Author: Steve

June 23, 2024

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Lectionary Texts

1 Samuel 17. 1-49 — David and Goliath.

Psalm 9. 11-20 God hears the poor and the afflicted. God remembers the needy.

2 Corinthians 6. 1-13 — Now is the day of salvation. … We have endured hardships, treated as being poor but having everything… Open wide your hearts.

Mark 4. 35-41 — Jesus calms the storm at sea.

Preaching Thoughts

1 Samuel
       The story has become a euphemism for “underdog vs. Big Guy.” But the story is really about force vs. grace. It’s not just that David is small but scrappy; it’s that he trusts in God, and God’s grace, not his good shot with a sling, that saves him. Likewise Jesus is victorious over the power of evil not because he’s small but scrappy, but because the love of God that is alive in him is stronger than the power of evil—and he trusts that.

1 Corinthians
       Now is the day of salvation. Today is judgment day, and God’s judgment is mercy. This moment is when God showers you with grace. You don’t have to wait till you die. You’re already saved. So get on with living a holy life.
       As with the story of David, and Goliath, Paul’s point about enduring hardship is not just that we’re stronger than we look but that God sustains us when human powers, structures an values don’t. In fact we don’t have any power at all—but God has power through us. We have “the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left,” which means we don’t have regular human weapons or powers.
       Of course all this is in the context of Paul trying to justify himself to readers who are a little put out with him because he challenges them. (How heroically he struggles!) But the real issue isn’t Paul’s authority. It’s God’s grace, and the power of relying on that grace instead of human values, judgments, or power structures. It’s not just to Paul, but to God, that he encourages them to open wide their hearts.

Mark
       Jesus says “Let us go across to the other side.” Sit with that a moment. The other side… of the lake, into Gentile territory… The other side of the Red Sea (often the role of the sea of Galilee in the gospels)…The other side of the tracks… The other side of the aisle….. The other side of the parable, another way to look at it (Mark was just saying how Jesus taught in parables)… The other side of the veil between the seen and the unseen worlds… The other side, the shadow side of your psyche… Jesus is always leading us to the other side….

       Imagine your worst nightmare. Call to mind your most troubling fears. Your deepest terror. Imagine it as a small boat in a big storm. Get in the boat with the disciples. Feel it. Now imagine this: in this moment of terror and despair, Jesus is… asleep in the stern of the boat. Snoozing as if he’s being rocked in the cradle. Talk about a non-anxious presence. Because he’s not afraid. Jesus is with you. Jesus grants you peace, not from far above your troubles, but from right in the midst of them. Either you’re going to be just fine, because Jesus will not abandon you but is with you with his miraculous powers even in the worst of life’s storms—or you’ll die with Jesus, which is what we’re all baptized to do anyway. So you can’t lose. This is faith: not to have some beliefs about Jesus but to trust him when it’s scary.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: God of love, you hear the cry of those who suffer.
All: We cry out with all who are in anguish.
Gentle Christ, you walk with those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
We walk with you among those who suffer.
Holy Spirit, we often despair as we face the troubles of the world.
We open ourselves to your presence, so we need not fear.
Calm our hearts, and give us courage to serve with you.

2.
Leader: God of Creation, we are in awe of your work.
All: Thanks, we cry, and adoration!
God of mystery, our fears swirl about us.
Save us, we cry. Have mercy!
God of grace, your healing sustains us.
Bless you, we pray, and we worship you.

3.
Leader: Creator God, the sea is so wide and my boat is so small!
All: Be good to us.
Loving Christ, the storms are great and our hearts are weak.
Be with us.
Holy Spirit, you are the wind and you are the waves.
Give us courage.
God of life, bring us through the storm.
Give us faith.
Come, Spirit of Life, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia.

Prayer

1.
God of love, the storms of life frighten us.  But you are in the boat of our lives with us. Speak to us and give us peace.  Call to us, and give us courage.  Awaken us with your Word, so we may serve you without fear. Amen.

2.
God of mercy, your Word alone has power to create, power to save, power to heal.  Amidst the howling storm of society’s anxieties and the cries of our inner fears your voice comes to us, soft and steady.  Help us to listen and be still, to trust with all our hearts.  Speak to us, God of life.  Amen.

3.
God of all Creation, sometimes the storms frighten us and we cry to you.  Sometimes our challenges are great and we tremble.  Sometimes the storms are around us, and sometimes they are within. Speak your word of peace to us, so that we may endure our storms and face our difficulties with peace and faith.  We open our hearts to your grace.  Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to intercessions)

God of Peace, your Word calms storms.
You are our peace, even in chaotic times.
Though we are afraid, Jesus is at rest
in the little boat of our hearts.
Speak your Word now. We will be still, and at peace.

Readings

(For two readers.)

Reader 1: Jesus says: Let us go over to the other side.
       Reader 2: The other side… of what? The tracks?… The argument?
              The unseen? The shadow side of myself?
Follow me.
[….silence…]

       The rowing is hard. I am tired.
Come, to me, you who are weary, and I will give you rest.
[….silence…]

       The wind is against me, and I am afraid.
The wind blows where it will. So it is with those who are born of the Spirit. [….silence…]

       The waves are high. How can you be asleep?
Peace, be still.        
[….silence…]
Follow me.
       Do you not care that we are perishing?
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain.
But if it dies it bears much fruit.
[…silence…]

      We have gone down into the deep baptismal waters
       and now we are born again.
       Even the wind and the seas obey the Beloved. We too shall follow.   

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
  We trust in you, God of Mystery, Creator of all that is and all that is to come.
   We follow you, O Christ, voice of God, Word made flesh, love embodied.  Your love and healing cast out demons and called forth justice.   You died in and rose in the peace of God.  Your mercy calms the storms in our hearts and calls us into a new community of hope.
    We live by your grace, Holy Spirit, your life in us that is not afraid, but at peace with all that is. Trusting in the gift of forgiveness, the power of resurrection, the mystery of eternal life and the gift of our unity with all living beings as the Body of Christ, we live in peace and nonviolence; we work for justice; we fearlessly share your love with all.  In your Peace, Holy One, we live as disciples of Christ for the healing of the world.  Amen.

2.
       Creator God, you are the sea and the wind; you are our boat, you are the mysterious depths and the far shore. We give ourselves to you.
        Loving Christ, you are the peaceful presence, you are the calming voice, you are the One who is in the boat with us always.  We trust you, and we turn to you.
        Holy Spirit, you are the wind that carries us onward, even when we are afraid.  You are the power that raised Jesus from the grave, and that rouses us from death.  You make us one Body; you give us trust in your grace; you give us courage in all things.  Grant us the faith to continue in our journey with Christ, to love and serve the world, trusting in the power of forgiveness and resurrection and the present reality of eternal life. Amen.

3.
         We give our hearts to God, Creator of all, whose Spirit is in the wind and in the calm, in our little boats and in the seas about us.
        We follow Christ, who is with us in the storms of life; who holds the power of all Creation in his hands; and who gives us peace by his resurrected presence. He bids us to trust, to love and to wonder in his name.
       We live by the power of the Spirit, who gives us peace in all our difficulties and courage in all our endeavors.  Since even the wind and the seas obey, we too obey God, the Holy One. We devote ourselves to accept the grace of God, to minister with Christ, to live resurrection, and to serve in love, for the sake of the healing of all Creation, in the name of Christ.  Amen.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

1.
Gracious God, we give you our lives, symbolized in these gifts.  Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will.  Trusting your saving presence and the peace of your grace, we go into the world to heal, to do justice and to proclaim your good news, for the sake of the wholeness of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives.  Receive them with love, bless them with grace, and use them according to your will.  Send us into the world with trust in your presence and courage in our hearts and hands, to go where you lead us, to love as you enable us, to serve as you command us. In the name of Christ, our Safety and our Peace, bless us.  Amen.

3.
Eternal God we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives.  Take them and do your will with them.  Through our giving and our service, reach out to those who struggle through the storms of life and offer rest and safety to them.  Help us to be a source of peace, present to them so that they may know your love.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on title to view and hear audio clip on the Music page.)

In the Boat (Original song)

(Refrain) I am at peace because Jesus is in the boat.
I am in the boat with Jesus.

Sometimes my Savior says, “Peace, be still,”
and with a word he calms the sea.
Sometimes my Savior says, “Peace, be still,”
and I know that Jesus is talking to me. (Refrain)

Jesus says, “Please help me spread my love.
It will he hard along the way.
But though the waves pound you from above
I always will save you so you can obey.” (Refrain)

When I am sinking or feel afraid
I see him sleeping peacefully.
If I am here because I have obeyed
then how could I sink with my Jesus with me? (Refrain)

June 106, 2024

Lectionary Texts

1 Samuel 15.34 – 16.13 — Samuel anoints David as king of Israel. (God tends to the inner reality, not the outward appearance.)

Psalm 20 — May God answer you, and fulfill your desires…. Some take pride in chariots; but our hope is in God.

2 Corinthians 5. 6-10, (11-13)14-17 — We walk by faith, not sight…. Christ’s love urges us on… Christ died for all so that we might live for him…. If anyone is in Christ there is a new Creation.

Mark 4.26-34 — The parable of the seed growing secretly, and the mustard seed.

Preaching Thoughts

2 Corinthians
        “While we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord” implies that in this life we’re not as close to Jesus as we will be in the afterlife. Maybe. But thinking of Paul’s image of living “according to the flesh” and “according to the Spirit,” the former means living under the delusion that I am contained in and limited to my flesh, my body. But in fact I’m part of a greater whole, the Body of Christ; living “according to the Spirit” is living in in harmony with this truth. So one can interpret “being in the body” as being obsessed with the protection of my little ego-defined, body-contained self rather than the well-being of the whole Body of Christ. In this sense when I am “in the body” I’m not so close to Jesus. I don’t actually think this is what Paul means here, but it’s consistent with his theology and it works for me.
        “One has died for all; therefore all have died.” Again, to understand this we have to abandon the thought that we’re individuals, and accept the idea of being all members of one Body. In light of this we “live for him.”
        “We no longer we regard anyone from a human point of view.” That is. We know they’re not just individual beings; they’re part of the whole Body of Christ. So “when anyone is in Christ, there is a new Creation”—not just they they’re a new creation, but that Creation is new. The whole world is changed! Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” If one member of a choir changes the note they’re singing, it changes the whole chord. This is how we change the world.

Mark
        The growing seed is a beautiful icon, a Christian koan. You can take this many ways. A few:
   • God’s grace is sown in our lives and we don’t know how it works but it does, and it bears fruit, gradually, over time, and we need to receive its gifts.
   • Life is a crop that grows and bears fruit without our knowing how; but when it does the thing to do is to receive it!
   • Your life is a gift, sown in the world. You have gifts of the Spirit that sprout and grow and bear fruit, without your knowing how. It happens while you “sleep and rise”— when you pay attention and when you don’t. And then you harvest those gifts that are in you and offer them to the world.
   • God’s grace grows within you and you “sleep and rise;” in self-surrender you die and are raised to new life, over and over. In this process new life grows, gradually, but when the harvest is ready (to “give way,” says the Greek—again, an act of self-surrender)‚ you “send” in the sickle (yes, the word “sent” is “apostled”).
   • The realm of God is a world of justice. It is growing even now, unseen—yet there are signs of its gradual emergence. Look for them: the small green shoots of healing, the tender stalks of courage and compassion, and even every once in a while the full grain of peace, freedom and justice.
   • The work of justice has gone on mostly without your seeing or knowing; but when the time is right, get in there!
       Similarly the mustard seed is an image that shines light in many different directions. A few:
  • God’s grace is alike a small seed in you: it grows into something that changes your life.
   • Our faith seems like a small thing given the scope of the world’s needs and the power of evil; but God’s grace can lead to enormous changes.
  • Even small acts of love are powerful.
  • Faith can’t be measured. God’s grace is so powerful that even a little trust in it can produce great results.
  • Don’t judge anyone’s faith, not even you own. You can’t tell what mighty power lies in a mustard seed of faith. You can’t tell what great things will arise from small beginnings.
  • We’re often tempted to judge our spiritual gifts, lamenting that we don;t have the gifts that someone else has.. never mind that. What may seem like a small little gift in you—your sense of humor, or your delight in beauty, or your ability to appreciate people—may have tremendous impact.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader:  Eternal Mystery, Sun of Life , you create all things.
 All:    Your glory shines in every living being.
Living Christ, Divine Presence, you plant the seed of your love in us.
 Your beauty, your grace are hidden in our hearts.
Spirit of Love, you call forth our compassion.
 By your growth in us, we flower with the fruit of your grace.
 We thank you.  We worship you.  We give ourselves to you.  Alleluia!

