June 1, 2014

7th Sunday of Easter

LessonsRevised Common Lectionary (RCL) Roman Catholic (RC)Acts 1:6-14 Acts 1:12-14Ps 68:1-10, 32-35 Ps 27:1, 4, 7-81 Pet 4:12-14, 5:6-11 1 Pet 4:13-16Jn 17:1-11 Jn 17:1-11

Speaker’s Introduction for the LessonsLesson 1Acts 1:6-14 (RCL); Acts 1:12-14 (RC)

After seeing Jesus ascend into heaven, the disciples devote themselves to a time of prayer and discernment.

Lesson 2Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35 (RCL)

Whatever challenges we face in our world, we can be assured that God always travels with us.

Psalm 27:1, 4, 7-8 (RC)When the world seems to be against us, we can trust that God will always be faithful.

Lesson 31 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11 (RCL); 1 Peter 4:13-16 (RC)

If we find being a Christian an easy task in this world, the author of 1 Peter assures us that we’re not doing it right.

GospelJohn 17:1-11 (RCL/RC)

Jesus offers a final prayer of intercession for his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion.

ThemeIn our hurry up and get it done world, God invites us to take things slowly.

Thought for the Day

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”

– Saint Francis de SalesSermon SummaryAfter witnessing the ascension of Jesus, the disciples do not immediately rush out to tell the good news. Instead, they make a “sabbath’s journey” (short walk) to Jerusalem. There, they wait in prayer for the Spirit to move. In this way, they teach us the importance of waiting in prayer.

Call to Worship: (based on Psalm 68)One: Let us rejoice today in God’s presence.All: Let us sing praises to God.One: Let God rise up and drive away all despair.All: Let us sing praises to God.One: Let us praise our God who protects those left on the margins.All: Let us sing praises to God.One: Let us praise our God who brings us unity and prosperity.All: Let all heaven and earth sing praises to God.

Pastoral PrayerHelp us, O God, to come into this place with calm, unhurried minds. There are so many items on our to do list that often we forget to simply be exactly where we are. Bring us into this present moment, Holy One, so that we may truly feel your presence, and the presence of community around us. We give you thanks for this moment, for this place and this time when we can join in celebration of your love and mercy together.

Prayer of Confession and AssuranceWe are a culture of impatience, God. We live in a world where “get it done” is often the golden rule. Forgive us, O God, when we have been so caught up in the worries and cares of the day that we have rushed past those who are in need. Forgive, O God, that in our busyness, we have forgotten how to slow down and admire this amazing world that you have created for us. Help us, Holy One, to recognize more of you in the world around us: in the homeless and hungry, in each flower and refreshing breeze, in all the places and ones in which you dwell with us. We know that you are faithful, God, and that when we stop and recognize you, we are a forgiven and blessed people.

Prayer of Dedication of Gifts and Self

As we bring our gifts of time, money, and talent into the storehouse today, God, we ask for your blessings. We trust in you to multiply these gifts, to make them more powerful than they already are, so that others will hear and know the good news of your mercy and grace. Help us to dedicate ourselves to being your channel, your hands and heart, in this world that still has so many unmet needs. Bless and strengthen our efforts.

Hymn of the Day Come and Find the Quiet CenterNew Zealander Shirley Erena Murray has written many contemporary hymns for the church. This focuses our minds and spirits not only as we gather but also as we prepare to move out into the joys and pains of this world. The tune often set with these words is Beach Spring, which made its first published appearance in the classic 1844 collection of a cappella hymnody entitled The Sacred Harp.

Children’s Time: Sharing the Good NewsTalk with the children about sharing good news with others. Who do you tell when you have good news to share?

Mention that Jesus’ disciples had really good news to share. They were so excited about it that they told everyone they met. In our Bible story today, Jesus tells them that they will be sharing the good news to the ends of the earth. The news the disciples had to share was the story of Jesus and his message of God’s love for all.

Ask each child to run and tell one person in the congregation the good news “God loves you! Jesus said so!” Ask each person to pass it on to their neighbor, who does the same. Watch as the good news spreads around the congregation.

Explain that this is exactly what happened in the world. The disciples shared the good news with the people in Jerusalem, who passed it on to people from other towns and countries, who passed it onto others. The good news passed from one person to another to the ends of the earth. Now it’s our turn to hear the good news and pass it on.

Pray with the children, giving thanks for all the people who passed on the good news so that we could hear it too.

The Sermon: Hurry Up and WaitScripture: Acts 1:6-14

Waiting. It’s something that we hate so much that we buy books and pay time-management experts to give us all their advice on how to stop waiting and start acting. The art of waiting has been lost. Instead, if we wait, we’re branded “procrastinators” – or worse yet, “dreamers.” You know the sort: the ones who spend their time daydreaming, or lost in thought . . . or praying.

Modern-day motivational speakers and time managers would be clearly frustrated with Jesus’ disciples. In our passage from Acts, we find them talking with the risen Jesus. He promises them that soon “the power of the Holy Spirit” will come upon them and they will be very, very busy. So busy, in fact, that they will be spreading the good news of Jesus “to the ends of the earth.”

Whew! Now that’s a big task, and an even bigger marketing plan. The time managers and motivational speakers among us will look

approvingly on the two men who stood beside the disciples as they watched Jesus ascend into heaven and out of sight. “Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” they ask.

And the time managers and motivational speakers among us try to finish the sentence with, “Get busy. You’ve got work to do!”

But, the disciples do the exact opposite of what our time managers and motivational speakers advise. Instead of jumping into their new assignment as God’s messengers, they hurry up – and wait. They go back to Jerusalem, where they go into their upper room and devote themselves to prayer. They devoted themselves to the ultimate art of waiting.

Our culture of impatience makes it hard for us to understand why the disciples would react this way. After all, they’ve just been visited by a risen Jesus, an exciting event if there ever was one. On top of that, they’ve just seen Jesus ascend into heaven, taken up into the clouds to be with God. Imagine what an energizing and awe-inspiring event that had to be! They had to be snapped out of their stupor by angels and reminded that there was work to be done.

