lose.) Our Bible verse (open Bible) today comes from 1 Corinthians 9:25. It says, Everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict training. They do it to win a temporary crown, but we do it to win one that will be permanent. This is picture language in which Paul describes how we practice to win at a sport, but more important practice is following the teachings of Jesus. When we win a race or
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sport, we might get a medal, but when we practice and follow the teachings of Jesus, we get to be with Jesus forever. Growing in our faith means learning more and more about Jesus and what Jesus wants for us. It is a lot like training to become a great sports player. We have to keep practicing all the things we learn from the Bible. The more we practice our faith, the more we learn to love Jesus. What are some things you have learned from the Bible that you can practice? (Let the children respond. Reect their answers back to them and connect them with scripture.) We can practice loving Jesus each day by remembering to use what we have learned about Jesus from the Bible. Lets try to follow Jesus teaching every day so we can show Jesus how much we love him.Lizette Hunt
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Call to Worship: Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart (Ps. 15:12). Invocation: Lord, bless our worship that our hopes and aspirations, our desires and deeds may reect the God we serve, the Savior we proclaim. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Hosts (Hag. 2:8). Offertory Prayer: Day by day, O Lord, help us to walk as your children. May we live honorably and so, by the work of faith within, touch deeply the lives of others. We come as stewards today, bringing our gifts and rejoicing that we are, with you, partners in eternal purposes, all for your glory. Amen. Morning Prayer: Eternal God, we thank you that in all our wanderings you keep us company; you walk beside us in the familiar and in the new, you journey with us in tradition and change, and you are with us alike when you show your glory and when you hide your face. We thank you for your
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journeying mercies, and we acknowledge your healing hand, with its steadfast will that all be well, when our days are sunny and bright and when the rains fall and the oods come and the winds blow and beat upon the house of our life. We confess that from time to time we have been unobservant of the life of grace, preoccupied, grace-shy, hunkered down, we have passed by burning bushes unmoved, seeing only the thorns and not the ame. Nurture then in us the eye of faith for the incandescence of the holy incognito, burning bushes in a landll. Nurture in this people of God a trust of the life of grace in our midst, that we may be called kindlers of sparks, encouragers of all that is of God.Peter Fribley Benediction: May the Lord look with favor upon us as we go out into this week. And may we sense his presence as he walks before us. And may our love and loyalty be found true. And may we return to this place of worship next Lords day. Amen.
SUNDAY, FebrUARY 22, 2009

Last Sunday after Epiphany and Transguration Sunday
LECTIONARY SERMON TOPIC: Sitting TEXT:
on Top of the World
Mark 9:29 OTHER READINGS: 2 Kings 2:112; Ps. 50:16; 2 Cor. 4:36 We all enjoy being with persons at high moments in their lives. Our text in Marks gospel focuses on one of the high moments in the life of Jesus. Six days after Peters confession at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus took three of his disciples Peter, James, and Johnand went up a mountain to pray. This mountain was most likely Mt. Hermon, which is 9,400 feet high and only about fourteen miles from Caesarea Philippi. Jesus and his disciples probably climbed to one of the slopes or to the top. The hard climb and the lateness of the hour, as well the likely darkness, caused the disciples to fall asleep while Jesus was praying.
Sunday, February Twenty-Second
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They awoke suddenly to see Jesus in a gloried state. He was transgured before them. The Greek word transgured is more literally metamorphosed, indicating a radical change in the whiteness of his garments and the brightness and aura of his presence. The disciples saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus in this transguration. And they were terried by this sight. What is the signicance of this story? I. Lets begin by looking at its signicance for Jesus. This transguration was Marks way of conrming the ministry of Jesus and noting Gods approval on Jesus understanding of his ministry. It was Gods signature across Jesus life and work. Moses, the great and rst lawgiver of Israel, and Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, appeared with Jesus. Gods voice from the cloud afrms: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Moses and Elijah were servants, but Jesus was called my beloved Son. God spoke out of the cloud. A cloud had often symbolized for Israel the presence of God. The message to the Jewish people was clear. Here was one who was greater than the lawgiver Moses and greater than Elijah, the greatest of the prophets. Moses and Elijah were discussing the departure of Jesus. Departure can be rendered from the Greek as exodus. Jesus was soon to begin a new exodusa new covenant or a new relationship with God. This mystical vision was a conrmation of his ministry. II. The transguration was also a witness and encouragement to Jesus disciples. Later, the disciples would understand more fully the experience they had on the mountain with Jesus. When at the hand of the Father he was invested with honor and glory, and there came a voice which said: This is my Son, my Beloved, on whom my favor rests. This voice from heaven we ourselves heard, when it came. We were with him on the sacred mountain (2 Pet. 1:1618). This mountaintop experience was to the disciples an afrmation of who Jesus was. Here God afrmed in their minds that the ministry in which Jesus was engaged was indeed the work and ministry that God planned for him. This vision helped them understand more deeply the genuine ministry of Jesus, even if they would not fully grasp its meaning until after the Resurrection. III. What is the signicance of this strange story for us today? Is there some message we can draw from it to help us in our spiritual journey?
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1. This story reminds us to look up. As the disciples looked up to Jesus in the transguration, we too need to look up to be fed spiritually. Our burdens, needs, hopes, desires, and struggles through life are often too heavy to bear alone, and we look for resources beyond ourselves. Some turn to drugs, alcohol, or other escape routes. Our text can remind us to look up for help. Jesus himself, our text notes, looked up. He went to a high mountain to pray. Jesus continuously separated himself from his disciples and the crowds to nd time alone to meditate and pray. If our Lord knew that he had this need in his life, who are we to assume that we do not need to avail ourselves of this resource from God? 2. Look down. The disciples had such a marvelous experience on that mountain that they decided they wanted to make it permanent. They wanted to prolong that wonderful experience. Peter said, O Lord, this has been wonderful. We have never had anything like this before. Let us build three tabernacles so we can have some way to make this permanent. They wanted to hold on to that experience, capture it, preserve it, and make it immortal in some way. You and I may remember some meeting time or place we experienced God in a special way, and we try to cling to that moment and try to make all our spiritual experiences lter through that special experience or dene the only way one can encounter God. There is always the danger of wanting to stop and build tabernacles and rest on, institutionalize, or nalize our experience with God. Jesus challenged his disciples to look down the mountain into the valley and see the needs waiting to be met and the new encounters with God that were possible. He pointed to a father whose epileptic son was brought to the other disciples, and they were not able to cure him. Jesus reminded his disciples that they could not remain all the time in meditation, but there comes a time to arise, go down from the mountaintop, where one may be isolated from human need, and minister to those needs. 3. We are to look up, look down, and then look again. The transguration had been a frightening moment for the disciples. The voice from the clouds and the vision of Moses and Elijah left them terried. When they looked again, they saw Jesus only. This is the central thrust of the New Testaments witness. Jesus is the focus of Gods revelation to us. He is the one through whom we see God. His transguration afrmed that he was Gods
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beloved son. Our focus is not merely on the law or regulations about life or the prophetic words of Elijah but on the centrality of Jesus as Gods way of redemption and life. There are times we need to hear the words of law and commandments and other times the revolutionary words of challenge and change. We afrm boldly that Christ is Lord. With Jesus Christ as our central focus, we look again at his life, death, Resurrection, and Ascension and to the words of comfort, support, encouragement, hope, forgiveness, and salvation he brings. When we focus on Jesus again as Lord of our lives, this central gure guides us into the way that is essential for us in the given moment. In the tenth verse of the fty-fth Psalm in the King James version we read: The God of mercy shall prevent me. Prevent is the old English word meaning go before. A good rendering of that full verse might read: My God in his loving-kindness shall go before me at every corner. When we look again at the presence of the Risen Lord, we have the assurance, no matter what we do, where we go, or whatever our need, burden, or challenge, Jesus goes before us to guide, comfort, challenge, and sustain us. We can travel in assurance when we look up, look down, and look again and again to Jesus Christ, our living Lord.William Powell Tuck
Prayer. Several years ago, following a deacons retreat in my church, many of the deacons checked on the evaluation sheet that the high point of the retreat for them was the quiet time they had in the morning. Some of them indicated that it was the rst quiet time they had had for months or years. Each of us should designate some quiet time each day for prayer, meditation, and spiritual reection. I know we are all busy, but we take time for what is important to us. Is this time not important? One layman in my congregation put me to shame by his faithful time of meditation. For thirty years, he has spent an hour in the earliest part of his day quietly reading the Bible and meditating with God. He had learned to look up.William Powell Tuck
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Ministry. In 1520 Raphael painted his last painting. It was a painting of the transguration of Jesus on the mountaintop, with his disciples near him. A part of that painting depicts in the valley below the young boy who was suffering from epilepsy. His hand is raised upward, as if he is looking up to Jesus for help. As Christians we are challenged to look down where needs are and minister in Jesus name.William Powell Tuck

2 Kings 2:112 Ps. 50:16 2 Cor. 4:36 Mark 9:29 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot When Morning Gilds the Skies We All Are One in Mission Jesus on the Mountain Peak

Come to God SCRIPTURE: Ps. 50:16 KEY VERSE: The mighty God, the Lord, has spoken; he has summoned all people from east to west. (Ps. 50:1, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: God loves all people. MATERIALS: Bible, globe PREPARATION: Use the personal story that follows, or tell your own story if there was a unique way you were called home from playing.
TITLE:
How many of you are allowed to play outside when you come home from school? How about on Saturdays or in the summertime? (Allow children to respond.) When I was about your age, I loved to play outside with my friends. We would play games and run around and just have a great time. But the rule at my house was that when my dad whistledhe would put his ngers in his mouth and whistle like this (whistle if you can)then it was time to come home.
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Everyone in my neighborhood could hear my dads whistle, and they knew when it was time for me to go home, too. Our Bible verse today (open Bible) says, The mighty God, the Lord, has spoken; he has summoned all people from east to west. God calls everyone. God loves everybody, and God wants to spend time with all Gods people everywhere. God wants everyone around the world to know God. (Show the globe.) Could you (pick a child) come and point to a country on the globe. (Let several of the children point to different countries. Name the countries for them, and tell them God loves people in the countries named.) How can we help all people come to know about God? (Let the children answer.) Right now you cant go to another country to tell others about God, but you can tell people right here in our own city. We do have missionaries who go to other countries to tell about God. We can pray for them and give money to help support them as they tell others about God. God cares and loves all people and wants all people to come to know of Gods love.Lizette Hunt
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Call to Worship: In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears (Ps. 18:6). Invocation: Gracious Lord, we know that you do not have to have our praise. But we confess that we need to praise you. Now in hymn, and prayer, and scripture, and preaching, and fellowship with your children, we lift to you our praise. And may our spirits be renewed. Amen. Offertory Sentence: Whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lords (Rom. 14:8). Offertory Prayer: We bring our offering, O Lord, as expressions of love love for you and for one another. We rejoice that in the person of Jesus of Nazareth you loved us while we were not lovable. Lord, deepen our love that our giving may be in the spirit of Christ, who gave his all for us. Amen.
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Morning Prayer: Father, we thank you for your goodness, grace, and mercy. Our souls, nearly overwhelmed by the circumstances of life, often seem fragile or broken. Today, some of us feel as if we are at our wits end. But today we claim your promise. As we cry out to you, you hear our pleas and you answer us. You bring us out of our distresses and stand us on solid ground. We rejoice that while the storms of life around us do rage, there is within a calming peace that passes all understanding. We thank you and praise you for your guiding hand. May your peace reign within us all the days of life. May your wonderful works among your children be made known to the entire world. In Jesus name. Amen.Lawrence Vowan Benediction: Now as we move away from the security of this lovely place and move out into the world for which our Lord gave his life, may we go with faith, hope, and love resounding in our hearts, and with our Lords guidance, whom we know as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2009

First Sunday in Lent Good News Mark 1:915 OTHER READINGS: Gen. 9:817; Ps. 25:110; 1 Pet. 3:1822
The reading of Marks gospel this morning strikes just enough familiar notes for us to disregard the tune it is playing. As a worshipping community that pays little attention to the unfolding of the biblical drama during the church year, weve done the baptism already. We know the breaking through of the Fathers voice, at the scene of the baptism (Mark 1:11). This epiphanyYou are my Sonis followed by the Spirits propelling of Jesus into public ministry by way of the wilderness (v. 12). Did you ever think of how often Jesus meditated on those words of the Father, how often the Spirit oated those words up from his memory? His
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temptation to be less than who he was called to be lasted, not just forty days but his whole life. This is about Jesus life and about your life as well, so dont tune out yet. Just as this was the beginning of his ministry of proclaiming the good news of God, so it is a beginning for us. The season of Lent is lled with good news for you and me, but we nd it in unlikely places. I. Lent is an admission of our deep hunger to be reconnected to God. For many of us it is a beginning again of walking with the Lord, even if it is through a wilderness. That journey is possible because God breaks through to us. Again we know that there is a sovereign God who cares deeply for us. How can the creator of the heavens break through with a word of afrmation so direct and personal that it reaches you and me? II. The breakthrough is in the Son. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. . . . That is how much God loves you and me. That is what we doubt the most. Jesus, who is fully divine and fully human, receives the afrmation we needed to go through the wilderness. The baptismthe words from heavenwere, for the Fathers Anointed One, signs of reassurance. The temptations to forget who he was were real, and they stretched from the wilderness to Gethsemane and Golgotha. Our temptations to forget who we are and whose we are become invitations to spiritual amnesia. For we have no true identity apart from God. Genesis 1:27 makes it clear that we are created in Gods image. This imprint marks us out as representatives of God. We are created for a relationship with God, and nothing or no one can be a substitute for this generative love in our lives. God created all things good, and Adam and Eve, imprinted with the Imago Dei were to be good stewards of Gods creation. No one created in Gods image is without worth or purpose. III. Mark, unlike the other gospel writers, tells us nothing of the number and type of the temptations. What is in Marks account is the setting of the temptation. It is in the wilderness (a term used four times in the rst fteen verses of this gospel), and Jesus was with the wild beasts. This may be simply a vivid way of underscoring how wild the wilderness was. Yet I cannot help but see at least an echo of Adam, created in the image of God, naming the animals and acting as a steward of Gods creation. Now after the Fall of Adam and Eve, the scene is a wilderness, not a garden. Things are
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different. This is not the best of all possible worlds, and we know it. Nonetheless, the Son in whom the Father is well pleased (v. 11) does not avoid this fallen world. As a Second Adam, he too is given rule or stewardship over creation, but he carries out his ministry in perfect obedience. He is faithful where the rst Adam fell. Of course, his ministry was also one of reconciliation. His love was not in the least diminished by the sin of those he came to seek and to save. IV. To question Gods love is not surprising. Most of us know that we have missed the mark of Gods plan and purpose for our lives. What is hard to believe is that a Holy God would care about us, love us, and choose us to play a part in the divine plan. That does sound crazy, given our botched rsum. V. Can you hear God calling you the beloved today? You may rightly answer that this is the title given the Fathers only begotten Son. Indeed, the language of the baptism story here in Marks gospel is redolent of a King (Ps. 2) being crowned or anointed. This is combined with words that reect an ordination to be a servant of the Lord. Isaiah 42:7 is one such source, as we see the Chosen One as a servant upon whom the Spirit rests. Jesus, the messianic King, hears similar words coming from the ripped open heavens as a conrmation of the Fathers delight and the Sons unique mission. The beloved came not to be served but to serve. When he washed his disciples feet (the master becoming a servant), he was pointing ahead to the time, quickly approaching, that he would die on a cross for the redemption of the world. How much more could you be loved and valued than that the Anointed One should give himself for you? VI. The end of this gospel scene is that Jesus begins proclaiming the good news of God. The good news of God is Jesus. He has completed that proclamation by death on a cross. The sign of shame has been transformed into a sign of Gods great love. We are to repent. By the grace of God we are turned again facing the One in whose image we have been created. Facing God, through the sacrice of the cross and the vindication of the Resurrection, we come to discover or rediscover our value and our purpose. It is in Christ that we hear that we are the beloved. Also we are baptized through Christ to make a difference in this world. All we need of value and purpose is in him. The ending of our gospel lesson is where we beginor begin again: believe in the good news. Amen.Gary Stratman
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Power of Gods Love. I am reminded of a conversation that I had with a young woman who came to see me recently. She has begun coming to worship. It has surprised her that this hunger for God will not go away. She believed for a while that this longing must have an object other than God. Yet nothing else lls the emptiness. Not only the wisdom of this present world, but religions have been tried. The stumbling block is not the existence of God but the insistence of God that she is loved, valuable. Isnt that our question, too? Gary Stratman Pretensions. The lm Evan Almighty is entertainment, not holy scripture. Having said that, we do recognize Evan Baxter. He is motivated and successful, moving from TV newscaster to freshman congressman. Evan plans his work and works the plan. If there is any doubt about his plan, he reassures himself with his new car and house in the D.C. suburbs. He believes in God, but he is so busy communicating for himself that communication with God has been lacking. He is awed. What is comic and recognizable in the lm is our own pretensions, even in the presence of God. Evan says to God, This whole building the ark thing is not tting my plan here. When he realizes that his arms are too short to box with God, grace happens.Gary Stratman

Gen. 9:817 Ps. 25:110 1 Pet. 3:1822 Mark 1:915 As a Fire Is Meant for Burning Lord Speak to Me In Water We Grow When Jesus Came to Jordan

Promise in the Sky SCRIPTURE: Gen. 9:817
TITLE:
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I have placed my rainbow in the clouds as a sign of my promise until the end of time, to you and to all the earth. (Gen. 9:13, Living Bible). KEY CONCEPT: Gods promises MATERIALS: Bible; two or three pictures or photographs of airplanes skywriting and two or three pictures of rainbows PREPARATION: Download from the Internet pictures of skywriting and a rainbow; print them out with a color printer (if possible). If your church has the technology available, have the photos projected onto the screen used for worship.
KEY VERSE:
Have any of you ever seen words in the sky? (Let the children respond.) If you havent, take a look at this picture I brought (show picture of skywriting with words intact). It is called skywriting. Skywriting is when an airplane spells out words in the sky with the smoke that comes out of the planes engine. Did you know that God writes on the sky sometimes? He leaves a message that is really a promise for all people. A long time ago God sent a terrible ood over the world. Do you remember a story of Noah? (Let the children share what they remember of the story.) God had Noah make the Ark and sent all the animals two by two to Noah to be kept safe from the ood. When the ood waters went away, God promised never again to destroy the earth with a ood. (Open Bible.) In Genesis 9:13 God says, I have placed my rainbow in the clouds as a sign of my promise until the end of time, to you and to all the earth. God has made a promise to you and me and to every person for all time. God left a sign of this promise in the sky for everyone to see and that is what the rainbow is. (Show a picture of a rainbow or many different pictures of different rainbows.) Every time you see a rainbow, remember the forever promise God made you and me. God has promised to care for you and love you.Lizette Hunt
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Call to Worship: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the rmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard (Ps. 19:13).
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Invocation: Hear our prayers and bless our worship today, O Lord, that growing in grace we might become children of light and faith, as you intended. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: If you save your life, you will lose it. But if you give your life up, you will nd it (Matt. 10:39). Offertory Prayer: Now that we pause to share, Holy God, hear our gratitude that we have this much to give in the mighty name of our Savior. Amen. E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: Holy God, journey with us this Lenten season that we might discover the hidden spring in every wilderness. Help us to live the unanswered questions and doubts of our soul, knowing that in time, you will open to us a deeper awareness of your truth and love. God of the living water and promised resurrection, work your surprising and amazing grace in our lives and in our broken world, as we pray together the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.Susan Gregg-Schroeder Benediction: May the zeal of the Lord be with us in these days. May Gods power and grace hold you close and guide your ways. And may we have eyes wide open to the opportunities of service that rise before us. Amen.

Second Sunday in Lent
God Almighty
OTHER READINGS:
Gen. 17:17, 1516 Ps. 22:2331; Rom. 4:1325; Mark 8:3138
When our children were very young and unable to read, they were ready and eager to have someone read to them. I can remember reading a favorite book
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to our rstborn and tiring long before he lost interest. So I would skip a page or twosort of summarize the high points. The three-year-old auditor would not allow this Readers Digest version. He would ll in with great gusto the best part that I had forgotten in my old age. This morning I play the role of my young son as I read the verses selected from the rst book of the Bible: somethings missing. I. We do get a story about that rst family of faith, Abraham and Sarah. We have come into the middle of a story that stretches from chapter 11 to chapter 22. It is quite a saga, with twists and turns along the way. Abram and Sarai, as they were then called, move from Babylon to Horan, where they received a promise and a summons to leave their extended family and comfortable place to a place that God would show them. Faith in the living God means receiving a promise not yet fullled and going to a place you have not yet seen. The promise was that through Abram and his offspring would come a great nation. Through that nation and land, all the families of the earth will be blessed. Did I mention that Abram was seventy-ve and that they had no children? The adventures of Abram and Sarai are too many to be told in my allotted time this morning. We see their ups and downs, high points and shortcomings. Yet through it all you wonder, as they did, how is God going to fulll a promise of an heir to this aged couple? The part that is left out from our reading this morning is the laughter. A three-year-old would remember that and not let you skip it. Just extend our reading one verse (17:17), and we have Abraham falling on his face, laughing. Abraham is now ninety-nine years old. Sarah is not far behind. Not only is the fulllment of this great promise laughable to Abraham, but Sarah as well (18:12). This storyline gives us a great opening for a spiritual essay on laughter, its types and uses. What slows us down a bit is that laughter is not mentioned in todays text. No problem, just add the necessary verses. More venerable preachers than I have done that. Nonetheless, I wonder, is there is an important word to be spoken to me, to you, if we did stop at verse 16 this morning? II. The seventeenth chapter of Genesis does not start where we want it to start. We want to know how and when the promise made to this aged couple is going to be fullled. You and I are in this story. We want the blessed life, and we want it now. So sign us up for the seminar on the seven neces-
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sary steps; just spell it out at the beginning. The beginning here in sequence and importance is that the Lord appeared to Abraham. This story is rst and foremost about the LORD of eternity appearing in time and space. We do not learn how God will complete the promise and fulll our hope. This passage reminds me of the beginning of the book of Genesis. There the Hebrew writer does not explain God or Gods plan. Rather, with economy of style and theology we hear: In the beginning God . . . Our worship and our lives are impoverished when we dont let the subject ll the screen before we demand a useable predicate. In appearing to Abraham the Lord lls the screen: I am God Almighty. It is God who always takes the initiative. Even the command to walk before me and be blameless [whole or complete] is not possible without El Shaddais power and mercy. The covenant promise is unilateral: I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly. It is not dependent on human response but calls forth worship (17:3). The reality of our own limitations is seen clearly in the aged couple, who were to be the parents of a son of promise. Worship is to bow down before the greater reality of a God who is not hemmed in by our limitation. Where there is no way, God makes a way. III. This is the story of Genesis 17. It is not essentially about our bowing down or laughing. There are many variations of a story about a seminarian who desperately asked a seasoned pastor what he should preach about when that task would fall upon him. The pastor responded, Preach about God, and preach about twenty minutes. This story is older than Abrahams ninetynine years. I risk retelling it because there is a strong temptation to preach about solutions to pressing needs, a kind of problem solving in the pulpit. The Christian gospel speaks a saving word to all conditions of human life, but it is about none of them. To preach about God is to proclaim that where there is no way, God makes a way. The Lord speaks, I am El Shaddai. The second part of the maxim is also a word of grace. About twenty minutes, or other local variations, is a reminder of the fact that we cant say it all at one time. So there must be times when proclaiming the gospel means dwelling on the God who is Almighty. Before the emphasis on Gods giving the promise of salvationthe blessingwe pause. Before telling the story of our response or our ancestors response to Gods blessing, we pause. Let El Shaddai (the Mountain One) ll the screen.
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Being created in Gods image, it is not so much Gods blessing or salvation for which we hunger. The deepest desire of our heart is for the Lord who makes our salvation, redemption, and preservation possible. Abrahams hope is not in his ability to fulll the promise; it is only in the Lord, who chooses to appear to him. The promise is only as good as its maker. The Lord who was faithful through Abraham and Sarahs barrenness promises, I will cause you to be exceedingly fruitful (v. 6). The covenant is established forever (v. 7). So we, who have known many people come to Christ in this church, do not have to look back to nd the Spirits fruitfulness. The birthing of national ministries in this congregation is the Lords doing. Now let us prepare for Gods fruitfulness out of human barrenness, as we rely not on our own inventiveness or resilience. For the Lord says, I am God Almighty. Amen.Gary Stratman
Gods Faithfulness. In a previous pastorate our church celebrated a seventyfth anniversary. The congregations story was of Gods faithfulness in lean times and seasons of plenty. At the center of the story was the miracle of reconciliation. I made the mistake of using the phrase 75 Years of Faithful Service to mark our celebration. That missed the mark. The congregation bore witness to the truth: celebrating 75 years of the Lords faithfulness.Gary Stratman God Almighty. The name, El Shaddai, can be translated, the Mountain One. Questions of how and when are edged from the picture by a God whose presence and might are one. The image of a mountain does not contain but points to God Almighty. Living in California again, after a thirty-year hiatus, has meant a renewal of our awe at the presence of the majestic mountains. We are also now reacquainted with the June gloom and smog that block the view of even the great promontories on the coast. On such occasions it is not the reality of the mountains that has disappeared but our sight of the reality. In the same way El Shaddai does not tumble into the sea when my vision is blocked by my own worry or doubt. This is God Almighty, whose presence does not depend on my sight or obedience.Gary Stratman
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Gen. 17:17, 1516 Ps. 22:2331 Rom. 4:1325 Mark 8:3138 All the Way My Savior Leads Me Praise My Soul the King of Heaven The God of Abraham Praise Take Up Your Cross the Savior Said

Im Cold SCRIPTURE: Ps. 22:2331 KEY VERSE: For he has not ignored the suffering of the needy. He has not turned and walked away. He has listened to their cries for help. (Ps. 22:24, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Helping others MATERIALS: Bible, a childs coat to start a coat collection PREPARATION: This sermon ts with the April 5, 2009, Palm Sunday sermon, where the coats will be displayed in the front of the church for the children to reenact the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. (Note: If you dont want to collect coats for a local rescue mission, encourage the children to donate a toy or hygiene-kit items such as hotel- or sample-size shampoo, toothpaste, or soap to your local shelter.)
TITLE:
Have you ever been really cold? What did you do? (Let the children respond.) If I get cold, I might just go and put a coat on, and wear it until I warm up. What if I didnt have a coat to wear? What could I do then? (Let the children respond and reect back the answers they give.) What if I didnt have a home to go to? What would I do then? (Let the children respond.) In our town (name it or a neighboring city or town), there is a shelter for people to stay when they dont have anywhere else to go. Sometimes when they come to the shelter they just have the clothes they were wearing when they arrived. They may not have a toothbrush, or children may not even have a toy. Our verse (open Bible) today is from Psalm 22:24, and it says, For he has not ignored the suffering of the needy. He has not turned and walked away. He has
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listened to their cries for help. This verse is telling us that God hears when people cry for help. God also wants us to listen when people cry for help and to help them when we can. Today, I brought this coat (show coat) to start a collection of childrens coats. Over the next few weeks we will be collecting childrens coats in good condition. After Palm Sunday we will deliver all the coats to a shelter here in our town. (Name the shelter and its location.) If you have a coat you can donate (and be sure to check with your mom or dad), bring it here to church. We will have a basket in the foyer to collect the coats. We can help some people stay warm and let them know that God has heard their cry for help. We can help others know we care.Lizette Hunt
1 WORSHIP
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Call to Worship: Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power (Ps. 21:13). Invocation: Father, you who loved us rst and loves us always, draw us nearer to you and to those around us as we gather for worship. Meet now our deepest needs. Forgive our sin. Humble our foolish pride. Awaken our spirits to a fresh new day. Amen. Offertory Sentence: As you abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also (2 Cor. 8:7). Offertory Prayer: Kind Father, you have called your people to be attentive to the work of the Kingdom. You have graced us with gifts that are physical and spiritual. Today, as good stewards of your graces, we bring these offerings as expressions of our readiness to serve. Make us, dear Father, channels of blessing. Amen. Morning Prayer: Loving God, in this season of Lent, we examine our lives and recognize our need to repent. We need to do an about-face on those
Sunday, March Fifteenth
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habits, addictions, and behaviors that keep us from bearing fruit and sharing with others the spiritual gifts you have bestowed upon us. You know where we have slipped and fallen. You know the areas in which we are especially vulnerable to temptation. And so we pray that you would sustain us in our journey through Lent and give us the willingness to do the loving thing and to be faithful in the small acts of caring for others.Susan Gregg-Schroeder Benediction: We go forth in the power and purpose of our dear Lord. Let us not leave this place lled with fear and uncertainty but with the assurance of Gods presence to guide our ways. Our God, whom we know as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, will take us by the hand. Amen.

Third Sunday in Lent The Power and Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1:1825 OTHER READINGS: Exod. 20:117; Ps. 19; John 2:1322
Even with the recent success of books making impassioned pleas for atheism, God still does well in the polls. Perhaps the larger question is, What kind of God are we voting for in our national opinion polls? I can read Christopher Hitchenss arguments against belief in a divine being and nd them paling in comparison to this mornings psalm: The heavens are telling the glory of God. . . . I look up and say, Amen. As a child I used to sing A God of might and miracles, tis written in the skies. This is the God we believe in. The theological center of this rst chapter of rst Corinthians comes in verse 18. For Paul proclaims that Gods saving power and liberating wisdom come in what the sophists and scribes call foolishness. The proclamation of the cross is folly to those who are perishing. Will we believe in the strong name of Jesus, only if we see signs and wonders here and now? How could the God of Psalm 19 turn his back on the cries of his only Son? Why was not a host of angels
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unleashed to save the Savior and show the wisdom in believing in such an allpowerful God? I. Pauls preaching does not deny such questions about God and the way of the cross. In verse 22 he describes the stumbling blocks that come, not only to the Jews and the Greeks but to all of us. For what they demand and seek is what I hunger for as well. In an age when all belief is openly challenged, I too want proof, credentials, certainty. There is rst of all something in me that demands a sign: God show yourself! It cuts down on my anxiety and vulnerability if God can make the divine power clearly seen for my own condenceand the humiliation of my detractors. So it is not that we dont believe. We simply demand a sign for Gods sake and our own. In The New Yorker magazine, a cartoon shows a man coming home from work with a bolt of lightning following him through the door. His wife proclaims, I begged you not to buy that book by Christopher Hitchens.1 How else will the world be convinced except by a God of might and miracles? The might has traditionally played well in the biblical epic. It plays well in our demand for a sign that God is God. We say, Let the righteous be miraculously saved and the sinners punished. II. There is the way of wisdom. We do seek after wisdom; the message of the Christ must make sense. As with the Greeks we want the truth to make sense according to the wisdom of our age. The Corinthian culture affected the Corinthian Church. It was an age to idolize the greatest teachers of wisdom, especially the wisdom that pays off. Then and now, it is enlightened self-interest that is the big winner. We may not ock to the city square and hear the debaters of this age woo us with promises of a wisdom that puts us ahead of others. We dont have to. The message comes to us. Couched in spiritual terms, we are taught how to harness the wisdom of the ages to get what we want. If we can think of a job we want or a place we want to live, it is ours. We must get rid of any other thought that gets in our way. We are to surround ourselves with like-minded thinkers. Dont hang around with the turkeys when you can soar with the eagles. You can hear this message on the Internet, TV, talk shows, best-selling books; it is the wis1The
New Yorker, June 25, 2007, p. 36.
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dom of the age. It has also inltrated the Church. There is an explosion of the health and wealth gospel in Africa and South America. Of course, the poorest of the earth are most vulnerable. Yet hasnt the wealthiest nation exported this false gospel? We have made the Sovereign God a genie in the bottle. Our every wish is his command. We have taken the cross out of salvation and discipleship. III. The way of the wise and those who would seek after overwhelming signs can only hear the foolishness of the cross, and its proclamation. The quest for ultimate wisdom and power on our terms is futile. God took action. Even though we want to make a god in our image, there is a deep-rooted sense that Gods ways are not our ways. Our lives have been dotted with divine hints that it is really the foolishness and weakness of sacricial love that reveals God to us. It is this quality of love that I have seen in those who have taken up the cross and followed Jesus. That which the world calls weakness and foolishness is the power of God to those being saved. I have been blessed by those who keep our ministries to the poor and homeless going because of the word of the cross. They see God in the faces of those the world would reject. Others have forgiven me when I have failed them because they see Jesus on the cross and hear him saying, Father, forgive them. The subject here is not the foolishness of preaching, because, of course, our eloquence will not match the best of this world. Two parishioners were talking about their pastor. One said to the other, Did you hear his last sermon? The reply was, I certainly hope so. Our method of proclaiming the cross is always less than perfect. But it is rather the message (v. 18) about the cross that will appear foolish to those who are perishing. Sacricial love will always look crazy to those who will not receive it. We have nothing else to offer, but we proclaim Christ crucied. Amen.Gary Stratman
A Little Child Shall Lead Them. A couple in a church I served were telling me about their six-year-old granddaughter. She went shopping with her mother and began a constant lobby for some new clothes. The mother ended the debate by
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saying, Not one more word about clothes! Talk about miracles! There was not another word. Later that morning they went into a Christian bookstore, and the little girl wandered over to the colorful and quite splendid display of choir robes. She caught her mothers attention and said, If you think I have a lot of clothes, look what Gods got. That is the God we believe in: a God high and lifted up, clothed in majesty. Only such a divinity as this can bring forth faith in this present age. That must have been true of the thought of the Corinthians of Pauls day as well. They lived in a great cosmopolitan center and were attracted to great teachers who pointed them toward wisdom and power.Gary Stratman Greatness of God. Those born after the 1956 movie classic The Ten Commandments have been inuenced by its images. It is on TV and DVD maybe, in part, because we demand a sign. The passage through the Red Sea (the DeMille version) is unforgettable. The pillar of re disappears, and Rameses orders the troops to pursue the Hebrews, though he himself does not go. The Hebrews panic, but then the waters close in on the Egyptians. Ramses returns to Nefertiti and sits on his throne, his nal words in the lm being, His God is God.2Gary Stratman

Exod. 20:117 Ps. 19 1 Cor. 1:1825 John 2:1322 Be Thou My Vision This Is My Fathers World At the Cross All Hail the Power of Jesus Name

TITLE: SCRIPTURE:
Gods Word Lights the Way Ps. 19
2The
Ten Commandments, Cecil B. Demille, director; J.H. Ingraham and A. W. Southon, senior writers; Paramount Pictures, 1956.
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The Lords orders are right. They make people happy. The Lords commands are pure. They light up the way. (Ps. 19:8, ICB) KEY CONCEPT: Gods Word MATERIALS: Bible, a ashlight, and a candle
KEY VERSE:
Have you ever been at home when the power went out? (Let the children respond.) If it was at night, did your mom or dad have to light candles, like this one? (Show candle.) Or did they use a ashlight? (Show ashlight.) Sometimes it is so late at night that the only way you know a power outage happened is because your entire clock is ashing! But when the lights go out and it is still early, I like to have a few candles in my house, just in case we lose our electrical power. I like to be able to see when it is dark, and it isnt time to go to bed yet. That way I can read or play a game with my family while we wait for the power to come back on. The light makes it so we can see when it is dark. In our Bible passage today (open Bible) it says, The Lords orders are right. They make people happy. The Lords commands are pure. They light up the way. This is from Psalm 19:8. Gods commands and orders come from the Bible, Gods Word. (Hold up Bible.) When we follow Gods commands and orders, we live the way God wants us to live. Gods Word guides us to make good choices. Just as a candle or ashlight can give us light so we can see and be safe, Gods Word can help us make the choices God wants us to make. Gods Word is so special!Lizette Hunt
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of the hosts, he is the King of glory (Ps. 24:910). Invocation: Swing wide the portals of our souls, Holy God, that we may be receptive to fresh breezes of truth that cleanse and heal and orient us toward Gods will to do. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (2 Cor. 8:9).
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Offertory Prayer: We come with not just the gift of the hand, O Lord, but of the heart, for we give as stewards with gratitude and praise to Christ our King. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: (A Unison Prayer of Confession, based on Psalm 118) O God, forgive us for counting ourselves righteous, believing we are better than some others we could name. You alone are able to open the gates of a life-giving relationship to us and our children. Forgive us as we have sought to build our lives on our own merits and efforts, rejecting your Son, the cornerstone of your salvation. Deliver us from walling out those you created and for whom your love endures forever. (Silent prayer of confession; Assurance of Pardon)Gary Stratman Benediction: We go forth today in the name and in the power of our God, whom we name Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May Gods will be done through us in the days of this week. Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Lent
By Grace
Eph. 2:110 OTHER READINGS: Num. 21:49; Ps. 107:13, 1722; John 3:1421 It does not come as a surprise when we hear a sound bite on the radio that proclaims Amazing Grace as the most popular of religious or spiritual songs. The staying power of that song in a most secular culture is amazing. When we think of it we have to marvel at the word grace. When most religious words are shopworn and have little allure for the average person, here is an exception. There is a natural freedom of motion in sport and art that even today we call graceful. The human action that is not self-conscious and is generous beyond expectation elicits the word gracious. Of course, the word not only connotes beauty but
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power as well. That saved a wretch like me is a phrase that goes to the depths of human need. John Newton wrote these words as an Anglican priest in the village of Olney, England. He had been a slave trader, and the thought that he would turn his back on that life and become a disciple of Jesus Christ was unthinkable in his early seafaring days. Grace has power to do the impossible. I. Ephesians 2:1 delivers, in no uncertain terms, the need for grace: As for you, you were dead in your transgression and sins. . . . My reaction when I let those words speak to me is to become defensive. We would all rather go back to the part about graceful and gracious. After all, I was not, like Paul, involved in the death of Stephen. You could join the chorus and say that you were never a debauched slave trader, as John Newton was. Pauls point is clear. All of us have, at various times, lived gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature (v. 3). We were created to glorify God. Our greatest joy and fulllment comes in following the leadings of a sovereign and righteous God. In his will is our perfect peace. What disrupts this relationship for which we are made is to give in to the cravings or under-pull of a lesser power. Here the source is not only described as our lower nature, but the ruler of the kingdom of the air (v. 2). This image of the evil one (as this ruler is called in Ephesians 6:16) is of one who is at work in the atmosphere in which we live. Living in Hollywood is a constant reminder of the power of the air. The message of this present age goes out onto air waves and cyberspace. It is so pervasive that sheer volume can make it sound like the truth. The message of the air is not only to give in to your cravings but to celebrate them as signs that you are alive. The opposite is true. We are, apart from God, dead spiritually. This may not sound like good news, but there is no recognition of the very best news without recognition of what sin is. However, it is not the nal note. II. To use a phrase I remember from my childhood, We were as good as dead. Our goodness may make us feel superior to some people we would be glad to name. That comparative goodness is swallowed up in the holiness and righteousness of God. Yet the power of God that Paul names here, that makes us alive who were dead in our transgressions, is the power of love and mercy (vv. 4, 5). Because of what God has done in Jesus Christ, we are rescued from our old nature. On the cross we see the riches of Gods
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mercy: Father, forgive them. We see the love that goes the limit to bring us into eternal life: It is nished. Because our salvation is affected only by what God is, has done, and can do, we must call it grace. If we were dead, we contribute nothing to our being made alive. Three times the word grace is used in our text. Each time the emphasis is clear: we have been saved not by and for ourselves but by and for Christ Jesus. It is not only being made alive, but we dwell with Christ in the heavenly realms. This points not so much to the future tense of the heavenly Kingdom. Rather, the heavenly realms (v. 6) press on us the reality of being raised with Christ now. We are not ruled by the ruler of the kingdom of the air, but by the Risen Lord. We are to live in another realm. Much is made today of a growing number of Christian leaders identifying themselves as red-letter Christians. The reference is to the words of Jesus being printed in red ink in some Bibles. The image is a good one. Redeemed by Christ, we are to live in the atmosphere of his teaching. Our faith (trust) grows as we learn of Christ and follow him. Neither the saving nor the following is anything of our own doing. It is the gift of God (v. 8); it is all grace. III. Many students of Ephesians have called verses 8 through 10 Pauls gospel in a nutshell. But having said that, we have often stopped short of fully including verse 10 in that summary. What we emphasize is being saved by grace, through faith. If this is a summary of Pauls gospel, shouldnt we also ask, For what are we saved? If the answer is that we are saved for heaven, then why are we all still hanging around here? (I can tell by your faces that some of you have not thought of that.) We can sing all the way back from church camp that This world is not my home, but there is more to the story: For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (v. 10). Although it is true that our citizenship is in the city of God (Hebrews 11:16), we are created for the good work that God has ordained us to do. This is the emphasis of verse 10 in this mornings reading from Ephesians. To put it in terms of the Hebrews passage, we who are citizens of the city of God are to have a ministry in and for the city of man (and woman). This was a part of Gods plan from eternity. We are created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Somehow we stumble over the phrase good works. My
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mother once responded to my question about a relatives church by saying, They are all about good works. To a childs ear that sounded like a good thing, but the tone of her voice told me it wasnt. The reformation cry of sola gratia (grace alone) is strong in usor it should be. For truly how can we earn a right relationship with God? So our works of justice, our tithes, our perfect church attendance does not create a magnetic force that pulls Gods favor toward us. This does not make good works bad. They are the natural outcome of being saved by grace, through faith. Our works are good (beautiful) because it is Gods work in us. It is all a gift that we receive through trust in Jesus Christ, no bragging needed. Paul even goes so far as to say that we are Gods workmanship. The word used can also mean work of art or even a poetic product, so we do not bargain with God about our good works. We are works of God ourselves.3 All creative abilities (and we all have them) are gifts from our Creator, to be used for the glory of God and the good of Gods creation. So the next time you believe God (or others) will look with favor on you because of your good work or creativity, think again. It is all of grace, Gods gift, so none of us should boast. It is even more likely that you will be tempted not to use the creative gifts God has given you. You may believe the Evil Ones lie, What do you have to offer this world? It is enough of a challenge to slink back from offering what we were created in Christ Jesus to do. Be bold; do it, for the only boasting is in the Lord, the giver of every true gift. We are, by grace, his workmanship. Amen.Gary Stratman
Salvation by Grace. All that was necessary for our salvation has been done by God in Christ. The truth of this is told in wonderfully powerful words offered by one of the former pastors of this congregation: God chooses us not because of what we are, have, have done, or can do, but because of what He is, what He
Rienecker, Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, Cleon Rogers, ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980), p. 525.
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has done, and what He can do. God made us, saved, us, sustains and secures us. His choice of us is the sovereign expression of His grace.4Gary Stratman Sin. We like to sing about grace, but we dont enjoy hearing about sin. That could account for our silence on that subject, even in church. There is a well-traveled story of a new preacher who addressed some subjects that caught his congregation somewhat off guard. One woman greeted him after a worship service with these words: Pastor, we didnt know what sin was, until you came.Gary Stratman

Num. 21:49 Ps. 107:13, 1722 Eph. 2:110 John 3:1421 Lift High the Cross Theres a Spirit in the Air Give to Our God Immortal Praise To God Be the Glory

I Cant Do It By Myself SCRIPTURE: Ps. 107:13, 1722 KEY VERSE: LORD, help! they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. (Ps. 107:19, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: God helps us; prayer MATERIALS: Bible PREPARATION: If you have a story of a time when you got hurt and could not help yourself, this would illustrate the concept of this sermon.
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When I was about six years old, I had a friend who lived around the corner from me. When I went to her house, I could go one of two ways from my
4Raymond
I. Lindquist, Notes for Living (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1968), p. 213.
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house. One way was to go down the street, turn the corner, walk to her house, and then go up to the front door. The other way was to cut through another neighbors side yard, go through some woods, go through my friends backyard, and then go to her back door. One summer day, I had on my ip-ops and I was running through the back way to get to her house to play. When I got to the woods, I ran through some broken glass. I didnt see the glass, but I sure did feel it. It hurt! Some broken glass got caught in my foot, and I cried. It hurt so bad; I couldnt stand up. I must have been crying really loud, because the next thing I knew my dad was carrying me home. My mom and dad picked out the glass they could see, and then they took me to the doctor. I got seven stitches from that cut. Our verse today is from Psalm 107:19 (open Bible), and it says, Lord, help! They cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. God wants to help us. Just like my mom and dad helped me when I got hurt, God will help us, too. When I got cut and fell down, I couldnt help myself. I needed someone to rescue me from that situation. This verse reminds us that when we are in tough situations and cry out to God, we can be sure that he will help us. So if you nd yourself in a bad situation, pray to God to help you. God will hear your prayer.Lizette Hunt
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Call to Worship: O Lord, open my lips; and my mouth shall show forth your praise (Ps. 51:15). Invocation: Lord, we thank you for this and each opportunity to gather in your name. May our words that rise from hymn, prayer, scripture, and preaching be pleasing in your sight. We rejoice today that you meet us here. Amen. Offertory Sentence: If there be rst a willing mind, it is accepted according to what that man has, and not according to what he has not (2 Cor. 8:12). Offertory Prayer: Receive these gifts, O Lord, and make of them what pleases you. Our giving is joyful and purposeful. We are glad in heart that you have
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invited us to participate with you in the Kingdoms work. We humbly offer ourselves to you as best we can. Amen. Morning Prayer: (A Unison Prayer of Confession, based on Psalm 32) O Lord, how great is your love and mercy toward us. You want nothing less for us than true happiness that is founded upon a right relationship with you. We know what happens when we neglect the blessing of a forgiveness already made possible by the costly sacrice of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Even our bodies show the stress of keeping silent our sins and failures. Our pride makes us deaf to your loving and just instruction. Our prejudice has cut us off from those you have given us to love. Renew us, O Lord, as your rebuke leads to confession, and your forgiveness leads to joy. (Silent Prayers of Confession, Assurance of Pardon)Gary Stratman Benediction: People of God, go forth today in the abundant grace God provides. And may his grace cause us to live graciously. May we love God with all our being and our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.

Fifth Sunday in Lent
The Means Claries the Ends
John 12:2033 OTHER READINGS: Jer. 31:3134; Ps. 51:112; Heb. 5:510 Today is the fth Sunday in our Lenten journey. Some of you have let me know youre ready for Easter. We all want to hear, It all comes out well in the end. That is why so many people will be here to celebrate the end of the story. In Christs Resurrection is our hope. Yes, we know where this starts: the temptation, the struggle, the cross, but all of that is swallowed up in Easters victory over sin and death. That is all we need. The nal note to be played: Christ is
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risen or Christus Victor! Yes, but are we rushing to the triumphant ending without hearing the means to that end? Lets listen to the story. I. Here in the twelfth chapter of Johns gospel as Jesus faces his death, there is a quick summary of his turmoil and the glory that is set before him. Listen to two verses from our text, John 12:2728 (RSV): Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have gloried it, and I will glorify it again.5 Verse 27 appears to be the summarizing and condensing we crave. In the span of a few words, Jesus goes from a deeply troubled soul to one who has clearly and condently come for this purpose. He prays that he will glorify his Father and receives conrmation of that glory. So the summary of these two verses is correct, but A to B is no easy road. The means of glorifying the Father in the end points to his faithfulness in the face of temptation, each step of the way. If we, as the Greeks in this story (12:20, 21), would see Jesus, then we must hear the proclamation of his mission. When he begins speaking of the time that the Son of Man is to be gloried, it is in response to the Greeks request delivered by Andrew and Philip (12:22, 23). Jesus seems to be addressing the two disciples. Yet the Greeks are important in the story of the Fathers mission given to Jesus. The mission is for Greek and Jew. John also makes clear in the latter part of his gospel that this universal mission is completed in the death and Resurrection of the Son of Man. The glorifying of the Son and the Father is seen in Easter and Good Friday, for the goal of Jesus mission was to provide a way for human beings to be reconciled to God. The One who stood in for us was fully human. No one else could represent us. Yet he was no victim led to the slaughter. It was God in Christ who reconciled us. The means of this redemption was Jesus continually giving himself up to the will of the Father. No matter how we seek to
5The
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright National Council of Churches of Christ in America.
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understand the mystery of the dual nature of Jesus, the fourth gospel will not let us understand his obedience to the Father as automatic or without struggle. The fourth gospel does not show us Jesus deep distress in the garden at Gethsemane. Instead, we have here the strange, arresting words of his soul being troubled. How could this description mean a temporary or minor disturbance? The writer of Hebrews picks up the theme and shows the one whom John calls the Son of Man expressing himself in loud cries and tears. At the very least a Savior of humanity who cries out in distress gives us permission to live a life before God of emotional honesty. That is no small thing. To glorify the Father does not require a persona of a victorious overcomer who never allows turmoil of the soul to come to the surface. Jesus did not teach us to never let them see you sweat. The evidence is not only in Gethsemane. It is here in these summary verses that point to the ongoing means of Jesus glorifying the Father. II. Even more than this modeling of emotional honesty, is the clear reminder that the only mediator between God and man never ceases to be fully human. That is why it is literally a damnable pity to expurgate from the record Jesus struggle with what lay before him. For the means of our salvation was no easy road. Now my soul is in turmoil. How can we possibly enter into this wrestling with God and the rejection by his friends? Here is a stark reminder that our Christ was not a plastic saint, much less an immune God. After crying out that his soul is in turmoil, he asks if he should pray, Father save me from this hour. Here again we see the means by which he lived out this mission, not just in the end but each step of the way. For it is in the summary of verse 27 that we glimpse the intensity of the prayerful struggle that was to mark his life to the end. For Jesus prayer was not a pious rehearsal. It was an honest, no-holds-barred communication with Abba. This intimate and honest form of prayer is seen in the seventeenth chapter of John. He is not afraid to pray for his own faithful completion of his mission. He prays for his disciples, including those who are admonished to walk in the light in our text today, so that they may all be one. They and we (John 17:20, 21) have been prayed for by Jesus, even before Jesus goes over the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden (John 18:1).
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III. John gives us not details of Christs passion in that garden but the daily giving himself up to the will of the Father. This is the way of the cross for us. A daily dying into life allows our life to be surrendered to the Christ, who surrendered his will to the Father. This does not happen by avoiding the struggle of obedience. This is still our stumbling block: we do not want to surrender to anyone. Yet we cannot be saved from this hour of decision. For the one who faced the struggles of his soul was lifted up on the object of defeat. That place of shame became the territory of Gods glory. There death was defeated and the Resurrection made possible. As Christ is lifted up, he is drawing all men and women to himself. In our surrender to him we are made alive, and Gods name is gloried. Amen.Gary Stratman
Quick Conclusions. We have a penchant in our society for getting to the point. Maybe I am hiding behind the editorial we. It is my need to skip the description and get to the conclusion. That is clearly seen in my impatience with my wife and sons, who are natural storytellers. As much as I love a good story, something in me wants to get to the bottom line: How did it turn out in the end? Now that I have confessed, there is something in me that wants to say, I am a man of twitching lips and I live among a people of twitching lips. When someone lls in commentary about the journey, my mouth is literally trembling to insert the only important question: So, where did you end up? Life moves too fast to get bogged down in description, and our culture does reect that. We live in a world of headline news, abridged classics, and summary nancial reports. What we want is, This is where we started; this is where we came out; A to B; nothing in-between.Gary Stratman The Way of the Cross. As Jesus sees the end of his life, we are reminded of the venerable words of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: Mans chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Here we have the one perfectly obedient human being fullling his purpose to the glory of God the Father. The eternal Son is also the thoroughly human Jesus, who knows the way of the troubled soul and the anguish of the cross.Gary Stratman
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Jer. 31:3134 Ps. 51:112 Heb. 5:510 John 12:2033 Breathe on Me, Breath of God Lord Jesus, Think on Me Meekness and Majesty Open Our Eyes, Lord

Stay Close SCRIPTURE: John 12:2033 KEY VERSE: All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them. (John 12:26, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Discipleship MATERIALS: Bible; tray with a pitcher of drinking water and several small cups (enough for all the children who come forward) PREPARATION: Set the cups on the tray, and put a little bit (about two tablespoons) of drinking water in most of the cups.
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Good morning everyone! Is anyone thirsty? Say, I was thinking about having some water. Who would like a cup of water? (Let each child who wants one take a cup of water; keep lling the other cups until everyone has had a little bit of water.) Now that we have all had some water, I want to talk about what just happened. Now lets put our cups back on the tray. (Gather the cups and set the tray out of the way.) Raise your hand if you got a cup of water. So everyone (or most) of you who were sitting right here by me got a cup of water. That is great. So people in the back of the sanctuary didnt get any water did they? To get served a cup of water, you had to be right here beside me. Our verse for today (open Bible) is from John 12:26. Jesus is speaking to his friends, and he says, All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will
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honor them. Jesus is saying that to be his disciple or to follow him, we need to be spend time with him. Jesus wants everyone who is a follower of his to be with him. This means we must pray to him and talk with him every day. It also means we must read about him in the Bible and spend time studying about him. It is just like when you had the cup of waterto get a cup of water you had to be close to me. If you were far away from me, you did not get any water. To be a follower of Jesus we must stay very close to him in all these ways so we can learn and be all Jesus wants us to be.Lizette Hunt
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Call to Worship: Show me your way, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me: for you are the God of my salvation; on you I wait all the day (Ps. 25:45). Invocation: Almighty God from whom all blessings ow, search us and know us in this hour of worship, and send us forth to speak a word of faith from hearts of love. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: He who sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully (2 Cor. 9:6). Offertory Prayer: Lord, you have acted graciously on our behalf all the days of our lives. We have been blessed abundantly. Our cup runs over with goodness and mercy. As we return to you these gifts, may we make them cheerfully and with ready spirits. Help us always to be thankful. Amen. Morning Prayer: Lord, we praise you for your delity in bringing to us the things we need to live: friends, family, work, the beauties and pleasures. But we thank you especially, Lord, for your grace, that working through all these is our true salvation. Enable us to see and know your grace amidst us today. In Christs name, Amen.Joanne M. Swenson
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Benediction: We have gathered to worship. We now depart to serve. May God give us keen sensitivity that we may see clearly the opportunities for ministry that arise before us. And may we have courage to take advantage of them. Amen.
SUNDAY, April 5, 2009

Palm/Passion Sunday: Sixth Sunday in Lent
Fair-Weather Fan or Faithful Follower?
Mark 11:111 OTHER READINGS: Ps. 118:12, 1929 At rst glance, the characters in todays gospel story look like a huge mob of fans. Men, women, and children alike are singing and chanting, waving branches and throwing their coats on the road to welcome aa what? A young man riding on a donkey? Wait, whats going on here? Who is this man, and what exactly is the crowd chanting? Hosanna? Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord? Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David? Hosanna in the highest heaven? What do they mean? Is there more going on here than the usual celebrity-chasing or sporting event? I. The people in the crowd knew there was more happening. They realized that this parade was an epiphany procession. All the elements were evident that morning: an honored king riding on an animal (a donkey was an appropriate mount for a mid-Eastern king), loyal followers smoothing the road by covering it with branches and even their coats, people chanting praises and cheering. Yes, the crowds recognized Jesus as a king, but that was about all they got right that day. They were looking for a king who would physically overthrow the Romans and establish an earthly, political reign. But Jesus had no such intentions. For Jesus, the donkey signied kingship, but also
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humility; it was the beast of burden. His ride was a living sermon illustration, but the people missed the point. Jesus was symbolically speaking out against not only Roman rule but also against the privileged attitude of the high priests. It was Jesus hope that Israel would be a servant people, free from Roman rule and Hebrew imperialism. It was his goal that they live out the Kingdom of God in their midst. This was nothing new. He had been teaching about what that meant for three years, but the crowds still missed the point. Thousands of people were pouring into Jerusalem that week. Many were making that once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to celebrate Passover in the temple. The journey itself was important; travelers used this time to anticipate and prepare for the celebration to come (much as Lent is a journey that prepares us for the celebration of Easter, and Advent prepares for the celebration of Christmas). It was a time of great rejoicing, of remembering when God had liberated the people from the oppression of Pharaoh. In that day, Jerusalem was the place where people came to be in the presence of God, so expectations were high. II. Jesus had no such expectations for this week. He knew where this procession would end. For some time now, he had been trying to tell his followers that this week would be like no other. But even the disciples didnt get it. As the week wore on, they still couldnt grasp what was happening. The scribes and the Pharisees kept trying to trap Jesus and arrest him. Jesus spoke more and more frequently about his own suffering and death. By Thursday, when the disciples gathered to celebrate the Passover, tension was high. After supper, Judas slipped out into the night to betray his Lord. Later, the soldiers came to the garden and arrested Jesus, and the crowds ed. As Jesus continued his journey to the cross, he journeyed alone. One by one the disciples fell away, until just one disciple and a few faithful women remained at the cross. After the Crucixion, they all ran and hid away in the Upper Room, confused and afraid. How quickly things had changed. The cheering crowds and the new ruler entering the Holy City on a donkey seemed but a distant memory. III. As we look at this scene from the safety of our seats, it is easy to picture ourselves as part of the crowd cheering our king. We have entered our
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sanctuaries waving palm branches and singing our songs of praise to the Lord. And this is good. Luke tells us that it is our duty to give praise to God. If we dont, he says, the very rocks will cry out. But perhaps we are too much like the crowd in other ways. If we are honest, some of us have our own agendas in mind for Jesus. For many of us, American imperialism is alive and well. We display our national ag in the sanctuary and sing God bless America, and we, too, often assume that God is automatically on our side when we become involved in armed conict. We assume that we know what is best for others, and in the name of God we force it upon them. Others of us assume that just because we follow Jesus, we will be blessed economically. We expect that Jesus will overthrow the powers that be on our behalf. We must be careful this day that we are not like the crowds, asking God to meet our own political and economic agendas. Some of us nd that we are like the disciples. Despite Jesus continued teaching about the cost of discipleship and the price of following, we still dont understand what he is asking of us. We cant get past our own preconceived ideas to grasp what following really means. Perhaps it is time for us to really listen to the core of the gospel message. Wherever we nd ourselves, it is clear that we are called to be more than cheering spectators in this parade. We are to humble ourselves and be willing to serve sacricially, as Christ did. The choice is ours this morning. Will we limit our involvement and commitment to praise and acclamation? Do we have our own agendas that we expect Christ to fulll? Or do we understand what it really means to be a disciple? Are we fair-weather fans who lose interest and fade away at the rst sign or trouble, or are we faithful followers?Tracy Hartman
Fans or Followers? Who is your favorite sports team? Is it your daughters high school soccer team? How about your college football team or a majorleague baseball club? (You may suggest some specics, depending on your location.) How do you show your loyalty to them? Do you sport a bumper sticker
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or a ag on your antenna? What game-day rituals do you enjoy? Do you don your spiritwear, pack the car with your favorite food and beverages, and head to the eld early to tailgate with other fans? Or do you put out a spread of your favorite munchies and gather your friends around the big-screen TV in the den? The game begins, and so does the cheering! When things are going our way, were joyous, jumping up and down, shouting, and waving banners or signs. But what happens if its an off day? An off season? Do you start missing a game or two and then lose interest completely? Are you a fair-weather fan or a faithful follower?Tracy Hartman The Power of Sacrice. A young man named Heng was willing to make a sacrice. During the Vietnam War, mortar re inadvertently hit the orphanage in his village. Two children died, and several others were wounded. An American doctor and nurse who were in the area came to aid the orphans. They found a young girl who would die soon if she did not receive a much-needed blood transfusion. Neither the doctor nor the nurse had the correct blood type, so they tested the children until they found several potential donors. In a mixture of pidgin Vietnamese and broken French, they explained to the children that the girl needed blood to live. They asked for volunteers. Finally, after some minutes, nine-year-old Heng raised his hand. They laid him on a pallet, cleaned his arm, and began to draw his blood. A few moments later, Heng began to sob. The nurse asked him if it hurt, and he replied no. However, he continued to sob. The language barrier prevented the Americans from determining what was wrong. The doctor and nurse were frustrated that they could not communicate with or comfort the child. Just then, a Vietnamese nurse arrived. The Americans asked her to try and nd out what was wrong with Heng. The nurse spoke rapidly to him in Vietnamese. After a few moments, Heng stopped crying and spoke to the nurse. A look of relief spread over his face. The nurse turned to the Americans and explained. Heng thought he was going to die, she said. Why? asked the Americans. He thought he would have to give all of his blood so that the girl could be saved. Why would he be willing to do that? the Americans wanted to know. Once again the nurse spoke to Heng. In a moment came the simple answer: Because she is my friend.Tracy Hartman
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Liturgy of the Palms Mark 11:111 Ps. 118:12, 1929 Liturgy of the Passion Isa. 50:49a Ps. 31:916 Phil. 2:511 Mark 14:115:47 [or] Mark 15:139 (4047) My Jesus I Love Thee O Sacred Head, Now Wounded God of Our Life What Wondrous Love Is This My Jesus, I Love Thee Lift Up Your Heads, O Mighty Gates Majesty

King of Kings SCRIPTURE: Mark 11:111 (Jesus Triumphal Entry) KEY VERSE: Many in the crowd spread their coats on the road ahead of Jesus, and others cut leafy branches in the elds and spread them along the way. (Mark 11:8, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Jesus is treated to a royal welcome into Jerusalem. MATERIALS: Bible and childrens coats collected since March 8, 2009, coat drive for children; palm branches or any greenery for the children to wave PREPARATION: This sermon is tied to the March 8, 2009, sermon, in which the children were encouraged to donate coats for the needy. Spread out the coats in the area where the children sit when they are called up for the childrens sermon. Ask the ushers to pass out palm branches to every child they greet. Use green construction paper cut into large leaf shapes if unable to get branches.
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Today is Palm Sunday. Wave your branches as you come forward. This is a day of celebration. King Jesus is coming. If you brought a coat for the coat collection, bring that, too. (As the children come forward, repeat phrase until the children are down front.) Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! This is what people shouted when they saw Jesus. Everyone who could travel was going to Jerusalem. The Passover Feast was a big party; they all wanted to be there. Not everyone was greeted with a parade of palm branches. This was an honor reserved for kings. Our passage today is from Mark 11:8 (open Bible): Many in the crowd spread their coats on the road ahead of Jesus, and others cut leafy branches in the elds and spread them along the way. They were so excited to see Jesus they put their coat on the ground to honor him. If they didnt have a coat, they waved a branch and laid these at his feet. Jesus is the King of Kings. He came to heal all our hurts and give each one of us life forever with him. God heard our cry and sent Jesus to help us. These last few weeks we have collected these coats to help the people at (name of shelter, agency, or community) stay warm. By giving these coats to these people, we are helping Jesus to help them. It is an honor to help Jesus in his work. Before you go back to your seat, lets pray, Lord Jesus, thank you for being our king. Bless these coats and the people who will wear them. Amen. (Note: If theres been no coat drive, end with having the children repeat, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.)Lizette Hunt
1 WORSHIP
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Call to Worship: This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it (Ps. 118:24). Invocation: Lord of life, we give to honor our King Jesus this day and every day, that our vision may be as his and our rejoicing at his presence in our midst undiminished. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: Every man according as he purposed in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7).
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Offertory Prayer: Lord we dedicate our lives with our offering today so all that is done may point to the Christ and bring God the glory. Amen. E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: (A Unison Prayer of Confession, based on Psalm 34) O Lord, as we have praised you with our lips this morning, we realize that our lives have not always followed our words. We want to agree with the psalm and profess that our only boasting is in you. Yet we are so fearful of what others may think of us that we lay claim to our abilities and possessions. Merciful God, forgive us for not worshipping you by giving your food to the hungry and sharing freely the Bread of Life. In the name of Christ, who came not to condemn but to save us, hear our silent prayers.Gary Stratman Benediction: The most holy week of the year stands before us. Let us enter into it remembering the passion of our Lord. And may the memories deepen our love and energize our service. Let us not forget the way of the cross. Amen.