2.
Leader:  Creator God, you scatter the seed of your grace in this world.
      All:    It produces blessing, though we know not how.
You scatter the seed of your love in us.
       It sprouts and grows, though we do not know how.
When the time is ripe you gather your harvest.
      We offer our love to you, for the harvest is yours.

3.
Leader: Creator God, Source of Life, we praise you!
All: You plant the seed of your grace in us,
and Creation begins anew.
The mystery of your presence grows within us; we know not how.
The tree of Christ flourishes among us, bearing fruit.
The vine of your Spirit connects us all, and we thank you.
We are seeds of your promise, saplings of your Realm.
Alleluia! Spirit of Life, grow within us,
and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

Prayer

1.
God of grace, you plant the mustard seed of your love in us.  May it flourish and grow by your grace. May the sun of your Word shine upon us; the water of your grace nourish us; the warm earth of Christ hold us and bless us to bring forth life in your name.  Amen.

3.
God of all goodness, you are working your healing and justice in the world, though we do not see the whole of it. Nourish the seed of trust in our hearts. Open the eyes of our hearts to see the green blades of your work in the world. Prepare us to know when the harvest needs us,. By your Spirit make us ready to be sent into the harvest of justice and peace. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, as plants in a garden root themselves in rich soil, and open themselves to the rain and sun, so we root ourselves in your Presence.  We open ourselves to your Word.  And we await the working of your Spirit within us, so that what you have planted in us may bear fruit.  We pray in the name of Christ.  Amen.

3.
God of all goodness, you are working your healing and justice in the world, though we do not see the whole of it. Nourish the seed of trust in our hearts. Open the eyes of our hearts to see the green blades of your work in the world. Prepare us to know when the harvest needs us,. By your Spirit make us ready to be sent into the harvest of justice and peace. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to intercessions)

God of life,
we are the soil
where you scatter the seed of your Word.
May it take root in us,
grow mightily, and bear good fruit.
Amen.

Readings

1.   Psalm 20, a paraphrase

The Holy One gives herself to you in your day of trouble.
        The Divine Presence wraps you in protective arms.
May the Beloved give you life from the heart of Being,
         and heaven itself accompany you.

God treasures all that you are
         and honors all that you offer.
God grants you your deepest desires.
         Your becoming is God’s greatest pleasure.

All Creation sings with joy over you
         and Spirit dances to the music of your soul.
The Holy One gives all your hopes
         the power of becoming.

I know this: God chooses you to be who you are,
         talks to your soul like an old friend,
         brings to fruit every seed within you.

Watch out for the temptation to manipulate
         what others think of you.
God already knows who you are,
         and loves it.
Those illusions all crumble like ashes,
         but your Being rises and stands, solid and beautiful.
What happens to you is ephemeral;
         but who you are is sacred.

Holy One, give blessing to your Beloved.
         Opening our hears to you, we meet you.

2. Abridged from Psalm 20, a paraphrase

May the Holy One be with you in all your struggles.
        May God treasure your gifts with delight.
May God grant your deepest desires
       and bring to fruition the seeds of grace in you.
We rejoice at one another’s giftedness;
       we celebrate what God is doing in you.
God will always be present with God’s Beloved.
       God responds with love and blessing.
Some trust in power and accomplishments,
       but our trust is in God,
       in God’s amazing glory unfolding in each of us.
Help us to trust this vision, O God.
       Be our hope and our trust.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

1.
Gracious God, we give you our gifts as symbols of our lives.  Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will.  May your grace grow and bear fruit in our lives by the power of your Spirit in us, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) As the seed sprouts and grows, we know not how, so in the mystery of this meal your grace grows in us without our understanding.  May it bear fruit in us, for the sake of the mending of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view on the Music page)

Abounding Harvest
(Tune: KREMSER –We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing)

O God, you have scattered your gifts and your blessings,
the bread that gives life and the seed that grows.
Your grace is astounding, the harvest is abounding.
You give to the poor, and our cup overflows!

We come to the banquet, as each one is able,
rejoicing and voicing our thanks and our praise.
While singing we’re bringing our gifts to your table,
that we may serve you through all of our days.

As you have enriched us, so may we be giving,
and sow as we’ve reaped, in abundance and trust:
now gratefully giving through all of our living
the grace that you offer; for share it we must.

Our God who has planted and nurtured now harvests,
and so we surrender our lives to God’s use.
With Christ as our Vine, we are branches in his spirit,
all bearing fruit in love, and made one in God’s Peace.

       The following verse may be included with previous verses,
       or used as a sending song at the end of worship:

We go now, confessing our love and our blessing
for each, our companions in service and grace.
We’ll nourish each other as sister and brother,
to serve as God’s Bread for the whole human race.


The Harvest of Your Grace (Original song)
      (Including Eucharistic responses to this tune.)
      [2 Corinthians 9.6-15]
      A dialogue between cantor and congregation.

Response: Alleluia! O God, we rejoice in the harvest of your grace.
Cantor
1. God scatters abroad, and gives to the poor, and fills the hungry with good things.
2. How blessed the poor, and all those that mourn. “You do to me as to them.”
3. Now come to the Feast. Our cups overflow. With grateful hearts we remember.
4. God’s grace will abound, in seed and in bread. In joy then sow as you reap.
5. You will receive, so that you can give, and yield a harvest of good hearts.


Love-Sowing God (Tune: The river Is Wide)

Love-sowing God, sow love in me.
Sow seeds of grace abundantly.
My soul be soil where love may root
and grow and bear your precious fruit.

Where habit’s feet and wheels have tracked,
my anxious work the soil has packed,
soften my soul with bliss or pain,
so love may enter in again.

My angry thorns, my selfish weeds,
God, clear away, and sow your seeds.
Despite the hungry, wanting bird,
Love, plant in me your living Word.

Love-sowing God, your labors done,
help me to trust the rain and sun,
receive your grace and faithfully
bear forth your love that grows in me.



Seeds of Light (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)
(Communion Hymn: may either be used as a free-standing song
or as Eucharistic Prayer responses.)

(Sanctus)
Holy and Loving One, thank you for your love and grace
from the beginning, throughout our days.
With every living thing in grateful joy we sing,
and lift to you our song of praise.

(Memorial)
Dying, Christ died with us. Rising, Christ has raised us up.
Christ will come in love to reign.
May we be seeds of light, shining with mercy bright,
that death itself cannot contain.

(Amen)
Pour out your Spirit now on these gifts and us as well:
make us the body of Christ again.
Send us in love and grace, serving in joy and peace.
All praise to you! Amen. Amen.


The Tree of Life
(Tune: The Water Is Wide or O Love, How Deep)

O God, you plant deep in each soul
the tree of life that makes us whole,
whose leaves can heal and set us free,
whose fruit will feed abundantly.

The seed is small; the tree is great.
We cannot know what gifts await.
We only tend our plot with care,
in loving deed and listening prayer.

Teach me to trust, my soil to till,
to plant and water, and be still.
The seed will swell, and crack and grow,
though how this is I cannot know.

And I will die, and I will rise,
each day a birth, a new surprise.
And you will give life to the tree,
and I behold your mystery.



You are the soil (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)

God, Holy Presence, source of life and blessing,
you are the soil and we the seed.
By your indwelling grace, we die in your embrace;
you raise us up and we are freed.

Jesus, Beloved One, healer, teacher, guide and friend,
in you we come to die and rise:
buried like seeds in earth, given new, gracious birth,
with your love shining in our eyes.

Spirit, breathe into us. Fill us with your loveliness.
Flourish in us with your new green shoots.
May your life freely flow, swelling our hearts to grow,
that we may bear love’s finest fruits.

November 17, 2024

Lectionary Texts

1 Samuel 1. 4-20 — Hannah’s prayer … which in due time is answered.

1 Samuel 2.1-10 — Hannah’s prayer of thanks. There is no Rock like our God. God brings low, and also exalts. God raises up the poor from the dust

Hebrews 10.11-25 — that through Jesus’ sacrifice our sins have been removed once for all. Therefore rather than worry about our forgiveness, our faith can focus on bearing witness, doing good, and encouraging one another.

In Mark 13. 1-8 Jesus warns that the temple will be destroyed, frightening changes will occur and his followers will be persecuted. But he describes this not as the end of the world, but as “birthpangs.”

Preaching Thoughts

1 Samuel 1
       Hannah is not exactly one of those Hebrew “uppity women,” but she is belittled as if she were, and she stands firm against the priest’s ill treatment and justifies herself and shows herself to be a woman of great faith.

1 Samuel 2
       The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1 is a clear parallel to Hanna’s story, and here Hannah prays in a way that will be echoed by Mary’s Magnificat. The heart of it is the great biblical theme of God raising up the lowly and bringing down the rich and powerful.

Hebrews
       This passage repeats last week’s theme, that in Christ we know we are forgiven, absolutely and permanently. It’s hard for folks to trust this. I still hear people worry whether God will accept them, forgive them, love them deeply. Yes. We can’t say this enough. So rather than worry about our forgiveness, our faith can focus on bearing witness, doing good, and encouraging one another.

Mark
       As we move toward the culmination of the church year on Christ the Sovereign Sunday, our scriptures begin to look toward the end of things as they are, and God’s new Creation. In these and following verses Jesus warns that the temple will be destroyed, frightening changes will occur and his followers will be persecuted. With only a little modification, his words sound a lot like climate change; the collapse of the church’s influence and centrality in Western culture in the 21^st Century; and the rise of political powers that support White supremacy, environmental abuse, nationalism, militarism, and a whole lot of stuff Jesus preached against. Jesus’ words may sound a bit extreme, but he wasn’t exaggerating.
       Back in the 70’s some people stirred up a lot of angst (and made a lot of money) fretting about “end times.” There was some “Left Behind” panic, and little cults expecting the imminent end of the world. We’ve outgrown that… but meanwhile the actual end of human history is more conceivable now. Any one of many real dangers could spell, if not the end of civilization as we know it, at least radical crises—climate change, micro-plastic pollution, nuclear war, water shortages, threats to democracy… The threats are real.
       So how do people of faith deal with that? The answer isn’t in this reading. It’s spread throughout the Gospel. But this passage makes it clear that we will carry out God’s call to compassion, healing, peace, justice and nonviolence in the face of opposition, violence, greed and fear. We will go through rough times. But God will sustain us. “Do not be alarmed.” Part of what sustains us is the trust that God and God’s will and God’s Creative Energy are not only greater than we imagine, they’re greater than we can imagine. Jesus describes these awful visions not as the end, but as “birthpangs.” God is at work in ways we can’t know. The Life Force is strong, and Peace may find a way even when human intelligence can’t. Grace may prevail even in the face of profound disaster. Our hope is not wishing that things will turn out OK, but trust that Grace happens no matter how things turn out, that Love is already at work, as surely as gravity, influencing everything. Even the worst case scenario is labor pains. God will bring forth something new. Resurrection will happen. God has the power to turn death into life, despair into joy. Life will go on. Love will not end.
       So we learn to trust the mystery of Resurrection. We keep the faith. This was the way of Jesus toward the cross. This was the way of the first disciples, who experienced the murder of Jesus, the weight of religious persecution, the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the crushing power of Roman oppression. We know how to do this. So we live our lives with gentle faith in the face of violence and greed. We live with forgiveness in the face of cruelty. We live with love in the face of fear. We live with hope even in the face of doom itself. It will all be thrown down. But love will not. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can’t overcome it.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Eternal God, we praise you!
       All: Amidst all that changes, you are present.
You have been here forever, waiting for us.
       We are here, to be present for you.
Let all that is passing fall away.
        With open hands, we let go of all but you.
        Alleluia! Spirit of Life, transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Eternal God, Creator of all that is and all that is to come, we praise you.
       All: Risen Christ, you who hold the door open for us
       into this world, and into the next,
       we greet you, and we listen for your voice.
Holy Spirit, you who transform all things, we open our hearts to your presence.
        Holy One, Breath of Life, Flesh of Love and Bone of Faithfulness,
        we thank you.
        You are the turning of the world;
        you are the Mysterious Unfolding within us.
We come to you to worship, to be blessed, to be changed.
        Alleluia! Come, Spirit of Grace,
        and transform us according to your will. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: God of grace,
so much changes, so much fails,
so much confuses and confounds us.
     All: But your love continuously unfolds,
     your grace works its mysterious power.
We are afraid for things that will not last.
     But your mercy lasts forever;
     your tender love for us holds steadfast.
So we worship you in awe and gratitude.
    We open our hearts to your grace,
     that your hope for the world
     will find a home in us. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Eternal God, so much changes around us. So much is passing. So much is frightening. But you are present with us, steadfast and solid in your love. We open our hearts to your presence, to your Word, to your Spirit living in us. Help us to hear, to be healed, and to be made new. We pray in the spirit of Christ, who has died and is risen and is with us always. Amen.

