March 28, 2021
Palm Sunday Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song Look at the World John Rutter/Cambridge Singers https://youtu.be/6Gpdc5Mjjq8 Announcements Thursday, 7:00 PM Zoom Maundy Thursday Service (With Holy Communion; have your bread and juice ready.) Here is your invitation: Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Maundy Thursday Service Time: Apr 1, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82288357513?pwd=aFQyUFozdTNZcTE5R2JpYnljaS82UT09 Meeting ID: 822 8835 7513 Passcode: 060486 One tap mobile +19292056099,,82288357513#,,,,*060486# US (New York) +13017158592,,82288357513#,,,,*060486# US (Washington DC) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 822 8835 7513 Passcode: 060486 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbfZY8mzUr Friday, 7:00 PM Zoom Good Friday Service Here is your invitation: Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Good Friday Service Time: Apr 2, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85807321969?pwd=eGUyS09Qa056U0JaajR1QXlHQ3dFZz09 Meeting ID: 858 0732 1969 Passcode: 757417 One tap mobile +19292056099,,85807321969#,,,,*757417# US (New York) +13017158592,,85807321969#,,,,*757417# US (Washington DC) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 858 0732 1969 Passcode: 757417 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbWjXJ3HO3 Call to Worship This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Hosanna! Let every knee bend before Jesus! Let every tongue welcome Christ’s reign! Hosanna! Song Hosanna, Loud Hosanna Highland United Methodist Church https://youtu.be/2KH31nkWuCE Opening Prayer Holy Brother, you have come in God’s name and for our sake. You have entered our souls in moments of shouted Hosannas and waving cloaks. And you have come just the same to our late nights and our confused hearts. Come to us again, Dear One, and let us follow you. Let your name be on our tongues and in our hearts. Amen. Song Tell Somebody Danny Gokey, Mandisa https://youtu.be/sn8dbIVIncg Hearing the Word Scripture Matthew 21:1-11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village a head of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “ Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Sermon Be a Christopher A DONKEY NAMED CHRISTOPHER Matthew 21:1-11 I saw a great movie a few years ago called “War Horse.” It was about a young man and his horse, who was taken to be used by the British army during World War I. The horse was a beautiful animal, and there were incredible scenes that demonstrated his intelligence. But there were also horrific scenes portraying the battlefield and the brutal way in which the horses were treated as they pulled heavy artillery pieces. The three other women who went with me to watch the movie kept covering their eyes during these scenes, and they were very hard to watch. But it helped knowing that no horses were actually mistreated or harmed during the making of the movie. It wasn’t always like that. Back in the early days of Hollywood, animals were seen as cheap and disposable props on the movie sets. As movies were being made, horses were shocked, tripped, and forced to run into trenches. Wires were strung around their ankles and then yanked by the riders to make the horses fall on cue. During the making of the original “Ben Hur” in 1924, six horses were killed. And in the making of “The Charge of the Light Brigade” in 1935, twenty-five horses were killed or euthanized. But all that changed when an organization known as the American Humane Association was formed, and opened an office in Hollywood to enforce standards for the protection of animals. During the 1950s, the American Humane Association began an annual PATSY Award ceremony, honoring the Performance Animal Top Star of the Year. It is kind of like the Academy Award for animal actors. Francis the Mule was the first PATSY Award winner in 1951. Other winners include Roy Rogers’ horse, Trigger, and Arnold the Pig, from the TV show, “Green Acres.” In 1973 an Animal Actors’ Hall of Fame was established, and Lassie was the first inductee. If the PATSY Award had been around in the first century, then surely the donkey who carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday would have been a winner. That donkey definitely played his part well. Jerusalem was filled with people that day, pilgrims who had come from all over the world to celebrate Passover. Crowds milled around in the streets, overflowing out of the inns into the surrounding villages, and pressing toward the Temple to see the center of their faith, the place where they believed God dwelled. Jesus was prepared to face whatever was waiting for him in Jerusalem. He knew that he was going to be put to death by the religious authorities, with whom he had been in conflict for most of his three-year ministry. But he did not enter the city quietly, under cover of darkness. Instead, he came in with the unmistakable air of a messiah, a savior, a king, riding on the back of a borrowed donkey. It was a Hollywood spectacular. The crowds surrounded him and followed him into the city, waving palm branches in the air, and placing their cloaks on the ground before him. They shouted, “Hosanna!” at the top of their lungs, and “Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” And the donkey must have pranced along with a spring in his step, responding to the excitement of the crowd. If we were to look for a role model on that day, we would not have had much luck among the human population. Who would we choose as our example? Well, we might consider the disciples of Jesus. After all, they had been following him for three years, learning from his teaching, being sent out on mission trips of their own and performing miracles. But they had also been unable to really grasp who Jesus was and what he was sent to do. On the way to Jerusalem, they had been arguing about who would be the greatest when Jesus established his kingdom on earth. They didn’t like listening to Jesus talk about his suffering and death. And in just a matter of days, one of them would betray him, one would deny him, and all would desert him. There are some people today who are a lot like the disciples. They have followed Jesus for years, attending church, putting their offering in the plate, attending Bible study, maybe singing in the choir, visiting the shut-ins, serving on a committee. But when following Jesus calls for serious commitment or real sacrifice, they seem to vanish. Clarence Jordan founded the Koinonia Farm near Americus, Georgia in the early 1950s. It was intended to be an