Easter Day
Too Good to Be True?
John 20:118 OTHER READINGS: Acts 10:3443; Ps. 118:12, 1424; 1 Cor. 15:111 This morning, all over the world, millions of Christians are gathering to celebrate Easter. We sing, Up from the grave he arose! and Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia. And all over the world, millions of others wonder how and why we can believe such a thing. But this is good news, we say. Yes, it sounds like good news, they might reply, but isnt it just a little too good? Too good to be true even? It sounds more
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like wishful thinking or a fairy tale with a happy ending than gospel truth to us. How many people do we know who are pursuing dead ends with their lives this morning? How many are seeking to ll the emptiness of their souls with success, wealth, alcohol, and drugs, or even with religion? How many are grieving the loss of what might have been? How many are hurt and confused, wondering how they have gotten in the middle of such a mess? Can you picture Mary and the disciples stepping forward in time, placing a friendly hand on their shoulders, and with a look of understanding and compassion saying, Been there, done that? I. In her grief and pain, Mary makes her way to the tomb. She rounds the curve in the path and immediately notices that something is very wrong. The stone that the guards had placed over the tomb is gone. Without even entering the cave, she turns and runs back to the Upper Room to nd Peter and the other disciple. Can you hear her, gasping for breath, exclaiming to the men, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we dont know where they have put him! Apparently without further inquiry of Mary, the two men break out in a sprint for the tomb. The un-named disciple arrives at the entrance to the cave rst, and unlike Mary, he bends over and looks inside. All he sees are the abandoned strips of linen lying inside. All of a sudden Peter catches up, and, true to form, he charges boldly into the tomb. In addition to the linen strips, Peter spots the burial cloth that had been around Jesus head, folded neatly a short distance away. This was strange indeed. If the Roman soldiers had moved Jesus, or if someone else had stolen the body, surely they would have left him wrapped in the burial clothes. When Jesus called Lazarus back from the dead, he had emerged from the tomb still wrapped in the winding cloths, and they had all hurried to free him. Despite all that Jesus had taught them, the two disciples still did not understand that Jesus had really risen from the dead. John tells us that they left the tomband went home. They were so poorly prepared for the news that Christ the Lord had risen that they just went home. By this time, Mary had returned to the tomb. She remained behind, still outside weeping after the men departed. Finally, she worked up the courage
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to look inside. When she did, the tomb was not empty at all! Instead she saw two angels, dressed in white, sitting where Jesus body had been just the night before. Woman, they asked her, why are you crying? Not understanding any better than her male colleagues, Mary replied, They have taken my Lord away, and I dont know where they have put him. Turning away, she saw Jesus himself standing there, but she didnt recognize him. Again she heard the question, this time from Jesus: Woman, why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for? Thinking that Jesus was the gardener she responded, Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him. Many of us (both churched and un-churched) are like Mary. We are looking for a preconceived Jesus, the Jesus we think we know or imagine. We may come to Easter Sunday limiting God by looking for Jesus only as we have always seen him. How would we answer Jesus question, Who are you looking for? In what ways might we be surprised if God appeared to us this morning? Why is it easier to see and believe as we always have rather to embrace the Risen Christ? Perhaps we hang on to our perceptions because it is comfortable and far less demanding of us. II. God surprised Mary that rst Easter morning, and everything changed for her. What changed Mary? Not the empty tomb. Not the presence of the angels. Not the vision of Jesus standing before her; she misunderstood all of that. It was one word that changed everything for her. One word. Everything changed when Jesus called her name: Mary. This exchange between them identied Jesus as the Good Shepherd; he knows his sheep by name, and they respond to his voice. His promised transformation from weeping and pain to joy has been accomplished through the word and presence of Jesus.1 Marys initial response to this realization was exactly what many of ours would be: she wanted to reach out to Jesus and hold on tight! Imagine the chance to embrace someone very dear who you thought was dead. Wed all want to hold on and never again let go! But Jesus had other ideas; Mary had an important job to do. Dont hold on to me, he said, for I have not yet
1Gail ODay, The Book of John, New Interpreters Bible, vol. 9 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), p. 842.
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returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers [inclusive here of all people], and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. III. It is signicant that although Jesus called Mary (and us), that is not the end. He then sent her (and us) with a message. Mary was the rst witness to the Resurrected Lord and the rst that Jesus appointed to preach the Resurrection message. By virtue of Jesus death and Resurrection, the way had been opened for us all to be part of his family and do the same. Mary saw the Lord, rst dimly, then clearly. She despaired; then she became a wishful thinker. She hoped; then she believed. She wept; then she rejoiced. She held on to the presence of the Risen Lord, then she let loose with good news that he was alive. We all enter the story at different places this morning. But may we all leave having experienced the good news. And like Mary, may we go and tell, for it is good news, indeed. Amen.Tracy Hartman
Easter Reality. As much as we like to glamorize the Easter story, those who were closest to Jesus had some of the same responses as our non-churched friends. Even though they had been with Jesus full-time for three years, even though they had heard him speak of his own death and Resurrection, they sure werent looking for a Risen Christ that Sunday morning. In fact, most of them werent looking for anything. Peter, keeping his distance from the trial and Crucixion, had denied the Lord. Everyone but a few of the women had ed the scene of the execution. The Sabbath found them hunkered down behind the locked doors of the Upper Room, fearing that the Jews would come for them next. Even the women who ventured out that Sunday morning were looking for the dead among the dead. They were grieving followers of the crucied Jesus, going to anoint his body for nal burial. Hurt and confused, they were no doubt wondering how it had all gone so badly wrong.Tracy Hartman
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Life Purpose. The great need for human life is, has been, and continues to be the need for directedness, that is, the clear-founded notion that we exist for something, that we are going somewhere, and that life really does matter. How excruciatingly sad is the character from Shakespeare who lamented, Life is lived out like an actor on a stage; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. It is far better, is it not, to sense life as a part of something larger than ourselves, larger than our time on earth, something grander than we can see. Thats what Easter does for us.Lee McGlone

Acts 10:3443 Ps. 118:12, 1424 1 Cor. 15:111 John 20:118 [or] Mark 16:18 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today Good Christians All, Rejoice and Sing Because He Lives The Day of Resurrection Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

The Unexpected Surprise SCRIPTURE: John 20:118 KEY VERSE: Jesus said to her, Mary! Mary turned around and said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni! (Rabboni means teacher.) (John 20:16, Gods Word) KEY CONCEPT: Resurrection MATERIALS: Bible
TITLE:
Happy Easter to everyone! Today we celebrate that Jesus lives! He left the grave and came back to lifea new life that will never end. Our passage today tells the story of Jesus friends looking for him and not being able to nd him. What they were expecting and what they found were two very different things.
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Jesus had told his friends many times that he would be coming back, but what he said was so strange it was hard to believe. Jesus friends may have thought, Oh, he must mean something else. Or maybe they just didnt quite hear him when he told them. In our passage (open Bible) from John 20:118, we nd that at rst, Jesus disciples came looking for him. But he was not where they thought he would be; he was not in the tomb where he had been buried. So they left and went back home. Mary came a little later, and she was still very upset that Jesus had died. She loved Jesus and was sad that he was gone. She was so upset that she did not recognize Jesus when he rst spoke to her. She thought he was a gardener! Then in verse 16 (read from Bible), Jesus said to her, Mary! Mary turned around and said to him in Hebrew, Rabboni! Mary was so happy, her friend and teacher had come back to her. The day had started sad, but now she was happy. Jesus came back to life just as he had said he would. We celebrate today Jesus coming back to life. The big word for this is resurrection. Because of Jesus death and Resurrection, we can be with Jesus forever. This is the most exciting day in the life of the Church and the celebration continues for fty more days! Happy Easter!Lizette Hunt
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Call to Worship: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is my strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps. 27:1). Invocation: Lord, we give thanks for the hope we have in Jesus Christ, who died and lives again and rules over all. Because he lives, we live with abundant hope, convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Offertory Sentence: God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufciency in all things, may abound to every good work (2 Cor. 9:8). Offertory Prayer: Lord, let our Easter offering be lled with resurrection hope in the name of our victorious and unvanquished Savior. Amen.E. Lee Phillips
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Morning Prayer: We approach you, O Lord, on Easter Day, with hearts gladdened by the cry of victory: He is not here. He has risen. On this very holy day, we celebrate our Saviors Resurrection through the magnicent hymns of faith: Up from the grave he arose! We celebrate through the powerful declarations of scripture: And there stood two angels, but his body we did not see. We celebrate the personal greeting to a sister believer: Mary. We celebrate the comfort that comes to the faithful: And go before me into Galilee and I will meet you there. We celebrate the challenge given to the Church: Peter, do you love me? Then feed my little lambs. Truly, we celebrate this day with the joy of eternity breaking back into our world of 2009. We live with the worries of war and terrorism, hatred and prejudice, hunger and disease, natural calamities and circumstances beyond our control. This world, if this is all the world we know, is a dismal place. But because of this day, the day of Resurrection, the dark and dismal must give way to the light and hope of God. Lord, turn our hearts there! Father, you have shown your favor to believing people everywhere, and we are thankful. May today our thanksgiving be resounding! We pray in Jesus name. Amen.Lee McGlone Benediction: We go forth on Easter Sunday boldly rejoicing in the Risen Savior, Jesus, who goes before us. Live this week, people of God, in the power of the Living One. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Second Sunday of Easter
I Doubt It
OTHER READINGS:
John 20:1931 Acts 4:3235; Ps. 133; 1 John 1:12:2
Have you ever played the card game I Doubt It with your children or your friends? In this often-hilarious game, each player seeks to be the rst to get rid
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of all of his or her cards by discarding them, face down, into a discard pile. The rst player must discard aces, the second twos, the third player threes, and so on. If you do not have the required card or cards when it is your turn, you fake or bluff. For example, if you are required to discard fours and you dont have any, you discard an ace or a two while boldly proclaiming, One four! If another player thinks you are blufng, he proclaims, I doubt it. If he is wrong, he picks up the whole pile. If he catches you blufng, you must pick up the pile. Early in the game, when the pile is small and the stakes are low, it is relatively easy to risk blufng or to proclaim, I doubt it. However, when the stakes are higher, players become more cautious about professing doubt or accusing one another. When it comes to faith issues, the stakes seem high and it is often difcult to say, I doubt it. After all, good Christians trust God for everything in all circumstances, right? But if were honest, there are times when we all doubt. I. When is it hard for you to believe? When do you have trouble trusting in God? Does your reasonable, educated twenty-rst-century mind nd it hard to believe in a Resurrected Lord? Is it hard to trust when a loved one has died? Is it when youve been diagnosed with a serious illness or lost a job? Or perhaps it is when a parent has left and youre feeling abandoned. Do you nd yourself wondering, Where is God? Our heroes of the faith in scriptures were doubters sometimes, too. In the Old Testament, Abraham and Sarah, despite a promise from God, had a hard time trusting God for a son. In their impatience they took matters into their own hands, with devastating results. The Israelites, after they had seen God work in miraculous ways in the Exodus, complained about manna in the wilderness and built an idol to worship when they found it difcult to trust and believe. The disciples spent three years with Jesus. They had seen him miraculously heal and feed the multitudes, and they had heard him prophesy about his own death and Resurrection. Yet they ed from the Crucixion and hid from fear. Later they doubted the words of the women who rst proclaimed the news of his Resurrection. In Mark 16:1113 we read, But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this, he appeared in another form to two of them as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but
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they did not believe them. In Luke 24 we read, Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this [the Resurrection] to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. II. With so many examples of doubters in scripture, and with so many of us facing our own doubts at one time or another, why do we always seem to make the disciple Thomas the bad guy? Why have we dubbed him Doubting Thomas? He wasnt behaving any differently from the way the other disciples did when they rst heard the news. Can we blame him for wanting to see with his own eyes, for wanting to hear with his own ears, or for wanting to touch Jesus with his own hands? Wouldnt any reasonable person do the same? After all, people dont come back from the dead. Its impossible. If we read the gospel of John carefully, we notice that Thomas is never identied as the bad guy in the story. Jesus never rebukes him or shames him in any way for his questions and unbelief. Instead of scolding Thomas, Jesus meets him where he is and offers him what he needs to move forward in his faith journey. This is indeed a turning point for Thomas. Immediately, he responds to Jesus with words of worship: My Lord and my God. We often use those two wordsLord and Godinterchangeably, but for Thomas they meant two very different things. For him, Lord meant the human lord of their local faith community, and God meant the fully divine Son of God.2 In this statement, he was afrming that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. He was afrming the words that open Johns gospel: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He [Jesus] was in the beginning with God. I imagine it is safe to say that Thomass doubts were gone forever. But even in that moment, Jesus realized it would not be quite so easy for those who came later. For Jesus said to Thomas, Have you believed because you
2Gail
ODay, The Book of John, New Interpreters Bible, p. 846.
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have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe. It is harder for those of us who dont get to see with our own eyes, hear with our own ears, and touch with our own hands. III. So what are we to do? What do we have to help us when our doubts assail us? First and foremost, we have the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to sustain us. When Jesus rst appeared to the disciples in John (when Thomas wasnt with them), he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. In John 14, Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would come. And I will ask the Father, Jesus said, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever . . . you know him because he abides with you and he will be in you. A second thing that can help us when we doubt is remembering the past. Remembering times when God has delivered us in the past can help us persevere in the midst of present difculties. The people of Israel knew this, and many of the psalms were their stories of deliverance that were sung and told in services of remembrance and thanksgiving. Many of our hymns serve this purpose for us. We sing, O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come. Think now about a time or times in your own life when God has been with you, delivering you through or from a difcult situation. Let the encouragement of that memory serve as a source of strength and comfort for you in times of current doubt or discouragement. Finally, remember the future or the promise of the future. Amidst severe persecution, John wrote a letter to the early Church. We know it as the book of Revelation. When he wrote this book, John wasnt in a place of leadership in the Church or government; he was in exile on the island of Patmos. He was writing from the margins of society. He identied himself as your brother who shares with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance. In the introduction to the book John writes, I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. This greeting is from the God of the past, the present, and the future. Sometimes, remembering that what we are currently experiencing is not the end of the story can help carry us through a difcult time. May it be so for us as we work on setting aside our doubts and learn to trust and believe this Easter season. Amen.Tracy Hartman
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Doubt and Faith. Becky, a missionary serving in Senegal, West Africa, reports that her rst year was full of trials. She reports, I moved eight times within three months. My house burned down. I lived in remote conditions with undependable transportation, poor food and an unreliable telephone. I made my own toilet out of a plastic bucket. I had illnesses Ive never heard of. I had power outages and a zillion mosquito bites. I was lost too many times to count, not to mention the language barriers I faced every day. I was mocked, laughed at, ridiculed, and persecuted.3 These circumstances could cause the heartiest among us to doubt. But when asked if she would do it again, Becky said, Yes! God blessed me with new friends and opportunities to share my faith. Experiencing rough times myself also allowed me to help others through periods of grief. I am blessed to see the Lords hand at work, knowing that even what may seem bad at the time serves a far greater purpose.4Tracy Hartman Honest Doubt. An August 26, 2007, Associated Press story reported that even Mother Teresa had doubts. In an undated letter she wrote, I have no faithI dare not utter the words & thoughts that crowd in my heartand make me suffer untold agony. Mother Teresa acknowledged the contradiction with her public persona, describing her ever-present smile as a mask or a cloak that covers everything. Some writings seem to suggest she doubted Gods existence.5 Considering the conditions that she worked, lived, and ministered in, her occasional times of doubting should not be surprising.Tracy Hartman

Acts 4:3235 Ps. 133 1 John 1:12:2 John 20:1931
3Kim 4Ibid. 5Richmond
We All Are One in Mission Sent Forth by Gods Blessing Lord We Hear Your Word with Gladness Thine Is the Glory
Davis, ed., Voices of the Faithful (Brentwood, TN: Integrity Publishers, 2005), p. 310. Times Dispatch, Aug. 27, 2007, p. C.1.
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Living in Harmony SCRIPTURE: Ps. 133 KEY VERSE: How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony! (Ps. 133:1, NLT) KEY CONCEPTS: Harmony, working together, peace MATERIALS: Bible PREPARATIONS: Ask the music leaders to do an example of singing with and without harmony when you cue them to do so. It could be a familiar praise chorus or hymn that the children would know.
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Have you ever heard the word harmony? (Let the children answer.) Harmony can be a musical word. Our choir is going to give us an example of what harmony sounds like. (Cue the choir to sing just a melody and then sing it in harmony.) Harmony in music puts various notes together to make it sound prettier. Harmony can also mean working together happily. (Open Bible.) In Psalm 133:1, it says, How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony! If we argue and ght with each other, are we living in harmony? (Let the children respond.) Sometimes it is hard not to argue with our brothers or sisters at home. We can always try our best to get along. As followers of Jesus, we want to get along with others so we can share the stories of Jesus with them. We had such a wonderful celebration last week for Easter. Easter reminds us of the great love God has for us. Easter is not just a day but a season in the church year. How can we work together happily to share the story of Easter with other people? (Let the children respond.) We each have our own ideas of how we can share the story. Each of these ways is a great way to share the story of Easter. We can share the story with words, but also with the way we act. If we get along and live in harmony, others will see Jesus love through us.Marcia Thompson
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Call to Worship: One thing have I desired of the Lord, the will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple (Ps. 24:7).
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Invocation: Holy God, open us in this time of worship to this community of faith, to the word spoken here, the hymns sung here, the decisions made here, because we believe the Holy Spirit moves here and Jesus stands waiting. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufciency in all things, may abound to every good work (2 Cor. 9:8). Offertory Prayer: Lord, allow our giving to go where we cannot that the mission of the Church may triumph in elds white unto harvest. E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: Eternal Father, we come to worship today to be loved and to love. We have been taught that your spirit is love. We pray that you will teach us how to know the meaning of love, especially your love. May we learn to listen to its many voices. May we hear the sound of love in the greeting of a friend, the sighing sleep of a baby, the exchanging of vows at the marriage altar, the laughter of children at play, in words of encouragement in times of need, and in the forgiving words of your acceptance of us. Amen. William Powell Tuck Benediction: We go in the joy and goodness of our ever-present Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever, world without end. And to him we pledge our ultimate allegiancein belief and action. Amen.

Third Sunday of Easter What a Difference a Week (or Three) Makes! TEXT: Luke 24:36b48; Acts 3:1219 OTHER READINGS: 1 John 3:17; Ps. 4
Have you ever been absolutely terried and then realized later that you really had no reason to be afraid at all? When we are little, it is often the monster under the
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bed or in the closet that keeps us up in the night. We call for our parents, and they tell us not to worrythere are no such things as monsters. But despite their reassuring words, we dont really believe it until they turn on the light and we see for ourselves. I. In the gospel of Luke this morning, we once again nd terried disciples, gathered together in the Upper Room. Two disciples have just rushed in from Emmaus, and they are breathlessly describing how Jesus has just appeared to them while they were walking down the road. Suddenly, while they were still recounting the story, Jesus himself appears in the room. Similar to our parents wordsDont worry, there is nothing to be afraid of Jesus rst words are, Peace be with you. II. Even though the disciples are in the process of hearing about Jesus Resurrection appearances, they are startled and terried. They think they are seeing a ghost. What are they so afraid of? Jesus asks the same question: Why are you frightened and why do doubts arise in your hearts? It is interesting that Jesus does not fuss at Doubting Thomas for his lack of belief, but here he fusses at the whole lot of them. But, as with Thomas, he offers the disciples the chance to touch and see. Joy begins to overtake the disciples, but they are still disbelieving and wondering. It is not until Jesus takes sh and eats it in front of them that they are satised that this is truly the Resurrected Lord. Only after the disciples were convinced that it was really the Risen Christ was Jesus able to open their minds to understand the scriptures. Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations. You are witnesses to these things, he told them. But at his command, they remained waiting in Jerusalem. III. Over in the book of Acts, we see a very different group of disciples. When we join the story in Acts 3, Peter and John have just healed a man who had been lame from birth. All the people (Jews) who were watching were amazed and astonished. When Peter saw their reaction, he addressed the crowd. The rst words out of his mouth were, Why do you wonder at us? This is an interesting question for Peter to ask, isnt it? Just a few weeks before,
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he had denied the Lord three times, ed from the Crucixion scene, and hidden, terried, in the Upper Room as unbelieving as the next. It is rather audacious for him to ask anyone else why they wonder, isnt it? But this was a different man. In Acts we see a boldness, a risking that is not experienced in the gospel; here without a doubt the Resurrection is afrmed. What made the difference? The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Jesus promised that the Spirit would come, and when it did, it made all the difference in the world. That very morning, the disciples were able to communicate the gospel in languages they had never learned in Hebrew school, and there had been no stopping them since! IV. In Acts 3, where we nd ourselves this morning, Peters sermon is so bold that it actually sounds harsh to us. Listen again to his accusations to the crowd: Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected . . . You rejected the Holy and Righteous One. You killed the Author of life. . . . What we must remember as we read these prophetic words is that Peter, a Jew, was addressing his fellow Jews. His words here are as much of a selfrevelation and a confession as they are words of condemnation for his peers. For Peter knew rsthand what it was like to reject the Holy and Righteous One, and he knew rsthand what it was like to experience crushing guilt. In verse 17 and following, Peter says, And now friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way, God fullled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins might be wiped out, so that times of refreshment might come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is Jesus. Peter knew better than anyone the power of guilt. But he also knew from rsthand experience the liberating release of forgiveness and the awesome power of full restoration. He knew rsthand that in Christ we nd an even greater power, the power of forgiveness, freely and graciously given to all who seek release from whatever guilt they are carrying. May it be the same for us as we allow God to help us face and conquer the monsters of doubt and guilt in our own lives. Amen.Tracy Hartman
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Forgiveness. In June 1972, twenty-four-year-old army captain, John Plummer, was serving in Vietnam. He ordered an air strike on the village of Trang Bang, twenty-ve miles west of Saigon. When the napalm hit, nine-year-old Pham Thi Kim was hiding nearby. She tore off her burning clothing and ran naked and screaming from her village. When Plummer ordered the air strike, he did not know that Kim and others had taken refuge in a Buddhist pagoda in the village that would take a direct hit. He had been assured that no civilians were in the area. When Plummer picked up the army newspaper, Stars and Stripes, the next day, he saw the photo and realized he had ordered this air strike. The image and the accompanying guilt haunted him for years. Ten years after the war, Plummer became a Christian and felt a call to ministry. Decades passed, but the episode still haunted him. One night in June, while watching television, he saw a special about Kim. He learned that after defecting from Vietnam she now lived with her husband in Canada. Plummer knew then that he had to nd her and seek her forgiveness. A few months later, he learned that she would be speaking at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., on Veterans Day. During her speech, Kim spoke of the pilot who had dropped the napalm that day. If I had a chance to talk to him, I would tell him that I forgive him . . . we cannot change history, but together we can do good work toward building the future. She said she hoped one day to meet the man responsible for her injuries so that she could offer him forgiveness. Plummer immediately wrote a note saying, I am that man, and Id like to speak to you privately. He asked a nearby park service police ofcer to deliver it to Kim. A few moments later they were face-to-facethe man who had ordered the re from the sky and the girl who had suffered the burns. Plummer reported, When Kim looked in my eyes she saw my grief, my pain, and my sorrow. She held out her arms and embraced me. All I could say was, Im sorry, Im so sorry. She kept repeating, Its all right, I forgive you.
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Plummer continued, When she held out her arms to me, it was the most freeing, heavenly experience. It opened a new door in my Christian walk. My whole ministry has shifted a little more toward the message of forgiveness and reconciliation. My life has been changed forever by her love and forgiveness. Im at peace and free at last. Thank God, Im free at last.6Tracy Hartman Obedience. I am glad we as Christians can rejoice in the full forgiveness of sin. Otherwise we would carry heavy burdens. On the other hand, does Gods mercy authorize loose living? Hardly! Recall Augustines declaration: Love God and do as you please. This is not a license to sin but instead a reminder that when the heart is truly devoted to God, chaste behavior will follow. We obey not from fear of punishment but from the devotion of the heart.Lee McGlone

Acts 3:1219 Ps. 4 1 John 3:17 Luke 24:36b48 Fairest Lord Jesus As Water to the Thirsty Children of the Heavenly Father A Hymn of Glory, Let Us Sing

I Am Certain! SCRIPTURE: Ps. 4 KEY VERSE: You can be sure of this: the Lord has set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him. (Ps. 4:3) KEY CONCEPT: God answers prayer.
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6This story was reported in the Richmond-Times Dispatch, February 16, 1997, p. 1. The photo of Kim running down the road became a Pulitzer Prize winner. It is perhaps the most famous image of the Vietnam War.
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Bible PREPARATION: Come up with statements of things certain and uncertain to happen that are appropriate for the children you are serving.
MATERIALS:
Do you know what it means if something is certain? (Let the children answer.) If something is certain, it will happen. We might say it is going to take place. It is a sure thing. I am going to make some statements. I want you to tell me if it is certain to happen. (Use the statements you came up with at this time with the children. Make sure you have some that are very obvious, both as certain to happen and certain not to happen.) You did well in deciding whether these were certain or not to happen. I have one last statement for you. God will answer prayer. Is this certain? (Let the children respond.) Yes, God is certain to answer our prayer. We can see this in our psalm reading today. (Open Bible.) The writer of Psalm 4 says, You can be sure of this: the Lord has set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him. The psalm writer knew God would answer. God was faithful. We can be sure of this, too. God will answer when we call. God wants us to call to him and ask him for help when we need it. God doesnt always answer our prayer the way we want, but God hears us and gives us what we need. We can be sure God will always be ready to hear us. This is certain.Marcia Thompson
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Call to Worship: Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When you said, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto you, Your face, Lord, will I seek (Ps. 27:78). Invocation: O God, who calls us to love you not only with all our heart, soul, and strength, but also with our minds. Give us a mind to love you, to meditate upon you, and to serve you, after the manner of Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.Randy Hammer Offertory Sentence: He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and increase the harvest of your righteousness (2 Cor. 9:10, RSV).
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Offertory Prayer: Lord God, may we give joyfully, not grudgingly, but fully immersed in the Holy Spirits power to save and edify. In Jesus holy name. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: O God, we confess that sometimes we do feel so low; our eyes burn with the parade of problems that we see personally, nationally, and worldwide. Some of us here need jobs today, new opportunities, encouragement, and better relationships at home, work, or at school. The world conditions of poverty, disease, pollution, and crime march across our vision, and they frighten and disturb us, and sometimes challenge us. O Lord, help us not to give way to despair, but may we rise up with courage and faith to be a part of the creative force in the world to ght evil, poverty, and disease. Strengthen us to be the salt, the light, and the leaven in the world. Amen. William Powell Tuck Benediction: People of God, we go forth clothed in the armor of the Spirit. We go unafraid into the week that stands ahead and ready to live and play, to work and rest, in labor and in leisure, all to his eternal glory. Amen.
SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2009

Fourth Sunday of Easter
Loves Crucial Judgments
OTHER READINGS:
1 John 3:1624 Acts 4:512; Ps. 23; John 10:1118
Love is more than affection and kind feelings. It is the heart of life revealed to us by God through Jesus Christ. From his life and teaching we learn love: this is not a new Commandment but is from the beginning: love God, love one another. John declares that this is what has come to us. Now we must choose whether we will perpetuate it or pervert it, believe and live it out so clearly that
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others will catch it or allow the world to redene Gods Word and thus destroy its inuence among us. The question before us is this: How is love lived out? I. It begins in listening: This is the message you have heard. Lets not assume quickly an ease of hearing, either in relation to one another, especially in family life, or in relation to God. Often ours is selective hearing, that is, we hear what we choose to hear and tune out that which we choose to ignore. To allow Gods love to be lived out in us, we must cultivate the discipline of listening. Often in counseling situations, especially with married couples, I ask this question: How is your quiet time? More often than not, couples have no idea what I am talking about. Living and loving, in relation to God and to others, requires a listening ear. II. It also suggests an ethic that is higher than cultural expectations. Dont be surprised if the world hates you. Think of how we are called to live: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength (Deut. 6:5). You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18). A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34, 35). In the Lords Sermon on Mount (Matt. 57), we are called to a demanding ethical dimension of faith. We are to live as light and salt, to practice piety in secret, to love our enemies, and to pray for those who abuse us. If we love only those who love us, we have done nothing, for even the unbelievers do that. Ours is an extraordinary faith. And so the world hates us because it cant understand us. Love calls for faith not just talked about but lived out. Such love is fullled all about us, in family life as parents sacricially give of themselves for their children, in friendships as we offer the best of ourselves for the good of others, and in prayer groups and service groups and marketplace ministries, as we become thousands of points of light in a dark world. III. We are also called to avoid the error of human pride. Do not be like Cain . . . his actions were evil. We are taken back to Genesis 4 where already two altars existed. These two brothers couldnt even worship together. The end result of their disquieted relationship was tragic: And Cain rose up
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and murdered him (Gen. 4:8). The word murdered means, He cut his throat. Sadly, there is around us still a great deal of cut-throat Christianity. Johns early community knew something of this as well. Notice, however, that John didnt dismiss a rampant heresy within the group as a means of smoothing over controversy. Instead, he asked that they test the spirits. Simply put, the test was this: Does the opposition profess Jesus Christ as Gods revelation to the world? If so, they could be family. If not, they were never a part of the community, and they went out from us. We exercise caution here, keeping in mind the words of our Lord: Be careful about removing the splinter from the eye of another when there is a log in your own. IV. We are then to follow Christs example. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. We know what not to do, so what should we do. We must do what Jesus did. We are to lay down our lives . . . and to love not only in word and tongue but in deed and in truth. There is much at stake here. Eternity is in the balance, so we must get it right. With Jesus Christ there is love and forgiveness. His very identity as Gods unique Son, our personal savior, places him as the centerpiece of our faith. He is our model, the example of living faith, whom we seek to follow. But even more, he is the eternal Lord of heaven and earth before whom we bow, adore, and obey. Genesis 4 says that Cain went out east of Eden to a lonely place, a place apart from God and apart from others. It was a loveless and lifeless place. It is where some choose to live even today. If thats where you are, the move back to reconciliation is not far. It begins with repentance and moves to restoration. And Jesus Christ is the One who leads us there. God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything (v. 20).Lee McGlone
Selective Hearing. I recall some years ago when our children were small, sitting in front of the television listening to the evening news. The children were all around the room, underfoot as my mother used to say, and vying for my attention. Honestly, I tried to interact with them but at the same time was preoccupied with the daily newscast. Having shared attention with his dad long enough,
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our oldest son, Christopher, moved directly in front of me (blocking the view of the television), took my face in his precious little hands, and declared, Dad, you look at me when Im talking to you. Dont you love it! My son taught me a lesson I needed to learn. Half-listening is no listening at all.Lee McGlone Cure for Pride. We will do well to heed the scriptures call that pride goes before a fall. Surely pride, one of the seven deadly sins, perhaps the deadliest of them all, aficts all of us at some time and in some form. Even the most humble can be very proud of their humility. So how do we deal with it? I heard John Maxwell give this sage word of advice as a cure for our pride: Remember that no matter where you go, there you are! Lets give each other a bit of slack.Lee McGlone

Acts 4:512 Ps. 23 1 John 3:1624 John 10:1118 My Faith Has Found a Resting Place The Lords My Shepherd, Ill Not Want Help Us Accept Each Other God Is Here!

Pursuing Love SCRIPTURE: Ps. 23 KEY VERSE: Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. (Ps. 23:6, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Gods love and persistence MATERIALS: Bible PREPARATION: Ask an older child to help you out ahead of time. Tell the child to follow you everywhere you move and to be annoyingly close. Explain to the child what she will be doing; say she will be pursuing you. Make sure you move around a bit and act annoyed at the child following you.
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Today, we continue to celebrate Easter. (Make sure to continue to move every so often as you talk with the children.) Today, all our scripture passages talk about God or Jesus as a shepherd. Who can tell me what a shepherd does? (Let the children respond. Afrm their answers and explain further if you think you need to. Stop rather abruptly, and look at the person following you.) What are you doing? (Let the child respond using the word pursuing.) Pursuing me? Why would you pursue me? (Let the child respond, telling the other children you told her to follow you extremely closely.) I did tell (childs name) to pursue meto follow me and not let me get away. In our scripture lesson from Psalm 23 (open Bible) verse 6, it says, Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. God loves us and is so good to us. God does not want us to be apart from God. Just like a shepherd would follow and nd their sheep they care for, God pursues us and loves us, even sometimes when we dont recognize it. We can thank God today for being our shepherdfor loving and caring for us all the time.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: I would have fainted, had I not believed and seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait in the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart (Ps. 27:1314). Invocation: Eternal God, in whom we live and move and have our being, grant us a true experience of worship today. May our praise, confession, proclamation, and intercession rise to you as honest expressions of our hearts. This is our hearts delight and our souls great joy. Amen. Offertory Sentence: Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift (2 Cor. 9:15). Offertory Prayer: Heavenly Father, whose bounty is beyond measure, we honor your goodness by returning these gifts to you. Receive them as
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expressions of our gratitude and love. Multiply them for the work of your Kingdom, here and around the world. Amen. Morning Prayer: Merciful God, you have set the solitary in families, not that one should serve another, nor that one should behold the others misery and have no pity, but that each to the other should be as right hand to left, and elds of owers to wind and sun. We pray for those places where differences have hardened into divisions, and divisions into violence and war. Redeem our families and the whole family of humankind. Save us from neglect and from resignation to those entrenched wrongs and evil aspirations that are theft by another name. Braid and strengthen the strands of life in places quiet with loss; there enlarge your presence until it shines. In this hour of worship, gather the scattered forces of our souls, calling us to the focused purposefulness of your Kingdom and arming us with the Christ-like graces of justice, mercy, and radiant, cool humility.Peter Fribley Benediction: We go today in the grace of our Lord. He who holds us in the palm of his hand will guide us in the days of this week. May our lives reect the goodness and mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose name and power we live. Amen.
SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2009

Fifth Sunday of Easter
Perfected Love
1 John 4:721 OTHER READINGS: Acts 8:2640; Ps. 22:2531; John 15:18 This morning we look at a text from 1 John that calls us to love God and one another in what he calls perfected love. The text has two words in it that make up all there is of religion: love and fear. Pagan religions are founded on fear of their gods. Christianitys substance, however, is love.
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There are four possibilities of the love and fear spoken of by John. First, there are those who have neither fear nor love. They are hardened sinners. They do not love the Lord or fear him. The second are those who fear without love. This fear can be used to lead a person to the Lord. He is looking for a way out of the state of fear he is in. The third are those who have both love and fear. A majority of professing Christians are in this mixed state. Their motivation to serve the Lord is mostly out of fear and not love. The fourth are those who love without fear, which John calls perfect love. It is perfect in the sense of being whole. Such love is not static and nished but developing and alive with virtue. Perfect love is lled with joy. I. Perfected love is Gods gift to us. By this we know that we abide in him and he is us, because he has given us of his Spirit . . . the Father has sent his Son . . . (vv. 1314). We dont know love, or how to love, except that God has shown us. One may wrap the whole testimony of God around this truth and not leave much out! It is the most startling fact of this present age and the most profound hope of the future. Here it is: God is love, and God loves us. Forty-ve times in these brief ve chapters, the love God has for his people is described. In 3:1, See what love the Father has for us, that we should be called the children of God. In 4:7, Love is of God . . . for God is love. In 4:10, we love God but not rst, instead, he rst loved us and gave his Son as a sacrice for our sins. Of all the benets God provided through the act of creation, here is the most excellent of all. God is loveand God loves us. I once knew a young man who had a great and wonderful thought. But it was a thought kept secret for a long time. But then, one day to a beautiful young girl, he put the thought into words and said, I love you. The thought, at one time concealed, kept secret, became a far more elevated thought, once it took on the esh of spoken words. God had forever had a great thought and then, at the fullness of time, he spoke it through Jesus. To the entire world, God is loveand God loves us! II. Perfected love overcomes fear. We have boldness on the day of judgment . . . for perfect love casts out fear (vv. 1718). Here is the condence we have for the Day of Judgment. However one views such a day, the full truth is that someday each of us will stand to face eternity. Death will come.
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There is no escaping. The greater question is, What then? I realize that death is a fearful thing to discuss, but discuss it we should. I ask this. What are the images you hold of life beyond death? Are they pleasant, hopeful, and happy? Or are they foreboding, dark, and gloomy, and lled with fear? Here is a place our faith makes a difference. The ancient cartographers did their best to chart the courses of the earths continents and seas based on their limited travels. In those places where no one had traveled, they drew on their maps fearful images: beasts, sea monsters, and dragons. They declared a present and awful danger ahead. How happy then is the hope of Christian faith. In that uncharted placedeath and beyondthere are such dismal images. Drawn there is the lovely face of Jesus Christ, who has gone before us! When the days of earthly life end, we can go like skeptics of any age: I have no fear of punishment; no promise of reward . . . and I dont care. This is a fearful leap into the darkness. Or we may go like my mentor friend and professor, Dr. Dale Moody, who said in one of our last conversations in his ofce, Death holds no fear for me. There lies ahead the greatest adventure yet. Im going home. III. Perfected love builds community. The command we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also (v. 21). If you love God, you will love one another. Here is the basic image of the Christian home and the Christian Church. Genesis 2 tells of it. The man and the woman were together in a garden. God called to them, brought them into what looks like a wedding service, and declared, for this cause you shall leave parents and cleave to one another . . . and the two shall become one (Gen. 2:24). These were two different people brought together into one shared relationship. It is the same today. We enter a marriage from different backgrounds, varied family traditions and practices, carrying into marriage all the baggage of life. We are called to move together in healthy sense of mutual respect and profound appreciation of one another. Their becoming one, as the Genesis passage declares, doesnt happen on the wedding night or in the rst year. It might happen in ten years but maybe not for much longer. Such oneness doesnt mean that one is absorbed into the other, so that one persons identity is denied and the others is elevated. It means the two nd commonality in the bond of love that holds them
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togetherunder the commitment theyve made to God. The end result is the grandest experience of grace this side of heaven. It truly can be a bit of heaven on earth. What God intends for Christian marriage God also intends for the Christian Church. We are community before we are anything else. And if we are not community, then we really cant be much else. It all begins here. John, in the gospel that bears his name, records the prayer of Jesus (chapter 17). In it Jesus prays for the development of such a sense of community among his followers: Father, make them one even as you and I are one. But notice the reason. Not so that we can get along better, as important as that may be. The purpose is even higher: That the world may believe. Our sense of community may well be our nest evangelism! Perhaps emblazoned across our lives this motto can read: What happens to you matters to me.Lee McGlone
Unchanging Love. The story is told of a husband who was accused by his wife of never telling her that he loved her. Out of exasperation, he replied, Didnt I tell you I loved you when we were married forty years ago? If anything changes Ill let you know.Lawrence Vowan Community Building: The Rabbis Gift. A moving story comes to us from the sixteenth century. The author is unknown, but it has been retold in various forms over the years. Here is a shortened version. A once successful monastery fell on hard times. Only ve monks were left in the house: the abbot and four others, all over seventy. A little hut nearby was occasionally used by a rabbi as a hermitage, and the monks seemed to know when he was there. It occurred to the abbot that a visit to the rabbi might result in some advice about how to save his monastery. The rabbi welcomed the abbot to his hut. But when the abbot explained his visit, the rabbi could say, I know how it is. The spirit has gone out of the people. Almost no one comes to the synagogue anymore. So the old abbot and the old rabbi wept together. As the abbot left, the two embraced. It has been
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wonderful that we should meet after all these years, the abbot said, but I have failed in my purpose for coming. Is there anything you can tell me that would help me save my dying order? No, I am sorry, the rabbi responded. I have no advice. Except this: the Messiah is one of you. When the abbot returned to the monastery, his fellow monks gathered around him. They asked, What did the rabbi say? Something strange, Father Abbot replied. He said that the Messiah is one of us. In coming weeks, the old monks pondered the meaning of the rabbis words. The Messiah is one of us? Could he mean one of us monks? If so, which one? If anyone, surely it would be Father Abbot. He has been our leader for more than a generation. But he might have meant Brother Thomas. Thomas is a holy man. Everyone knows that Thomas is a man of light. Surely he could not have meant Brother Elred! Elred is crotchety at times. But even so, when you look back, Elred is almost always right. Maybe he did mean Brother Elred. But surely not Brother Phillip. Phillip is so passive, a real nobody. But then, mysteriously, he has a gift for always being there when you need him. Maybe Phillip is the Messiah. Of course the rabbi didnt mean me. He couldnt possibly have meant me. Yet supposing he did? Suppose I am the Messiah? I couldnt be that much for you, could I? As they contemplated, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the chance that one among them might be the Messiah. And they began to treat themselves with extraordinary respect. People still on occasion came to visit the monastery and to picnic on its lovely lawn, to walk its paths, and to meditate in the dilapidated chapel. As they did so, they sensed the aura of extraordinary respect that began to surround the ve old monks and to radiate out from them. There was something strangely compelling about it. Hardly knowing why, they began to come back to the monastery to picnic, to play, to pray. They brought their friends to this special place. And their friends brought their friends. Then some of the younger men who came to visit the monastery started to talk more and more with the old monks. After a while one asked if he could join themthen another and another. So within a few years the monastery had once again become a thriving order and, thanks to the rabbis gift, a vibrant center of light and spirituality in the realm.Lee McGlone
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Acts 8:2640 Ps. 22:2531 1 John 4:721 John 15:18 I Love to Tell the Story Mighty Is Our God Theyll Know We Are Christians O Come to Me, the Master Said

Hearing the Story of Philip Acts 8:2640; Ps. 22:2531 KEY VERSE: Our children will hear about the wonders of the Lord. (Ps. 22:30, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Hearing the story of Philip MATERIALS: Bible
TITLE: SCRIPTURE:
I know you all like to hear and read good stories. We have stories like Harry Potter, which are fantasy stories. We can make up our own stories when we play. These kinds of stories are not real. What if you told me about a trip you took to a museum or what happened to you at school last week? These would be things that really happened. Our Bible is full of stories of things that really happened. (Open Bible.) In Psalm 22:30b the writer says, Our children will hear about the wonders of the Lord. I want us to hear a story today about Philip from Acts 8. Philip had been telling people about Jesus in Jerusalem. One day, an angel told him to go south on a wilderness road. He got up and went. He had not gone far when he came to a man from Ethiopia. He was an important ofcial in the queens court, and he was riding in a chariot. The Ethiopian man was reading from the book of Isaiah. The Spirit of God told Philip to go to the chariot. Philip ran up and asked if the man understood what he was reading. The Ethiopian man was happy to see Philip. He wanted someone to help him understand what the prophet was saying. (Read the Isaiah passage from your Bible.) The man read this passage and wanted to know who Isaiah was talking about. Philip told him about Jesus. The man was so excited. He believed what Philip
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said. He saw water by the side of the road and wanted to be baptized. Philip baptized him and then disappeared from the Ethiopian man. The Spirit of God took Philip to Azotus, and the Ethiopian man went home rejoicing. I dont know if you have heard this story before, but it happened a long time ago. Philip was a follower of Jesus who shared the story of Jesus. We can learn more about the wonders of Jesus from people like Philip.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
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Call to Worship: Sing unto the Lord, O saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness (Ps. 30:4). Invocation: O God, who like a perfect father loves and cares for the wellbeing of all that you have made and who knows when even a small sparrow falls to the ground, convince us of your loving and faithful care this day and inspire us to return that same love and care to all creation; to the end that you may be honored and your children may be blessed. Amen.Randy Hammer Offertory Sentence: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3). Offertory Prayer: Lord, these gifts we bring are yours already. We receive them rst as your gifts to us, and now we return a portion of the gifts to you as expressions of our love and devotion. We are thankful to participate with you in eternal purposes. Use these gifts for your honor and glory. Amen. Morning Prayer: O God, Thou who hast created us male and female, black and white, red and brown; who hast given to us varying talents, abilities, temperaments; who hast set us in different environments, different families, different jobs; help us today to know that in thy sight we are all of equal worth and importance. Show us that thy love is for all people everywhere, and of whatever color or station. Teach us that this love is to be expressed by us, thy children, in our relationships with our brothers and sisters, as we seek to share with them the good news of Christ. Amen.Albert H. Babcock Jr.
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Benediction: As we go, let us embrace the presence of God that surrounds us and so live that our choices will be testimonies to Jesus Christ. May we live and speak as resurrection people, alive in the Christ in whom we live and move and have our being. Amen.

Sixth Sunday of Easter
My Friends
John 15:917 OTHER READINGS: Acts 10:4448; Ps. 98; John 5:16 I have called you my friends. Thats what Jesus said. Thats what he called his disciples. No longer slaves, but friends. It is a title of honor, a knighting by Christ, a word of witness to a darkened world. It says that we have taken vows higher than those of the worldvows that bind us togetherfriends. The Quakers have determined that the Christian Church ought to be called The Society of Friends. They are surely in line with this text. I. Living as friend or foe is a crucial choice. It is the choice that marks lines of division that separate us or bridges that bring us together. Shall we live as friend or foe? As condant or adversary? The settling of this question is a mark of maturity. Think about our children. Babies are not bothered by this issue, for they are quite sure no one else even exits. All that matters is that attention be given to the immediate need of the moment: to be fed, changed, held, helped in some way. And the little one gives signals to let us know. But very soon the little one comes up against some formidable odds. What is wanted doesnt come as quickly as desired. Or it doesnt come at all. This dilemma is even more pronounced if the baby has siblings and the needs of others force competition. There is then a clashing of the wills. One demands time, atten-
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tion, or just a toy, and the other claims the same. A dilemma arises and choices are made, often to the chagrin of the parents. How one handles the clashing of the wills is a mark of maturity. But remember that what is perfectly acceptable for a six-month-old or a six-yearold is not at all acceptable for a sixty-year-old. If one must win the tug of war by dragging another through the mud, there is not much victory there. There is a better way. II. The alternative is given to us by Jesus Christ. He offers to us the way of dealing with persons as persons. He said, I have called you my friends. What did he mean? Look at the text. I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not know what the master is doing. The slave, in the mind of Jesus, is not a slave because of the conditions of his labor, underpaid and overworked, but because he is denied intimacy with the master. He doesnt know what the master is doing. There is no relation of caring, no vulnerability of emotions, no sharing of feelings. The slave and the master are always at an arms length. Our culture makes the sharing of deep intimacies difcult. Martin Buber spoke of our difculty in approaching others on a caring basis (the I-thou relationship he called it). Rather, we approach others as objects (the I-it relationship). His insight is startlingand troubling. Success, we calculate, is far more closely related to thingspossessing and manipulating themthan to relating at a caring level to others as persons. Notice the alternative Jesus provides. What I have heard from my Father, I have made it known to you. He opened his life to others, and together they went out to change the world. Here were his dearest friends, the Sons of Thunder (James and John), and the Rock (Peter), and all the others he called true yokefellows. These comrades offer to us the great hope for the futurea future carved deeply in the foundation of grace. III. Look now to the crowning word about friendship. Greater love hath no man than thisthat he lay down his life for a friend. We know what that means, or at least we should, having so recently celebrated Passion Week and Easter. He lay down his life in order to give life to others. And that he did. To a little grafter named Zaccheus he said, Come down from the tree and Im going home with you. To Mary Magdalene he said, Your sins are
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forgiven. Go in peace and sin no more. There were the Twelve. He prayed for them in the garden and for himself that the cup would pass from him. But it didnt. He had to die. And here we have it all: Greater love hath no man than this. And he called us friends. What then shall it be? Do we live as friend, taking our clue from the Lord who made us? Or do we live as foe, moving toward self-destruction? Choose what you will, but here is the title Christ bestowed. I have called you friends. He is our friend. And wants to be our best friend. What about you?Lee McGlone
Sharing. It is told of Abraham Lincoln that one day he interrupted a ght between two young boys. After he had helped them cool their tempers and sent them on their way, he was asked by a passerby what was wrong with the two boys. Said Mr. Lincoln, O nothing thats not wrong with the whole world. There were three hickory nuts, and each boy wanted two.Lee McGlone Valuations. The Encyclopedia Americana in my ofce gives 256 columns to electricity but only 18 to ethics; there are 134 columns given to iron and steel but only 1 to personality; 152 columns are given to radio but only 40 to religion; 44 are given to calculus but only 10 to Christ. How shall I ever forget the young man who so passionately cried out, and painfully so, All I have ever wanted in life was for somebody to be my friend. Jesus said, Lets put rst things rst.Lee McGlone

Acts 10:4448 Ps. 98 1 John 5:16 John 15:917 In Water We Grow Sing Praise to the Father We Shall Overcome I Then Shall Live
Sunday, May Seventeenth
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Hearing the Story of Peter and Cornelius SCRIPTURE: Acts 10 (Acts 10:4448) KEY VERSE: Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who had heard the message. (Acts 10:44, NLT) MATERIALS: Bible, sheet with stuffed animal reptiles and birds (optional) PREPARATION: Use a puppet or have another adult pretend to be Peter. Have the person or puppet share the story of Peter and Cornelius (written here) as a guide for the monologue.
TITLE:
We have a special visitor from Bible times with us today. Peter is here to tell us about a wonderful thing he learned and how he told others about Jesus. This story comes from Acts 10 in your Bible. (Monologue): One day, I went to the roof to pray. While I was praying I had a dream. In my dream this sheet came down and was full of all types of animals that I would never eat. We had rules about that. God told me to eat, and I said, no way. I dont eat meat that is unclean. God said it three times and made sure I knew God was saying it was okay. I woke up and wondered why God appeared to me. But then, some men came from Corneliuss house and found me. Cornelius was told by an angel to send for me. Cornelius prayed to God, even though he was a Gentilea non-Jewish person. Gods vision for me was to let me know I was to tell the Gentiles about Jesus, too. I went to Corneliuss house, and there were friends and relatives gathered. Cornelius told me how he prayed to God and how God had told him to send for me. They then wanted to hear the message from the Lord. I told them all about Jesus and how he went about teaching and healing. I told them how Jesus was crucied, yet God raised him from the dead and through Jesus they could receive forgiveness of their sins. After I spoke, it was awesome. Even as [I] was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who had heard the message. Those who were Jewish believers couldnt believe how Gods Holy Spirit had lled the people. Then I baptized them in the name of Jesus.
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Its great to hear another special story about how Peter shared the message of Easter with the Gentiles. We can thank God for Peter and how he learned that Jesus came to be the Savior for the whole world.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord (Ps. 31:24). Invocation: O God, it is good for us to be here in this place of worship. Here we feel your presence. Here we support and have fellowship one with another. Here we offer our prayers and pour out our hearts desires. O God, it is good for us to be here. Amen.Randy Hammer Offertory Sentence: Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matt. 5:16). Offertory Prayer: Gracious Lord, you are kindness incarnate in Jesus Christ. From you all good and perfect gifts come down from heaven. And through you, all the gifts you give bring wonder and delight to our souls. Receive now our gifts, even as you receive us. And may we be thankful. Amen. Morning Prayer: Oh, Lord Christ, who knows our divisions, our brokenness, and whose capacity for compassion is innite; break in our own hearts the word that you would have us to hear and let us set about as your people binding the wounds, caring for the burdened, understanding the broken places of our human relationships. In his name we pray. Amen. Tom Conley Benediction: People of God, we are called to walk in newness of life. May the paths we tread this week reect the grace that has come to us. And as we walk, may we rest on the solemn promise that our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, walks with us. Amen.
Sunday, May Twenty-Fourth
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Seventh Sunday of Easter/Ascension Sunday
Being Certain in an Uncertain World
OTHER READINGS:
1 John 5:913 Acts 1:1517, 2126; Ps. 1; John 17:619
We live in an uncertain world, and in it, we do our best to live with certainty. Will you be there? someone asks. You betthe Lord willing and the creeks dont rise. And theres the crux. Were not always sure if the Lord is willing or how high the creek will rise. A young mother runs to and fro, tending to everyones needs but is unsure if shes doing right in it all and asks, Can we slow it down? Change is always around us, and every change brings its own uncertainty. Yet forty-three times in the little letter of 1 John, the word know or to know is used to describe our experience with God. This we know: God loves us. Jesus died for us. We have eternal life in his name. These we can count on. I. But some uncertainty is not a bad thing. When dened as mystery, uncertainty is next to holiness. Moses stood before the burning bush, not knowing, and called out, Mystery, tell me your name. Tennyson echoed the same in his poem, Flower in the Crannied Wall.
Flower in the crannied wall I pluck thee out of the crannies. I hold thee in my hand, root and all, little ower And if I could understand What you are, root and all, and all in all, I would know what God and man is.
We cant know it all. All our questions arent answered. We are conned to a realm of awe and wonderand I am glad of it. Its that touch of mystery that feels so good when worship is real.
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II. But there is a different kind of uncertainty that is neither good nor holy. There is uncertainty that is really lack of faith, and this uncertainty yields utter confusion. Thats what we dont need. In the church to which John wrote, there existed a complicated and confusing deviation of the faith, a heresy rightly condemned in the early Church, called Gnosticism. It taught that God is good but separated from the world, that in each person there exists a spark of God that can nd its way back to God if we have the right knowledge, and only a few special people will discover it. Because the world was evil, Jesus wasnt human. And because he really wasnt human, he didnt really die. Sound confusing? It is. All this confusion, John said, is counterproductive. Listen to the witness that has been given to you. Dont be fooled by the smooth talk of others. Uncertainty spills over into Christian belief. III. But enough of uncertainty. John wrote that we would know. Jesus said that he knew where he came from and where he was going. Now thats the kind of certainty that matters! When matters like that are settled, we can relaxand perhaps not until then. The text looks something like a trial. There is talk of testimony given and witnesses received. You believe the witness of men. OK, you should. Hebrew law suggested that two witnesses were required before a claim could be veried. John says there are three witnesses: Spirit, Blood, and Water. Here is the witness of Johns gospel: Jesus was a real person, born of water like all of us, thus the witness of water. He was Gods atonement, thus the witness of blood; and the Spirit reveals both. God is the witness, and God is the testimony. You can bet your life on it. Of what are we certain? Of Gods unconditioned love for all people. I dont know how God does it, but I believe it. I believe in Christs full sacrice for all. I dont understand the theories of atonement, how Jesus death opens up access to heaven, but I know that what Jesus did was of everlasting consequence and that he is the centerpiece of all faith and of history. Of the assurance of life eternal, that eternal life begins now (I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly [John 10:10]) and that eternal life never ends (In my fathers house are many mansions . . . [John 14:4]). Of these, we are sure. IV. In addition, we have the certainty to accomplish God-sized tasks. Todays text says, We have condence that if we ask anything in his will, he hears
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usand more, we have already obtained the requests even in the asking. Does that mean that we can have anything we desire? No. Can we manipulate God to do our will for us? No. If we pray and dont get what we want, are we to blame? No. It does mean, though, that we are condent in Gods presence with us and that as we align our wills with his, we nd the answer to our prayers. Of that we are condent. Christian certainty declares, in proper humility, that God is in control, that God is our authority, our creator, savior, judgeand that in his care we nd solace. God is love, Jesus is our savior, and heaven is our home. Those things we are sure of. Between here and there, between earth and heaven, we may discover much we cant understand. But the sure knowledge of Christ is enough.Lee McGlone
Change. Hereclitus, the ancient Greek philosopher, spoke of change as being the only constant in the universe. We understand that. No man can step into the same river twice, he wrote. In an instant of time the river changes. Upstream somewhere a leaf or a tree has fallen in, and the river is not the same. The waters that pass by travel on, never to pass by this way again, and the river is not the same. And my view of the river is different because I, too, am constantly changing. Change the only constant? Perhaps so, except in the certainty we know of the gracious God whose love never changes!Lee McGlone Experience of God. Harry Emerson Fosdick, famed pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City, spoke of the levels of our understanding of God. He recalled his summer retreats in Maine. He described how he enjoyed wading in the oceans water along his little piece of the coast and asked himself if he knew the ocean. Fosdick admitted he had never traveled the seven seas, never sailed around the cape of Africa, but indeed he knew the ocean because he waded ankle deep in it along his cove in Maine. Do we know God? Yes, but at best only supercially. God is greater than our experience. Lee McGlone
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Acts 1:1517, 2126 Ps. 1 1 John 5:913 John 17:619 Crown Him with Many Crowns Hymn of Promise I Know Whom I Have Believed Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley

Hearing the Story of Ascension SCRIPTURE: Acts 1:611 (Acts 1:1517, 2126) KEY VERSE: All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. (John 5:10a, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Ascension MATERIALS: Bible, pictures of landscape with clouds; this Web site will take you to a view of the Mount Olivet with clouds: http://www.asergeev.com/pictures/archives/compress/2002/323/21.
TITLE:
I brought a picture with me today. Can you tell me what you see in this picture? (Let the children look at the picture and describe what they see. Call attention to details they see and make sure they notice the clouds.) You noticed lots of things in the picture of Mount Olivet. I found this picture, and I tried to think about what it might have looked like when Jesus lived. Mount Olivet is right outside Jerusalem. We know Jesus went there to pray with his disciples. We also know the disciples saw him there after the Crucixion and the Resurrection. It is hard for us to understand how this could happen, but Jesus made appearances to his disciples for forty days after that rst Easter. Jesus appeared to the disciples the last time on Mount Olivet. He told them they would be given the Holy Spirit to help them. Jesus told them they were to tell all people about what they had seen and how to be his followers. Then Jesus was lifted up on a cloud, and it took him out of sight. This story is found in Acts 1. This is called the Ascension of Jesus, and this is what we celebrate today as we worship.
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Even though some things are hard to believe, we know they are true because we believe in Jesus. (Open Bible.) In 1 John 5:10, John writes, All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. I am so glad we have the stories of the Bible to help us know of Jesus love for us and how he wants us, just like the rst disciples, to tell others about him.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth (Ps. 34:1). Invocation: Loving Lord, let us wait in your presence, listen for your initiatives, and live in your hope through our worship today. Amen. E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal (Matt. 6:20). Offertory Prayer: Gladly and with gracious hearts we bring our offerings before you this morning, O Lord. May they reect the genuine gratitude that resides within us, and may they be used to declare your love, and ours, for the entire world. Amen. Morning Prayer: Eternal God, we thank you for allowing us to live in such a challenging time as this. We pause today to pray for the citizens and leaders of our nation. Help us so that we shall always seek to place your standards of integrity, morality, justice, and righteousness above the loyalty to any party or government. Forgive us when we identify nationalism with Christianity and interpret any political way of life as blind allegiance to you. May we always seek to work that your Kingdom shall come and that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Out of your innite love, O God, minister to us now in our own special needs. Give us mastery of our own work and sins. Give us the ability to smile, even on the worst of days. And give us the courage to persevere when
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the end and the good seems to elude our grasp. Give us the courage to resume life alone when parted from those we love. Give us the grace to acknowledge our guilt and sin and the humility to accept your forgiveness and grace. All of this we ask in the name and to the glory of Jesus Christ, our living Lord. Amen.William Powell Tuck Benediction: As the worship ends, our service begins. Let us go out with our minds set to make a wholesome difference in the lives of others around us. May our words and our deeds declare the goodness of our gracious God. Amen.
SUNDAY, may 31, 2009

Day of Pentecost
Pentecost: Living in the Power of the Spirit
OTHER READINGS:
Acts 2:121 Ps. 104:2434; Rom. 8:2227; John 15:2627; 16:4b15
Believers had gathered together after Jesus returned to the Father. Not just the 12 disciples but about 120 of them. They were talking, remembering, praying, and wondering what was next. On the morning of Pentecost, they came out of the room and started telling the people they met about Jesus. The streets were full of people from many places still hanging around from Passover. When each of them heard the witnesses speak, they heard it in their own languagethat is, if they were allowing themselves to listen; otherwise, they heard babbling, as shown by the remarks about drunkenness. What was being told, for the rst time in full form, was the good news of Jesus and what it means for all people. But more than the words themselvesthe words were being carried with power and authority by the Holy Spirit into the ears and the hearts of those who were listening. About three thousand new people joined their ranks. This was the rst fruit of a new kind of harvest and the giving of a new covenant of grace that fulls the covenant of the Torah. The Church, at Pentecost, was empowered.
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I. The Church is empowered for mission: to tell the story of Gods love. So was the Spirits presence something new? No. The Spirit had been working all along in those who listened. The Spirit struck home powerfully in John the Baptists message and came in full force upon Jesus at the baptism that began Jesus public ministry. Jesus was a man who was lled with the Spirit, and it showed in whatever he did. But Pentecost was the rst day that the Spirit took hold of the followers of Christ as a body. It was the rst time the Spirits raw power was there in all those who followed Christ, not just the Twelve. Look at this. Pentecost images a reversal of the Tower of Babel, where a single language became a wide variety of languages and the message of excess pride could no longer be heard or understood. One of the images that Acts leaves us with is that of all these people from all sorts of places, hearing and understanding the message in their own language. In todays world, people of different languages communicate with each other all the time. But how much of it is meaningless babble? Does anyone have anything worth telling anymore? Perhaps only the message God wants us to know. But most folks prefer to babble on. II. The Church is empowered for renewal: to live fully in the Spirit. Another striking image of the Spirit comes from the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel is a Jew in exile after Babylon has conquered and scattered his people. Standing overlooking a valley of dead bones, the prophet speaks the Word of God, and the Spirit moves across the valley. The dead, dry, bones come together. Then there appears muscle, joints, and skin. Soon whole bodies are formed, but they are still dead. Then, Ezekiel calls on the wind (ruach) for the breath (ruach) to go into the dead bodies, to make them alive. The Spirit (ruach) of God is what makes all life live. And it is what will bring Gods people back home, to once again live as a people. And so it was; the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are accounts of a dead nation at the moment it came back to life. The message of the Christian Pentecost is that the Breath that makes life live was let loose among us by Jesus the Messiah. Through this Jesus and the Spirit he sent, not only is death ultimately dead, but life becomes more fully alive. III. The Church is empowered for service. Some will nd this story strange, intriguing, or perhaps just puzzling. They found it strange then, too. But the
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crowd of three thousand found out something else. They discovered the reality of grace. Sure, some in the crowd griped. Some debated. Some went away unchanged. But many discovered that Pentecost holds the promise that God has something new in store. Pentecost says much to the Christian Church. When the Church talks about itself, it uses the word ecclesiology. Its a study of the nature of the called-out people of God. But we can think in terms far more personal. The Church indeed is a called-out people. But not called out to look at itself in a mirror, to gloat, to compare, and to criticize. We are called out to serve. From the earliest day till now, the Church has been at its best when it sees beyond the limits of its four walls and into the homes, streets, businesses, and neighborhoods where the need cries out for a word of grace. We truly have our work cut out for us. Some have said the Church is in its last days. I disagree. We just need to put the mirror away and get to work; if she does that, shell do just ne. Lee McGlone
Pentecost. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word that means ftieth. Pentecost Sunday ends the season of Easter. It is the Sabbath day after a weeks worth of weeks (7 7 = 49). Pentecost grew from what was originally a festival marking the rst grain harvest of the Middle Eastern year, marked by a sacrice to the gods from the rst part of that rst harvest. In very ancient Palestine, this rst-fruit sacrice was tied to the religions of the gods of power and fertility (both in farming and in sex). The celebration became a minipilgrimage, where they would stay at their regions shrine, bringing with them grain loaves and young livestock for sacrices. Whereas Passover recalled hard times and rescue by God, hence the unleavened bread, Pentecost was the celebration of a blessing of harvest.Lee McGlone Leap of Faith. I heard Billy Graham tell in a sermon of a little girl trapped in her burning home and in an upstairs room. Smoke billowed from the room, and the ames were getting closer and closer. Her father, standing on the
Sunday, May Thirty-First
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ground outside, cried out to her, Jump, darling daughter, jump. The little girl cried, But daddy, I cant see you. The father shouted back, Dont worry. I can see you. Every Christian conversion declares the same thing. Take a step of faith, God said. I will hold you up.Lee McGlone

Acts 2:121 Ps. 104:2434, 35b Rom 8:2227 John 15:2627; 16:4b15 On Pentecost They Gathered I Will Sing of My Redeemer O God of Every Nation O Love, How Deep, How Broad

Hearing the Story of Pentecost Acts 2:121 KEY VERSE: And everyone present was lled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. (Acts 2:4, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Pentecost MATERIALS: Bible PREPARATION: Use props and sounds to create the Day of Pentecostthe rush of wind, tongues of re, signs with different languages on them (or have congregation members speak in different languages)act it out as much as you can to engage the children. You can make this simple or elaborate, according to your style.
TITLE: SCRIPTURE:
Today is the Day of Pentecost. Does anyone know why Pentecost is important? (Let the children respond.) Pentecost in Bible times is also known as the Festival of Weeks. The Jewish people waited fty days after Passover and then offered
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grain and other sacrices to God at the temple. But Pentecost has a new meaning in the New Testament book of Acts. (Open Bible.) The fty days after Jesus Resurrection had passed, and many Jews were gathered in Jerusalem from all around the world for Pentecost. They werent ready for what was about to happen. On this special day of Pentecost, there was a sudden gush of wind, and tongues of re appeared and rested on the disciples, and they were able to speak in other languages because, as it says in Acts 2:4, And everyone present was lled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. The people from many different countries were amazed they were hearing the disciples speak in their own language. Peter got up and told those listening this was a fulllment of what the prophet Joel had said long ago. In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servantsmen and women alikeand they will prophesy (vv. 1718). Jesus had promised the disciples he would send the Holy Spirit to be with them and to help them. This was the beginning of the Churchthe spreading of the message of Jesus that has continued to today. We celebrate Pentecost as the coming of the Holy Spirit to help us spread the message of Jesus.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together (Ps. 34:3). Invocation: Throw open the oodgates of glory, Lord, and pour out your Spirit upon us, as we wait, as we pray, as we expectantly seek the inlling that proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matt. 6:21). Offertory Prayer: Holy Father, it is by your Spirit at work in and through us that we nd fullness of life. Grant that in our living and in our giving, we will
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make known the claims of Christ upon our lives, so that his name will be known everywhere. To that end, we make our offerings. Amen. Morning Prayer: Merciful God, hear our prayers for healing change in the distribution of daily bread. We give you thanks for those times and places wherein we have been instruments of your love and justice and compassion, but truth consists in detail, and our very comfortableness largely walls us off from knowing with the mind of the committed heart the stories of your beloved poor. What we have stands between us and who we would be. Help us, then, so to plan and order our days and the use of our means that, in lives of sympathy, witness, and service, we may escape the fortresses of our own contriving. In lives burnished with scripture and prayer, with critical reection and a hands-on caring, help us to take to heart the noise and the poetry, the percussion and the strings, of the world of work as seen and heard from below. And there let us not despair but rejoice, for woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of heaven. Be known to us in the distribution of the bread.Peter Fribley Benediction: Empowered by Gods Spirit and made bold as the Church of Jesus Christ, we move from this sanctuary into the larger world. Here we are Gods Church gathered. In a few moments, we will become Gods Church scattered. Now, may our witness be both glad and purposeful. Amen.
SUNDAY, june 7, 2009

First Sunday after Pentecost/Trinity Sunday
Making a Believer Out of Me
Isa. 6:18 Ps. 29; Rom. 8:1217; John 3:117
OTHER READINGS:
As we go through life, every now and then we have those dening, life-altering moments. Something out of the ordinary happens to us and changes the course
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of our lives. We see the world in a brand new way. Everything is different. Nothing is ever the same again. As we think about those dening, life-changing moments, we nd some common elements among them. I. For instance, often in life-changing moments there is the experience of the Holy. There is an encounter with the Divine or Sacred. Such is the way it was with the prophet Isaiah. The situation that precipitated Isaiahs lifechanging encounter was the death of King Uzziah. Many of us are old . enough to remember the death and funeral of President John F Kennedy. We recall the days of darkness and how our entire country was thrown into shock and mourning. The young man Isaiah, no doubt, had a similar experience when his King Uzziah died. The death of the king led Isaiah to go to the temple. The inclination to go to church when some crisis shakes the foundation of our lives is as old as religion itself. There in the temple, Isaiah had an encounter with the Holya vision of Gods Spirit hovering over the Ark of the Covenant. As hinted earlier, it was a vision that forever changed his life. Indeed, it was a vision that profoundly affected his people and the course of world religion. If truth be told, most of the time we may be rocking along through life, totally insensitive to God and Gods workings in our lives. But then something may happen that causes us to experience God or feel that we are in the direct presence of the Divine. The loss of a job, a sudden illness, a neardeath experience, the birth of a childand all of a sudden it seems that Gods Spirit for the rst time everor least in a new and different wayhas broken into our world. It seems that God is speaking to us, trying to tell us something. Perhaps some of us can even cite a day and time when we had such a life-changing encounter or epiphany. Feeling we are in the direct presence of the Holy can be an awesome thing. II. So without a doubt, we are humbled by such an encounter. When Isaiah realized that he was in the direct presence of the Almighty, he said, Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! (Isa. 6:5). The depth of our shortcomings really begins to haunt us when we feel ourselves to be in the presence of the Holy. Its sort of like the feeling you might get while cruising down the freeway at 75 miles per hour
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in a 55-miles-per-hour zone, and you look up in your rearview mirror and see blue lights ashing. (Not that any of us have ever done that, mind you. But we can imagine what it might feel like, cant we?) Its a humbling feeling to recognize our guilt in the presence of authority or that which is Holy. III. And then often there is a sense of being called to service. But the call is not a matter of worthiness. Gods call often comes to the most unlikely candidates: cursing shermen, cheating tax collectors, former prostitutes, and so on. People are not called because they are the best looking, most talented, or greatest by human standards. And oftentimes people hear a call when they are going about their everyday affairs, perhaps immersed in their daily work. A routine visit to the temple turns into a dening, lifechanging moment. Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? the call rings out. To which some, like Isaiah, enthusiastically reply, Here I am! Send me! (Isa. 6:8, 9). I am reminded of a famous altar in the old country of Czechoslovakia showing Christ without arms. It is a constant reminder that we are Christs arms to serve the world. It reminds us that Christians are not only to pray, Thy will be done, but we are also to say, Here I am; what do you want me to do? There is so much need in the world and so many opportunities for service. What is needed in the Church today is disciples who will say: Here I am! I will follow Jesus, and I will learn all I can learn about being a Christian disciple! Here I am! I will nd some way to minister to the worlds need. Here I am! I will teach Sunday school! Here I am! I will serve on that church committee or ministry team! Here I am! I will invite my new neighbors to worship! Here I am! I will help do what needs to be done around the church building and grounds! Here I am! I will give myself to Christian service and begin the necessary preparations! We have all heard the saying, Well, you have made a believer out of me, or something along that line. That is exactly what Christ longs to domake believers out of us. And as Leonard Sweet says, There is nothing more exciting in life than to be a disciple of Jesus.1
1Leonard
Sweet, A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Caf (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998),
p. 54.
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When there is so much need and suffering in the world, how can we do less but to offer ourselves, in some small way, in willing and obedient service in Christs name? May we have the grace to say, Here I am! I will follow. Make a believer out of me.Randy Hammer
Humility. Feeling we have been in the presence of the sacred causes us to have a sense of unworthiness. To give you an example, this past November I was privileged to attend a clergy retreat at Stony Point, New York. The retreat leader was the Rev. James Forbes, senior pastor of Riverside Church in New York City, one of the most prominent churches in the country. James Forbes is one of the extraordinary Christian ministers of our time. Being in the presence of Dr. Forbes made me feel like I was in the direct presence of a modern-day prophet of God in a way I had not felt in a long time. The sweet Spirit of God is evident in the words he speaks and the way he lives his life and interacts with other people. Such an experience made me feel somewhat unworthy. As I sat and listened to Dr. Forbes speak, I thought to myself, This man knows what it is to be a servant of God. When I consider all that he has done in the world and consider my own life, it makes me feel so insignicant. So it was with Isaiah, and so it is with everyone who has an experience of being in the presence of something Holy or Sacred. It humbles us.Randy Hammer Callings. Sometime back, we were at Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, sitting with our grandson. My wife and I read him storybooks and pulled him around the oor in one of the many red wagons the hospital has for the children. After reading our grandson a story, and while he slept, I thought about all the seriously ill children just on his oor alone, not to mention the entire hospital, the state, the country, and the world. And as I thought about all the sick children, all the human need and pain, I started to feel somewhat overwhelmed by it all. I wanted to take the storybooks and go room to room and read stories to the children who did not have parents and grandparents sitting with them. Of course, I soon realized that I could not do that, for
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who would want a perfect stranger entering their childs room, especially if they werent there. But the experience made me think about how much need there is in the world and how we are called to respond to the need in the love of Christ.Randy Hammer

Isa. 6:18 Ps. 29 Rom. 8:1217 John 3:117 Holy, Holy, Holy To God Be the Glory In Christ There Is No East or West Give to Our God Immortal Praise

Voice of God SCRIPTURE: Ps. 29 KEY VERSE: The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. (Ps. 29:4, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Gods power and holiness MATERIALS: Bible; pictures of cedars, Lebanon mountains, lightening bolts, desert and oaks, ocean; a banner with the words, The voice of the Lord . . . PREPARATION: Find pictures on the Internet to copy and show to the children that match the images described in Psalm 29.
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(Hand out the pictures, and let the children hold on to them for use later.) For those of you who can read, what are the words I have written on the banner? (Let the children respond as you hold up the banner.) What do you think the voice of the Lord sounds like? (Let the children respond again, and reect back to them the responses they give.) You have given some good ideas about what you think Gods voice is like.
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(Open Bible.) The writer of Psalm 29 says, The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The writer of the psalm didnt think so much about how the voice sounded as what happened when the Lord spoke. In Psalm 29, this song tells about how Gods voice could make things happen. I gave some of you some pictures that show us the ways the psalm writer thought of the power of Gods voice. (Read Psalm 29 from a child-friendly translation, or write out a litany to use with the children and congregation together.) I like how the psalmist wrote that the people in the temple would all say, Glory. This would almost be like us saying, Awesome! We can praise God today because we know God made each one of us and everything in the world. That is awesome!Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who trusts in him (Ps. 34:8). Invocation: We come to you, Heavenly Father, God of all time and every place, asking that our worship today be in spirit and in truth. Here in this place, may we come face-to-face with your everlasting gloryall to your honor. Amen. Offertory Sentence: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Matt. 6:24). Offertory Prayer: Only by your grace, O Lord, do we live and move and have our being. You have blessed us with your abundant favorfar beyond our deserving. And so, today, we bring these offerings as expressions of our love. Use them for sake of your Kingdom. Amen. Morning Prayer: Father, we come to you in Jesus name, acknowledging that you are our refuge and our strength. As we worship, we are fully aware of the heartache and despair brought to this place. But we are also aware that you
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are our shelter in times of despair, that you are the high rock upon which we stand, that you are our deliverer from the assaults that rise against us. And so we come today with gratitude for your gracious intervention on our behalf and for the sense of your nearness that keeps us strong. We raise our thanksgiving for your abundant and unending favor. Your grace we will hide in our hearts, so we will be neither troubled nor afraid. Your peace, O Lord, we do seek. Give to us faith, great faith, for the living of our days. Through Christ, we pray. Amen.Lee McGlone Benediction: We go today in the power and assurance of Gods presence that goes before us. May we not falter in our faith, but instead, may we trust in Gods faithfulness to usand be strong. Amen.