2.
Holy God, you make this world, and remake it according to your grace. You move this world toward your will. Help us to move with you. Speak to us, and strengthen our hearts, so that we can be faithful to you always. Amen.

3.
God of love, this word sometimes seems to be walking toward its own destruction. But Jesus walked resolutely toward the cross, trusting your grace. Give us trust. Give us hope. Give us courage. Give us Jesus. Amen.

4.
God of Patience, bear with us humans while we try to figure out how to live. God of Forgiveness, be gentle with those who destroy life and promote injustice, and those who don’t know how to resist them. God of Resurrection, you hold this struggling world in your hands. Bring forth new birth—in the world and in us. God of the Crucified and Risen Christ, give us faith to live with grace, with love and mercy, unswayed by the troubles of the world. By your Holy Spirit, lead us in the ways of Peace. Amen.

5.
Eternal God, World-Maker, Change-Maker, Birth-Maker,
all things come and go… but you.
Loving Christ, Burgeoning Mercy, Healing Unfolding,
fear may conquer many… but not you.
Holy Spirit, Transforming Fire, Energy of Creation,
so much slips through our fingers… but not yours.
Holy One, as worlds change your love remains steadfast.
You work your Creating power faithfully, making all things new.
God of love, deepen our trust. Strengthen our faith.
Encourage our love, in the spirit of Christ. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
O constant God,
when all is thrown down,
your love is not.
We turn to you,
we rely upon you.
Pour yourself into us
that we may be constant in you.

Prayer of Confession

The grace of God be with you.
        And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
        Gentle God, we confess that we have left your ways
        and followed the ways of the world
        ways that will fail and not endure.
        We have fit in with the culture
        rather than staying true to your Spirit in us.
        Forgive us; re-root us in your Spirit,
        and remake us in the image of Christ. Amen.
SILENT PRAYER… THE WORD OF GRACE

Reading

When the towers fell

         “Do you see these great buildings?
         Not one stone will be left here upon another.”
                   —Mark 13.2


When the towers fell
it seemed the center of the world had vanished,
but the center, it turns out, is elsewhere.
When the towers fell
it seemed the end of the world,
but wars and rumors
have come and gone, and here we are.
They said everything changed
but nothing changed.
Empires come, and pass. Stones fall.
Hate and anger are still unable to build, but only destroy.
Still some people harm; some bless.
We seek stones unfallen, but stones still fall.
Even stones are made of smoke.

Listen. Things happen, things pass;
but they don’t express God’s love for you.
That’s constant. And so is God’s invitation.

Now—before the tower of this moment falls—
is the time to decide whether to be kind and how,
whether to show mercy.
This is the moment—unchanging—
and always has been, the moment
to love.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

        Holy God, we know you as the Creator of all that is and all that is to come, who makes and remakes the world in love and wisdom. You are moving this world toward perfect love, transforming all Creation by grace.
        We look to Jesus, your Christ, the embodiment of your presence among us. He taught and healed, proclaimed your Word, gathered a community, and announced the coming of your Realm of Grace. In his death and resurrection you have shown us the end of the world to which we cling and the coming of a new heaven and earth. He lives among us, accompanying us in faithful living and prophetic witness.
        We live by the power of the Holy Spirit, your transforming energy within and among us. As one church, the Body of Christ, we bear witness to your grace, practice your forgiveness, work for justice, rely on your promise of resurrection, and see all things in light of the eternity of all that is rooted in you. We devote ourselves to proclaiming your good news to all peoples, for the sake of the transformation of the world. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Blessed God, we praise you.
Creator of all that is and is to come, we thank you.
You create us, claim us, and accompany us.
From the interlocking powers that entrap us
you set us free.
You invite us into your Realm of Grace
that is free from the world’s fear and hostility.
You have given us Jesus, who showed us how to resist evil.
In the face of his death he ate with his friends,
a feast of hope and liberation.
You have set a table before us in the presence of our enemies;
and we come, all of us siblings in your love,
to feast on your mercy and to sing your praise.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who embodied your love.
In the face of brokenness he healed people,
in the face of hunger he fed people,
in the face of our sin he forgave.
He was crucified, and with him the hopes of a people.
And yet you raised him from the dead,
and with him the hope of a people.
This is a feast of death and resurrection
in the arms of Christ,
a feast of hope and trust.

     (The Blessing and Covenant) *
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
As worlds change around us, your love remains steady,
and yet by it we are transformed.
You feed us with the mystery of your grace,
that we may share in the courageous love of Christ,
and the peace of your Holy Spirit,
for the sake of the redemption of the world.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us /
this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
Amid the changing of worlds your love is steadfast. You have drawn us into the Realm of your Grace that is eternal. Send us out into the world, unwavering in bearing the steadfast love of Christ, at peace in the grace of your Holy Spirit, for the sake of the world you love. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view songs on the Music page.)


God of the Future     [Tune: SLANE – Be Thou My Vision]
God of our dark night, and God of our day,
God of our journey, whose will is our way,
when our path dims and the future’s unknown,
still you walk with us; we’re never alone.

Though the familiar should fade and turn strange,
your steady love for us never will change.
So when we worry and can’t see the way
Love, still your grace is enough for today.

All that is taken and all that we lose,
all of the cost of the path that we choose
never compares with the grace you impart:
faithful and gracious, you give us your heart.

Bless all the journeys we still are to make.
May they shed mercy and light for your sake
Lead us with courage on journeys unknown,
walking in blessing, and never alone.

Be our companion, our courage, our nerve,
You, the heart in us, to love and to serve.
Blessings you promise, whatever befall.
Still you walk with us, O lover of all.

In All that Changes (Tune: Breathe on Me, Breath of God)

In all that changes, God, all that will fail or fall,
your loving presence still abides, and will not fade at all.

In all that changes, God, your love is strong and sure.
Therefore we give in thanks for grace, and trust it will endure.

Through raging storm and sea, you are the rock that stands.
Free from all else, we give ourselves into your loving hands.


Love Will Bear Us Over (Tune : Holy Manna)

When our world is changing ‘round us and we long for good old days,
what that lasts will bear us over to new earth, new heaven, new ways?
Love will lead us when the path is unfamiliar, come what may:
set our heart to love our neighbors and our feet will find the way.

Christ gives us a new commandment: “Share the love that you’ve been given.”
When we do we’re resurrected, entering new earth and heaven.
When we love our neighbor more than caring for what used to be,
then our love will bear us over, then our love will set us free.

September 22, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Proverbs 31.10-31 — A capable wife

Psalm 1 — Those who follow God’s ways are like trees growing near water, bearing fruit and never failing.

James 3.13-4.3, 7-8a — Contrasting selfish desire with “gentleness born of wisdom.” Conflicting desires within us cause the conflicts between us.

Mark 9.30-37 — The first must be last; the greatest must be a servant. Welcome the child.

Preaching Thoughts

Proverbs
       Clearly the passage celebrates the wisdom, strength and industry of a woman who manages the estate and runs the family business and is not just a “helpmate.” Her attention is not on her own well-being alone, but that of her whole household. Given this woman’s energy, initiative and command, it’s clear that when a stay-at-home mom is asked if she works the answer is Yes. The description is a healthy corrective to our socially rehearsed images of a wife (and women in general) as subservient, passive and powerless.

Psalm
       The image of the life of the wicked is of one’s life efforts being chaff that are blown away by the wind. The image of righteousness is being deeply rooted in the continual grace and life-force of God. The former experience life-fruits being taken, blown away, while the latter experience grace being given, flowing toward them. Dwell on this image of being deeply rooted, nourished by the stream of God’s grace that continually flows and feeds your soul, unseen, underground….
       I see the psalm has built an opposing team of the wicked, sinners, and… scoffers. Hm. It seems scoffing has become a major political movement these days…. But as I imagine those scoffers I find myself sitting there scoffing at them. Oops. Busted. Maybe we’re being invited to be less judgmental, even of the wicked.
       Our typical dualistic way of thought is to imagine that we are among the righteous, while the wicked—“those people”—sit in the seat of scoffers, and are are hauled off to perdition by God’s police/angels. But what if the poem is all about us? I delight in God’s word, and I also follow the path of wickedness. Maybe the psalm isn’t about God sweeping away those sinners like chaff in the wind, but God removing my sin, getting rid of my own faults—and they disappear like chaff blown away in the wind! Even when the judgment is about me, it’s all grace!

James
       Here’s another word of warning to the scoffers. Just being “right” doesn’t count for anything. There is a kind of fake wisdom that sounds smart but is motivated by selfish ambition. Real wisdom is about relationship. Whoever is wise is gentle and respectful. If political discourse has given way to a whole lot of scoffing, James’ antidote is being “peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” How’s that for a debate strategy?
       “Where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind…. You want something and can’t obtain it, so you engage in conflicts.” Social disorder comes from inner disorder. This doesn’t mean that social movements can’t cause upheaval and even “disorder.” If the established order is unjust, God would have us disorder it, like Jesus upending the dealers’ tables. But we have to do it out of gentleness born of wisdom, not selfish ambition.
       “Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you.” If you preach on this be mindful of those who’ve been trying to draw near to God for a long time and don’t feel God drawing anywhere near them. God is near to us, but we actually seldom feel it. Sometimes our discouragement comes from our wanting the feeling more than trusting the presence. Even when you feel God is absent, God is there. In fact that discomfort you feel is God in you, reaching out for relationship. Our feelings, including the sense that God is near or far, are fleeting, imperfect, and conditioned by our whole life history. Don’t count on them to have the whole picture. When Jesus quotes Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he hasn’t been forsaken: God is as near to him as ever, right in him. When you draw near to God, in whatever way you’re given to do so, God does draw near to you, even if you can’t tell.