interracial community, long before anyone knew what civil rights was all about. Jordan himself was a pacifist as well as an integrationist, and was not very popular in Georgia, even though he came from a prominent family there. The Koinonia Farm was very controversial and was always in some kind of trouble. One day Clarence went to his brother, Robert, who was later to be elected as a state senator and then serve as a justice on the Georgia Supreme Court. Clarence needed legal representation for the Koinonia Farm, because they were having trouble getting LP gas delivered for heating during the winter, even though it was against the law not to deliver the gas. Clarence thought that Robert might possibly be able to solve the problem with just a phone call. But Robert said to him, “Clarence, you know I can’t do that. I’ve got political aspirations. If I represented you, I might lose my job, my house, everything I’ve got.” Clarence responded, “We might lose everything, too.” Robert answered, “It’s different for you.” Clarence said, “Why is it different? I remember that you and I joined the church on the same Sunday as boys. I believe that when we came forward the preacher asked you the same question as he asked me: ‘Do you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ What did you say?” Robert replied, “I follow Jesus up to a point, Clarence.” “Could that point be the cross?” asked Clarence. “That’s right. I follow him to the cross, but not on the cross. I’m not going to get myself crucified.” Clarence said, “Then I don’t think you’re really a disciple. You’re an admirer of Jesus, but not a disciple. I think you ought to go back to your church and tell them you’re just an admirer, not a disciple.” Robert responded, “Well, if everyone who felt like I do did that, we wouldn’t have a church, would we?” Clarence said, “The question is, Do you have a church?” No, I don’t think the disciples of Jesus are our choice of role model on Palm Sunday. What about the people in the crowd? Maybe we would do better to look to them for our inspiration. They were shouting, “Hosanna!” when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. It looked like they were willing to follow him anywhere. But no, maybe not. I seem to remember that the same people who shouted, “Hosanna!” on Sunday were shouting “Crucify him!” on Friday. They may have been curious about Jesus, but they were not committed to him. They may have known something of the truth about Jesus, but they were not prepared to do the truth. They were like college students who make an A in their ethics class, but still flunk living an ethical life themselves. Of course, Jesus can still attract a crowd. His picture is on the cover of Time magazine every year at Christmas and Easter. People still flock to those large churches who put on elaborate Passion plays or Easter cantatas. But those people may not be committed to following Jesus on a daily basis. They are more interested in watching a good show that has been carefully choreographed and projected on a big screen. No, I don’t think the crowds are our choice of role model on Palm Sunday either. So how about the religious leaders? After all, they should have been the embodiment of virtue and morality. But we would have been sorely disappointed. The religious hierarchy in the time of Jesus was corrupt, mean-spirited and jealous. When Lazarus was raised from the dead, it was inconvenient to what they wanted people to believe about Jesus, and they preferred him back in the ground. They offered and received bribes. They bribed Judas to betray Jesus to them. They solicited false testimony against Jesus. They held a bogus trial after they arrested him on trumped-up charges. They condemned him to death. And then they hung the Son of God on a Roman cross to die. Today, most of the pastors, priests, rabbis, and other religious leaders in our country are caring, committed, dedicated people. But the very small minority give us all a bad name. They are the ones in the media making judgmental comments about people who are different from them and blaming them for the problems of our country. They are the ones who abuse children. They are the ones who have affairs with members of their congregation. And they are the ones on the TV asking for donations, much of which will support their own lavish lifestyles. One day, they will be held accountable for their actions. No, the religious leaders are not going to serve as appropriate role models either. So who is left? Just one little donkey. And this donkey’s name must have been Christopher. That’s because the name Christopher comes from the Greek words Christos (Christ) and pherein (to bear or carry). The donkey carried Jesus. And Christianity is all about carrying Jesus somewhere he needs to go. We are supposed to carry Jesus into the world. Just like the donkey, we are to be humble. Just like the donkey, we are to follow Jesus’ direction, going where he wants to go. Just like the donkey, we have to carry Jesus into enemy territory sometimes, being obedient to the one who holds the reins. Corrie ten Boom was asked once if it was difficult for her to remain humble when she was such an inspiration to so many people. She replied, “When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments on the road, and singing praises, do you think that for one minute it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him? If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in His glory, I give him all the praise and all the honor.” I want to be a Christopher. I want to be like that donkey and carry Jesus into the world. And all it takes is a willingness to be humble enough to let Jesus take the reins and lead me where he wants me to go. Song We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations First UMC, Houston https://youtu.be/wSTmJ_-1oU8 Praying Together Concerns and Celebrations: Please share any concerns or celebrations you may have with Pastor Elisabeth. Please note if you do not want this shared with this faith community. Pastoral Prayer O God, we know that you have watched the passage of thousands of Palm Sunday parades, knowing how short they would be. Forgive us for cheering so loudly when we thought Jesus was going to win one for our side, and for running so quickly when things did not turn out as we thought they would. Deliver us from the worship of false values and selfish goals so that we will not waste our lives on things and thoughts and hopes and dreams that are without eternal significance. Save us from selling the highest and best we know for a few pieces of silver, or