Second Sunday after Pentecost
A Child Shall Lead
1 Sam. 15:3416:13 OTHER READINGS: Ps. 20; 2 Cor. 5:610 (1113), 1417; Mark 4:2634 My name is David, the eighth son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a shepherd boy, a keeper of sheep on the hillsides of Judea. Sometimes while lying in the green grass watching the sheep, I write poems and songs of praise to the God of Israel. I am a young man, not much more than a child. I am dark of complexion from spending so much time in the sun taking care of my fathers sheep. Some say I am a skilled player of the harp and that the music I play has a calming effect upon all who hear it. Others say that I am handsome and have beautiful eyes. But what can I know? I am little more than a child. I. So you can imagine how shocked I was when I was called in from the elds and chosen to be a leader in Israel. There I was in the far pasture,
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the one by the stream, daydreaming as the sheep grazed and I composed psalms in my heart. Then without warning this messenger arrived; he startled me. Id been summoned to appear at my fathers house. What can this mean? I kept asking myself that as I ran through the elds. There must be some kind of trouble back at home. Perhaps father has taken ill, or one of my brothers has been involved in an accident. But no, I learned it was nothing like that. When I arrived, everyone was waiting on mewaiting on me, the youngest and the smallest of them all. My father and seven brothers were there, and this prophet named Samuel, whom I did not know. And before I knew it, Samuel was pouring olive oil on my head, anointing me King of Israel, he said. Can you imagine that? Me, little more than a child, being anointed Gods King of Israel! Who was I to be anointed king? My brother, Eliab, he was the most logical one to become king, if anyone from our family was to be. Good looking and tall, and being the oldest, he was the apparent heir, the one to whom any such honor should rightly fall. How absurd that I, the youngest and smallest, be chosen for such an extraordinary honor! And why was our family chosen for such an honor anyway? We have no pedigree to be proud of. There are plenty of skeletons in our family closest; ugly knots are abundant on our family tree. My great-grandmother was Ruth, an immigrant Moabite woman. My great-grandfather was Boaz, whose ancestors included Tamara Canaanite woman who was almost executed for adultery (Gen. 38)and there is Rahab, another Canaanite woman, a prostitute from Jericho (Josh. 2). Who am I, a small, lowly shepherd boy from a awed family to become King of Israel? Perhaps the God of Israel sees something that I cannot see. II. God, I am told, has a different way of seeing things than we do. God, it is said, cares not where we have come from or where we have been. And God often chooses to use what is small and insignicant to accomplish the divine purposes in the world. Take, for instance, the mustard seed. It is one of the smallest of all seeds known to humankind. But from the tiny mustard seed God works a miracle and causes the largest of all the garden plants to spring forth. It grows so large that birds can roost in its branches. Perhaps if God can use a tiny mustard seed to accomplish great things,
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then God can even use a small shepherd boy from a humble family to accomplish the divine purpose in Israel. Perhaps it is true that every child is important, every child is needed, and every child can make a difference in the world. We too often settle for outward appearance. And we can be so fooled by appearances; appearance alone is woefully inadequate. We often fail to see the possibilities of grace and hope because we are not seeing in the right way. God, on the other hand, can nd possibilities for grace in lifes most unexpected places and in some of the most unexpected persons. Why, I bet God could even nd great possibilities in a child born among sheep in a stable. Sometimes with God, the rst shall be last, and the last shall be rst. III. Because God looks at the inside, at the heart. God sees deeper into our inward condition, much deeper than can be seen by the world. God is concerned with the will and character of a person. In the end, that is what matters most. And God sees possibilities in us, even when others do not. Theres the key issueseeing. Samuel, the prophet, at rst was not properly seeing, I am told. He at rst wanted to anoint my brother, Eliab. But God had to show Samuel that he was seeing wrongly. He was looking at outward appearances and not seeing into the heart. Blushingly, I admit, it has been said of me that I am a man after Gods own heart. Perhaps that is why God chose me to be the new King of Israel. Perhaps God saw what was in my heart. IV. The good news is that Gods grace extends to allto the outsider, the underdog, the little person, the outcast, and the marginalized. No matter how humble, no matter how young, and no matter how small we might be, Gods grace and Gods possibilities take shape in those who allow God to use them. When we give our hearts to Godwhen we are willing to be men and women and boys and girls after Gods own heartthen God can use us in extraordinary ways. Why, with a devoted heart, even a lowly, small shepherd boy like me can be used of God in a mighty way. My name is David, the eighth son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a shepherd boy, a keeper of sheep on the hillsides of Judea. I am a young man, not much more than a child. But with God, all things are possible. With God, even a little child can lead the world.Randy Hammer
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Great Commission. What can the Church do to make life better? There are no limitations here but, instead, an overwhelming mandate given to no other institution in the world. We are called to reach out to our world, to declare the gospel of Christ as the answer to the deepest of human needs, to call others into that kingdom, and to teach them to do the same thingover and again. The Great Commission is the call: go into the entire world and make disciples of all the nations, baptize those who believe and then teach them all that Christ commanded so they, in turn, will reach and teach others.Lee McGlone Motives. Why do we do what we do? Here is a question that haunts even the most pious among us, for although we may cloak our intentions from others, we can never keep God in the dark. Wrong motives can ruin our nest service and our most beautiful gifts. Judass kiss looked like an expression love. Recall these lines from T. S. Eliots, Murder in the Cathedral: Tis the greatest treason to do the right thing for the wrong reason. Indeed!Lee McGlone

1 Sam. 15:3416:13 Ps. 20 or Ps. 92 2 Cor. 5:617 Mark 4:2634 Great Is Thy Faithfulness O God Your Constant Care and Love Rock of Ages Come Ye Thankful People, Come

Story Seeds SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:2634 KEY VERSE: He used many such stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they were able to understand. (Mark 4:33, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Parables, Gods faithfulness MATERIALS: Bible, seeds in a snack bag for each child
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(Give the children a bag as they come to the front.) I have just given you a small bag of seeds. What happens when you plant seeds? (Let the children respond.) You get a ower if it is a ower seed. You get a tomato plant if it is a tomato seed. Whatever kind of seed you have, you get that type of plant. Now a long time ago when Jesus was here on earth teaching, he used to tell stories, called parables, to help people understand God. In Mark 4:33 it reads, He used many such stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they were able to understand. To do this he had to use things they were familiar with, like seeds. Many of the people were farmers and grew their food. They would know about seeds. In our gospel lesson today, one of the stories Jesus tells is about scattering seeds all over the ground. What do you think happens when you scatter seeds everywhere? (Let the children respond.) Of course, the seeds would sprout and grow, but we dont know how they grow. We know we have sunlight and water to feed the plants, but how a particular plant grows is the way God made the plant. We cant explain it all, but we know it happens. Jesus was teaching this very same thing to the people long ago who wanted Gods Kingdom, with God as the one in charge. We can be sure God is always here with us, and we can trust God to love us and care for us. Gods Kingdom is here.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: The Lord is near to them that are of a broken heart; and saves those of a contrite heart (Ps. 34:18). Invocation: Father, you who have made the heavens and the earth, and all that is within them, we ask that this hour of worship continue your creative work. Make us, we pray, into the kinds of people you want us to beyour people to do your will. And all for your praise and glory. Amen. Offertory Sentence: Seek rst the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt. 6:33). Offertory Prayer: Holy Father, you have called us together and made us to be oneyour Church, the Body of Christ. We give thanks for all those, the
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saints of old, who have gone before us. Now we hear you say to us, It is your turn. Out of hearts committed to you, we make these gifts as offerings to you. Bless them and multiply them for your eternal purposes. Amen. Morning Prayer: O God of love and laughter: we thank you for your love that graces our lives and for the gift of laughter that brightens our days. And we thank you for the laughter that comes to us in the gift of children. We express our thanks for every child of this congregation who graces us with their energy, curiosity, laughter, and love. What an awesome responsibility we have to love, nurture, and teach the children entrusted to our care. So help us as parents, grandparents, teachers, and church leaders to teach, nurture, and cherish these children, that they might grow up strong in body, soul, and spiritual understanding. We also pray for children of our community and world for whom life is difcult. We pray for the hungry children, the abused children, the homeless children, the sick children, the children affected by war and devastation. And now we pray for your children of all ages who are facing illness, discouragement, or grief. May the loving arms of your universal presence bring comfort to all who are troubled or have unrest of soul. We pray in the loving Spirit of Jesus, who welcomed the children upon his knee.Randy Hammer Benediction: We go forth now in joy to serve the Lord. Enabled by the Holy Spirit, we are ready to speak and live as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. And may we do so with grateful hearts. Amen.

Third Sunday after Pentecost When Facing a Giant TEXT: 1 Sam. 17:1a, 411, 1923, 3249 OTHER READINGS: Ps. 9:920; 2 Cor. 6:113; Mark 4:3541
Little David facing Goliath the giant is one of the best-known stories in the Hebrew Bible. There is something about the little guy gaining victory over the big bully
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that strikes a chord in the human heart, something that resonates with our sense of fairness and the right. Indeed, it is a common theme that has taken shape in countless novels and movies. The story embodies the hopes of all persons who are facing an overwhelming power or force of evil that there is a way to overcome and be victorious. But I must confess that for a long time I resisted preaching on David slaying the giant because of the violence and bloodshed involved. Christians, I believe, should be nonviolent and should work for peace whenever possible. There is something about David lopping off the head of Goliath and then dragging it across the battleeld that doesnt set real well with rational, compassionate Christianity. I. But as we think about giants, we realize that giants come in many forms and fashions. And squaring off with a giant doesnt always mean the shedding of blood. We might dene a giant for this mornings purposes as any powerful or overwhelming force that oppresses, robs of life, destroys human dignity, or feeds on injustice. Individually we face giants. Individuals may face the giant of discrimination in the workplace, or the giant of prejudice in the community, or the giant of a debilitating or life-threatening illness. At some point in our lives many of us, or someone we love, will face the giant of depression. And collectively we face giants. For the disciples, as recorded in todays gospel reading, their giant was a terrifying storm at sea that rocked their boat and threatened their lives. As a church, we face giants in our culture that seek to defy and work against the cherished principles that we stand for. As I said, giants come in many forms and fashions. II. But how do we confront the giants of life? What resources can we draw on? There is a lot to be learned from this ancient and well-known story. In spite of his eagerness to show off on the battleeld, David demonstrates some important qualities of leadership in this story. May I suggest to you that the ve smooth stones that David gathered from the stream can be symbolic of ve spiritual stones that enable us to face the giants of life. The rst smooth stone is courage. In facing Goliath with courage, David drew on his strengths and gained condence as he remembered how he had attacked the bear and lion. To face a giant with courage is to go forth in
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condence, acting on our strengths and not trying to compensate for our weaknesses. Courage, someone has said, is fear that has said its prayers.2 The Rev. Geoffrey Black, conference minister, stated in his annual address to the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ, To be this church [the United Church of Christ], in this country, in this day takes courage. But more important, Davids courage also rested on trust in the power of the God of Israel. Thus trust is the second smooth stone for facing a giant. Whereas his opponent trusted in javelin, sword, spear, and armor (shall we say military strength, missiles, and nuclear weapons?), David trusted in the deliverance of the Living God. David realized that there are resources beyond the technology of kingdoms. As Evelyn Underhill put it, Sometimes events, which we think must destroy us or those whom we love, are strangely modied by the Spirit that indwells and rules them. More and more as we go on with the Christian life we learn the absolute power of Spirit over circumstances. 3 Trust helps us to tap into that Spirit. Hope is the third smooth stone. Trust in God gives us hope that there is a way into the future when there seems to be no way to go. Dr. Robert Schuller tells of listening to a prominent German psychiatrist speak on the topic of depression and how many of his patients had sat under analysis for months without any sign of recovery. Then one day a spark would appear in their at, dull eyes: it was the spark of the birth of hope!4 Hope is the force that helps us face the giants of life and see a way when there seems to be no way. The fourth smooth stone is truth. As we face a giant, we best know that we are in the right, that truth is on our side. Abraham Lincoln once told some visiting ministers that he did not worry whether God was on his side or not, for I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right, he said. It was, Lincoln said, my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should
popular quote attributed to Dorothy Bernard, available at www.quotationspage.com/ quotes/Dorothy Bernard. 3Behold: Arts for the Church Year (Inver Grove Heights, MN: Logos, 2006). Pentecost 1 Year B, p. 9. 4Robert Schuller, Your Church Has Real Possibilities (Ventura, CA: Gospel Light Publishers, 1975), p. 133.
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be on the Lords side. When we are absolutely, one-hundred-percent certain that we are in the right and truth is on our side, then we are ready to speak truth to power, as David did. And the fth smooth stone is honor. Bringing honor to Gods name. As the story tells it, David was incensed at Goliaths mockery of the God of Israel. David did what he did so that the honor of Gods name might be restored. Whatever we do, whatever problem we face, it is imperative that our conduct and response are such that Gods name is honored and not defamed. What giants might you see on your horizon? And what ve smooth stones will accompany you as you face the giant down? With the right approach, giants can be felled. Who would have thought a few decades ago that the giant of communism and the Berlin Wall would be knocked down, or apartheid in South Africa would be defeated? In the words of Carter Heyward, You and I are called to participate in taming giants, in healing and liberating the world around us and within us.5 As we think about the giants of our world, what is required of us is not a passive, inactive posture.6 No, when facing a giant, what is required is courageous action, based on trust in God, with hope that positive change is possible, as we speak truth to power and seek to bring honor to Gods name. Courage, trust, hope, truth, and honorve smooth spiritual stones for facing the giants of life. Randy Hammer
Giants. Mr. Davidson, my elementary school principal, was a giant. To a rstor second-grader, at least, he appeared to be so. Mr. Davidson was about six feet, two inches tall, had a deep commanding voice, and a little Adolph Hitler style mustache. The one time that I got sent to the principals ofce (for something I didnt do, I might add), I felt somewhat the way Jack, of Jack and the Beanstalk, must have felt as he ran from the giants footsteps going thump,
5Carter
6Interpreters
Heyward, Imaging the Word (Cleveland: United Church Press, 1996), vol. 3, p. 244. Bible Commentary (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998), vol. 2, p. 1115.
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thump, thump after him. Mr. Davidson had a distinct gate, a distinct thump, thump, thump footstep of his own. You could hear him coming down the hall long before he reached your classroom. Mr. Davidson was a giant. Perhaps you have memories of giants in your lifeand not the principal kind. Giants, whatever the kind, must be faced.Randy Hammer Inuence. Character carries the weight of our arguments. Aristotles Rhetoric, the denitive work on the psychology of persuasion, says that of the three modes of proof (ethos, pathos, logos), the most important is ethos, the perception of the character of the speaker. Think how it is in life. A parent wants to inuence a child, but inuence is more than words only. Attitudes and actions must be congruent to the words. We speak words of instruction, encouragement, chastisement, and correction; yet for the words to carry weight, our character must also be good. Perhaps we should take that maxim from family to church, to city, to state, to nation, and to the world.Lee McGlone

1 Sam. 17:1a, 411, 1923, 3249 Ps. 9:920 2 Cor. 6:113 Mark 4:3541 The Battle Belongs to the Lord God We Praise You! Grace Greater Than Our Sin Stand by Me

The Way to Live SCRIPTURE: 2 Cor. 6:113 KEY VERSE: We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from nding the Lord by the way we act. (2 Cor. 6:3a, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Choices MATERIALS: Bible, written situations for children to make choices
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Write some open-ended situations where children have to make choices. Included is an example, but these are more effective if you come up with your own situations to t the children of your congregation. (Example: A new kid to the neighborhood comes to the swimming pool to make new friends. Some of the children are ignoring the new kid on purpose. The new kid asks you to play at the same time some of the other children have included you in a game. What do you do?)
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Each morning when I get up, I have to do something. I have to choose what I will wear. I have to choose what I am going to x for breakfast. I might have to choose if I am going to walk or drive to work. There are a lot of choices to be made during a day. Some choices are not as easy when you are with people. You have choices you make each day, too. Our lesson from 2 Corinthians 6, can give us something to think about as we make choices. (Open Bible.) It says, We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from nding the Lord by the way we act. I have a few situations I want to read. I want us to think about how we could follow Jesus way so other people will know we are Christians. (Read the scenarios and let the children respond.) As followers of Jesus, we have to make our choices carefully. We want people to know about Jesus, not turn away from him, just because of something we do. The choices we make and what we do say a lot about who we are. Let people see you are a follower of Jesus.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: My soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation (Ps. 35:9). Invocation: Lord, let this days worship make an impact on us so that each day yet to be lived will be sweeter and better than before. You have welcomed us into this holy placeand here we are. Speak deeply to our souls and call forth from us the level of service due your holy name. Amen. Offertory Sentence: He who takes not his cross, and follow after me, is not worthy of me (Matt. 10:38).
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Offertory Prayer: Lord God, because there is to be a new heaven and a new earth, let this offering move in that direction. Because many hearing the Word of God may be saved, let this offering facilitate that proclamation, now and forever. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: Gracious God, we realize that as fathersas parentswe will never be perfect. We will be shortsighted, and we will make mistakes. But help us to be the best parents that we can be. And enable us to be open to wisdom and guidance that comes from you, from others, and yes, often from our own children. Help us to learn not only from our own past mistakes but also from the mistakes of others. We thank you, O God, for our fathers and father gures who have loved us, nurtured us, and taught us. Help us to show our gratitude where it needs to be shown. But we also realize that some had difcult or strained relations with their fathers, and they do not get a warm, fuzzy feeling on Fathers Day. In those cases, assist those who are in need of reconciliation, resolution, or forgiveness. Perhaps there are also fathers who feel a need to seek forgiveness from their children; help them also to do what they feel they need to do. But as we reect on the biblical text, we also pray this day for the Hagars and Ishmaels of the worldthe outcasts, the refugees, the outsidersbecause we know your love for them is just as strong as your love for those who consider themselves to be insiders. And help us to be ready to minister to those who are excluded from the mainstream of society. These are our prayers, loving God, offered in the spirit of the One who showed his love and your love for all, and we pray in the way that he taught us.Randy Hammer Benediction: By Gods grace we move forth into the days ahead. We do so, condant that God, whom we name as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, will guide our ways. In that same condence, we go forth to serve the world for which Christ died. Lead on, O King Eternal. Amen.
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Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Share and Share Alike
2 Cor. 8:715 OTHER READINGS: 2 Sam. 1:1, 1727; Ps. 130; Mark 5:2143 To share and share alike is the message that the Apostle Paul is seeking to convey in his letter to the Corinthians. It seems that the Corinthians had at rst been eager to share what they had and collect an offering for those less fortunate. But they had not completed the offering. Paul wrote to commend the Corinthian Christians for their initial efforts and to encourage them to complete what they had begun one year earlier. By their generosity and record of giving, they would be an example and inspiration for all Christian churches. The Corinthian Christians, Paul reminded them, had excelled above all others in many areasfaith, ability to speak eloquently, in their knowledge and wisdom, and in their love for him. Now Paul was writing to ask them to excel above all others in their givingto give more generously than anyone else (8:7, CEV), to share from the abundance they had received. I. Christian stewardship and giving as Paul presents it should be based on and motivated by two all-important principles. There is the principle and Christian perspective that the earth is the Lords and everything in it (Ps. 24:1). When you get right down to it, we really own nothing. We are simply caretakers, or stewards (from which the word stewardship is derived), of the things we enjoy for a short time. After our few brief years on the earth, the things we have enjoyed will be left to be cared for by others. Then there is the principle that is based on the self-giving of Christ. Jesus gave up everything for those he loved. In response to that self-giving and great love, we give and we share with the less fortunate. Sacricial giving shows the genuineness of our love for Christ.
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II. Furthermore, to share and share alike is the only right and equitable thing to do. Paul speaks of a fair balance between those who have abundance and those who are in need. He contends that it is only fair that those who have so much would share with those who have so little. Great author, Leo Tolstoy, voiced some powerful words when he said, My piece of bread only belongs to me when I know that everyone else has a share and that no one starves while I eat. It is sad to say, but it appears that the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider and wider, as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Such a trend is in total opposition to biblical principles and is in total contradiction to the way of justicethe way it ought to be. III. How much we are willing to share is something with which each of us must struggle and come to terms with. Along with the Corinthian Christians, we, too, are called upon to share what is fair out of the abundance that we have received. As a pastor, it has been my observation that congregations, like the congregation at Corinth, excel in many areas: faith, knowledge, music, fellowship, commitment to social justice, and special-drive giving. Commitment to special-drive giving is illustrated in many ways. But one area where I would like to encourage improvement is increasing regular Sunday morning offerings. Sunday offerings could be higher than they are. The ideal level of giving suggested by the scriptures is the tithe, or 10 percent of take-home income. Many persons think they cannot afford that level of giving. For those who dont feel they can give a tithe, I recommend starting with a lower percentage, say 5 or 6 percent of income, and then making a commitment to raise it 1 percent each year until the 10 percent level is reached. Commentator J. Paul Sampley writes of this passage in Corinthians: If we wait to share until we nd ourselves with surplus, we may never share because we have been subtly acculturated to think we never have enough . . . we are sometimes blind as to how much we really have to share. I wonder whether, if Paul were writing to our church today, he would say, Now as you excel in everythingin faith, in knowledge and wisdom, in teaching, in music, in fellowship, in a commitment to justiceso I want you to excel in generous giving also.7
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Interpreters Bible, vol. XI, p. 124.
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Bill OBrien related in a past issue of the Christian Century how a few years ago he went with a church group to China. On Sunday, different members of the group fanned out and visited different churches in the city they were visiting. Mrs. Chang, an older Chinese woman who was touring with the group, chose to visit a poor church composed of farmers. Those present that Sunday wanted to hear a word from their sister from the states. So Mrs. Chang brought greetings from her church in Los Angeles and told how they were currently building a large new addition to keep up with the growth. Then after a word of blessing, Mrs. Chang took her seat. At the close of the worship service, Mrs. Chang was called back to the front of the church. The pastor said that her words had thrilled their hearts. They wanted her to have the morning offering to help with the new building in Los Angelesabout $140. With overowing joy and generosity, the Chinese Christians gave beyond their ability to give. One might say that the American church did not need the money; the Chinese church made up of poor farmers needed it much worse. But the Chinese Christians wanted to give, to share, with others in the world.8 Thats the true spirit of Christian givingan eagerness to give, and giving generously. God calls on us who have received so much to do no less. The world needs it, were all in this thing together, and its the right thing to doto share and share alike.Randy Hammer
Needs and Greed. Over a billion persons live on less than one dollar a day, and many get far less than that. Simple shelter, clean drinking water and basic health care are not part of their lives. The earth has enough for everyones need, Mahatma Gandhi observed, but not enough for everyones greed.9 Randy Hammer
8Bill
OBrien, Christian Century, June 14, 2003, p. 19.
9Ibid.
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Sharing. There is a story about six persons who, by chance, found themselves trapped in a cold, dark room. Each one possessed one stick of rewood. Their re was starting to die and was in need of another log. But because of their dislike for someone else in the group, no one wanted to give up his or her stick of wood to feed the common re. One woman noticed that one of the numbers skin was black. Another saw someone who was not a member of his church. Another was poor and sat in tattered clothes, and he didnt want to share his log with another who was rich. The rich man didnt want to share his log with someone who was shiftless, lazy, and poor. The black man, bent on revenge, held on to his log as a way to spite those who were white. The last one only believed in giving when there was a chance of gain. And so, each one held on to his or her log, refusing to feed the re, until the re went out and each died in the cold clutching the log that could have saved them all. This story shows the consequences of refusing to share. It reminds us of the great truths that we are all connected one with another, that we all depend on one another for survival, and that to get along in this world we all need to share and share alike.Randy Hammer

2 Sam. 1:1, 1727 Ps. 130 2 Cor. 8:715 Mark 5:2143 Be Still My Soul Rain Down Wonderful Grace of Jesus O Christ, the Healer, We Have Come

Trust Me SCRIPTURE: Mark 5:2143 KEY VERSE: But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, Dont be afraid. Just trust me. (Mark 5:36, NLT)
TITLE:
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Trusting Jesus MATERIALS: Bible, bag with live bait (a few night crawlers) and dirt PREPARATION: Make sure the child you choose will not be upset touching a night crawler. Act in a way that the children have no idea what is in the bag.
KEY CONCEPT:
I brought a bag with me today. I promise it wont hurt you if you reach in the bag. (You might shake the bag like there is something alive in it.) Oh my, well I am sure you will trust me and stick your hand in the bag. Who wants to volunteer? Are you sure? Are you really, really sure? (Let the child put his hand in the bag. If he jumps or yells, ask for another volunteer. Remind the children by saying trust me, it wont hurt you. At some point reveal what you have in the bag.) You seem a bit surprised that I would have night crawlers in my bag. Night crawlers are slimy, but they dont hurt you. What I told you was true. (Say childs name) trusted what I said and put his hand in the bag. (Open Bible.) Our gospel story is about trusting Jesus. Jesus was on his way to heal Jairus daughter, who was dying. As Jesus and Jairus were walking toward his house, some messengers came and told them Jairus daughter was dead. In Mark 5:36, it says, But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, Dont be afraid. Just trust me. Jairus trusted Jesus. Jairus daughter was healed by Jesus. Jairus had great faith in Jesus. We too can trust Jesus. We dont have to be afraid, because Jesus is with us wherever we are and in all that we do. We can trust Jesus.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: I will give thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people (Ps. 35:18). Invocation: Lord, in our national liberty to worship as we please, we pray. In our freedom from outside interference, we rejoice. In the power to freely share our faith, we join to proclaim the liberating power of the Christ of the Ages. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will loose his life for my sake shall nd it (Matt. 16:25).
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Offertory Prayer: For the abundance of Gods favor, we are grateful. For Gods mercy that has made us children of God, we are grateful. For every good gift that comes down from heaven, we are grateful. Now out of gratitude, we bring these tithes and offerings. And we are grateful for the opportunity to do so. Amen. Morning Prayer: Still speaking God: though we believe you are still speaking to us, sometimes it is not easy for us to hear your voice, to distinguish your voice from the many other voices that vie for our attention. So help us to live our lives of devotion in such a way that we are attuned to your peculiar voice and that we are ready to follow in the way you lead us. Amen.Randy Hammer Benediction: People of God, made free through the power of Jesus Christ, we are called to live as responsible citizens of our nation. May our faith reect deep gratitude for Gods favor, and may our actions declare our joy in service in the days of this week. Amen.
SUNDAY, july 5, 2009

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Outdoing Jesus
Mark 6:113 OTHER READINGS: 2 Sam. 5:15, 910; Ps. 48; 2 Cor. 12:210 Outdoing Jesus. The sermon title seems wrong somehow. How could we ever think to do anything better than Jesus? But thats the way todays passage goes. The lectionary connects one story where Jesus cant do much to another where the disciples shine. Its something of a narrative ukea snapshot that doesnt lie but that might, taken by itself, lead to false deductions. Its something like a photo in my college yearbook that shows me out in front of the pack in a three-mile run; I led the race for the rst lap but nished last, proving how the present is often no predictor of the future.
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I. Jesus cant do much: amazing! In the rst story, Jesus goes to his hometown, where he teaches in the synagogue. Folks who have known him all his life, who know his mother and siblings by name, are astounded by what they hear and see. They cant connect the dots: nobody around here taught him to say those things. Where did this come from? Mark describes their reaction as amazement/astonishment in verse 2, which can be good or bad; it mostly just means that they were confused. At the end of verse 3, however, Mark writes they were scandalized by him, meaning that somehow Jesus tripped them up with his words and actions. Some surprises are threatening, and this one, where the local boy has turned out so differently from the way they expected, shakes them up. As a consequence, says Mark, Jesus was unable to do a single miracleexcept that he healed a few sick folks by laying hands on themand he was amazed because of their unbelief. First he stumped them, with his ability to teach and do miracles, and then they stumped him, by being unable to process what they saw. Neither reaction is all that astounding, do you think? Parents have to learn new ways of interacting with adult children (and vice versa). Friends you havent seen since high school still want to think of you as obsessed with Woody Allen movies (you have gotten over that, right?). For your part, you want them to love and admire what youve become, forgetting that it will take time for them to learn the new you. Heres why it often seems simpler to move on, joining a new community and presenting a new image of yourself, than to stay in the old one and work through all the amazement. And heres why, in communities of faith, its important to take the time to do that work. Suppose Jesus former neighbors had said, Well, hes changed, hasnt he? I guess thats only natural. Jesus, I dont think I got it the rst time through. Can you help me understand? II. The Twelve can do much: amazing! But he and they remain at loggerheads, and so Jesus has an off day, relatively speaking, healing only a few sick folks. The disciples are there, witnesses to how things went south for their master. But then Jesus sends them out, and they have amazing successes. He wont let them take protection or food supplies or money or even extra clothestheyre on the high wire without a safety netbut they go in pairs, and Jesus gives them his authority. He tells them that some people will accept them and others will reject them (which theyve just witnessed at
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close range). Dont worry about it, he says: if they take you in, stay and be grateful; if they close their ears, move on. Mark describes how they made out: They preached that folks should repent, and cast out many demons, and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Many! This is surprising from two angles. First, Marks Twelve are only rarely used as examples of the right way to follow Jesus. They have no faith (5:40); they are stubbornly unable to understand Jesus (6:5152); on another occasion, nine of them together cant expel one demon (9:18). Second, coming on the heels of an instance where Jesus can only heal a few, they can heal many. III. Lessons from Jesus bad day. Were not surprised when Jesus heals, because hes the Son of God; were more surprised when he cant, and we tend to look for an explanation, as in this story, in other peoples failures. It wasnt Jesus fault that he had a bad day. Nobody in Nazareth believed in him, and so his ministry falterednot failedhe did heal a fewbut it wasnt the resounding success that hed enjoyed on other days. We should reect on that. If other peoples lack of faith can stymie Jesus, then what may we expect for ourselves from a hateful world? Sometimes you follow Gods lead, you speak Gods word, you walk where your Lord leads, and nothing happens. Mark lets us see that even Jesus has days like that. Dont let it get you down. Its Gods saving Word and Gods power to heal, and there are other folks who need to hear it. And maybe something more than nothing happened. How can you know what God will do later with your faithful witness? IV. Lessons from the disciples great day. Were amazed, as were supposed to be, when the Twelve heal. They are not the Son of God, so we dont assume they have special powers the rest of us dont. They arent even all that good at following Jesus. One of them will hand Jesus over to the authorities; one will deny Jesus three times; all of them will abandon him after promising that not even death would separate them. But even though we know that this snapshot doesnt accurately predict that they will always follow Jesus well, for these moments, however brief, they do; they even have more success healing than Jesus does. Mark gave us his portrait of stumbling apostles, in part so wed know that Jesus is a merciful Lord. He calls us, and even if we dont think were good
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enough or brave enough, we follow, and he never res us to recruit more able assistants. Mark gives us plenty of pictures of the Twelve stumbling, so that when we do, we will know it isnt the end of our relationship with our Master. Marks Twelve dont always fail, however. They do leave everything to follow Jesus, and on some days, by relying on the authority he gave them and following his rules, they overcome the demons and heal the sick. Thats what we want to keep in our minds. We know we will fail, just as these guys did; what we have to believe is that by following the call of Jesus, we can do his work in our world.Richard B. Vinson
Character. One of the most frightening of the ancient heresies that rises in each age is that of Gnosticism. It suggests a blatant distinction between things spiritual and physical so that all that matters is spiritual. The physical has no lasting meaning or value. This philosophy characterized itself in two ways. First, as a call to asceticism: total self-denial, complete abstinence of any earthly thing. Hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil. Second, it led to indulgence in things physical and carnal. Because the physical world doesnt matter, and all that matters is spiritual, what one does with ones physical life is of no regard. Such a view legitimizes every kind of abhorrent behavior. Modern-day stories abound. Without naming names, we must admit that ministers are not immune from such abuses. Behavior does matter. Character is all that matters. Lee McGlone Bible. I have sometimes seen more in a line of the Bible than I could well tell how to stand under; and yet at another time the whole Bible hath been to me as dry as a stick; or rather my heart hath been so dead and dry unto it that I could not conceive the least dram of refreshment, though I have looked it all over.1John Bunyan
1John
Bunyan, Grace Abounding (Glasgow: Porteous and Hislop, 1863), p. 71.
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2 Sam. 5:15, 910 Ps. 48 2 Cor. 12:210 Mark 6:113 All Hail the Power of Jesus Name How Great Thou Art Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart So Send I You

Weak Means Strong KEY VERSE: Each time he said, My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. (2 Cor. 12:9, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Christs power MATERIALS: Bible, free weights (enough so one child cant pick it up, but with help it would be possible)
TITLE:
I need a volunteer to try to pick up this weight for me. (Choose a child you know would have no chance to pick it up.) I thought you were stronger than that. You must really be weak. Do you think if another person helped you, you both could lift it? (Choose another child and see if the two children can pick it up, working together. You might even help them so they can be successful.) I made it impossible for you to lift for a reason. (Open Bible.) Today in our lesson from 2 Corinthians, Paul writes, Each time he said, My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. Paul was suffering from what he called the thorn in the esh. He asked through prayer for it to be taken from him, and the verse we read was the answer he was given. Even in Pauls weakness, he was a person who showed Christ to others through what he said and did. What we did today lifting the weight showed we need someone else to help us when we are weak. We needed each other for support. But more important, we need Christ to help us every day to make right choices. And sometimes
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when we dont seem strong, it is the very time Christ comes and is shown to others through us. It might come as a simple smile to a friend. It might come as a kind word when a friend needs it the most.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: How excellent is your loving kindness, O God! Therefore, the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings (Ps. 36:7). Invocation: Almighty God, mindful of our national freedom, we gather to give thanks for the liberty of every needy soul, for our forgiveness and for the redeeming love of God. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: What is a man proted, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matt. 16:26). Offertory Prayer: By our giving, O Lord, we declare our love and loyalty to your eternal Kingdom. For every measure of your favor, we are forever grateful. Pour out your grace upon us as we seek to live, and to give, out of abundant joy. Amen. Morning Prayer: Father, we admit we live in an often difcult world. Mountains rise high above us that we think we cannot climb. Low valleys stretch out before us we think we cannot cross. Our hearts are often troubled. And we are afraid. This morning we come to you seeking your word of goodness to us. We declare what your word says, that you have bequeathed to us your peace. It is not the peace the world gives but only that which you give. Grant that we may so believe that our hearts will not be troubled or afraid. Instead of worrying, O Lord, help us be people of prayer. May our petitions and praise shape our worries into a new image of life, one that discovers the joy of a quiet heart and a restful spirit. Thank you, God, for keeping us in your power, as your sons and daughters, that we may abide in your peace. May our minds be forever stayed on you. Amen.Lee McGlone
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Benediction: As children of the eternal Parent of us all, let us live in loving obedience. As children of the eternal Creator, let us live in loving care of all that has been created. As children of the eternal Spirit, let us live in harmony with all that is holy and good. And may the loving care of our eternal Parent, Creator, and Spirit be with us all. Amen. Randy Hammer

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Power Play Mark 6:1429 OTHER READINGS: 2 Sam. 6:15, 12b9; Ps. 24; Eph. 1:314
What sort of story is this? What a nasty story this is! Beheadings have, unfortunately, not disappeared from our world. Then, as now, removing an enemys head is intended to humiliate those from whom the victim came and to prove where power really lies. A terrorist or freedom ghter wants to say that the mighty nation cannot protect its citizens; an ancient ruler, even if he beheads the prophet reluctantly, does so to prove that he can eliminate critics any time he wishes. A beheading is a power play carried out on the body of the victim. The story of Johns death seems, on rst read, to be a digression. We can see how Mark gets there: from the disciples successful exorcism and healing mission, to rumors of John the Baptist being alive again, to the story of how John died. But it isnt immediately clear how the grisly tale of Johns death advances the plot or what conclusions were supposed to draw from itthat dancing can only lead to worse sins? Or never make rash promises to teenagers? Perhaps we can do better, and if we begin by noticing that both John and Jesus die violently by order of those who ruled Palestine, well be on the right track.
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I. Why would Herod suspect a resurrection? Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, ruler of Galilee, heard about what was going on in the villages of his territory. He heard popular rumors: some said that John the Baptist had been raised; presumably, they thought Jesus was John come back to life, enabled by God to do miracles. Others said that Elijah had returned, fullling Malachis prediction that the ancient Israelite prophet would appear again just before Judgment Day. Others named Jesus a prophet along the lines of Elijah or Elisha, not a resurrected John or a re-appearing Elijah, but a new prophet who came to announce Gods news for a new age. Herod, according to Mark, chose option A: John, whom I beheaded, has been raised. Why would he think that? Marks narrative tries to answer, by painting a picture of a ruler plagued by guilt, pulled in several directions at once. Antipas rst consideration was for the security of his throne: Johns preaching had been a political threat, because he condemned Herods marriage to his brothers former wife. A king cant ignore those who call his marriage, and thus his children, illegitimate, so Antipas arrested John and held him in prison. His second consideration, however, was religious: he knew that John was a true prophet. Johns preaching left the king confused but convinced that he was hearing the words of a righteous man. The third consideration was internal to his house: his wife wanted John dead, not just behind bars. Herod knew this and had decided to protect the prophet. But then he had to show off. On his birthday, with plenty of big shots from Galilee in attendance at the festivities, he decides to reward his daughter with a big present: anything you want, up to half the kingdom! The point is to show the big shots what a real king is like; if they would only pay him the proper respect and make him happy, then maybe hed be as generous to them. Only the girl asked her mother, and her mother wanted John dead, and so Herod, bound by his rash oath, gave the orders to behead the prophet immediately. Later, when marvelous things begin happening in the villages of his territory, Herod Antipas guilty conscience makes him think that maybe God raised John, a divine action to vindicate the prophet and condemn the king. II. You cant always get what you want. To give this story some perspective, think of other biblical beheadings: David lopping off Goliaths head after
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felling him with a stone; Judith decapitating drunken Holofernes after bewitching him with her beauty; Jael killing Sisera by putting a tent peg through his temple (not a beheading, I admit, but in the ballpark). In those stories, someone presumed weak becomes Israels champion, and the strong man (bad guy) loses his head. In our story today, the good guy dies because the strong man (bad guy) is tricked by someone presumed weak. Herod Antipas wants to protect his right to rule and to pass it on to his children, so he imprisons Johnbig man, powerful king. Because he knows John is right and speaks the truth of God, he protects John in prison from those who want the prophet deadbig man, powerful king. Because he needs to impress an audience with his power and largesse, he makes a vow to his daughterbig man, powerful king. Only too late he realizes that even a king cant do everything he wants. Its a lesson that empires seem unable to learn, that the pursuit of righteousness and the exercise of violence are mutually exclusive. So what should we, who are citizens of the empire, learn from Marks vignette? Dont swear rash oaths is pretty obvious; like Jephthah, Herod is forced to kill someone he truly values. But push beyond that: Why did Herod have John in prison in the rst place? Why, if he knew John was a righteous and holy man, didnt Herod change his behavior rather than imprison his critic? Because in the end he loves power more than justice; its good to be king, and those who threaten the Herodian way of life have to be set out of the way. III. If any would come after me. . . . But push beyond that: If thats what Herod really thinks, why is he concerned about the miracles done by a few poorly dressed and underprovisioned itinerant preachers? Why does it seem to him like his old nemesis has been resurrected? Because deep down, Herod knows that you can kill the prophet, but that wont stop the Word of God. Silence John, cut off his head even, but then you nd others doing what he did. Thats one of the central themes of Mark. Rome can crucify Jesus, signifying its power over his body, but they cannot stop the spread of the gospel. Ultimate power belongs solely to God, and so for those of us who want to be part of Gods Realm, we have to let go of what ties us to Caesars Empire. Compromises will backre. Sooner or later youll be making a promise that youll regret
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having to keep. Better, as Jesus says, to deny yourself, to lose your life by your own choice, than to nd yourself complicit in the death of Gods prophet. And now we see how this story ts in Mark. Soon Jesus will tell the Twelve and the crowds that if they want to follow him, they will rst need to deny themselves and pick up their crosses. There comes a point where you must choose between exercising power as the Empire understands it or giving all that up to follow Jesus. Pick the prophet, says Mark; the Empire can kill you, but only God can raise you up.Richard B. Vinson
Expectations. An elementary student came to me once, at the instruction of his parents, because his grades at school had fallen unacceptably low. I asked him what seemed to be the matter. He replied, My teacher says Im an underachiever. The truth is shes an over-expector.Lee McGlone Discipleship. Dr. Stockmann, a character in Henrik Ibsens play An Enemy of the People, was only trying to help his town when he discovered its water source poisoned and its beaches polluted, but the townspeople decried his ndings. The majority was overwhelming in their rejection. Was the majority right when they stood by while Jesus was crucied? he asked the crowd. Was the majority right when they refused to believe that the earth moved around the sun and let Galileo be driven to his knees like a dog? The majority is never right until it does right, he said. He had chosen to go a new way. He would not retreat to the Herod of his communityhis brother, the mayornor would he go back on his ndings. The next day, as bricks shattered his windows and his daughter was dismissed from her job and his boys hounded out of school, his wife asked, Whats going to happen? Tom! Whats going to happen? All Dr. Stockmann could say was, I dont know. But remember now, everybody. You are ghting for the truth, and thats why youre alone. And that makes you strong. Were the strongest people in the world . . . and the strong must learn to be lonely! Jesus had said, If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32). Richard Anderson
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2 Sam. 6:15, 12b9 Ps. 24 Eph. 1:314 Mark 6:1429 We Praise You O God Come, Let Us Praise the Lord Just as I Am Be Still My Soul

Praising God 2 Sam. 6:15, 12b19 KEY VERSE: David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all their might, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instrumentslyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. (2 Sam. 6:5, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Praising God MATERIALS: Bible; hand instruments (optional), pictures of the instruments used in biblical times (optional)
TITLE: SCRIPTURE:
We have many different stories in the Bible showing Gods people praising God. (Open Bible.) In todays Old Testament lesson from 2 Samuel 6, the people of God are bringing back the Ark of the Covenant. There was a parade of people, and they were celebrating the return of the Ark of the Covenant. It says in verse 5, David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all their might, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instrumentslyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. We come together every Sunday to worship and praise God. What are some of the things we do to praise God? (Let the children respond, and reect back their answers.) We praise God in so many different ways. We sing hymns; we might clap our hands; we might even say an Amen! We read scripture and respond with thanks be to God. Praying to God is another way we praise him. I want us to take a moment together and praise God together. (Choose whether you want to use musical instruments with a praise song or have a time the
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children can each pray aloud. Choose according to what you think the children will respond to most freely.) We show praise to God because we want to celebrate all God has done for us.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord (Ps. 40:13). Invocation: Kind Father, stir our hearts as we gather to worship. We come today seeking to worship in spirit and in truth. Seal your Word in our hearts so that your will shall be done among us on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen. Offertory Sentence: The King shall answer and say unto them, Truly, I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it to unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me (Matt. 25:40). Offertory Prayer: O Lord, we seek to be as faithful in our giving as you are to us in your blessings. We have been abundantly blessed. Around us there is beauty, plenty, and splendor. Bless now our humble giving as expressions of gratitude. And may Kingdom efforts rise from these gifts to your eternal glory. Amen. Morning Prayer: Eternal God of grace and love, we come to this place today to be reminded of your presence. Speak to us through the silence, through the singing, through the reading of your word, through proclamation, through the architecture of the building, through the other images within this place, through our fellow church members, and through friends who are gathered here. Speak to us within the depths of our own needs. May your presence be so real to us in this place today that we shall go forth to live in a more creative way. We come seeking to be made new within your spirit. May your touch transform us and your vision grip us. We thank
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you for your grace and for your love. Forgive us for turning inward and seeking always our own pursuits and forgetting your ways. Help us to remember this day the sacrice of your Son and the gift of his life for us. May that remembrance challenge us to live differently and sacricially. We go forth seeking to be obedient to you. Help us, O God, to live and to love, even as we have been loved. Through Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.William Powell Tuck Benediction: God is great and God is good. We go forth today in his favor, seeking his will and way, and ready to yield a word of crucial witness to our needy world. Lord, may we be careful to make the most of every opportunity. Amen.

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Compassion and Compassion Fatigue TEXT: Mark 6:3034, 5356 OTHER READINGS: 2 Sam. 7:114a; Ps. 89:2037; Eph. 2:1122
What a beautiful frame! Everybody knows the stories of the feeding of the ve thousand, where Jesus fed a crowd with just a little bread and sh, and Jesus walking on the water, where he catches up to the disciples who are in a boat in the middle of a lake. Today instead of looking at the accounts of the miracles, we think about the verses that introduce and conclude them. This may seem odd, a bit like focusing on the frame instead of the portrait. Can you imagine your friend proudly showing you a new family photograph hung over the replace, and your rst remark is, What a wonderful frame! Look at the grain in the wood! But Marks frame is meant to help us understand some important things about serving God, so its worth taking time to study; besides, we wont completely ignore the two portraits inside the frame.
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I. Jesus and self-care. The introductory verses show Jesus modeling what we now think of as self-care. The Twelve had been off preaching, healing, and casting out demons, and having a roaring success of it. When they returned and reported all this to Jesus, he decided it was time for some solitude: Come away by yourselves to a desert place and rest a little while. This was because the many were swarming themcoming and going, says Mark, keeping everybody so busy there was scarcely time to eat. So Jesus rst move in response to the constant needs of the many is to attend to the physical needs of his disciples: they need rest, they need food, they need solitude to recharge. So does Jesus. In 1:2134, Mark gives us a synopsis of what must have been a pretty typical day for Jesus: teaching and demon exorcism in the morning, followed by a healing just before the evening meal, followed by more healings and exorcisms as the word spread that he was available. The next morning, before sunrise, Jesus went off by himself to pray. Hes the Son of God, but he isnt Superman; he needs time to think, to pray, to be alone with Godtime when he does not have to meet the needs of others. Ministers or clergyanyone who serves others in Gods nameknow this very well. Everyone reaches a point where the bucket is empty, where the cloth is frayed, and unless you can take time to recharge, you nd yourself doing and saying things you regret. Before we let the lm keep rolling, lets learn this lesson. Jesus was human. He knows were human. No human can be a completely seless servant to others without learning how to care for ones self. We know that, but sometimes its nice to see that were on the same page with Jesus. II. Jesus compassion versus the apostles fatigue. But then the picture changes. The many see Jesus and the boys heading off on retreat, gure out where theyre going, and manage to get there rst. Picture it: youve arranged for someone to cover your care, giving responsibilities so that you can take some much-needed R&R. As you drive to your retreat spot, youre already feeling better, knowing that youll get to nap, to read uninterrupted, to watch a sunset or take a walk or listen to the new CD you packed. But when you pull up to your resting spot, there they arenot just the folks for whom you normally have to minister but a whole bunch of new folks who live nearby, who have heard that you were coming.
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Of course, you dont have to minister to anybody, right? If those ungrateful wretches are so selsh that they cant even give you two nights off, let alone the full sabbatical that you really need, then youll nd something else to do with your lifesome other line of work, some other relationships that arent so demanding, some other people who dont seem so determined to suck all the energy out of you. Ever nd yourself muttering things like that to yourself? Maybe the apostles feel like that, and thats why they try to send the crowds away and get snippy with Jesus when he suggests that they should feed the multitudes. But Jesus had compassion on them, and in the famous story of the feeding, he took what little there was on hand and stretched it until everyone was satised. III. Vision or nightmare? Marks ending frame continues this theme of Jesus, the provider. Wherever he wentvillage or city or open eldpeople would set their sick in the marketplaces and then beg him just to let them touch the tassels on his clothes. And whoever touched his clothes was healed. On the one hand, it sounds marvelous: Jesus moving through all the places where ordinary people lived, providing Gods salvation to anyone who wanted it. Its a picture of Gods benecent care, owing to a desperate world through the ministry of one devoted servant. Could I be that servant, Lord? On my better days, I want to do that much good in the world. On the other hand, it sounds like a nightmare. All those hands reaching out to you, wanting you to help them, and you cant go anywhere they cant nd you. Many of you know how trapped you can feel, just because of your need to care for just one person who depends on you completely. What if everyone who knew anything about you wanted your help? IV. A messy conclusion. Marks narrative frame around these two miracles doesnt sort everything out for us. On the one hand, Jesus knows that his followers need rest, and he tries to organize it for them. On the other hand, he seems more than willing to interrupt their rest when the needs of the many are presented to him. Jesus compassion trumps the disciples fatigue. It isnt neat. Wed like it better if Jesus had insisted that the Twelve nished their time away before asking them to assist him in feeding the multitude. On the other hand, when were the ones in need, we dont want to hear that Jesus or those who minister to us are unavailable. We must settle
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for this: Jesus knows that his followers need rest in order to minister well. That gives us permission to take time to recuperate. But Jesus always put the needs of the many ahead of his own, and if we follow him, so will we. Richard B. Vinson
Prayer. Prayer is the alternative to worry. Instead of wringing our hands in a frenzy, we are to be busy at the great work of prayer. How glad I was, only a couple of months ago, when our liturgical dance team traveled to New York City and shared a word of hope in and around Ground Zero. When I watched the videotape of our young ladies reaching out to share the love of God in downtown rehouses, on street corners, with people in need, I was overwhelmed. They proclaimed the God of all comfort who comforts us in our afiction, who stands by us faithfully when the earth shakes and the mountains are cast into the sea. The video ended with these words from Jeremiah 31:13: The young women will dance for joy. I will turn their mourning into laughter. I will give comfortand exchange their sorrow for rejoicing. As the video ended, I cried. I cried because what I saw wasnt about a performance; what I saw was a prayer. It was a bold declaration of grace and the all-sufciency of God to heal our deepest wounds. And I thought, in a troubled world like this there really is hope, as long as there are young people like this who so boldly declare faith in God.Lee McGlone Worship. Sometimes Ill see a parent holding a hymnal for a small child; the parent is moving her nger down the page, pointing to the words and teaching her child the great hymns of faith. And Ill worship him! Occasionally, Ill catch a glimpse of a husband and wife with whom I have counseled and prayed and in prayer or hymn singing, holding hands, a symbol to me that God is at work, putting them back together the way he meant for them to be. And Ill worship him! Ill scan the congregation sometimes, and my eyes will meet the eyes of one whose grief is almost too much to bear, and sometimes there are tears in those eyes. And Ill worship him, as I lift that precious life to him and pray for their comfort and strength!Gary C. Redding
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2 Sam. 7:114a Ps. 89:2037 Eph. 2:1122 Mark 6:3034, 5356 Meekness and Majesty Jesus Shall Reign Called as Partners in Christs Service Come Away from Rush and Hurry

Pass the Peace SCRIPTURE: Eph. 2:1122 KEY VERSE: For Christ himself has made peace. (Eph. 2:14a, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Peace MATERIALS: Bible; a piece of paper with the word Peace written on it PREPARATION: If you do not pass the peace in your service, you might include the words in the bulletin right after the childrens sermon time. You might want to enlist a child to help you model how it is done and practice ahead of time.
TITLE:
(Hold up the paper with the word Peace written on it.) What do you think of when you hear or see the word Peace? (Let the children respond. Be aware you can get a variety of responses, depending on the experiences of your children.) I found a lot of different words that are words for peace: calm, quiet, stillness, harmony, end of war, and freedom from trouble. Some of these are words you said or described as you told me about peace. Paul, in his letters found in the New Testament, often has the words the peace of God be with you. (Open Bible.) Paul also wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, For Christ himself has made peace. In some churches, people will pass the peace, as a way of greeting other Christians. It is done so we follow the words of Jesus to be at peace with one another before we bring our offerings to God. This is what you say: The peace of the Lord be with you. (Have the children repeat this with you.) Then the other person says back, And also with you. (Have the children practice this with you. Then choose one child and do it
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with them to model.) Now I want you to go and pass the peace with others in our church. (Have the children and adults pass the peace. Then have the children return to their parents and have a prayer together.)Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: As the heart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? (Ps. 42:12). Invocation: As we gather in the place of worship, we long for your presence and transforming power. Father of mercy, have mercy on us today. Shine the light of your love into our lives. Be our strength and our helper. Be our present companion. And Father, as we learn to love you more, help us to love one another. Amen. Offertory Sentence: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that you measure it shall be measured to you again (Luke 6:38). Offertory Prayer: Lord, let us not be guilty of withholding the best parts of life, even our money, for ourselves. Instead, enable us to give all we can so others can know the victory we have found through Jesus Christ. Receive our gifts as grateful representations of our devotion. Amen. Morning Prayer: Merciful God, you lead us through the wilderness to test us and to bless us and to form us into a purposeful assembly. You lead us through the wilderness because that is where you are and because that is where the issues are joined. With a rod, Moses struck the Nile and it turned to blood. But in the wilderness, with a rod, Moses struck a rock and water gushed forth. In the wilderness you turn dryness to life and emptiness to ever-owing streams. In the wilderness you show your glory. And in your Son, Jesus, you also slake the thirst of parched souls. In your Son, Jesus, you do not pull rank but go to the end of the line, go to the
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wilderness of pain, loss, and death, there to urge us to take heart, there to offer a cup of cool water, there to talk it up, re us up wherefore you are rightly to be praised and whereto we lift up our hearts.Peter Fribley Benediction: The world behind us, the cross before us. And because we belong to God now and forever, there is no turning back. May we live courageously and so afrm our deep commitments to God and to the world for which Christ died. Amen.