Mark
       We are quick to jump on the disciples for being so dense, arguing about who’s the greatest. But of course we do it all the time. We’re not necessarily vying for 1^st place, but we’re comparing ourselves, measuring ourselves on some scale, judging according to some binary spectrum of good and bad, worthy and unworthy. Jesus upends the spectrum: top must be bottom; first must be last and servant of all. See if you can get to that lowest spot, lower than drug dealers and terrorists, lower than Jesus. Then Jesus does away with the scale altogether. “Welcome a child.” So, maybe: be less”great” than the child, be servant of the child, be less important, less powerful than the child. Be here for the child’s sake, not your own. Be vulnerable, powerless, receptive, without status—and welcoming to all those who are like that. Greatest? Not even close. Off the charts. Jesus does away with the chart. Trashes the measuring tape. And that, children, is truly great.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Creator God, we praise you
          All: Risen Christ, we greet you!
Holy Spirit, we are one body by your grace.
        Blessed are those whose delight is in the Word of God.
        They are like trees planted by streams of water,
        who bear fruit in season, and whose leaves do not wither.
Grant us the gift of gentleness born of wisdom.
        God, we draw near to you, who draw hear to us.
        We root ourselves in you. We submit ourselves to you. We worship you.

2.
Leader: Abba God, loving father, we are your trusting children.
        All: Hold us in your love.
Amma God, loving mother, you give us life.
        Raise us up with courage.
Living Spirit, Holy One, you breathe into us your beauty and wisdom.
        Send us into this world with your love.
        We seek you. We fall into your arms. We worship.

3.
Leader: Loving God, heart of our being, you encompass us in grace.
All: Praise be to you! Alleluia!
Loving Christ, you embrace us in love and forgiveness.
Praise be to you! Alleluia!
Holy Spirit, you fill us with your humility, compassion and self-giving.
May our whole lives be praise to you. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: Creator God, mighty and powerful, we praise you.
All: You reign over us in love.
Crucified and risen Christ, tender and powerless, we thank you.
You reach out to us in love.
Holy Spirit, divine energy within and among us, we worship you.
You fill us with your love.
May we be present to you in our worship now, and in all our lives. Amen.

5.
Leader: Creator God,
All: you are enough.
Loving Christ,
we need no other.
Breath of Life,
you satisfy us. We rest in you.
We worship you with praise and gratitude. Alleluia!

Prayer

1.
Loving, steadfast God, the world is large and brutal. We feel like children, small and vulnerable. Hold us in your steady arms like a strong mother. Guide us like a wise father. Speak to us and raise us up as your wise, loving, gentle children. We pray in the presence and power of our brother Jesus. Amen.

2.
Leader: God of grace, Holy Child, you come among us small and tender.
        All: Open our hearts to welcome the child that is your Word.
Your voice is small, easily drowned out by those who would be great.
        Open our ears to hear your Word.
We so easily betray and deny you, and turn from you, hidden in the “little people.”
        Open our hands, to serve you in humble love.
        Grant us your wisdom, that we may live in faith, through Christ. Amen.

3.
God of peace, still our anxious hearts. Calm our wandering minds. Relax our tense hands. Open our waiting souls. Speak to us your Word of Life, and give us your Spirit. Amen.

4.
God, you welcome the child within us,
the tender, the unsure,
the still small voice.
You welcome the child among us,
the vulnerable, the overlooked,
the silent.
By your grace, help us
to attend to your children around us,
and to honor the child within us,
in the spirit of Christ,
who welcomes us as his own children. Amen.

5.
God, we want to follow powerful leaders, but you call us to follow the Crucified One. We want to be great but you invite us to be children. We want easy lives, but you shepherd us into dying and rising. Give us courage. Give us faith, Give us the gentleness born of wisdom. Speak to us and renew us as your trusting children. We pray in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Gentle One,
you welcome the child within us,
hungering, wondering,
longing for your lap.
Humble One,
you receive us,
and we abide in your embrace.

Reading

1.               Psalm 1 – Paraphrase A

There is a quieter voice
       than that of your appetite;
a deeper way
        than getting what you want;
greater wisdom
        than your cynicism.
Follow the deeper way
        and you’ll discover happiness:
find delight in each moment
        as a word spoken by God.
Be mindful of the simple path;
        every breath, be mindful.
You will be like a tree
        rooted near flowing streams.
Your fruitful life will nourish the world;
        your leaves will never wither;
        your living will be always rich.
The oblivious heart does not survive;
        it is chaff blown away in the wind.
It cannot stand up to scrutiny.
        Its babbling is silenced
        in the congregation of your heart.
God is your path. Stay on it.
        Any other gradually fades
        and goes nowhere.



2.              Psalm 1 – Paraphrase B

Deep joy is yours.
        Don’t ask anyone else for it.
No one can lead you to it.
        You don’t have more than anyone else.
Find your delight in God’s grace.
        Be mindful of it each moment.
Then you are like a tree
        rooted near life-giving streams
that bears fruit in its season
        whose leaves are always vibrant with life.

When you’re wrapped up in your own desires
        it doesn’t turn out this way.
You’re like a leaf that’s already fallen off,
        blown away.
Folks like that resist the truth.
        Their lives are never accompanied.
Let God be your eye, your compassion.
        Let the other ones go their way.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Pastor: God of mercy, trusting in your grace, we confess our sin to you and to another.
        All: You come among us in the small and vulnerable,
        but we have turned away from them for more important things.
        Your Spirit speaks within us, a tender child,
        but we ignore you for louder voices.
        You ask us to be as a child, small, receiving, and vulnerable;
        but we have sought dominance and strength.
        Forgive our sin, heal our fear, and make us once again
        the trusting children of God.
[Silent prayer … Words of grace….]

2.
Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
        Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
        God of love, we confess we have wanted to be “great,”
        to better than others, superior, and safer.
        Give us trust in your grace, to be “least,”
        to be humble, trusting and loving.
        Give us faith not to control, but to receive.
        Forgive our sin and renew our hearts.
[Silent prayer….]
Children of God, hear the good news that we know in Christ:
that your sins are forgiven entirely,
and you are set free to live by the Holy Spirit as a child of God,
now and always, in the name of Christ. Thanks be to God.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1. [Philippians 2.5-11]
Leader: Have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though divine,
did not cling to equality with God.
        All: Christ became utterly empty,
        born a human, choosing the place of a slave.
        In complete humility Christ became obedient to death,
        even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted Christ
with a name that is above every name,
        so that at the name of Jesus
        every knee should bend,
        in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
        and every tongue confess
        that Jesus Christ is Lord,
        to the glory of God, the Giver of Life.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God, you who are mighty and infinite,
and yet who serve us humbly, we praise you.
You who create the universe create us in love;
you give us your Spirit.
You come among us as a child,
and yet with the power to save us.
You set us free from oppression,
and call us to humbly serve the lowly and the outcast.
When we sin your forgive us,
and humbly offer us new life.
You come among us in Christ, not as a ruler but a servant.
And so in humble gratitude, together with all Creation,
we give you thanks and sing your praise.
_____________________

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He loved, he taught, he fed, he healed,
he embraced the lowly and the outcast.
He offered his Realm not to the powerful but to children.
Though of divine nature he did not cling to status
but emptied himself and became a servant.
He became vulnerable to death, even death on a cross.
But you raised him from the dead,
and by your glory the One who was last became the First.

     (The Blessing and Covenant) *
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
rooted by the streams of your love and bearing fruit,
humbly welcoming and serving all,
with the gentleness born of wisdom,
guided and upheld by your Spirit,
for the sake of the healing of the world.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / After Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us /
this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
… By your Spirit in us may we be deeply welcoming of all, especially the most vulnerable, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
… We open our arms to you to come among us as a child. By your Spirit in us may we humbly welcome and serve all people, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

3.
…Receive us with love, bless us with grace and use us according to your will. Help us by your Spirit to let go of our desires and attachments and live in gratitude and generosity for the sake of your desire for the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
… You who have welcomed us, bless us with your grace that we may welcome the vulnerable, serve the lowly, and work for healing and justice alongside Jesus, who finds the lowest place, and blesses it. May our lives be praise to you Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view songs on the Music page.)

I Take Up my Cross (Dialogue between soloist & congregation)

Refrain: Letting go, I am held. I take up my cross and follow.

1. Jesus, you call to me, and draw me into your life.
2. Christ, I leave all behind, to follow you in love.
3. I yield my life to you, for you alone are God.
4. Loved with your costly love, I’ll suffer for the sake of love.
5. Christ, make my one desire to be to serve you in love.

We Welcome the Child [Original song]

We welcome the child among us.
We welcome the tender ones.
In our embrace we meet your grace,
your gentle love divine.

Welcome to those who are fragile, a safe healing place to belong,
a shelter from harm, a comforting arm, a refuge where you may grow strong.
We welcome…

Welcome the child within us, the small, timid voice in the night,
her wonder and fear at the world so near, the child of your love and delight.
We welcome…

God, you are a child among us, no power or might or control.
By your gentle part you soften my heart and make me a more loving soul.
We welcome…

November 24, 2024

Lectionary Texts

2 Samuel 23.1-7 — David’s last words: a just ruler is like the dawn.. God’s covenant… the godless are like thorns.

Psalm 132 — God will place one of David’s descendants on the throne.

Revelation 1.4b-8 —Christ our ruler has freed us and made us into a new commonwealth.

John 18.33-37 —“My kingdom is not from this world.”

Preaching Thoughts

       “My kingdom is not from this world.” What does it mean for us to claim Jesus as “king,” or to proclaim “Jesus Christ is lord?” (I have mixed feelings about the word “lord.” It adequately expresses honor, power and authority, but it also reeks of sexism, being exclusively masculine, as in “lords and ladies.” So I go with “Chief.”) You can understand Pilate’s confusion: is Jesus really a king or not? Jesus points out how inapt the title of “king” is for him: he has no jurisdiction over an area of land, and has no political or military power. His is a different kind of realm. For one thing, he has’t conquered a certain existing place and its people; he created the nation: he “freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom” (Rev. 1.5-6). Jesus’ realm is not a political one but a spiritual one. Jesus is our “higher power.”
       Historically a person usually became king by conquering a territory. Jesus has not conquered any territory, but he has conquered the interlocking powers that enslave us: the grip of sin, the headlock of our ego, and our deep distrust of God; our fears, desires and attachments; the pull of social pressures, political allegiances and economic pressures and the domination of the world’s way of thinking. In pouring himself out in love, even to death, and forgiving us even as we murdered him, Jesus has conveyed to us the perfect, bottomless love of God, rescued us from the hand of all those oppressive powers, and delivered us into a new world ruled by grace. The superior power of Jesus’ love has done this.
       And Jesus doesn’t just have personal power. An earthly king has power over us that we don’t have. A political king rules over people but not in them. But Jesus’ power is in us: it’s a power he gives us. Jesus is not just an authority in the sense of a rule-maker. Jesus as “Lord” or “sovereign” is the template for our lives. We don’t just venerate Jesus, we emulate him. And he gives us the power to do that. As subservient to Christ’s love we love. Our lives are cruciform as his was: we pour out ourselves in love for others, no matter the cost. To claim Jesus as ruler of our lives is to make him the center of our rule of life, our intentional discipline, our way of living. It means we are wiling to suffer for the sake of love, to be faithful to God and in harmony with God and God’s grace, no matter what.
       Living that way in our culture is like living in a parallel universe. It’s a realm that’s “not from this world.” We don’t obey the command of any ruler or the demands of any legal code: we are faithful to Christ and Christ alone. Most of the time we also obey the laws of the nation where we live—but not necessarily. When they are in conflict “we obey God and not any human authority” (Act 5.29). Christ, and the love that Christ embodies, is our highest loyalty. We pledge allegiance to Christ, and no flag or nation. Yes, that sounds radical and even subversive. So it is. That’s why Jesus got crucified, and Christians got persecuted, and Civil Rights marchers got jailed. To claim Christ as Lord is serious business. It means death and resurrection.
And because Jesus is the ruler of our resurrection we trust Jesus as the ruler of our crucifixion.
       “Jesus Christ, ruler of the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1.5). Doesn’t seem like it, does it? It’s easy to say Jesus is my Lord, but is Jesus sovereign over all human history? In the symbolic imagery of the Bible does Jesus really sit at the right hand of God ruling over the universe? Because, seriously, it does not look remotely like that, does it? How can Jesus be sovereign over a world that’s as messed up as we are? We’re led astray by our notion of what it means to “rule.” Remember just a couple weeks ago in our readings Jesus says of the secular world, “their rulers it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant” (Mk. 10.42-43). Christ’s superiority is not in making people do what he wants them to do, but in serving people with love. He leaves us free to use, ignore or abuse that gift. And yet love remains the basic, fundamental force, and strongest power in the universe. It’s like gravity. You can’t escape it. It doesn’t “make stuff happen” by manipulate anything, but it influences everything, and makes some things possible and other things impossible. Love, embodied by Christ, the Chief of Love, rules everything. When we tap into that love it’s like connecting with an electrical current, or entering into an energy field: we have power greater than our own, and greater than any one person’s power, even an earthly ruler. Christ, crucified, seemingly powerless, is the power of heaven at work. Think of it. Love came up against worldly power: Jesus vs. Caesar. How did that turn out? Jesus changed the world and Caesar… got a salad named after him.
       In the cross and resurrection we see the mystery that love is the greatest force in the universe, more powerful than rulers and armies and even death. And Jesus is the Chief, which is to say, the Head Servant, of Love. So it is him, and that love, we follow. The Reign of Love, the Empire of Grace, may not be apparent in the news. But it will be radiant in the hearts and lives of the followers of Jesus.