from a cheap victory over a perceived enemy or an advantage in some ultimately meaning- less competition. Strengthen us for the betrayals and disappointments we will face when we refuse to give in to the temptations that come to all who follow Jesus. We pray for the health of those who are ill in whatever way illness may come in life. (David N. Mosser) We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught his disciples to pray: The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Responding Offertory: You may send your offerings to Grantham United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 152, Grantham, NH, 03753. Doxology UMH #95 Prayer of Dedication God, if we had a donkey to lend to Jesus, we would do so. If we could ease Christ’s way to Calvary, or prevent its cruelty, we would act. But these are not ours to give. So we offer what we have: the offerings we have brought for your blessing. Use everything we have and all that we are to advance your kingdom among us. Amen. Song Happy Pharrell Williams https://youtu.be/ZbZSe6N_BXs Benediction God has given us light. We are sent into the world to share that light. We will carry the light of Christ to the world. Give thanks for God’s reign among us. Praise God, whose steadfast love endures forever. Hosanna in the highest heaven! We trust in God and seek to serve in Christ’s name. Amen.
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March 21, 2021
Fifth Sunday in Lent Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song O God, Our Help in Ages Past Virtual Choir https://youtu.be/jRbk16T_PT4 Announcements Thursday, 7:00 PM Zoom Lenten Study – Adam Hamilton’s book, Simon Peter Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Book Study Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86066732644?pwd=emorNUc2RlJkWEN4UUdrZHJZY0o2Zz09 Meeting ID: 860 6673 2644 Passcode: 762435 One tap mobile +19292056099,,86066732644#,,,,*762435# US (New York) +13017158592,,86066732644#,,,,*762435# US (Washington D.C) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 860 6673 2644 Passcode: 762435 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdxhcclBuf Call to Worship (based on Psalm 73) God is surely good to those who are pure in heart. God is always with us; God holds us by the right hand. God guides us with his counsel, and afterward God will take us into glory. Whom do we have in heaven but God? And earth has nothing we desire besides God. Our flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of our hearts. It is good to be near to God. We have made God our refuge. Song Stand by Me Willie Nelson https://youtu.be/TQL7yifIWQU Prayer of Confession (based on Romans 12:1-2, 9-21) Gracious God, you have called us to refuse to be conformed to this world. And yet, we continue to behave as people who do not know how to do that. Our love is not sincere. We cling to what is evil, rather than to what is good. We lack spiritual enthusiasm, and do not serve you. We act as if we had no hope. We are impatient. We do not pray often or well. We refuse to share what we have with those who are in need. We neglect to show hospitality. We have no empathy for those who suffer. We let our pride get the better of us. We seek to repay evil for evil, and are not at peace with those around us. We are allowing evil to overcome in us. We are sincerely sorry for our lack of faith and our lack of faithfulness. We come seeking forgiveness, and pledging to live for you. Assurance of Forgiveness God is gracious and loving, and his grace is free to all who ask. God’s mercy is near. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Song Goodness is Stronger Than Evil First-Plymouth Church, Lincoln, NE https://youtu.be/s1ydJ4JTEYw Hearing the Word Scripture Matthew 6:9-13 [Jesus said,] “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” Romans 12:1-2, 9-21 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do with is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NIV) Sermon Deliver Us From Evil In May of 1996, I stood in a place of evil. I stood in a place whose name is synonymous with evil, death and destruction. A place where the worst of human nature was revealed. I stood in Auschwitz. I was in Poland with a group of eleven other students and one faculty member from Wesley Theological Seminary. I was in the middle of working on a graduate degree in the area of spirituality and the suffering of God. Part of the requirement for the degree was to go to Poland to tour several Holocaust sites. I thought I was prepared for what I would experience at Auschwitz. I was wrong. As I walked through the death camp, viewing evidence of the atrocities committed there, I was overwhelmed with grief and sadness. The piles of luggage, shoes, prayer shawls, hair brushes and combs, baby bottles and clothes and toys, all cried out their accusations of murder on a scale so large that I simply could not comprehend it. One of the buildings I walked through was known as the prison within the prison. It was where prisoners were taken when they had been accused of some crime, such as stealing food or passing messages to people outside the camp. The cells that held them were atrocious. Some were tall and narrow, so narrow that the prisoner inside would not be able to sit down. Others were very short, so that the prisoner would have to lie down at all times. When I came to one cell, I noticed a spotlight pointing toward something on the stone wall. I had to look very closely to see what it was. Gradually I became aware of an image that had been scratched into the rock. I looked harder. It was a cross. Someone had carved a cross into the wall of that prison cell in the middle of Auschwitz. I had almost forgotten that Christians had been killed there, as well as Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, and political prisoners. Obviously, a Christian had been held in that cell and had carved the cross into the wall. What better image to carve there? Of all the evil in the world, surely the evil that put Jesus on the cross was even more offensive than the evil that had resulted in Auschwitz. To think that the very Son of God was put to death in the most gruesome manner known at that time is horrifying. In fact, death on the cross was so painful that a new word was invented to describe it: excruciating pain. And on Good Friday, when Jesus hung on a Roman cross dying, evil thought that it had won the ultimate victory. Now, I don’t know about you, but I believe that there is an evil force at work in our world, attempting to counteract what God is trying to do. And that evil force