If we had been present for all of these events, we would probably spring into action: blogging about our experience, posting it on Facebook. Maybe we even would have caught it on our cell phone cameras in the hope that the images of Jesus ascending to heaven would go “viral” on YouTube! In short, we’d be sure that we were the first ones to tell the world of the amazing and wonderful things we had just witnessed.

But would it even occur to us to slow down and pray before we shared anything we had seen or experienced with the world around us?

Consider those first disciples. The only thing they could think about was hurrying back to their upper room in Jerusalem to pray, to wait with each other until the Spirit moved them into action.

Let us not think, however, that the disciples took no action during this time. In fact, they took an action that I think we overlook in our rush to get places and do things. The scripture tells us that that they “were constantly devoting themselves to prayer.” This is not a passive act of doing nothing, but a very active form of waiting on God. The disciples weren’t just sitting around, waiting for a great idea to hit them. They weren’t brainstorming their marketing plan, trying to figure out the best strategy to spread the good news in order to more effectively leverage their influence.

No, they were taking perhaps the only true action that really matters when we are pursuing great actions in the following of God: they devoted themselves to prayer – and not just once, but “constantly.” When we are devoted to something, we give it all of our time and attention. We are enraptured by whatever we are devoted to. As if “devoted” wasn’t strong enough, though, the author of Acts makes it even stronger: they were “constantly devoting themselves to prayer.”

The disciples were very active during this time, immersing themselves in seeking connection with the holy. How often do we simply run off with our latest idea without even a moment’s contemplation, much less spending time “constantly devoting” ourselves to praying over that idea? How often do we get motivated by an idea and go off with wild abandon, only to give up on the idea at the first sign of resistance?

Can we see the wisdom in the disciples’ decision to hurry up and wait? They knew that they faced a daunting task. They had this amazing experience, this invigorating call: they had seen and heard, and now their task was to go into the world and make them believe it, too! Can you imagine if they had gone right out after their experience and on their first mission trip found it impossible to convince even one person of their message? What would have happened then? It’s likely that Jesus’ message would have died, right there. The massive resistance may have hurt their resolve or bruised their egos. They may have become too discouraged to continue.

Instead, the disciples knew, and they continue to teach us this lesson today: Whenever we are faced with any daunting task, be it a business plan, a life-changing event, or spreading the good news, we’d better hurry up and wait. We cannot face the world’s rejection – or the acceptance that seduces us into thinking we are the ones responsible for success – unless we are first prepared. The only way to properly prepare for whatever results from our message of good news is to pray: to devote ourselves to being in the presence of the holy “constantly.” It is in prayer that we open ourselves to be God’s channel in this world. It is only in prayer that we learn to accept the risks and put aside our own egos, and thus prepare to give ourselves entirely to fulfilling the job the holy has given us: to spread the good news of God’s love and grace.

– Candace Chellew-Hodge

HymnsOpening: Alleluia! Gracious Jesus!Sermon: Christ, Enthroned in Heavenly SplendorClosing: Eternal Christ, Who, Kneeling

June 8, 2014

Day of Pentecost

LessonsRevised Common Lectionary (RCL) Roman Catholic (RC)Acts 2:1-21 or Num11:24-30 Acts 2:1-11Ps 104:24-34, 35b Ps 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34 1 Cor 12:3b-13 or Acts 2:1-21 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13 Jn 20:19-23 or Jn 7:37-39 Jn 20:19-23

Speaker’s Introduction for the LessonsLesson 1Acts 2:1-21 (RCL); Acts 2:1-11 (RC)

Jesus’ promise of the Spirit is fulfilled on Pentecost. Tongues of fire come upon all gathered, filling them with the Spirit’s power so all may call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

Numbers 11:24-30 (RCL alt)God’s power is unlimited as it fills the leaders of Israel with the Spirit, enabling them to assist Moses as they make their way through the wilderness.

Lesson 2Psalm 104:24-34, 35b (RCL); Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34 (RC)

The Lord created this earth, continues to provide for it abundantly, and renews it through the Spirit. Let us sing praise and bless the Lord.

Lesson 31 Corinthians 12:3b-13 (RCL); 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 (RC)

God’s Spirit gives each of us gifts, the varieties of which are used for the same purpose: to serve the common good. Baptized into Christ, we drink of one Spirit and serve.

Acts 2:1-21 (RCL alt)

Jesus’ promise of the Spirit is fulfilled on Pentecost. Tongues of fire come upon all gathered, filling them with the Spirit’s power so all may call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

GospelJohn 20:19-23 (RCL/RC)

Jesus comes as risen Lord, bringing peace and the gift of the Holy Spirit to the fearful disciples. He commissions them to carry out his mission of forgiveness.

John 7:37-39 (RCL alt)The Lord gave water to the rebellious people in the wilderness (Num 20:11). In Jesus and through his Spirit, we receive living water that gives eternal life.

ThemeWe are one in the Spirit.

Thought for the Day“The Holy Spirit . . . calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church.”

– Small Catechism of Martin Luther, Explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed

Sermon SummaryThe Holy Spirit calls us to serve, not in competition but in cooperation with one another. We each have different spiritual gifts to share, but find our unity is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Call to WorshipOne: Let us bless the Lord.All: Great are the works of the Lord.One: The earth is wonderfully made, All: The seas, plants, animal life, and all good things.One: Let our praise and meditation be pleasing to the Lord God our creator.All: Renew our spirits and fill our hearts with the peace of Christ.One: By your Spirit’s power, O Lord, bring us healing and joy.All: Bless the Lord, O my soul Praise the Lord!