Call to Worship

1.
(Revelation 1.4-8)
Leader: Grace to you and peace
from the one who is and who was and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits who are before the throne,
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead, and sovereign of the rulers of the earth.
      All: To Christ, who loves us
       and whose blood was shed in freeing us from our sins,
       and who has made us to be a nation of priests
       serving our God and Life-Giver,
       to Christ be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! Christ is coming with the clouds,
for every eye to see,
even those who pierced Jesus—
on whose account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
       So it is to be. Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says God the Holy One,
who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
       Alleluia! With humble gratitude, we worship!

2.
Leader: Glorious God, mighty and eternal,
you have conquered all the powers of this world.
All: But you have done it not with force or domination;
you have done it in the love of the crucified and risen Christ.
God of perfect love and boundless grace, you are our sovereign.
Christ, you are the Chief and ruler of our lives.
We thank you; we honor you; we seek to emulate you.
We worship in humble gratitude, with open hearts.
By your Spirit, may Love rule in our lives.

3.
Leader: Infinite God, Heavenly Lover, we are your loyal subjects.
All: Gentle Christ, whose throne is the cross,
we are your loyal subjects.
Spirit of Grace, your are the great power in our living.
Renouncing all other allegiances, we bow to you.
We give you the gifts of our lives.
We worship you. Bless us that we may faithfully serve you,
by the grace of Christ, in the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Eternal God, Creator and Sovereign of the Universe, you have established Christ as the ruler of all Creation. The world of human power and empire is an illusion. The real world is your Empire of Grace, ruled over by Christ, the living embodiment of your love. We come to align ourselves once again to your reign of grace. Speak your Word to us as citizens of heaven, that we may be loyal to you alone. We pledge allegiance to you and to no other, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Eternal God, though we are beset by many powers, forces and authorities, we have only one God, who is you. We have only one Superior, who is Christ. Our highest allegiance is to you, and our greatest loyalty. Christ, you who are the Way and the Truth and the Life, speak to us now. May we hear with joy what you are saying, and may your Word have authority for us. We are the citizens of your realm; speak to us, beloved Sovereign, for we are listening. Amen.

3.
God of love, you have established Jesus Christ as sovereign of the world. Help us to renounce all other loyalties. O Gentle Christ, bless us that your love may rule over our lives. Fill us with the power of your grace and the authority of your mercy. Give us the humility to receive your gifts and the strength to serve you faithfully. Rule over us, that our lives may be in harmony with yours, by the gift of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

4.
Holy God, you love us into being. You are the Breath of our life. You are the heartbeat of our body and soul. Your Christ, poured out in love, crucified in powerlessness and raised in glory, is our one Protector and Provider. We bow to you. We submit our hearts ad our minds and our lives to you. Be the ruler, the power, the measure of our lives. Christ, our Chief, our sovereign, and our model, reign in our hearts. Make us vassals of your mercy, vessels of your grace, emissaries of your perfect love, by the gift of your Holy Spirit, for the sake of the wholeness of the world, and your abiding glory. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

God of love,
over the many voices in my head
impose your calm and quiet.
Conquer the warring energies in my heart
with your pure love.
God, may you be the one voice
I listen to and obey.

Prayer of Confession

Pastor: The grace of God be with you.
      All: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
      Gentle God, we confess that we have not allowed you to rule our lives.
      We have strained against your grace,
      and sought our own ways,
      and obeyed impulses not of your Spirit.
      Forgive us, and return us,
      so that your grace may rule in our lives.
      Sovereign God, your will be done. Amen.
SILENT PRAYER… THE WORD OF GRACE

Readings

1.
(Colossians 1.15-20)
Leader: Christ is the visible appearance of the invisible God,
the beloved older sibling of all creation.
      All: All things in heaven and on earth were created in Christ,
       everything visible and invisible,
       rulers and powers and systems and empires—
       everything was created through Christ and for Christ.
Christ came before anything,
and in Christ everything holds together.
       Christ is the head and the church is the body.
Christ is the Source of life, and has turned even death into a birth:
so Christ is first in every way.
       In Christ God lives completely.
Through Christ God reconciles us to God—
all of us, and everything on earth and in heaven:
in dying on the cross, Christ brought God and humanity together.
       This is the mystery, hidden for ages but now revealed:
       that Christ is alive in us. Alleluia!

2.
Philippians 2.5-11
Leader: Beloved, be of the mind of Christ
       All: who was divine
       and yet who did not cling to equality with God,
but became utterly empty,
       born a human,
       choosing the place of a slave.
In complete humility
       Christ was obedient to death,
       even death on a cross.Therefore God exalted Christ with a name above every name
       so that at the name of Jesus
       every knee should bend
       in heaven, on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess
       that Jesus Christ is Sovereign,
       to the glory of God the Giver of Life.

Creed / Affirmation

1.
       We trust in God, creator of all that is and that shall be, the One in whom all things exist, the Love who orders all of life.
       We follow Jesus Christ, who fully embodies God’s love and grace. Jesus taught and healed, suffered and shared, and gathered a community of blessing, inclusion and transformation. He proclaimed a Realm of grace counter to the ways of the world. He was crucified by the powers of violence and Empire; but by the power of your grace you raised Christ from the dead, and Christ lives and reigns among us as our savior, our servant and our superior.
       We live in the Holy Spirit, God’s presence within and among us, whose grace and power orders our lives. By that Spirit we devote ourselves to serve Christ as faithful subjects and companions, willingly foregoing power, security and esteem for the sake of enfleshing God’s love for the world, to the glory of God. Amen.

2.
       We give our hearts to You, God, eternal creator and ruler of all that is and all that is to come, whose power and grace is unsearchable yet evident in the world around us, hidden in the ordinary, present in all things.
       We follow you, Christ, our Superior and Sovereign, who appeared in Jesus among the poor, teaching, healing and doing miracles, gathering a community, and proclaiming your Realm of Grace. In your death and resurrection you have overthrown the powers of this world and established your Realm among us. The Risen Christ lives and reigns; Christ prevails even amidst all evil, suffering and injustice; Christ directs our lives and confirms our hopes. Hidden in your humble appearance, vulnerability and powerlessness, you are our Sovereign, and the ruler of all Creation.
       We live by your Holy Spirit within and among us, the power of your reign in our hearts that guides and strengthens us to do respond to your desire, to live in love, and to work as the Body of Christ for your realm of mercy and justice. We renounce worldly powers and values, and pledge allegiance to your love and grace, which redeems the world and grants the gift of eternal life. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Blessed God, Creator of all that is and that is to come,
ruler of the universe and sovereign of our hearts, we praise you.
You claim us as your people and make Covenant to be our God.
You deliver us from the tyranny of the powers that enslave us.
You rescue us from the domination of the empires of this world
and set us free to live in the Empire of your grace.
You have given us Jesus Christ, who rules our hearts in love,
who commands this meal for our blessing and our delight.
Therefore with all Creation we bow in gratitude and sing your praise.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
ruler of our hearts.
He conquered the powers of selfishness and fear,
not with force but with love and mercy.
He resisted the powers of oppression and injustice,
not with might but in humility and powerlessness.
He was crucified by powers that claimed authority
but you raised him with the power of your grace.
The power with which he reigns, the power of love,
is not his alone; he gives it to us.
In this meal we receive his power,
that we too may endure with him in humility and love.

     (The Blessing and Covenant) *
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
ruled by his love, conformed to his grace,
and confident in the everlasting power of his blessing.
To Christ alone we give our thanks and our loyalty.
Blessed by these gifts may we serve faithfully,
for the sake of the world,
in the name of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us /
this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
The power that raised Christ from the dead, the power by which Christ rules the world, is your love, love which you give us freely and deeply. May we serve Christ as our Chief and our model, in the power of your Spirit. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view songs on the Music page.)

Christ, Ruler of All Things [Tune: ST. ELIZABETH (Fairest Lord Jesus)]

Christ, ruler of all things, what is seen and unseen,
your love reigns; your grace is sure.
Beneath our fear and strife, death fails to conquer life:
your tender mercy still endures.

Christ, ruler of our hearts, come and reign within us.
Make us comrades, siblings, friends.
Your love be our life, our only power,
that gives us life that never ends.

Christ, ruler of the earth, bring your gentle justice:
your Realm come, your will be done.
Heal all oppression; fill us with mercy,
as faithful as the rising sun.

Christ, ruler of all things, of what is and is to come,
Risen One, our song we raise.
Rule in our living; guide us with tender love.
Your grace in us will be your praise.


Love Is Enthroned (Tune: Finlandia)

O, risen Christ, who once appeared among us,
you have ascended! Loud we sing your praise.
Though we may see no shadow of your nearness,
you have not gone; your loving presence stays.
You are no longer in one time or place,
but in all things, to radiate your grace.

Christ has ascended, reigning now above.
Love is enthroned at the Creator’s side.
All powers on earth are subject to Christ’s love,
who is our history’s unseen, gentle guide.
Though evil try to make this world its home,
Love is its Lord, and love shall overcome.

Go in the peace of Christ who is our Lord,
and gently heal, amid the fear and strife.
For we who eat and drink the living Word
are now Christ’s Body, and Christ’s earthly life.
We may not see the journey or the end,
but Christ still reigns, our ruler and our friend.


O Jesus, Wounded Sovereign [Tune: O Sacred Head Now Wounded]

Dear Jesus, you who suffer and walk among the poor
whose hearts and lives are broken, whose faith is still unsure:
despised, accused and battered, you do not say a word.
So powerless, yet loving!— you are my Sovereign Lord.

You bear no arms but loving, no threats nor flags unfurled.
You wear no kingly robes, but the sorrows of the world.
Yet your forgiveness conquers each worldly rule and reign,
and rises, whole, undaunted, from evil, death and pain.

While emperors abuse you, and people shrug or stare,
and dark injustice troubles the ones for whom you care,
your mighty grace arises, and hidden from our sight,
enfolds all living beings in your triumphant light.

Though Caesar cannot see you, and empires stumble, blind,
your Reign of love, triumphant, rules all of humankind.
The power of Creation, that showers us with grace,
is hidden in your weak hands, and in your trembling face.

O Jesus, wounded Sovereign, I pray, give me the nerve
without this world’s armor to love and bless and serve.
My master and companion, rule all eternity
with grace and deep compassion, and, Lord, begin with me.


O Sovereign Love (Tune: Amazing Grace)

Beloved, you who guard and guide and give for every need,
reign in my heart, O Sovereign Christ; direct each thought and deed.