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Dont Panic!
John 6:121 OTHER READINGS: 2 Sam. 11:115; Ps. 14; Eph. 3:1421 Disaster movies often have a dont panic scene. The hero or heroine is trying to organize the others to escape the oncoming disaster, but somebody loses his or her head and starts screaming about how theyre all going to die. Dont panic! shouts the one in charge, often slapping the panicky one. Generally speaking, its probably good advicenot the slapping part, but dont panic! Dont let fear paralyze you so that you do nothing. Dont let fear make you over-react, so that you do lots of unhelpful things. If you stay focused on problem solving, things go better. But its bad advice to stay too calm, too unrufed, when there is a true disaster shaping up. How many people in coastal regions end up dead because they do not take hurricane warnings seriously? Johns versions of the paired miracles of the feeding of the multitude and the water walking both have a crisis at their center. To see these episodes as John did, we turn rst to a close reading of the story, being careful not to import details from the other gospels.
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I. First crisis: too many mouths, not enough bread. Johns introduction (6:14) gives us almost too many thematic threads for these stories. First, Jesus is near the Sea of Galilee (the large lake so important to the economy of that region in Jesus day) but on the side opposite Capernaum somewhere on the eastern shore. Second, Jesus has been healing the sick, so crowds are following him for that reason. Third, Jesus takes a seat on a mountaina traditional beginning for a story about a prophet preaching or teaching or revealing Gods message. Finally, John tells us that Passover is close so that we have the associations of Gods miraculous deliverance of Israel from Egypt, of the Passover meal celebrated by all Israel, and of Gods equally miraculous preservation of Israel as they crossed the desert to the Promised Land. The crowds approach, and Jesus, rather than teaching them, immediately asks one of the disciples how he and they could provide bread for the people. It would cost too much, replies Philip, and then Andrew mentions the boys loaves and sh. Too many people, not enough resources; we cant do anything. Sound familiar? There are too many homeless, too many underinsured, too many unemployed for our congregation to make a dent, and thats just in our immediate area. If you add in the world, then the problems are just too big. Incessant wars, corruption, genocide, diseases; if I let those things weigh on my mind for very long, then Id go crazy. Better not think about it very much. We know what happens next. Jesus instructs the disciples to tell the people to sit down. Jesus hands out the provisions, and then the disciples again are involved, gathering up the remains. Jesus is the host for this meal, in other words. The people have followed him because they have seen what he can do for others, and he invites them to be his guests for dinner. His disciples facilitate, but Jesus gives the increase. Sound familiar? You know how this works. Youve had plenty of experiences in your own homes and as a part of this congregation when youve been certain that there were not enough resources to meet the need. But working together and asking God to bless what you have, you have been surprised at how things turned out. Somebody stepped forward with the expertise or the provisions or the energy you needed; when it was over, everyone was satised.
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Dont send the needy away because the depths of their need makes you panic. Jesus is with you and will bless what you have. Your brothers and sisters are with you and will help you hold the baskets. II. Next crisis: I dont like the solution to the rst crisis. The people, impressed by Jesus miracle, move quickly from this is the Prophetthe Moses-type deliverer whom Moses promised would ariseto Lets crown him and make him rule us permanently! Jesus wont be manipulated or controlled by needs or the needy. He gives himself freely and compassionately, but he wont be anyone elses pawn. Again, no panic: he simply withdraws, going back up the mountain. In his absence, the disciples decide to go home, so they get into their boat and cast off. Interesting! As John describes things, it is their decision, not Jesus command, and clearly they intended to leave without him. Are they spooked by the power of the miracle or by the zeal of the crowds reaction? Or have they concluded, from Jesus absence, that they are now on their own? Whatever their thinking, off they go, rowing toward Capernaum, their homes and families. The storm comes up, but in Johns version, this seems unremarkable. What gives them the willies is Jesus appearance on the lake, walking toward them after they are already several miles out from shore. I guess so! Picture the stormnot a crisis for shermen who take their living from the lake, but it probably focuses their attention. And then, walking out there in the wind and waves, is Jesus. If they felt abandoned or confused before, now they feel just plain terried at something completely beyond their experience or understanding. It is Idont be afraid, he says, so then they wanted to take him into the boat. See what that last bit implies? When they rst saw him out there, they mostly wanted to run. III. Sound familiar? Oh, yeah. The Jesus who wants me to believe we can feed a multitude with ve loaves and two sh is not a comfortable companion. He would tell us to open our doors to the poor and the sick, to lay down our weapons and love our enemies, and to trust him to make it all work. And because he refuses to be manipulated, we cant predict how hell make it work, or when he will multiply the little we have. Yeah, hes pretty scary. Sometimes it feels like the real crisis is not the world outside but the decision to let Jesus into our boat and turn the show over to him.
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Dont panic. He wont tip you over into the raging storm. He wont leave you without support. He wont be controlled. But since he knows best how to x things, thats a blessing. It is Idont be afraid. Thats the gospel. Richard B. Vinson
Grace. James Lawson writes of John Bunyans experience of grace: Bunyans complete deliverance from his dreadful doubts and despair came one day while he was passing through a eld. Suddenly the sentence fell upon his soul, Thy righteousness is in heaven. By the eye of faith he seemed to see Jesus, his righteousness, at Gods right hand. He said, now did my chains fall off my legs indeed; I was loosed from my afictions and irons; my temptations also ed away; so that, from that time, those dreadful Scriptures of God left off to trouble me! Now went I also home rejoicing for the grace and love of God.2 Silence. The more I practice this discipline, the more I appreciate the strength of silence. The less I become skeptical and judgmental, the more I learn to accept the things I dont like about others, and the more I accept them as uniquely created in the image of God. The less I talk, the fuller are words spoken at an appropriate time.3

2 Sam. 11:115 Ps. 14 Eph. 3:1421 John 6:121 Take Time to Be Holy Be Thou My Vision God of the Ages, Historys Maker Break Now the Bread of Life
2James
3Anonymous
Lawson, Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians (Barbour Publishing, 2000), p. 133. Christian quoted in Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines (San Francisco: HarperOne, 1988), p. 165.
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Rooted in God SCRIPTURE: Eph. 3:1421 KEY VERSE: And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of Gods marvelous love. (Eph. 3:17, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Spiritual development MATERIALS: Bible, plant with roots showing that is ready to be potted, pot with soil PREPARATION: Have all things ready to pot the plant as you talk with the children.
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I brought a plant today that needs to be planted. At school some of you may have learned how a plant grows. What does a plant need to help it grow? (Let the children respond.) You are right. A plant needs sun, water, and food to grow. Did you know the roots of the plant suck up the water and food the plant needs from the ground? I bet some of you did. The roots also hold it up in the ground. It is the support for the plant. (Show the plants roots as you plant it.) When a plant is in soil and can get what it needs, like food, water, and light, it makes the plant strong. The roots will continue to grow down into the soil, and the plant becomes stronger and stronger. Sometimes in the Bible, the writers will use story pictures for us to understand our relationship with God. Paul uses the picture of roots to talk about our relationship with God. (Open Bible.) In Ephesians 3:17, Paul wrote, And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of Gods marvelous love. Just like a plants roots go deep to make it strong, the more we trust Christ and follow Christs ways, we become stronger. It is not talking about muscle strength but about what makes us who we areour character. We are made in the image of God, and as we trust we become stronger people who become more like Christ. As you get older, you will learn more and more about what it means to be like Christrooted in his love and in Gods Word. As your family of faith, we want to help you become rooted in Christ by loving you and teach-
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ing you through Gods Word so you can learn and trust even more.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Be still and know that I am God. . . . The Lord of hosts is with us (Ps. 46:10, 11). Invocation: Father, God of light, you do indeed illumine our paths. Open our eyes that we may see you as we gather in this place to worship. Make yourself known to us through the scripture, the scripture read, the scripture preached, and the scripture sung. Lord, let your light shine! Amen. Offertory Sentence: A good man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good (Luke 6:45). Offertory Prayer: Lord, bless what we bring that what is kept and what is given may be used equally for Gods great glory. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: Merciful God, open our hearts to your saving presence in the stories of the Bible. In them may we nd our truest hopes mirrored, focused, and made clear. Bring the light of their saving truths to our painful conicts and to our brightest dreams for family reunion, even the reunion of the family of humankind, bring their will for reconciliation, their energy, and their joy. In the name of the Peacemaker.Peter Fribley Benediction: As we go, look around and see our brothers and sisters in Christ, these sons and daughters of God. Declare to one another, Peace and joy to you in the name of Jesus Christ. And go in that same peace and live peacefully with all. Amen.
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SUNDAY, august 2, 2009

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Life Comes Full Circle 2 Sam. 11:2612:13a OTHER READINGS: Ps. 51:112; Eph. 4:116; John 6:2435
Are there any more ominous words in scripture than those recorded in 2 Samuel 11:27? The text says, But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. The words themselves cannot fully convey the depth of Davids deceit and duplicity. David had committed an egregious sin against Almighty God, and the ripple effect of that sin would live on for generations. Soon David would discover the painful realities that were a direct result of his disobedience against God. His story is as compelling and as lewd as any Hollywood tale. It is a story lled with lust, betrayal, murder, and eventually coverupand to think that these terms describe the life of Israels greatest king! It is a classic example of one who lost all focus in his life and that lack of focus led to disastrous consequences. I. Davids downfall came as a result of the culture of deceit that he, the king, had developed. Dont forget the preface to the story at hand. In a moment of weakness and lust, David had an illicit affair with Bathsheba, the wife of one of Davids own soldiers, Uriah the Hittite. Consequently, Bathsheba became pregnant with Davids child. Faced with the reality of his sin, David realized what he had done. One would think that the noble king would know how to make sound decisions in a moment of crisis, but what he does next is not only immoral, it is absolutely stupid. David tries to cover up his sin by hastily arranging a furlough for the weary soldier. The furlough was a less than noble gesture. Davids hope was that Uriah would come from the war and have marital relations with his wife, Bathsheba, thus disguising the true paternity of the child. Evidently, Uriah possessed greater convictions than his own king, and he refused to comply with the request. His
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logic is commendable: if his fellow soldiers cannot enjoy the comforts of home and family, he has no right to either (11:11). Whereas David has no conviction in this matter, Uriah is deeply convictional, and he makes the life of the scheming king all the more difcult. As if one sin wasnt bad enough, cold and calculating David determines that the only way to deal with Uriah is to eliminate him by sending him to the front lines of the battle, where he will face certain death (11:14). II. Sin is much like a boomerang. It has a sneaky way of returning to the offender! For all of Davids scheming and conniving, sin found its way back to him. Following the death of Uriah, Bathsheba grieved for an appropriate season, but she soon was summoned to the palace of the king to be his wife. On the surface it appears that Davids little plan of deceit had worked. Soon the realities of his betrayals came back to haunt him. It was life as full circle. There is a saying that states, What goes around comes around. It is true. When the principles of God are violated, something is going to break. Typically, not only the principles are broken but also the violator. The day of reckoning came for David at the hand of Nathan, a prophet of God. The Lord sent Nathan to confront David. Rather than an outright confrontation, the prophet spoke to the king through the use of a juridical parable. In so doing, the prophet confronted David with a story of great injustice about a poor man and a rich man. The prophets parable was an emotionally gripping tale of the poor mans lamb that was a beloved part of the family. In an act of insensitive selshness, the rich man stole the tender lamb to feed a traveler. Clearly, the dynamics of injustice and inequity are rmly grounded in the prophets words. Upon hearing the story, the king is rightly outraged. It seems that the kings sense of justice works wonderfully when applied to the grievances of others; he simply has a problem with his own sin. No doubt that is what Nathan hoped to accomplish by this indirect method of confrontation. III. David was outraged at the story and demanded that justice be doled out upon the rich man. With rmness in his voice, Nathan looked at the king and uttered the condemning words, You are the man (12:7). And he was. In Davids life, as for all us, the judgment always comes. Gods order may be violated, but the penalty is certain to follow. Follow it did for David. David
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was warned by the prophet of God that a very public sentence was being pronounced upon him. Whereas Davids sin and coverup were conducted in the shadows, what God was about to do would be for all to observe. Sadly, the harsh realities of Davids sin would haunt him the remainder of his days. His legacy was tarnished, and his family would pay a harsh price for the transgressions of a lustful and greedy king. It is imperative to always remember the consequences of our actions. Not only do we bring judgment on ourselves, but frequently we bring it on those around usthe innocent victims who suffer because of us. This ripple effect of sin ought to jolt us into remembering that our sin not only harms us; it harms others, too. That is a sobering thought, and there are sobering consequences!Danny M. West
Discipleship. The word disciple occurs 269 times in the New Testament. Christian is found three times and was rst introduced to refer precisely to disciples of Jesusin a situation where it was no longer possible to regard them as a sect of the Jews (Acts 11:26). The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples, and for disciples of Jesus Christ.1Dallas Willard Nature of Jesus Christ. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunaticon the level with the man who says he is a poached eggor else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.2 C. S. Lewis
1Dallas 2C.
Willard, The Great Omission (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2006), p. 3. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1952), p. 56.
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2 Sam. 11:2612:13a Ps. 51:112 Eph. 4:116 John 6:2435 Search Me, O God There Is a Balm in Gilead A Charge to Keep I Have Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Bread of Life SCRIPTURE: John 6:2435 KEY VERSE: Jesus replied, I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in me will never thirst. (John 6:35, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Jesus, eternal life MATERIALS: Bible, bread, cup of water
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What do you like to eat when you get hungry? (Let the children respond and reect back their answers.) What do you like to drink when you get thirsty? (Let the children respond and reect back their answers.) You thought of a lot of good things to eat and drink. You are about to make me feel a bit hungry. You know, I brought with me some bread and a large cup of water. Maybe if I eat a bit of this, I wont be hungry before lunch time. (Take a bit of the bread and drink some of the water.) This is a really good treat. Would you like some of my bread? (Give some to the children who want some.) (Open Bible.) In the time of Jesus, bread was one of the things the people ate a lot of. In the miracle story, when Jesus fed the ve thousand, he gave the people bread and sh until they were full. The people whom he fed kept following him and wanted him to do another miracle, but Jesus told them they didnt understand. Jesus replied, I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in me will never thirst. Jesus fed the people to make it so they were not hungryso their tummies wouldnt growl. But when Jesus said he was the bread of life and no one will be
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hungry or thirsty ever again, Jesus was using one of those picture stories. Jesus was telling the people he was the way to eternal life. He was the Savior they were waiting for. We can celebrate today, knowing Jesus is our Savior and we can be with him forever.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth (Ps. 47:67a). Invocation: Father, as we gather to worship we confess we are slow to realize all you have done for us and through us. Open our eyes that we may see and understand and that we will declare in worship our gratitude for your grace at work. Give to us bold words to declare your deeds in the entire world. Amen. Offertory Sentence: And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a mans life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses (Luke 12:15). Offertory Prayer: O Lord, as we give these tithes and offerings, we do so mindful of your unending gifts to us. May our giving of dollars and cents speak truthfully of the level of our dedication. And may our dedication be deep and wide. Amen. Morning Prayer: Eternal God, we come in prayer to you this day with a sense of thanksgiving for all the gifts that we have received from your hand. We thank you for the gift of life, for love, for work, play, hopes and dreams, and tasks to be done. We thank you for the sacrices and ideals we have inherited from our forefathers and foremothers, who made the way that we might live and exist in this particular time in our history as a nation. We confess today that too often we come to you only with our problems. So this day we pause to say thank you. We thank you for accepting us when we are really unacceptable. We thank you for hope when we have lost our dream, for your presence when we feel abandoned. Thank you for all of the wonder, mystery, and beauty in our world; for the touch of friends when the
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burdens of life get heavy; for moments of silence in a busy world. We thank you for your hand of assurance when life crashes in upon us, for the joy of helping others when they are in need, for the assurance that you have made a place for each of us when we feel inadequate. Amen.William Powell Tuck Benediction: May we go today with the sounds of praise ringing in our hearts and on our lips. During the days of this week, let us stand in awe of our Lords splendor and grace. And may we so live to bring honor to his holy name. Amen.

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost A Fathers Broken Heart TEXT: 2 Sam. 18:59, 15, 3133 OTHER READINGS: Ps. 130; Eph. 4:255:2; John 6:35, 4151
Messiness always leads to messiness. The life of David is a messy tale. From the heroic slaying of Goliath to the ignoble affair with Bathsheba, Davids life was as tumultuous as a roller-coaster ride. Davids life is characteristic of a life that is out of balance in relationship to God and thus is out of balance with those around him. It did not have to be this way, but the cycle of pain that David endured all falls back to the choices he made in life. Ultimately, the messiness of Davids life caught up to him and his legacy. In truth, Davids life is summed by one of the fundamental premises of scripture: What one sows is what one reaps. David made many foolish and reckless decisions, and those decisions marked his life and they certainly marked his relationships. Nowhere are his relational aws more evident than with his son, Absalom. I. Absalom had revolted against his father, the king, in an attempt to secure his place in the line of succession to the throne. David ees from Jerusalem
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(15: 13ff) and Absalom quickly swoops in to claim to the city. The pivotal moment in the story soon follows. David rallies his loyal troops, and the battle in the forest of Ephraim commences. As the soldiers ready themselves for the battle, David orders his men to not harm his son, Absalom (18:5). Deal gently with him, was the kings order. It is a telling moment. The kings rule has been blatantly challenged by an upstart and apostate son. In spite of the betrayal and hostility between father and son, the king still holds a tender spot in his heart for his own esh and blood. The event provides a wonderful glimpse into the heart of the king. In his own right, David could have ordered the immediate execution of his treasonous son. Who knows, that might have been his rst inclination, but it certainly was not his last. Whereas his head cried justice, Davids heart pleaded for grace. Though Absalom was a traitor, he was also a son. We dare not overlook the beauty of this moment. Davids character clearly reects the love he had for a wayward child. It is wonderful portrait of the nature of God. God does the same for his prodigal children. He loves them and wants only the best for them. At the heart of Gods redemptive story is the wonderful notion of grace. In many ways it is the one word that describes our God. It is also the word that comes to mind in examining Davids life. His heart was clearly wounded by Absaloms actions, but out of the crevices of those wounds oozed mercy and compassion for the rebellious son. II. David had ordered his troops to protect Absalom, but in the brutality of war no such promise could truly be honored. When the battle commenced, it became quickly apparent that Absaloms rag-tag army was no match for the kings well-assembled army. In addition to the military forces of David, the text says that the forest of Ephraim devoured more men than the sword (18:8). It was in the forest that Absalom met his fate. The demise of the kings son is one of the most bizarre and picturesque images in Holy Scripture. While riding his mule, Absalom happened upon the servants of the king. He also happened upon an oak tree! In a strange incident, while riding under the branch of the tree, Absaloms head was caught in its branches. What a sight that must have been: a man dangling between heaven and earth. One of the soldiers immediately reported the phenomenon to Joab,
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who asked if he had killed the boy. The soldier had listened carefully to both the words and the heart of the king. He did not harm Absalom and replied that he would not have done so for ten thousand pieces of silver because of the kings demand. As a military strategist, Joab was unmoved by such sentiment. He immediately went into the forest and killed Absalom. He followed standard military procedure but not the kings procedure. III. It did not take long for Davids heart to move from tenderness to despair. The king was apprised of the military success, but that was not the most important thing for him. His rst question was not the question of a victorious king but the question of an anxious father. He did not ask about the battle or the level of success. He simply asked about his son. When the father-king was informed of Absaloms plight, the raw emotions of grief erupted. In spite of all of their differences, David was still the boys father, and his heart was broken. In my years of ministry, I have been present on more than one occasion when a parent is informed of the untimely death of a child, and it is the single most painful thing I have witnessed. When the words come out and the message is heard, the agony is unbearable to the ear and to the heart. So it was for David. He understood the realities of war, but he still longed to preserve the life of his son. His words were haunting and lled with raw grief: O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I have died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son! (18:22). Even hearing those words today touches deep and powerful places in our hearts. This is the ragged-edged response of a grief-broken father. The tragedy of the story of David and Absalom is that death arrived before reconciliation did. It is a haunting reminder that no matter how badly relationships may be broken, there is always the potential for grace to prevail while the parties remain alive. Once death pays a visit, there is then no chance for reconciliation. I increasingly nd myself preaching this very theme. I remind my congregants to live life fully and to live life without regrets. I have walked away from too many freshly turned graves where the heavy emotion of regret lingered because forgiveness that could have been offered was withheld and would nevermore be present in the relationship. Davids heart was broken because what could have been and should have been would never be between himselfthe kingand his rebellious
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son. His cry is the cry of a devastated, heartbroken father who had lost the opportunity to make things right between himself and Absalom. It was too late for David. I pray that the same is not said of us.Danny M. West
Caring. I was hungry and you formed a humanities club and discussed my hunger. I was imprisoned, and you crept off quietly to your chapel in the cellar and prayed for my release. I was naked, and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance. I was sick, and you knelt and thanked God for your health. I was homeless, and you preached to me the spiritual shelter of the love of God. I was lonely, and you left me alone to pray for me. You seem so holy, so close to God, but Im still very hungry and lonely and cold.3Charles Allen Salt of the Earth. The statesman William Wilberforce almost single-handedly championed the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. A diminutive man, he didnt appear to be the kind of person who could accomplish such a thing. But despite his limitations, his personality became the force for much good. It was written of him, Tiny, elsh, misshapen, he was salt to British society, not only bringing preservation but enticement to Christ by his beautiful life. A little salt makes its presence felt.4Lee McGlone

2 Sam. 18:59, 15, 3133 Ps. 130 Eph. 4:255:2 John 6:35, 4151 It Is Well with My Soul Restore in Us, O God All for Jesus O Come to Me, the Master Said
Allen, You Are Never Alone (Old Tappan: Revell, 1978), pp. 143144. Kent Hughes, The Sermon on the Mount: The Message of the Kingdom (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 2001), p. 80.
4R.
3Charles
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I Hope So! SCRIPTURE: Ps. 130 KEY VERSE: I am counting on the LORD; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. (Ps. 130:5, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Gods Word MATERIALS: Bible, bag with some kind of treat you can share with the kids
TITLE:
I have something in this bag to give each of you. If you could wish for anything you wanted to come out of the bag, what would it be? (Let the children answer and reect back their answers.) You really are hoping for something big from my bag. I am going to be honest, I do have something for you in my bag, but you didnt wish for this. I will give it to you at the end of our time together. (Make sure this ts with what was wished for, depending on what you pick as your treat.) Sometimes we wish for a special toy. We could also say we hope we will get it. We hope we will get a special present for our birthday or Christmas. We look forward to it happening. We trust it will happen. (Open Bible.) In our psalm reading for today, the psalmist wrote, I am counting on the LORD; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. We can learn from the psalmist to always turn to God and Gods Word. The psalmist was hoping and trusting that God would forgive him. The psalmist knew about the promises from the parts of the Word of God being told and read. The psalmist had faith God would forgive. We can have this same hope. We have Gods Word, the Bible, to teach us about God. We hear stories about how God loves us, forgives us, and wants us to follow Gods way. We can trust this is true. We have Gods Word.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me (Ps. 55:16). Invocation: Lord, as we enter this place to worship, we desire more than life to live in your presence and to do your will. For dwelling with you and doing
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your will are our hearts intentions. Speak to us today, O Lord, that your glory will be revealed to us. Amen. Offertory Sentence: Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him will they ask the more (Luke 12:48b). Offertory Prayer: Kind Father, receive these offerings today as expressions of our love for you, as gratitude for the salvation we know in Christ Jesus, as commitments to the mission of your Church in the world, and as our joy in participating with you in the work of eternity. Amen. Morning Prayer: O loving God, we gather this day to worship you. Our presence here in this place afrms our dependence on you. Our journey through this life is often difcult and hard unless we are fed by your spirit, so we come to your table to experience the power of your presence pulsating through our veins. As we drink this cup, may we feel the strength of your grace sustaining us so that we will thirst no more. As we eat this bread, may we be fed by the Bread of Heaven. Nourish us until our will, desire, hopes, and dreams become your will and goals, as we eat at your table. We offer you our mind, heart, soul, and strength. O Bread of Life, feed us until we are fully nourished to live for you. Amen.William Powell Tuck Benediction: Now having worshipped and having been strengthened in spirit, may we go out in the power of the living, eternal Lord, even Jesus the Christ. And may we gladly share his love in word and deedand all for his eternal glory. Amen.

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Watch Your Step Eph. 5:1520 OTHER READINGS: 1 Kings 2:1012; 3:314; Ps. 111; John 6:5158
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When I was a child, I often found myself mimicking my father. I would pretend to be like him. I would watch him work around the house or in the yard, and I would immediately join in. If he worked with a shovel, I got my little shovel and started digging away! If he were sawing wood it was the same. I watched his every move and tried to be like him. Likewise, the Apostle Paul reminds the Ephesians audience of the importance of imitating God (5:1). Imitating God requires a desire and a discipline that attempts to live a life that reects the image of God. Paul prefaces the entirety of Ephesians 5 with a personal and communal challenge to live like God. I. Living obediently under God requires walking very carefully. As followers of Christ, we live in a state of reality that reminds us that the stakes are high in our following. Because we do follow Christ, we dare not follow our own foolish paths. The world offers a path of foolishness that is counter to the life of Christ. We have lived the life of foolishness in our past, and when we dared to follow Christ, we declared that we would leave our old life behind. That means that our living is a living that has demands placed upon it. One of those demands is not wasting the gift of time. Pauls words are a haunting reminder for those of us who waste and whittle away Gods gift of time to us. As wise persons, it is imperative that we not invest in the meaninglessness and foolishness that surrounds us. I was reminded of this in a recent conversation with a friend who lost a spouse last year. He said to me, I dont worry about pocket change anymore. His meaning was clear. Life is too short and the opportunities too great to not live faithfully. As followers of Christ, our goal is to keep our antenna extended and alert to every opportunity. That is the meaning of Pauls words about making the most of the time (5:16). We are to be diligent in looking for chances to be faithful. Every moment of life is pregnant with great opportunity to bear witness to the love of God. On occasion I will take stock of an average day and assess my productivity. I will examine the use of my time and note the places where there is waste and slothfulness. Typically, this is done to scrutinize my workday. However, the most important work I do in this arena occurs when I apply the same scrutiny to my Kingdom endeavors.
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When I do so, I quickly discover that I squander abundant opportunity to bear witness to my faith. Not only do I waste earthly time, I waste Kingdom time. II. The key to this waste-free, opportunity-laden lifestyle is very simple: understand what the will of the Lord is (5:17). At the core of discipleship is a very simple premise: discipleship is about obedience. Walking wisely means that we walk in obedience to God. It is far more encompassing than merely believing the right things. A correct belief system is important, but it is not the only thing. It is not only important to believe the right things but to also live the right way. Many apparently believe that one can be accomplished without the other, and it cannot. Increasingly, many religious traditions have set themselves on the course to doctrinal purity. That is clearly a commendable, even biblical ideal, but when the balance is lost between right living and right thinking, horric consequences follow. On occasion the Lords will is lost in our will. Paul is very careful to remind all Christ followers that we desire to follow God. Nothing else matters. III. Wise living is living not under ones own power but under the control of the Spirit (5:18). It is the Spirit that enlivens and empowers us toward faithful and obedient living. Pauls great emphasis is rightly placed: follow the Spirit of God and live wisely; follow the foolishness of self and live irresponsibly. At stake in this matter is how we manage both Gods time and our lives. There are choices to make and priorities to arrange. This exercise is a daily battle. Priorities that are once settled are not always settled. There is a constant struggle to do the right thing. It is also a struggle that cannot be waged alone. We need God to help us. We need God to direct us. It is Gods spirit that enables us to make appropriate value judgments in life. One of the most important lessons I learned in life, I learned early. That lesson came in the form of a reminder that sounded an awful lot like a warning: Some things matter in life; most things dont. That is what a godly life espouses. It lives under the power of the Spirit to make good choices and, as a result, to live good lives. In so doing we watch every step that we take.Danny M. West
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A Sermon.
Sermons. Id rather see a sermon than hear one any day. Id rather one would walk with me than merely show the way. The eyes a better pupil and much sharper than the ear. Fine counsel can confuse me, but examples always clear. The lectures you deliver may be very wise and true, But Id rather get my lesson by observing what you do.5 Edgar Guest
Reverence. In olden days men of faith were said to walk in the fear of God. . . . However intimate their communion with God, however bold their prayers, at the base of their religious life was the conception of God as awesome and dreadful. This idea of God transcendent runs through the whole Bible and gives color and tone to the character of the saints.6A. W. Tozer

1 Kings 2:1012; 3:314 Ps. 111 Eph. 5:1520 John 6:5158 God of Grace, and God of Glory Gods Holy Ways Are Just and True When in Our Music God Is Gloried I Am the Bread of Life
5Quoted
in Patrick Morley and David Delk, The Dad in the Mirror (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), p. 128. 6A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperCollins, 1961), p. 78.
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Wise Prayer SCRIPTURE: 1 Kings 2:1012; 3:314 KEY VERSE: Give me an understanding mind so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. (1 Kings 3:9a, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Gods wisdom MATERIALS: Bible PREPARATION: Have your spouse or close friend help with the sermon to correct you.
TITLE:
Every day we have choices to make. Some of the choices are easy, and some are a bit harder. I always choose the right thing. I never do anything wrong. (Have your helper interrupt you and correct you on some point, such as not taking out the trash or forgetting to pick up an item at the store. Choose something that ts who you are and your relationship to the person helping with the sermon.) I know these children here always make the right choices. You never ght with your brothers or sisters. You always do what your mom or dad asks you to do. You do choose the right thing, dont you? (Let the children respond.) None of us choose the right way all the time. We would be perfect if that were true, and none of us are perfect. But we can try to make the best choices. God can help us choose between what is right and wrong. (Open Bible.) In our Old Testament reading from 1 Kings 3, Solomon wanted to make the right choices. He was now king of Israel, and he wanted to be Gods king. King Solomon prayed to God, saying, Give me an understanding mind so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. God helped King Solomon, and he became a good and wise king who followed Gods way. Solomons prayer can be our prayer, too. We can ask God to give us understandingwisdom, so we can know the difference between right and wrong. We can pray to God anywhere anytime to help us make the right choices. Marcia Thompson
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1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain you (Ps. 55:22). Invocation: O God, as we enter the time of worship, we call upon you and thank you for meeting us here. Your mercy and grace are greater than we can comprehend. Even now we approach you in awe. Open our hearts to receive the fullness of your love. Amen. Offertory Sentence: And Jesus went on to say: And so I tell you: make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out you will be welcomed in the eternal home (Luke 16:9, TEV). Offertory Prayer: O Lord, help us to understand that we are to be stewards of all your grace gifts to us, stewards of the divine mystery, as well as the blessings of our physical world. Grant that we shall receive joy in using what you have given in ways that honor you and bless the world for which Christ died. Amen. Morning Prayer: We are called by scripture to rejoice in the Lord always. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Father, we thank you for your love that produces within us joy. We declare hallelujah! for as we are captured by joy and gladness, sorrow and sighing ee away. Lord, we praise you with joyful hearts. We declare our worship in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs and make known the joy in our hearts. We are indeed thankful for the fullness of life that we know in Jesus Christ. We believeand declarethat victory is ours in Jesus name. Although faced with the burdens of disquieting circumstances, we are not moved to gloom and despair. We dwell in the Kingdom of God and have the Kingdoms reign of peace in joy within. Father, let now the fullness of your joy be complete in us. Amen.Lee McGlone
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Benediction: Now may the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, as you go out to live and to serve. In our homes, schools, businesses, and throughout our community, may the love of God be lived through us. Amen.

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
The Place to Be
Ps. 84 1 Kings 8:1, 6, 1011, 2230, 4143; Eph. 6:1020; John
OTHER READINGS:
6:5669 One of my favorite comic strip characters as a child was Dagwood Bumstead. Dagwood was a hapless and lovable character who was notorious for getting himself into predicaments from which he could not easily escape. He was also a thoroughly human character. His weaknesses and frailties were abundant and evident. One of Dagwoods favorite activities was raiding the refrigerator late at night. He would slip down the stairs in the middle of the night and attempt to nd a midnight snack. It was always the same. Dagwood would stand at the refrigerator door and look to the well-stocked shelves. He knew that he was hungry and there was food aplenty. He just could not nd the perfect snack. He could not name the hunger. I. Unlike Dagwood, the psalmist could name the hunger and in return he understood the satisfaction that followed. The psalmist afrmed the claims of St. Augustine, who reminded us that in each life there is a God-shaped hole that is satised only by God. For the psalmist the great desires of his life were fullled by being in the presence of God. In particular he loved being in the temple of God. In Hebrew theology the temple represented more than just the center of worship; it represented the very presence of God.
Sunday, August Twenty-Third
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The beauty of the psalmists words is captured in the words, How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the Lord (84:12). This is the testimony of one who desires the presence of God, for in that desire he recognizes that the fulllment of life is found therein. Unlike many of us who drag to our places of worship week after week both weary and bored, the psalmist is actually energized with the thought of being in the presence of God. We might say he is that strange and rare breed among us who actually enjoys going to church! II. The wisdom of the writer is expressed by the strength that comes from the worship moments at the temple of God. It is a profound insight. Many who struggle with spiritual hunger do not know where to nd sustenance and strength. Thus the bulk of their time is devoted to foolish and empty pursuits. Thankfully, the writer knows where to nd his strength. For him it was found in the temple of the Lord. It is the kind of strength that dees the odds. It is the kind of strength that many forsake. In my years of ministry I have been astonished many times at those in my congregation who choose to regularly forsake worship opportunities. They choose the golf course, the shing hole, or a mountain getaway in lieu of regular moments of worshipping God. All of us need getaway times, but some apparently live in that realm. In so doing they miss the fellowship, the worship, the sheer power of Gods presence that comes in corporate worship moments. III. There is no satisfaction to compare with the satisfaction that comes from God. As he takes stock of his life, the psalmist is brimming over with the joy he has discovered in the presence of God. In one of the most descriptive and humble testimonies in all of scripture he writes, I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness (84:10). The humility present in this confession is refreshing. I often listen in dismay to the boastful and self-centered testimonies that many offer. There is a clue to appreciating an appropriate testimony. That clue is very simple: if the focus is square on the teller of the story and not Almighty God, it is a testimonial about self and not a testimony about God. When the focus is on self, the essentials of a godly testimony are lost. If the testimony is all about me, there is no way it can then be all about God. Note that the psalmist reveled in his relationship to God. He was humbled
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that the God of creation would allow him to serve in seemingly insignicant ways. The hunger was fullled in a beautiful cycle. Note the progression within the text. The psalmists journey begins in the beauty of worship, and it ends in service. Sandwiched in between these two great moments is a testimony to God. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned in our livesa lesson about knowing that for which we long and a lesson about serving that One once we nd him. It is what brought such joy to the psalmist, and it is the joy that yet awaits all who are willing to lean on our God.Danny M. West
Conversion. In my twenty-seventh year, while riding the metro in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) I was overcome with a despair so great that life seemed to stop at once, preempting the future entirely, let alone any meaning. Suddenly, all by itself, a phrase appeared: Without God life makes no sense. Repeating it in astonishment, I rode the phrase up like a moving staircase, got out of the metro and walked into Gods light.7Andrei Bitov Direction in Life. Some of you will recognize the name Wrong Way Riegels. His name was actually Roy Riegels. I know of him only from video clips from the 1929 Rose Bowl. The game paired the University of California against Georgia Tech. Riegels was a defensive lineman on the California team and had never gotten his hands on the ball. After a fumble by Tech, Riegels picked up the ball, eluded a couple of would-be tacklers, saw daylight, and raced toward the goal line sixty-ve yards away. The problem? It was the wrong goal line. He went the wrong way. One of his own players tackled him on the one-yard line. On the next play, the California quarterback was tackled behind the goal line for a two-point safety. California eventually lost the game by one point. Riegelss run became one of the remembered moments in the history of college football. To what did he owe the distinction of being Wrong Way Riegels?
7Quoted
in David Friend, ed. The Meaning of Life (Boston: Little, Brown, 1991), p. 194.
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His misdirected zeal. He acted on instinct and compulsion rather than clear sense. This humorous episode is a parable of life gone awry. Far too often, we pick up the ball in the game of life and head for the goal line, running with a fevered pitch (because it looks too good to be true), unaware that we are going the wrong way until we are buried beneath a pile of disappointing results. Lee McGlone

1 Kings 8:1, 6, 1011, 2230, 4143 Ps. 84 Eph. 6:1020 John 6:5669 God Has Spoken by the Prophets How Lovely, Lord, How Lovely Lead on, O King Eternal Wonderful Words of Life

Constant Prayer SCRIPTURE: Eph. 6:1020 KEY VERSE: Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. (Eph. 6:18) KEY CONCEPT: Prayer MATERIALS: Bible, bouncing ball
TITLE:
I need a volunteer to bounce this ball during the whole childrens sermon today. (Choose a volunteer from your group to complete the following tasks. Continue to ask the same child to do things for you.) Oh, could you get me a couple of hymnbooks from the back row? Dont stop bouncing the ball though. (Give him time to bring them back.) Oh, I need my Bible from the pulpit. Could you go get it for me? Dont stop bouncing the ball though. (Again give him time to do this task.)
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Could you go to the piano and play Jesus Loves Me? Dont forget to keep bouncing the ball. That is really important. (Hopefully at this point, the child will question if this is possible, and at that point stop the demonstration with the ball.) It was hard to bounce a ball all the time while trying to do other things wasnt it (childs name)? It can be hard to do more than one thing at a time. This is what makes this verse from Ephesians really hard. (Open Bible.) Paul wrote, Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. How can we pray all the time? Can we walk around with our eyes closed all day and do all the other stuff we need to do? (Let the children respond.) How can we pray all the time? We might have to think about prayer in a different way. We can pray with our eyes closed, but we can also pray with our eyes open. We sometimes say a prayer that is a want we give to God. Cant we want the best for everyone around us all the time? Yes, we can. Prayer is more than just words we say to God. We can live the prayer we pray. If I pray for peace in our world, I should bring peace wherever I go. If I want the world to love, I should bring love wherever I go. Prayer is much bigger than just the words we say to God. It is an action. Try this week to put your prayer in action.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: I will praise you, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto you among the nations. For your mercy is great unto the heavens, and your truth unto the clouds (Ps. 57:910). Invocation: Gracious Father, Lord of all life, you have brought to us fullness of life, forgiveness of our sin, and acceptance as your children. Strengthen our faith that we may so live to declare your goodness. We lift now to you our hearts in prayer and praise. Amen. Offertory Sentence: He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much (Luke 16:10). Offertory Prayer: Lord, our offerings are but tokens of our love and affection. We cannot buy from you anything, but in our giving do declare our love
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and affection. Receive these gifts and use them for the cause of your Kingdom. We love you because you rst loved usand so we give. Amen. Morning Prayer: Lord, we often take too many things in our own hands, and when we do we mess it up. We pull up the weeds and the wheat. We dont mean to; we just want to help. So often we hurt in our own families and in our own world. Help us to remember that we are to be patient with others and with ourselves. Help us to come back week after week and to leave before this altar the broken things of our lives, that somehow in the leaving and the mending you will do something good, real, and right with imperfect hearts in an imperfect world. We ask in Jesus name. Amen.Roger Lovette Benediction: The world stands in need of our helping hands and loving spirits. Now, empowered by the Holy Spirit, let us go out to speak and do Gods intentions around us and do it all for his honor. Amen.

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Hands and Hearts TEXT: Mark 7:18, 1415, 2123 OTHER READINGS: Song of Sol. 2:813; Ps. 45:12, 69 or Ps. 72; James 1:1727
Well, they are at it again! The Pharisees were after Jesus and his disciples. What an interesting collection of religious leaders and personalities they must have been. The Pharisees were the watchdogs of orthodoxy in Jesus day. Their sole purpose in life was to guard the Law of Moses and to make sure that others lived their lives under its authority. What makes the Pharisees prime fodder in the gospel of Mark is that even though they were singularly xed on observing the lives of others, they apparently did little to tend the needs of their own hearts. The one consistency about the Pharisees was their inconsistency.
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I. In the text the Pharisees were once again concerned with the religious observances of others. This time the spotlight focused on the ceremonial rite of hand washing. Specically, the Pharisees were concerned that the disciples of Jesus were eating with dirty hands. For the Pharisees, the ceremonial cleansing was a ritual as elaborate and as meticulous as a surgeon preparing to enter the operating room. This was no mere washing; it was a thoroughgoing scrubbing that was more about style than substance. Noticing that the hands of the followers of Jesus were not clean, the Pharisees asked Jesus to explain, and explain he did. Actually, Jesus did more than explain the actions of his disciples; he claried once and for all this matter of hands and hearts. The religionists were merely concerned with the external matter of washing the germs from their hand. They attempted to connect it to their outward expressions of religiosity, but Jesus would not let them off the hook that easily. In fact, he did not let them off at all! As he often did, Jesus turned the tables and focused his reply not on the traditions of the elders but from the Word of God. He quoted the prophet Isaiah in which the scripture reminds us that God is not pleased with lip service but with heart service (7:67). He then indicted their hypocrisy and superciality by stating, You leave the commandment of God and hold fast the tradition of men (7:8). It was stinging condemnation. While the Pharisees devoted themselves to external practices and the rituals of man, they had utterly neglected the word of God. II. Jesus did not back down. Rather than allowing the scrutiny to remain on his followers, he rightly turned the attention back to the superciality and hypocrisy of his accusers. He is careful to not let the matter die down quickly. As he often does (both then and now!), Jesus begins to carefully dissect the argument and the folly of the way of the Pharisee. Whereas the Pharisee was utterly devoted to a sanitary faith, Jesus reminded his listeners that the matter is far more complex than that. Following God is more than following rules and not coloring outside the lines. That is a very mechanistic and legalistic approach to faith. Actually, it has very little to do with faith at all. If following God is merely about observing the rules, then the matter of faith is nowhere to be found. It does not take faith to follow a checklist. Jesus spoke candidly about this matter.
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His words could not have been clearer: things cannot dele us; delement comes from the human heart. Things pass through the human body and are removed by human waste. What Jesus references is not about the gastrointestinal system but the very essence of the human heart. The heart deles and pollutes far more than any external threat. While the Pharisees obsessed over clean hands, for Jesus the real issue was not hands but hearts. III. Once again Jesus topples the traditions. He does so not in a literal sense, as in the temple, but in a spiritual, Kingdom sense. Jesus invoked a more appropriate understanding of cleanliness and purity by reversing the customary social order. Appropriate Kingdom living focuses on the inner spirit and a right relation with God. Whereas the Pharisees concentrated on external cleanliness, Jesus is more concerned with matters of the heart. In the Kingdom that Jesus is building, there is a wonderful point of tension that exists between the hand and the heart. The Pharisees were concerned only with clean hands; Jesus cares for both clean hands and clean hearts. What a beautiful concept. Jesus invites his followers to be authentic and consistent persons. He cares for who we are on the outside, but we all know that there are those who can mask their true being by external actions. It is easy to wear a mask and disguise our true identity. The authentic person is the person who is consistent both internally and externally. That consistency of hand and heart is the very thing that Jesus expects of his followers. They are the ones who have hands that are puried through Kingdom service, and they are the ones whose hearts are pure because of their relationship to God. They would score no points with the Pharisees, but they sure look a lot like Jesus, dont they?Danny M. West
Faithfulness.
Is your place a small place? Tend it with care; He set you there.
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Is your place a large place? Guard it with care! He set you there. Whateer your place, it is Not yours alone, but His Who set you there.8 Charles Wallis
Salvation. I remember that one day as I was musing on the wickedness and blasphemy of my heart and considering the enmity that was in me to God, that the Scripture came into my mind, He hast made peace through the blood of his crossby which I was made to see again and again that God and my soul were friends by his bloodyea, I saw that the justice of God and my sinful soul cold embrace and kiss each other through his blood. This was a good day to me; I hope I shall never forget it.9 John Bunyan

Song of Sol. 2:813 Ps. 45:12, 69 [or] Ps. 72 James 1:1727 Mark 7:18, 1415, 2123 Jesus Priceless Treasure God of the Ages, Whose Almighty Hand Lord Jesus, Think on Me O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
8Charles
Wallis, ed., Selected Poems by John Oxenham, Your Place (San Francisco: HarperOne, 1948), p. 36. 9John Bunyan, Grace Abounding (Glasgow: Porteous and Hislop, 1863), p. 89.
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Mirror the Word SCRIPTURE: James 1:1727 KEY VERSE: And remember, it is a message to obey, not to just listen to. If you dont obey you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and dont obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. (James 1:2223, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Obeying God MATERIALS: Bible, mirror
TITLE:
I brought a mirror with me. What does a mirror do? (Let the children respond.) It helps us to see what we look like. Do you ever look at yourself in the morning when you rst get up? I do. What I see isnt very pleasant either. My hair is all messed up, and I dont look too good. What would happen if I just didnt pay any attention and just went on with my day without doing my hair or make-up? (Let the children respond.) I would look a bit messy. We have talked about how the writers of the Bible used familiar things to tell picture stories. These picture stories help us understand what God wants us to do. In the book of James, James uses a mirror in his picture story. He wrote, And remember, it is a message to obey, not to just listen to. If you dont obey you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and dont obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. The message James wants us to obey is Gods message. He says that just hearing Gods Word but not doing what it says would be like looking at the mirror, seeing yourself all kind of messy and not doing anything about it. The message for us today is to listen to Gods Word and obey. Do what God Word says. We can always ask God to help us to listen and obey.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Unto you, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy (Ps. 59:17).
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Invocation: Lord, renew our spirits as we worship today. You, powerful in creation to begin life, are also powerful to sustain and strengthen it. May the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ be near us today and make us more what you want us to be. Amen. Offertory Sentence: And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things that belong to Caesar and unto God the things that belong to God (Luke 20:25). Offertory Prayer: Heavenly Father, you have blessed us with inner joy through the working of your Holy Spirit and with an abundance of material goods. We now bring our offerings to you in response to your word and in gratitude for your favor. May these gifts become streams of inuence from this place to the uttermost parts of the world. Amen. Morning Prayer: Gracious God, we hear your call to service. We sense your beckoning to live with greater caring and compassion. Strengthen us this day, that as we carry your truth in our hearts, it may inspire the work of our hands. Make us bold, determined disciples, builders of your loving realm, through Christ, our Servant, our Guide. Amen.Lael P. Murphy Benediction: The love of God is our strength, and in that strength we now go out both to live and to serve. May Gods dening love mark us as unashamed disciples of the Lord Jesus. And just as we have received love, may we share love with one another. Amen.
SUNDAY, september 6, 2009

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Faith Without Works TEXT: James 2:110 (1113), 1417 OTHER READINGS: Prov. 22:12, 89, 2223; Ps. 125 or Ps. 124; Mark 7:2437
Sunday, September Sixth
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Like a modern sermon that starts with a captivating illustration and then states the thesis of the message, James starts with a rather vivid denunciation of the evil of partiality and then in verse 14 states clearly his more general proclamation: What does it prot, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? At rst glance, this statement seems to be a contradiction of Pauls gospel of salvation by faith. But when examined more closely, it is in perfect harmony with the rest of the New Testament and is particularly in line with the teachings of the Old Testament. Following Jamess outline makes for a good contemporary message, so let us proceed. I. The evils of partiality (2:17). James turns his attention to the problem of partiality. Joel Gregory calls this one of the Technicolor words in the book of James. Gregory states, The word literally means that which receives face or that lifts up the face.1 It means that one evaluates another on the basis of his or her outward appearance, social status, and wealth. I suppose today we would call this evaluating a person on the basis of worldly standards. James seems to be concerned with the manifestation of the evil of partiality or snobbery in the Church, so he begins with a story of two men from opposite social backgrounds entering a church service. One obviously is quite wealthy. He wears gold rings on his ngers and dresses in the nest of clothing. As he enters, he is immediately recognized, offered a front-row seat, and no doubt introduced to the congregation. After all, he is one of the beautiful people, and they should feel fortunate that he has chosen to visit their congregation. He is soon followed by a second man wearing shabby clothing, obviously a poor beggar, a street person, or a social outcast. If it happened today it could be a bag lady, an alcoholic, or any one of a number of social outcasts. The second person is also recognized but offered the worst seat in the house. Here, sit at my feet, or you can stand there in the back. James begins his condemnation of the practice with a not-so-subtle rebuke. Listen, my beloved brethren, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts. He had begun the story with a rm declaration: My brethren, show no partiality as you
1Joel
C. Gregory, James: Faith Works! (Nashville: Convention Press, 1986), p. 35.
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hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. A better translation might be faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, if you are a follower of Jesus and proclaim to be a Christian, then you should follow the example of Jesus, who showed on many occasions that he was no respecter of persons but treated all people equally. Even his enemies recognized this (Luke 20:21; Mark 12:14; Matt. 22:16). James is quite sure that God shows no partiality, but he states, Listen, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? (v. 5). Showing partiality is contrary to Gods appraisal of the situation. Jesus declared, Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20). And again in Luke 4:18 Jesus states, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. Does this mean that no rich person can enter the Kingdom of God? Certainly not! Nor does it mean that all poor people are chosen for salvation. It does mean that God fully intends for his gospel to be shared with everyone, regardless of social status. Poor people are not to be left out. Jesus made sure that the social outcasts heard the good news of freedom and salvation. But there were also wealthy converts such as Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, and Joanna. There was level ground at the foot of the cross. James is not going to let his audience off easily. His anger seems to be raised as he writes, Is it not the rich who oppress you, is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme that honorable name by which you are called? (vv. 67). Time and time again the prophets of the Old Testament denounced the rich for their treatment of the poor. Amos accused them of exploiting the poor to gain a higher standard of living (Amos 4:1). James is proclaiming the same message. As social outcasts in many places, the early Christians became objects of exploitation. The secular rich took advantage of them. And even further, they dishonored the name of the very founder of the Christians faith. As found in rst Corinthians 12:3, it is they who probably said, Jesus be cursed. Let me paraphrase James: Brethren, isnt it ironic that the very persons you honor are the ones who oppress you and even dishonor the name of Jesus, so in honoring them you dishonor the poor, who are more responsive to the good news. Showing partiality is a sin.
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II. Faith without works (James 2:1417). James nally moves to the thesis of his whole letter: Faith without works is dead. I feel rather certain that James would not disagree with Pauls emphasis on salvation by faith alone. However, James focuses on the continuing evidence of faith. In many ways James is in the mainstream of Judaism and the teachings of Christ. Rather than being a right strawy epistle, as Luther characterized it, the letter from James deals with the very heart of what it means to be a follower of God, a disciple of Christ. When one looks at the Ten Commandments, one discovers that they are divided into two parts. The rst four deal with the relationship between God and human beings. The remaining six focus on the relationships between and among fellow human beings. Four are vertical in nature, and the nal six are horizontal in application. Throughout the history of Israel the sin most often condemned by the prophets is the failure to follow the last six. Time after time they pointed to the sins of the people against each other as most symptomatic of their failure to understand what it meant to proclaim themselves as the followers of Yahweh. Jesus takes up the cry of the prophets when he proclaims that, at the last judgment scene, those who proclaimed to follow him and did not visit the prisons, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give the thirsty a drink, or welcome the stranger would not enter the Kingdom. Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me (Matt. 26:45). James has it right: Faith without works is dead. Christianity is a way of life. That life must reect the love of Christ in our everyday relationships with one another.John Dever
Hospitality. There is wonderful old story about a man invited to a fancy banquet. He arrived wearing simple clothing and was told to get out and go in the kitchen door for a handout. He left, went home, got dressed up, and went to the banquet. This time he was admitted and seated in a special place. The guests were rather startled when the food came. The man began to pour
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the food and drink on his coat, saying eat coat, drink coat. When he was asked what he was doing, he said, It was my suit that was invited to the banquet, and not me. When I came earlier wearing simple homespun clothing, I was kicked out. When I returned in my suit, I was invited in. So I can only conclude that it was my suit and not me who was invited to the banquet. John Dever Partiality. The evil of partiality is still quite prevalent in the Church of the twenty-rst century. I remember a deacons meeting where one of the more prominent deacons stated, Did you notice that Mr. Smith was a visitor Sunday? We need to recruit him as a member; hes good pay. And we show partiality by not being receptive to those who visit who are not our people. We are not unkind to them, but our actions, body language, and very demeanor make them feel unwelcome. So they never return. We show partiality in yet another way. When people of the upper social class join our church, we give them places of responsibility immediately, while others are continually ignored by the nominating committee. Showing partiality is not limited to a racial dimension.John Dever

Prov. 22:12, 89, 2223 Ps. 125 or Ps. 124 James 2:110 (1113), 1417 Mark 7:2437 God Whose Giving Knows No Ending I Lift My Eyes to the Quiet Hills O Master Let Me Walk with Thee Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness

Generosity SCRIPTURE: Prov. 22:12, 89, 2223
TITLE:
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Blessed are those who are generous because they feed the poor. (Prov. 22:9, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Helping others MATERIALS: Bible, canned-food item PREPARATION: This sermon could be used as an opportunity to start a food drive for those in need. You might want to collect food for the month of September for a community food bank or church food pantry.
KEY VERSE:
Do you know what the word generous means? (Let the children respond. Be prepared to help with the answer if you only have small children come forward.) I looked up the word generosity in my big dictionary called the thesaurus. It gave me all kinds of words that describe someone who is generous. These are some of the words: kind, bighearted, openhanded, and giving what seems like a lot. People who are generous give because they love to give to others. (Open Bible.) Today, all of our scripture readings talk about those who are poor. The one I want to share with you is a verse from Proverbs 22:9. It says, Blessed are those who are generous because they feed the poor. Proverbs is a book in the Bible that is full of wisdom sayingsthings God thinks are important. This verse tells us God blesses those who are generous, because they help others who dont have what they need to live. I brought this can of food to be the beginning of a collection. (Show the canned food.) I would like for each of you to bring at least one can of food to church to be taken to (location in your community). We can help others by giving them the food they need. We can help them know we care because God loves each and every one of us. (Note: If you dont wont to have the food drive, have the children talk about the things they can be generous with, for example, toys, time, or food.)Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I (Ps. 61:12).
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Invocation: Lord, we who have labored much and worked steadily have returned to partake of the rest promised to the faithful and rejoice in the promises of God in the life of believers through Christ our Lord. Amen. E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: You ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Offertory Prayer: Heavenly Father, we recognize it is not ours to understand all the mysteries, but it is ours to believe and do that which your favor reveals to us. It is your purpose, we believe, to receive these gifts and use them to bless others here and around the world. May our giving be done generously and thankfully. Amen. Morning Prayer: Father, we want to thank you for the majestic things of lifefor forceful winds sweeping across the landscape cooling the earth, for gentle rains quenching the thirst of the regions, for the sunlit clouds illuminating the dark heavens, for dawn and night and the contributions made to life by each passing season. We thank you for the homey things of lifefor an open door at evening, for laughter in the family circle, for the clasp of a little childs hand, for the wonder of human love, and for familiar sights that warm our hearts. We thank you for the helping things of lifeancient truths from the Bible, guiding words from friends, caring and extended in times of struggle and hardship. For all these, we are indeed grateful this morning. Amen. Henry Fields Benediction: Now may our God guide you in the ways of faith through all the days of life, and especially in the days of the week just ahead, so that time will not be frittered away but used for Gods purposes. All to his honor and glory. Amen.
Sunday, September Thirteenth
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Fifteenth Sunday of Pentecost
Who Is Jesus?
Mark 8:2738 OTHER READINGS: Prov. 1:2033; Ps. 19; James 3:112 Kathleen J. Crane, Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church in Cranbury, New Jersey, tells of an incident that took place a few years ago when she ew out to Madison, Wisconsin, to see her oldest son wrestle in a college tournament. On her way back she was seated next to two Sikhs from northern India. She said they had a pleasant conversation, but she didnt feel compelled to force her beliefs on them. She helped the older man with his dinner tray and told him about a friend that she had from India. She and her husband had been invited to share an Indian meal with the bishop of South India when he visited the Princeton campus. The bishop had lost his wife in a tragic accident, and he was very lonely. The visit seemed to ll the void temporarily. Tears welled up in the old mans eyes as she told her story. After a brief nap, he awoke as they neared the Newark airport. He turned to her and said, Tell me about Jesus Christ.2 You have twenty minutes before you land. What would you have said? Who is Jesus Christ? I. Who do people say that I am? (v. 27). Jesus time on earth was growing short. It was crucial for his disciples to nally recognize him for who he was. They had been with him now for a long period of time. They had observed his ministryhow he performed miracles of healing, how he taught as no one before him had taught, how his enemies sought to silence him, how he raised the dead, how he constantly expressed love to those around him. Had
2James
W. Cox, ed., Best Sermons 1 (San Francisco: HarperOne, 1988), p. 29.
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it nally broken through to them who he really was? He begins with a more general question: Who do men say that I am? Their reply was an honest one. Some say you are John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others proclaim you as one of the prophets. Isnt it interesting that no matter what Jesus did, the general public could not move beyond their preconceived ideas of who and what the Messiah would be. Years of history had burned an indelible image of the coming Messiah into their minds, and they just couldnt move beyond that image. But lets be honest with them. They thought they were putting Jesus on the highest level. They had not heard the voice of a prophet for several hundred years. Finally, a prophet of God had graced their midst. If Kathleen Crane had answered the Indian Sikh with Well, the people say he is . . . What would she have said? She may have replied, Many think he is one of the greatest teachers that ever lived. They like his philosophy about life, and they regard his ethical teaching as being unparalleled in history. They are most willing to base their society on his teachings but simply cannot see him as the Son of God. She may have replied, Some see him as a great prophet, a mystic. Like Jesus contemporaries in the rst century, they equate him with Isaiah, Elijah, and even Mohammed. He spoke to the people for God and did a magnicent job of it. One should listen and ponder his words of wisdom. She may have replied, Some see him as the candy man. Their prayers reect this as they constantly ask him for favors. Lord give me this, do this for me, I need you to x this for me. In many ways he is an equivalent to Santa Claus. She may have replied, Some say that he was a revolutionary. He was a liberator of the poor, the social outcasts, women, and the powerless. He pointed the way to a new social order. She may have replied, Let me give you a conceptual theological response. We really need to dene the terms, and then I can give you a logical answer. II. But who do you say that I am? (v. 29). Jesus was not satised with the answer to his general question. Human categories could not capture his true essence. So he became much more specic. But who do you say that I am? After all, it was crucial that his disciples recognize him for who he really was. I think what follows was the highlight of Peters life. With boldness he replies, You are the Christ. You almost feel a sigh of relief in Jesus voice as he praises Peter as recorded in Matthew. Blessed are you, Simon
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Bar-Jona! For esh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven (Matt. 16:17). Wow! Peter you did it. Before the Resurrection, before Jesus post-Crucixion appearances, before the Ascension, Peter recognized Jesus as the longawaited Messiah. He nally understood what Jesus meant when he said, I am the way the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. The Spirit of God had moved upon Peter and revealed the Anointed One to him. This has to be a classic moment in the history of Christianity. But then came this strange response of Christ. And he charged them to tell no one about him (v. 30). Why? Peter had just proclaimed Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Shouldnt they be shouting it from the housetops? The next sentence gives the answer: He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer. Before you speak, you still have much to learn. He was going to be a suffering Messiah. He was going to die upon a cross. This wasnt what they expected. They needed to wait and learn. Even today, much harm is done by zealous disciples who love Jesus and rush out to share their faith before they learn about who he really is. In their zeal they often contradict what he is about. Jesus wisely told Peter to be quiet until he learned what sort of Messiah he served. III. But who do you say that I am? This is a twenty-rst-century question. The personal question transcends the centuries, and it confronts each one of us in the twenty-rst century. And like Peter, each one of us must answer for ourselves. The only correct answer is, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Such a confession is a turning point in our lives. It is the moment of salvation when we commit our lives to him. But whoa! That is not quite enough. Jesus doesnt stop there. Hear his next words to Peter and the disciples: And he called to him the multitude with his disciples and said to them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (vv. 3435). This commitment, this pronunciation of Jesus as the Christ, this new way of life is a privilege with responsibilities. We are to follow in Jesus footsteps, and that wont always be easy. The commitment must be real, and the determination must be without reservation. Beware of the choices you make, for your soul is weighing in the balance.
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IV. Who is Jesus? Be careful; dont answer too quickly. Your response just may be the most important afrmation of your life. The contemporary world has many answers. What is yours? And where will you nd the answer in the twenty-rst century? Peter walked with Jesus for three years. Surely he had the advantage of knowing him face-to-face. How can we come to know him? Of course, one can meet Jesus in the pages of the Bible. This is Gods Word to all who will read. But lets face it: not all read or even want to read the Bible. Where will they meet Jesus? With little hesitation, I would proclaim the Church. The Church is the extension of the Incarnation. The Church is the contemporary body of Christ. The Church represents Christ to the world. Wow! What a responsibility! Is this what Jesus meant when he said, Take up your cross and follow me? Just how well do we portray Christ to the world? Maybe a crucial question for the twenty-rst century is, Who does the Church say Jesus Christ is?3John Dever
Self-Esteem. It is a universal part of the human condition that we must heal wounds from our past. The illusion of perfect parents must eventually give way to the realities of who our parents are as concrete individuals. Their limitations invariably become our own, in one way or another, and their struggles with identity and self-esteem become the stumbling blocks that we nd in our own lives. This is the human condition. Children of alcoholics teach us about the very nature of being human. Their experience reminds us that self-esteem is not innate but rather comes from being valued by people who value themselves.4 Lee McGlone Weakness. O Lord, make me well and strong; but if this be not thy will, help me to use my weakness to strengthen others; and if this be not thy will, in my weakness let me lean on thee. Amen.5
3James
W. Cox, Best Sermons 1, p. 33. Cermak, M.D., quoted in New Realities magazine, November/December 1988, p. 46. 5Theodore Parker Ferris, Selected Sermons (Boston: Wardens and Vestry of Trinity Church, 1976), p. 128.
4Timmen
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Prov. 1:2033 Ps. 19 James 3:112 Mark 8:2738 How Firm a Foundation How Great Thou Art I Need Thee Every Hour Take Up Your Cross, the Savior Said

Holy Word and Thoughts Ps. 19 KEY VERSE: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord my rock and my redeemer. (Ps. 19:14, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Following Gods ways MATERIALS: Bible PREPARATION: This is a personal story, so you will need to adapt the language accordingly.
TITLE: SCRIPTURE:
In my family, my father was a preacher. When I was a little girl, he was a minister for college students on a college campus. He would often be invited to preach at different churches to ll in when the pastor was gone for some reason. Often the family would go with him to these churches. I dont remember a lot about the sermons he preached, but there is one thing he always said before he began preaching. (Open Bible.) It was a verse from Psalm 19:14 that reads, May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord my rock and my redeemer. These words my father said were his prayer to God before he spoke. He wanted the words to be Gods words and the thought he shared to be Gods thoughts. He still says this when he preaches. This is also what my parents taught me. The words and thoughts I had should be pleasing to God. Sometimes this can be hard. I remember there were times as a kid it was hard, and it is hard as a grown-up too. What kind of things do you think or say that would not be pleasing to God? (Let the children respond. Guide them to think of examples in their family or
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at school. Reect back the answers the children give.) These are all things that arent pleasing to God. We have to ask God to help us not to think or say those things that arent pleasing to God. We also have to ask God to forgive us when we think or say things that are not pleasing to God. Lets ask God to help us, just like my father did when he asked God to speak Gods words and thoughts. (Use the verse as the prayer.)Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Because your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you (Ps. 63:3). Invocation: Lord, you are hope to all who seek you and strength to all who nd you. Move among us today and speak clearly to our souls, for we do indeed trust in you. We lift to you our souls as we gather to worship. May our every need be met with your generous love and mercy. Amen. Offertory Sentence: The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein (Ps. 24:1). Offertory Prayer: Gracious Father, we are grateful for your abundant gifts. May these gifts not rust on this earth or be stolen or possess us so that we miss their greater cause. Grant that by faith we shall receive your gifts as opportunities for ministry that bring our souls unending joy. Amen. Morning Prayer: In this blessed hour of worship, O Father, we come before you to be met by your presence. We need your guidance, for we are often bewildered by the issues of the world. We need your strength for the daily walk of life, for we are often weak. We need your wisdom in decision making, for we are often limited in our understanding. We need compassion to meet the struggles we share with others. We need forgiveness that we may know the cleansing power of grace. Lord, meet these needs we bring to this place out of the abundance of your power. Now send us forth to meet the world renewed in the inner person. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.Henry Fields.
Sunday, September Twentieth
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Benediction: People of God, go forth today in the power of our God, whom we name Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May the vitality of the Trinity speak wholeness both to our faith and to our living. And may we rest in Gods grace. Amen.

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost Worldly Wisdom Versus Divine Wisdom TEXT: James 3:134:3, 78a OTHER READINGS: Prov. 31:1031; Ps. 1; Mark 9:3037
I was reared in a rather conservative community in Missouri. Although many there were college graduates, many more had not been afforded that opportunity. When I decided to leave my job as an electrical engineer, more than one person warned me of the dangers of attending seminary. Be careful, was their admonition. Dont let all that learning destroy your faith. I was and am still one who loves the learning process. So I wasnt quite sure what they meant. And Im not sure I really understood until I began to pursue doctoral work. Im not sure today that those folks who gave me the friendly warning knew exactly what they really meant, but they were simply drawing on past experiences. Far too often they had seen their young men and women leave home and go to college or seminary and come back with a jaded faith. What I came to understand is that one can have so much knowledge about the Bible that it overshadows the ability to have a daily encounter with the Word of God. This doesnt have to happen, but it often does happen. Later, when I became a seminary professor, I always warned my students of the danger of losing their ability to read the Bible devotionally. James seems to have sensed a similar problem in the early Church. His warning came as he contrasted worldly wisdom with divine wisdom.
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I. The question (3:13). James begins by stating the question quite clearly. Who is wise and understanding among you? For years I equated wisdom with knowledge. Much learning would bring wisdom. I was mistaken. I should have read James. James seems to see wisdom as the ability to discern Gods principles for living. Understanding is being able to apply them to everyday life. Life should have taught me differently. One of the wisest men I ever met was not a college professor but a heating-oil truck driver. He was our boys Sunday school teacher and softball coach, who loved and nurtured each one of his students into the Kingdom of God. His character reected Christ in his everyday work, in his home, and in his church. Only God knows how many young men this man helped steer through the perils of youth into responsible adulthood. II. Worldly wisdom (3:1416). James seems to be very concerned about what he called earthly or unspiritual wisdom. His concern stemmed from the fact that it had spilled over into the church and was destroying the fellowship. Unfortunately, this same worldly wisdom makes itself manifest in todays Church also. Im always amazed at how relevant Jamess words are for the Church in the twenty-rst century. James lists two of the most prevalent characteristics of this worldly wisdom: bitter jealousy and selsh ambition. The church at Corinth was also guilty of these sins. There was no room there for reconciliation or redemption. Selsh ambition had led to factious rivalry and a party spirit. As James makes clear, wherever this worldly wisdom abides it brings disorder and every vile practice. James simply has no room for personal cleverness in the godly life. This total reliance on ones self does not come from heaven but from the devil. It nds a place in our hearts and taints everything we do. This cleverness, this worldly wisdom does not exhibit the characteristics of heavenly wisdom. III. Heavenly wisdom (3:1718). So what are the characteristics of heavenly wisdom? James gives us a list. Wisdom from above is Pure Peaceable Its motives are open and above board. It is not there to confront and make enemies but simply to support the principles of the Christian life.
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Gentle
Open to reason
Kind or full of mercy Helpful or produces good fruits Genuine or without uncertainty Sincere
It would not be out of line to translate the Greek with our contemporary words: tolerant and open-minded. It is open-minded but will not be changed with every wind of doctrine. Everything must be examined in light of the Word of God. Doesnt exalt itself to hurt others. Seeks to be of service to others. What you see is what you get. There is no hypocrisy or falseness here.
I suppose Paul captured the same idea in his letter to the Corinthians. He writes: Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends (1 Cor. 13:48, RSV). Heavenly wisdom is the application of love. I dont have time to focus on each of the characteristics, but I would like to comment on the inclusion of peace. I think there is a good possibility that we in the twenty-rst century could easily misunderstand this idea. We often connect it with the absence of strife or war. For James peace meant shalom. Maybe a look at another culture will help us understand shalom better. The Chinese have three different characters in their language that stand for peace. None have to do with war. The rst deals with peace in the home. Peace in the home means the absence of trouble. The second symbol means equality among people. It advocates the equal treatment of all. The third character indicates that peace comes when everyone has enough to eat. Maybe James is saying to us that heavenly wisdom comes when we establish strife-free homes, treat all people as equals, and when we provide for the basic needs of those around us.6
6Available
at www.pastorgavinellis.blogspot.com/2006/09/james-313-43-motives.html, pp. 34.
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Much to my surprise, I discovered over the years that for James, wisdom has nothing to do with knowledge. It seems to be about motives. As Gavin Ellis writes, When your motives are self-centered and selsh, when they are full of quarreling and ghting, then you are not really acting in wisdom. . . . But, when you are motivated by the things of God, when you are motivated by peace and love for your neighbor, then you discover a wisdom that no amount of schooling could ever teach you.7 This is the wisdom that undergirds the Christian life. This is what it means to have the mind of Christ. This is at the heart of the Jamess thesis, Faith without works is dead.John Dever
Godly Wisdom. Fred Craddock, the wonderful preaching professor from Emory University, tells of his brash years as a young Bible scholar. He read Albert Schweitzers The Quest for the Historical Jesus and marked nearly every page with notes in the margin where he thought the book lacked wisdom. Soon afterwards he read in the local newspaper that Schweitzer was to give an organ concert in Cleveland. With notes in hand he bought a ticket on the Greyhound bus and attended the concert with hopes of asking Schweitzer some penetrating questions about his book. After the concert, he rushed to fellowship hall where Schweitzer was to speak to the people and answer questions. Sitting on the front row, Fred was ready for battle. Soon Schweitzer appearedshaggy hair, big white moustache, and stooped over. He thanked the people for coming and said: Youve been very warm and hospitable to me. I thank you for it, and wish I could stay longer among you, but I must get back to Africa. I must get back because my people there are poor, and sick, and hungry, and dying, and I have to go. We have a medical station there at Lambarene. If theres anyone here in this room who has the love of Jesus, would you be prompted by that love to go with me and help? Suddenly the sheet of questions and theological arguments seemed
7Available
at www.pastorgavinellis.blogspot.com/2006/09/james-313-43-motives.html, p. 4.
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stupid in the context of Schweitzers life. That day Craddock learned what wisdom was and hoped that one day he could be such a Christian.8 Schweitzer was a perfect example of Jamess admonition: By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom (3:13).John Dever Worldly Wisdom. Carolyn Schneider insists that worldly wisdom is all about power. As she puts it, those who dont have it want it, even if it is just the smidgeon of power they can feel by besting their equally poor Christian brother or sister in a ght.9 I think I would prefer to see it as a total reliance on ones self. Each person becomes the center of his or her own universe by relying on his or her own rational abilities. Although what we call rationalism is more a result of the enlightenment, there must have been some roots of it in the early church or more accurately, the rst century society.John Dever

Prov. 31:1031 Psalm 1 James 3:134:3, 78a Mark 9:3037 Happy the Home When God Is There Come We That Love the Lord Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service Lead Me to Calvary

First Is Last Mark 9:3037 KEY VERSE: He sat down and called the twelve disciples over to him. Then he said, Anyone who wants to be rst must take last place and be servant of everyone else. (Mark 9:35, New Living Translation) KEY CONCEPT: Serving others
TITLE: SCRIPTURE:
8Second
9Carolyn
Baptist Church (see http://2ndmemphis.org/2003/092103.pdf). Schneider, p. 2 (see http://crossings.org/theology/theolo408.htm).
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Bible, a small special prize for the winner, a small piece of candy or gum for the rest of the children PREPARATION: Make sure and announce that its time for the children to come to the front in the specic way it is said in the childrens sermon. This is one of those risky sermons that depends on your children and their reaction.
MATERIALS:
Id like all the children to come forward, and the winner will get a prize. (Probably at this point, the children will dash forward, thinking they will win if they are rst. If someone gets there quickly, that may slow down the rest; be ready for anything. Make sure and encourage all the children to come forward.) The winner is (name the child who came last; be prepared for any type of reaction.) You all are surprised that the person who came down last won the prize. It doesnt seem fair, does it? (Open Bible.) This is the way Jesus disciples heard what Jesus taught them. In Mark 9:35 it says, He sat down and called the twelve disciples over to him. Then he said, Anyone who wants to be rst must take last place and be the servant of everyone else. The disciples argued about who was the best disciple for Jesus. Jesus wanted them to understand why the disciple who looked out for everyone else before himself was the real winner. The person who was the best disciple was the one who chose to serve others in Jesus name. (If you chose to emphasize the canned-food drive, use that as your closing; talk with the children about how they can serve others by bringing food for the poor. Remind them that next week is the last week to bring food to church, but they can take food anytime to someone in need.) Jesus wants us to serve othersto look out for others. Jesus wants us to want the best for all people around us. At school this week, see if you can serve others by wanting the best for them. It might mean you dont always get what you want, but serving Jesus is giving up our wants to help those around us. Lets ask Jesus to help us be servants. Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Truly my soul waits upon God: From him comes my salvation (Ps. 62:1).
Sunday, September Twenty-Seventh
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Invocation: Loving Father, give us today a renewed vision of our redemptive power. May the songs we sing, the words we speak, the praise and prayer we lift to you, and the fellowship we share be lled with joy, sweep away the darkness of doubt, and renew the joy of our salvation. Amen. Offertory Sentence: None of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself (Rom. 14:7). Offertory Prayer: Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, let this offering reect hearts of praise and hands of generosity through the wonder-working power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: Holy and abiding God, how grateful we are that you set us free in your Spirit. How happy we are to know Christ and to be offered his love and redemption. Guide us, we pray, that we may be mindful of your truth and way in this material world. Help us walk more closely with you, one day at a time. Amen.Lael P. Murphy Benediction: May the rule of Christ Jesus dwell richly within you and ll you with all love and mercy. In our going out and coming in, in the days of labor and rest, with family and friends, we stand on the promise of grace sufcient for our every need. Amen.