has a name: Satan. In a poll by the Barna Group a few years ago, it was reported that two-thirds of Americans do not believe in Satan. About 62% said that they believe Satan is a symbol of evil, but is not a living being. That troubles me. Because the Bible is quite clear that Satan exists, sometimes referring to Satan as the devil. William Barclay wrote that the Bible “is never in any doubt that there is a power of evil in the world … The Bible does not think of evil as an abstract principle or force, but as an active, personal power in opposition to God.” I realize that some people have a hard time believing in Satan or the devil, a personal being that is actively working against the purposes of God in the world. But let me encourage you to rethink your position. Pierre Baudelaire writes, “The devil’s most beautiful ruse is to convince us that he does not exist.” And Peter J. Gomes, in his book, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus, writes that “it is unwise to underestimate the power and sophistication of Satan. It is not for nothing that in ancient Christian culture another name for Satan was the Old Deluder, and it is said that his most successful delusion to date is that he persuades very smart people that he doesn’t exist.” But many strong and wise Christians remind us that the devil does exist. Pope John Paul II, in 1986, issued a statement on the devil, in which he said, “[The devil exists and] is a cosmic liar and murderer … [who] has the skill in the world to induce people to deny his existence in the name of rationalism and of every other system of thought which seeks all possible means to avoid recognizing his activity.” And Malcolm Muggeridge wrote, “It seems to me quite extraordinary that anyone should have failed to notice, especially during the last half century, a diabolic presence in the world, pulling downwards as gravity does instead of pressing upwards as trees and plants do when they … reach so resolutely after the light.” One reason that Jesus ended up on the cross was that he spent so much of his time exposing the evil of the systems in his world. He confronted corporate evil in government, in politics, in religious parties, and in the religious structures of Judaism. Brian D. McLaren wrote of this in his book, The Secret Message of Jesus, saying that Jesus drew systemic evil out of the shadows and into the light to be named and ex-posed and expelled. He was a threat, in other words, to the powerful people – to the Roman governor, to the Jewish priests, and to the Jewish leaders. Jesus confronted the Roman Empire and showed its weakness, in part by dying on the cross at the hands of the Roman rulers, and set an example for others to stand up to the evil of their day. McLaren writes, “In the face of the simple moral authority of Jesus, the power and authority of Rome seem brutally grotesque and ethically pathetic. One thinks of the Chinese students standing down tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989 or Nelson Mandela ascending from prison to the presidency in South Africa in 1994 or Martin Luther King Jr. sitting in prison in Birmingham in 1963 – exercising greater moral leadership while under arrest than the prison guards, police forces, and governors who thought they were in control. One thinks of the Catholic prayer protests that exposed the weakness of Communism in Poland or the weaponless crowds toppling Communism in Romania or Gandhi … as he led nonviolent resistance against imperialism and religious hatred.” Jesus also confronted the religious elite, showing the evil of the seemingly righteous people. The message of Jesus was a tremendous threat to their authority and power, and so they had him killed, with the cooperation of the Roman governor. It is necessary to face the power of evil in our world, to stand up to it in some way. We know that we can be delivered from evil by the power and presence of the One who can save us. God will give us the ability to battle evil, so we must be brave and bold in confronting Satan. W. Philip Keller reminds us in his book, A Layman Looks at the Lord’s Prayer, that we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power. We should not be afraid of facing evil, but we can be courageous in standing against it because we stand in the strength of Jesus Christ. But sometimes that strength is shown in weakness. Sometimes that strength gives us the courage to be defeated. Jesus was put to death, after all. It appeared that he had failed. And that, according to McLaren, is the scandal of the message of Jesus. He writes, “The kingdom of God does fail. It is weak. It is crushed. When its message of love, peace, justice, and truth meets the principalities and powers of government and religion armed with spears and swords and crosses, they unleash their hate, force, manipulation, and propaganda … But what is the alternative? … Could the kingdom of God come with bigger weapons, sharper swords, more clever political organizing? … What if the only way for the kingdom of God to come in its true form … is through weak-ness and vulnerability, sacrifice and love? What if it can conquer only by first being conquered? What if our only hope lies in this impossible paradox: the only way the kingdom of God can be strong in a truly liberating way is through a scandalous, noncoercive kind of weakness; the only way it can be powerful is through astonishing vulnerability; the only way it can live is by dying; the only way it can succeed is by failing?” The life to which we have been called is not a life based on power, but on love. We are to be different from this world, or as Paul wrote, we are not to be conformed to this world. Instead, we are to live with genuine love; we are to hate what is evil, and hold fast to what is good; we are to love one another with mutual affection; we are to rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer; we are to contribute to the needs of others and extend hospitality to strangers; we are to bless those who persecute us; we are to rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep; we are to live in harmony with one another; we should not be haughty or claim to be smarter than we really are; we are not to repay anyone evil for evil, but as far as it depends on us, live in peace with all people; we are never to seek revenge; in fact, if our enemies are hungry, we must feed them, and if they are thirsty, we must give them something to drink. And we are not to be overcome by evil, but we are to overcome evil with good. That is the secret. The way to overcome evil is not to be fighting