Pastoral Prayer

God of Grace and Power, we thank you for the many blessings we have received from your hand. We thank you for the beauty and complexity of our world. We thank you for the many different peoples, traditions, and cultures that you have fashioned. Grant that we may honor and respect our diverse gifts and find our deeper unity in your love as revealed in Jesus Christ. May your renewing Spirit continue to call, gather, and enlighten us as we seek to serve your good purposes. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Confession and AssuranceGod, so often we find ourselves in competition rather than cooperation with others. We let our differences and diversity devolve into division. We forget the common good, seeking only our own selfish agendas and goals. We neglect gathering together as a community of faith and, instead, go it alone. We find time for so many personal projects and leisure activities, but fail to make time to gladly hear and receive your word in worship. Give us courage and faith, O God, that we may resist the temptations that pull us away from you and Christ’s church. Help us to see our brothers and sisters as partners in the faith. Empower us by your Holy Spirit so that we may boldly share our gifts, always seeking to complement and support the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray, trusting in your great mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication of Gifts and SelfO Lord, thank you for all that you have given to us. Use these offerings we return to you to accomplish your ongoing renewal of your creation. Bless the labor of all who work the land and care for your resources. Bless the labor of our hands and minds as we engage in diverse ministries of teaching, healing, proclaiming, organizing, nurturing, feeding, counseling, and befriending. May all that we have, both abilities and resources, be used to serve you and our neighbor for the common good. In the name of Jesus Christ who gives us his power and peace. Amen.

Hymn of the Day: When Minds and Bodies Meet as One

The practical implications of the image of unity exercised by diverse gifts in the 1 Corinthian passage today finds a lyrical expression in this hymn. Written by Brian Wren in collaboration with composer Peter Cutts (who composed the tune Trinity Carol), “When Minds and Bodies Meet as One” is a fascinating series of images of how and when the vision of unity is tested and demonstrated in the give and take of life and witness in the church of Jesus Christ. The variety of images contained in each verse of how such unity works out comes joined at the common end to each verse: “revealing God, forever One, whose nature is community.” Christian unity and community, far more than a pleasant way to work together, is the very expression of God’s own nature to be in relationship with us all.

Children’s Time: Pentecost(Bring some bubble mixture and a bubble wand.)

Blow lots of bubbles and encourage the children to chase them and try catch one. Let them blow some bubbles too. Observe that you need breath to form and blow the bubbles. Draw attention to ways in which the breath changes the bubble mixture.

Comment that today is Pentecost Sunday, the day the church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ followers. Explain that the Spirit is sometimes described as a life-giving breath that blows through the church bringing change and new life.

Take a tour around your worship area, noticing the colors and decorations that have been used for Pentecost Sunday. Describe Pentecost as a very special day, because it is a celebration of the day the Christian church was born.

Explain that the same Holy Spirit who came to Jesus’ followers is with us today and will help us share God’s love in the world. Teach the children a simple breath prayer. Ask them to take a deep breath in as you say, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Then breath out slowly as they say, “Bring God’s love.” Say this breath prayer several times over.

Pray with the children, giving thanks for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Sermon: Invited to Take a SeatScripture: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

At a recent college reunion a friend of mine and I were reminiscing as we sat in the college cafeteria. “There, down at that end, is where all the football players sat for dinner in the ‘Caf.’ Remember when we were freshmen and didn’t know that that was their section of tables?” I did indeed remember. It was a very intimidating moment for two first-year female college students: scowling football players surrounding us, giving the clear message to move out. And move we did. We soon learned the invisible dividing lines in the “Caf” between classes, clubs, and teams.

At our reunion that fall, we asked a current student: “Do the football players still ‘own’ that end of the cafeteria?” The answer was, pretty much, yes. The temptation to separate ourselves into groups lives on.

Paul is wrestling with this issue of territory and separate, even competing groups, in our reading. The church isn’t immune from such divisions. Members of the Corinthian church have different gifts: service, learning, speaking in tongues, the gift of healing, and more. Each group seems to think that its gift or ministry is more important than the other. To speak to these problems Paul writes about the same Spirit who empowers every believer. He begins in verse 3 with what is thought to be the earliest creed in the Christian church: “Jesus is Lord.” Paul shows us the basis of our unity: it is the one and same Spirit who brings us to confess Jesus as Lord. We are all “brought to the same table” by the Spirit. Jesus is the head of the table. We are not. The Spirit, in Jesus’ name, pulls out a chair for each one of us so we may all be gathered together.

Remember all those times Jesus did sit at table with very different people? He sat with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. He ate with self-righteous Pharisees. He sat at table at a wedding in Cana and gave abundant joy to all. Christ is the head of the table, and we are all invited to take a seat. Remember the story of that first Pentecost? The Spirit came in as a violent wind and tongues of fire, settling on the heads of every believer in that gathering that day. To be sure, they spoke in different languages – but they all spoke.

What then of our different gifts? Paul recognizes our differences. He readily admits that not every person has a gift for leadership, or the same wisdom or understanding, or the ability to heal or prophesy. But each of these gifts is a part of the whole work of the Holy Spirit. Each gift benefits. It is the Holy Spirit who chooses to give us these gifts, and who are we to argue with God’s Holy Spirit? We might even say it this way: it is the Holy Spirit who not only calls us to the table, but also numbers the chairs at the table and pulls them out for us. This is assigned seating, but we don’t do the assigning. The Spirit does. So Paul writes in verse 11: “just as the Spirit chooses.” And the Spirit has some very interesting ideas about who sits at Christ’s table. We not only have to be ready for these surprises, but also are called by God to welcome the ones who surprise us – as, no doubt, some will be surprised at our presence!

There is a true story of a man named Ed that speaks of the Spirit’s work. Ed loved his congregation and loved his Lord. He had an eighth grade education, was unemployed, and was now on disability. When his congregation began a new Sunday morning greeter program, Ed got up the courage to ask the pastor if he could be a greeter. When the pastor submitted Ed’s name to the evangelism committee, they were very hesitant. Ed’s manners weren’t exactly polished. His clothes were quite old and plain. Fortunately the Holy Spirit prevailed and Ed became a greeter. As it turned out, he was the most faithful greeter the congregation had. He not only showed up every Sunday, but was always ready to fill in when someone didn’t. He had a heart for this greeting ministry and took it very seriously.