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost/World Communion Sunday God at Work in Everyday Life TEXT: Esther 7:16, 910; 9:2022 OTHER READINGS: Ps. 124; James 5:1320; Mark 9:3850
For those of us who were reared in the Church, the story of Esther is one of those very memorable stories from the Old Testament that became a part of our
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childhood education. However, many who came into the Church later in life may have missed the opportunity to become acquainted with this moving story of a woman named Esther who, according to the scriptures, had come to the kingdom for such a time as this. There is little doubt that chapter 7, the Lectionary scripture for today, is the turning point of the story. It is here that Esther reveals why she had boldly approached the king without being called. We could begin our message here, but I think this sermon demands that we hear the whole story. So as Paul Harvey would say, Now you will hear the rest of the story. I. The setting of the story is Persia, during the time of King Ahasueus, better known as King Xerxes, who reigned from 486 to 465 B.C. The king had thrown a great banquet for all the people, from the least to the greatest. After seven days it turned into a drunken revelry, and in the midst of his extreme inebriation the king ordered Queen Vashti to appear so he could show off her beauty. She refused to come and set in motion the events that led to Esther becoming queen. The king was furious and met later with his wise men to determine what he should do. The wise men were very concerned because the queens actions could undermine the authority of every husband in the land. It was decided that Vashti should never again appear before the king and a decree was sent out that all the beautiful young virgins in the land should be sent to the kings court so he could choose a new queen from among them. Now there was in the capital of Susa a man by the name of Mordecia, from the Jewish tribe of Benjamin. Mordecia had reared his cousin, Esther, because she had no father or mother. She was beautiful, and it was decided that she would be sent to the king. After a years beauty treatments in the kings harem, she was brought before Xerxes, and she found much favor with him. She became queen but was warned by Mordecia not to reveal to the king that she was a Jew. II. As the story progresses, Mordecia discovers a plot by two of the kings ofcers to kill the king. Mordecia told Esther and she informed the king, giving Mordecia credit for foiling the plot. These events will later become an important part of the story. Every story has its villain, and this time his name is Haman. Haman had been honored by the king with a position above all the nobles. As he passed
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through the city gates, everyone bowed to him. Haman thoroughly enjoyed his power and aunted it wherever he could. It was no wonder that he chaffed when Mordecia refused to bow to him when he passed. In fact, he was so angry that he went to the king and persuaded him to make a decree for all the Jews in the kingdom to be destroyed on a certain day. The king at rst refused but was persuaded by Haman that these Jews were enemies of the throne. The kings decree went out, and it became the law of the Medes and the Persians. Mordecia was deeply troubled and tore his clothes and put on sack cloth and ashes. He sent a copy of the edict to Esther and urged her to go to the king to get him to reverse his decree. After all Esther was a Jew, and she too was in danger. Now this presented quite a dilemma. It was the law that no one was to approach the king without being summoned. To do so meant death. The only reprieve was for the king to put forth his gold scepter to the person to spare his or her life. It had been over thirty days since the king had summoned Esther, so she did not know how he would respond if she entered on her own. III. After asking the Jews in Susa to pray and fast for three days, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the kings hall. When the king saw Esther, he was pleased and extended his golden scepter to her. The king smiled and asked, What is it Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give even up to half of the kingdom to you if you ask for it. Esthers reply is not what we expected. If it pleases the king, she replied, let the king together with Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for them. So that night the king and Haman enjoyed themselves at the little feast Esther had prepared. And when the king asked again what Esther wanted, she replied, This is such a little celebration, would you and Haman come back tomorrow night and I will prepare something much more elaborate. Now Haman, the second most evil person in the kingdom, went his way with a great smile on his face. He was not only in the favor of the king but he was being honored by the queen. Things just dont get any better than this. Then it happened. He went through the city gates, and there was Mordecia, again refusing to bow down. This was more than he could take. He went home to his wife, Zereshthe most wicked person in the kingdomand shared with her his disgust with Mordecia. After all, Haman says, look at
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who I am. I am the only person in the kingdom invited to dine with the king and the queen. Zeresh proclaims, Its about time to put an end to this. Go build a gallows seventy-ve feet high and go ask the king in the morning to have Mordecia hung on it. So Haman had the gallows built and looked forward to the morrow, when he would dispose of his enemy. IV. That night the king couldnt sleep, so he had the book of the chronicles of his reign read to him. When the reader recounted the incident where Mordecia uncovered the plot to assassinate the king, the king stopped him and asked, What honor and recognition was given to this man. Nothing, was the reply. The king called for Haman and asked him, What should be done for the man the king wishes to honor? Thinking that the king was referring to him, he replied, Give him one of the royal robes and put him on one of the kings horses and parade him through the streets proclaiming, This is what is done for the man the king delights in honoring. Good, replied the king. Go get Mordecia and put the robe on him and put him on the kings horse and you parade him throughout the city. When it was all over, Haman rushed home to share his grief with his wife. But while she was giving him a piece of her mind, the word came for Haman to join the king and the queen for the banquet. Again, at the banquet the king asked Queen Esther what was her petition. If I have found favor with you, O king, and it pleases your majesty, grant me my life and spare my people, was her reply. For I and my people have been sentenced to death. Furious, the king asked, Who is the man who has dared such a thing? The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman. The next day Haman is hanged on the seventy-ve-foot gallows he had prepared for Mordecia. And the king sent out a decree throughout the land that the Jews were to defend themselves against their enemies, and they were saved. End of the story. Certainly, Queen Esther had come to the kingdom for just such time as this. V. Of course, anyone who reads the book of Esther discovers that it is about the establishment of the Feast of Purim, the second most important feast on the Jewish calendar. But much has been said about the secular nature of the story. There is no mention of God throughout the story. The Torah is not even alluded to, nor do we nd a great deal of emphasis on prayer.
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Why should such a secular peace of literature be included in the Bible? I think there are many reasons, but let me mention a few. First, the book is infused with moral principles. There is the triumph of good over evil. The role of women is emphasized. Remember that the story began with the men proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his household. Yet Esther becomes the hero of our story. It is she who saves her people. She is even awarded Hamans property after his death. Second, in many ways Gods absence is the most important part of the story, because it is quite clear that God is very present in every detail of the story. Even in what seems at rst to be just happenstance, God is directing the drama: Esther is chosen queen, the plot to kill the king, the kings inability to sleep. All this together shows the hand of God at work. Not when we are just being religious is God present. God is always and everywhere present. Was this not the Jews central theme in life? God calls us to see him present in everything we do.John Dever
Adventure. In Helen Kellers words: Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.10Helen Keller Community. A community of trust, love, and condence will not be destroyed by insults from the world. One of the letters of antiquity that helps paint a picture of early Christianity was a letter from Pliny the Roman governor of Bithnia to the Emperor Tragen: These Christians are strange. They care for one another exceedingly. They care for widows and orphans and carry food from house to house; they share everythingexcept their wives. Lee McGlone
10Available
at http://siri.uvm.edu/ppt/risk2/tsld042.htm.
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Esther 7:16, 910; 9:2022 Ps. 124 James 5:1320 Mark 9:3850 God of Grace and God of Glory I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art We Cannot Measure How You Heal Put Peace into Each Others Hands

Help! SCRIPTURE: Ps. 124 KEY VERSE: Our help is from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth. (Ps. 24:8, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Help comes from God. MATERIALS: Bible
TITLE:
Do you ever ask your parents or older brothers or sisters for help? What do you ask them to help you with? (Let the children respond. Reect back the answers the children share with the group.) Our parents help us by taking us to school, piano lessons, and all the activities we are involved in. Our parents, brothers, or sisters might help us with our homework. Parents help by bringing you to church to learn about God. (Open Bible.) In Psalm 124:8, the psalmist wrote, Our help is from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth. We can also ask God for help. This psalm was a song Gods people sang to remember how God protected them from their enemies. They knew that without God they had no chance. They knew God would help them. We know God will help us, too. We can pray to God to help us with anything. What are some things you would ask Gods help with? (Let the children respond. Examples might be when they are afraid, in trouble, sick, or have a tough choice to make. Reect back their answers.) There are so many things we can ask
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God to help us with. We can be sure, just as Gods people long ago were sure, that help comes from God.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Truly my soul waits upon God; from him comes my salvation (Ps 62:1). Invocation: Almighty God, we are awed by your majesty and power, even as we are awed by your love and mercy. You are forever teaching us that we are to trust you in all things and for all things. So as we enter worship, may our songs and prayers open our hearts to receive your word. Amen. Offertory Sentence: Let the giving of thanks be your sacrice to God, and give the Almighty all that you promised. Call to me when trouble comes; I will save you, and you will praise me (Ps. 50:1415). Offertory Prayer: Lord, we give thanks to you, not only with our lips but also with our offerings. These seem so small compared to the vastness of your gifts to us. Enable us, we pray, to be faithful over the areas that you have entrusted. And make our hearts glad. Amen. Morning Prayer: Eternal Father, to whom a thousand years are but as yesterday when it is passed, we thank you that you have put into our minds the ame of eternal light. We thank you for thoughts that lift us, for every noble desire and every holy impulse. Save us, we pray, from anxiety, presumption, and fear. Deliver us from falsehood, error, and prejudice. May all our doubts vanish before the dawning of your presence in our midst. May we now nd our spirits quieted, our minds cleared, and our spirits renewed. May we be blessed with your thoughts. Lord, inspire us, uplift us, comfort us, and call us to a deeper walk of faith. May your still, small voice be heard clearly among us today. May we have courage to rise and follow your call, just as did those disciples long years ago. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.Henry Fields
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Benediction: May we now rise to the callings that claim us, be faithful to the commitments that shape us, and be ready to serve as you provide opportunity for ministry. We go in his peace that passes all understanding. Amen.
SUNDAY, october 4, 2009

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
In These Last Days God Has Spoken to Us by a
Son Heb. 1:1; 2:512 OTHER READINGS: Job 1:1; 2:110; Ps. 26 or 25; Mark 10:216
TEXT:
Do you ever wonder if anyone or anything really runs this whole show? As you peer into your own life, does some inexplicable event, confounding tragedy, or protracted illness get you down, eat you up? Has your hope that nally someone is really in charge of this creation, preparing to carry everything ultimately to a gracious and peaceful end suggested just a lot of wishful thinking? And as you look at the history of the Christian Church and see the Church and the world in a variety of mortal conicts and perceive us preacher-types as frequently indulging in sentimental drivel, does your faith wobble, your hope shrivel a little? If so, friends, you are in very good company. Because, you see, the letter to the Hebrews is written to an exhausted, discouraged, cynical congregation. We dont know where they are located. We dont know who writes to them, but we do know they stumble along on their last legs. Theyve got tired blood. Theyre losing members by the ton. For many of them, the Christian faith has turned out to be at best a wild superstition, at worst a vile hoax. Theyre giving up, drifting away, and trying something else. I. And then this letter. Do you know what this writer says to this discouraged and straying congregation? He prescribes a heavy dose of what we might call high Christology. He recommends study of Christ. This writer doesnt putter around with language for novices and beginners. He doesnt seduce us with
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subtle programmatic decoys, beguiling clichs, or tantalizing invitations to religion by the numbers. He tells us what makes Jesus the Christ. He delivers a straightforward testimony evoking a vital, trenchant Presencea Presence living with us; a Presence with us in death; a Presence who suffers and struggles, fails and triumphs, braves and endures with us all the perils we share; a Presence bearing in and radiating through a person the very assurance of what we hope for, the essence and conviction of things we cannot see. Do you remember how this authorthis preacher (for what he writes is not a letter but a sermon)how this preacher begins his testimony? He asserts, Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son. God spoke to us in fragments, our author suggests. God spoke in different fashions, styles, moods. It might be through someone like Elijah, compelling us to make choices in our loyalties, or Amos, turning us to social justice, or Hosea, describing One who bends toward us as a loving husband toward a wayward spouse. But in these last days, says our correspondent, God speaks to us by a Sona child, a human being like you, like me. In this person we encounter the ultimate, the nal Word sent, spoken, revealed. Through this human being, this fellow pilgrim, we see the consummate presence of the divine life packaged in esh and blood. Through this Sonthis divine childwe nd ourselves encountered, challenged, and embraced by the core, the heart, the mind, and soul of the radiant, overowing grace grounding our lives and all of creation. This is it, at last. This culminating, concluding perfect Word, not simply spoken but now incarnate. II. And our preacher continues. What might this incarnate Presence mean to us? He exclaims, Jesus, as Christ, is heir of all things. What a confession! Our author answers our perennial question: Where are things headed? What does life mean? Are we just a blob of protoplasm, an itch on the epidermis of a doomed planet? Or more bluntly, does the one who ends up with the most toys or the most weapons win? Do the rich get richer, the violent carry the day? Do the political spinmeisters, PR aks, and Budweiser apologists dene the criteria for truth? Perhaps. Resisting cynicism can be difcult. But our preacher will not surrender to cynicism. He afrms that what makes Jesus Christ the heir of all things lies in the trust we risk that through whatever crisis and trouble we now pass, we are joined by
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One whose love bears the crisis with us, One whose grace lies in binding the loose ends, transguring the twisted, reconciling our antagonisms, healing our self-inicted wounds. Indeed, this heir of all things becomes our brother by passing through the stresses, the bruises, the afictions life throws at him, no different from you or me. This rendering of the gospel by our author assures us God knows what its like to be us. The reection of Gods glory we see in Jesus as the Christ comes not through pomp and circumstance, not through crown and gowns, not the trappings and ceremony we assemble to celebrate the place or position honored by ofce or accomplishment in our civilization. It comes through the anguish, the pain, the bloody defeat and terrible death suffered by this God incarnate in Jesus the Christ on the cross at Calvary. The cross makes Jesus our brother. Can we grasp that? Jesus Christ, as our preacher afrms, is our friend, our brother because through his suffering and death he knows what its like to be you and me. He experiences the height, depth, and breadth of our humanity no less than you or I. Christ is joinedGod is joinedempathetically to the human condition. III. And so we ask, not as we asked at the beginning, Do you believe anyone is really running the show? Is there Someone in charge? Of course. And we afrm it because, Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways, but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son, heir of all things, creator of the worlds, reection of Gods glory, the exact imprint of Gods very being sustaining all thingsall thingsby his powerful word, even Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior. Let us pray: In the name of the Triune God we offer ourselves for service in the realms of health and welfare, justice and peace. Grant that through us, others may see and know you. Amen.James W. Crawford
Image of God. Some years ago I read a wonderful little reection by Edmund Steimle titled, Is God as Good as Jesus? A diplomat put the question to Dr. Steimle. He had witnessed the hunger, poverty, and disease in the Third World.
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He perceived hopelessness on a vast scale. I wish, he said, that I could believe that God is as good as Jesus.1 The book of Hebrews declares that Jesus is the very image of God.James W. Crawford Compassion. When the Eternal One sees one of us walking toward lethal injection, or huddling in garbage bags on warm street ventilators, or an alcoholic crawling under some cardboard boxes, or anyone living with the chronic threat of AIDS, or an Iraqi, Afghan, or American rotting under the Mideastern sunthrough all of this the Savior does not see a charity case, a pitiful victim, or hopeless cause. This Christ sees a brother, a sister and is not ashamed to call us Bothers and sisters. This Christ who comes to us in these last days does not brush aside misery with the wag of the head and a cluck, There by for the grace of God go I. Instead, we hear, There because of the grace of God, I am. We are bound to Christ by our painand by our faithour faith that at our side stands One who bears that pain with us and who guarantees it will not have the last word. We live by that hope, that conviction we do not see, we simply, humbly, gratefully trust.James W. Crawford

Job 1:1; 2:110 Ps. 26 or Ps. 25 Heb. 1:14; 2:512 Mark 10:216 It Is Well with My Soul Lord Speak to Me God Has Spoken by the Prophets Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness

Stand Up! SCRIPTURE: Ps. 26 KEY VERSE: I have taken a stand and I will publicly praise the Lord. (Ps. 26:12, NLT)
TITLE:
1Edmund
A. Steimle, Disturbed by Joy (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1967), p. 160.
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Public witness of faith Bible
Our language is hard sometimes because we use the same word to mean different things. For example, we drive a car, but we also have a drive in our computer. We use the same word, drive, but it means two different things. It can be confusing sometimes, cant it? I want everyone to stand up. (The children will then follow directions and stand up. Then have the children sit down again.) Now when I asked you to stand up, you got on your feet, and your bodies were straight up and down. Another way the word stand is used might be to talk about a podium someone talks from, like this one. (Point to the podium in the sanctuary.) (Open Bible.) Our verse for today is from Psalm 26:12, and it uses the word stand in another way. Here is what it says: I have taken a stand, and I will publicly praise the Lord. The way stand is used here is a way of thinking or feeling. The psalmist loved God so much the psalmist wanted everyone to know what he believed. The psalmist wanted everyone to know, and the psalmist showed it by praising the Lord. We can stand for God, too. We can praise God in so many ways. Can you think of some ways? (Let the children answer and reect back what they say.) You have come up with some great ways to praise God. We want to let others know of Gods love so much that we cant help but praise God in all we do.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God (Ps. 62:7). Invocation: Lord, in this hour of worship, let the broken body and shed blood of our Savior bring us to renewed commitment and greater appreciation of that grace that knows no bounds and saves to the uttermost them that believe. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Offertory Sentence: The Lord said to Moses, Tell the Israelites to make an offering to me. Receive whatever offerings any man wishes to give (Exod. 25:12, TEV).
Sunday, October Eleventh
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Offertory Prayer: Lord, receive the gifts of tithes and offerings we present today as tokens of our devotion. You have overwhelmingly blessed us, and we are thankful. Because of these gifts, your word will multiply here and around the world. Bless them for your purposes. Amen. Morning Prayer: Merciful God, open our hearts to the winds of thanks and hope that are alive in the church on this World Communion Sunday: winds of thanks for the global witness of Christians who give the hungry food and the thirsty drink, who welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit them that are in prison; winds of thanks for all who, in lives of sympathy, witness, and service, make a difference for good; winds of thanks for all who, of any faith or none, work and pray for the vulnerable, that peace and justice may embrace. And open our hearts to the winds of hope for the Churchan earthen vessel that can break the hearts of the just; that we be one: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one body of Christ, worshipping one God and Father of all; that the fruit of the Spiritlove, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, delity, gentleness, self-controlblossom, until we are one with all creation: burning sun and silver moon, rushing wind and clouds of heaven, rising morn, lights of evening, owing water, re so masterful and bright, fertile earth, owers and fruit, in the world communion of all living things.Peter Fribley Benediction: We stand on the threshold of eternity. Each day belongs to God, as do we. Now go forth in the love and grace shown in the person of Jesus Christ. May we live each day to honor him. Amen.

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
What Are You Willing to Give Up for Gods Sake?
Mark 10:1731 OTHER READINGS: Job 23:19, 1617; Ps. 22:115; Heb. 4:1216
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We meet in Jesus a virtuoso in uncovering the roots of spiritual sickness. He serves as spiritual physician without peer, offering diagnosis, prognosis, cure. Among the many persons Jesus encounters, Mark introduces Jesus to someone who, for all his virtue and high ideals, suffers from an acute ethical and moral sickness. I. This man, Mark tells us, comes to Jesus, falls down before him, and asks, Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Eternal life? Be assured, friends, our supplicant asks not for condence in life after death. He expresses no eagerness to live forever. Eternal life that the young man seeks will grasp him, liberate him, free him, grant him peace and courage right now! Life in God, Life in Christ, Eternal lifethese expressions reect a depth and quality of life we all seek, hope, and pray for amid our existence as we live it this very moment. We meet a young man in this encounter who possesses everything (he has no mortgage, has good health insurance, has resources for his retirement, winters in the Bahamas, drives a Lamborghini) but asks, Is this all there is? Something is missing, and I see in you, Jesus, a presence and radiance and goodness I seek for my own life. So, what must I do to gain it? And then a rude rejoinder from Jesus: Only God is good. We hear a conversational shift. We see in Jesus a wariness of one who believes his life can, by ethical increments, another dollar here, an additional phone call there, a square deal here, a good deed there reect the fullness of eternal life. Indeed, Jesus recasts the young mans compliment and assumption: Friend, I dont think you know what you ask. Youve no idea what youre in for. You head for a brutal shock! Then Jesus backs off a little. He continues conversing along the lines our young supplicant draws. You follow the commandments of course, Jesus says. Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not defraud. Do not defraud!? Did that come down with Moses from Sinai? Is that included on the collage of commandments some Christian coalition wants to nail behind the benches in Americans courthouses? No way. That expression comes from Mark and Marks church. He includes it in this passage, centered on a man of great wealth. Mark knows vast wealth can come from embezzlement, cheating, lies, and rip-offs. He probably suspects characters in his congregation gained afuence through deceit and fraud.
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II. Well, our young man informs Jesus that he keeps the commandments; his character is unblemished, but yet he wonders, What must I do? And Jesus, writes Mark, loved him. Of course! What a nd! Disciple number 13! Here was an enthusiastic, highly moral person who could be of great help in terms of leadership and perhaps in drawing others of his kind into that little band. But alas, Jesus pulls the plug. As spiritual physician, he dishes out the proper prescription. He tells the man not what he wants to hear but what he needs to hear. Amid all of your success, your ethical excellence, your superb reputation, your religious practice, there is one thing you lack. Go sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me. When the young man hears this, he is shocked and goes away grieving, for he has many possessions. How dare Jesus say something like this? Here he nds just the kind of person who might serve as disciple 13, and he stuns him with a radical challenge, sending the man disappointedno, grievingaway. Unbelievable! If such a personman or womanwere to set foot in our churches today he or she would be courted, cajoled, dined, and massaged; wed get that person into the church rst and worry about conversion later. We do not clone Jesus with the challenge, One thing you lack. One thing . . . III. Now friends, for some of us that one thing may lurk in our possessions. We cannot avoid that this morning. The gospel doesnt. And I suspect Jesus puts his nger on attitudes about wealth, its accumulation, meaning, and stewardship that make some of us here, including your pastor, rather uneasy. Be assured Jesus does not say rich people nd it impossible to be graced with eternal life. He does say we may nd it extremely difcult to loosen ourselves up, to free ourselves from what might be called the tyranny of things. He does imply that the cost of cosmetics, vacations, and wardrobes can get in the way of choices necessary for the health and welfare of our neighbors in need. Jesus makes it clear that our contentment with substantial bank accounts, vast amounts of working capital, and shrewd investments can come at great cost to our spiritual health. We see in the gospel none of that old Yankee mythology equating nancial success with providential favor. Jesus never blesses free enterprise, capitalism, the Stock Exchange, or the market economy. He never asserts that the rich
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deserve what they get nor defends a moral right to keep it. Nowhere does he spin a rationale for private property. Far from it. He implies that both our private property and the philosophies behind it stand among the things we resist yielding in the service of the gospel. He suggests strongly that our single-minded pursuit of the bottom line, that our inclination to support legislators who for the price of access protect bottom lines, our resistance to those who ght for economic justice, whether it be health insurance, pensions, Social Security, a fair, graduated income tax, a livable wageand yes, larger church outreach budgetshe knows these resistant attitudes may enhance our bank accounts, our personal economic security, and prosperity. But he also knows they can divert our compassion, numb us to human need, make a claim upon us supplanting the claim of love. We may discover, indeed, a world upside down. Instead of owning our possessions, our possessions just may own us. IV. What must I do to inherit eternal life? asks our young friend. Jesus replies, One thing you lack . . . What do you lack? What do I lack? What one thing will we not give up for Gods sake? Career? Status? Privilege? Possessions? As Jesus says, Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also. What do you treasure most? Will you risk it? Will you let it go? It may well be the key unlocking that door enabling you to live freely within the loving, joyous, risky serviceeternal lifeoffered by Jesus Christ to you and the world. What a deal! So, that one thing, whatever it may be, risk it. For Christs sake, give it up. Let us pray: Gracious God, you offer us everything, holding nothing back, not even the death of Jesus. Grant in gratitude we may put on the line that one thing we would hang on to, condent in your promise of peace and joy, power, and peace. Amen.James W. Crawford
Wealth. When we encounter those who insist that the Bible and the Christian faith know little about economics (Stay out of it, they say. Stick to religion!) This little passage is clear as a bell that wealth frequently accrues as a conse-
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quence of slippery tactics and abuse of power and, along with other biblical passages, consistently sees the poor not as a problem of the rich but the rich as the problem of the poor. The Bible sees what we call the poor as impoverished, and we church folks retain our integrity as, in word and deed, our mission sustains that understanding.James W. Crawford
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost

Job 23:19, 1617 Ps. 22:115 Heb. 4:1216 Mark 10:1731 Come Ye Disconsolate What a Friend We Have in Jesus I Know That My Redeemer Lives Give Thanks

Possibilities! SCRIPTURE: Mark 10:1731 KEY VERSES: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God! The disciples were astounded. Then who in the world can be saved? they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God. (Mark 10: 2527, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Gods power and Gods Kingdom MATERIALS: Bible, needle, thread, picture of a camel
TITLE:
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PREPARATION:
Think of several things possible and impossible for children to do. Make sure they are very distinctly possible and impossible, so there is no question.
I am going to say something, and I want you to tell me whether it is possible (it is something you can do) or impossible (something you cant do). (Use the list you made ahead of time of things that are possible and impossible.) You did great with those things. You knew exactly what you could do and couldnt do. I have two more things I want to ask if you can do. I have a needle here and this little hole called the eye to put thread through. Could you put thread through this hole? (Show them the thread and needle. Let the children respond. If time permits let someone try putting the thread through the eye of the needle.) Some of you could get thread through this needle. Could you put a real camel through the eye of this needle? (Let the children respond.) Of course you couldnt put a real camel through this hole. That is a crazy thing to even ask. Did you know Jesus used this very same idea to help the disciple understand Gods power and Gods Kingdom? (Open Bible.) In Mark 10:2527 Jesus says, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God! The disciples were astounded. Then who in the world can be saved? they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God. Jesus used this idea of a camel and needle to show that what seems impossible is possible with God. Gods Kingdom and Gods power are beyond what we can understand, but we know God loves us and cares for us. With God all things are possible.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: O God, thou are my God; early will I seek thee (Ps. 63:1). Invocation: Father, as we gather to worship in this holy place, may the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you. We delight in the warm fellowship we share and rejoice in the challenges we will hear from your word. Help us to live worthily of the faith that has claimed us. Amen. Offertory Sentence: Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord (Exod. 35:5).
Sunday, October Eighteenth
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Offertory Prayer: Dear God, you have taught us not to fear but instead to trust. Grant that our lives will be so ordered that fear has no place. Increase our love, for perfect love casts out all fear. Amen. Morning Prayer: Father, you have shown us eternal love. From the cradle to the grave, your love will forever keep and protect us, even when we pass from this life into eternity. Grant that we may so love each other as you have loved us. Give us hearts of mercy and compassion for those who are hungry, helpless, and hopeless. We confess that often we do not see the wonder of life that surrounds us. Your gifts of family and friends, of beauty in nature, of challenges that rise up before us and dilemmas that halt our wayFather, for all these help us to be mindful and thankful. We stand in awe of your supreme love that bars no person but welcomes people everywhere to your side. Forgive us the times we falter in selshness and waywardness. We are so foolish. And we are dreadfully sorry. Cleanse us, as with the psalmist long ago, and make us whole. Mold us into the very image of your dear son, Jesus the Christ, and teach us your ways that we may live worthily under the grace by which we have been claimed. Amen.Lee McGlone Benediction: May now the length and breadth and height and depth of Gods love be magnied in your life. By the power of God, whom we name Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, let us go forth to live justly in our often unjust world. All for the cause of the Kingdom. Amen.

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Are You Looking for God?
OTHER READINGS:
Job 38:17 (3441) Ps. 104:19, 24, 35c; Heb. 5:110; Mark 10:3545
A woman riding public transportation across the city recently was engrossed in a little book titled, God Is the Answer. I wondered about the questions she
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asked. Godthe answer to what? I heard one person on the radio recently asserting that God served as the answer to her three-hundred-plus pounds; another afrmed that God answered his prayers and made him a millionaire. I suppose some of us stumble into church from time to time in pursuit of answers: What does my life mean? What am I supposed to do? Does anything matter anymore? Churches should possess answers. Should we? Biblical faith offers a somewhat disconcerting perspective on our glib assumption, God is the answer. Take Job for instance. He seeks answers from God. Job feels sorry for himself. He lost his property to the enemy, his family to the elements, and nds himself, as the poet writes, Aficted with loathsome sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. His wife holds him in contempt: Do you hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die! Amid this misfortune, Job questions God. Why just ruin me? he asks. Why not destroy my life altogether? What sin did I commit that I should live? What hope is compelling me to care about life? Job receives his reply. But he gets no answers. A voice from the whirlwind delivers question upon shattering question: Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth. Tell me if you have understanding. Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule upon the earth? Declare to me if you have knowledge! And so on it goes, with Jobs pleadings thrown in his face and God asking the questions. I. Isnt this as it should be? God asking the questions; we living and giving the answers. The tilt of the Bible leans toward Gods initiative and our response. Leaf through the pages of Genesis: Adam, where are you? Hear Gods challenge to Moses amid his peoples oppression, Will you lead my people? Or again, Isaiah, discerning his vocation: Who will go? Whom shall I send? And to Job: Brace yourself, stand with courage and I will question you. You see, if we look for answers, we may get questions. Look at it this way: the questioner bears the role of initiator. The question sets the conditions for the answer, either by direct suggestion or subtle implication. Ask the wrong questions, you get the wrong answers. If our questions set the con-
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ditions for Gods answers or actions, the answer can be no larger than the question. And more poignantly, we may fail to recognize the answers when they come. Who will save us? we ask. Why this loneliness, this heartbreak, this injustice, this failure? Indeed, who will save us? II. Does this make you uncomfortable? It does me. I think many of us would prefer a religion posing fewer problems and prescribing more cures, a religion to solve the riddles of existence. And like that woman reading that book on the trainGod Is the Answerwe can nd tons of materials answering with a hidebound, deep-voiced, Yes. God is the answer. But we need to be careful. A Christianity coming to us with all the answers borders on fraud. Clues? Yes. A way of seeing? Yes. As presence in the person of Christ Jesus and Christs living Spirit? Yes. But airtight answers to human behavior? No! Doctrinal stances more important than compassion? No! Infallibilities, inerrancies, creeds confused with trust, with faith, with outgoing love? No! We need to be wary of religions subtle, seductive attraction and a Christianity offering all the answers. I think realizing our full humanity lies in questions getting us off our own hands, linking us to service of the human familyquestions puncturing our religious presumptions, complacencyquestions disturbing our frequent denominational or ideological smugness. Stand and I will question you! III. One nal note: Gods questions persist; the challenge continues; the Divine search abides. God comes as question mark in the realm of social justice. God comes as genocide in Darfur, as civil war in Iraq, as religious conict in the Kashmir. God comes as kids without jobs, prisoners without hope, gays in search of human dignity, women questing for equal pay, cities with broken, hostile neighborhoods. Yes, God comes as men and women with no xed address, women beaten, children bruised. God comes in the sobs of loneliness, the yearning to be touched, the hunger for encouragement, the grasping for friendship. Are you available? Do you care? Can you meet me there? And yes, God comes to us as question marks through the hassles, sorrows, and small victories in our own lives. Someone you love is dying? Can you hope? A child drifts off into his or her own world; communication stops? Do we quit? An ambition is stymied, a dream postponed, love deected, frozen, spurned. Have we the resources for triumph? Can we trust
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love lies at the heart of it all? Are you looking for answers? Brace yourself. Stand with courage and I will question you. Let us pray: Open us, O God, to your vastness, depth, and height. We pray you, prick our compliancy, question our certainties, leading us to a free, trusting condence in your never failing love, care, and presence. Amen. James W. Crawford
Questions. A sharp young lawyer asked Jesus the question: Who is my neighbor? Our Lords response? He tells the parable of the Good Samaritan and closes with a question: Who among these was the neighbor to the man in the ditch? Or again, religious people shuddered at the gutter company Jesus kept. He answered with three concise parables, then asked, Which of you having lost a sheep, a coin, a child would fail to search, yearn, and seek? And more: Will you work in my vineyard? Will you come to my banquet? Will you dine with me today? Will you stay awake while I pray? The gospels tell the story of a man sent to answer questions about God, but instead, this Christ searches us. We nd the gospel punctuated with a question mark.James W. Crawford
A jar of honey chanced to spill Its contents on the window sill In many a viscous pool and rill. The ies, attracted by the sweet, Began so greedily to eat, They smeared their fragile wings and feet. With many a twitch and pull in vain They gasped to get away again, And died in aromatic pain. Moral: O foolish creatures that destroy Themselves for transitory joy. Aesops fable
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Job 38:17 (3441) Ps. 104:19, 24, 35c Heb. 5:110 Mark 10:3545 God, You Spin the Whirling Planets O Worship the King Praise Him! Praise Him! Fairest Lord Jesus

All Different Kinds Ps. 104:19, 24, 35c KEY VERSE: O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. (Ps. 104:24, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Creation MATERIALS: Bible, stuffed animals or gurines, Barbie or baby doll, bag PREPARATION: Place the stuffed animals or gurines and Barbie or baby doll in the bag.
TITLE: SCRIPTURE:
I brought a bag full of different things this morning. I need a helper to reach in and pull out one of the items for me. (Choose one of the children to pull something from the bag. Ask that child to pull an item out. Continue to have different volunteers pull something from the bag until you have pulled everything out. As you pull out these things, talk about how they are alike and different.) We pulled out all different kinds of creatures from the bag. (Open Bible.) In Psalm 104:24, the writer praises God because God made all the creatures. It says, O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. We just had a few of the many different creatures God made. God made lots and lots more creatures than we can count. Not only did God create different creatures, but look at each of us. We are all people, but we dont look alike. God made each one of us special. Lets thank God today for making us very special.Marcia Thompson
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1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Rom. 12:1, RSV). Invocation: Gracious Father, wherever we are we want to praise you. Especially do we want to praise you in this lovely place dedicated to your worship. Fill us with your Spirit, we pray, and allow our hearts and tongues to express the true intents of our hearts that we may glorify you. Amen. Offertory Sentence: He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us (2 Cor. 9:11, TEV). Offertory Prayer: Lord, you provide us strength by your everlasting mercy. Grant that we, through our giving, may lend help and hope to others. Use these gifts that the good news of Jesus Christ may be proclaimed to the ends of the earth, even to the darkened crevices of our own lives. Amen. Morning Prayer: Eternal Father, we acknowledge that we are often unaware of your presence in the world. Teach us to see you in the sky, the owers, and lakes that adorn our surroundings. Help us to see you in the faces of children, in those in need, and in those we love. Teach us to see you and hear you wherever you are. May we be like children and come alive to the wonder and mystery of your presence around us and within us. We pray that you will come now with the excitement of your presence and touch our hearts, hands, ears, eyes, and minds. Take away our weariness and dullness to what is holy and beautiful and lead us to praise your name. We lift our hearts to youyoung and old, child and adult, single and married, man and woman. Teach us to be sensitive to your presence and to the needs of those around us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen. William Powell Tuck
Sunday, October Twenty-Fifth
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Benediction: In the power and love of our Lord we go forth to declare his wonderful deeds. May the light of his countenance shine upon us and, through us, to a darkened world. Amen.

Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost Blind! Mark 10:4652 OTHER READINGS: Job 42:16, 1017; Ps. 34:18 (1922); Heb. 7:2328
Jesus heads toward Jerusalem. For three years he has turned the world upside down, not only preaching a new community rooted in grace and peace but, through his very life, acting it out. His presence means dramatic change in the way people perceive and treat one another. His style meets tremendous resistance from the status quo. Jesus knows this trip to Jerusalem will provide an explosive confrontation with religious and civil authorities and may end in a bloody mess. As he makes his way into Jericho, the last stop on the way to Jerusalem, he has twelve disciples with him. Indeed, theyve been with him for three years, yet they are blind to what lies ahead for him. They look for a coronation. They expect the Jericho stop to anticipate the Jerusalem victory. Hey, Lord, they shout, when youve got the scepter and the crown, we want the spoils. A efdom here, a sheriffs job there, an ambassadorship to some romantic post. How about it? The king and his court! And Jesus? He sees a different end. He sees a decisive encounter between the Realm of God and the ways of the world. But the end he sees includes no efdoms, ambassadorships, or sheriffs jobs. The end looks like collapse, futility, and catastrophe. As Jesus leaves Jericho, a man born blindBartimaeus (thats not even a name; it means son of the unclean)cries to Jesus to heal him. The crowd tells Bartimaeus literally to shut up. Jesus hears the wailing and beckons Bartimaeus to him. Bartimaeus leaps from his pathetic crouch and begs to regain
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his sight. Jesus grants it and Bartimaeus sees, and contrary to every other healing in the New Testament, Bartimaeus doesnt hide the healing, doesnt go his merry way. Bartimaeus chooses, when he gains his sight, to follow Jesus. I. Now friends, this narrative is not about an ophthalmological miracle. This is not medical magic. Scientic explanation is beside the point. When blind Bartimaeus lunges toward Jesus, Mark intends us to see blindness itself blindness itselfconfronting Jesus on that trip to Jerusalem. When blind Bartimaeus rushes toward our Lord, Mark tells us the world itself is blind to the implications of that Jerusalem pilgrimage. When blind Bartimaeus intrudes into that celebratory trek toward Jerusalem, Mark tells us blindness blocks the perceptions of Christians down the ages who will not see, who will not accept, who will not risk the danger and shoulder the risks of following Jesus. Mark is saying as vividly as he can that most of us are blind to a faith, inevitably meaning a journey toward the bloody risks of Jerusalem. Mark says most of us are blind to the new world that comes through our readiness and willingness to risk the pain of lovingly giving ourselves up so others may live in joy, peace, and freedom. II. Does that blindness include you? Me? This church? Perhaps. I worry sometimes that aesthetics and beauty, ritual and poetrythat our orders of worship in our sanctuaryblind us to the rigors and demands of discipleship. Could it be that communal worship of our sort substitutes for the daring and costly personal and public investments revealed in the way of the cross? Public worship in our context can be moving and powerful occasions, but if we consider our Christian faith to be fully exercised in the connes and procedures of our beautiful sanctuary, we are getting off too easy. We may well be blinded to the true dimensions of what it will take from each of us and from our churches to save ourselves from the injuries, injustice, and violence we do to one another. It takes more than money, politics, and platitudes to resolve the tragedy we see in the human condition. It takes the fruits of love, and that means, in this world, broken hearts and the risk of suffering with others for the sake of human solidarity and reconciliation. You see, Christs kind of world costs something. It involves risking something for loves sake. Do you see, now, the dimensions of what Mark sees, as
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Jesus makes his way toward Jerusalem? Its all about love as risk and gift for the sake of others. This New Testament event puts at the center of our faith, our hope, and our love the risk ofwhat shall we call it?crucixion? Are we yet blind to that possibility? Or like Bartimaeus, born blind in Jericho, can we too be delivered to see the peril and the promise of the Jerusalem road and, as he did, choose to follow? Let us pray: Open our eyes. Gracious God, that we may truly see the new world Jesus promises us, and that with courage and hope may follow him, loyally, there. Amen.James W. Crawford
Seeing. Some years ago Alan Paton wrote a wonderful novel titled, Ah, But Your Land Is Beautiful.2 It tells of a political movement against apartheid in South Africa. The story includes an incident involving a young woman, Prem Bodasinghan Indian woman. Under the laws of apartheid, she is an outsider; in her own way she is a gentle activist working to dismantle the barriers separating the races. But in a random act of violence, Prem Bodasingh is shot in the face by mysterious night vigilantes, while she is sitting in the living room of a friend. She lies near death in a Durban hospital, terribly disgured. A friend comes to see her; they engage in friendly conversation. He promises her a surgeons help from New York. They discuss for a few minutes her blotched and distorted face, and Prem asks her visitor if he knows the story of the girl with the terrible blemish. He answers, No, and she goes on. The girl fell in love with a blind man and she married him. He didnt inch from her. He was the only one who didnt inch from her. Then along came a great surgeon. . . . He examined the man and he said, I think I can restore your sight. And the man was lled with joy, and she was lled with fear. She was lled with shame, too, because she could not share his joy. Now blind people can see things we cant and he knew she
2Alan
Paton, Ah, But Your Land Is Beautiful (New York: Scribners, 1981), p. 210.
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did not share his joy. So he said to her, Why do you not share my joy? But she told him that he was making a mistake, that she did share his joy. He said to her, You have never lied to me before, why do you lie to me now? So in the end she had to tell him about the blemish. And he loved her so greatly that he decided to stay blind, for her happiness meant more to him than his sight. James W. Crawford Servanthood. Some years ago we were traveling; as usual, the family slept while I drove. I turned the radio on and picked up a rousing gospel preacher who caught my attention. I was enjoying the sermon until he said to his listening audience, Come on down to the meeting house tonight and well give you a great big dose of the Holy Ghost. Somehow that didnt come across so well. I thought to myself, No. I dont think you will. You arent in control of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit isnt yours to controlto give away as you please. I surmised that here was one among us who had become too well acquainted with God. It is, I believe, Gods business to be God. It is ours to be what God intended for us. Perhaps a bit of humility and an attitude of servanthood would do us all a lot of good.Lee McGlone

Job 42:16, 1017 Ps. 34:18 (1922) Heb. 7:2328 Mark 10:4652 Give Thanks for Life Shout to the Lord O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus O Christ, the Healer, We Have Come

Dont Be Afraid SCRIPTURE: Ps. 34:18, 1922 KEY VERSE: I prayed to the Lord and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears. (Ps. 34:4, NLT)
TITLE:

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God can help us when we are afraid. Bible
I am wondering this morning: What are some things you are afraid ofthat really scare you? (Let the children respond. Reect back the answers the children share, afrming their fears are real. You might even share something that you were afraid of as a child.) All of us have different things that make us afraid. It is part of being human, but we always have God whom we can pray to when we are really afraid. (Open Bible.) In Psalm 34:4, the Bible says, I prayed to the Lord and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears. The psalmist who wrote this knew that God hears prayer. God answered the psalmist prayer and helped him be free of those things he was afraid of. We can be sure that God hears our prayers when we tell God we are afraid. It helps us by knowing God is in control. God may or may not make those fearful things go away, but we are free, knowing God loves us and cares for us, especially in those times we are really scared. Remember the next time (name some of the things the children were afraid of and their names), you can pray to God, and God will hear. Lets pray to God to help us when we are afraid. (Pray with the children and specically for their fears.)Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory (Ps. 64:10). Invocation: Holy, holy, holy, are you, Lord God of Hosts. As we gather to worship, we seek to draw near you so we may hear your still small voice and listen to your teaching. Make clear our path to you and help us to walk in it. Amen. Offertory Sentence: All the law is fullled in one word, even in this; you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Gal. 5:14). Offertory Prayer: Gracious Father, we recognize that sacrice is the calling that claims our lives. Your dear Son, Jesus, for the joy set before him endured
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the cross, despising the shame. Give us the vision to see beyond self-denial so we may enjoy the service that sacrice brings. Amen. Morning Prayer: In the sacredness of this morning hour, tune our hearts to sing your praise. Turn our minds to the things that are eternal and that add to eternal value, we pray. Give us the desire to be good news bearers that those who have never found a faith by which to walk may discover such faith through our lived and spoken witness. Turn our hands to helping in areas where there is no reward and no prot except that of having done the Fathers will. Turn our hearts to compassion for the wounded, the burdened, the lonely, the bereaved, and the hungry of the land. May we not grow weary in well doing, but rather delight in the privilege of being servants of the Master who take seriously their calling to be his followers in word and deed. Now to you we commit all that we are. We raise this prayer in Jesus name. Amen.Henry Fields. Benediction: People of God, go forth today in the joy of the Lord. With spirits lifted in worship, we go out now to serve. May our labor for the Lord be anchored in a glad heart and empowered by his ever-present Spirit. Amen.
SUNDAY, november 1, 2009

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost/All Saints Sunday
Salvation: A Cause for Praise
Isa. 25:69 OTHER READINGS: Ps. 24; Rev. 21:16a; John 11:3244 These two realities of judgment and salvation are juxtaposed with one another in Isaiah 2425. Chapter 24 anticipates judgment upon the earth, but in the
Sunday, November First
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very next chapter, Isaiah speaks of a day of hope and favor from the hand of God. The hope characteristic of that day is based on the things that God will do. Five assurances are expressed here. I. In the day of His salvation, God will lead a celebration of His triumph (v. 6). The setting of this text is on Mt. Zion, the center of Gods Kingdom on earth (cf. 24:23). According to prophetic utterance, he will reign victorious over all at the consummation of the present age, when his Messiah returns in power and great glory, to put an end to sin and to rule and reign upon the earth. The literal glory of that day is expressed here in symbolic imagery by the poet-prophet. Here God is seen to be preparing a lavish banquet, an occasion of great celebration. The invited guests to this glorious event include all peoples. Nothing is spared for the occasion; it is a feast of fat things, the nest of food. The nest of wine is servedanother symbol of the joy and celebration of the occasion. In the previous days of his judgment (chapter 24), no celebration was to be found. All things were in ruin; the wine was bitter. But now the prophet foresees a new day, in which gloom has been turned to celebration! This new day is the day of the establishment of Christs Kingdom on earth, a day that in the gospels is also described as a great feast (see Matt. 8:11; 22:4). II. In the day of His salvation, God will make known the truth of the Gospel to all (v. 7). The veil or covering mentioned in this verse is usually identied as either a veil of mourning (which would be expected under the state of judgment and would be removed in the celebration) or as a veil that obscures the truth of the gospel to the nations, the ignorance and blindness that keeps us from receiving Christs offer of salvation in the present day (which would be removed in that day so that all nations could receive the gospel). Following the latter interpretation, Isaiah intends us to look for the day when the religious confusion and conict in the world is replaced with the true knowledge of Christ. III. In the day of His salvation, God will swallow up death (v. 8). Christ, in his nished work at the cross, conquered death. Although we know death as a real and present enemy, Christ knows death as a defeated foe. And in
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Christ, death will one day be forever vanquished. The Apostle Paul argued the theology of eternal life and death in the great resurrection chapter 1 Corinthians 15. Near the end of his discussion, he cites the coming of Christ for his own and the resurrection of believers as fulllment of the prophetic words of Isaiah 25:8. Often we stand at a graveside, grieving the loss of one loved. The separation of death brings a sting. Yet as the earth swallows the remains of the deceased, we are reminded that death, the great swallower, will one day itself be swallowed up in victory, forever! IV. In the day of His salvation, God will eliminate sorrow (v. 8). The prophet further assures us that God will wipe away the tears of all people. The cause of tears here is not mentioned. Perhaps it is best understood as nonspecific, in view of the many possible causes of grief in this life. Surely, the grief of death brings tears. Grief for our sin does as well. A broken relationship or a conict with another often prompts tears. A godly mother grieves over a spiritually wayward son. A prodigal son grieves over the sin that has ruined his life. In the day of his salvation, God will ease the pain and wipe away the tears. V. In the day of His salvation, God will remove the reproach of His people (v. 8). Yet another blessing foreseen by Isaiah is that of vindication for his people. The disgrace, or reproach, to which the prophet refers, was a consequence of Israels sin. While they are heirs of a promised salvation, they were suffering his chastening for their sins. But in that nal, glorious day of salvation, their wandering hearts will be securely devoted to him. Insofar as such reproach is heaped by godless people on those who are identied with Christ and his cause, this promise provides assurance that the day is coming when all will bow the knee before the King in his glory. Rather than mocking his name, they will join in his praise. VI. In the day of His salvation, Gods people will rejoice in His salvation (v. 9). The salvation of the last day is the fulllment of a long-held expectation by Gods chosen people. They have waited for him to save them, which is an indication of faith. For faith sees not the difculty of the present moment but expects the promised future. In their waiting, they have trusted him to do that which they could not do. They were powerless to
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make all things right among the nations; they could not remove the blindness of sin; death and sorrow seemed to be inevitable experiences, and the cloud of reproach was dark above their heads. Yet their hope and their ultimate joy is found in the God who saves. Christ, his Anointed One, at his rst coming died for sinners. At his second coming, he will establish his Kingdom on earth. Let the celebration begin!Robert Vogel
Gods Plan. The message of the biblical prophets often seems enigmatic. That is to say, the thought often swings widely, from judgment and despair on the one hand to hope and salvation on the other. One might ask how it is that messages at both extremes could be true. Some might even say that such radically different messages constitute contradictions within the text of scripture. Such messages are not contradictory. Rather, they speak of seasons in the plan of God. At different points in time and situation, differing facets of the sovereign purposes of God are in evidence. This reality is evident in Isaiahs prophecy. At points he anticipates the judgment of God on his people Israel for their sin. Yet he also writes of a day of grace and salvation, anticipated comfort for a people experiencing anew the blessing of God upon them.Robert Vogel End of Sorrow. John foresaw the end of sorrow in the Revelation. He writes in Revelation 7:17, for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to springs of the water of life; and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes. And again in Revelation 21:4, anticipating the consummation of Gods glorious plan, he writes, And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be [any] death; there shall no longer be [any] mourning, or crying, or pain; the rst things have passed away. Robert Vogel
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All Saints Day Isa. 25:69 Ps. 24 Rev. 21:16a John 11:3244 [or] TwentySecond Sunday after Pentecost (Green) Ruth 1:118 Find Us Faithful Ps. 146 Ill Praise My Maker While Ive Breath Heb. 9:1114 Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed Mark 12:2834 Stand Up and Bless the Lord For All the Saints God in His Love for Us O Lord, You Gave Your Servant John Here I Am, Lord

What Is a Saint? SCRIPTURE: Isa. 25:69 KEY VERSE: In that day the people will proclaim, This is our God. We trusted in him and he saved us. This is the Lord in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings! (Isa. 25:9) KEY CONCEPT: Saints, All Saints Sunday MATERIALS: Bible PREPARATION: If you celebrate this and use this as a time to remember those saints in your church who have died in the past year, incorporate those names in, especially if the children have a personal connection to these people.
TITLE:
Today is All Saints Sunday. It is a time we celebrate and honor those who have been or are faithful followers of Christ. In the early Church it started as a way to remember those who had been killed because of their belief in Jesus. The Christians would celebrate it on that particular persons birthday. After a while,
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there were so many celebrations, it was decided to have one day to celebrate the faithful life of these Christians. (Open Bible.) The word saint can also be used to describe a Christian who is a holy persona person who is faithful in doing what Christ wants him or her to do. Saintly people want to tell others about Jesus and show through their actions that Jesus is their Savior. In Isaiah 25:9 there is a verse that describes what a saint would say with every action. It reads, In that day the people will proclaim, This is our God. We trusted in him and he saved us. This is the Lord in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings! We can be happy today because of all the saints who came before usall the way back to the time of Jesus. They are the people who believed and told the stories of Jesus all the way through history so we can hear them and believe today. Lets thank God for all those saints who came before us who believed in God and shared Gods message so that we can believe today.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: sing forth the honor of his name: make his praises glorious (Ps. 66: 12). Invocation: We gather in your name, O Lord, to worship you. You are our hearts desire. As we lift our voices, and the intentions of our souls, grant that we may experience your presence and be prepared to glorify you in our living. Speak to our hearts, Lord Jesus. Amen. Offertory Sentence: If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warned and lled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it prot? (James 2:1516). Offertory Prayer: Lord, you are the God of all good things. Every good and perfect gift comes from you. You have rewarded our labor, and we now acknowledge with grateful hearts your favor and return to you these gifts. Bless them for your eternal purposes. Amen.
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Morning Prayer: Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Even before the world was made, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. In the season before us, we pray that your blessing will be granted to those who have not experienced life in fullness. Some have done wrong, brought hurt to others, and now suffer the consequences. Some have experienced hurt out of no wrongdoing, simply living in an often cruel and vindictive world. Help us to be grateful in these days for your guiding light, your countenance that rises up over us. Today, open our eyes that we may take notice of the needs of others and do what we can to make life better for them. Father, help us to care as you care and to become instruments of peace to bring the riches of your blessings to the lives of all those we meet. Amen.Henry Fields Benediction: We go with the promise of God Almighty into the labor and leisure of this week. Filled with his strength, we joyfully approach the opportunities before us. May we be faithful in all to which we have been called. Amen.

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
Help for the Home
Ps. 127 Ruth 3:15; 4:1317; Heb. 9:2428; Mark 12:3844
OTHER READINGS:
Psalm 127 is a psalm of the home. Actually, the text begins with a broader principle of dependence on God for lifes endeavors, reminding us that all things are futile apart from him. At the midpoint, the psalmist becomes more specic, speaking of the building of the home.
Sunday, November Eighth
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I. All successful ventures in life depend upon God (vv. 12). Two poetic images are introduced in the rst stanza of the poem: a house and a city. The house is under construction. Although this may appear to be a somewhat ordinary enterprise, fully within the ability of a building contractor and his crew, the psalmist reminds us that it is useless, or to no good purpose or end, if one thinks he can accomplish the undertaking without God. The second image is of a city under guard. Again, this seems to be a routine occupation, but we are reminded that the guard will fail in his task unless the Lord, ultimately, exercises his providential care. This is not to say that human agency has no part in either enterprise. Indeed, the builder must build, and the watchman must guard. Neither is told to slack off in his activity, believing that God will act independent of human involvement. Indeed, God accomplishes his purposes using ordained means, in this case, building and watching. The Lord builds the house so that they who build it do not labor in vain. The Lord guards the city so that they who guard it do not stay awake in vain. The builder and the watchman each have a role, and in both ventures we might be tempted to self-reliance. But the point of the text is clear: God is crucially involved, and apart from his working in the endeavors of life, we will fail to achieve our intent. Because success ultimately is a gift from God, it is futile for humans fanatically to strive to achieve. We do our part and trust God to do his. It is vain and futile to try to assume Gods role, rising too early and retiring too late in order to do just a bit more. Diligence, though important, cannot take us beyond our capability in lifes ventures. We are called to trust God, who graciously provides that which we cannot do. II. The raising of children successfully requires reliance upon God (vv. 35). In the second stanza of the poem, the psalmist turns his attention to a practical area where God and parents work together in the kind of synergy described in the rst stanza. That is, he looks at the building and guarding of the family. His point is that successful parents must rely on God. First, parents rely on God in receiving children. Verse 3 says that children are a gift, or an inheritance, from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his
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reward. The idea of inheritance is signicant, not in that it involves a right, but rather that it is a privilege granted by one who leaves a bequest. While some gifts may seem to be inconsequential, an inheritance is something deemed valuable and precious. Moreover, an inheritance is distributed restrictively. It is not passed out like favors at a birthday party. In the parallel, children are said to be a reward. We are not told what they are a reward for, but like the inheritance, the reward is bestowed by God when children are granted. This way of seeing children elevates our idea of childbearing and leads us to place surpassing value on every childs life. Rather than the pessimistic view that some have toward childbearing, this passage calls us to see Gods hand of blessing in the giving of children. Second, parents rely on God in training their children (v. 4). The psalmist uses the image of a warrior, with bow and arrow, to make this point. He likens a persons children to arrows, which are carefully aimed and directed as they are launched from a bow. In like fashion, parents carefully seek to direct the lives of their children, so that they follow a true course and achieve their intended goal in the battles of life. In addition, the children become a means of Gods blessing to their parents, providing protection for them, especially in old age. The well-raised child is an ever-increasing blessing to a parent. The blessings of God may come in many forms, but verse 5 tells us that one of the greatest blessings of God is childrenand many of them! While our quivers, that is, our families, may be of varying sizes, we are blessed of God when we have the full complement of children that he chooses to give us. Each child is different, and each has something to contribute to the well-being of the family. And ultimately, the blessing of God and the investment in parenting is evident in children who engage their world with condence on behalf of their parents. The realities in our world today indicate that many homes, even Christian homes, fall short of this biblical ideal. Children rebel against their parents, and parents neglect to spend quality time with their children. Tender spirits are wounded by cutting words, harsh reactions, and biting criticism. These sad realities serve to remind us of the perils of our sinfulness and of
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the fact that parents need God if they are to succeed in the venture of home building. This ancient psalm reminds us anew that Christian families succeed by depending on God.Robert Vogel
Family. What is your most valuable investment? Your business? Your stock portfolio? Your home? Property? A collection of some sort? Your car? In one way or another, all of these kinds of investment have monetary value in common. All of them, also, are temporal and impersonal in their character. Because they are earth-bound, they are inferior in eternal perspective. Those who have families should nd in them an investment that is qualitatively differentone that is of value surpassing things of this earth. For investments made in people are investments made in eternity. Any investor realizes that success requires an investment plan or a strategy. For Christians wishing to invest in their homes, the strategy is relatively simple: Christian homes become successful by depending on God. Such a statement could seem to be a cop-out for those who lack the discipline to work at parenting. But it does not mean that effort is not required. Rather, it means that the whole process of family building is one enveloped by trust in God.Robert Vogel Motherhood. One night a mother of three nally got them all to bed and wearily walked into the den. There to her dismay was a page ripped out of the encyclopedia and torn to bits. She stooped to pick the pieces up, and as she began to make repairs with scotch tape, the anguish of her role bore heavily. This is all I do, she thought. Oh, the futility of it all. As she pieced the page together, she noticed it was the picture of a little child. When it was nished, she happened to turn it over, and on the back was a map of the world. Suddenly, that became a symbol to her of what she was doing. As she was putting together the life of a child, she was also building the world of tomorrow. A misplaced part of that face would have distorted the world, and the same is true of her motherly vocation. The child she builds today will build tomorrows world.John Claypool
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Ruth 3:15; 4:1317 Ps. 127 or Ps. 42 Heb 9:2428 Mark 12:3844 When Love Is Found Jesus, Priceless Treasure Savior of the Nations, Come Come All Christians, Be Committed

Giving All Mark 12:3844 KEY VERSE: I assure you, this poor widow has given more than all the others have given. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, as poor as she is, has given everything she has. (Mark 12:44b, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Giving to God MATERIALS: Bible, two pennies
TITLE: SCRIPTURE:
When I was a child, this was one of my favorite Bible stories. It was called the Widows Offering. I remember I didnt have much money, and I wanted to give an offering at church. I would give a nickel each week, and it didnt seem like much. But this story was one that made me feel special. In New Testament times, at the temple there was a collection box. They didnt pass the offering plate like we do. The people would walk by the box and drop in their offering. One day Jesus was sitting near this collection box and was watching as people put in their money. The rich people put a lot of money in the box. Then Jesus noticed this poor lady who came and dropped in two pennies. (Hold up the two pennies.) He called over the disciples and told them, I assure you, this poor, widow has given more than all the others have given. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, as poor as she is, has given everything she has. Jesus taught his disciples its not how much you give but how much you give up that is important. She gave all she had. She only had two pennies. This is a hard thing to do, isnt it? It would be hard to give up all we have, because
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we have so much. Lets ask God to help us give up more for God. It might be giving away a toy to someone who doesnt have any. It might be giving more of our allowance in the offering. There are so many ways we can give to God. Lets pray and ask God to help us be more like this widow.Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: O bless our God, all you people, and make voice of his praise to be heard (Ps. 66:8). Invocation: Gracious God, as we gather to worship help us to be sensitive to all that you would say to us. By your grace, enable us to understand what we hear and see and feel. Above all, give us faith to believeand to continue to believeregardless of the circumstances of our lives. Amen. Offertory Sentence: Now, our God, we give you thanks, and we praise your glorious name. Yet my people and I cannot really give you anything, because everything is a gift from you, and we have only given back what is yours already (1 Chron. 29:1314, TEV). Offertory Prayer: Dear God, may our offerings go forth to do good in a world that is often strange and confusing. By the power of the Holy Spirit, multiply the good that your will shall be done among us, on earth even as in heaven. Amen. Morning Prayer: Almighty God, help us to know that we are creatures of purpose and that there is a divine meaning to our existence. This morning, take us into your loving embrace as a parent cradles a beloved child. Do not let the evil examples of worldly living snatch away from us the vitality of the faith you have placed within us. Keep our self-respect untarnished. Save us from contamination by the evil things of this world, and may we be strong to offer to you our valiant service in the years ahead. Support all these your children who gather to worship, the young and the old, the male and the female, the rich and the poor. Grant that each may receive the gift of your presence this morning and from the gift receive
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strength sufcient for days yet to follow. Give us grace for the living of our days. Now let us experience the presence of the Holy Spirit who walks beside us, empowers us for service in Christs name, and who teaches us things that you intend. We make our prayer in Jesus name.Lawrence Vowan Benediction: As we depart this holy place, we carry with us the praise of this hour. May our spirits be lifted in the days of this week so we can delight in our God, whom we call Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Go forth in his name. Amen.