O Sovereign Love, my root, my sun, my purpose and my peace,
I spurn the world’s vain, anxious rule, and trust your Law of Grace.

The Empire of your justice, God, with mercy’s clear command
shall be my home; my loyalty is to no lesser land.

In humble and obedient thanks I pledge my life to you,
to join your work of justice, God, to make the world anew.

Reign in my heart, O Christ, my Rule. In faith I am compelled
to serve you, who by love alone have conquered all the world.

November 1 or November 3, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Isaiah 25.6-9 — On this mountain God will make a feast… and swallow up death.. and wipe away tears

Psalm 24 —The earth is God’s… The king of glory enters!

Revelation 21.1-6 — The new heaven and new earth. Death will be no more. “Behold, I make all things new.”

John 11. 32-44 —Jesus raises Lazarus.

Preaching Thoughts

Isaiah
       The prophet foresees the coming war, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the dominance of ruthless people—and yet beyond that, a great feast symbolizing God’s establishment of a new reality that will “swallow up” death and destruction — not just for Israel but for all the world, as one community. It’s a defiant vision of hope in the face of calamity and the threat of despair. Isaiah refuses to despair. We can see this as a vision of a possible future outcome of human history.. but it can also be a vision of the deeper reality that we are part of even now, though we can’t see it. Despite our wars and violence, despite our ravaging the earth and abusing and exploiting people, God prepares a feast of Life for us; God frees us from the shroud of our fear and selfishness; God removes our disgrace; God wipes away our tears. Even death itself is swallowed up in God’s love. Imagine that this is happening, not just in the future, but now, in a dimension we can’t comprehend.

Revelation
       John foresees a new reality—not just among human nations, but the entire cosmos: a new Creation. It is symbolized, as in Isaiah, by the city of Jerusalem, the intimate presence of God, and the end of death and sorrow. The “water from the springs of the water of life” remind me of Jesus’ promise in John 3: “The water I give will become in them a spring of living water gushing up to eternal life.” As with Isiah’s vision, we can see this as a future prediction, or a description of the afterlife, but it might also be a vision about the grace of God that is with us always. Maybe the “new heaven and earth” are wheat we experience with the renewal of our consciousness, a new way of seeing reality, when we re in Christ. Somehow, in inexpressible ways, at the heart of existence is this shining love, this tender compassion, this loving presence. “Heaven” is not “up” but in. At the center of our lives God is present, making all things new, wiping away our tears, gathering up our suffering and our failure in God’s mysterious grace, continually giving us the water of life. Maybe in ways beyond our comprehending, “It is done!”

John
       I assume this passage was chosen for the lectionary for All Saints Day because, like the other readings, it gives us hope that people we love who have died still have a bright future, and that maybe we will get to see them again. That’s OK with me. Maybe All Saints Day needs to be sort of a general funeral for everybody we have loved and lost. If your people need to hear that, go there.
       But this story doesn’t take me to the afterlife. It brings me face to face with mortality and grief. Maybe the significant thing about this story for All Saints is not that Lazarus (and also your dear grandmother) will be raised to life again at some point, and there will be death no more—but that the saints of God are those who live life in the face of death and who love even in times of grief.
       “Jesus wept” —because he loved Lazarus, and loved Mary, and being deeply and profoundly human, his heart was broken. Here’s a picture of God with us: not magically fixing thing, but broken-hearted, standing beside us, weeping with us at our losses. People complain about that: “Couldn’t he have kept him from dying?” And Jesus’ tears seem to silently answer: “No. I can’t keep anyone from dying. I can’t prevent you from suffering. I can’t fix things like you want. But I can love you and be with you.” As much as we fight it, this is God’s word to us. God doesn’t seem to prevent tragedy; it keeps right on happening. But God is with us, and God’s heart breaks with us. Isn’t this some of the message of the cross? That God shares our pain, endures our losses, knows our suffering? The saints of God are the ones who trust this and carry on, even when loss is huge and grief is heavy. They don’t try to “be strong.” They are real. They grieve. They show love. They don’t try to “make sense” of loss and suffering (remember Job?); they simply trust that life is good even when it hurts.
       The good news, the healing, the miracles even, only come after the grieving. When Martha hesitates about opening the tomb because it will stink she touches that fear we have that grief is bottomless. If we face it, it will hurt too much. “Don’t get me started, “ we say, “or I’ll cry and never be able to stop.” We’re afraid of making a big stink. But Jesus assures us that this grieving, this work of facing our losses, staring into the grave, opening up our wounds, leads to glory. The saints of God are those who face mortality and live radiantly.
       … And the dead man came out. Clearly, not actually dead, at least not any more. Maybe the saints of God are those who have heard the voice of Christ calling them out of their dead places, calling to something in them that has died, something that maybe they feel they have lost, but that God treasures. Maybe the saints are those who come out of old dead places, who leave lifeless things behind, who allow themselves to be unbound snd set free. Maybe what it means to be one of the saints of God is to allow God, with great love and a broken heart, to call us out of old lives into something new and unprecedented… and we come: awkward, still bound up in the rags of death, but willing, and alive in a new way.

Call to Worship

1.
For all the saints who have led us through the ages, we praise you.
      For all the saints in our own lives
      who have loved us and shown us your grace, we thank you.
With all the communion of saints, we glorify you.
      Alleluia! God of all the saints, transform us by your grace. Alleluia!
2.
Leader: God, you have sent us saints who have guided and inspired us; and we thank you.
      All: You have given us saints who have loved and us and transformed us. We praise you.
May we be your saints, shining with your light, radiant with your love.
      Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

3.
Leader: God, you call us from death to life.
      All: We hear your voice, and something in us wakens.
You call us out of lifeless places, into the light of your grace.
      We hear your voice, and something in us rises.
You call us to be unbound, to be free, to be new.
      We hear your voice,
      and something in us enters into your new day.
      We praise you. We worship you. We give you thanks. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Gracious God, we give thanks for the saints who have gone before us: people of all ages, even children, who have shined a light on the way with their love. Make us holy with the same love they had. Help us to hear your Word and to be changed by your Spirit in us, sanctified for your purposes, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
God of love, in the company of your saints, we are lifted by their faith. With them we are warmed by your grace and led by your Spirit. Sanctify us with them: restore in us our true, holy calling as your beloved people. May love be our worship; love be our lives. Amen.

3.
Beautiful God, we are brought together in your grace. We are blessed in one another’s company. We are transformed by your Word. Speak to us, and help us listen with our deepest hearts, so that we may become more and more ourselves, more true to the glory you have planted within and among us, and more faithful to one another. In your embodied Word, Christ living among us, come, Lord, and speak. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Loving Christ,
broken-hearted Christ,
peering into our tombs,
you speak,
and something in us hears.
The Lazarus in us listens.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Blessed are you, O God, Creator of all and all that is to come.
By your grace you have given us life and made us a people.
You have surrounded us with saints,
women, children and men who have rejoiced in your grace,
shared in your work of redemption,
and shined with your love and lit the way for us.
They have worked for justice; they have offered healing;
they have been examples of mercy, faith and love.
You have gathered us into the community of the redeemed,
and given us as a light to the nations.
Therefore together with the whole communion of saints,
who gather with us art this table,
and in union with all Creation, we sing your praise:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who showed us the way of love,
and who died for us in love,
so that as your saints we might live in love.
He preached good news to the poor,
he lifted up the downtrodden and gathered the outcast,
and recognized what in us was holy
and worthy of following in the way of compassion and joy.
Worthy is Christ, who by his grace has gathered for you
saints from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have called us to share in the inheritance
of the saints in the light,
and in the dominion of your beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

[… The Blessing and Covenant …] *

In this meal Christ sanctifies us once again,
offering us love, calling us to love,
and inviting us into Christ’s death and resurrection.
In Christ’s dying and rising
you have sealed the lives of your saints.
In thanksgiving we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that as the Body of Christ we may embody your love.
Raise us to new life, sanctify us by your grace,
and make us perfect vessels of your love..
In communion with Christ and all the saints,
we offer our lives as a living sacrifice,
that we may uplift one another in the ministry of the gospel
and fulfill the sacred purpose
for which you have sent us in your name.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.
_______________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us,
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,
saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us /
this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
You have raised us to new life in the death and resurrection of Christ; you have made us whole in your love, united us as one body in your grace, and sanctified us by your Spirit. Together with all your saints, send us out to love, to serve, to live in the new world of your grace, in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view songs and hear audio clips on the Music page.)

Blessed [Original tune. Includes 4-part version for choir]

Dear God, receive me anew, mourning and poor in my soul,
hungry for what makes me whole.
Bless me by making me simple like you.

Refrain: Blessed are the ones who have nothing but God,
for God and God alone shall fill their lives.

Mercy please grant me anew. Make my heart pure by your grace,
humble, that I may see your face.
Bless me by making me gentle like you. Refrain

Courage please give me anew, peace in the world to make,
and to suffer for your Gospel’s sake.
Bless me by making me faithful to you. Refrain


Eternal Life [Original tune. Includes 4-part version for choir.]

This is how we will know eternal life:
we will love one another.
I lay down my life, all that is mine alone,
that we may be raised together.

We are not bound by any earthy thing
when our lives we surrender to God
whose love is eternal life,
and so we will love one another.


For Your Saints [ Tune: Joyful, Joyful]

God, we thank you for your saints and for their time among us here,
In their faith, their service and their ready smile we’ve felt you near.
In their steadfast love of others and their persevering grace,
we have known your living presence; we have seen your human face.

God, we thank you for the faith that lifts our hearts and lights our way,
for your hidden, healing presence walking with us day by day.
As we face death’s shadows, still we walk with courage and with love,
persevering in the faith that you have granted from above.

“Children, I will never leave you or forsake you,” you have said.
You have been our helper, God, so there is nothing that we dread.
By your grace that never fails us, guide, sustain and lead us on,
‘till we step with grateful hearts into the light of heaven’s dawn.

God Bless the Saints [Tune: Blest Be the Tie that Binds ]

God bless the saints we’ve known,
who loved us through the years,
who shared our struggles and cherished our joys
and held us and wiped our tears.

God bless the teachers and guides
whose wisdom brightens our days,
whose courage lifts our struggling hearts,
and shines your light on our ways.

God bless the quiet ones
who serve in humble ways
without their seeing the fruit of their faith,
yet live in prayerful praise.

God, help us be your saints
who trust your loving grace,
that we may be a holy blessing
in our own time and place.

November 3, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Ruth 1. 1-18 — The set-up for Ruth’s story. Ruth says to Naomi, “where you go I will go.”

Psalm 146 —trust in God, not in worldly power. God cares for the poor and powerless, and lifts up those who are bowed down. (See a paraphrase below.)

Hebrews 9. 11-14 — Jesus the high priest (and sacrifice) purifies us with his blood..

Mark 12.28-34 — The great commandment.

Preaching Thoughts

Ruth
       The story of Israel is peppered with the contributions of non-Israelites, including Ruth, the Moabite grandmother of king David. Here we see her Moabite roots. And we see the life of an immigrant, who leaves behind not only geography but also family and even religion, to emigrate to a new place. Even if they leave for a “better life,” immigrants and refugees have to leave behind a lot of life.
       Ruth’s pledge to Naomi is a model for faith: to say to Jesus “Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die.” (Or how you will suffer, I will suffer.) That’s what we mean by faith.