it on its own terms, becoming tainted with evil ourselves in the process. The way to overcome evil is to choose, every day, to live good lives. The way to overcome evil is not to arm our-selves with the most powerful weapons, but to fill our hearts with the most powerful love. Yes, Jesus died on the cross, and he was put there by evil forces; but God did something good with it. As Frederick Buechner writes, “Christianity points to the cross and says that … there is no evil so dark and so obscene – not even this – but that God can turn it to good.” Brian McLaren says, “Somehow … the defeat of Christ on that Roman cross – the moment when God appears weak and foolish, outsmarted as it were by human evil – provided the means by which God exposed and judged the evil of empire and religion, and, in them, the evil of every individual human being, so that humanity could be forgiven and reconciled to God.” By the cross of Jesus, God made salvation possible for all people. The cross is not a symbol of evil for Christians, but a symbol of a different kind of power, the power of love; and it is a symbol of hope. And that, I think, is why the unknown prisoner of Auschwitz carved a cross into that wall of his cell: to proclaim that evil would not have the last word, but that evil had, in fact, already been defeated for all time on that cross. We know that beyond the cross is the empty tomb, God’s ultimate declaration of victory over death and evil and destruction. And so, we have hope. Because we know that we have been delivered from evil. And we know that we can be delivered from any evil that we might face in life, by the power of the One who has overcome evil once and for all. We face evil, and we learn, by his example, to overcome evil with good. Song A Mighty Fortress is Our God Virtual Choir https://youtu.be/z4EoLm3_luM Praying Together Concerns and Celebrations: Please share any concerns or celebrations you may have with Pastor Elisabeth. Please note if you do not want this shared with this faith community. Pastoral Prayer (based on Romans 12:1-2, 9-21) O God, we are glad to gather in your presence today. We are grateful to know that you hear us when we pray. We are so aware of the evil in the world, that it makes us anxious and afraid. We need to know that you have overcome all evil, and that you will enable us to stand up to evil through your power. There are pressures all around us for us to conform to the evil nature of this world, and we need your strength in order to submit ourselves to transformation by the renewing of our minds. We want to seek and to do your will. Fill our hearts with sincere love for others. Give us the strength to resist evil and to hold on to what is good. Help us to never lose our passion to love and to serve you. Make us joyful in hope, patient in suffering, and faithful in prayer. Remind us to share with those who are in need and to show hospitality to strangers. Give us hearts that empathize with those who are in times of trouble. Allow us to live in harmony with each other and to be peacemakers in the world. Let us understand that we are not to repay evil for evil or to seek revenge against those who do harm to us, but enable us to do what is right and good. Teach us to show kindness and compassion to our enemies who are in need. And let us not be overcome by evil, but enable us to overcome evil with good. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught his disciples to pray: The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Responding Offertory: You may send your offerings to Grantham United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 152, Grantham, NH, 03753. Doxology UMH #95 Prayer of Dedication O God, all that we have and all that we are are gifts from you. We are grateful for your many blessings. We ask that these gifts might be used to meet the needs of a hurting world. Bless those who give, and those who will receive. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Song How Firm a Foundation Fernando Ortega https://youtu.be/Prb4C_PEwWM Benediction (from 2 Thessalonians 3:16, 18) Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. March 14, 2021
Fourth Sunday in Lent Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song The Heart of the Matter The Eagles https://youtu.be/GeXNVEQY3AM Announcements Thursday, 7:00 PM Zoom Lenten Study – Adam Hamilton’s book, Simon Peter Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Book Study Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86066732644?pwd=emorNUc2RlJkWEN4UUdrZHJZY0o2Zz09 Meeting ID: 860 6673 2644 Passcode: 762435 One tap mobile +19292056099,,86066732644#,,,,*762435# US (New York) +13017158592,,86066732644#,,,,*762435# US (Washington D.C) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 860 6673 2644 Passcode: 762435 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdxhcclBuf Call to Worship (Based on Psalm 108:1-5) All who play musical instruments, pick them up and play! We will sing and make music with all our souls. Praise the Lord our God! We will sing to God with all our hearts. God’s love is so great, it is higher than the heavens. God’s faithfulness reaches up to the skies. May God be exalted above the heavens. May God’s glory be over all the earth. Song Forgiven David Crowder https://youtu.be/xP-SVCdQ2R0 Prayer of Confession (based on Colossians 3:12-17) O God, we know that we are your children and you love us. You have called us to a standard of life that is characterized by compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. And yet too often we allow judgmentalism, meanness, pride, brutality and impatience to enter our hearts. We know that the peace of Christ should rule in our hearts. But we sometimes argue and quarrel and fight with each other. Teach us to bear with one another and forgive each other, even as you have forgiven and will always forgive us. Fill our hearts with love for you and for each other. And whatever we do, in word or in deed, let us do it all in the name of Jesus. Assurance of Forgiveness When we confess our sins, God promises to forgive us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Song Forgiven David Meece https://youtu.be/Lpnj-cLgL2g Hearing the Word Scripture Matthew 6:9-12 [Jesus said,] “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.’” (NIV) Colossians 3:12-17 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (NIV) Sermon Forgiven as We Forgive Did you know that there are websites where you can go and post online confessions and apologies anonymously? Neither did I, until I did some research a few years ago. I did a quick