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
The All-Sufcient Sacrice of Jesus Christ
OTHER READINGS:
Heb. 10:1118 1 Sam. 1:420; 1 Sam. 2:110 or Ps. 113; Mark 13:18
Most of us like to live a settled life. We like to have a place that we can call home and to which we can safely retreat at the end of a long day. We like to know that we will receive a paycheck on a particular day, and we dont like to guess how much it will be worth. We want to drive a dependable car, and we can become terribly frustrated if the computer network or our Internet connection goes down. While some might think that this quest for settledness makes life boring, who wants everything to be unpredictable? Even more important than settledness in this life is the matter of having our eternal destiny settled. Some of the upsets of this life may be consequential, but the worst of them cannot compare to the dangers of an unsettled eternal future. But we do not need to live in fear of such, if in faith we receive the truth of the all-sufcient work of Jesus Christ, accomplished on the cross. This truth is put forth in the text of todayone that stresses the nality of Jesus sacrice for our sins.
Sunday, November Fifteenth
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The context of the book of Hebrews treats the supremacy of Jesus Christ over the ways of the Old Covenant. Indeed, the author shows how Jesus fullled the law, particularly those ceremonial aspects of it. In Hebrews 10 he argues for the ineffectiveness of animal sacrices for removing sin (vv. 16), contrasted with the effectiveness of Christs offering for sin (vv. 710). In todays text, he argues for the nality of Christs offering, the all-sufcient sacrice that provides, for the believer in Christ, a settled condence that his or her sin is forgiven. I. The nality of Christs sacrice for sin. The nality of Christs sacrice is seen in a number of contrasts with the sacrices offered under the Levitical law. First, his work is nished (vv. 1112). The Old Testament priest stood continuously offering sacrices. Indeed, a reading of Leviticus indicates just how complicated the work of the priest was. There were some twenty-two different Hebrew terms for sacrices to be offered, and they each had particular procedures to be observed and signicance to be understood. These sacrices were repeated periodically for both individuals and for the nation of Israel. And so each day brought its share of ongoing work for the priest. Jesus, however, is said to be seated (v. 12), indicating that his work is nished. There is nothing more for him to do in terms of sacrice. Second, his work stands forever (vv. 1112, 14). Whereas the Levitical priests work had to be repeated because it did not have a nal effect on sin, Jesus one sacrice stands forever, the nal word on the matter of sin. Whereas the Day of Atonement was an annual event, for example, Jesus atoning death was effective for all time. Third, his work was nal in that it achieved its intended outcome: the forgiving of our sin (vv. 1011, 14). The sacrices of the Old Covenant were not capable of taking away sin. Though established by God as part of the ceremonial law, they were ineffectual in themselves. But the sacrice of Jesus takes away sin once and for all. His work renders a permanent effect, a cleansing of sin for all time. II. The effects of Christs sacrice for sin. Because the sacrice of Christ is nal and permanent in its character, those who have faith in him experience three effects of his work.
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First, we have eternal salvation (vv. 10, 14). The author speaks of this as being sanctied, or set apart to God. Although sanctication usually speaks of our growth as Christians, here the term speaks of a past action with an abiding result, namely, the whole of our salvation in Christ. This salvation is according to Gods will, which pertains to the purpose of Jesus taking on human esh (cf. v. 9). This salvation is complete (v. 14); there is nothing that we can add to it. Second, he will see ultimate victory over his foes (v. 13). Seated in the place of honor at the right hand of God the Father, he awaits the day that Satan and evil will be overthrown. This expectation is in fulllment of the messianic Psalm 110. Though all things are not yet fully subjected to him, the day is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Satan was defeated at the cross; he now lives on borrowed time. Third, we may experience forgiveness of our sins (vv. 1518). In abbreviated fashion the author here quotes the New Covenant announced by the prophet Jeremiah. Particularly emphasized here (v. 17) is Jeremiah 31:34, a promise that God would forgive the sins of his people: And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. This forgiveness is not the oversight of a doting, weak-willed grandparent. Rather, it is grounded in the one (nal) offering of Christ (v. 14). Because the sacricial death of Christ is sufcient to cleanse sin, there is no need for further sacrice (v. 18). To say that our sins are remembered no more is to say that they are no longer held against us. The dismissal of charges is possible only because the perfect, nal sacrice for sin was offered in our place, the righteous in the place of the unrighteous, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Robert Vogel
Forgiveness. The force of forgiveness is well expressed in these words, penned by the nineteenth-century gospel song writer, Lidie Edmunds:
My faith has found a resting place, not in device nor creed. I trust the ever-living One; His wounds for me shall plead.
Sunday, November Fifteenth
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I need no other argument; I need no other plea; It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me. Robert Vogel
Destiny. Eternal destiny need not be an unsettled question. Our homes might burn down, we may lose our jobs, and our cars may break down. But one thing remains sure: the believer in Jesus Christ is fully and nally forgiven, on the ground of the all-sufcient sacrice of Christ on the cross. Robert Vogel

1 Sam. 1:420 1 Sam. 2:110 or Ps. 113 Heb. 10:1114 (1518), 1925 Mark 13:18 Borning Cry When Morning Gilds the Skies Reners Fire When Will People Cease Their Fighting?

of Love Heb. 10:1114 (1518), 1925 KEY VERSE: Think of ways to encourage one another to outburst of love and good deeds. (Heb. 10:24, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Loving others in Christ MATERIALS: Bible, peanut can loaded with a springy snake to jump out at the children when the can is opened
SCRIPTURE: TITLE: Outbursts
I brought a can of peanuts with me. I want to share these with you today. Is there someone here who is strong and could pop open our can? (Let the children raise their hands to volunteer. Choose a child who you think can handle the
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surprise eruption.) Wow! That was a surprise, wasnt it? You didnt expect the snake to come out of the can did you? It was like an explosion. Poof! (Open Bible.) I did this today, because in the book of Hebrews, the writer tells us this: Think of ways to encourage one another to outburst of love and good deeds. If we wanted to change the words in this verse, we could say, think of ways to make somebody believe enough to explode love and explode doing good things for others. What would people do if they were exploding love and doing good things for others? (Let the children respond. Reect back their answers as they share different ways people can explode love and good deeds.) Think of one way you could encourage and help love explode around you this week. If you encourage one love explosion, it can create more and more love explosions. Lets ask God to help us encourage each other to outburstsexplosions of love this week. Marcia Thompson
1 WORSHIP
AIDS
Call to Worship: God be merciful unto us, and cause your face to shine upon us; that your way may be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations (Ps. 67:12). Invocation: Lord, speak clearly to us today and grant that we shall be sensitive to your voice. Make our spirits pliable so we may learn of you and not miss the power of your word. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you. Amen. Offertory Sentence: This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God loves his brother also (1 John 4:21). Offertory Prayer: Father, as we pursue a livelihood save us from greed. Open our hearts that we may empathize with the needs of others. Give us grace to share joyfully our nancial gifts for the work of your Kingdom. In our giving, may the name of Jesus Christ be gloried. Amen. Morning Prayer: Lord, we thank you today that you have cleansed us from our sin and accepted us into your family. We are grateful that you have com-
Sunday, November Twenty-Second
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missioned us as your servants and provided within us gifts of your Spirit that enable us to do your will. Grant that we may give of ourselves unselshly to all the tasks of faith to which you have called us, and may we never falter in the accomplishment of your will. So, Father, wrap your loving arms of care and support around us that all our varied needs will be fully met. Only then will we take comfort and nd strength as we step forward to claim the day. May your everlasting name be forever praised. Amen.Lawrence Vowan Benediction: As God has spoken to us in worship, let us go forth to speak clearly his message of love to our world. May God be praised in our living, even as in our worship. Amen.

Christ the King Sunday
The King Is Coming!
Rev. 1:4b8 OTHER READINGS: 2 Sam. 23:17; Ps. 132:112; John 18:3337 The Revelation is the book in which the Risen Christ is manifest in Kingdom glory. At the culmination of Gods Kingdom program, Jesus the Christ, the Anointed One (Messiah), establishes his Kingdom rule upon this earth. And so from the beginning of this apocalyptic disclosure, in the greeting from John to the churches to which this book is directed, we are prepared to look for the King, who is to be revealed in glory. The text before us sets the stage in a doxological tribute to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in four stanzas of praise. I. Praise to the Eternal Triune God (vv. 4b5a). The passage begins, in epistolary fashion, with the expressed grace and peace from the eternal, sovereign God. He is described as occupying a throne, the role of God the Father. Before his throne are seven spirits (a reference to the Holy Spirit), and at his
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right hand is the Son. The Father is described in a New Testament equivalent of his Old Testament covenant name, Yahweh. His covenant name signies his eternal being, the great I AM. Here, he is described as the God who is, and was, and is to comethe God of the present, past, and future. Nothing exists outside this frame of his being. Before him are seven spirits, an apocalyptic reference to the third member of the triune godheadthe Holy Spirit. That the spirits are seven indicates his perfection and his many gifts and graces. Then Jesus Christ the Son is identied in this scene and characterized as a faithful witness, rst-born from the dead, and ruler of the kings of the earth. His faithful witness was evident in his incarnation, through which, John (in his gospel) informs us, the incarnate Word, full of grace and truth, has explained God, has put him on public display in faithful perfection (John 1:1418). He is rst-born from the dead, in that he was gloriously raised three days after his Crucixion. His Resurrection differs from that of Lazarus (John 11), for he is the rst to be raised never to die again (1 Cor. 15:20, 23). As the resurrected rst-born, he assumes the rights and prerogatives of rst place in the Kingdom. In his Resurrection, he was raised not only rst in time but also rst in importance. In addition, Jesus the Anointed One is characterized as the ruler of the kings of the earth. Thus he is King of kings (Rev. 14:17; 19:16). As anticipated in the psalms (for example, Ps. 89) and prophecies of the Old Testament, Jesus is heir to the throne of David, the nal and eternal fulllment of Gods promise to David of a perpetual dynasty. As sovereign ruler of the earths kings, Jesus is clearly supreme. Earthly monarchs are incapable of defeating him; all must bow the knee before their superior. Moreover, he can exalt or dispose of them at will. II. Praise to the Eternal Son (vv. 5b6). The reection on the glory of the Son is extended further in an outburst of praise for his redemptive work. The realities prompting this praise are three. First, his love is nameda fact expressed during his earthly ministry (John 15:9) and certainly a motivation for the work accomplished at the cross. But beyond a work of the past, John notes that his love is ongoing. He loves us in the presentan assurance that gives us hope and condence. Second, he has released us from our sins. This release was accomplished through his blood, shed on the
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cross (Rev. 5:9). Through his atoning death, he released from sins bondage those who believe in him. Third, he has made us to be a kingdom and priests to God. As a kingdom, we are the privileged subjects of the mighty King and are the heirs to his coming earthly reign. As priests, we are privileged to be engaged in the service of God and to offer sacrices of praise for our redemption and every other blessing that is ours in Christ (Heb. 13:15). Enthusiastic over this glorious profusion of divine blessing, John breaks into doxology, to Him be the glory and the dominion forever. This is the rst expression of this theme, which is seen periodically in various forms throughout the Revelation (for example, 5:13; 7:10). III. Praise to the Coming King (v. 7). We anticipate the day in which this heavenly King will come again to this earth. At his Ascension to glory, taken up in a cloud, his disciples were informed, This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven (Acts 1:11). Here, John draws on Old Testament prophetic teaching to ground his claim, citing the words of the prophet Daniel (7:13). Jesus himself, both in his Olivet Discourse and in his trial before Caiaphas the high priest, foretold this coming in the clouds with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30; 26:64). His coming will be visible to all, particularly to those who pierced Him. Looking upon him, all the tribes of the earth will mourn. The reason for the grief is not stated; perhaps it will be the result of conviction of sin, the realization that it was our sins that put Jesus on the cross. Again prophetic precedent is used to ground this claim, for Zechariah foretold both the looking and the mourning, even before the piercing of the Crucixion (Zech. 12:10). Though at his rst coming he was the rejected Messiah, at his second coming he will be received for who he truly is. IV. Praise to the All in All (v. 8). The glorious doxology ends with a summative statement of the all-encompassing majesty of the Lord God. He rst declares himself to be the Alpha and the Omega, a description that occurs four additional times in the Revelation. These, the rst and last letters of the Greek alphabet, create a gure of speech that is intended to speak of something in all-inclusive terms. In contemporary English idiom, A to Z refers to the whole of something. The same is true of the gure used in the
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text. The Lord presents himself as complete and unique, the one true and living God. The sense of this expression is also found in the prophet Isaiah, who wrote, Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the rst and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me (Isa. 44:6). Further, the Lord reiterates that which John had already declared in verse 4, namely, that he is the eternally existent one, the great I AM, the Lord of all time present, past, and future. To this description, however, he adds the further note that he is the Almighty One. He is characterized in this way six additional times in the Revelation, lending emphasis to the fact of his great powerthe ability by which he reigns throughout time and eternity. Earthly sovereigns may have their day in the sun. But none can compare to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!Robert Vogel
Sovereignty. The sovereign reign of God is one of the dominant themes in all of scripture. An eternal, sovereign God is identied in the very rst verse of the Bible, actively creating the universe. As its Creator and Sustainer, he is also its sovereign Ruler. His sovereignty over his Kingdom is regularly asserted in biblical history, which shows how he carries on his Kingdom work. The Bible culminates as the sovereign Lord; once and for all the kingdom of Satan is defeated; he establishes a new creation order and is still its King.Robert Vogel Gods Will. During my freshman year at Ouachita Baptist University, my roommate was a student for ministry. I admired him because he seemed to have something I didnt have. He knew exactly what God wanted of his life. He would be a great evangelistthe next Billy Graham. I wanted to know, too. How do you know, I asked. I asked God and God told me. So said I to myself, if it worked for him I would make it work for me. On a beautiful fall day, I walked out the dorm in the middle of the afternoon, went down the wooded area that led to the banks of the Ouachita River. There I sat listening to the rushing of the water, the singing of the birds, and the gentle movement of wind rustling the falling leaves. And I said, God I want to know what it is you want
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of my life. Others know, and I want to know, too. And Im going to sit here until you tell me. And so I sat, and sat, and sat, waiting almost till dark, to hear from God. Do you know what God said to me? Nothing, absolutely nothing. In a small t of frustration I turned and began to climb the ascent back to my room. And then it came. I came to nd God and all I heard was the rushing of the water over the rocks, the birds in the air, the gentle wind rustling the leaves. Perhaps after all I had heard from God and didnt even know it. But then came thisa word of judgment against a frail young man. Not a spoken word, nor one audible, but a sensation, a compulsion, a visitation: Lee McGlone, who in the world do you think you are? You want to know Gods will for your life, and youve heard it over and again all the days of your life. Jesus Christ, Son of God, died for you. Follow him all the days of your life. He owes you no explanation.Lee McGlone

2 Sam. 23:17 Ps. 132:112 Rev. 1:4b8 John 18:3337 Jesus Shall Reign Shout for Joy, Loud and Long Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence Lead On, O King Eternal

Christ Is King SCRIPTURE: John 18:3337 KEY VERSE: Jesus answered, I am not an earthly king. If I was, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom is not of this world. (John 18:36, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Christ as King MATERIALS: Bible, crown
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I brought a crown this morning. Who would wear a crown? (Let the children respond. You may get answers such as queen, king, princess.) There are still some countries that have queens and kings, but more often we see kings, queens, and princesses in make-believe stories. A king or queen would be the leader of the land or country that would protect all those who were in their kingdom. The people of the kingdom would follow the rules of the king and queen. I brought the crown today because today is Christ the King Sunday. Many might think this has been celebrated for a long time, but it actually hasnt. It was started in the Catholic Church in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. He saw a need for the Church to see Jesus as the king of all creation. He wanted people to follow Christs ways. So the last Sunday in the Church calendarright before Adventis Christ the King Sunday. (Open Bible.) Jesus even tells us in scripture about how he is king. In John 18:36, Jesus answered, I am not an earthly king. If I was, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom is not of this world. Jesus came and showed us that the true king of heaven and earth is a kind, peaceful, loving, giving king. All Jesus asks of us is to come and follow his way. Lets ask Jesus to help us follow him as our king.Marcia Thompson
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Call to Worship: Let my mouth be lled with your praise and with your honor all the day (Ps. 71:8). Invocation: Kind Father, in whom we live and move and have our being, give to our worship a sense of gratitude, and to our gratitude sincere appreciation, and to our appreciation deep dedication that honors you. May your name be forever praised. Amen. Offertory Sentence: The poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall open your hand wide unto your brother, to thy poor, and the needy in the land (Deut. 15:11). Offertory Prayer: Generous God, accept our tithes of your rich bounty to us that at this time of harvest we may ever be thankful and faithful stewards of our many blessings. Amen.E. Lee Phillips
Sunday, November Twenty-Ninth
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Morning Prayer: Kind Father, in whose goodness we have been made, in whose love we have been redeemed, in whose presence we worship, we praise your Holy Name. We enter this sanctuary coming from a variety of places this morning. But you have brought us here, with our history behind us and our future ahead of us, so that we may be strengthened to honor you. Our hearts resound with praise and thanksgiving today. We are truly a people greatly blessedfar beyond our deserving. We honor you that you looked beyond our faults and saw our needs. Our gratitude extends from earth to heaven, from time to eternity, for family and friends, for the challenges that keep us on our toesand on our kneesand call forth the best from us. Help us that we may think more and so will thank more. Open in our hearts and minds the doors of gratitude that we may indeed worship you in spirit and in truth. For our hearts seek to worship you so. Amen.Jackie Little Benediction: We go forth today with gratitude. May by our living we express our deepest thanksgiving to God who provides for us abundantly. May God help us to think more, and therefore, to thank more. Amen.

First Sunday in Advent
An Advent of Grace
Jer. 33:1416 OTHER READINGS: Ps. 25:110; 1 Thess. 3:913; Luke 21:2536 In the midst of judgment comes grace. The statement juxtaposes two opposing, seemingly irreconcilable, terms. Judgment is disfavor conferred upon one who deserves it for misdeeds committed. It may be seen when a child receives a spanking for stealing cookies from the cookie jar. It is seen in the courtroom,
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where a criminal is convicted and sentenced to a prison term for armed robbery. Grace, on the other hand, is undeserved favor. Whereas justice would call for punishment in a given situation, grace extends favor instead. I. This paradox is one of the wonderful ways of God. According to Gods righteous standards, announced to our rst ancestors and every generation since, sin has consequences. Judgments suited to the crime are prescribed throughout the Old Testament lawindeed, throughout all of scripture. And ultimately, the punishment for sin is death. Yet in the face of the deadly wages of sin, God interposes his grace, for the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23). Ancient Judah was faced with a season of divine judgment. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, was charged with dispensing the bad news. There was no prospect of reprieve; the die was cast; the kingdom was going to fall, and the people were going into captivity. Jeremiahs mission was to warn them and to instruct them to get ready for their day of disaster. Yet in the midst of judgment, grace is found. For despite the immediate prospects of discipline at the hand of God, the nations long-term picture was marked by divine grace. This grace would be extended by a covenantmaking and a covenant-keeping God. God had unconditionally promised to bless the patriarch Abraham and his descendants, and that promise was expressed in a number of subsequent covenants: the Mosaic, Palestinic, Davidic, and the New Covenants. Each of these provided blessing and hope for Gods chosen people. In the text before us, the grace featured centers in the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7). This promise of God had been made generations before to King David. When David aspired to build a temple for the Lord in Jerusalem, God deferred that honor to Davids son, Solomon. Instead, God told David at that time that he would build a house for his faithful servanta dynasty that would not end. And yet now the prophet Jeremiah must foretell a captivity, an effective end of the rule of the house of David, courtesy of the Babylonians. Yet ultimately, this disaster was not because the Babylonians were so mighty; God had overwhelmed their kind in the past. The impending doom was judgment for the sins of the nation, their apostasy from their covenant commitment to God. Judgment was the consequence of their sin.
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Yet in the midst of judgment comes grace. For in this passage, the prophet recalls the promise of God to David and declares that a day is coming in which God will once again bestow favor. He will cause a righteous branch to spring forth upon Davids family tree. This heir to the throne will fulll all of the expectations of both God and his people for justice and righteousness upon the earth. What is involved in the restoration of favor foretold in this text? II. Restored favor is found in the coming of Jesus Christ (vv. 1415a). The prophet speaks with an eye to the future: days are coming. Unlike the impending days of doom, these days will be days of favor, for they will be a fullling of the good word that the Lord had spoken concerning Israel and Judah. Previously, in 29:10, Jeremiah had spoken of that good word as a national return from Babylon to the land of Judah after seventy years of captivity (see also 30:3). Indeed, that good word was fullled, setting the stage for a nation to receive, in Gods time, a successor to the throne of David. This was their condence, for citing 2 Samuel 7:16the Davidic CovenantJeremiah pointed out that God had promised that David would never lack an heir to sit on the throne of Israel (v. 17). III. Restored favor is seen in the righteous reign of King Jesus (vv. 1516). The days in which Jeremiah lived were not good days for the Davidic monarchy. Unlike their righteous forefather David, the kings of the latter days of the kingdom of Judah were evil and corrupt. They did not honor God in their ways, as was expected of a theocratic ruler. In no small part, the cause for divine judgment on the people could be laid at the feet of their kings. Yet this righteous branch, Jesus, would introduce a reign qualitatively different. His rule would be righteous and just. Under his leadership, the nation would be delivered, and her capital city, Jerusalem, would dwell in safety. Moreover, the citys reputation would be established for what God had intended it to be from the startthe place where righteousness was to be found (Isa. 1:26). This vision was not achieved at the rst advent of Jesus, but according to the Revelation, he will come again and establish a millennial reign in Jerusalem, a reign that is truly one of righteousness and justice. Herein lies the hope of the Advent season. Wrapped in cloths and placed in a manger, worshiped by lowly shepherds, Jesus came as Gods Anointed One, the Messiah long sought by the nation Israel, the King of the Jews
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sought by Magi from afar. At his rst coming, his own did not receive him, and the King of the Jews was crucied between two thieves. Yet, he reigns even now over those who believe in him, and in him the promise to David one day will nd its ultimate and nal fulllment: Jesus, King of the Jews, King of the earth, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, grace in the midst of judgment. The hymn writer, Isaac Watts, captured the idea well in his beloved Christmas carol text, penned in 1719:
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing. Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While elds and oods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy. No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings ow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love. Robert Vogel
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Afrmation. I was reading a short article about the nineteenth-century British nurse Florence Nightingale. She was asked one time how she was able to do so much in her life to help others. She replied that she, a woman of ordinary ability, had been led by God in extraordinary ways. She believed God should get all the credit. So do we.Lawrence Vowan Bible.
Within that awful volume lies The mystery of mysteries! Happiest they of human race To whom God has granted grace To read, to fear, to hope, to pray, To lift the latch, and force the way; And better had they not been born Who read to doubt or read to scorn. Sir Walter Scott, written in his Bible

Jer. 33:1416 Ps. 25:110 1 Thess. 3:913 Luke 21:2536 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus Lord, Speak to Me O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Songs of Thankfulness and Praise

What Is Advent? 1 Thess. 3:913 KEY VERSES: And may the Lord make your love grow and overow to each other and to everyone else, just as our love overows toward you. As a result, Christ
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will make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy when you stand before God our Father on that day when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to him. (1 Thess. 3:1213, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: Advent: waiting for return and celebrating birth MATERIALS: Bible, Advent wreath, Happy New Year hat, noise maker, confetti PREPARATION: If your church celebrates Advent using the Advent wreath, use the time with the children to light the Advent candle. (As the children come forward, put on the Happy New Year hat and throw confetti as they come forward. Blow the noise maker and shout out Happy New Year! The children will probably laugh and think you are being silly. Try to get them to join you, and if you have some older children, they will probably protest, saying it is not a new year. Respond accordingly.) Some of you might think I am a bit ahead, but did you know today is the rst day of the Church year? In some churches we have what is called a Church or liturgical calendar that starts with Advent and ends with Christ the King Sunday. There are different seasons and different celebrations throughout the year in the Church. Advent is the season we are beginning today. Advent is a time of waiting. It is remembering the waiting that Gods people did when they were looking for the Messiah to come and save them. So, some of the scriptures we will read together will be from Old Testament prophets who told of the coming of Jesus. For Christians, it is also a time of waiting for the second coming of Christ. (Open Bible.) Our verses for today speak of when Jesus will come again. First Thessalonians 3:1213 reads, And may the Lord make your love grow and overow to each other and to everyone else, just as our love overows toward you. As a result, Christ will make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy when you stand before God our Father on that day when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to him. This is a time of waiting and getting ready for Jesus. We do this by lighting a candle each Sunday in Advent. Lets gather around the Advent wreath and light the candle, remembering we are waiting for the celebration of Jesus birth and for Jesus to come again. (Light the candle with the children and have a prayer time.)Marcia Thompson
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Call to Worship: Blessed by the Lord God, the God of Israel, who does wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be lled with his glory (Ps. 72:1819). Invocation: As we gather in your name, O Lord, expand our understanding that we may better know the depth of our love. And deepen our commitments to the greater priorities that claim us. All to your honor and praise. Amen. Offertory Sentence: If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing (1 Cor. 13:3, RSV). Offertory Prayer: Gracious Father, we praise you for your constancy in love and mercy. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. And so, when material blessings abound, help us not to forget you. When such blessings are few, may we be faithful still. Strengthen our faith that we shall forever be true. Amen. Morning Prayer: Dearest God, there are times the world seems to be a scary place. Events unfold around us that are too large for us to understand, let alone to handle. Wars, economic struggles, moral uncertainty, disintegration of family values, political bickering and inghting, denominational unrest all these and more leave our hearts unsettled and our minds cluttered. We humbly pray for your peace in our troubled world and lives. Teach us how to live as people of the light and not of the darkness. Father, on this rst Sunday in Advent, take away the anxiety that makes our hearts fearful and cold. And give to us thoughts and actions that will reach beyond our own limited worlds and benet the lives of others. Grant us the privilege of feeding the hungry, sharing a cup of cold water in Jesus name, visiting those in the prisons, and binding up the wounds of others. And help us to make known to others the gracious good news of Jesus Christ.
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We pray today for those among us who are ill, left lonesome, brokenhearted, grieving, and struggling. May we be a channel through which your blessings will ow. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.Lee McGlone Benediction: The love of the Lord is sure and faithful. Gods steadfast mercy walks with us each day. May our love be so lived in this holy season that others will see the living Christ in us. Amen.
SUNDAY, December 6, 2009

Second Sunday in Advent A Prayer for Growing Christians Phil. 1:311 OTHER READINGS: Mal. 3:14; Luke 1:6879; Luke 3:16
I led a young adult couples retreat not so long ago, and the topic of children arose. One mother lamented that her children were growing up too fast and that she wished they could stay little for a long time. Then she continued: But, I suppose, she said, not growing up would be the worst thing of all. Indeed it would. Christians, like children, grow also. As young Christians we feed on the sincere milk of the Word until we are mature enough for more hearty meals. And as we grow, expectations increase. We cantand dont want toremain infants forever. Grander and bolder horizons are set before the maturing Christian and, along with it, new energies for the travel. The text before us today is a prayer for growing Christians. Notice the content of the prayer Paul prayed as he wrote back to a favorite church. I. He prayed that love would abound. The word used here for love is agape, meaning self-sacricing commitment. It involves deep affection and profound duty and calls us to do unexpected things, like dying for others on a cross.
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And he prays not just for love but for abounding love, that our love will increase more and more. Abounding love describes Christians at our best. Indeed, the very sign of the Church is our obvious love for God and for one another. There are only two great commandments, that we love the Lord our God with heart, mind, body, and soul . . . and that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:2831). And then there is this, perhaps our highest evangelism: by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35). And this: No man has any greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for a friend (John 15:13). And this: But God proves his agape towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). Buildings, budgets, and activities of every sort have little meaning apart from abounding love. II. He prayed that priorities would be set. We are to approve what is excellent. The Phillips translation puts it this way: that we may recognize the highest and best. Such recognition is important in our world where the lowest common denominator has become the rule of the day. The measuring of priorities is no easy task. Determining what takes rst place for us and then keeping rst things rst is labor-intensive. The easier part is marking the good from the bad. The more difcult is choosing between the good and the best. Lots of good things offer challenges to life. But in choosing the good things, we need to beware of slipping on the best. Some years ago I visited a lovely home of a church family. They had labored hard to design, build, and furnish their dream home. It was exquisite, and the couple beamed with pride as they showed it to me. I was glad for them. Just before I left, the lady of the home said something that left me shocked and sad. This house, she said, means everything in the world to me. I hope she didnt mean that! Houses, as exquisite as they may be, like all temporal pursuits will someday end in decay. Only that which has eternal value will last forever. III. He prayed that life would be real. The text calls us to be pure. The King James version translates this word as sincere. In Latin the word is sine cere and means without wax or sun-judged. In older days, unscrupulous potters would cover up imperfections in their vessels of clay by covering cracks with wax. The marred piece would look almost awless. The
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careful buyer, however, would hold the pottery up to the light of the sun and carefully examine it. Thus the pure vessel was without wax and sunjudged. The text calls us to live in such a way that when judged by others, we will be found to be real. We are to be lled with the fruit of righteousness; that is, right living is the best and highest virtue. And this life comes only from Christ. Alone and without Christ, we are separated from the full intention of God. I recall hearing the pastors of my youth speak of persons who were lost and undone. They were living without Christ. Karl Barth, the Swiss theologian, declared that a great gulf was xed between God and mankind, because of our sin, a gulf over which no man can build a bridge. But God gave us a bridge God in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. A dear friend said to me, There are times I feel the progress Ive made in spiritual growth is but a gment of my imagination. It feels like the real experience of growing is yet to be. I suspect that most of us can resonate with that. The whole work of redemption isnt done. There is much yet to come. But the goal is clear: abounding love that marks priorities and then calls forth out of us the best we have to give. Perhaps we can sense what is often quoted as wisdom from an unnamed black preacher: Lord, I know Im not what I ought to be . . . and I know Im not what Im going to be . . . but I give thanks Im not what I used to be. Thats the prayer of a growing Christian.Lee McGlone
The Ministry of Love. Some years ago while serving a small congregation in southern Indiana, our mens group took on a ministry project that yielded amazing results. An older couple in the community had come on hard times. Their home needed signicant repair before winter. Our men spent two days doing the necessary repair work on the couples homeand they were indeed grateful. We went away glad that we had done a good thing. But the following
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Sunday morning came the greatest reward. A young couple who lived nearby visited our worship service. At the services end, the husband and father said to me, We saw what you did for our neighbors and determined that folks at this church have something we dont have. Wed like to nd out what it is. Can you come to my house tonight? And I didand the entire family became followers of Christ, were baptized, and became stalwart servants of our Lord. The ministry of love is perhaps our greatest evangelism.Lee McGlone Priorities. I heard Dr. Jon Stubbleeld, at the time pastor of the First Baptist Church, Shreveport, Louisiana, tell in a sermon of a shopping trip where he saw a sign in a window that read: Trash, Trinkets, Treasure. He suggested that trash is a level of life lived by many people. For them, Venus and Aphrodite are alive and well. Others live at the trinket level. Accumulation is the name of the game. Some people know the price of everything but the value of nothing. But those who rise highest seek life as treasure. They remember that the greatest treasure, the gospel of Christ, is housed in earthen vessels (2 Cor. 4:7) and that where treasure is there is your heart also (Matt. 6:21). Lee McGlone

Mal. 3:14 Luke 1:6879 Phil. 1:311 Luke 3:16 Come Down, O Love Divine Blessed Be the God of Israel God Moves in a Mysterious Way Prepare the Way, O Zion

He Is Coming SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:6879
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And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to nd salvation through forgiveness of their sins. (Luke 1:7677, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: John the Baptist MATERIALS: Bible
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(Have the children gather around the Advent wreath and light the second candle.) He is coming! He is coming! Do you know any Bible people who said this about Jesus? (Let the children respond.) Yes, John the Baptist is one of the people who said Jesus is coming. I want to tell you the story about John the Baptist and his parents. (Open Bible.) A Jewish priest named Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, were holy people. They followed Gods way. They were very old when something miraculous happened. One day Zechariah was chosen to go into the sanctuary. While he was in the sanctuary, the angel Gabriel appeared to him. The angel told him he would have a son, and he was to name him John. This child was to be special, lled with the Holy Spirit, and would bring people to the Lord. This son would announce the coming of the Messiah. Zechariah couldnt believe it and because he didnt, Zechariah couldnt speak until John was born. Elizabeth was overjoyed she would have a child. It was a sign of Gods blessing to have a child. When Zechariahs son was born, people were very happy for Elizabeth and Zechariah. When the child was eight days old, it was time to name him. Relatives and friends kept saying they should name the child after Zechariah. Elizabeth said no, his name was to be John. The friends looked to Zechariah. On a tablet Zechariah wrote, The babys name is John. As soon as he wrote this, Zechariah could speak again. Zechariah became lled with the Holy Spirit, and he said this about his son: And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to nd salvation through forgiveness of their sins. John the Baptist would tell Gods people of the coming of Jesus. We can also say Jesus is coming to our friends and family. We can share in the happiness of the coming of Jesus.Marcia Thompson
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Call to Worship: Lift your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory (Ps. 24:910). Invocation: As we worship, O Lord, we await your Word. May your good news come to us through word and song. Speak to us your redeeming grace, your eternal goodness, and your purposes for our lives. May your Word stir our hearts to good deeds. Amen. Offertory Sentence: Forget not to be kind and liberal; for with that sort of sacrice God will be pleased (Heb. 13:16). Offertory Prayer: Gracious God, you have rewarded our honest labor. Now we express gratitude for your favor by giving these tithes and offerings. May they be blessed and multiplied for the further ministering of your Spirit. Amen. Morning Prayer: Lord, during this Advent season, send your light and your truth and let them lead us. Let them bring us to your holy hill. Children of darkness, we yearn for light upon our pathway. Children of fear, we long for imparted courage. Children of the moment, we long for some surety of eternity. Children of struggle we long for forgiveness and peace. Father, wake us to the meaning of this holy season by leading us into a deeper and closer walk with you. Help us hear again the glad tidings of great joy given to all the people. Help us to hear again what the shepherd heard. And may we rejoice as did they on that night of miracles: Glory to God in the highest . . . and on earth, peace . . . Inspire us, we pray, that during this season we will experience again the renewal of faith. Lord, help us to love you more and moreand from our deepened love to love one another as we are to love ourselves. Amen.Lee McGlone
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Benediction: We go rejoicing, knowing in the depth of our souls that God goes before us. Live this week in the power of Gods Spiritand to his praise and glory. And be faithful. Amen.

Third Sunday in Advent Finding Peace in a Troubled World Phil. 4:47 OTHER READINGS: Zeph. 3:1420; Isa. 12:26; Luke 1:718
And the peace of God, that which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We should say thanks to Paul the Apostle for giving us this gem of scriptural assurance. From a jail cell, in the midst of circumstances beyond his control that would determine his fate, he wrote to a beloved yet troubled congregation this word of hope. Despite, he said, whatever the circumstances of life may be, there is available for us Gods all sufcient grace. Notice the mood of the text. There is joyand joy againthe exuberant gladness of heart that comes as a by-product of faith. There is gentlenessthe kind expression of a relaxed spirit that comes to those who carry not only Christs name but also Christs attitude. But most of all there is peace, the kind that goes beyond our wildest imaginations. Its one thing to envision a peaceful world in the promise of Gods perfect eternity. Its another thing to know peace in the troubled world in which we live. We live in a different world today than ever before. We live post-9/11. Images of passenger jets exploding into the World Trade Center, the scenes of terried masses eeing the city under siege, terrorism, anthraxthese memories will forever be etched into our minds. Is there, in a world like this, a place for peace and rest? Indeed there is. Thanks be unto God. I. Were not strangers to this talk of peace. Every survey Ive seen of the dreams of the American people includes desire for peace: world peace, national peace, the ending of crime and lawlessness, and personal peace.
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The prophets of old declared it. Isaiah saw a day when the lion would lie down with the lamb, when we would beat our spears into plows, a world in which we would learn of war no more. That day has not yet come. Our savior Jesus came to fulll the OT promise as prince of peace. At his birth, the angels sang about it: peace on earth, good will to men. In a later word to his disciples, he said, In the world there is sorrow, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. My peace I leave with you, not the kind the world gives; let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Here Paul describes the peace we have in military terms. God, he said, will garrison you. That is, God will surround you with his care. We never ght the battles of life alone. God is with us. He is forever our Emmanuel our peace. II. One of the most profound images of a peaceful life is that undue worry is not allowed to dominate. Peace and overwhelming worry have a hard time sharing the same territory. Paul gives us direction. Have no anxiety about anything. Here Paul sounds a lot like Jesus. Recall the Lords words from the Sermon on the Mount: Look to the birds of the air and the lilies of the eld. They dont worry about what they will eat, or drink, or wear. Yet they are well supplied the needs of life. And you matter more than birds or lilies. Will not the Father above also take care of you? And the implied answer is, Indeed, God will supply our needs. Now, all worry is not bad. Some amount of tension, as a driving force, may well be healthy. In the cold of winter, I start my car a bit early and let the motor warm up a bit before I drive it. It just does better once its warmed up. So do we. Some tension, some worry, helps encourage us in tasks that lie before us. But some of us are chronic worriers, perhaps members of the rusty lining society. If we dont have something of consequence to worry about, well invent it. Theres a black hole out there in the universe, snatching up matter to ll its colossal void. Im afraid Ill be next. Theres a hole in the ozone layer. Indeed, there isbut I think it is right above my house. There is a practical concern here. Worry doesnt do anyone any good. Thats what Jesus said: Which of you, by your worry, can add one day to the length of your life? The intended answer is, No one can. In fact, all that worry does is take away energy that could be used for creative and
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positive solutions to the things that trouble us. So, excessive worry is not a good thing. III. As an alternative to worry, there is prayer. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God. What worldview would we rather havethe frantic chaos of life out of control or the calm resolve that this is Gods world and we are a part of it? Prayer is the positive alternative to a world out of control. It occurs to me that there are at least two modern views of prayer that are woefully inadequate. The rst is the kind that makes God into a vending machine and our prayers into coins. We put them in, push the right button, and get what we want. These suggest we should name it and claim it. And Jesus said, Father, not my will, but thine be done. How do we dene prayer? Is it the bowed head in public worship? Indeed, but more. Is it the family routine of prayer at table or private prayers before bedtime? Indeed, but more. Prayer is all of life lifted to Godthe developing comradeship and intimacy with the Fatherfor all of life belongs to God. Prayer is the greatest work of the heart. Prayer then is an exercise of believing people, believing that God is approachable, interested, and involved in life with us. IV. We are called to a life of peace. Not a peace based on the ending of hostilities but a peace located amid lifes turmoil. We believe in, proclaim, bear witness to, a living Christ, who is with us in everything and always, just as he said, till the end of the world. I heard this story some years ago. It seems that an art studio in New York City commissioned two painters to depict on canvas their visions of peace. The two set to their tasks. On a certain date they gathered to unveil their work. The crowd stood with interest to see what had been painted. The rst painting was unveiled. It was a lovely sight: a scene of green meadows across rolling hills, a quiet stream running though it, a quaint farm house, and soft clouds in the distance. It was indeed the image of peacefulness. The crowd was pleased. When the second work was unveiled, the people stood back. They were aghast. The painting was of a roaring waterfall, its waters, tons and tons of it, were tumbling down hundreds of feet to the bottomand crashing violently on the rocks below, so much that a heavy mist rose into the air. Where is peacefulness here? the people asked. Then they noticed
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the detail. There, out over the waterfall was a tiny limb hanging precariously beyond the edge, and on it a birds nest, in it baby birds, and a mother bird contentedly feeding her young. When we rest in the loving care of our Father, mounted up on wings like eagles, then we can truly run and not be weary, we can walk and not faint. Father, in our troubled world, hold us close. Please.Lee McGlone
Shalom. The baptistry at First Baptist Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, displays the word Shalomthe Hebrew greeting that declares the peace of God among us, a signicant level of well-being that comes as lives are lived congruent to God above, to the world around, and within our own souls. In the New Testament the word describes a restored relation. Because of our sin, we are alienated from God. We are enemies of God. Yet in Christ Jesus, this wrong relationship is set right. We are reconciled to God and forgiven. God has made peace through the blood of the cross. Jesus used this word when he said, go in peace and sin no more.Lee McGlone Worry. When Paul penned the words, have no anxieties about anything, he warned us against unhealthy, damaging, destructive worry. The word he used actually means to be pulled apart at the seams. It describes warfare in the soul, a tugging within, that gives no rest. Abraham Lincoln spoke of this when, at the height of the War Between the States, he wrote of the greatest civil war he knewthe one being fought in his soul. Said Lincoln, I think I shall split asunder and die. Worry that kills is what Paul taught against.Lee McGlone

Zeph. 3:1420 Isa. 12:26 Phil. 4:47 Luke 3:718 Mighty Is Our God Surely It Is God Who Saves Me Wake, Awake for Night Is Flying When John Baptized by Jordans River
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God with Us SCRIPTURE: Zeph. 3:1420 KEY VERSE: For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exalt over you by singing a happy song. (Zeph. 3:17, NLT) KEY CONCEPT: God is always with us. MATERIALS: Bible, stuffed animal
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(Have the children gather around the Advent wreath and light the candle.) I brought this stuffed dog with me today. One of my boys used to sleep with it at night. It made him feel safe and secure. Do any of you have a favorite toy you like to sleep with? (Let the children respond and reect back their answers, afrming the things they say.) We all like to feel safe and secure. Sometimes when my son got sad or scared, he would cuddle up with his stuffed animal. Sometimes he liked to play with it when he was happy. Today, we lit the third candle as we get ready to celebrate the coming of Jesus. It is the candle of Joy. We know Jesus came to live on the earth to show us how to live. The prophet Zephaniah told Gods people this was going to happen. (Open Bible.) For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exalt over you by singing a happy song. We sometimes like to cuddle with our favorite toy to help us feel safe and calm. We can always remember that Jesus is with us. Jesus brings us joy and calms us when we are afraid. Lets ask Jesus to help us feel the joy of his presence and to calm us when we are afraid.Marcia Thompson
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Call to Worship: Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Invocation: Lord, let Jesus coming into the time of earth affect our giving this day so others may know the Incarnation that heaven and earth cannot forget. Amen.E. Lee Phillips
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Offertory Sentence: A liberal man will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered (Prov. 11:25, RSV). Offertory Prayer: Bless what we give, O Lord, and shape it after your will that it may benet many and honor the Christ. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: In this holy season, we ponder anew what the Almighty can do when, with his love, he befriends us. From the ashes of our failures have arisen new vistas of hope. Out of our defeats have come the shaping of character and deepened faith. Out of mistakes of the pastoften poor judgments made in hastehave come new insights into patience and learning to wait on the Lord. Remind us, O Lord, that in the season we celebrate, you came to us long ago as a baby born in a manger low. Yes, Lord, we heard it! You came to us! While we were yet sinners, you took the rst step and initiated our reconciliation. You came to us before we ever thought about coming to you. We honor, worship, and praise you for your unending love. Now may our hearts be glad. May our spirits rejoice. May our labor for the Lord be joyful and fullling. And in all things, may his will be done on earth, even as it is done in heaven. Amen.Lee McGlone Benediction: Go now in the power and grace of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and live these days to the eternal glory. His peace will go before you. Amen.

Fourth Sunday in Advent
The Shout of a Mother-to-Be
Luke 1:46b56 OTHER READINGS: Mic. 5:25a; Heb. 10:510; Luke 1:3945
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I came across a late-night talk show host just last week who informed his audience that we were only days away from the Christmas season. The statement was met with a loud and collective groan. Someone said, Im glad Christmas is only one day a year. I couldnt stand any more of it than that. I wonder, if Christmas is so hard, why do we bother? During these Sundays prior to Christmas, I hope that question is answered. Think of the songs we sing. Not necessarily Jingle Bells or Up on a House Top but about the songs of scripture, especially Marys songThe Magnicat. I think if we can sing her song and allow her spirit to invade ours, well end the season with more than a collective groan. Today we sing Marys song the shout of a mother-to-be. I. Marys song declares that God is with us in this life. My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Mary is the sign that says that our religion is not about theological propositions that molder in the dust of decay, nor about mysterious, cold, and dry ceremony that takes the best out of us. No, its about life. Its about giving birth, and growing, and living, and loving, and dying. Mary keeps us connected with the human and the divine. The response of the Christian Church to Mary has been quite varied. For some she is highly venerated. For others she is greatly ignored. And because of both extremes, the example of true faithMaryis has been missed by most of us. But how can we forget, for Mary is an example of faith discovered and lived out. Faith, you see, is not something that we possess. Faith possesses us. Thats why we remember Mary. Her song declares the grace of God, which had come to her and to her nation, and her response to that grace. She could have said no to all this, but she didnt. She said yes, and as a result we sing her song: My soul doth magnify the Lord. II. Marys song declares that Gods work gets done when ordinary people say yes to Gods voice: He has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth, all generations will call me blessed for he has done mighty things for me. In the minds of many, the example of humble faith lived out quietly, though obediently, is a sign of weakness. No, we would rather have a strong and powerful personality as our model of faith. Instead of Mary, we would rather choose John the Baptist. He was
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strong and forceful, wore animal skins, and lived off the land. His muscles were rock hard. His booming voice echoed choice invective. He, to our world, is more the hero. But not here. Here Mary in humility reveals the strength of God. That trek to Bethlehem wasnt an easy one, but she did it. The joys of the birth were short-lived; soon she and the baby were rushed off to Egypt to escape the horror of the hate-lled Herod. There followed the years of love for her son whom she could never really understand. And in the end, she endured the torture of seeing him crucied. She was quite a woman of faith. You see, Mary is one of usa struggler in the faith. But its the struggle and the response of faith to the struggle that inspire our spirits today. This was a most perplexing situation. She was not yet fully married but betrothed to be married, and she was pregnant. She was told by an angel that the child was begotten by God. She knew that. But who would believe such a thing? What was Joseph to think? Soon another angel told Joseph the same thing. But how was he to understand it all? What would the neighbors think? You can see that this is a rather unstable situation. So in the midst of her obvious concern, Mary treks off to visit her older cousin Elizabeth in an attempt to make sense out of it all. And there, face-to-face with Elizabeth (really faithto-faith), she found the strength she needed. Mary, Elizabeth said, your faith has brought you to the right place and your faith will see you through. There will be nothing that will come up against you that you cant handle. III. Marys song declared that the dreams of faith are never ended, as long as we dream Gods dream: His mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. . . . He has shown strength with his arm . . . he has scattered the proud . . . put down the mighty . . . exalted those of low degree . . . he has lled the hungry with good things. . . . He has helped his servant Israel. Both Matthew and Luke are careful to remind us that the birth of Jesus was uniqueone of a kind. There has raged over the last century the question as to the literal meaning of virgin conception. Some scholars have stated that the word translated virgin, especially in the Isaiah passage (a virgin shall conceive a bear a child), should better be translated simply young woman. And they are right. Its just that Mary cleared up the whole discussion when she said, How can this thing be, seeing that I know not a man? It was a virgin birth. That it was a virgin
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birth is important for usbut not just for the sake of the fact of it. It is important because true faith, the kind of faith that empowers through life, is always virgin-born. Faith that delivers us from our ultimate doubts and weakness and fear doesnt come from parents or friends. Parents and friends may well prepare the way for faith, but they cant make faith happen. Faith comes when we discover God for ourselves. And now is as good a time as any to discover God. There is something about this season of the year that makes us aware of the possibilities that await people of faith. It was an impossible situation Mary faced, but faith made all the difference. Whenever God is intermingled intimately with the course of human events, changes arise in peoplechanges in behavior so great that we can only stand back and marvel. Nothing is ever too big for God to handle. My dear Christian friends, is this not what the inbreaking of God into our world is all about? God comes to us through Christ; we in Advent relive the expectant waiting for his arrival, and when he comes he breaks the bonds that hold us captive. He awakens within us the smoldering candle of love. Sin is forgiven. Grace is received. And lifemy own, that of my family, my church, yea, my worldis changed forever. To God be the glory; great things he hath done. And that surely will bring from our lips more than a collective groan. We join with Mary the mother-to-be and shout, My soul doth magnify the Lord.Lee McGlone
Christmas at Work. I heard my seminary professor, Dr. Wayne Ward, tell a true story that came out of World War I. There was a grim stalemate on the western front. The two forces, American and German, were facing a no-mansland between opposing trenches. Then came Christmas Eve. During a lull in the ghting, the Americans could hear the Germans singing that most lovely universal Christmas carol, Steile Neight, Heilige Neight (Silent Night, Holy Night). The Americans joined in and across the barbed wire, their voices
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blended. The Americans sang, and the Germans answered. Then one man, under a white ag, ventured into no-mans-land. An enemy soldier met him halfway. There they arranged a truce on Christmas Day. The next morning saw a strange thing: men, whose business was to kill each other, were showing each other photographs from home and acting like friends. The high command had nothing to do with that! That was Christmas at work. Its a gentle season, meek and mild, but give it a chance, and it rips the guns from mens hands and hatred from their heartsand puts a song on their lips!Lee McGlone Mary, the Person. I grew up in a town where, to my recollection, you were Baptist, Methodist, or Presbyterian. We had no Catholic church there. I remember the rst time I saw a statue of Mary. We were driving into Hot Springs to visit relatives. There was a church there with a little prayer garden off to the side, and in it the image of Maryher head bowed and hands folded. What is that? I asked. The reply came, Catholic superstition. I suppose if it were left up to us Baptists, Marys place would be entirely forgotten. But we cannot forget, if we listen to the Bible.Lee McGlone

Mic. 5:25a Luke 1:46b55 Heb. 10:510 Luke 1:3945 My Soul Proclaims with Wonder For Ages Women Hoped and Prayed Lift Up Your Heads, O Mighty Gates Like a Child

Mary and Elizabeth Believe SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:3945 KEY VERSE: You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said. (Luke 1:45, NLT)
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Belief and faith Bible
(Have the children gather around the Advent wreath and light the fourth candle.) Today I want us to talk about believing. I believe Christmas is just a few days away. I believe my children will be excited about their gifts and presents. What are some other things you can say you believe in? (Let the children answer. Reect back answers, and come back to the one you want to use to help move toward the next portion of the sermon.) (Say the childs name) said he believes in God. When we believe something, we think it is true. It will happen. (Open Bible.) Elizabeth and Mary believed in a special way. What do you think it would be like if an angel appeared and told you that you were going to have a special childGods Son? (Let the children respond. Help them along if they need it.) It would certainly be a bit scary, dont you think? Elizabeth and Mary got together while they were both pregnant. Elizabeth, you remember, was the mother of John the Baptist. Elizabeth told Mary that the baby leaped for joy inside her once she heard Marys voice. Elizabeth said to Mary, You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said. We need to remember Elizabeth and Mary. They are great examples of women who had great faith. We can thank God for them and for having the story of their meeting to see the special way they believed. We can believe too. God has something special for each of us to do. Lets ask God to help us believe like Elizabeth and Mary so we can do what God wants us to do each day. Marcia Thompson
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Call to Worship: I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations (Ps. 89:1). Invocation: Father, we gather today as your people and bring to this place our unique needs and joys. Your Word assures us that you know us better than we know ourselves and that your grace is sufcient for our every need. Meet us here, O Lord, and speak your Word to us. Amen.
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Offertory Sentence: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Offertory Prayer: Lord God, take what we share this day and multiply it by the Holy Spirit to do great deeds, the worth of which only heaven can fully measure. Amen.E. Lee Phillips Morning Prayer: Loving Father, who long ago walked down the stairway of the stars, laid a baby in a manger so that the Word became esh, come again we pray to renew us this Christmas week. Show us again the many ways in which you became incarnate. Let us see the Word again become esh. Enable us to understand the mystery of your movements in the affairs of nations and peoples. In the midst of changing times, let us not forget the source of every good and perfect gift. Let us not be deaf to a babys soft cry, shepherds wondering praises, and a mothers lullaby. Lead us from the cradle to Calvary and Easter that we may know with assurance that every tragedy has redemptive meaning when viewed through the love and purpose of Christ, whose message to us began so powerfully that night when angels sang and Christmas became a reality. Now as we worship in this holy season, we rejoice that you meet us hereonce again. Amen.Henry Fields Benediction: We celebrate in these days the inbreaking of Gods good news. He has come, taken on human esh, and lived as we live. Now let us carry his message of love and forgiveness with us wherever we go so that great work, begun long ago, will continue through us. Amen.

First Sunday after Christmas
Being About the Fathers Business
OTHER READINGS:
Luke 2:4152 1 Sam. 2:1820, 26; Ps. 148; Col. 3:1217
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The text before us today is the only story that details an event between the Christmas story and Jesus appearance with John at the Jordan River some three decades later. But what about those rst thirty years of his life prior to the formal beginning of his ministry? All we have is this story of the twelve-yearold Jesus at the temple. At the heart of it all is the strange retort of Jesus to his parents: Dont you know that I must be about my Fathers business? What is this? I. In some ways, this is a very common story. Jewish families of the day often made at least one pilgrimage to Jerusalem each year. Here they come when Jesus was twelve years old, just the right age for bar mitzvah. In his world, he was almost a grown-up. Up until this time, Jesus fathers business was that of carpentry. He would follow his earthly fathers footsteps. But there would be more! Notice also the very common account of his separation from Mary and Joseph. To lose a child in a crowded place is a tragedy of overwhelming anxiety. Most of us at some time or another can recall just such an event. And normally Mary and Joseph are outraged. Weve been looking for you everywhereeverywhere, that is, except the temple, as it seems that was the last place they went. Nonetheless, there they nally found him and were, as we might also be, a bit miffed. Jesus then takes center stage and, sounding more like an adult than a child, reasons with his parents: You should have known where I wasplacing the blame on the parents for worrying! He really was one of us. Then comes the word of teaching: Dont you know I must be about my Fathers business? II. But it is a story that confronts us with the demands of believing faith. Notice here the astonishment the parents of Jesus sense as they hear these words. It would be for them a preview of what would follow. But, in truth, they really had no idea. What we see now is a young Jesus going back to his parents home, being subject to them, and waiting for another nearly twenty years before he would look up from the carpenters bench and move out into the public arena of teaching and preaching. But move out he would. The claim to his life was not forgotten. His Fathers businessthat of the Heavenly Fatherhad not evaporated. From this point on, Jesus had a new directness to his life.
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Faith in the Fathers business changes things. Of all people, we who are Christians should know that it is never enough to leave the baby in a manger. Some will pack Jesus away until next year, but we cannot and will not. We will choose in all the days that lie ahead to live as faith dictates, lovingly and sacricially living by faith. III. We are called to follow Jesus out of Jerusalem and into the life of preaching, teaching, and ministry. That life will surely take twists and turns we cant anticipate and will often seem complicated and confusing. That path will take us all the way to a grotesque cross on which the Prince of Glory diedand beyond to the glorious Resurrection on the rst Easter Sunday. We may well miss the specics of life of many of those around us, but we dare not neglect the life of Jesus. And once we are tuned to the intricacies of his life, we are far more prepared to listen intently to the life issues of those around us. We believe that each day and in each life Jesus is at work doing the Fathers business. Surely, we dont understand it all, but we do trust him, love him, and commit to follow him all the days of life. We have said Merry Christmas for the last time this year. Now is the time to enter into the joy of the life of a disciple. May we, with heartfelt resolve, choose the deeper joy that comes when we, like our Lord, declare, I must be about my Fathers business. . . . Not my will but thine be done.Lee McGlone
Epiphany. Isnt it interesting that the church spends the four weeks of Advent preparing for the birth of Christ? This just-completed season focuses on what it means that the Son of God arrived in this world through the womb of a virgin named Mary. The season climaxes on Christmas morning, when we celebrate joyfully the birth of the Savior, Jesus. The next major event on the Christian calendar is Epiphany, coming next week. Traditionally, it marks Jesus baptism and the beginning of his public ministry. In the weeks and months that follow, we ponder the splendor of his life and teachings. What is amazing is this: we spend four whole weeks getting ready for one day, Christmas Day, the
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day of Jesus birthbut only one week preparing for the inauguration of his life and ministry!Lee McGlone New Perspective. I heard a teacher offer new insight on this passage a few weeks ago. In a lecture she suggested that following the scolding Jesus received from his parents, something changes. Up until that point, they all went up to Jerusalem from Nazareth. But following that event, Jesus became the leader. He went down to Nazareth and his parents accompanied him. Jesus, the child, led the way.Lee McGlone

Sam. 2:1820, 26 Ps. 148 Col. 3:1217 Luke 2:4152 What Gift Can We Bring? Praise the Lord! O Heavens, Adore Him Put Peace into Each Others Hands Amen, Amen

Speak Christ SCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:1217 KEY VERSE: And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father. (Col. 3:17) KEY CONCEPT: Sharing Christ with others MATERIALS: Bible, big wrapped present, paper PREPARATION: Write the word Jesus on pieces of colorful paper so you will have enough for each child. Place the papers in the box and wrap it in Christmas paper.
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I hope everyone is having a nice Christmas. In fact, I think I have one present I havent opened yet. Maybe Id better open it. Can you help me unwrap and open
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this box? (Let the children help unwrap the box and see what is inside.) Each of you take one of these pieces of paper. What word does the paper have on it? (Let the children say Jesus.) We are celebrating the birth of Jesus. We celebrate because we know Jesus is our Savior. We are so thankful Jesus came to earth to show us Gods way. (Open Bible.) Since we want to be followers of Jesus, we want to follow Jesus example in everything we do or say. Paul wrote this in his letter to the church in Colosse. It reads, And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father. I want you to keep your piece of paper somewhere in your house where everyone can see it. Let it be a reminder that all we do or say is what we show other people. We want others to know Jesus. Lets pray, thanking Jesus for coming and showing us how to be like him.Marcia Thompson
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Call to Worship: The people who walked in darkness have seen great light; those who dwell in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:2, 8, RSV). Invocation: All that we hope for, O Lord, we nd in your power and love. You have graced us with your presence all our days. Now as this year comes to its end, we commit ourselves to follow you that the work you have begun in us will continue on. Lord, let it be. Amen. Offertory Sentence: When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. 2:11). Offertory Prayer: Lord, large or small, let our gifts this day reect faithful hearts that give joyfully and point to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.E. Lee Phillips
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Morning Prayer: According to our human calendar, O Lord, we stand at the ending of one era and at the beginning of another. We look back to see some things that gladden our hearts and some things that make us sad. We see, on one hand, the bravery of soldiers far from home and the resolute patriotism that drives their service. On the other hand, we see, just as scripture declares, no cessation to warfare, for we shall see wars and rumors of war till the end of our days on earth. Grant, O Father, that we shall never relinquish the vision of Isaiah, who declared a day when the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, that swords shall be beaten into plowshares, and that we will learn of war no more. Dearest God, bring forth that day! Grant that as this year ends and the new one soon begins, we shall carry with us the bold vision of peace and justice made known to us through the Word, who became esh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth. Help us to realize that now the real work of Christmas begins. Empower us that we may so live that the good news of Jesus Christ will effectively be declared to all the nations. Help us to nd the lost, go to the lonely, heal the brokenhearted, visit the prisoners, feed the hungry, and rebuild the nations. Let peace on earth comeand let it begin with us. Amen.Lee McGlone Benediction: Today, we celebrate Gods work through us in the days of this past year and commit ourselves to faithful service in the coming year. Our God, whom we name as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, will guide our way. Bless be his holy name! Amen.
section III
RESOURCES FOR PREACHING
CHAPTER ONE
Preaching on Sexual Ethics: A Five-Sermon Series