Because he was not physically strong, Ed knew how hard it was to open the heavy entry doors. So, in good weather and bad, Ed greeted people by standing outside the building and opening the door for them. He took his greeter duties so seriously that he worked at remembering the names of visitors and new members. At the end of the worship service, he was the first one out to the narthex so that he could greet people again – especially the visitors. He was the one who steered them toward the fellowship hall for refreshments and conversation.

Ed had a gift and a calling, along with the courage to use the gifts he had been given. The Spirit pulls a chair out for us, but we also have to be willing to take a seat and serve. Sometimes, to serve in a new way – sometimes, to enable the service of others.

The pastor began to understand the impact of Ed’s ministry when new member after new member mentioned the warm welcome they’d received from Ed. “Why, he even talked to us after the service. He’d give us his name and phone number in case we had any questions about the church. He remembered our names from one Sunday to the next.”

The Holy Spirit chose Ed. The Holy Spirit loosened up the evangelism committee to give Ed room to serve. The Holy Spirit blessed Ed’s serving.

We are all welcome at Christ’s table. We are all invited to take a seat and serve. In the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, take a seat and be a partner with everyone else at the table.

– Jeanette B. Strandjord

HymnsOpening: God of Tempest, God of WhirlwindSermon: Gather Us InClosing: Like the Murmur of the Dove’s Song

June 15, 2014

Trinity Sunday

LessonsRevised Common Lectionary (RCL) Roman Catholic (RC) Gen 1:1—2:4a Ex 34:4-6, 8-9 Ps 8 Dan 3:52-56 2 Cor13:11-13 2 Cor 13:11-13Mt 28:16-20 Jn 3:16-18

Speaker’s Introduction for the LessonsLesson 1Genesis 1:1—2:4a (RCL)

God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. Humankind was made in God’s image and God pronounced it all to be very good.

Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9 (RC)God’s people have been a rebellious people. The Lord renews the covenant with them as Moses makes a second set of tablets to replace those that were broken.

Lesson 2Psalm 8 (RCL)

Our most high God has given us mere mortals a share of God’s own dignity and set us to be stewards of God’s creation.

Daniel 3:52-56 (RC)We bless the Lord. God, who is exalted above all else, was present to our ancestors and is present to us now in the glory of his temple.

Lesson 32 Corinthians 13:11-13 (RCL/RC)

Paul blesses his readers with the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit, who holds us in God and leads us to love one another.

GospelMatthew 28:16-20 (RCL)

Jesus gathers his disciples, speaks with authority, and calls them (us) to make disciples of all nations. They (we) are to baptize and teach in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

John 3:16-18 (RC)God’s loving purpose was and is to save the world through the only Son, given freely to the world so we might trust in him and receive eternal life.

ThemeGod creates, redeems, and makes holy. We are invited to join in this saving work.

Thought for the Day“In the Son and in the Spirit, God comes to us totally.”

– Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew

Sermon SummaryGod is a God of action in this world and for all nations. In Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, God comes to this world to baptize, teach, and save. We are invited to share in this saving mission and are empowered by God as we follow.

Call to Worship (suggested by Psalm 8)One: The Lord God grants us life and salvation.All: O Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.One: The Lord God created the moon, the stars, and all things.All: O Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.One: We are made in the image of our Lord God.All: We praise and thank you, O Lord.One: Fill us with your Holy Spirit, Lord.All: Renew us in body and spirit this day by the power of your Word.

Pastoral PrayerGod of Spirit and Power, we come before you with thanksgiving for your creating and redeeming power in our lives and our world. Through your presence with us this day, speak to our hearts and minds with both comfort and challenge. Let the promise of forgiveness through Jesus Christ give us peace where we are anxious and confidence where we are timid. Kindle in us the fire of faith, so that we may hear your word and do it. So work in our lives that discipleship becomes as natural as breathing is to us. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Prayer of Confession and Assurance

God of action we confess to you our reluctance to act. We often become so preoccupied with our own lives and the acquisition of material goods that we neglect the sharing and teaching of the good news of Jesus Christ. Our hearts and minds wander from your word and will, and thus we do not listen to your call to baptize and teach in Jesus’ name. We lack focus and dedication in our outreach to others. We leave discipleship to others. Light a fire under us, God: the fire of your Holy Spirit. Move our feet, hands, and hearts in actions that witness to you. Give us words of promise and hope to speak. Use us to bring others to the waters of baptism. Remind us, again and again, that in our witness and serving, the Lord Jesus is with us always. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication of Gifts and SelfMost loving God, we give you thanks for all your mercies toward us and our world. Accept the gifts we offer this day so they may be used to your glory and to do your saving will. Lead and shape our lives, time, resources, and talent so that we may serve you wherever we are. May we glorify you in our workplaces, homes, congregations, and communities. Give us joy in our teaching, baptizing, and witnessing. In the name of the one who calls us to teach and baptize, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Hymn of the DayWomb of Life, and Source of BeingThis hymn by Ruth Duck celebrates the life of the Trinity in rich and inclusive imagery. Each of the first three verses lifts up both the identities and vocations of each person of the Trinity. The fourth version blends further metaphors for the mystery of three-in-one, closing with an invitation to the congregants to join not simply in the song but in the life and passion of the Trinity as we find our lives drawn into the community of God. Editor’s note: The tune often paired with this, Ladue Chapel, was written by Ronald Arnatt, at one time the choirmaster of the Christ Church Cathedral (St. Louis) Boy’s Choir I was honored to be part of in my youth. Arnatt greatly contributed to my own love of music in the church.

Children’s Time: Trinity Sunday(Bring three thin candles or tapers and a lighter. Ahead of time, recruit three adult volunteers to help you with the talk. As directed below, hold the candles together in one hand and light all three wicks, so that they burn with one flame.)