Google search and found a lot of places where people actually write their confessions – some in just a few words, others with long paragraphs. These sites include JoeApology.com, Unburdened.net, The Confession Board, and True Confessions. Some of the things I read were quite raw and even offensive; maybe they were designed for their shock value. But others seemed quite sincere and were very poignant. There was one person who wrote, “I’m sorry that I ran away.” Another con-fessed, “I’ve slept with more prostitutes than I can remember.” Still another read, “I’m sorry that I haven’t been the wife that you need. Making our marriage work is the most important thing in the world to me. I love you and I am sorry that I haven’t made this week any easier.” One person admitted, “I’ve actually killed two people.” A depressed woman wrote, “I sleep around because I have very bad self-esteem problems. And I was touched by the person who said, “I’m sorry, God, that I didn’t live up to what you wanted of me. I’m sorry I quit listening. I’m sorry I lied. I’m so sorry.” For those who are fortunate enough to have a smart phone, you can now down-load an app that has been approved by the Roman Catholic Church called iConfess. The app isn’t intended to replace traditional confession; a priest is still required for absolution. But the intent, according to one company spokesman, is “to invite Catholics to engage in their faith through digital technology.” The app leads users through an examination of conscience to help them figure out what their sins are. Father Edward L. Beck says, “In all seriousness, I think [it] may be a boon for the sacrament. While confession … may be on the decline, I can attest that it remains a powerful venue for grace and healing … I’m all for whatever makes it easier for others to take that cleansing plunge.” What all this says to me is that there are a lot of people out there who are searching for forgiveness. Because we are human, we are bound to hurt other people, and other people are bound to hurt us. We are also bound to hurt God by our wrong behaviors and attitudes. People who have been hurt can carry bitterness, anger, and the desire for revenge in their hearts until it consumes them. Others know that they have hurt someone else, but they have no clue about how to make things right between them. Still others have felt guilty for so long that they don’t know what it would feel like to let it go. So how do we begin to address the issue of forgiveness, the need to receive it and the need to offer it? I think we have to begin with the notion of sin. I realize that the word “sin” makes some people cringe and others to have flashbacks to painful memories of “fire-and-brimstone” sermons preached at the top of the lungs. But we have to understand sin before we can understand forgiveness. Put simply, sin means to miss the mark or to stray from the path. We know that there is a certain way we ought to live. We see the perfect model of that way in the example of Jesus. We also read something about that way in the passage from Colossians 3. We should be kind, compassionate, humble, meek, and patient. We should learn to put up with each other, knowing that others have to put up with us. We should love one another and live at peace with each other. We should always be thankful and grateful. This is just a brief description, but we know how we should be behaving. We also know that sometimes we don’t behave that way. Sometimes we do something wrong almost by accident; we hurt someone without meaning to. Other times we make a conscious decision to do something wrong, maybe because it will benefit us in some way. But whatever our reasons, when we do something wrong, it is sin. And the way to deal with sin is to ask for forgiveness. The good news is, Christianity is all about forgiveness. More than any other religion, according to Adam Hamilton in his book, Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go, Christianity preaches and teaches forgiveness. The central focus of our faith is not guilt, but grace. It isn’t judgment, but redemption. It’s not punishment, but mercy. The entire life and ministry of Jesus was defined by forgiveness. Before Jesus was even born, the angel told Joseph to give his son the name “Jesus,” which means “savior,” because he would save his people from their sins. Jesus constantly reached out to those who were somehow estranged from God, associating with sinners and tax collectors and prostitutes. According to John Killinger in his book, The God Named Hallowed, Jesus treated those people as if God had given them complete amnesty. And even when he was dying on the cross, Jesus forgave those who had crucified him. In his book, Where Do You Go to Give Up?, author C. Welton Geddy writes that the most dramatic and unforgettable insights about forgiveness come from Calvary. “While on the cross, as he was dying, Jesus prayed to God for the forgiveness of those who put him there. He sought the gift of life for the very persons who were taking life from him. Familiarity … must not be allowed to blunt the radicality of its meaning. Everybody knows what to expect from a man hanging on a cross. With whatever strength he has left, he screams words of rebuke, denunciation, and condemnation in the faces of those who placed him there. If an innocent man was crucified as guilty, even more piercing cries were predictable – loud protests of injustice and harrowing harangues about unfairness. Silence from a crucified sufferer was unthinkable. But forgiveness?” We learn through the cross about the possibility of being forgiven for our sins. Traditional Christian theology teaches that by his death on the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we might have forgiveness and be able to live in right relationship with God. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul wrote, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (TNIV) W. Philip Keller writes in A Layman Looks at the Lord’s Prayer, “The majesty and mystery of this transaction that took place on the cross is beyond our ability to fully grasp. [But] anyone who pauses … in serious contemplation of Calvary must be overwhelmed by the generosity of our God.” Adam Hamilton writes, “God has done everything necessary for your forgiveness, and he offers that forgiveness freely. All you have to do to gain this grace … is to accept it.” Forgiveness is ours; but it is not only ours. Forgiveness is meant to be given to those who have harmed us in any way. We must forgive others as we have been for-given by God. I am reminded of one of my favorite C. S. Lewis quotes, from his book, Mere Christianity: “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have some-thing to forgive.” It can be so hard to forgive someone, because, as Killinger writes, “Our lives bear the scars of others’ sins.” But we only ruin our own lives when we carry around bitterness, resentment, grudges, or the desire for revenge. And in doing so, we cause a distance to grow, not only with the person who has wronged us, but with God. What makes it so hard to forgive others, I think, is our pride. We kind of take a perverse pleasure in having been wronged. We can feel superior to the person who has done us harm. But somehow we have to let go of that pride. Frederick Buechner writes in his book, Wistful Thinking: A Theological ABC, “To forgive somebody is to say one way or another, ‘You have done something unspeakable, and by all rights I should call it quits between us. Both my pride and my principles demand no less. However … I refuse to let it stand between us. I still want you for my friend.” Here again, we can draw our example from Jesus as he was dying on the cross. Keller writes, “Nothing else can so completely shatter self and crush ego, leaving us undone, as a real look at our Lord at Calvary. In the presence of the Prince of Peace dying upon the cross for me, my petty pride is pulverized … I see my sins and wrongs and misconduct for what they really are. I am then able to see myself in proper perspective and, at that point, I am willing to forgive others … The degree to which I am able and willing to forgive others is a clear indication of the extent to which I have personally experienced [God’s] forgiveness of me.” Forgiveness is a powerful thing. Hamilton writes, “Our willingness to forgive has the power not only to change us, freeing us from bitterness and resentment, but to change those who receive mercy from us, just as we are changed when finally we see and comprehend the vast and wonderful mercy of God.” Just how powerful is forgive-ness? Let me share a story told by John Killinger. There was a twelve-year-old boy in California who witnessed the murder of his father and the rape and murder of his mother. His life seemed to be ruined. He was sent to a state school for boys, where he did poorly in his academic work. He was withdrawn and didn’t seem to care about anything or anyone. He was taken to several psychologists and went through countless therapy sessions, but nothing seemed to be able to break through the shield of defenses he had built around himself. Shortly after the boy graduated from high school, he was invited to attend a Young Life meeting. He listened as several of the young people in the group shared about the difference Jesus had made in their lives. At the end of the meeting, an invitation was given, and the young man found himself going forward with tears in his eyes to accept Jesus Christ. His whole life turned around after that. He began to make new friends. He applied to a local college and was admitted. After college, the young man went on to law school. And while he was in law school, he did something that he had begun wanting to do ever since he had become a Christian. He made arrangements to go the state penitentiary to visit the man who had killed his parents. The first visit was not very good. Both men were nervous and had a hard time talking. But the young man was determined, and so he went back a second time. During this second visit, he said to the prisoner, “If God can forgive me for the awful hatred I carried for you, he can forgive you for what you did.” The prisoner was deeply moved by the man’s words. And when the young man came back for a fourth time, the prisoner also committed his life to Christ. The two men embraced in tears. And years later, when the man was finally released from prison, the man, now an attorney in Modesto, helped him to get a job and start a new life. That is the power of forgiveness. Forgive us, as we forgive others. It is a lovely idea. And it really works. Song Forgiveness Matthew West https://youtu.be/h1Lu5udXEZI Praying Together Concerns and Celebrations: Please share any concerns or celebrations you may have with Pastor Elisabeth. Please note if you do not want this shared with this faith community. Pastoral Prayer Loving God, we come into your presence with thanksgiving. We welcome this time of quietness and listening, as well as the time to talk to you. There are so many thoughts in our minds, so many feelings racing through our hearts. We have sensed the promised coming of spring this week, with warm sunshine and blue skies. But we know that winter has not left us just yet. We are still walking through Lent on the way towards Easter. We know that we have done things for which we need forgiveness, and we lay them before you now. We are truly sorry for our sins and our shortcomings. We promise to do better in the future and to learn from our mistakes. We are grateful for your mercy and your forgiveness. As we experience your grace, soften our hearts towards those who have done us wrong. Plant in us the seeds of forgiveness, that we might show the mercy towards others that we have received from you. Give us hearts of compassion and kindness, humility and gentleness. Remind us that others have to bear with us, just as we bear with them in love. And let us never forget the high price that was paid for our salvation, the life of your only Son. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught his disciples to pray: The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Responding Offertory: You may send your offerings to Grantham United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 152, Grantham, NH, 03753. Doxology UMH #95 Prayer of Dedication Gracious God, all that we have and all that we are has been given to us by you. Give us an attitude of gratitude. Make us thankful for all that you have done in our lives. And as we share these gifts with others, bring peace and mercy and grace to those who give and to those who receive. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Song Amazing Grace Chris Tomlin https://youtu.be/_YFGzY_8li8 Benediction (based on Colossians 3:12-17) As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, go now in peace. Spread compassion and kindness, humility and gentleness, wherever you go. Forgive others as you have been forgiven, and bear with one another in love. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord. Amen. March 7, 2021