Dr. William C. Viser, Associate Professor of Christian Ministries, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
o say that we live in a highly sexualized society today is an understatement. From fashion to music, commercials, television, and movies, sexuality confronts us everywhere we turn. The old adage sex sells is all too true. Unfortunately, it can also lead to experiences that cause a lifetime of regret, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, premarital and extramarital sex, addiction, and a host of other problems. Every Sunday in churches throughout America, members of our congregation are dealing with sexual issues. Some have turned to non-Christian sources for answers that only serve to make the problem worse. Others look for biblical guidance, which is certainly a right place to turn. However, offering biblical guidance with poor theology and incorrect exegesis will neither properly address sexual issues and questions nor provide much-needed direction. Unfortunately, many within the congregation will not even consider seeking someone out to ask questions of a sexual nature, due to the shame they experience. If we truly believe that Gods Word has the denitive answer to our problems and is the guide we know it to be, and if we know that any given Sunday there are countless numbers within our congregation seeking help and direction for their problems, it only makes sense that we ask the Holy Spirit to speak through us as we address these problems from the pulpit. I experienced this rsthand. A good friend of mine asked me ll his pulpit in a rather large church one Sunday morning. He had called me earlier to explain that he was preaching a series on the family and was to be out one Sunday of the series. Would I ll in for him? I agreed that I would. Theres just one thing, Bill,
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he said. I hate to ask you to do this, but my subject for your Sunday is sex. Can you preach on this? Well, okay, I replied. But I wasnt overly enthusiastic. Nonetheless, I prayed, studied, wrote my sermon, and sent my outline in advance for their PowerPoint presentation, as well as the sermon title for the bulletin. The Sunday morning came, and I was introduced. I explained about my conversation with the pastor as to the sermon series, and said that he had asked me to preach on sex. At that point the entire congregation burst into laughter, leaving me wondering what on earth was so funny. I turned to the staff seated behind to determine what I had said, and between the laughs I was told that the pastor was not preaching a series on the family and sure wasnt to preach today on sex! I had been had! What could I do (other than resolve to strangle my friend the rst chance I got)? I went ahead and preached the message. As I stood at the exit doors of the church following the message, I will never forget the people who stopped to thank me for sticking to the topic. They ranged from a married man who had struggled for years with sexual issues, to an elderly woman who planned to send a copy of the message to her married daughter, to teenagers who told me they felt as if I was preaching directly to them. From that day on I decided that I would never shy away from preaching on this subject. It need not be so difcult. It is my prayer that the following ve sermons will be received as well by your congregation as was my sermon that day. These ve sermons focus on the issues of lust (Just One Look), the individuals thought life (Anatomy of a Rape), premarital sex (Going Downhill Fast), homosexuality (Suffering in Sodom), and Internet pornography (Snared by the Net). You may nd it helpful to have competent mental health professionals to refer church members who come to you with problems related to these sermons, which are either too time consuming for you to deal with or are beyond your scope of training. May God bless you as you bring his Word to those in need.
TOPIC: TEXT:
Just One Look Sam. 11:117, 2527
How does Satan tempt you? What has he said to you today to tempt you to sin? Perhaps he used an attractive person who passed in front of you. What went
Resources for Preaching: Preaching on Sexual Ethics
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through your mind as you looked at him or her? Were your thoughts honorable or not so honorable? In our text today, we see what can happen when a look is not honorable, when it focuses on the sensual, when the object is desire. I. It was only a look (vv. 12). Spring is a time for romance and love, but the text reminds us that it was a time when kings marched out to war. Why David was not with the military is subject to many different interpretations. But the fact is that David had time on his hands as he got up from his bed and strolled across the roof of the palace. While his men were out ghting to protect the people, David took advantage of his position as king to abuse the people. David had been an exemplary king up to this point. We have more idle time at our discretion than any other generation. Labor-saving conveniences have enabled us to save time in remarkable ways. How do you use your free time? Our grandparents used to have a saying, An idle mind is the devils workshop. That idle mind can look upon another person with a lustful eye. It can watch a movie or television program that is morally objectionable. It can lead to Web sites on the Internet that then lead to impurity. For David, it led to his looking at Bathsheba as she bathed. David would end up abusing his inuence as king to get Bathsheba. Do you and I have inuence today? Of course we do. As a grandparent, you are respected in the community for your many years of life and service. As a mother or father you are held in high regard by your children. As single adults, college students, or adolescents, those younger than you look up to you as role models. Would you intentionally misuse your inuence and cause someone else to stumble? Of course not! And yet Davids look would bring about adultery, murder, the death of a child, and chaos for his family as well as the nation. David had been a great success up to this point. Prosperity, however, can become a stumbling block. It has been said, If adversity has slain its thousands, prosperity has slain its tens of thousands. Where are you spiritually right now? If your walk with the Lord is close and your fellowship sweet, that is great. However, we must never take that close walk for granted. Satan is forever looking for just a small opportunity to attack. First Peter 5:8 reminds us, Be sober, be vigilant. For your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
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One summer I had an invitation to speak at a mission meeting in Nigeria. During an afternoon break, I accompanied a large group of missionary children to a nearby game preserve. As we approached a lion in his cage, one little girl became separated from the rest of the group. The lion never took his eyes off her. Fortunately, he could not get out, but I knew what was going through his mind and what he would have done if he had not been behind bars. Satan is not behind bars. We must not drop our guard. A look that is impure is not a natural or innocent thing. We must be alert to how Satan will use a look. II. Davids look leads to a plan (vv. 317). Verses 34 reveal Davids two-part plan. It was bad enough that David looked on Bathsheba while she was bathing. Whether she was being modest enough or not begs the question. David will complicate the situation by (1) sending someone to nd out who she is and (2) discovering that she is already married to a soldier, one of Davids elite thirty (23:29), who is out in the eld of battle bravely defending David and the kingdom. Though he discovers this, he sends for her anyway. One sin leads to another, and in verses 617, upon discovery that Bathsheba is pregnant with Davids child, he concocts a scheme to bring Uriah, Bathshebas husband, home to make him think that the child is his. Uriahs character surpasses that of Davids, for Uriah refuses to go home in spite of Davids deceitful attempts to convince him to do so. Finally, in exasperation, David comes up with a scheme to have Uriah murdered, with Joabs cooperation. Would seeing the consequences of Davids look and plan have led him to do it anyway? Would seeing the consequences of an impure thought lead you to think it anyway? Are there consequences? James makes it very clear when he writes in James 1:1415: each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Do you see the progression? First desire (the look), then the sin, and last the consequences. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:8 in the Sermon on the Mount that to look upon a woman with lust is to have already committed adultery with her in his heart.
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Ted Bundy was the notorious murderer-rapist who was convicted of murdering and raping young women in four states from 19741978. Though he eventually confessed to thirty murders, the actual number is unknown. On the night before his death by lethal injection, Mr. Bundy consented to interview with the renowned Christian child psychologist James Dobson. Bundy admitted that his sexual obsession was inuenced by his looking at pictures of women in mens magazines he had found as a boy in the alley. Does this mean that everyone who looks at a pornographic picture is doomed to become a serial killer? Of course not, and neither does one drink mean you will become intoxicated and hit and maim or kill someone while driving home, but the fact is, it happens. Scripture says it is wrong, so why disobey scripture and take a chance? Given the possibility that Bathshebas bathing was just poor judgment, we cannot always do anything about the way people dress; lets face it, fashion often dictates plenty of skin will be shown. We can, however, be sure to dress ourselves and our children with good taste and prevent our eyes from lingering on someone who is not properly dressed. If you plan to indulge that look of desire, the pay-off is destruction. III. The plan led to destruction (vv. 2527). Though Davids plan to sin was a secret sin, it wasnt a secret long. David would send Uriah back to battle, carrying the order sentencing him to death. It appeared that he would die in battle, and Joab essentially pulled the troops away from Uriah, which meant that he did indeed die in battle. Note in verse 17 that not only would Uriah die, but so would other Israelites. Like an infomercial announcer who says repeatedly, And thats not all . . . , look who scripture says was affected: Uriah would die; other Israelite soldiers die; Davids servants, from the one who went to nd out who she was to the servants whom David sent to get her are involved; Joab, who conspired with David to kill Uriah, is caught up in the plot, as will be the soldiers he instructs to withdraw from Uriah in battle. Davids family will be affected by Davids sin, as the child of David and Bathsheba will die. All of this will affect the kingdom and goes on and on. Was this one sin worth it? Absolutely not. Would David have taken it back knowing the consequences? Of course, but once we sin, we set into motion a series of consequences.
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Verse 25 shows us how repeated sin can harden the individual, helping us to become more desensitized. David as much as tells Joab, concerning Uriahs death and that of some of the Israelite soldiers, The sword devours now one, now another. Thats what repeated sin does. Thats what repeated looks can do. Your heart becomes hardened. There is an old saying that if you want to boil a frog, you cant drop him in boiling water or hell jump right out. Put him in water and just gradually turn up the heat, and hell become so accustomed to the heat that it will eventually kill him. Continued and repeated sin has the same effect. What you begin to do seems too innocent and harmless. You trivialize it by saying, Its no big deal. You rationalize it: Everyone does it. You internalize it: Only I will know what I am doing. The end result is that constant repetition can lead to other sins, until one day it all collapses. How differently it could have turned out had David repented of his look at the very beginning. History would have been rewritten and countless lives spared. What this says to you and to me is that sin can never be taken lightly, and repentance is required. When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he was writing to a church in a city known for its sexual sins. In 2 Corinthians 7:10 he reminds us that godly grief produces a repentance. Romans 2:4 tells us that Gods kindness is intended to lead you to repentance; 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Do you have that godly grief? Do you feel the tug of the Holy Spirit concerning your behavior? Are you reconciled with God through Jesus Christ? You can be today!
TOPIC: TEXT:
Anatomy of a Rape 2 Sam. 13:120
Recently, in a Human Sexuality class I raised the question to my students, How many of you know someone who has experienced a rape? Everyone in the class of fourteen raised their hands. A National Violence Against Women Survey indicated that at least 1 of 6 U.S. women and 1 in 33 U.S. men has experi-
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enced an attempted or completed rape as a child and/or as an adult.1 In 2004, the FBI reported that approximately 94,635 females nationwide were victims of forcible rape. This gure is virtually the same as 2003. The South accounted for the largest percentage. In this text we see the backdrop for the rape, the contributing factors to the rape, and the results of the rape. All three have implications for us today. We might break this down as follows: I. Immoral thoughts + dwelling on immoral thoughts = lust (vv. 13). Amnon was Davids oldest son and the half brother of Absalom. Amnon was thought to be the successor to Davids throne. Absalom, another son of David, was next in line and the brother to Tamar, his beautiful sister. Verse 1 of chapter 13 uses the word beautiful to describe Tamar, just as it was used to describe Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11:2. We have come to place an unhealthy obsession on beauty today. Airbrushed pictures of models whose every blemish is removed and inches trimmed off arms, calves, and so on, project an image that is not realistic. Small wonder that many adolescent girls and women fall victim to eating disorders in pursuit of the perfect body. Just as for many there exists that obsession about beauty, Amnon was obsessed about his beautiful sister. Verse 2 states he was frustrated to the point of illness. Amnon wanted to physically possess his sister. It wasnt love he nourished in his heart but lust, and that is a dangerous feeling to nurture. Most mental health specialists today would agree that obsessive sexual fantasies can be harmful, especially as you relate these fantasies to another individual. This is not what God intended when he gave us the gift of sex. Apparently, all Amnon could think of was possessing his sister Tamar. You could say he was eaten up by his lust. What exactly do we mean by lust? We can talk about a lust for life, which would be an intense eagerness or enthusiasm. We could speak of a lust for
1Department
of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States 2004, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius_04/offenses_reported/violent_crime/forcible_rape.html.
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power, as in an overwhelming desire or craving, or we could speak of lust that is an intense or unrestrained sexual energy.2 The Bible speaks repeatedly and clearly about lust: To lust is to commit adultery (Matt. 5:2728). You have heard it said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Lust is from the world (1 John 2:1617). For everything in the world the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and doescomes not from the Father but from this world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. Lust brings negative consequences (Prov. 6:2529). Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adultress preys upon your very life. Can a man scoop re into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another mans wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. Walking in the Spirit is the antidote for lust (Gal. 5:1617). So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. Second Timothy 2:22, 1 Peter 1:1416, 1 Peter 2:11, 1 John 2:16 17, 1 Corinthians 6:12, and Romans 12:2 are other scriptures dealing with lust. Amnons immoral thoughts toward Tamar and the fact that he dwelled on it morning after morning (v. 4) made him sick. What about your thoughts? What do you choose to think about? Do you choose activities that stimulate lustful desires? And when was it that your lustful desires were ever satised, never to return again? It wont happen. The more you think lustful thoughts, the more you crave those objects.
2Dictionary.com:
http://dictionary.reference.com.
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A saying from seminary days comes to mind: garbage in, garbage out. No wonder Paul would tell us in Philippians 4:8, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, what is admirableif anything is excellent or praiseworthythink about such things. Amnons lust was aggravated by the fact that he could not get to Tamar, who was a virgin, protected and kept in strict seclusion. But where theres a will, theres a way. Unfortunately, Amnon was guided by his own lustful will, which leads us to the second disastrous step in the anatomy of rape. II. Listening to advice for immoral thoughts + accepting advice from an immoral person = sin sickness. Verses 34 begin with the simple words, now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab. . . . He is described in various translations as very shrewd (NIV), crafty (KJV), and cunning. Jonadab was the nephew of David. Amnon with his immoral thoughts coupled with Jonadab, an immoral person giving advice, was just what Satan would order to cement the sin disease in Amnon. Jonadab will come up with a deceitful plan for Amnon to pretend to be sick and, when visited by David, his father, Amnon will request that Tamar be sent to make cakes to feed him. Then Amnon will have Tamar to himself to fulll his lust. Could this story have turned out differently? Of course, and David would have been a key player. There were two negative factors concerning David. First, it took Jonadab to notice and question Amnon, Why do you look so haggard morning after morning? (v. 4). Where was Amnons father, David? Why didnt David notice the persistent troubled look on his sons face? Was David involved in more important things than his children? Did David not have the time to spend with his son? Second, there was the example of David. Amnon had to know of Davids sin with Bathsheba. His father had stopped at nothing to satisfy his sexual desire. Why should Amnon? His father had used deceit. Why shouldnt he? Parents, are you in touch with your children? Do you know what inuences are acting on their sexual development? Do you know anything about the artists they listen to and their lyrics? Do you know what they are reading? Do you know what movies they watch? Do you know what sites they visit on the Internet?
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The American Family Association reports that the average age of exposure to pornography is now ve years of age. Our children and our teenagers are being exposed daily to sexual messages everywhere they turn. Are you in touch enough to have an ongoing talk about Gods gift of sex and how God intends for it to be used? The chat about the birds and the bees isnt a one-time event. It should be a continuing dialogue. In over thirty-ve years of teaching, only half or less of classes will conrm that their parents ever even discussed the facts of life with them. When I ask how many ever had more than one discussion, only a few hands still remain. If you dont educate your children, the world will, and we all know thats not the education we want our kids to learn! David should have been more in touch with his son. David should have been a better example for his son. Two old sayings come to mind: The acorn never falls far from the tree, and Like father, like son. Parents, what do your children see you watching? What movies do you attend for entertainment? What books do your children see you reading? What do they hear you discussing with each other? If those things are a concern for our children, shouldnt they be a concern for us? Can we live a double standard, Do what I say, not as I do? Amnon chose the wrong friend and listened to the wrong advice. III. The third step in the anatomy of a rape is planning to commit an immoral act + committing an immoral act = destruction. Verses 820 tell us how Jonadabs evil plan was carried out and Amnon succeeded in isolating Tamar and raping her. Tamar uses three arguments to try and deter Amnon. First, it would violate the Israelite social order and would be considered wicked (v. 12). Second, both of them would have their reputations ruined (v. 13). Third, she begs him to talk to David to permit a marriage (v. 13). In spite of Tamars pleadings, Amnons plan becomes a reality, and destruction is the result. Once again, just as we saw in Davids sin with Bathsheba, the secret sin will not be a secret any longer. Tamar is raped and forcibly removed from Amnons presence. Verse 15 tells us that his hatred toward her was greater than his lust for her, and destruction quickly followed. 1. Amnons reputation was destroyed, as was his life. Two years later Absalom orders his men to murder Amnon (vv. 2829).
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2. Tamars innocence is destroyed. Verse 20 tells us she would live as a desolate woman in her brother Absaloms house. 3. King David had to be brokenhearted, perhaps even feeling guilty for his unwilling part in the evil plan. 4. Certainly there would be those who loved Tamar and perhaps even Amnon, who would be devastated by this incident. Though this story happened long ago, it continues to live itself out today in victims of rape. Tamars story, a powerful recollection of pain, is not pasttense. It seems, does it not, that we are reading todays newspaper: 1. Tamar was sexually assaulted, not by a stranger but by someone she knew. 2. The violation took place, not in a dark alley or in a desolate park but by a member of her own family in his home. 3. Tamar was exploited through one of her most vulnerable traitsher kindness and her upbringing to take care of the other. 4. Tamar said no; her no was not respected. 5. When Tamar sought help she was told to keep quiet. 6. The process for achieving justice and restitution was taken out of her hands entirely and carried forward by her brother. It became mens business. 7. In the end it was her perpetrator for whom her father mourned, not for her. 8. The end of Tamars story happens without her.3 What can a person do to combat immoral thoughts? Just as they are nurtured in secret, they must be exposed to the light. John 3:2021 tells us, Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
3Pamela
Cooper White, The Cry of Tamar: Violence Against Women and the Churchs Response (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1995), pp. 45.
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Accountability is the keyaccountability to God by confessing your sin of constantly nurturing immoral thoughts and seeking Gods forgiveness. Scripture memory can be a powerful substitution for immoral thinking. Accountability to man is another helpful opportunity. Confessing your problem to a godly individualman-to-man or woman-to-womanis helpful. Asking their prayers for you is helpful. Perhaps extending accountability to a small group of godly men or women who will meet with you would prove helpful. Accountability to your pastor or a good Christian counselor could be of great value. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In Christs strength, we will succeed! Pastors, you will nd these Christian workbooks helpful for anyone who has been traumatized by sexual violence: (1) Shelter from the Storm: Hope for Survivors of Sexual Abuse, Cynthia Littleeld and James Mallory, M.D. Robert S. McGee Publishing. Online at www.mcgeepublishing.com, 1-800-460-4673; (2) The Wounded Heart, Dan Allender. Online at www.danallender.com.
TOPIC: TEXT:
Going Downhill Fast Judg. 16:131
Do you remember when you rst learned to ride a bike with the brakes on the handlebars? Perhaps you never learned on any another other type. I remember early years of learning to ride a bike with the brakes being a backward motion of the foot pedals. One day an older neighborhood boy came over to my house with a bike that had the brakes on the handlebars. He left it there temporarily while he went next door and told me not to touch it. The longer he was gone, the more I wanted to ride it. Finally, I could stand it no longer and took the bicycle up to the top of my driveway, and off I went downhill. At rst, the ride was exhilarating. I was gaining speed and the wind was in my hair. The only problem was that I drawing closer quickly to the bottom of my driveway, which ended in the garage. As I went ying into the garage under a full head of speed, I decided to put on the brakes, but, try as I might, the pedals spun helplessly around and around. It was with a huge crash that the bike and I collided with the wall of the garage, bending the front wheel double and bruising me con-
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siderably. To say I was shaken up is an understatement. I wished I had never given in to the temptation in the rst place. This is true with sexual temptations. We see this in the story of Samson in Judges 16:131. I want you to note that Samson had a relationship problem, and you always do when you engage in sex outside of marriage. Looking at the text today, I want to share four points with you. I. First, sex outside of marriage is often premeditated. Look at the text. It tells us in verse 1 that Samson went to Gaza, an important Philistine seaport on the Mediterranean coast of southwest Palestine. Why he was there is subject to speculation. It does suggest a deliberate plan on Samsons part, and we know that he was in enemy territory. Sex outside of marriage is enemy territory. Satan loves to take the gift of sex, which God has given us, and twist it to meet his own needs. When you rst engage in sex outside of marriage, you do so just as deliberately as Samson went into the land of the Philistines. He didnt just wind up there clueless. He wasnt forced to go there. No one made him do it. He couldnt plead ignorance as to why he was there. He didnt go there because everyone else was going there. He knew exactly where he was going. King Solomon was not ignorant of temptation. At the height of his mental powers he wrote in Proverbs 14:2, He whose walk is upright fears the Lord, but he whose ways are devious despises him. Temptation begins in your mind. It is premeditated. You feed your imagination in many different ways. You listen to what others say who encourage or pressure you to try it. You want to be accepted by the person pressuring you or you want to t in with the crowdor both. Besides, some say the Bible never addresses premarital sex, which leads me to my second point. II. Sex outside of marriage is contrary to Gods Word. Verse 1 continues that not only did Samson deliberately go to enemy territory; he went to a prostitute as well. The Bible does not refer to this as premarital sex. The Bible calls it fornication, from the Greek word porneia, also referred to as general immorality. In the New Testament it is used thirty-nine times. We could use the term casual sex today to refer to fornication. It means sexual intercourse between two people who are not married. When someone who is married
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has a sexual relationship with someone other than his or her spouse, it is referred to as adultery. In Acts 15:20 we are told to abstain from sexual immorality. Paul writes to the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 6:13 saying, The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. If your gasoline tank in your car were close to empty, would you ll it up with water? Of course not. An engine wont operate on water. Neither did God intend the body to function in sexual immorality. III. Sex outside of marriage places you at risk (v. 3). Samson would go to Gaza willingly and visit the prostitute. The Philistines found out where he was and what he was doing. Samson placed himself at risk for harm by the Philistines. Our secret sins have a way of coming out into the open. They planned to kill him, but Samson managed to escape in v. 3. Though he escaped from Gaza in verse 3, verse 21 reveals the consequences following his relationship with Delilah (whose name means irtatious). Samson will be led back to Gaza by the Philistines as a slave. This is what sin wants to do: make you a slave to it. Paul tells the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 5:3, But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality or of any kind of impurity. . . . Just a thought of sexual immorality taken casually or thought to be just human and nurtured can become a huge problem. Peter would address the heart thought in Acts 8:2223 when he said to Simon, Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. Samsons lack of moral restraint led him into problems with many women. Peter would say in 2 Peter 2:19, for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. As a youth minister for over ten years, a university counselor, and a licensed professional therapist, I have heard countless teenagers and young adults tell the same story. When sexual immorality entered into the relationship, it began gradually and escalated until there were no limits. The physical took over the relationship and eventually destroyed it. Not only does sex apart from marriage destroy the relationship but it can also lead to contracting sexually transmitted diseases. In a report by the Center for Disease Control in 2005, it was estimated that nineteen million new sexual infections occur each year, almost half among young people age f-
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teen to twenty-four.4 Some indications state that 50 percent of the people who currently have HIV are between the ages of fteen and twenty-four.5 Unwanted pregnancy becomes a risk. Most important, as we saw earlier, it is an act of rebellion against Gods Word. Rebelling against God never ends on a positive note, which brings us to the fourth and nal point. IV. Sex outside of marriage leads to negative consequences. Samsons relationship with Delilah would end in disaster. As she enters into the Philistine plot to betray Samson and continually pleads with him to tell her the secret of his strength, he gives in. The Philistines took him (v. 21) to Gaza, where he was blinded and made fun of by the Philistines. Eventually, his hair grew back, and in a nal act of vengeance he pushed foundational pillars of the temple to the point that the temple collapsed, killing not only Samson but three thousand people who were on the roof, as well as others on the ground. Samson was blind at his death, but the tragedy is, he was blind in life. He could not see the joy of a life lived in obedience to God. Make no mistake, it is not easy holding on to your morality and following Gods will for your life. It can be a daily battle, and it is tough, but the reward is worth it. Many years ago when I was a missionary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I entered a 5-K race. It commemorated the anniversary of the Christ statue, which sits on a mountaintop overlooking Rio. The only problem was, it was ve kilometers uphill! I thought I would die before I reached the top. Many runners quit. Others like me plodded on. The muscles in my legs were killing me; my breath was coming in short gasps, and my mind begged me to stop. What sustained me throughout the race was keeping my eyes on that statue of Jesus and telling myself that with every step Im getting closer to him. Every test, every temptation you face in the strength of the Lord Jesus is bringing you closer to him and making you more like him. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus.
4H.
Weinstock, and others, Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among American Youth: Incidence and Prevalence Estimates, 2000. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2004, 36(1), 610. 5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance, 2000 (Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001).
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You may have already made mistakes in the past, but things can be different. Let us remember the words of an imperfect man himself, the Apostle Paul, who wrote in Philippians 3:1314, Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
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Suffering in Sodom Gen. 19:126
Perhaps few subjects bring on such a wide range of emotions as a discussion of homosexuality. Some say surely you are not going to discuss this from the pulpit. This has no place in the church. Others might say live and let live. If a person wants to choose the gay lifestyle, thats their right, and we should accept those people as we would anyone else. There would be those who would say we need to pray for them, love them, and provide a climate to help them change. What do you think? Or have you thought this through? I choose to use the word suffering to associate with homosexuality because I think it ts the nature of the subject and certainly is reected in the text. Though we are going to look at scriptures in both the Old Testament and New Testament, I have chosen the text in Genesis 19:126. It is a familiar story that I believe reects the idea of suffering. Lets look at it, and then I want to make four points. I. Lot suffered from compromising with immorality (vv. 13). The Bible says comparatively little about homosexuality, in fact, only seven passages speak to the issue: our text today; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Judges 19:2225; Romans 1:2527; 1 Corinthians 6:9; and 1 Timothy 910. Male prostitution is the context for ve other passages in the Old Testament. The Bible never supports homosexuality. This must be clear. Wherever it is mentioned, it is wrong behavior. When you and I choose to act in ways contrary to Gods will, we suffer. Verses 13 tell us that Lot sat in the gateway of Sodom. You may remember that Abraham and Lot decided to go their separate ways because the land could not support them both, and their servants were quarreling with each
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other (Gen. 13:57). Lot deliberately chose Sodom (13:1112). Verse 13 tells us, Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord. When you and I fail to see the wrongness in behavior, over time we suffer from our compromising attitude. Lot had suffered from association with the men of Sodom. His position at the gate was either a place of honor, recognizing what Abraham had done in rescuing Lot and the inhabitants from the invading kings (Gen. 14:116), or he was passing the time with the men of the city. Either way it would have a devastating effect on his sense of morality. Its like a New York family who decided to buy a ranch out West, where they intended to raise cattle. Friends from New York came out to visit them and asked if the ranch had a name. Well, said the would-be-cattleman, I wanted to name it the Bar-J. My wife liked Suzy-Q, one son liked the Flying-W, and the other wanted the Lazy-Y. So were calling it the Bar-J-SuzyQ-Flying-W-Lazy-Y. But where are all your cattle? the friends asked. Well, the New Yorker sadly replied, we dont have any. None survived the branding. When you compromise with the world, you are going to nd life very painful. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to rest and approve what Gods will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:1416 to not be conformed [to the world], but to be holy because God is holy. II. Not only did Lot suffer from immorality but the people suffered from immorality (vv. 411). These eight verses conclusively establish the intentions of the men of the city. Lot had met two men, not knowing they were angels, and invited them to pass the night with him in his home and have a meal that Lot would prepare (vv. 14). Before they could retire for the evening, the men of Sodom surrounded Lots house and demanded that he send his two guests out so that the crowd could have sex with them. Homosexuality was not considered to be a sin in Sodom. The fact that verse 4 says the crowd was young and old shows how widespread the practice was accepted and established. When a country loses its moral compass, everyone suffers. Examples abound from print media to spoken media to personal conversations that
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give ample evidence of the drastic shifting of the American moral compass in recent years. The questions remain unanswered as to how our societys rush to accommodation of seemingly every nontraditional approach to human sexuality, all in the name of diversity, will nally be viewed. The new morality may well be nothing more than the old immoralityjust dressed up and popularized. Have we come to the point that we now accept homosexual behavior, which is clearly condemned by scripture? A Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life Survey revealed that societal acceptance of homosexuality has shifted since the mid-1980s. The public has moved decisively in the direction of tolerance on many questions; in particular, discrimination against homosexuals is now widely opposed. A majority of Americans (54 percent) feel that gay and lesbian couples can be just as good as parents as heterosexual couples.6 Lot would address the men of Sodom as friends in verse 7an important point. We must love all people, regardless of their sexual orientation. There is never justication for us to look down on others from a position of spiritual superiority. But this does not mean that we should become so tolerant of their behavior that it does not bother us anymore. I remind my counseling students that they will encounter many varieties of behavior that they will nd repugnant, such as pedophilia, men and women involved in adultery, or men who physically abuse their wives, but they must love these people as God loves the sinner yet hates the sin. I also urge them not to forget the old adage, people dont care how much you know, they know how much you care. John warns us in 1 John 2:9, Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whatever the case may have been, some scholars point out that the crowd may have felt that Lot had a hypocritical attitude toward them when they shouted out in verse 9, This fellow came here as an alien and now he wants
6Pew
Forum on Religion and Public Life Survey. Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality. November 18, 2003. The report is summarized at www.perforum.org/docs/ index.php?DOCID=37-22k.
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to play the judge. The inhabitants of Sodom were suffering in their sin. They were too blind in their sin to realize how wrong their behavior was to Lots guests, which brings us to our fourth point in verses 1214. III. Families suffer from immorality (vv. 1214). We can see from looking back at verses 78 that Lot offered up his two virgin daughters to the crowd to do with them as they pleased. Imagine how his two daughters would have felt hearing these words. Imagine how his wife and the rest of the family would have felt. If you have even been witness to a violent mob, you know how frightening it can be. Reason goes out the window. Thats why we often refer to a mob mentality. Add the fact that his family would hear Lot offering his daughters, and the suffering is compounded. And we might ponder this question: What kind of a husband or father would make such an offer in the rst place? Some think Lot was only being sarcastic when he addressed the crowd and was trying to shame them. Regardless of which interpretation you might choose, I believe it is clear enough to say that Lots family suffered from their life in Sodom, surrounded as they were by a homosexual lifestyle. Christian families suffer today from a society that seems bent on pursuing acceptance of homosexual behavior. Politicians embrace them, as they are a highly afuent group promising large amounts of money in political contributions and votes to those who will legislate in their favor. Popular television series often utilize homosexual characters. Popular music promotes and condones homosexual behavior. One artist with a strong following among young girls and adolescents states she is a Christian and yet blatantly engages in a full mouth-to-mouth kiss with another popular artist of the same sex on national television. It seems that today homosexuality is everywhere a family turns. If we as a church family do not recognize that homosexuality is wrong and do not reach out in Christian love to them, everyone suffers, families and homosexuals alike. And this brings us to our last point. IV. Believers will suffer (vv. 1526). For all the time Lot spent in Sodom, in the end he has to ee with his family. The two angels pull Lot back into his home (v. 10), strike the crowd with blindness (v. 11) and take Lot, his wife, and two daughters out of the city in advance of the destruction. Both his
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sons-in-law-to-be will perish because they think his urgings to them to leave the city before it is destroyed is a joke (v. 14). So lets take inventory. Both daughters will lose their future husbands. Lot and his wife will lose their home and all their accumulated wealth. Lot will lose his wife, who will look back in disobedience to the angels commands (v. 17) and is turned into a pillar of salt (v. 26). As we close today, I want you to note another matter worth mentioning. Verse 16 says (1) Lot hesitated leaving Sodom and (2) the angels had to take Lot, his wife, and daughters literally by the hand and lead them out of the city. Why the hesitation and the angels having to take them out by the hand? Could it be that they had grown accustomed to their surroundings, as bad as they were, and paused to reconsider leaving? Ronald Meredith, in his book Hurrying Big for the Little Reasons describes one night in early spring: Suddenly out of the night came the sound of wild geese ying. I ran to the house and breathlessly announced the excitement I felt. What is to compare with wild geese across the moon? It might have ended there except for the sight of our tame mallards on the pond. They heard the wild call they had once known. The honking out of the night sent little arrows of prompting deep into their wild yesterdays. Their wings uttered a feeble response. The urge to yto take their place in the sky for which God had made themwas sounding in their feathered breasts, but they never rose from the water. The matter had been settled long ago. The corn of the barnyard tempting! Now their desire to y only made them uncomfortable. Temptation is always enjoyed at the price of losing the capacity for ight.7 As believers, we suffer when we do not reach out to others with the love of Christ. Homosexuals are Gods children, just as are we. We must love them and reach out to them as the Holy Spirit leads and guides us. We must seek to be as informed about homosexuality so we can better understand how to reach them.
7Ronald
Meredith, Hurrying Big for the Little Reasons (New York: Abingdon, 1964), p. 52.
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We must pray for them and for ourselves that our hearts will be full of love for them, though we reject their behavior. May God give us hearts that care!
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Snared by the Net Prov. 5:114
Remember your rst trip to the library? The quiet atmosphere, the world of good books at your ngertips, the opportunity to explore worlds you had never been to before, just by looking at the pages? Along came the Internet, and things have never been the same. Baptist Press reported that several years back an Oregon librarian did a nationwide survey. Author David Burt contacted every public library, but only 29 percent responded. What he found was so shocking that, according to Burt, the American Library Association itself thwarted the study. Listen to the results and judge for yourself. Based on the survey responses, plus his analysis of computer log les from three urban libraries that uncovered thousands of unreported incidents, Burt found that The separate incidents of library patrons viewing pornography on the Internet could total from 400,000 to two million a year. Burt said this could be just the tip of the iceberg. 472 incidents of children accessing pornography 106 cases of adults exposing children to pornography Adults trading child pornography Adults teaching children how to access pornography Adults and minors masturbating at Internet terminals8 Libraries can now be dangerous places, and so can the Internet. Now before you draw the conclusion that this is one sermon bashing the Internet, let me say for the record that I love the Internet. I use it every day, both to send and
8Tom
Strode, Internet Pornography Use Common in Many Libraries, Report Says (Nashville: Baptist Press, March 2000). The full report is located at www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp? ID=5473.
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receive e-mails, conduct research, provide counseling, keep up with college football, and even watch college football games. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, I loved the city and still do. Yet there were parts of Memphis I knew to avoid for my own well-being. This is as true of the Internet today as it was of Memphis. Look at what Solomon writes in Proverbs 5:114: My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not. Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel, lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another mans house. At the end of your life you will groan, when your esh and body are spent. You will say, How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors. I have come to the brink of ruin in the midst of the whole assembly. I want to share today four points from this text that I hope will be useful to you. I. First, when we become snared by the Internet, we reject Gods Word (5:12). In this chapter Solomon praises marital delity as it should be praised. Anything that comes between a husband and a wife is a snare. We want to instill in our children and live by the principles of Gods Word. Proverbs 1:10 tells us, My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. Proverbs 3:26 reminds us, For the Lord will be your condence and will keep your foot from being snared. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 26:41, Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the body is weak. When Susan and I were missionaries living in Rio de Janeiro, we found it necessary to have fresh concrete poured in our driveway. My son Ryan was ve at the time. Knowing what was going through his little mind as he
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intently watched the workmen mix, pour, and smooth out the concrete, I took him aside, pointed to the concrete, and gently but rmly told him not to play in the concrete. When I asked if he had understood, he nodded his little head afrmatively, and I left to run some errands, proud that my effective parenting methods had forestalled a potential disaster. Imagine my surprise when I returned hours later to nd the little impressions of tennis shoes all over the freshly poured concrete. Indignant, I took Ryan by the hand and out we marched to see his handiwork. Didnt I show you that concrete, Ryan? I asked. Yes, he said. And didnt I tell you not to play in it? Yes, he replied. Then whose footprints are those all over the concrete? I inquired. Ryan looked up at me as serious as could be and said, They must be the workmens. Some people today want to say the temptation was just too great. I couldnt help myself. But we can always help ourselves. When the outward pressure is seemingly overwhelming, we remember the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit. John tells us in 1 John 4:4, the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. II. Second, we become snared by the Net when we dwell on the images we see (vv. 34). These verses contrast the beginning and the consequences of adulterous relationships. Every sin has its beginning. One of many problems with viewing Internet pornography is that it seems so innocent. When Solomon said the lips of an adulteress drip honey, he used a metaphor we all know. Honey is sweet. It tastes good. We are attracted to it. The gift of sex is good. When God created male and female (Gen. 1:27), he gave them the capacity to multiply, and scripture tells us that he evaluated what he made as very good (v. 31). In Song of Solomon 7:110, Solomon speaks of the pleasures of sexual intimacy between the husband and his wife. We can and should praise God for the gift of sexual intimacy as God intended it in marriage. Can we be attracted to it before God intends for us to experience it? The answer is absolutely. And it can tempt us daily. Some studies reveal that the average age of exposure to Internet pornography is now age ve. We might wonder, Why would the pornography industry care about children? Ask the tobacco industry or alcohol-related industry why they want people to smoke
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their rst cigarette or take their rst drink. The answer is so they will take their second, third, and on and on until it becomes a lifestyle and they are hooked, caught by the snare. So it is with pornography. Experts in the eld state that the industry fully understands that looking at pornography can lead to it becoming an addictive pattern. If a child is exposed early and repeatedly enough, by the time the child matures to the point that they have some income, they will spend it on pornography. Some might argue that on the Internet it is often free. Who among us hasnt heard of free offers? As my dad used to say, Son, nothing in life is free. The nature of the addiction is that it is pleasurable. It may be free at rst, but that is just the hook. You begin with something that seems innocent enough: you look at a pornographic image out of curiosity or perhaps you are exposed to a pop up or see the image in some other accidental manner. One look leads to another. Soon you begin to do this regularly but secretly. Then you nd that you are spending larger and larger chunks of time looking at pornography. Eventually, what excited you at rst no longer does the trick. You then begin to crave more explicit images, and the downhill slide escalates considerably. It is not unusual for me to hear clients talk of spending over $300 a month on a host of sexually explicit services, and it can easily cost much, much more. Solomon draws the analogy between the sweetness of honey at the beginning and the bitterness of gall at the end. One winter we had a severe ice storm that coated all of Arkadelphia. Our next-door neighbor had two little girls. The oldest one pushed herself out of the garage on a sled that took off down the driveway. She did her best to encourage her little sister to join her. After a great deal of pleading on the part of the older sister, the younger sister took a tentative step out onto the ice. That was all it took. Soon she was sliding down on her back, screaming the entire distance. Internet pornography is a slippery slope. Once you deliberately step onto it, you are sure to land at the bottom. III. Third, we become snared by the Internet, as we are led to our downfall (514). Solomon warns the reader about this woman in verses 56. He says in verse 8 not to go anywhere near her. The costs are far too high.
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Scholars have suggested various consequences of failing to heed the warnings. Some talk of the damages to the betrayed husband of the woman. Money spent in blackmail or money that she requires are two more possibilities. The consequences of addiction to Internet pornography are high. I have seen females abused sexually by those who have been consumed by Internet pornography. I have seen females become viewed as sex objects by males who dwell on Internet pornography. I have seen marriages broken by a lack of trust in the spouse. I have seen marriages end in divorce. I have seen enormous amounts of money spent to indulge an addiction to Internet pornography. I have seen pastors lose their churches and others lose their jobs. I have seen wives cry as they would say, I could not begin to compare physically with the women my husband looks at on the Internet. I have seen children try to understand why a parent would do this. Before we make this solely a male problem, bear in mind that one in three visits to an adult Web site is by a woman. Are any of these costs worth it? IV. Finally, we become snared by the Internet when we dont have a plan to protect ourselves (vv. 1523). Solomon urges men to nd their joy and their delight in their own wife, not in the arms of other women. All of our energies are best spent devoted to the wife of your youth (v. 18), certainly not to a seductive woman of the Internet. Those who become enamored by Internet pornography have a problem with intimacyintimacy with the Lord and intimacy with ones spouse. Just as the young man of Proverbs 5 who didnt heed Solomons advice would carry out an adulterous relationship in secret, so does the individual visiting adult Web sites on the computer. Mental health professionals refer to it as shame-based behavior. Where secrecy contributes greatly to the problem, openness with signicant others is a major step in healing. First, however, the individual must take responsibility for his or her problem. Boundaries, healthy relationships with other people, a support group, therapy, and medication are all possible solutions. For some today, to look at this problem is like standing at the base of a huge mountain and thinking its impossible to get over it. Its too big. Pauls challenge to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:22 is a worthy challenge to men and women of all ages as he says, Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
CHAPTER TWO
Advent and Christmas Preaching

Dr. Leith Anderson, Senior Pastor, Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
he Advent and Christmas season offers the opportunity to declare Gods goodness and grace to a world that needs to hear good news. The sermons in this section, which follow the traditional themes for Advent, are well grounded in the scripture and in the life situations of modern-day Christians. The Hope of the World Luke 1:2638
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Around the world this weekend Christians are gathering in churches to celebrate the rst Sunday of Advent. How interesting that hope comes rst. Hope comes rst because without hope there would be no peace, joy, or love. Hope is the expectation that things will get better. We all need hope in order to go on. I. Troubles of life. For two thousand years the Hebrew people had faced the troubles of life: four hundred years of cruel Egyptian slavery; forty years of wandering in the desert; centuries of civil war, foreign invasions, famine, poverty, and even Gods judgment. Life was not easy. It makes you wonder how they made it from day to day. The answer is hope. When we stop to think about it, there need to be troubles in order to have hope. Hope is always about tomorrow. When your troubles are small, you hope for a circumstance. When your troubles are large, you hope for God. They hoped that God would send someone special to chase their troubles away. Heres when hope began: (Luke 1:2629) In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgins name was Mary. The
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Resources for Preaching: Advent and Christmas Preaching
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angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. God was sending hopeand Mary was greatly troubled! Thats what sometimes happens when God nally sends word. We are troubled all the more because, like Mary, we wonder what God is going to do. II. Words of promise. Gabriel spoke simple words of promise: (Luke 1:3033) Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. It was a spectacular promise. There is no way Mary could have understood the full meaning of Gabriels words. She had no idea how all this would play out in her personal lifewhat it meant for her engagement, wedding, marriage, and family. What she could sense was the hope embedded in the angels voice and words. Here was a promise for a better future coming from God himself. Words do give hope. Especially words from God. Not that we can fully unwrap them or understand them. Just the assurance that God has promised gives hope for a better tomorrow. When troubles surround me, I read the Bible. I am taught and blessed by what God says, but I will tell you that I nd hope simply in the realization that God speaks to me. Even when I do not fully understand all that is in the book, I get hope from his words of promise. III. Process of Spirit. What Mary did next is so like us all. She asked, How will this be? Thats what we always want to know: Okay God, so how are you going to do this? The world is a mess. So, God, how are you going to x it? When Mary asked how God was going to do what he promised, heres what Gabriel told her: (Luke 1:35) The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. That really wasnt totally helpful information. All Mary knew was that she was a virgin; God told her she would give birth to the Son of God and that the Holy Spirit would work out the details. God doesnt want our hope centered in his plan. God wants our hope centered in him. Let me tell you how
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I think it works. God promises help and hope. We trust God to fulll his promises. The Holy Spirit processes the plan. We see the parts come together. What does this look like? The Spirit stops a tragedy. The Spirit starts a relationship. The Spirit defeats an enemy. The Spirit provides a resource. The Spirit allows a disappointment. The Spirit nally brings all the parts and pieces together for great good and fulllment of Gods rst promises. Admittedly, along the way it doesnt always seem to make sense. This is when we must trust Godand it is in that trust that we live out our hope. IV. Time of waiting. It is the waiting that can get a little scary. Thats what Mary had to do long before that rst Christmas. The angel told Mary: (Luke 1:3537) The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God. This was a long way of telling Mary that all this was going to take a while. When youre troubled, when the world is a mess, when God is interveningdoesnt a year seem like a long time, and dont thirty-some years seem like forever? It can be hard to keep hope high when there is a long time waiting. But amazingly, we may actually benet from the wait. Thats what Mary did. Thats what Christians do. We never lose faith in the end of the story. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. Christmas is all about hope! Whatever your troubles, keep the ame of hope burninghope, not in circumstances or calendars but hope in the person of Jesus Christ.
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Peace for Our Hearts Matt. 1:1825
The rst candle of the Advent wreath is called hope. After hope comes peace. Peace is much more than the absence of conict. It is the presence of great calm. Joseph was a man under pressure. The stress of his circumstances took his breath away, and he felt as if he was going to be crushed. His story is woven into the Christmas story.
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I. When life caves in. (Matt. 1:18) This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Their wedding and marriage customs were different from ours. Couples were engaged through the arrangements made by their parents. Parents made the decision for their children. Next came the betrothal that sealed the deal. It was closer to what we call engagement today. If either party really wanted out, they were allowed to break the engagement. If they became betrothed, they were legally bound to one another and referred to as husband and wife, even though they did not live together. Once betrothed, the only way to break the relationship was a legal divorce. The actual marriage took place in a grand community ceremony with a reception that might last for as long as a week. It was only then that they lived together and sexually consummated their relationship. II. Wanting to do the right thing. (Matt. 1:19) Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. Joseph had concern and compassion for the woman he thought had cruelly betrayed him. I admire Joseph. Joseph was not a Christian because there was not yet a Christ, but he certainly was Christian in his response to the disaster of his life. First in his mind and priorities was to do the right thing. No wonder God chose him to raise Gods Son. May we all be like Joseph. May you and I want to do the right thing when we are cheated, criticized, attacked, or betrayed. The world is full of people who are aggressive, defensive, and self-centered and who see others as the enemy to be defeated. Blessed are those who want to do what is right, no matter how hard that may be. III. Listening to the dreams of God. (Matt. 1:2023) An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Joseph must have thought that to be the strangest dream he ever had. How could Joseph know he was the focal point of the fulllment of an ancient prediction of the prophet Isaiah? (Matt. 1:2223) All this took place to fulll what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give
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birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means, God with us. Usually, Im skeptical of those who dream their messages from God. Yet if Joseph had called me the next morning and asked whether or not to believe the dream, I would have said yes. Not because of the dream and not because of the message but because Joseph was a righteous man who wanted to do right. IV. Waking up and deciding what to do. (Matt. 1:2425) When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. This was not the easy way. But remember, Joseph was a righteous man. Obeying God and doing what is right was far more important to him than taking the easy path. Jesus said it years later: (Matt. 7:1314) Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few nd it. Lets learn from Joseph do what is right, whether it turns out to be easy or not. The dilemma Joseph faced was not only emotional strain and social pressure. For Joseph there was also sexual deprivation. It is so interesting that the Bible would mention this in the telling of the Christmas story interesting because our society has taught us that sexual satisfaction is virtually a human right. If there is a desire, no matter how illicit, it should be satised no matter what the cost or consequence. Joseph was willing to postpone a sexual relationship he had a right to exercise. He put Gods plan and Jesus reputation ahead of his personal desires. (Matt. 1:25) Joseph had no union with Mary until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. I could get stressed out just thinking about Josephs situation. It was enough to churn the soul and wreck the life of any man. Yet I sense a settledness and peace about Joseph that I admire and desire. Where did Joseph get his peace on the inside while he was swirled by a tornado on the outside? The answer is in the baby. The coming of Jesus into his life settled his soul. You too will experience the peace that comes with Jesus. He is the child who settles the tumultuous heart. He equalizes the pressure on the inside so we dont implode from the outside. He brings the alienated together. He is the child who takes the anger away. He is the one who brings peace. His name is Jesus.

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Joy In Jesus Luke 2:111
The rst candle on the Advent wreath is for hope, the second is for peace, and the third is for joy. Joy is clearly a Christmas word! When Jesus was born, God sent his angel from heaven to tell the shepherds, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. So, what is joy? One UCLA researcher says that a couples joy in marriage is determined by each partners ability to adjust to things beyond their control. That is a good beginning to understand the joy of Christmas, because lots of life was beyond the control of those in the Christmas story. I. Life beyond control. Political pressure is beyond control. (Luke 2:15) In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the rst census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. A Roman census was not a good experience. Because Joseph was a descendant of the famous king David, he and his immediate family were forced to register for the census in Davids hometown of Bethlehem. There were no hardship exemptions for pregnancy. Money was a problem. They were a poor young couple who could not afford the tax. Political pressure is part of every generation. Governments go to war. They legislate taxes, marriage laws, divorce regulations, education, and public health policy. The bottom line is that most of us have no control. We can all share the forced journey to Bethlehem. There were frightening surprises. Joseph and Mary were not the only ones having an out-of-control Christmas. (Luke 2:89) There were shepherds living out in the elds nearby, keeping watch over their ocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terried. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David
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a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. They were terried. That is as beyond control as life gets. These shepherds were poor, ordinary people. Life was hard but routine. Suddenly, they were caught in the headlights of an angel. The glory of God surrounded them, so there was no place to escape. This was totally out of their control. Although the angel meant well, he started out as a terrorist as far as those shepherds were concerned. Life was beyond their control. II. Joy! Under Jesus control. To those whose lives were beyond their control, the angel announced the joy of Jesus. (Luke 2:1011) The angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. How could Jesus possibly be good news of great joy when life is out of control? The answer is powerful and profound. Jesus has control. He will handle what we cannot. He will do what we cannot do. He is more powerful than the government. He will make room where there is no vacancy. He will settle the terried heart. To be a Christian is to trust Jesus to take control. It is the deep conviction that Jesus will handle what we cannot and that he will do it well. There is a sense in which we can never experience the joy of Jesus until life goes beyond our control. As Christians we deeply trust Jesus for great good no matter when or what. Joy, not happiness. Joy in Jesus, not circumstances. Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. But, you say, they saw Jesus that day and thats where they got their joy. Good news. The angels message is for those of us whose lives go beyond our control. Listen to 1 Peter 1:8. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are lled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. May you experience the Christmas joy of Jesustrusting him when life is beyond your control.
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Love for Us All Matt. 2:114
The Advent wreath leads up to Christmas with a week-by-week lighting of the four outer candles. The rst is for hope, the second for peace, the third for joy, and the fourth for love. Love is fourth only in the list. Actually, in the chronol-
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ogy of Christmas, love comes rst. The only way to understand the Christmas story is to know about the love of God. The only way to understand the love of God is to know that God loved rst. I. Love goes the distance. (Matt. 2:1) That the Magi made it into the Christmas story was an amazing expression of Gods rst love. Magi were neither Jews nor Christians. They were pagans who did not believe in the Bible or the God of the Bible. Their name is connected to magic, and there is a sense in which that is who they weremagicians. They believed that you could discern the will of the gods and your personal destiny by studying the signs of the Zodiac. They were astrologers. Horoscopes were among their specialties. One historic night they were plotting the stars when they saw something new. Checking their calculations, they realized that the star they saw was unprecedented. A group of the Magi decided to leave their homes and their jobs and risk their lives in a caravan journey to follow the star. Why would they follow a maverick star? It was the love of God. The star leading them westward was spun across the night sky by the love of God. And the love of God pulled them like a magnet toward Jesus. It is much the same today. The love of God touches us where we aresometimes in the stars, sometimes on the sand; sometimes in success, sometimes in tragedy. It is the love of Christmas that goes the distance to Jesus. II. Love has unanswered questions. (Matt. 2:2) After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. They had traveled a thousand miles. And they didnt know where they were going or exactly who they were looking for? Love is willing to move ahead with unanswered questions. Somehow during their journey, those Magi fell in love with a child they had not met and whose name they didnt know. The love that drew them was enough to satisfy and motivate without all the answers to the obvious questions. Love trusts the person more than the reasons. Love is as much about the heart as about the mind. III. Love gives the best. (Matt. 2:911) The Magi went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place
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where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. Joseph and Mary were long gone from the stable where Jesus was born. Jesus was no longer a baby. He was almost two years old. The gifts they gave werent much for someone who owned the universe, but they were impressive by human standards. Gold wasand isa most precious metal. Gold was difcult to mine in the rst century and therefore rare and extremely valuable. Incense was also expensivea staple of the ancient caravans carrying spices across the empires. The Old Testament often speaks of the priests offering incense to God. It was a tting gift for one who was to become the High Priest of history, the one mediator between God and man. Myrrh was a third expensive gift. It was used for external embalming. Could it be that they supernaturally foresaw that this child was born to die. His destiny was rst the cross of a Savior and later the crown of a conqueror. It was a tting gift for a Savior of the world. But back to the Magi. They barely knew him, but they loved him and gave him gifts. Thats what love does. Love gives. Those who love Jesus still bring him their best. It is perhaps ironic beyond explanation that we celebrate Jesus birthday with gifts for everyone except Jesus. Gods love goes the distance from heaven to earth, from deity to humanity. Will you go the distance to Jesus? Gods love leaves unanswered questions. Will you love him enough to leave some of your questions unanswered until later? Gods love gave his one and only Son. Will you give him your best because you love him in return? Think of it! God loves you. (1 John 4:10, 19) This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrice for our sins. We love because he rst loved us.
CHAPTER THREE
Gleanings from Great Preaching

Dr. Lee McGlone, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
he history of preaching is a fascinating study. Varied personalities rise as powerful interpreters of the scriptureand of the timesand declare from the pulpit the Word of God. In this section are brief summariesgleaningsfrom some of the greatest preachers of the Church across the ages. These sermons serve as inspiration for our own thinking and as encouragement for our often timid spirits. (Unless otherwise noted, the scriptural references in this section are from the KJV.) The Star in the East Matt. 2:12
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The gospel that Jesus preached is for the nations. Here, in an act of homage to the Messiah, representatives of the inuences of the world reverently bent before the Star of a new day. (1) It speaks, rst, of the expectation of the Gentiles: Where is he that is born King of the Jews? The Magi followed the star to Christ, thus describing the folly of human wisdom. Science is irreverent that studies the heavens apart from humility. The Zoroastrians said that light from beyond was the answer to lifes meaning. The expectation for God to manifest himself as light is the mystery behind the ancient world. (2) It tells, secondly, of the manifestation, or the Epiphany. They did nd the King, who was but a Child, yet still the answer to their desires. They bent before the Child, as do we! And they were overjoyed: When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. (3) The star goes on before us. Here is a hint of immortality. Also the clear declaration that the Gentile could also be the child of God.
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Christ broke down the middle wall of partition. God is Our Father.Frederick W. Robertson (18161853)1
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The Shout of a King Num. 23:21
Here is given the story of how the king of Moab tried to destroy the people of Israel by hiring the soothsayer, Balaam, to curse them. After repeated temptations to lure Balaam into this disastrous endeavor, Balaam looked out over the camp of Israel below and declared that no curse, no magical spell, could be cast on this people. Why? For the Lord their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them. Think of both images. (1) The Lord their God is with them. The presence of God with Israel made the nation what it was. Likewise, the Church of Jesus Christ is what it is because of Gods presence through the centuries. It is the presence, this transcendence, which truly makes the Church. Apart from it, the Church is no more than a social club. With it, the Church is alive, vital, and thriving in worship and life. (2) The shout of a king is among them. Theirs is the shout of victory, not defeat. So too with the Church, where Jesus Christ is the head. Victory is the theme of ages past and the promise of the ages to come. We refuse to ignore the vast needs of the world but are not overwhelmed by them either. Christ has gone before us conquering, and thus we stand in hope, unied. Regardless of what life may do to us, we shall, through Christs victory, be victorious ourselves. This is sheer miracle that can come to us all. Why not for you?James S. Stewart (18961990)2
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We Belong to God John 1:11
Why are we gathered here in worship today? Mostly, we are here because we belong, or want to belong, to a community that believes in God and wants to
Anglican minister, Robertson served the Trinity Chapel at Brighton, England, from 18471853. The full text of this sermon can be located at: Frederick W. Robertson, Sermons Preached at Brighton (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1871), pp. 249257. 2A Scottish preacher and professor at the University of Edinburgh, Stewart is considered by many to be the greatest preacher of the twentieth century. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James S. Stewart, Kings For Ever (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1975), pp. 916.
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Resources for Preaching: Gleanings from Great Preaching
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live out that belief. The words from the text, He came unto his own, are familiar to us. Does it mean that Jesus was born a Jew? Or is there more? (1) Mostly, it means that believers are those who have discovered their identity in relation to God. We belong to God. (2) It further means that this solid foundational philosophy creates the shape and direction for our lives. All of life, even our bodies, is a gift from God that we hold in trust. (3) We are truly his own and not our own. Saying to God, Take the whole of me, is the crucial decision of life. (4) Evangelism is, then, not our attempt to brainwash others to become like us. It is the joyful invitation to others to follow Christ so they, too, will discover their full identity and the joy of faith. Should we not tell them? David H. C. Read (19102001)3
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The Energy of Faith Matt. 17:20
You shall say to this mountain, be moved . . . and it shall be removed; and nothing shall be impossible to you. These words were spoken to men who were temporarily disheartened by an experience of defeat. (1) A loving father had brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples, but they could not cast the demon out. We need not answer fully the childs complex condition. Only to say with scripture, our warfare is not against esh and blood only. (2) What was needed was the energy that only faith could generate. Even faith in oneself brings about a kind of power. But here the call is for faith in the living Godin Gods love, companionship, assurance of constant care, and in our partnership in mighty ministries of grace. (3) Faith as a small grain uprooting a mountain is mighty energy. Is this to be taken literally or guratively? Probably gurativelybut even guratively, the power of faiths energy is not diminished. Vigorous faith in God has more dominion than we have yet realized in overcoming poor bodily habits and lust. Through faith, mystic forces are brought to bear
Read served as minister of the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church from 1956 to 1989. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James W. Cox, ed., Best Sermons I (San Francisco: HarperOne, 1988), pp. 914.
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on our ministry. Faith is the energy by which mountains are to be removed. J. H. Jowett (18641923)4
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The Gospel of God Mark 1:1415
Dear brothers and sisters, just as Jesus came into Galilee two thousand years ago, he comes to us in the troubled world in which we live. Who was he and who is he? The text gives a simple answer. He is the one who preaches the gospel of God. Like the town crier, he declares the message of good news that ends all sadness. (1) The gospel declares the time is fullled and the kingdom is at hand. The hour has struck. The Kingdom of GodGods dominion exercised by himhas descended from heaven to earth, from eternity into time. He saw the hardships and injustices of our lives and could not stand it anymore. He could no longer be God on high without being also God on earth. (2) We are given also this command: Repent and believe in the gospel. That is, repent by believing in the gospel, and believe the gospel by repenting. Because the Kingdom is at hand, we can now repent and believe. Repentance is the joyful venture in which we leave behind many things and start fresh in a new direction. He who repents may well put on new clothes. Repentance is accepting the good news, not as told by another person but as told by God and making it our own, letting it take root and bear fruit. (3) Another expression for belief in the gospel is gratitude. To believe includes thanksgiving for not being left alone but being made a part of the community of faithall those who are believers together. (4) To believe the gospel means, in its deepest sense, to stand by the messenger who brought us the gospel of God, to stand by Jesus Christ. He is the open house. He is the bread and wine spread before us. To believe in him is to return home and follow him. May God grant this grace to the whole world.Karl Barth (18861968)5
4Jowett,
a Congregational minister, served the Carrs Lane Church of Birmingham, England, and later the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church of New York City. The full text of this sermon can be located at: J. H. Jowett, The Transgured Church (London: James Clarke and Company, 1910), pp. 219228. 5Barth was perhaps the most inuential theologian of the twentieth century. His massive Church Dogmatics continues to challenge serious students even today. The full text of this sermon can be located at: Karl Barth, Deliverance to the Captives (New York: HarperCollins, 1961), pp. 6774.

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An I Am Saying of Jesus John 14:6
Think of what seems to be such exclusive language: No person comes to the Father but by me. These words seem to shut out many who have never heard of Jesus. There is no easy answer here, but for those of us who have heard of Christ, we dare not close our eyes to the light that shines before us. (1) Jesus as the way declares that we are all captives and slaves, and Jesus is the way out. There is something wrong with our humanity. We are overwhelmed with greedthe call to acquisition. And being so given over to possessions, we become callous to the very real needs of others. Jesus is the way out. (2) Jesus as the way says that we can nd a true sense of destiny and purpose. We are born for greater things than creature comforts. We are created for intimate and abiding relationship with the eternal God. We are children of God who leads us onward and upward to the destiny of Gods mighty intention. (3) Jesus as the way guides us through lifes hardness and harshness. Brand any religion as false that says it can spare its adherents the burdens and cares of our human lot. While not lifted above the anxiety of our world, we are held through it by the hand of our Savior. In the world you shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. As we follow him, we may do the same. Gardner C. Taylor (1918 )6
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Hell Is Not to Love Anymore Jon. 3:15, 10; 1 Cor. 7:2931; Mark 1:1420
From Jonah to John to Jesus to Paul, the word repent echoes harshly to us. Yet while the negative is not necessarily bad, its more positive image declares that our turning is not solely away from something but to something. Repentance is turning from by turning to! (1) It is turning inside, to ones often hidden self. Introspection forces such questions as, Who am I? And, What am I
6Taylor,
understood among many to be the greatest of American black preachers, served the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn from 1948 to 1990. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James W. Cox, ed., Best Sermons 2 (San Francisco: HarperOne, 1989), pp. 100104.
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doing? And, What am I doing here? Without answering these questions, one risks a living death. Answers are found in looking withinwith Gods help. (2) Repentance is turning to Christ. Here is the perennial paradox: we turn to Christ once, and then we turn each day. In turning to Christ, we are new creations made alive through the power of his resurrection. But to stay alive we must grow. And we grow in Christ by getting to know him better through the Bible and through the community of faith that bears his name. (3) But fully to repent, we must turn to others. Love comes with communitya community where fears and hates no longer keep us apart from others different from ourselves. Such a community is a miracle of grace. Perhaps we can say that hell is not to love anymore.Walter J. Burghardt (1914 )7
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The Perils of Plenty Josh. 24
Here Joshua gathered the people and briefed them on the providence of God to the nation. Joshua remembered the peoples deep devotion to God during the difcult journey through the wilderness. He saw their glowing faith shift into a national spirit. Their fortitude weathered the hardships of the wilderness, but they were not prepared for prosperity. (1) As we look at our world today, there are striking similarities. Our advancements are plentiful. We can make our way to the moon but have not been able to use our plenteous gifts to overcome unemployment, to provide proper housing, or to train the unfortunate. Poverty is not our greatest problem. The inability to manage our plenty is. (2) There are perils to individuals as well as nations. Many of those in my own memory had less in the days of my youth but were more godly. I am not advocating poverty, but I am suggesting a godly use of plenty. (3) God has been good to organized religion. Our buildings and programs attest to it. But we are reminded of Jesus disappointment when he went to the temple for his nal
7Born
in New York City, educated at Woodstock College and the Catholic University of America, Burghardt has served as theologian-in-residence at Georgetown University and editor of Theological Studies and has written a number of ne books on the art and craft of preaching. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James W. Cox, ed., Best Sermons 2 (San Francisco: HarperOne, 1989), pp. 207214.
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visit. The machinery was intact. But the re and the fervor of the presence of God were in great peril. We must not today be caught up in the meaningless maze of materialism. (4) This is an hour of decision. Will we serve the gods of war, materialism, racism, and greed, or cling to the God of history? We must declare, along with Israel of old, God forbid that we should forsake the lord, to serve other gods.Sandy F Ray (18981979)8 .
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The Christian Pilgrim Heb. 11:1314
The saints confessed of themselves that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. They sought another country as their home. (1) This life ought to be so spent by us as to be a journey toward heaven. We ought not to rest in this world and its enjoyments. We should seek rst the Kingdom of God. All other concerns of life are subordinate to this. When on a journey, all steps are taken toward the aim of getting to the journeys end. If steps are designed toward any other cause, we should quit our design. (2) Why is the Christians life like a pilgrimage? Because the world is not our dwelling place. Our days on earth are but a shadow. God did not give us these temporary accommodations for a permanent end. The future world is our highest and everlasting abode. Since God is the highest good of the reasonable creature, and enjoyment of him our greatest happiness, it is innitely better to seek that place than any other. This world was made for a place of preparation for another. (3) This doctrine teaches us moderation in our mourning for the loss of dear friends. It is true we shall see them in this world no more, but we consider that we are traveling toward the same place. The Apostle tells us that we are to forget what was behind and reach forth to what lies ahead. (4) So let us obtain such a mind-set that we will choose heaven for our inheritance, long for it, and willingly exchange all the worlds enjoyments for the blessedness of heaven. Let us live in holiness, selfdenial, obedience to all of Gods commands, imitating the saints and angels. To
8Dr.
Ray was one of the most insightful and imaginative preachers of all time. He was the rst African American to serve in the state legislature of Ohio. He served as pastor for the Cornerstone Baptist Church of Brooklyn, New York, for thirty-ve years. The full text of this sermon can be located at: Sandy F Ray, Journeying Through the Jungle (Nashville: Broadman . Press, 1979), pp. 3946.
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what better purpose can one spend all of life? (5) Let us help each other in traveling this journey. Let us go united, that none will fall by the way. Let us help each other up the hills. This will ensure successful traveling and a joyful meeting at the Fathers house in glory.Jonathan Edwards (17031758)9
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The Resurrection of Jesus Rom. 10:910
The Christian religion stands or falls with the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus either came from the grave or he did not. If he did, the world has hope. If he did not, we are unsure that life really has much meaning. But Paul had no doubts. Neither should we. (1) The resurrection of Jesus is indisputable history. Our faith rests not on a nebulous theosophy but on historical fact. Other facts of history are readily accepted without nearly as much credible evidence. On purely historical grounds, we have no more cause to question the resurrection of Jesus than to doubt the assignation of Julius Caesar. (2) The resurrection of Jesus provides inspiring philosophy. Here is declared the indestructibility of goodness and the doom of wickedness. This realization has given to Gods people through the centuries assurance that their labor is not in vain in the Lord. The task of the Christian is not to defeat evil with the gospel. The gospel is the declaration that God has already defeated evil in Christ. There will be dark days, when it appears the victory for truth is impossible. Then we hear his comforting word, I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore. This assurance gives us a glow and zest for the task before us. (3) The resurrection of Jesus gives invincible hope. Personal resurrection and immortality is assured for every believer. While there are surely mysteries that surround the how and what of resurrection and immortality, the Christian is condent of eternal life by reason of the victory of Christ over death. Christ is mighty to save us from sin and to give us invincible hope for our person victory over
is one of the most signicant names in the history of American preaching. He was a Congregational minister and, later, president at Princeton University. His best known sermon was Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. The full text of this sermon can be located at: Andrew Blackwood, ed., The Protestant Pulpit (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1949), pp. 4049.
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death. This is not wishful thinking; it is the experience of every believing heart.G. Earl Guinn (19122004)10
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Winning the War of Nerves 2 Cor. 7:5
The war of nerves has always gone on in human experience, and if we cannot win this war, we cannot win anything else. Consider some of the saving reactions to our days of strain. (1) Peril can be a great stimulus. While one person may be scared stiff, another may nd renewed energy and vitality. Military leaders, scientists, and world explorers have been inspired by the threats that rose up against them. Paul knew the danger of perils: Fightings without, fears within. (2) We must nd some way of cleansing our spirits of the bitter emotions of our time. Consider the high use of prayer. Nothing is more necessary in troubled times than prayer, especially prayer that seeks an end to irrational pride and bitterness between nations. Paul knew the height of prayer: If I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) In this regard, we must do something utterly practical. We must act. We must stop sitting around and allowing others to carry the voice of the day. Paul could not have won the war on nerves if he had not been a man of action. Fear attends every emergency, but we cannot be overcome by it. There are avenues through which this congregation can express itself in helping to shape our national course at this time. (4) We must be thankful that we do not live through days like these without an undergirding faith that God is not dead. I believe in the living God.Harry Emerson Fosdick (18781969)11
a preacher, university president (Louisiana College), and teacher of preaching (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), Dr. Guinn inuenced a great host of young preachers. His sermons were marked by clarity and intentionalityand were delivered apart from notes or manuscript. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James W. Cox, ed., The Twentieth Century Pulpit (Nashville: Abingdon, 1978), pp. 7581. 11Perhaps the most studied preacher of the ages, Fosdick has been called the father of modern preaching. His preaching ministry at the Riverside Church of New York City endeared him to countless thousands of people across the nation. The full text of this sermon can be located at: Harry Emerson Fosdick, Living Under Tension (New York: HarperCollins, 1941), pp. 2029.
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Bearing His Reproach Heb. 13:13
This letter was written to suffering people who had endured persecution and would endure more. Let us go forth unto him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. Do these words have meaning still? (1) Indeed, there is still reproach in the gospel. Christians often suffer social ostracism or loss in professional advancement. Some are made a joke because of our way of life. But where Christian faith is vital, these consequences go with it. You are put out on the mat. (2) But there is no call to increase the reproach unnecessarily. Dont cultivate eccentricity. While some people delight in being odd, in doing so, they give the impression that believers are genuinely strange. And again, there is no call to be censorious. You may be quietly rm in your own way of living, but be cautious about attaching the word sin to the different behavior of others. And again, never sever fellowship with another person if you can avoid it. Perhaps God is not nished with that person yet. (3) If you are still excluded from the camp, then exult in it! Say to yourself, This is not my reproach, this is his. When for Christs sake you are reproached all the day long, rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you. And so I go outside the camp of reproach with Christ, but I do not have to be dragged. I go willingly. I am running. I am not ashamed of my Lord.W. E. Sangster (19001960)12
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The Call of Isaiah Isa. 6:18
This is an old and honorable story of a world long gone, yet one that is lived still. Isaiah discovered and declared, I am a man of unclean lips. We discover much here for our living. (1) The majesty of the holy God: one can speak as did
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Methodist pastor for many years, Sangster was later appointed as head of the Home Mission Department of the World Conference of Methodists. His sermons were marked by deep piety, clear structures, appropriate illustrations, and an intense delivery. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James W. Cox, ed., The Twentieth Century Pulpit (Nashville: Abingdon, 1978), pp. 180187.
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Isaiah only in the presence of God. Apart from God, such judgments are meaningless. He beheld God in his majesty, and thus was able to see himself. (2) The miracle of cleansing from sin: Isaiahs lips were touched. This event determined Isaiahs life from then on. In the fullness of time, it became possible that the entire human race could experience Gods presence through the action that took place in the life and suffering of the Christ. (3) The way of the message through the world: God needed Isaiah. He could now be a messenger of the holy God. Down to this very day the message ows on and on and will continue to ow as long as the earth stands. (4) It can happenand doesthat a man learns with celebration or with trembling that God lives and he lives for him. Claus Westermann (19092000)13
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Is It the Golden Rule? Matt. 7:12
Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. Often some people will say, with an air of superiority, My religion is the Golden Rule. No thought is given to the need for deep thoughts about God, the enigma of pain, life after death, or sin and forgiveness. So what about the Golden Rule? (1) It cannot mean whatever we wish. If our wish is for cash, and we do unto others in order to achieve it, we become as hard as the coins we hoard. The Golden Rule is blind until the Lord Christ gives it light. (2) The Rule is a grievous burden. No one has ever kept it. The whole burden of our human transgressions, as proved through history, rises from hearts tainted with selshness. The Rule helps not, unless it is gathered in the grace of Christ. (3) The Rule gives us no power, for all rules tend to alienate us. Rules set up boundaries that create instant opposition. Jesus did not say, Keep the Golden Rule. He said, Do you love me? (4) We should pity the simplistic man who dares to say, My religion is the Golden Rule. It is blind and burdensome without Christ. It would be like explaining astronomy by singing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. We do not fully know the reign of God among us until we stand before the
Old Testament scholar, author, teacher (University of Heidelberg), Westermanns sermons provided insightful and helpful exposition of the Bible. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James W. Cox, ed., The Twentieth Century Pulpit (Nashville: Abingdon, 1978), pp. 278287.
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cross remembering that its shadow falls on us by the light of the resurrection. George Buttrick (18921980)14
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No Faith, No Church Mark 9:24
The scriptures say some tall things about faith: Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6); Whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). It is no exaggeration to say that without faith it is impossible, even for a church, to please God. (1) Faith is always tied to doubt. Faith and doubt are two sides of the same coin. Only one who doubts can believe, and only one who believes can doubt. In response to Jesus request for faith, the father of the sick boy declared both: I believe . . . help thou my unbelief. Here is an honest confession of faith. (2) Faith is always tied to life. The habitat of faith is time and place. It is not that we get faith worked out intellectually and then go on to apply what we have learned in life situations. Instead, we know as we go. When we try to move some mountain of unbelief, apathy, prejudice, injustice, or hatred, it is then that God gives us faith. (3) Faiths chief resource is Jesus. To talk of faith in Christian circles is to talk of Jesus. He is both object and source of our faith. We believe in him and through him in order to be like him. When we begin to keep company with Jesus, we start to believe. (4) Our identity is determined in relationship to Jesus. We are the household of faith (Gal. 6:10). We cannot do much for others until we know who we are. We cannot implement what we do not have. May our prayer be, Lord, I believe . . . help thou my unbelief.Ernest T. Campbell (1923 )15
the longtime pastor at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City (19271954) and as professor at Harvard University, Dr. Buttrick was one of the great preachers of the twentieth century. His sermons were marked by clarity in movement, penetrating biblical insight, and a call to social involvement. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James W. Cox, ed., The Twentieth Century Pulpit (Nashville: Abingdon, 1978), pp. 3035. 15The former pastor at the Riverside Church in New York City (19681976), Dr. Campbell combined a heart-felt evangelism with practical emphases on social awareness. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James W. Cox, ed., The Twentieth Century Pulpit (Nashville: Abingdon, 1978), pp. 3641.
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The Adventure of Three Students in a Fiery Furnace Book of Daniel
This story is told in the book of Daniel. It is not a historical narrative. Although the setting is in about 587 B.C. in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, the writer was not talking about King Nebuchadnezzar. It is about Gods call to his people to be faithful to him, even though it means disobedience to the government. (1) Here is the situation: three foreign exchange students, who were Jewish believers, were brought to Babylon. While they were there, the king made a golden image and by royal edict demanded that all persons in the kingdom bow to worship it, upon penalty of death by ery furnace. No dissent was allowed. (2) There is the complication. The three students, by virtue of conscience, refused to bow down. The king was infuriated and called the three before him. The charge and punishment were recited, but the three refused to recant. O king, we will not bow to you; our God will deliver us from your hand. But even if he does not, we will still not bow down to you! The furnace was heated seven times hotter than ever before. The three were cast into it, and the re was so hot those who cast them in were burned up. (3) There is the resolution. Later the king went to see the remains. To his utter surprise, as he gazed into the re, he saw the three walking in the re and a fourth, like unto the Son of God. The three came forth, but the fourth (the one like the Son of Man) was still there. Perhaps he was waiting for other students like these three so he could walk with them in their ery ordeal. (4) Here are the lessons: human institutions are capable of gross errors, usually in proportion to the power and pride of the institution. Extreme attempts are made to produce conformity. Gods call to obedience can be heard above the tumult. God alone ultimately is the Lord of history. Are there any Shadrachs today?Clarence Jordan (19121969)16
a native of Georgia, was educated at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1942, he founded Koinonia Farm at Americus, Georgia, which he designated as an experiment in Christian communal living. His preaching was marked by a clear call to ethical decision making and by his warm evangelical heart. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James W. Cox, ed., The Twentieth Century Pulpit (Nashville: Abingdon, 1978), pp. 9098.
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A Wedding Sermon from a Prison Cell Eph. 1:12
It is right for a bride and groom to celebrate their wedding day with a unique sense of triumph. With the yes they say to each other, they have by their free choice given a new direction to their lives. God today adds his yes to your yes and conrms your will with his. (1) God is guiding your marriage. This is Gods ordinance, through which he wills to perpetuate the human race until the end of time. As high as God is above man, so high are the sanctity and rights of marriage above the sanctity and right of your love. It is not your love that sustains the marriage; it is the marriage that sustains your love. (2) God makes your marriage indissoluble. God joins you together in marriage; it is his act, not yours. Free from all the anxiety that characterizes love, you can say with assurance: We can never lose each other now. We belong to one another by the will of God. (3) God establishes a rule by which you can live together in wedlock: Wives, be subject to your husbands. . . . Husbands, love your wives. In this way, God structures the home so that the husband and wife will give each other the honor that is due. (4) God has laid on marriage both a blessing and a burden. The blessing is the promise of children. The burden is that children shall come through pain of childbirth, and child rearing, and that the family must be provided for through hard labor (thorns and thistle and the sweat of his brow). (5) God gives you Christ as the foundation of your marriage. Live together in the forgiveness of your sins. Dont condemn each other. Accept each other as you are. This is Gods word for your marriage. Thank him for it and ask him to conrm, sanctify, and preserve it. So your marriage will be for the praise of his glory.Dietrich Bonhoeffer (19061945)17
TOPIC: TEXT:
The Conquest of Fear Rev. 1:1718
Let us think of Jesus greatest saying concerning the conquest of fear: Fear not, for I am the rst and the last. This promise is a part of our great inheritance
17Remembered as a theologian and martyr (because of his anti-Nazi position during World War II), Bonhoeffers inuence is worldwide. His preaching declares there is no cheap grace. The full text of this sermon can be located at: Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Eberhard Bethge, ed.), Letters and Papers from Prison (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1960), pp. 3439.
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as Christians. It was spoken to John, banished to Patmos, because of his fealty to Christ. (1) Jesus bids us to be unafraid of life. He is the rst and the last, the Living One. Truly, we do at times tremble before lifes immeasurable responsibilities and its mystery, yet Jesus says, Do not be afraid of life. I will never leave you or forsake you. (2) Jesus bids us to be unafraid of death: I was dead, and behold, I live forevermore. The shuddering fear of death is a real fact in life. Yet Jesus knew all about death and became victorious over it. And as we stand with him, we are victorious, too. Thanks be unto God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (3) Jesus bids us to be unafraid of eternity: I have the keys of death and Hades. By the word keys, he means he has authority and control over eternity. The question, If a man die, shall he live again? is answered afrmatively by Jesus. He comforts his friends with the gracious words, I am the resurrection and the life: he who believes in me, even though he dies, yet shall he live. And again, Because I live, you shall live also. (4) Do you trust Christ as your personal savior? If your heart says yes, go your way without hesitation or fear. He is our guide and our hope in life, death, and eternity.George W. Truett (18671944)18
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Justication by Faith Luke 16:19
Through my writings I have taught how faith alone without works justies and that good works are done after we believe. Some debate my teaching using this text, Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of righteousness, as though works should make us friends who previously were enemies. For the sake of the weak, I reply: (1) Faith alone makes us good and friends of God. To the Romans, Paul says, Apart from the law of righteousness, God has been revealed . . . through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. True faith cannot be manufactured. It is solely a work of God. (2) All works must be done freely and graciously, without seeking gain by them. Christ said, Freely you have
18During Dr. Truetts near fty-year tenure as pastor for the First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, he came to be known as the most eloquent preacher in the south. The full text of this sermon can be located at: David Poling, ed., This Great Company (New Canaan, CN: Keats Publishing Company, 1976), pp. 171176.
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received, freely give. So we should not seek our own in good works, either temporal or eternal. When Christ says, lay up for yourselves treasures, he means, do good and it will follow you without your seeking. (3) It is not the saints but God only who receives us into the eternal tabernacles and bestows the reward. How can the saints receive us into heaven, who must depend on God alone to receive them? A man will be a witness and an instrument to our faith, exercised and shown, but God provides the grace through faith by which we are saved. This is enough on these three points. With this we will let it sufce and pray God for grace.Martin Luther (14831546)19
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Romanticism, Reality, and the Christmas Child Luke 2:34
While we tend to romanticize Christmas, we realize that once beyond January 2nd, the competitive society will reemerge as quickly as the angels went back into heaven. Yet the work of Advent and Christmas puts within us the sense of hope that perhaps the world will become a better place. The Christ Child, who is indeed our hope, is declared to be for the rise and the fall of many. How might we stumble over him? (1) We can believe that we have no lasting responsibility toward him. We will be foolish indeed to assume that on December 26th, Christs Spirit abandons us and that we need not answer to his persistent claim on us. He is in truth, God with us. (2) We can believe that we are immune from his judgmentfalsely assuming that our goodness or status or faith is sufcient to guarantee Gods approval. God is not swayed by the appearances of our world. Because of Christ, there is a mercy living among us that reveals most of our compassion to be self-seeking. Now is a time for repentance. (3) Can it be that this season is more about reality than about romanticism? We have the real choice to be honest about ourselves and to pray for Gods forgiving favor. This Child does not want our destruction but wants to raise us up. (4) This Child knew our evil world. Down the road of his life, past angels and shepherds, he met our wrong on a hill called Golgotha. There he met our
19Luther,
the Protestant reformer, was a preacher as well as theologian. His sermons express his deep commitment to personal faith. The full text of this sermon can be located at: Andrew Blackwood, ed., The Protestant Pulpit (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1949), pp. 1320.
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hatred, apathy, injustices, and pride. He suffered it all and was nailed to the cross. He died our death and was raised to life. He triumphed over wrong and has brought us unto himself that the reign of righteousness may cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Romanticism? No, it is the only reality. So repent and trust him.Elizabeth Achtemeier (1926 )20
a professor of preaching, author, lecturer, and frequent preacher in churches across America, Dr. Achtemeier vividly calls for clear interpretation of the Bible and forceful correlation of the text with the modern audience. The full text of this sermon can be located at: James W. Cox, ed., The Twentieth Century Pulpit, Vol. II (Nashville: Abingdon, 1981), pp. 1119.
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section IV
a little treasury of sermon illustrations
A Little Treasury of Sermon Illustrations
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llustrations in public speaking are like light that shines into a room. The contents of the room, that which the discriminating decorator wants to emphasize, become the focal point. Light makes a beautiful room even more beautiful. Similarly, good illustrations make a good sermon even bettermore easily understood and rememberedand help the hearer to more closely identify with the preacher. The following illustrations come from a wide variety of sources; they are presented here in the hope that they will stir your imagination.
We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufcient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedomsto choose ones attitude in any given set of circumstances. Victor Frankl
ATTITUDE. BEATITUDES.
The Sermon on the Mount begins with nine successive sentences, carefully structured, each sentence beginning with the word makarios. The word is translated as blessed or happy. But neither is forceful enough. The word describes the incomprehensible happiness of those who participate in the kingdom announced by Jesus.Donald Hagner1
BEHAVIOR. Theres little difference in ethical behavior between the churched and the unchurched. Theres as much pilferage and dishonesty among the churched as the unchurched. And Im afraid that applies pretty much across
Hagner, Word Biblical Commentary, Matthew 113, Vol. 33A (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1993), p. 91.
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the board: Religion, per se, is not really life changing. People cite it as important, for instance, in overcoming depressionbut it doesnt have primacy in determining behavior.George H. Gallup2
BOLDNESS.
Hugh Lattimer once preached before King Henry VIII. Henry was greatly displeased by the boldness in the sermon and ordered Lattimer to preach again on the following Sunday and apologize for the offence he had given. The next Sunday, after reading his text, he thus began his sermon: Hugh Lattimer, dost thou know before whom thou are this day to speak? To the high and mighty monarch, the kings most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life, if thou offendest. Therefore, take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease. But then consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comestupon Whose message thou are sent? Even by the great and mighty God, Who is all-present and Who beholdeth all thy ways and Who is able to cast thy soul into hell! Therefore, take care that thou deliverest thy message faithfully. He then preached the same sermon he had preached the preceding Sundayand with considerably more energy.M. Cocoris3
CHALLENGE.
Several years ago I met a gentleman who served on one of Walt Disneys original advisory boards. What amazing stories he told! Those early days were tough; but that remarkable, creative visionary refused to give up. I especially appreciated the mans sharing with me how Disney responded to disagreement. He said that Walt would occasionally present some unbelievable, extensive dream he was entertaining. Almost without exception, the members of his board would gulp, blink, and stare back at him in disbelief, resisting even the thought of such a thing. But unless every member resisted the idea, Disney usually didnt pursue it. Yes, you read that correctly. The challenge wasnt big enough to merit his time and creative energy unless they were unanimously in disagreement!Charles Swindoll4
H. Gallup, Vital Signs, Leadership, Fall 1987, p. 17. Cocoris, Evangelism, A Biblical Approach (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984), p. 126. 4Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990), p. 107.
3M.
2George
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A talent is formed in stillness, a character in the worlds torrents.Goethe