Hold the candles up and explain that today is Trinity Sunday, a day to celebrate the three ways we know God. Explain that Jesus told his disciples to baptize people “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Tell how we know God as a loving parent who loves and made us (hand one candle to a volunteer and light it); as Jesus who came to show God’s love (hand the second candle to a volunteer and light it); and as the Holy Spirit who is always with us and helps us live like Jesus (hand the third candle to a volunteer and light it).

Exclaim that we have three ways of talking about God, but one God (have the volunteers hold the wicks of the candles together). After having the children watch the single flame created by the three, carefully extinguish the candles.

Look around your worship space for symbols of the Trinity (for example: three interlocking circles, three fish, fleur-de-lis). Point out the three individual components that make one symbol.

Pray with the children, giving thanks for the different ways we can know God.

The Sermon: Cast into TeachingScripture: Matthew 28:16-20

God is a God of action. The Holy Trinity is all about action: doing, loving, teaching, and saving. Perhaps a true story, from daily life might help to explore the gift of the Trinity further.

Mr. E. B. Garner of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, loves to fish.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 12, 2011). He also loves to teach others to fish. He is all about doing and teaching. At age 64, he began running fishing clinics at a nearby lagoon. He started with just 12 kids, many of them with troubled backgrounds. They weren’t doing well at school or in their family life. One of the boys had been skipping school and getting into serious mischief. When Garner learned of the boy’s struggles, he did this: “‘I told him if he stopped acting like a fool I’d take him fishing after the school year.’ A month later, the boy’s mother asked Garner what he said, because her son had made an amazing turnaround. He had passed all his final tests and had not missed a day of school over the last four weeks. That summer, Garner took the boy fishing often.” Other children from the neighborhood joined in. Garner found himself cast into the teaching role from that point onward. Now he runs a free fishing clinic every year.

Why this story about E. B. Garner? Like Garner, the Holy Spirit likes to fish. Like Garner, the Spirit is all about teaching, gathering others, giving life: all done in the name of love, and through actions that express love. Garner’s story helps us begin to understand the work of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This Holy Trinity Sunday we have unique verses from Matthew’s Gospel before us (vv. 19-20). God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has been at work: doing, loving, teaching, and saving; and now, we are encouraged to do the same. This is God’s work, Holy Trinity work.

Too often we think of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as only proper names: static nouns, just helpful labels. But Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are full of doing, loving, and teaching. God is a God of action. God created. God sent Jesus to save. Jesus lived, served, died, and rose. God’s Holy Spirit has been creating since the beginning of time and now comes to create the Christian community by bringing Christ to the world.

Mr. E. B. Garner isn’t interested in calling attention to himself with his free fishing clinics. He simply loves fishing and has discovered that fishing is good for kids. One year after starting his clinic, he had 325 anglers. Each received free instruction, free equipment, and a free lunch (if they can make themselves lay down their rod and reel long enough to eat). Garner is in this for the good of the kids, for the love of the sport, and for the sake of the community.

We could say the same of the Holy Trinity. God acts in creation, in Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit for our good and for the love of the world. God gives freely, so freely that God gives up Jesus to the cross; so freely that when it seems sin, death, and the devil have won, God gives Jesus Christ back to us and the world. Then, through the Spirit of Jesus, God keeps on giving: and that giving consists of faith and understanding to us all.

Over the span of 13 years, Garner’s free fishing clinic grew tremendously: 2700 percent! Now he has friends, family, the Department of Natural Resources, and many volunteers working at his summer clinics. Garner’s love of fishing and of community have generated and energized a great deal of cooperation. More important, lives have been changed for the better.

The good news of Jesus Christ spread from 12 disciples to peoples and nations around the world. We could say that God continues to be at work through the Holy Spirit holding the Trinity’s brand of “free clinics” everywhere, wherever the word of God is taught, shared, and celebrated. Just like Garner motivated others to participate, so does God. We are called to be part of the Spirit’s work. We become the voice, hands, and feet of the good news.

There is no doubt about it: by the power of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are cast into the role of teaching. The question is whether you will be a good teacher or a bad one. We are called to go and make disciples, baptizing and teaching. Are we? Today, Holy Trinity Sunday, provides a good day to think about what we are doing to bring God’s love, forgiveness, understanding, and faith to others – and what we are doing to nurture it in our own lives.

Our words and actions teach. Attending worship sets a good example. Sleeping in or going golfing in place of worshiping God sets a bad example. Our concern for and generosity toward others in need teaches Christian love. Our avoidance and neglect of the needy teaches just the opposite. When we open the Holy Scriptures and read, study, and share them with others, we foster understanding and growth. When our Bibles lie unused and gathering dust, we have all lost an opportunity to learn and grow.

At one of Garner’s summer fishing clinics, nine-year-old Kadiyah made her first toss with a spin-cast outfit. Teacher Garner said, “Perfect. You’re going to be teaching this someday.” Likewise, God’s Spirit blesses our efforts, speaking words of encouragement and promise.

Jesus invites us to cast the line and help others cast as well. So be one who casts the line of discipleship yourself: baptize and teach. For in doing so, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will be there: praising, empowering, and creating new faith and life.

– Jeanette B. Strandjord

HymnsOpening: We Are Baptized in Christ JesusSermon: We Are CalledClosing: Sent Forth by God’s Blessing

June 22, 20142nd Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7 [12]) RC/Pres/UCC: 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

LessonsSemi-continuous (SC) Complementary (C) Roman Catholic (RC)Gen 21:8-21 Jer 20:7-13 Deut 8:2-3, 14b-16aPs 86:1-10, 16-17 Ps 69:7-10 (11-15) 16-18 Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20Rom 6:1b-11 Rom 6:1b-11 1 Cor 10:16-17Mt 10:24-39 Mt 10:24-39 Jn 6:51-58

Speaker’s Introduction for the LessonsLesson 1Genesis 21:8-21 (SC)

Jealousy puts in action the expulsion of Hagar and her son. This story is a reminder that people on the opposite side of our conflicts also are called to believe in the faithfulness of God.