Hebrews
       Hebrews is rooted in the priestly cult of the temple, with high priests and animal sacrifices. We have to be careful translating it into our contemporary religious setting. At the beginning of this passage Jesus is the high priest, but then he becomes the sacrifice, and Hebrews goes on to focus on the cleansing power of his blood. This doesn’t mean Jesus “paid the price” for our sin. The sacrifice is not his physical blood but his willingness to love us at any cost. In Jesus’ self-giving, pouring himself out in love, even to the point of suffering and death, he conveyed God’s love to us. And that love purifies us. We stand before God justified, absolved of wrongdoing, and purified, not because we’re innocent, and not because though we’re guilty Jesus posted bail; we’re purified because God us loves us and forgives us and makes us clean. Jesus embodied that. He “offered himself to God,” that is, submitted to the demands of love, no mater the cost. In his willingness to be condemned even though innocent, “without blemish,” and by enduring the unjust judgment of humans, he destroyed that judgment: see this condemnation? It’s bogus! We’re not condemned, we’re beloved!

Mark
       Of the hundreds of questions Jesus was asked, he answered all but three indirectly, with parables or with another question. But here he answers directly! What is the most important commandment? To love God. And it has a twin: to love your neighbor. Jesus makes it clear that they’re two sides of the same coin, to ways of looking at the same love. How we love our neighbor is how we love God. (Whatever you do to the least of these…) Some people say we ought to have the Ten Commandments posted in our courtrooms because we’re a Christian nation. Well, now, that would make us Jewish, wouldn’t it? Christians don’t have ten commandments. We have one: “Love one another as I have loved you.” God’s love for us is our love for others; and that is how we love God.
       This is what it means to be a Christian: to love like Jesus. We have a lot of garbage we carry around in our “Christian” bags that have little to do with love. We might sometimes sort of want to be loving, but not as desperately as we want to be happy, secure, accepted, or right. In our politics, our economics, and our relationships, love doesn’t always come out on top. Sometimes the issue is not that we fail be loving enough, but that we fail to renounce everything that gets in the way of our love, everything that dilutes our love, everything that comes first. We have a lot to let go of to really be faithful to the God of love.
       Notice that the shema in Dt. 6.4-5 says to love God with all your heart, soul and might. Jesus adds your mind. I think he means more than just your thoughts. He means your mindfulness, your awareness, your worldview, your consciousness. Maybe along the lines of what Paul means in Romans 12.2 about the “renewal of your mindfulness.”

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Creator God, you are the Love that gives us life.
      All: You shower us with love, and we worship you.
Loving Christ, you give us the love with which we love God.
      You fill us with love, and we thank you.
Holy Spirit, you are the Love with which we love others.
      You fill us with love, and we serve you with joy. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Creator God, how you love us!
      All: Alleluia! We praise you.
Loving Christ, how you forgive us and heal us!
      Alleluia! We thank you.
Holy Spirit, how you fill us with love for God and our neighbor!
      Alleluia! God of Love, we worship you.

3.
Leader: Infinite Love, you create us.
       All: Mysterious Mercy, you claim us.
Unbounded Compassion, you adore us.
       Heaven’s Joy, you delight in us.
Loving God, you call us with your beauty.
       Holy One, we are in love.
Spirit of mercy, you fill us with your compassion.
       We breathe in your love; we inhale your Spirit,
       so we may be loving to you and to the world,
       in the name of Christ.

4.
Leader: God of love, you give us life.
       All: Holy One, we love you!
Jesus, Christ of God, you embody God’s love for us.
       Loving One, we love you!
Holy Spirit, spirit of love, you fill our hearts.
       Radiant One, we love you!
       Fill our hearts; transform our minds;
       make us vessels of your love. Amen.

Prayer

1.
God of love, you who create us in love and call us to love: we earnestly desire to love you with our whole hearts, our whole souls, our whole minds, and all our strength. Help us to love you and to love our neighbor, not by our own will but by your grace, your infinite love in us. We pray in the name of our Teacher, our Beloved, Jesus. Amen.

2.
Leader: God says, “Beloved, I give you my love!”
      All: How can we trust such good news?
Jesus says, “As God has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. “
      How can we receive such love?
We do not know how to pray, but the Spirit intercedes for us.
      Spirit of Love, enter our hearts, transform our lives,
      and fill us with you light,
      that we may truly love as we have been loved.,
      in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

3.
God of love, your Jesus shows us how to be loving. As Jesus models you for us, help us to model Jesus for the world. Put our hands on his hands, our feet on his, our hearts in his, so we may become more perfectly loving, by the gift of your grace. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, in this world we are taught to acquire possessions, to seek certain character traits, and to accomplish certain things. But they are not love. We turn to you, to forgive our failure to love perfectly, to purify us of all that is not love, and to fan the flames of your love in us for you and for the world, that we may be prefect vessels of your love, by the grace of Christ, in the power of your Spirit. Amen.

5.
Loving One,
you love us perfectly,
with all your heart and mind and soul and strength.
Help us receive your love,
and be filled to overflowing with your love
to bear your love into this world.

6.
Gracious God, your Word is a word of love.
We seek not merely to understand your words,
but to receive your love.
Speak to us now, that your Word may take root in our hearts,
and fill us with love for you and for our neighbors,
by the grace of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Heavenly Lover,
perfect love,
infinite Heart,
surround us, enfold us,
and fill us,
that we may become
the body of your love.

Prayer of Confession

1
Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
      All: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us come honestly before God.
We recall those times when we have been most in harmony with God’s love,
and we give thanks. {Silent prayer]
We recall those times when we have been most out of harmony with God’s love,
and we open our hearts to God’s mercy. [Silent prayer….]
By the grace we know in Christ Jesus, God forgives us entirely,
redeems us and sets us free to live by the power of the Spirit of love,
in the name of Christ.
      Thanks be to God.

2.
God of love,
we confess that though you ask us to be loving,
we seek to be successful, secure, and so many other things.
All that we have sought but love, we name before you.
All we have clung to, we release.
All that we have put before love, we renounce.
Cleanse us. Forgive us. Heal us of our selfishness.
Make us perfect vessels of your infinite love,
in the name ad the Spirit of Christ.

Reading

               Psalm 146 — A paraphrase

O Holy Presence, Power of Life,
       we praise you.
We praise you with our saying and doing;
        we praise you by being.

Our life doesn’t come from powerful people;
        it’s not soldiers who make us free.
What they control dies with them:
        that’s little stuff, not what’s deeply life-giving.

But unbounded life wells up in us
        when we open our hearts to your love for all,
when our hearts fall into the Heart
        who is at the heart of all things—

you— who create galaxies,
        who handmade the earth;
who filled the oceans drop by drop
        and gave them their tiny and huge creatures,

you who never give up on us,
        who liberate the oppressed,
who are food for the hungry
        and who lift those who are bowed down.

O Love, you set us free
        from whatever imprisons us;
you open our eyes when we are blind;
        and in you we discover deep love.

You are present in the stranger;
        you are the hope and dignity
of the homeless child, the single mother,
        the strength of the vulnerable ones.

Those who turn to you
        you feed with life,
but the spirit of selfishness
        you starve to death.

Holy One,
        you love the world into being.
Amazing!
        Amazing!

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1.
      We believe in God, who is Love, whose love is unconditional, perfect, absolute and eternal.
       We follow Jesus, the Beloved of God, who embodied God’s love. In love he taught the curious, fed the hungry and healed the broken. In love he suffered our evil, and was crucified. And in love God raised him from the dead. Christ lives among us still in the eternal power of love.
      We live by the power of the Holy Spirit, the spirit of love, the love of God flowing through us for the world. In that love we seek a world of justice and mercy; and we live lives of forgiveness, gratitude and courage. The Spirit of Love gives us life that is eternal, which is our power, and our hope and our joy.

2.
               A prayer for love

God. help me to love you today with all my heart.
Transform my will. May all my desires lead me toward you.
Overwhelm all my fears with love for you.

Help me to love you with all my soul.
Let the inner core of who I am be your glory,
shining toward you.

Help me to love you with all my mind.
Let my thoughts be of you, seeing you in all things,
awake and mindful.

Help me love you with all my strength,
giving deeply of myself, and of all I possess.
May every deed be an act of pure love.

And may all of my thoughts and desires,
my actions and my very being,
mirror my love for you in love for others.

I pray in the name of Christ, who has loved me
with all his heart, and all his soul,
and all his mind, and all his strength. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Blessed are you, O God, Creator of all things,
ruler of the world and all that is to come.
In the beginning was your Word; your Word was love,
and by your Word you created all things.
You have loved us into being,
and you surround us with your love in all Creation.
Though we wander from your love, your love for us remains steadfast.
You heal us, you restore us, you set us free.
You overthrow the powers of evil and oppression,
not with violence but with love.
In Christ you have loved us with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.
Therefore with all Creation we praise you with one voice:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who embodied your love.
He gave us love, so that we might love;
he loved even those who were least loved among us.
His love had the power to heal,
the power to overcome injustice and oppression.
In this meal, with grateful joy
we feast upon your love, given to us in Christ.

     (The Blessing and Covenant) *
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us,
that as we receive the Body of Christ
we may become the Body of Christ,
the body of your love.
Feed us with love that is bold and courageous,
confident with tender hope,
and the power that changes the world.
By the power of your Spirit and the love of Christ
make us the body of your love.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
Gracious God, we thank you for
the mystery that you give yourself to us /
this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
You have poured into us your love. We give you our lives, that you may use them as vessels of your love, that above all else we may love, for to love our neighbors is to love you. So bless us, in the name of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view songs on the Music page.)

At Your Feet [Original song]

Jesus, at your feet I bow.
I am yours completely now.
By your mercy show me how
to be loving.

Jesus, Master, you who save,
you have served me as a slave.
This, the perfect gift you gave:
to be loving.

In each hurting one I meet
it is you, O Christ, I greet.
Make my faithfulness complete,
to be loving.


Eternal Life [Original song]

This is how we will know eternal life:
we will love one another.
I lay down my life, all that is mine alone,
that we may be raised together.

We are not bound by any earthy thing
when our lives we surrender to God
whose love is eternal life,
and so we will love one another.

Fill Me, Love (Tune: Lead Me, Lord)

Fill me, Love, fill me with the oil of love,
may my lamp burn, burn long and bright.
For, Love, you fill me when my heart is empty,
so I may shine through the longest night.



Fulfill Your Love In Me (Original song)

Refrain:
Fulfill your love in me, O Loving Spirit,
fulfill your love in me, O Heart of Love.

Verses:
Speak the name Beloved in my deepest soul.
Hold me in your heart, your gentle loving. (Refrain)

Heal me with your mercy and your tenderness.
Bring to life the grace in me to love you. (Refrain)

Give me grace to love my neighbor as myself,
freely, with the love with which you love me. (Refrain)

God of all Gentleness [Tune: Be Thou My Vision]

God of all gentleness, God of pure love,
you do not watch us from heights far above,
you are no tyrant, but patient and mild,
present with grace in the poor, in the child.

God of all mercy, may we be the ones
bearing your love to your daughters and sons,
not out of pity but humbly, with grace,
for in the poor we see your human face.

God of all justice, give us hearts to care,
hope to free prisoners of fear and despair,
courage to challenge the ways that oppress,
deep love to reach out to heal and to bless.

God of compassion, your Spirit now pour
into us all, for it’s we who are poor,
hungry for justice, for healing and grace,
and for full life for the whole human race.

Love Only      (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

God, may your deep love shine bright in my heart,
may it be always your love I impart.
In ease or conflict, your love be my stay,
as your Beloved, your love to convey.

When people scare me so I feel alone,
help me see they, too, have wounds of their own.
Help me surrender my sword and my shield,
love and love only by your grace to yield.

God, by your Spirit, fill me with your grace, to
love and to heal in each moment and place.
Love and love only, through conflict or strife,
sets us all free and gives healing and life.

Love-sowing God [Tune: “Gift of Love” – The River Is Wide]

Love-sowing God, sow love in me.
Sow seeds of grace abundantly.
My soul be soil where love may root
and grow and bear your precious fruit.

Where habit’s feet and wheels have tracked,
my anxious work the soil has packed,
soften my soul with bliss or pain,
so love may enter in again.