CHARACTER. CHRISTIANITY.
Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; its been found difcult and not tried.G. K. Chesterton5
CHRISTMAS.
Twas much, that man was made like God before, But that God should be like man much more.John Donne
COMPASSION.
Why stand we here trembling around Calling on God for help, and not ourselves, in whom God dwells, Stretching a hand to save a falling man?William Blake6
We shall go on to the end, we shall ght in France, we shall ght on the seas and ocean, we shall ght in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall ght on the beaches, we shall ght on the landing ground, we shall ght in the eld and in the streets, we shall ght in the hills; we shall never surrender.Winston Churchill, Blood, Sweat, and Tears
COURAGE. DEATH.
John Donne, dean of St. Pauls, had this custom in mind: No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the
in Charles Swindoll, Hand Me Another Brick (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1978), p. 128. 6Jerusalem. In Blake: Complete Writings, Geoffrey Keynes, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1972), p. 672.
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main; If any clod were washed away into the sea, Europe is the less. . . . Any mans death diminished me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. What Donne described was the sense of loss that death brings to us. Recall the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who was hanged at the age of thirty-nine for his resistance to Adolph Hitler. On January 30, 1933, Hitler was installed as German chancellor. Two days after the coronation, Bonhoeffer warned the nation by radio that putting so much power into one mans hand was unwise. The radio address was cut off the air before it was nished. A pacist by nature, Bonhoeffer detested war and killing. Yet having seen the monster Hitler created and the destruction his armies had wrought over Europe, he became part of a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler. The bomb actually went off in Hitlers conference room, but Hitler wasnt there. Quickly the conspirators were found, imprisoned, and later executed. Bonhoeffer himself was placed in prison where, for a while, he ministered as best he could among the prisoners. Then on February 9, 1945, just as the Allied troops advanced from the southwest, Bonhoeffer was hanged by the neck until dead. His body was cremated and his ashes scattered in the wind. His life and death had become the dramatic portrayal of the words he wrote in his book, The Cost of Discipleship: When Christ bids a man follow him, he bids him come and die. There are times when being a Christian means standing up in the face of opposition.Lee McGlone
DISCIPLESHIP.
A certain husband was surprised to nd his wife at home when he came home from work. I thought you were taking golf lessons, he said. She responded, I didnt need any more golf lessons today. I learned how to play yesterday. Some people are like that about their discipleship. When they obtained their discipleship at an earlier age, they set it in their spiritual trophy case. And they have been coasting ever since.Brian L. Harbour7
DISCIPLESHIP.
7James
W. Cox, ed., Best Sermons 1 (San Francisco: HarperOne, 1988), p. 317.

DOUBT.
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You tell me, doubt is Devil-born. I know not: one indeed I knew In many a subtle question versed, Who touchd a jarring lyre at rst, But ever strove to make it true; Perplexd in faith but pure in deeds, At last he beat his music out. There lives more faith in honest doubt, Believe me, than in half the creeds.Alfred Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam
EASTER.
LONGINUS: He believed that he was God, they say. PROCULA: What do you think of that claim? LONGINUS: If a man believes anything up to the point of dying for it, he will nd others to believe it. PROCULA: What do you believe? LONGINUS: He was a ne young fellow, my lady, not past the middle age. And he was all alone and deed all the Jews and all the Romans, and when we had done with him, he was a poor broken-down thing, dead on the cross. PROCULA: Do you think he was dead? LONGINUS: No, lady, I dont. PROCULA: Then where is he? LONGINUS: Let loose on the world, lady, where neither Roman nor Jew can stop his truth.John Maseeld, The Trial of Jesus The Catholic poet Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote a poem titled, The Wreck of the Deutschland, in honor of ve nuns who died as the German ship Deutschland went down at the mouth of the Thames in the winter of 1875. One line is especially intriguing: Let him Easter in them. Let Christ Easter in them, and in us. One hardly thinks of Easter as a verb, but the use is surely appropriate for the season. He Easters in us when he lives within.Lee McGlone
EASTER AS A VERB.
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For us this is the end of all the stories. . . . But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world . . . had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read, which goes on forever and in which every chapter is better than the one before.C. S. Lewis8
ETERNITY. FAITH. Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that thou mayest believe, but believe that thou mayest understand. St. Augustine FAMILY. Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snails pace of the other. Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South. One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ships cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo. God has entrusted cargo to us, too: children, spouses, friends. Our job is to do our part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination. Yet when the program takes priority over people, people often suffer. How much cargo do we sacrice in order to achieve the number one slot? How many people never reach the destination because of the aggressiveness of a competitive captain? Max Lucado9
More than at any time in history, mankind faces a crossroadsone path leading to despair and utter hopelessness, the other leading to total
FEAR.
8C.
9Max
S. Lewis, The Last Battle (New York: Collier, 1970), p. 184. Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm (Dallas: Word, 1991), pp. 9798.
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destruction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State10 The Spirit shares our plight by interceding with our inexpressible groanings. . . . The word group for groaning occurs only twice in the Gospels. In Mark 7 they brought to Jesus a tongue-tied deaf-mute for healing. Laboring over the mans speech impediment with spittle, Jesus looked up into heaven and groaned (Mark 7:34). In Mark 8 the Pharisees came seeking from him a sign from heaven, whereupon Jesus groaned deeply in his spirit and rejected their request (Mark 8:12). In both cases, here were men who could not ask for what they really needed, one because of a physical malady, and the other because of a theological malady. And, in both cases, Jesus met their inability to ask aright with a groan! Such a reaction reected not only his deep involvement in human misery but also the attitude of his heavenly Father toward those with wayward tongues.William Hull11
GROANINGS.
A disastrous occupation by a foreign army sealed the fate of the Jewish people. In exile in Babylon, they relived the horrors of Egypt. During the seventy years there, they learned, they repented, and they again sought the homeland. Then, wonder of wonders, the dreaded Babylonian kingdom crumbled before the expanding Persian Empire. The new emperor, Cyrus the Mede, replaced Babylonian repression with a new brand of tolerance. He issued an edict that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. There was hope and joy at the prospects. But soon, after the few had returned to the city, hope diminished. What they found was a city in waste, depopulated and defenseless. Try as they could, things only got worse. To add to all this dismay, several years of poor harvests dampened their spirits. For a full eighteen years after their return, little happened to begin the longawaited and dreamed-for rebuilding process. Then came two prophets: Haggai and Zechariah. Haggai was rst. Zechariah would follow. Their message was identical. There is always hope in
HOPE.
10U.S.
11James
News and World Report, Jan. 9, 1989, p. 52. W. Cox, ed., The Twentieth Century Pulpit, Vol. II (Nashville: Abingdon, 1981), p. 99.
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God. Lets begin where we are, with meager resources, and begin to rebuild. It was Zechariah, however, who added a most important ingredient. He declared the ushering in of a new day. Things would no longer be as they had been. They would be better. This was a new daythe day of the Spirit of the Lordand with Gods Spirit at their sides, nothing was too difcult. There is a word there for us today: Not by might, nor by strength, but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts.Lee McGlone
HOPE.
I falter where I rmly trod, And falling with my weight of cares Upon the great worlds altar stairs That slope through darkness up to God, I stretch lame hands of faith and grope, And gather dust and chaff, and call To what I feel is Lord of all, And faintly trust the larger hope.Alfred Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam
HUMOR.
All of us ought to be ready to laugh at ourselves because all of us are a little funny in our foibles, conceits, and pretensions. We are rather insignicant little bundles of energy and vitality in a vast organization of life. But we pretend that we are the very center of this organization. This pretension is ludicrous, and its absurdity increases with our lack of awareness of it. The less we are able to laugh at ourselves, the more it becomes necessary and inevitable that others laugh at us.Reinhold Niebuhr12
That great American hero, editor, school teacher, and Presbyterian clergyman Elijah Lovejoy left the pulpit and returned to the press in order to be sure his words reached more people. The Civil War might have been
INJUSTICE.
12Reinhold
Niebuhr, Discerning the Signs of the Times (New York: Scribners, 1946), pp. 119120.
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averted and a peaceful emancipation of slaves achieved had there been more like him. After observing one lynching, Lovejoy was committed forever to ghting uncompromisingly the awful sin of slavery. Mob action was brought against him time after time; neither this nor many threats and attempts on his life deterred him. Repeated destruction of his presses did not stop him. If by compromise is meant that I should cease from my duty, I cannot make it. I fear God more than I fear man. Crush me if you will, but I shall die at my post. And he did, four days later, at the hands of another mob. Not one of the rufans was prosecuted or indicted or punished in any way for this murder. (Some of Lovejoys defenders were prosecuted! One of the mob assassins was later elected mayor of Alton!) However, note this: One young man was around who was deeply moved by the Lovejoy martyrdom. He had just been elected to the Illinois legislature. His name was Abraham Lincoln.Paul Simon13 He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lake-side, He came to the man who knew him not. He speaks to us the same word: Follow thou me! and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulll for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and, as ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience who He is.Albert Schweitzer14
JESUS CHRIST. LAZINESS.
If we overcome laziness, all the other impediments will be overcome. If we do not overcome laziness, none of the others will be hurdled. . . . In examining discipline we were considering the laziness of attempting to avoid necessary suffering, or taking the easy way out. In examining love we were also examining the fact that nonlove is the unwillingness to extend ones self. Laziness is loves opposite.M. Scott Peck15
13Elijah
Lovejoy, Presbyterian Life, 18:13 (Nov. 1, 1965), quoted in Karl Mennenger, Whatever Became of Sin, p. 210. 14Albert Schweitzer, The Quest for the Historical Jesus (New York: Macmillan, 1961), p. 403. 15M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1978), p. 271.
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Mamas wedding ring was never lostwas always on that nger as placed there with pledges years ago. It was a sign and a seal of something that ran deep and held fast between the two of them. . . . How they happened to meet I heard only from my mother. . . . A smile spread over her face halfbashful and a bright light come to her blue eyes as she said, I saw it was my chance. She was saying this at least twenty years after the wedding and there had been hard work, always, tough luck at times, seven children of whom two had died on the same dayand she had not one regret that she had jumped at her chance when she saw it.Carl Sandburg16
MARRIAGE.
There is a fable about a dog that loved to chase animals. He bragged about his great running skill and said he could catch anything. Well, it wasnt long until his boastful claims were put to the test by a certain rabbit. With ease the little creature outran his barking pursuer. The other animals, watching with glee, began to laugh. The dog excused himself, however, by saying, You forget, I was only running for fun. He was running for his life!Lawrence Vowan
MOTIVATION. NATURE OF GOD. An eight-year-old wrote this for his third-grade Sunday school teacher, who asked her students to explain God: One of Gods main jobs is making people. He makes these to put in the place of the ones who die so there will be enough people to take care of things here on earth. He doesnt make grownups, he just makes babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesnt have to take up his valuable time teaching them to walk and talk. He can just leave that up to the mothers and fathers. I think it works out pretty good. Gods second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, cause some people, like preachers and things, pray other times besides bedtimes, and Grandpa and Grandma pray every time they eat, except for snacks. God doesnt have time to listen to the radio and watch TV on account of this. Cause God hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears unless he has thought of a way to turn it down.
16Carl
Sandburg, Always the Young Strangers (New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1952), p. 21.
389
God sees and hears everything and is everywhere, which keeps him pretty busy. So you shouldnt go wasting his time asking for things that arent important, or go over parents heads and ask for something they said you couldnt have. It doesnt work anyway.Lee McGlone17 Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman; he never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an ofce. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place he was born. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today he is the centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.Summarized from a sermon by James Allen Francis18
ONE SOLITARY LIFE. PENTECOST. Pentecost is a noun. It is a good noun, strong and clear, condent of its identity, able to stand up in any room and say what it is. Thats what nouns are; thats what nouns do. If you want denitions, nouns can give you denitions. Pentecost: An early harvest festival celebrated in the ancient Near East, among many peoples, including the Jews. Pentecost: An early harvest festival transformed into a celebration of the revelation of the law given at Sinai. Pentecost: The birthday of the church. Pentecost: A festival celebrated fty days after Easter or, in Judaism, seven weeks and one day after Passover. Pentecost: The last day of the liturgical year and the beginning of ordinary time. Pentecost: The last Sunday of Easter. Pentecost is a noun: clear-eyed, level-gazed, and certain of its identity.
Caneld and Mark Victor Hansen, A Third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Deereld Beach, FL: Health Communications, 1996), p. 47. 18James Allen Francis, The Real Jesus and Other Sermons (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1926), p. 123.
17Jack
390
But when you make Pentecost into an adjective, it grows anxious, nervous, and uncertain, standing rst on one foot, then on the others. It wants to be a good adjective, as it runs around looking for a noun to modify, but doesnt know which noun and doesnt know what we are talking about. The adjective is Pentecostal. We dont admit we dont know; we use the word and assume we know.Fred B. Craddock19
PRAYER.
If I forget, Yet God remembers! If these hands of mine Cease from their clinging, yet the hand divine Hold me so rmly that I cannot fall; And if sometimes I am too tired to call For him to help me, then he reads the pray Unspoken in my heart, and lifts my care.Robert Browning, Paracelsus
PRAYER FOR PEACE.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light Where there is sadness, joy. Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console. To be understood, as to understand. To be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.St. Francis of Assisi
19Quoted
in James W. Cox, ed., Best Sermons 1 (San Francisco: HarperOne, 1988), pp. 6566.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
391
Go back to our nations history, and you will see that the birthing of religious freedom was no easy feat. When our forefathers came to this country, religious liberty didnt exist. When the constitution of the United States was ratied, there were Baptist preachers in jail for preaching the gospel without a license from the state. The English Puritans governed the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and they even refused to allow us Baptists to worship alongside them. Maryland was a Catholic colony. Virginia was captive to the Church of England. Baptists werent really wanted anywhere, except in that tiny colony of Rhode Island, the colony founded by a Baptist preacher named Roger Williams. Something happened there of great importance for our nation. There arose, perhaps for the rst time ever, the idea of religious freedom. Not just toleration, where one religion was dominant and others put up with, but a place of true freedom where each religious faith was seen as valid. You may knowI hope you dothat it was Baptist preachers like Isaac Bakkus and John Leland, along with Roger Williams, who insisted that in the Bill of Rights a statement be added that guaranteed the free exercise of religion. I dont agree with the Mormons, the Jehovahs Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventists, the Moonies, the Buddhists, or the nation of Islam. But we must stand by their right to religious freedom till our dying day.Lee McGlone
RESTORATION.
Of mans rst disobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man, Restore us. . . .John Milton, Paradise Lost
SELECTIVE CONFESSION.
The IRS received an anonymous letter several years ago. It read: Enclosed you will nd $150 in cash. I cheated on my income tax last year and have not been able to sleep ever since. If I still have trouble sleeping, I will send you the rest.Gary Redding It is irresponsible . . . to think that Christians can nd time and money and strength for everything that everybody else does, and that with
STEWARDSHIP.
392
spare money in spare time with spare strength they can serve the ends of Gods Kingdom. The great pearl is bought only by selling small pearls (Matt. 13:4546). Where no pearl has been sold, there obedience to the demand of the kingdom has not begun.D. T. Niles20 The call of Christ . . . sets the Christian in the middle of the daily arena against sin and the devil. . . . Every day . . . he must suffer anew for Jesus Christs sake. The wounds and scars he receives in the fray are living tokens of this participation in the cross of his Lord.Dietrich Bonhoeffer21
SUFFERING. THANKSGIVING. Abraham Lincoln, in addressing the Illinois State senate, described America as the almost chosen people of God and the last best hope of earth. What he meant, I think, is that we arent the equivalent of Old Testament Israel (or even a new Israel) but that there is something within this nation of ours that reects the nature of God. There is within our people a sense of holiness, of goodness, of destiny. Since our founding over two hundred years ago, millions of people around the world have looked to us as a symbol of hopehope for peace, democracy, and stable governments. We have much for which to give thanks.Lawrence Vowan
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION.
The time has come, the Walrus said, To talk of many things: Of shoesand shipsand sealing wax Of cabbagesand kings And why the sea is boiling hot And whether pigs have wings.Lewis Carroll22
20D. T. Niles, Preachers Task and the Stone of Stumbling (New York: HarperCollins, 1958), p. 114. 21Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Macmillan, 1959), p. 79. 22Lewis Carroll, The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland (New York: Chanticleer Press), p. 193.

TRIALS.
393
It is a dreadful night. But by and by The clouds will lift, And the wild storm will drift Towards the horizon yonder. The light will shine; I shall then see my way I only tarry for the break of day.James Douglas, Expectancy
TRUE RELIGION.
Charles Allen suggests that true religion comes from within the heart and soul. For some, religion is about having quick answers to difcult questions. For such people a catechism is enough. You memorize it and recite it at time of need. Others see religion as a way to understand why we act the way we do, and delve into Christian anthropology, behavioral psychology, studies in personal and social evil. Others see religious faith as the application of Christian truth to social problems. This means that many sense that a Bible study or sermon is not complete unless it calls attention to some social issue: poverty, justice, race, gender, pornography, and so on. But deep discovery declares it is about quest for development of the inner person. Allen compares a Christmas tree to an apple tree. The Christmas tree is brought into house and decorated. Its beauty comes from what is placed on it. The apple tree, on the other hand, is nourished by the soil and refreshed by the rain. Its life is from within, and in due time yields fruit. So it is for the Christian: true life begins within the person and then overows into attitudes and actions.Lee McGlone23
WOMAN.
Jesus afrmed personhood, giving it its worth apart from sexuality or other distinctions . . . according woman with the dignity, freedom and responsibility of a human being.Evelyn and Frank Stagg24
23Charles 24Woman
Allen, The Sermon on the Mount (Westwood, NJ: Revell, 1966), pp. 2325. in the World of Jesus (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1978), pp. 111, 255.
394
The Westminster Catechism of 1647 asked, What is the chief end of man? The response: to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. There is, naturally within us, a craving for fealty, the longing desire to bow before something greater than ourselves. It is this longing desire that brings us to Gods house today as a place of worship. Its why churches of every sort exist all around the world. There are big city churches with towering steeples, pipe organs, and padded pews. We are one of those. There are little white-framed country churches, like the church of my youth, with cemeteries behind them. There are Baptist churches, Presbyterian, Full Gospel churches, liberal, conservative, fundamentalist, charismatic, highchurch liturgy, low-church liturgy, white churches, black churches, rich and poor. Some shout and dance in the aisle; others bow quietly and seek for the voice of inner peace. Yet while we are so different, one thing we hold in common: we are drawn to worship. This isnt our idea. Were here, urged here, by the very power that made us. Augustine, the fourth-century bishop, declared in prayer, O, Lord, our souls were made for Theeand cannot rest until we rest with Thee. It isnt too much, then, to say that we are here, were alive, in order to worship. Thats what we bring before God. Thats why we are here today.Lee McGlone
WORSHIP.
contributors
Anderson, Leith. Senior Pastor, Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, Minnesota Anderson, Richard. Pastor, The International Church of Copenhagen Babcock, Albert H., Jr. Minister, First United Methodist Church, San Diego, California Claypool, John. Deceased. Former Baptist and Episcopalian pastor and author, Atlanta, Georgia Conley, Tom. Pastor, Northside Drive Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia Crawford, James W. Pastor Emeritus, The Old South Church, Boston, Massachusetts Dever, John. Professor of church and society, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky Faszer, Ted. Professor, Sioux Falls Seminary, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Fields, Henry. Pastor, First Baptist Church, Toccoa Falls, Georgia Fribley, Peter. Presbyterian pastor, Madison, Wisconsin Gladstone, John. Pastor Emeritus, Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Toronto, Canada Greg-Schroeder, Susan. Minister, First United Methodist Church, San Diego, California Hammer, Randy. Pastor, First Congregational Church, Albany, New York Hartman, Tracy. Assistant professor of practical theology, Baptist Theological Seminary of Richmond, Virginia Hunt, Lizette. Writer of childrens material, Dickinson, North Dakota Little, Jackie. Lay leader, Parkview Baptist Church, Monroe, Louisiana Lovette, Roger. Pastor, Baptist Church of the Covenant, Birmingham, Alabama McGlone, Lee. Pastor, First Baptist Church, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
395
396
CONTRIBUTORS
Murphy, Lael P. Minister, The Old South Church, Boston, Massachusetts Phillips, E. Lee. Minister and freelance writer, Norcross, Georgia Redding, Gary C. Pastor, First Baptist Church, North Augusta, Georgia Rufn, Michael. Pastor, The Hill Baptist Church, Augusta, Georgia Scalise, Charles. Professor, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California Stratman, Gary. Minister, Hollywood Presbyterian Church, Hollywood, California Swenson, Joanne M. Minister, First United Methodist Church, San Diego, California Thompson, Marcia. Author of childrens material, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Townsend, John. Pastor Emeritus, First Baptist Church, Los Angeles, California Tuck, William Powell. Former professor of preaching, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky; retired Baptist pastor, Lumberton, North Carolina Vinson, Richard B. Dean, Baptist Theological Seminary of Richmond, Virginia Viser, William C. Associate professor of Christian ministries, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas Vogel, Robert. Professor of Christian preaching, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky Vowan, Lawrence. Retired Baptist pastor, Cabot, Arkansas West, Danny M. Associate professor of preaching and pastoral studies, M. Christopher White Divinity School, Boiling Springs, North Carolina
inde x of contributors
A Achtemeier, Elizabeth, 375 Anderson, Leith, 350358 Anderson, Richard, 181 Assisi, St. Francis of, 390 Augustine, St., 384 B Babcock, Albert H., Jr., 133 Barth, Karl, 362 Blake, William, 381 Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, 372, 392 Browning, Robert, 390 Burghardt, Walter J., 364 Buttrick, George, 370 C Campbell, Ernest T., 370 Carroll, Lewis, 392 Chesterson, G. K., 381 Churchill, Winston, 381 Claypool, John, 279 Cocoris, M., 380
Conley, Tom, 45, 138 Craddock, Fred B., 390 Crawford, James W., 250, 251, 256, 257, 258, 262, 267 D Dever, John, 225, 226, 232, 238, 239, 245 Donne, John, 381, 382 Douglas, James, 393 E Edwards, Jonathan, 366 F Fields, Henry, 228, 234, 247, 270, 276, 317 Fosdick, Harry Emerson, 367 Francis, James Allen, 389 Frankl, Victor, 379 Fribley, Peter, 64, 149, 190, 195, 253 G Gallup, George H., 380 Goethe, 381
Gregg-Schroeder, Susan, 51, 75, 81 Guinn, G. Earl, 367 H Hagner, Donald, 379 Hammer, Randy, 121, 126, 133, 138, 152, 153, 157, 160, 163, 166, 169, 170, 172, 178 Harbour, Brian, 382 Hartman, Tracy, 100, 101, 107, 113, 114, 118 Hull, William, 385 Hunt, Lizette, 27, 33, 38, 44, 50, 57, 63, 69, 74, 80, 85, 91, 97, 103, 109 J Jordan, Clarence, 371 Jowett, J. H., 362 K Kissinger, Henry, 385 L Lewis, C. S., 198, 384 Little, Jackie, 293
397
398
INDEX OF CONTRIBUTORS
Lucado, Max, 384 Luther, Martin, 374 M Maseeld, John, 383 McGlone, Lee, 25, 28, 31, 33, 108, 110, 120, 124, 125, 130, 131, 136, 141, 146, 147, 155, 158, 164, 177, 204, 211, 215, 245, 268, 291, 300, 302, 303, 305, 309, 311, 314, 315, 319, 320, 322, 382, 383, 386, 389, 391, 393, 394 Milton, John, 391 Murphy, Lael P., 222, 241 N Niebuhr, Reinhold, 386 Niles, D. T., 392 P Peck, M. Scott, 387 Phillips, E. Lee, 27, 33, 39, 44, 61, 75, 85, 86, 97, 103, 104, 109, 116, 122, 143, 148, 166, 171, 177, 195, 228, 241, 252, 292, 310, 311, 321
R Ray, Sandy F 365 ., Read, David H. C., 361 Redding, Gary C., 187, 391 Robertson, Frederick W., 360 Rufn, Michael, 24, 31, 36, 37, 42, 43 S Sandburg, Carl, 388 Sangster, W. E., 368 Scalise, Charles, 58 Schweitzer, Albert, 387 Simon, Paul, 387 Stagg, Evelyn, 393 Stagg, Frank, 393 Stewart, James S., 360 Stratman, Gary, 72, 73, 78, 83, 84, 86, 89, 90, 92, 95, 104 Swenson, Joanne M., 97 Swindoll, Charles, 380 T Taylor, Gardner C., 363 Tennyson, Alfred Lord, 383, 386
Thompson, Marcia, 115, 121, 133, 138, 143, 148, 154, 159, 165, 171, 177, 183, 189, 195, 200, 205, 210, 216, 221, 227, 234, 240, 247, 252, 263, 269, 275, 281, 286, 292, 298, 304, 310, 316, 321 Tozer, A. W., 209 Truett, George W., 373 Tuck, William Powell, 39, 48, 49, 55, 56, 61, 67, 68, 116, 122, 144, 184, 201, 205, 264 V Vinson, Richard B., 175, 181, 187, 193 Viser, William, C., 325349 Vogel, Robert, 273, 279, 284, 285, 290, 296 Vowan, Lawrence, 70, 130, 282, 287, 297, 388, 392 W West, Danny, 198, 204, 208, 214, 219 Westermann, Claus, 369
sermon title inde x

Childrens sermons are designated as (cs).
A Advent of Grace, An, 293 Adventure of Three Students in a Fiery Furnace, The, 371 All Different Kinds, (cs), 263 All-Sufcient Sacrice of Jesus Christ, The, 282 Alphabet of Praise, The, 45 Anatomy of a Rape, 330 Are You Looking for God?, 259 B Bearing His Reproach, 368 Being About the Fathers Business, 317 Being Certain in an Uncertain World, 139 Blind!, 265 Bread of Life, (cs),199 By Grace, 86 C Call of Isaiah, The, 368 Child Shall Lead, A, 155
Christ Is King, (cs), 291 Christian Pilgrim, The, 365 Come to God, (cs), 68 Compassion and Compassion Fatigue, 184 Conquest of Fear, The, 372 Constant Prayer, (cs), 215 D Dont Be Afraid, (cs), 268 Dont Panic!, 190 E Energy of Faith, The, 361 F Fair-Weather Fan or Faithful Follower?, 98 Faith Without Works, 222 Fathers Broken Heart, The, 201 Finding Peace in a Troubled World, 306 First Is Last, (cs), 239
Follow Me, 40 Following Jesus in Baptism, 28 G Generosity, (cs), 226 Gifts, 21 Giving All, (cs), 280 God Almighty, 75 God at Work in Everyday Life, 241 God with Us, (cs), 310 Gods Joy, (cs), 56 Gods Word Lights the Way, (cs), 84 Going Downhill Fast, 336 Good News, 70 Gospel of God, The, 362 Grains of Sand, (cs), 37 H Hands and Hearts, 217 He Is Coming, (cs), 303 Hearing Gods Call, 34 Hearing the Story of Ascension, (cs), 142 Hearing the Story of Pentecost, (cs), 147
399
400
SERMON TITLE INDEX
Hearing the Story of Peter and Cornelius, (cs), 137 Hearing the Story of Philip, (cs), 132 Hell Is Not to Love Anymore, 363 Help! (cs), 246 Help for the Home, 276 Holy Words and Thoughts, (cs), 233 Hope of the World, The, 350 I I Am Certain! (cs), 120 I Am Saying of Jesus, An, 363 I Cant Do It By Myself, (cs), 90 I Doubt It, 110 I Hope So! (cs), 205 Im Cold, (cs), 79 In These Last Days God Has Spoken to Us by a Son, 248 Is It the Golden Rule?, 369 J Joy In Jesus, 355 Just One Look, 326 Justication by Faith, 373 K King Is Coming, The, 287 King of Kings, (cs), 102 L Life Comes Full Circle, 196
Living in Harmony, (cs), 115 Love for Us All, 356 Loves Crucial Judgments, 122 M Making a Believer Out of Me, 149 Mary and Elizabeth Believe, (cs), 315 Means Claries the Ends, The, 92 Mirror the Word, (cs), 221 My Friends, 134 My Hiding Place, (cs), 43 N No Faith, No Church, 370 O Outbursts of Love, (cs), 285 Outdoing Jesus, 172 P Pass the Peace, (cs), 188 Peace for Our Hearts, 352 Pentecost: Living in the Power of the Spirit, 144 Perfected Love, 127 Perils of Plenty, The, 364 Place to Be, The, 212 Possibilities! (cs), 257 Power and Wisdom of God, The, 81 Power Play, 178 Practice Makes Perfect, (cs), 62
Praising God, (cs), 182 Prayer for Growing Christians, A, 300 Promise in the Sky, (cs), 73 Pursuing Love, (cs), 125 R Reaching the Needs of Others, 52 Red LightGreen Light, (cs), 49 Resurrection of Jesus, The, 366 Romanticism, Reality, and the Christmas Child, 374 Rooted in God, (cs), 194 S Salvation: A Cause for Praise, 270 Share and Share Alike, 167 Shout of a Mother-to-Be, The, 311 Sitting on Top of the World, 64 Snared by the Net, 345 Speak Christ, (cs), 320 Stand Up! (cs), 251 Star in the East, The, 359 Stay Close, (cs), 96 Story Seeds, (cs), 158 Suffering in Sodom, 340 T Too Good to Be True?, 104 Trust Me, (cs), 170
Sermon Title Index
401
U Unexpected Surprise, The, (cs), 108 V Voice of God, (cs), 153 Voice Power! (cs), 32 W Wake Up, (cs), 26 Watch Your Step!, 206 Way to Live, The, (cs), 164
We Belong to God, 360 Weak Means Strong, (cs), 176 Wedding Sermon from a Prison Cell, A, 372 What a Difference a Week (or Three) Makes!, 116 What Are You Willing to Give Up for Gods Sake?, 253 What Is a Saint? (cs), 271
What Is Advent? (cs), 297 When Facing a Giant, 160 When the Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary, 58 Who Is Jesus?, 229 Winning the War of Nerves, 367 Wise Prayer, (cs), 210 Worldly Wisdom Versus Divine Wisdom, 235
inde x of sermon te xts
Genesis 9:817, 73; 17:17, 1516, 75; 19:126, 340 Numbers 23:21, 360 Joshua 24, 364 Judges 16:131, 336 1 Samuel 3:110, 1120, 34; 11:117, 2527, 326; 15:3416:13, 155; 17:1a, 411, 1923, 3249, 160 2 Samuel 6:15, 12b19, 182; 11:2612:13a, 196; 13:120, 330; 18:59, 15, 3133, 201
1 Kings 2:1012, 3:314, 210 2 Kings 5:114, 58 Esther 7:16, 910; 9:2022, 241 Job 38:17, 3841, 259 Psalms 4, 120; 19, 84, 233; 22:2331, 79; 22:2531, 132; 23, 125; 26, 251; 29, 153; 29:111, 32; 34:18, 1922, 268; 50:16, 68; 65:512, 43; 84, 212; 104:19, 24, 35c, 263; 107:13, 1722, 90; 111, 45, 49; 124, 246; 127, 276; 130, 205; 133, 115; 139:16,
1318, 37; 147:111, 20, 56 Proverbs 5:114, 345; 22:12, 89, 2223, 226 Isaiah 6:18, 368; 25:69, 270, 274; 6:18, 149; 60:16, 26 Jeremiah 33:1416, 293 Jonah 3:15, 10, 363 Zephaniah 3:1420, 310 Matthew 1:1825, 352; 2:12, 359; 2:112, 21; 2:114, 356; 7:12, 369; 17:20, 361
402
Index of Sermon Texts
403
Mark 1:411, 28; 1:915, 70; 1:1415, 362; 1:1420, 363; 1:1620, 40; 1:2939, 52; 4:2634, 158; 5:2143, 170; 6:113, 172; 6:1429, 178; 6:3034, 5356, 184; 7:18, 1415, 2123, 217; 8:2738, 229; 9:29, 64; 9:24, 370; 9:3037, 239; 10:1731, 253, 257; 10:4652, 265; 11:111, 98, 102; 12:3844, 280 Luke 1:2638, 350; 1:3945, 315; 1:4656, 311; 1:6879, 303; 2:111, 355; 2:34, 374; 2:4152, 317; 16:19, 373; 24:3648, 116 John 1:11, 360; 6:121, 190; 6:2435, 199; 12:20
33, 92, 96; 14:6, 363; 15:917, 134; 18:3337, 291; 20:118, 104, 108; 20:1931, 110 Acts 1:611, 1517, 2126, 142; 2:121, 144, 147; 3:1219, 116; 8:2640, 132; 10:4448, 137 Romans 10:910, 366 1 Corinthians 1:1825, 81; 7:2931, 363; 9:2427, 62 2 Corinthians 6:113, 164; 7:5, 367; 8:715, 167; 12:9, 176 Ephesians 1:12, 372; 2:110, 86; 2:1122, 188; 3:1421, 194; 5:1520, 206; 6:1020, 215
Philippians 1:311, 300; 4:47, 306 Colossians 3:1217, 320 1 Thessalonians 3:913, 297 Hebrews 1:1; 2:512, 248; 10:1114, 1518, 1925, 285; 10:1118, 282; 11:1314, 365; 13:13, 368 James 1:1727, 221; 2:110, 1417, 222; 3:134:3, 235 1 John 3:1624, 122; 4:721, 127; 5:913, 139 Revelation 1:4b8, 287; 1:1718, 372
i n d e x o f p r ay e r s
A Advent, 299, 305, 311, 317 B Bible, 195 Boldness, 222 C Childrens Day, 160 Christmastide, 317, 322 Church, 33 Communion, 149, 206, 253 Confession, 86, 92, 104, 122 E Easter Day, 110 Epiphany, 27 F Family, 127, 160, 166 Fathers Day, 166
G Gods Presence, 63, 172, 183, 264 Grace, 97 H Holy Spirit, 51 Human needs, 39, 58 J Joy, 211 L Lent, 75, 80 Love, 116, 133 M Mothers Day, 127 N Nation, 143, 200 New Year, 27
P Patriotism, 143 Peace, 177 R Racial harmony, 133 Relationships, 138 Resurrection, 110 S Silence, 45 T Thanksgiving, 70, 155, 228, 293 W World Communion Sunday, 253
404
i n d e x o f m at e r i a l s u s e f u l a s c h i l dr e n s s tor i e s a n d s e r m o n s
A Adventure, 245 Afrmation, 297 Ascension, 142 Awe, 4748 B Beloved, 72 Bible, 10, 11, 85, 175, 205 Broken dreams, 43 C Care-giving, 5255, 66 Change, 11, 13, 141 Christianity, 381 Courage, 161162, 381 D Direction, 214 Dreams, 12 E Eternity, 384 Ethical expectations, 123 Expectations, 99, 181
F Fairness, 168 Fatigue, 184187 Followers, 4042, 100 Friendship, 12, 101, 134136 Fulllment, 7677 G Gifts, 2124 Godly wisdom, 238 Goliath, 160161 Goodness, 12 Gracious, 86 Greed, 169 H Happiness, 11, 13 Honor, 163 Hospitality, 225226 Humiliation, 30 I Identity, 3031 Incarnation, 249 Inuence, 12, 164
J Justice, 11, 12, 13 L Laziness, 387 Liars, 12 Lip service, 218 Listening, 123, 124125, 353354 Lust, 196198, 326330 M Magi, 2124 Mary, 315 Misunderstanding, 173 Motherhood, 279 N Needs, 169, 190191 New perspective, 320 New Year, 23 O Obedience, 10, 13, 50, 120, 207, 221, 233 Ordinary, 5860, 61
405
406
INDEX OF MATERIALS USEFUL AS CHILDRENS STORIES AND SERMONS
P Praise, 4548, 182, 287288 Pretensions, 73 Principles, 245 Priorities, 136, 207208, 213, 301, 303 R Relaxation, 140 Reverence, 209
S Salt of the Earth, 204 Serving, 239 Social justice, 261 Success, 277 T Tenderness, 203 Thanksgiving, 11, 392
Transguration, 6467 Triumphal Entry, 98 100 W Waiting, 352 Wise Men, 359 Worldly wisdom, 239
i n d e x o f m at e r i a l s u s e f u l for sm all gr oups
A Adultery, 338 Adventure, 245 Adversity, 10 Aging, 10 All Saints Day, 274 Almighty, 7578 Attitude, 379 Awe, 4748 B Baptism of Jesus, 2831, 7071 Beloved, 72 Benedictions, 1517 Blessings, 11 Blindness, 265267 Broken dreams, 43 C Calling, 3436, 151152, 368369 Choices, 164 Christian life, 248250, 365, 367, 369370; growing in, 300302 Christianity, 381 Christmas, 312, 314, 374, 381
Church, 161, 151152 Citizenship, 12, 8889 Community, 129130, 245 Compassion, 184187, 251, 381 Creeds, 10 Crises, 190193 Cross, 83, 95 Cynicism, 12 D Darkness, 37 Demand, 207 Depression, 161 Despair, 203 Destiny, 285 Devotion, 4748 Direction, 214 Disciples, 53, 99, 111112, 117, 118 Discipleship, 4042, 4243, 62, 96, 382 Discrimination, 161 Dreams, 12 E East of Eden, 124 Eternal life, 199, 254, 282284
Eternity, 384 Ethical expectations, 123 Evolution, 14 Expectations, 99, 181 F Fairness, 168 Faith, 76, 114, 316, 370, 384 Faithfulness, 158, 207, 219220 Family life, 13, 156, 237, 279, 372, 384 Fickleness, 117118 Focus, 196 Followers, 4042, 100 Freedom, 11, 391 Friendship, 12, 101, 134136 G Giants, 163164 Gifts, 2124 God, 12, 2124, 67, 71, 81 Goliath, 160161 Gospel, 7778, 88, 180181, 362363, 368
407
408
INDEX OF MATERIALS USEFUL FOR SMALL GROUPS
Grace, 12, 8689, 157, 293296, 374 Gracious, 86 Grief, 107 Guilt, 118 H Happiness, 11, 13 Hate, 123 Hell, 12, 363364 Holiness, 130 Holy Spirit, 113, 144146, 351 Home, 10, 129130, 237, 276279, 372 Humility, 99, 141, 150151, 152 Humor, 386 I Identity, 3031 Imperialism, 100 Incarnation, 249 Injustice, 197, 386387 J Jesus Christ, 52, 53, 5455, 124, 190192 Judgment, 122124, 197, 225, 293294 Justice, 11, 12, 13 L Labor, 12 Lent, 7072 Liars, 12 Listening, 123, 124125, 353354 Love, 10, 12, 237, 300301, 363364 Lust, 196198, 326330
M Magi, 2124 Majesty, 84 Marriage, 13, 129130, 372, 388 Memory, 4647, 49, 113 Mercy, 8788 Moral principles, 245 Motherhood, 279 Motives, 158 N Needs, 169, 190191 New perspective, 320 Nonviolence, 161 O Opposition, 161 Ordinary, 5860, 61 P Palm Sunday, 98100, 102 Poverty, 256257 Power, 178181 Praise, 4548, 182, 287288 Prejudice, 161 Pride, 123124, 125, 371 Principles, 245 Prosperity, 12 Purpose, 108 R Rebellion, 202 Redemption, 9394 Relaxation, 140 Religious freedom, 391 Renewal, 145 Rest, 184187, 306 Restoration, 391
S Sacrice, 101 Salt of the Earth, 204 Self-denial, 181 Self-esteem, 232 Selshness, 54, 5960, 236 Service, 145146, 151152 Shalom, 309 Silence, 11, 193 Simplicity, 12 Social needs, 191, 222224 Sorrow, 272, 273 Spiritual gifts, 14, 118 Spiritual growth, 61, 66, 194 Stars, 2122 Steadfastness, 11 Submission, 2930 Suffering, 368, 392 T Thanksgiving, 11, 392 The Twelve, 173175 Troubles, 350351, 352353, 355356 Truth, 31, 162163 V Valuations, 136 Vision, 186 W Waiting, 352 War, 202, 314315 Witness, 252
topical inde x
A Adoration, 46 Adultery, 338 Advent, 293296, 298, 304, 312314; preaching on, 350358 Adventure, 245 Adversity, 10 Afrmation, 297 Aging, 10 All Saints Day, 274 Almighty, 7578 American imperialism, 100 Ascension, 142 Atheism, 81 Attitude, 379 Authority, 173174 Awe, 4748 B Baptism of Jesus, 2831, 7071 Beatitudes, 379 Behavior, 379380 Belief, 104107, 111112 Believers, 149152 Beloved, 72
Benedictions, 1517 Betrayal, 201204 Bible, 10, 11, 85, 175, 205 Blessings, 11 Blindness, 265267 Boldness, 118, 380 Broken dreams, 43 C Calling, 3436, 151152, 368369 Care-giving, 5255, 66 Caring, 79, 204, 227, 239, 285 Certainty, 120121, 139141 Challenge, 380 Change, 11, 13, 141 Character, 12, 157, 164, 175, 381 Choices, 164 Christian life, 248250, 365, 367, 369370; growing in, 300302 Christianity, 381 Christmas, 312, 314, 374, 381 Church, 151152, 161
Church, nature of, 129130, 145146, 370; renewal of, 145146; work of, 232, 360361 Citizenship, 12, 8889 Community, 129130, 245 Compassion, 184187, 251, 381 Competition, 384 Confession, 231, 391 Conformity, 371 Consistency, 4748 Conversation, 392 Conversion, 214 Courage, 161162, 381 Covenant, 77 Creation, 263 Creeds, 10 Crises, 190193 Cross, 83, 95 Cynicism, 12 D Darkness, 37 Death, 13, 128129, 271272, 381382 Deceit, 196
409
410
TOPICAL INDEX
Demand, 207 Depression, 161 Despair, 203 Destiny, 285 Devotion, 4748 Direction, 214 Disciples, 53, 99, 111112, 117, 118 Discipleship, 4042, 4243, 62, 96, 382; demands of, 100, 266; growth in, 300302; illustration of, 56, 181; nature of, 149152, 172175, 178181, 206208, 229231 Discrimination, 161 Dissatisfaction, 212213 Doubt, 110113, 114, 116118, 383 Dreams, 12 E East of Eden, 124 Easter, 92, 104107, 108, 110, 111113, 383 Education, 12 Empowerment, 25 Empty tomb, 105 Encouragement, 65 Epiphany, 2124, 26, 70, 319320, 359 Eternal life, 199, 254, 282284 Eternity, 384 Ethical expectations, 123 Evangelism, 320 Evolution, 14 Expectations, 99, 181
F Fairness, 168 Faith, 76, 114, 316, 370, 384; energy of, 361362; justication by, 373374; nature of, 222225, 238, 312313, 318319; risks of, 146147, 192193 Faithfulness, 158, 207, 219220 Family life, 13, 156, 237, 279, 372, 384 Fanaticism, 12 Fans, 100 Fatherhood, 201204 Fatigue, 184187 Fear, 13, 116118, 127, 269, 384385; conquest of, 128129, 372373 Fickleness, 117118 Focus, 196 Followers, 4042, 100 Foolishness, 83 Fools, 11 Forgiveness, 13, 28, 118, 369; illustration of, 119, 120, 284285 Freedom, 11, 391 Friendship, 12, 101, 134136 Fulllment, 7677 Future, 43, 113 G Giants, 163164 Gifts, 2124 God, 12, 2124, 67, 71, 81; faithfulness of, 4748, 78, 141, 158,
191, 246; grace of, 56, 8788, 128, 157, 212213; love of, 38, 68, 7173, 125, 127130, 357358; nature of, 7578, 156157, 202, 273, 388389; power of, 32, 44, 8183, 84, 87, 153, 257; praise of, 8384, 182; presence of, 212213, 249, 310, 368369; sin against, 196198; will of, 208, 210, 241245, 290291, 371 Godly wisdom, 238 Goliath, 160161 Good News, 7072 Good works, 8889 Goodness, 12 Gospel, 7778, 88, 180181, 362363, 368 Grace, 12, 8689, 157, 293296, 374; advent of, 293296; illustration of, 193; reality of, 145146, 222225 Gracious, 86 Gratitude, 11 Great Commission, 55, 158 Great Confession, 230231 Greed, 169 Grief, 107 Groanings, 385 Guilt, 118 H Happiness, 11, 13 Hate, 123
Topical Index
411
Healing, 11, 53, 5860, 174 Health, 11 Hearing, 36, 124125 Hebrew poetry, 4546 Hell, 12, 363364 Holiness, 130 Holy Spirit, 113, 144146, 351 Home, 10, 129130, 237, 276279, 372 Homosexuality, 340345 Honor, 163 Hope, 11, 25, 29, 162, 350352, 385386 Hospitality, 225226 Humiliation, 30 Humility, 99, 141, 150151, 152 Humor, 386 I Identity, 3031 Image of God, 71, 250251 Immorality, 331 Imperialism, 100 Incarnation, 249 Inclusion, 31 Inuence, 12, 164 Injustice, 197, 386387 J Jesus Christ, 52, 53, 5455, 124, 190192; focusing on, 4042, 6667, 317319; identity of, 3031, 55, 6467, 9394, 229232; kingship of, 291, 360,
389; ministry of, 65, 172175, 185186, 190193; mission of, 5455, 70, 7072, 142; nature of, 112113, 248249, 363, 387; power of, 93, 117, 130, 174, 176; resurrection of, 92, 366367; suffering of, 9394, 231, 250, 282284 Joy, 13, 56, 128, 355358 Judgment, 122124, 197, 225, 293294 Justice, 11, 12, 13 K Kingdom of God, 217219 L Labor, 12 Laziness, 387 Leadership, 155157 Lent, 7072 Liars, 12 Life, 108, 201, 214215, 254; troubles in 350351, 352353, 355356 Lip service, 218 Listening, 123, 124125, 353354 Love, 10, 12, 237, 300301, 363364; denition of, 237; judgments of, 122124; ministry of, 302303; nature of, 127130, 140, 141, 357 Lust, 196198, 326330
M Magi, 2124 Magnicat, 312 Majesty, 84 Manipulation, 192 Marriage, 13, 129130, 372, 388 Martyrdom, 42 Mary, 315 Memory, 4647, 49, 113 Mercy, 8788 Mimicking, 207 Ministry, 68, 319 Miracle, 5253, 59 Mission, 145 Misunderstanding, 173 Moral principles, 245 Motherhood, 279 Motivation, 238, 388 Motives, 158 Mystery, 139 N Needs, 169, 190191 Nerves, 367 New life, 3031 New perspective, 320 New Year, 23 Nightmare, 186 Nonviolence, 161 O Obedience, 10, 13, 50, 120, 207, 221, 233 Opportunities, 207208 Opposition, 161 Ordinary, 5860, 61 Orthodoxy, 217
412
TOPICAL INDEX
P Palm Sunday, 98100, 102 Panic, 190193 Parenting, 14, 201204, 278279, 318 Partiality, 223224, 226 Passover, 99 Peace, 115, 117, 188, 306309, 352354; meaning of, 237; prayer for, 390 Pentecost, 118, 144146, 147, 389390 Perfected love, 127130 Political power, 178181 Pornography, 345349 Poverty, 256257 Power, 178181 Praise, 4548, 182, 287288 Prayer, 11, 55, 56, 120, 141; illustrations of, 67, 187; of Jesus, 90, 93, 130; nature of, 215, 308, 390 Preaching, 55, 83 Predictions, 172 Prejudice, 161 Premarital sex, 336340 Pretensions, 73 Pride, 123124, 125, 371 Principles, 245 Priorities, 136, 207208, 213, 301, 303 Proclamation, 72 Promise, 74, 7677, 113, 351 Prosperity, 12
Purity, 219, 301302 Purpose, 108 Q Questions, 260262 Quick conclusions, 95 R Rape, 330336 Rebellion, 202 Reconciliation, 203204 Redemption, 9394 Relaxation, 140 Religion, 393 Religious freedom, 391 Renewal, 145 Repentance, 28, 124 Rest, 184187, 306 Restoration, 391 Resurrection, 92, 104107, 108, 111112, 117, 179, 366367, 373 Reverence, 209 Risks, 192, 256, 266267 S Sacrice, 101 Salt of the Earth, 204 Salvation, 2124, 8689, 284; illustration of, 8990, 220; nature of, 222225, 270273, 373374 Satisfaction, 212214 Second Coming, 287290, 295 Seeing, 267268 Selective hearing, 124125
Self-care, 185 Self-denial, 181 Self-esteem, 232 Selshness, 54, 5960, 236 Sermons, 209 Servanthood, 268 Service, 145146, 151152 Serving, 239 Sexual ethics, 325349 Sexual sin, 196 Shalom, 309 Sharing, 136, 167169, 170 Shrines, 60 Silence, 11, 193 Simplicity, 12 Sin, 29, 86, 90, 196198, 224, 283; magnitude of, 196198 Social justice, 261 Social needs, 191, 222224 Son of God, 249, 288289 Sorrow, 272, 273 Sovereignty, 290, 371 Spiritual blindness, 265267 Spiritual gifts, 14, 118 Spiritual growth, 61, 66, 194 Spiritual sensitivity, 3436 Stars, 2122 Steadfastness, 11 Stewardship, 10, 13, 167168, 280, 391392 Struggles, 13 Stumbling blocks, 82 Submission, 2930 Success, 277 Suffering, 368, 392 Suffering Messiah, 231
Topical Index
413
Superciality, 218 Surprise, 106 T Tact, 13 Temple, 212 Temptation, 7072, 337 Tenderness, 203 Terrorism, 178 Thanksgiving, 11, 392 The Great Commandments, 123 The Twelve, 173175 Time, 207208 Tithing, 168 Tower of Babel, 145 Tradition, 218219
Transguration, 6467 Trials, 393 Trinity, 287288 Triumphal Entry, 98100 Troubles, 350351, 352353, 355356 Trust, 53, 162, 171 Truth, 31, 162163 U Unbelief, 140 Uncertainty, 139140 V Valuations, 136 Violence, 161, 179180 Vision, 186
W Waiting, 352 War, 202, 314315 Weakness, 232 Wealth, 254255, 364365 Wisdom, 11, 13, 4748, 8183, 208, 213, 210, 235238 Wise Men, 359 Witness, 252 Witnesses, 107 Woman, 393 Worldly wisdom, 239 Worry, 307, 309 Worship, 4548, 77, 187, 213, 360, 394
how to use the cd-r om
S Y S TE M REQUI REMENTS PC with Microsoft Windows 98SE or later Mac with Apple OS version 8.6 or later U S IN G THE CD WI TH WI NDOW S To view the items located on the CD, follow these steps: 1. Insert the CD into your computers CD-ROM drive. 2. A window appears with the following options: eBook: Allows you to view the electronic version of the book in PDF format. Adobe Reader: Adobe Reader software to view PDF les. Editor: Displays a page with information about the editor. Contact Us: Displays a page with information on contacting the publisher or author. Help: Displays a page with information on using the CD. Exit: Closes the interface window. If you do not have autorun enabled, or if the autorun window does not appear, follow these steps to access the CD: 1. Click Start - Run. 2. In the dialog box that appears, type d:\start.exe, where d is the letter of your CD-ROM drive. This brings up the autorun window described in the preceding set of steps.
414
How to Use the CD-ROM
415
3. Choose the desired option from the menu. (See Step 2 in the preceding list for a description of these options.) IN CAS E OF TROUBLE If you experience difculty using the CD-ROM, please follow these steps: 1. Make sure your hardware and systems congurations conform to the systems requirements noted under System Requirements above. 2. Review the installation procedure for your type of hardware and operating system. It is possible to reinstall the software if necessary. To speak with someone in Product Technical Support, call 800-762-2974 or 317-572-3994 Monday through Friday from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. EST. You can also contact Product Technical Support and get support information through our website at www.wiley.com/techsupport. Before calling or writing, please have the following information available: Type of computer and operating system. Any error messages displayed. Complete description of the problem. It is best if you are sitting at your computer when making the call.

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the ministers manual 2009

EightY-Fourth Annual Issue

Edited by Lee McGlone

EDITORS OF THE MINISTERS MANUAL

SECTION I GENERAL AIDS AND RESOURCES 1

SECTION III RESOURCES FOR PREACHING 323

Chapter One Preaching on Sexual Ethics: A Five-Sermon Series

Chapter Two Advent and Christmas Preaching

Chapter Three Gleanings from Great Preaching

Dr. Lee McGlone, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Arkadelphia, Arkansas

SECTION IV A LITTLE TREASURY OF SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS 377

GENERAL AIDS AND RESOURCES

General Aids and Resources

Civil Year Calendars for 2009 and 2010

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

May 5 10 21 25 31 June 7 11 21 29 July 4 30

Trinity Sunday Corpus Christi Fathers Day St. Peters Day

Independence Day Tisha BAv (Jewish)

Palm Sunday Maundy Thursday First Day of Passover (Jewish)

General Aids and Resources

First Sunday in Advent Christ the King Sunday

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

General Aids and Resources

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

General Aids and Resources

Paper Cotton Leather Linen Wood Iron

Coral Ruby Sapphire Gold Emerald Diamond

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

General Aids and Resources

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

General Aids and Resources

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

General Aids and Resources

42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

General Aids and Resources

LECTIONARY RESOURCES FOR FIFTY-TWO SUNDAYS

Sunday, January Fourth

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2009

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

Sunday, January Fourth

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

A poet put it this way:

Sunday, January Fourth

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

Musical Selections Appropriate to the Day

1 Childrens Lectionary Sermon

Sunday, January Fourth

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

SUNDAY, january 11, 2009

Sunday, January Eleventh

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

Sunday, January Eleventh

Musical Selections Appropriate to the Day

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

1 Childrens Lectionary Sermon

Sunday, January Eleventh

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

SUNDAY, january 18, 2009

Sunday, January Eighteenth

THE MINISTERS MANUAL 2009

Sunday, January Eighteenth

Musical Selections Appropriate to the Day

Minister's Manual

Minister's Manual