Jeremiah 20:7-13 (C)This anguished and defiant song of the prophet proclaims that even when it would appear that God has not upheld the righteous, there will be a day of reckoning and a time when justice will prevail.

Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a (RC)

The Deuteronomist calls upon Israel not to forget God’s providing care in the wilderness, particularly in the gift of manna.

Lesson 2Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 (SC)

In this psalm of lament, the psalmist seeks God to “turn to me” and deal graciously in a time of crisis and threat.

Psalm 69:7-10 (11-15), 16-18 (C)In another psalm of lament, the psalmist cries out that the shame heaped on her stems from following God – yet the psalmist still affirms the goodness of God’s steadfast love in the face of such circumstances.

Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20 (RC)The psalmist bids praise of God for the gifts of peace and providential care.

Lesson 3Romans 6:1b-11 (SC/C)

Paul offers a stirring charge to new life as he describes the capacity of grace to do away with our old, sinful existence and to make all life new.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (RC)Paul reflects on the nature of community as sharing through the gift of the Eucharist’s cup and loaf.

GospelMatthew 10:24-39 (SC/C)

Jesus has assembled a team of twelve, and he now thinks that they are ready. But are they? Are any of us ready for the ministry to which Jesus calls us? Listen – and follow.

John 6:51-58 (RC)Jesus stirs controversy and questions by identifying himself as “living bread” and going on to the mystery entailed in “eat my flesh” and “drink my blood.”

Theme Discipleship’s high demands are encouraged by God’s abiding care.

Thought for the DayThe God who calls us cares about us.

Sermon SummaryAmid the trying dimensions and demands of life and ministry, there is the delightful reality of God’s continual caring presence with us on the journey.

Call to WorshipOne: God, we enter into a brand new moment of worship this moment.All:We come with deep gratitude and wide expectation. One: Thank you for dreaming this day into being.All:Thank you for inviting us to celebrate it with you and with one

another.

Pastoral Prayer Holy One, we are thrilled to no end to know that there is no end to your grace and mercy. We receive the same in our hearts and minds, anew. Inspire us to live from grace and mercy, and to share these gifts freely with others. We give thanks for those gentle souls who live the way of grace and mercy, prompting us to try to do the same: for harried mothers in grocery stores, who know to pause and hug their children; for teachers and administrators in the toughest schools, who daily seek to turn the tide of hopelessness that spawns fury in those who feel cast aside; for police officials and judges, who seek ways to bestow a healing grace in those who have grown hard; for diplomats and world leaders who never give up the elusive quest for peace among the peoples of the earth. Encourage them all, and give them some small victory today that will enable them to rise tomorrow and try again. In gratitude we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Confession and AssuranceDear God, though we know you to be our all, there are times when the all of life is too much. In such moments, we are tempted to give up. Yet, we know too that you impart strength and courage. Do for us what we have not done for others, and in your undeserved graciousness, help us to see that life does not have to be what it is. Grant us in grace to receive such astonishing and wondrous blessings. And, with our new strength and courage, we will not forget to say thank you. Amen.

Prayer of Dedications of Gifts and SelfGod, your gift to us is life. Our gift to you is how we choose to live life, including our choices of offerings to advance your work in the world. So take these gifts from our hands, loving God, along with our prayer that they will help accomplish not what we will, but what you intend. Multiply our seed sown this day, we pray. Amen.

Hymn of the DayGuide My Feet While I Run This Race

While it has its roots in the 19th century, this African American spiritual found renewed prominence in the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s. Its prayer for God’s guidance echoes the closing theme of today’s sermon: the reassuring presence of Almighty God, even as the spiritual’s imagery of the race illustrates the demanding nature of following Jesus as a disciple and not simply a curious bystander. Faith runs, not watches, the race.

Children’s Time: God’s Love Is Huge(Bring a measuring cup, tape measure, a watch, and some bathroom scales.)

Look at these items together and explain that all of these things are used to measure things. Ask the children to name each one and guess what kinds of things might be measured with them.

Ask the children if you could use any of these things to measure God’s love. Observe that God’s love is so big that it just can’t be measured.

Ask the children and the congregation to think of words that mean “big” (for example: huge, gargantuan, enormous, immense, vast). Comment that even of all these words can only begin to describe God’s love.

Explain that in our Bible reading today, Jesus reminds us that God loves us so much that God even knows how many hairs we have on our head!

Ask for a volunteer to step forward and try and have the hairs on his or her head counted. Try to count each hair. It’s impossible! Observe that if God knows about even the smallest details of our life, then God must love us very much. Jump up and down as you exclaim that God’s love is amazing. Invite the children to join you.

Pray with the children, giving thanks for God’s ginormous love.

The Sermon: The Delightful in the DemandingScripture: Matthew 10:24-39

Engage the gift of sanctified imagination: observe as one person, who is listening to Jesus make his speech in today’s passage from Matthew to devoted followers and disciples-in-training, tweets from his smart phone some parts of the speech to another who, though interested in Jesus, is unable to be physically present.

“Do not fear those who kill the body.”“Whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father.”“I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”“And one’s foes will be of one’s own household members.”“And whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of

me.”

All the while the listener has been tweeting, he’s been waiting for but not received any response. Finally, he hears a beep telling him a response has been tweeted to him:

No longer interested.Can we blame the person who’s been receiving the electronic messages?

Put the statements together that he’s read. What comes across is less an invitation to adventure and more a recipe for disaster. In five sentences, Jesus has made following him not only less attractive but nearly impossible. He’s asking for too much; he’s asking for it all.

How dare Jesus! What right does Jesus have to ask those who would follow him to be willing to risk it all?