My angry thorns, my selfish weeds,
God, clear away, and sow your seeds.
Despite the hungry, wanting bird,
Love, plant in me your living Word.

Love-sowing God, your labors done,
help me to trust the rain and sun,
receive your grace and faithfully
bear forth your love that grows in me.


Love Will Bear Us Over [ Tune: Holy Manna]

When our world is changing ‘round us and we long for good old days,
what that lasts will bear us over to new earth, new heaven, new ways?
Love will lead us when the path is unfamiliar, come what may:
set our heart to love our neighbors and our feet will find the way.

Christ gives us a new commandment: “Share the love that you’ve been given.”
When we do we’re resurrected, entering new earth and heaven.
When we love our neighbor more than caring for what used to be,
then our love will bear us over, then our love will set us free.

Make Us Merciful (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)

Merciful parent, God, prodigal with grace and love,
welcoming children through your pain,
gently receive us all, break down our shame’s dark wall,
that we may never leave again.

Gentle and gracious God, you who love your children,
you take us in though we turn away.
Fold us in your embrace; fill us with peace and grace,
that we may live your gentle way.

God, give us spacious hearts, generous and kind and wide,
no matter what hurtful things folks do.
Help us to love and bless, steadfast in gentleness.
Lord, make us merciful as you.

O Christ, My Way    (Tune: The River Is Wide)

O Christ, my truth, my life, my way,
I give my heart to you this day.
I give myself, yes all of me,
that where you are I too may be.

O Christ, my way, the path I take
is love alone, for your love’s sake.
O be my heart, my strength and nerve,
that I may love and bless and serve.

O Christ, my truth, in you I see
the God who dwells in you and me.
But God remains yet far above
until I live in humble love.

O Christ, my life, I give my heart,
for when in you I take my part
and share your love, your work and strife,
I share in full your risen life.

O Sovereign Love (Tune: Amazing Grace)

Beloved, you who guard and guide and give for every need,
reign in my heart, O Sovereign Christ; direct each thought and deed.

O Sovereign Love, my root, my sun, my purpose and my peace,
I spurn the world’s vain, anxious rule, and trust your Law of Grace.

The Empire of your justice, God, with mercy’s clear command
shall be my home; my loyalty is to no lesser land.

In humble and obedient thanks I pledge my life to you,
to join your work of justice, God, to make the world anew.

Reign in my heart, O Christ, my Rule. In faith I am compelled
to serve you, who by love alone have conquered all the world.

Open My Heart [ Tune: Open My Eyes]

Open my eyes that I may see everyone ‘round me lovingly,
shedding my labels, habits and fear, see with a heart that’s true and clear.
Patiently, God, may I behold each blessed life as it unfolds.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.

Open my ears and let me hear unspoken stories, unshed tears.
Help me to hear with love shining through stories that no one’s listened to.
Tenderly, God, help me to hold what is within each person’s soul.
Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine.

Open my heart and grant me love, mercy for those I’m heedless of.
Help me to know each person I face as one you bless with gentle grace
Lovingly, God, please make me more mindful of those whom we ignore.
Open my heart, illumine me, spirit divine.


Set Me Free (to Love) [Original song]

From all that binds me, Love, set me free.
From all that binds me, Love, set me free.
Set me free, Love, set me free.
Oh Love, set me free to love.

From what I fear, O Love set me free….
From what I cling to, Love, set me free…
To live in perfect love, set me free….

October 27, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Job 42. 1-6, 10-17, —Job’s response: “I have uttered what I did not understand. I repent.” Plus the added “Happily Ever After” ending.

Psalm 34 — I sought God, who answered me. Taste and see that God is good. God is near to the brokenhearted.

Hebrews 7. 23-28 — Jesus, the great high priest who has been made perfect.

Mark 10.46-52 — The healing of blind Bartimaeus.

[Bartimaeus‘ cry to Jesus is the basis of the historic Jesus Prayer—“Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”— slightly altered in these resources.]

Preaching Thoughts

Job
       Job asks God, Why do bad things happen to good people?” God replies, “Look at Creation. Do you understand it? No. Neither can you figure out an explanation for suffering But meanwhile, this Creation: amazing, isn’t it? And you’re part of it.” Hm. That’s sort of an answer but not entirely. It basically means (a) there is no “reason” for suffering, it just happens; (b) it’s not something you can understand anyway; and (c) life is more than your suffering. Cool, huh? And as partial as this answer is, Job accepts it. The ancient poem invites us to accept the randomness of life, including its suffering, and let go of the illusion that life ought to be fair. God does not balance things out, punishing evil and rewarding goodness. It’s not so neat. So don’t judge. Stop trying to make it make sense. Abandon your desire for explanations (and blame and credit) and just accept the present moment, without judgment, without dwelling on what you wish reality were like. Life is this, not something else. Be here now.
       Ironically, stewards of the Job story couldn’t live with that conclusion, so they contradicted the very point of the story and explained suffering —and made everything better. They came up with an explanation: Job suffered because God let Satan test him. And they balanced everything out: in the end Job got a new wife and kids and a better car and a second house at the lake and his team won the Super Bowl three years in a row! Baloney. I never read this part, or I would be too tempted to make fun of it.

Mark
       Bartimaeus sits beside the Way. The Way is both a roadway and also a way of life, the way of discipleship. When Bartimaeus is transformed by his healing, he follows Jesus on the Way.
       A usual the people around Jesus try to protect him (or maybe themselves) from people in need. Jesus corrects them. Our churches can be like that, excluding (intentionally or not) the very people Jesus wants to connect with.
       Jesus asks Bartimaeus what he wants. Jesus is profoundly attentive, not making assumptions, not acting for the other, but letting the man make his own choices.


A Bartimaeus Meditation

Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting beside the Way.
             What is the Way you are beside: something incomplete,
             something not yet happening? Offer it to God.

He began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many sternly ordered him to be quiet.
             What has silenced you?
             What has kept you from rushing headlong to God?

Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.”
             Imagine Jesus calls you.
             Jesus wants you. Wants you near.

They called the blind man, saying to him,
“Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”
              Recite these words to yourself.
Take heart; get up, your Love is calling you.

Throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
              Your souls is not as timid as you:
casting your safety aside, leaping, unseeing, to the Beloved.

Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
              Let him ask you.
And again.

“My teacher, let me see again.”
              What would you see?

Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.”
              Your crying out, your soul’s leaping,
your blind begging is holy.

Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
          What is the new Way you will follow on?

Pray this all day long without ceasing:
             “Jesus, Beloved of God, have mercy on me.
             “Jesus, Beloved of God, have mercy on me.”

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Creator of all, God, we open ourselves to the gift of all Creation.
       All: Jesus Christ, Beloved of God, have mercy on us, for we need you.
Loving Christ, we open our arms to your love and your healing.
       Jesus Christ, Beloved of God, have mercy on us, for we need you.
Holy Spirit, come fill us with your power and your grace.
       Jesus Christ, Beloved of God, have mercy on us, for we need you.
       We worship in gratitude, in trust and in joy. Alleluia!

2.
Leader: Creator God, source of our being, we turn to you for life and breath.
       All: O Love, have mercy on us!
Crucified and Risen Christ, bearer of forgiveness and healing, we turn to you for grace.
       O Love, have mercy on us!
Holy Spirit, divine presence and energy within and among us,
we turn to you on behalf of one another and the whole hurting world.
       O Love, have mercy on us, and grant us your peace. Amen.

3.
We have sought God, who has answered us, and delivered us from all our fears.
       We poor souls cried out, and the Holy One heard us,
       and saved us from every trouble.
Those who trust God have no want;
       they who seek the Holy One lack no good thing.
Bless the Eternal One at all times; let God’s praise be continually in your mouths.
       Alleluia! Christ Jesus, son of God, have mercy on us. Alleluia!

4.
Leader: People of God, Christ has drawn near.
       All: Jesus, Beloved of God, have mercy on us!
What do you want him to do for you?
       We want to see again.
       We want to see with eyes of hope and faith,
       to see with eyes of love.
Your faith will make you well.
       We worship in faith and trust,
       in joy and gratitude.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Gracious God, like Bartimaeus we are blind to your ways and cannot see your grace. Open the eyes of our hearts, that we may see, and follow faithfully. Amen.

2.
Jesus, Beloved of God, have mercy on us. A voice in us cries out, wiser than our public politeness. A beggar in us knows we need you. Give us grace to stop and be still, and behold you face to face. Give us faith to ask, and to wait. Jesus, Beloved of God, have mercy on us. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, as the blind beggar came to Jesus with his prayer, we come to you. Open our eyes that we may see your presence. Open our ears that we may hear the deepest desires of our own hearts. And open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Beloved,
you stand still and ask us,
“What do you want?”
We are still as well,
and give time
for our beggar hearts to answer.

Reading

            Psalm 34.1-8 – A paraphrase

Beloved, my heart pours into yours,
        and every word I say is your praise.
You are the song, and I am your singing.
        You are the hope of a heart stripped bare.
Our lives are a love song to you;
        our love is your glory let loose.

I opened myself to you
        and you received me.
You came between me and my fear.
        I wonder, with grateful awareness:
        how you radiate in me!
Mindful of you,
        I am free from shame.

My smallest voice cried out
        and you heard from within.
In my deepest trouble
        you held me.
The arms of your presence enfold me;
        they make my world.

O Beloved, all that I taste or see
        is your goodness.
Living in you
        is deep joy.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view songs on the Music page.)

Christ Our Healer
(Tune: Joyful, Joyful
Or: HOLY MANNA or Love Divine, All Loves Excelling)

Christ, our healer, you have touched us, reaching through the dark divide,
healing broken hearts and bodies, casting death’s old shroud aside:
raised us from our bed of sorrows, put your arm around our pain,
raising us to new tomorrows, bringing us to life again.

Christ, our teacher, in our healing you have given us your gift:
grace to bless, your love revealing, pow’r to heal and hope to lift.
In your Spirit, your forgiveness, your compassion we embrace
ev’ry wounded, shamed or silenced child of God with gentle grace.

Christ, our savior, you are going on to every town and field,
on to every land and people, on until the world is healed.
Use us in the whole world’s mending, use us as your healing hands,
’till as one the world, made whole, takes up its mat with joy and stands.



Jesus, My Healer (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)

Jesus, my healer, come to me and touch me;
lay your hand upon my soul.
All of my woundedness gently embrace and bless
and, though I’m broken, make me whole.

Source of our healing, God, our Re-Creator,
your deep joy is to raise and bless.
Your faithful promises and all our trusting hope
are stronger than our dark distress.

Spirit of healing, move among your people
to bear the blessing that flows from you:
with tender love to bless the world’s brokenness
and share the grace that made us new.

I am Listening [ Original song]

Speak, for I am listening.
My heart is open.
Speak, for I am listening,
open to your word


Please, I Want to See Anew [Original song]
[A dialogue between soloist and congregation]

Jesus, your brother, your Savior, says,
“What do you want me to do for you?”

Please, I want to see anew.
Jesus, please give me sight.
I want to see with the eyes of love.
I want to walk in the light.

Help us to see by the light of your grace,
aware of your presence, awake to you.

 Heal all our blindness, the eyes we close;
Give us the courage to look with love.

Teach us the ways of your heart, O God.
Show us your path, the Way of Love.

Wake Us From Our Sleep (Original song)

God of mercy, wake us with your light.
Rouse our sleeping hearts and give us sight.
Raise us up from death; fill us with your breath.
Wake us from our sleep to live new lives in you.

Life comes only from the Word you give.
You alone have power to make us live.
Seeking what is True, Love, we turn to you:
springs of living water flow, and so we live.

Christ, you touch our hearts and heal our fear.
Even in our pain your grace is near.
Spirit, you who save, raise us from our grave.
Born again, dry bones who rise, we live in you.

Christ, light of the world, your radiance bright
wakens us to day out of our night:
shining in, it heals; shining out, reveals.
Help us all to live as children of the light.