One of my former seminary students, John Reynolds, has written a book entitled: The Fight for Freedom A Memoir of My Years in the Civil Rights Movement. He includes an account of his first meeting with Martin Luther King Jr.:

I do remember shaking Dr. King’s hand and feeling totally in awe that I was actually meeting him . . . Dr. King asked me two questions. The first was if I believed in, and could accept, the principle of non-violence. I remember saying that I didn’t know anything about non-violence, but I was willing to accept it as a tactic. He said that non-violence was important to SCLC and it must be important to those who worked for SCLC.

The other question was whether I was willing to die for what I believed in. How dare Martin Luther King, Jr.! What right did Martin Luther King, Jr. have to ask of one who would follow him to be willing to risk it all?Perhaps the two young upstart preachers, divided by centuries but bound by

Spirit, knew that only such an unfair question could fairly highlight the terrain and the stakes of the gospel calling.

This is no small, meek, and mild call.• This call has to do with ultimate choices made by the deepest part of

ourselves, our souls.• This call has to do with encountering persons in their deepest valleys.• This call has to do with presenting our authentic selves to a mysterious

God. • This call has to do with asserting that God’s love is as relentless as evil

is hurtful.• This call has to do with believing and inviting others to believe that no

matter how deep the hurt, God’s love is deeper. All of this and more compels Jesus, and those who followed in his leadership steps centuries later, to place all of their cards on the table and come clean from the start with their followers, at the risk of losing more than a few temporarily interested prospects.

This work has to do with matters of ultimate meaning, value, and weight. Its matter is all-important. So, make no mistake about it, unless you are willing to give it your all, do yourself and the world a favor, and step aside, now. All deserves all.

Jesus hopes that the call to adventure with matters of ultimate meaning, the sheer dimensions of the mission, will be compelling enough so as to not scare everyone off, and make the demands worth it. But maybe there was something else some heard him say that day that made them stick around. Something that didn’t get tweeted – but had it been, it may have been enough to inspire continued interest in Jesus. What I am referring to are these words:

“Don’t be afraid, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”Now this assurance matters, even if you are, like me, bald.

Jesus made that comment in reference to God knowing when each sparrow falls. His point was that God’s love was universally and lavishly microscopic – and not limited to sparrows.

How utterly confounding, if not downright dumb, to think that a Holy Creator manifests such care for creation and creature – and how outright delightful!

Would not the person being tweeted to in the beginning of our sermon be halted by a notion of God’s personal care amid ultimate concerns? Are we?

I remember my first car purchase, and driving that new used car home in a driving rainstorm. My prayer was as follows: “God please don’t let me wreck my car.” When you’re in trouble, you don’t pray long prayers. As I drove, from time to time, I would look in my rearview mirror. Each time I looked, I was encouraged to just keep driving and everything would be alright. The person I saw in my mirror was my father, Frederick Jesse Jones. He had driven me to pick up my new used car, and he was trailing me home. Just knowing he was there made the daunting drive doable.

Come what may, the reassuring presence of God Almighty makes up for it all!

Oh, happy day!– Kirk Byron Jones

HymnsOpening: This Is the DaySermon: Blessed AssuranceClosing: Oh, Happy Day

June 29, 2014

3rd Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8 [13])

RC/Pres/UCC: 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

LessonsSemi-continuous (SC) Complementary (C) Roman Catholic (RC)Gen 22:1-14 Jer 28:5-9 Acts 12:1-11Ps 13 Ps 89:1-4, 15-18 Ps 34:2-9Rom 6:12-23 Rom 6:12-23 2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18Mt 10:40-42 Mt 10:40-42 Mt 16:13-19

Speaker’s Introduction for the Lessons Lesson 1Genesis 22:1-14 (SC)

Our faith is constantly tested, whether by God or by the turns of life itself. Faith perseveres in the time of trial.

Jeremiah 28:5-9 (C)Prophecies of dire tidings often come to pass, but the prophecies of peace can only come to fruition by the living God.

Acts 12:1-11 (RC)The death of James is followed by the arrest and miraculous deliverance to freedom of Peter.

Lesson 2Psalm 13 (SC)

The faithfulness of our God is always made most manifest in God’s care for us in trying times.

Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18 (C)The psalmist sings of God’s promise that someone from David’s family would be king, a promise that Christians understand to be fulfilled in Jesus.

Psalm 34:2-9 (RC)The psalmist employs an acrostic poem (each successive verse begins with the next letter in Hebrew) to celebrate the encompassing goodness of God’s trustworthy deliverance.

Lesson 3Romans 6:12-23 (SC/C)

This passage from Paul’s letter to the church at Rome is a trumpet call to ethical living. We have been freed from the condemnation of sin, and now it is up to us to live like it.

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 (RC)

Traditionally attributed to the time of Paul’s final imprisonment and imminent death, these verses use a metaphor from athletic contests to assert he has completed his ministry and rests confident in God’s deliverance.

GospelMatthew 10:40-42 (SC/C)

At the conclusion of a pre-ministry speech to his disciples, Jesus offers them the assurance of their association with God.

Matthew 16:13-19 (RC)Simon Peter confesses Jesus to be the Christ, and Jesus declares he will build his church on this rock (Peter is a transliteration of the Greek petros, which means “rock”).

Theme Let us never forget that we are God’s children. Thought for the DayOne of the great contributions of Jesus to religious thought is his uninhibited association of himself with God, and each person with God.

Sermon SummaryBecause God may be found in us all, we are inspired to live with awareness, alertness, and abiding appreciation.

Call to WorshipOne: God is a God filled with wonder and surprise.All: We open our minds and hearts to the surprising blessings of God.One: God calls us God’s own, children of God’s own creation.All:We affirm our God-given identity with gratitude and celebrate

with joyful service!

Pastoral PrayerDear God, we thank you for the living of our days. We thank you for the inventions of schedules, watches, and even smart phones. These and more have helped us to be more committed, efficient, and productive. But, we know of the shadow as well, when we become addicted to our creations. Help us not to be bound to boundaries that diminish our sensitivity to your presence and activity outside our plans. May the shadow never separate us from the holy surprise that you are in us, and with us. Amen.

Prayer of Confession and AssuranceO God, we are your children, but the sad truth is that we can behave so unlike you all too often. Seduced by the protection of the comfortable and the power of the familiar, we reject newness. Help us to see the deadening in this, and seek to be alive in your capacity for surprise. In spite of our fear, we believe that we are blessed not simply by you – we are blessed to live with you. In Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication of Gifts and SelfTo your presence, dear God, we present our gives. As you have asked us to receive you, please do receive what we are offering. Indeed, please receive us again, again, and again. Amen.

Hymn of the DayAll Are WelcomeThis hymn is the work of modern-day writer and composer Marty Haugen, whose works are used extensively in Protestant and Catholic liturgies. “All are welcome” is the repeated refrain used to conclude each verse. Equally significant, each verse begins “Let us build a house . . .” Welcome and hospitality do not happen without effort – and the five verses of this hymn name a whole variety of tasks for building our churches as places of welcome and love and justice. An interesting exercise beyond the scope of worship would be to convene small group conversations for five weeks, each week taking on one of Haugen’s verses in the context of your congregation. How might its images affirm current practices – and/or generate new possibilities for the welcome you extend and embody?

Children’s Time: Welcoming Others, Welcoming GodInvite some people in the congregation to share where they originally came from. If you have visitors, invite them to introduce themselves and say where they live. Ask the children if they know where their families came from.

Comment that the people in the church today have come from many different places and yet they all have something in common: they are all loved by God and are a part of God’s family. You might also mention that many of you are followers of Jesus. This is what the church is. Whenever followers of Jesus meet together, we are the church.

Explain that sometimes visitors come to our church. It is our job to welcome them and help them feel at home. Jesus said that when we welcome other people, it’s as if we are welcoming Jesus. When we welcome Jesus, we are also welcoming God.

Talk briefly about the ways in which your congregation welcomes visitors. What else might we do to help visitors feel welcome? Accept all suggestions and affirm the children’s welcoming spirits. Exclaim that God must feel very welcome in your church.

Pray with the children, asking that God would help you as you welcome others.

The Sermon: The God-SurpriseScripture: Matthew 10:40-42

You and I may share a childhood memory in common. It has to do with opening a box of caramel popcorn called Cracker Jack. Do you remember it? If you do, then you must also remember that each box contained more than the famous snack food. A part of the charm of opening a box of Cracker Jack was anticipating what prize you would receive inside. Every box of Cracker Jack contained a prize. Maybe it would be a small picture book, or a medal, or a small toy. It didn’t matter so much what the prize was, what mattered was that there was a surprise in the box. The sweet popcorn came with something else. To receive the box of sweet popcorn was to receive the surprise that came along with it.

Jesus is making an astounding assertion in today’s passage from Matthew regarding a surprise association with a reception. He tells his first followers that if persons would receive them and their ministry of word and deed, it would be as if they were receiving the word and ministry of Jesus himself. Now in and of itself, that is fine, all well and good. But, Jesus doesn’t stop there. He continues on to link the reception of himself in the minds and hearts of persons to receiving God Almighty.

You do the implied logic. Jesus, believe it or not, suggests that in a real way to receive a human being, be it a representative of Jesus or Jesus himself, is to receive God. Is this a sacrilege to so closely associate the link between receiving others with the receiving of the Holy One? Or is this, to borrow an assessment made about the gospel by the wonderful writer Frederick Buechner, “too good not to be true.” That is, is Matthew 10’s “too good not to be true” message the assertion that contained within the box of humanity is the surprise of divinity?

Linking persons so close to God, and God so close to persons, opens up extraordinary new possibilities. It means, among other things, that God may show up in some of the strangest places – and persons – and doing some of the smallest yet most wonderful things.

Once, while in a grocery store, I went up to a person I had not formally met to say, “Thank you.” Though I didn’t know his name, I recognized his face. It was the same full, jovial face I’d seen at a major intersection in our city for years as I drove our daughters to school. He was a street crossing guard who, while ably assisting youth and others across the busy streets, greeted as many drivers as he could with a smile and a wave. His smile and wave were compelling; they drew you to smile and wave back. It was sad to me, and I know to many others in the city, when suddenly he was no longer there at his post directing and protecting, and smiling and waving. So, when I recognized him in the store, I just had to approach him, introduce myself, shake his hand, smile, and say, with genuine gratitude, “Thank you.” Only God knows how many loads he lifted and hearts he encouraged with his grace-drenched smile and wave. And God would easily know because, in the fantastic mystery of it all, God was the one doing the smiling and the waving through him.

To believe that God may be found in anyone at any time may inspire us to live on the lookout for God, to be alert for God.When our son Jared was two or three, he started doing something that lasted for several weeks. He began to announce that he was up for the morning. The shriek came from his bedroom, sometimes at an hour that was too early for us to appreciate it at first: “I waked up!” He did this morning after morning. It got to a point where I began to wonder whether or not we needed to consider medical attention for him.

“I waked up!”Well, at some point he stopped – but I never stopped hearing him

completely. In retrospect, his morning cry was a celebration of appreciation and anticipation for the moment, for the new morning, and for what the day might hold.

I hear his cry now as I think of our need to live on high alert for God within humanity, moving amongst those we know and love – and just as important, dwelling with and working through those we don’t know and may even despise.

Alertness to the divine moving among us is no small inducement to live more abundantly.

Alertness smacks of vibrant and vital life as it is, and as it is yet to be. To be alert is to be at attention for what is and what is to be. Living alertness is the sum of appreciation and anticipation. It is to be aware, hopefully at times with no small glee, of the God-surprise, anywhere, anytime, and in anyone.

– Kirk Byron Jones

HymnsOpening: Have Thine Own WaySermon: Amazing GraceClosing: More Than Wonderful