Third Sunday in Lent Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song In Christ Alone Virtual Choir https://youtu.be/RY4CW5pte98 Announcements Thursday, 7:00 PM Zoom Lenten Study – Adam Hamilton’s book, Simon Peter Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Book Study Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86066732644?pwd=emorNUc2RlJkWEN4UUdrZHJZY0o2Zz09 Meeting ID: 860 6673 2644 Passcode: 762435 One tap mobile +19292056099,,86066732644#,,,,*762435# US (New York) +13017158592,,86066732644#,,,,*762435# US (Washington D.C) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 860 6673 2644 Passcode: 762435 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdxhcclBuf Call to Worship (based on Psalm 107) Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good. God’s love endures forever. Let those who have been redeemed by the Lord tell their story. The Lord satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good food. Give thanks to God for God’s unfailing love. Song Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church Virtual Choir https://youtu.be/Hv-qHlSnq4o Prayer of Confession (based on Matthew 6:11, 25-33) O God, even though we pray for you to give us our daily bread, we don’t trust you to provide it. Instead we worry and fret about providing for our own needs. We are overly concerned about what we will have to eat and what kind of clothes we will wear, even though we have never gone hungry or had nothing to wear. You tell us that worry cannot add anything to our lives, but we worry anyway. We wonder if our resources will run out before our years do, and so we cling to them tightly. We forget that you know what we need. Forgive us for our pride and for our lack of faith. Remind us to seek your kingdom first, to prioritize our faithfulness to you, and to trust in your faithfulness to us. Assurance of Forgiveness God knows what we need. We need to be forgiven. We need to be set free from worry. God will grant to us all that we need. Song Break Thou the Bread of Life Fountainview Academy https://youtu.be/djc3MUpRY6U Hearing the Word Scripture Matthew 6:9-11, 25-33 (NIV) [Jesus said,] “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread …’ Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. John 6:35, 48-60 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty … I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Sermon Our Daily Bread A man in line at the hamburger joint turned to the person next to him in line and said, “You know, if it’s true that you are what you eat, then I must be fast, cheap, and easy.” America has a food problem, and part of that food problem is how many of us are lined up at the hamburger joints! More than 33% of Americans are overweight, and more than 34% are obese; that’s 67% total. Apparently, we’re very good at consuming what isn’t good for us. I think that’s been particularly true in the past, pandemic year, as we’ve eaten out of stress or anxiety. According to Homiletics magazine a few years ago, “Food has always excited strong … feelings in the human race. Most of the world’s peoples, in fact, are preoccupied with food and with worries about having too much or too little of it. We North Americans spend vast amounts of time, money and energy devising new and better ways to eat less, while most Africans and Asians spend a large portion of their working hours finding enough food to survive.” I think that part of our problem in America is that we’re hungry, but we just don’t really understand what it is that we’re hungry for. I think people are feeling empty and they’re trying to fill themselves up with something, and the easiest thing to reach for when you’re feeling hungry is food. But our hungers are much deeper than a craving for a Big Mac or a pizza or a bag of Doritos or a super-sized extra-value meal at the drive-through. Will Willimon writes, “Our hungers are so deep. We are dying of thirst. We are bundles of seemingly insatiable need, rushing here and there in a vain attempt to assuage our emptiness. Our culture is a vast supermarket of desire. Can it be that our bread, our wine, our fulfillment stands before us in the presence of [Jesus]? … Might it be true that he is the bread we need, even though he is rarely the bread we seek?” Jesus taught his followers to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” He taught them, “Do not worry about what you will eat; your heavenly Father knows you need these things. Seek first the kingdom of God.” And he taught them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never be hungry. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life; they abide in me and I abide in them.” Jesus promised that God would supply our food; but he also promised that he himself would be our spiritual food. Jesus is our daily bread. When Jesus talked about being the bread of life, he was referring to a substance that the people of his culture understood as being not only the provision for a literal, physical hunger, but he was also using a metaphor that they would understand as provision for spiritual hunger. In Jewish history, the story of the Exodus and the journey to the promised land was the central core of their theology and self-understanding. God had provided for them every step of the way, defeating their enemies and leading them with his very presence. When there was no food, God sent them manna every morning. Each person gathered enough for the day; but they were not to try to store any, because it would just become infested with worms. The message was that the people were to depend on God on a daily basis to provide them with what they needed. They had to learn to trust God for their physical and spiritual sustenance. I can almost imagine Jesus teaching outside a village where the smell of freshly-baked bread floated on the breeze. It was a familiar experience in every place where Jesus and his disciples walked. The women of the household would bake the daily ration of bread in their clay ovens, and when it came out it was a warm loaf much like pita bread. It was the staff of life for these people. Other food came and went with the seasons, but bread was the staple that got them through no matter if other food was plentiful or not. The smell of it, the taste and texture, reminded them of the good presence of God, who gave life to them. It reminded them of their history. And it reminded them that God could be trusted to provide. One lesson for us is that God can be trusted to provide for our needs, too. We should not worry about the food or drink we need; instead we should be thinking about the kingdom of God, which, by the way, we have just prayed would come on this earth. We should realize that God will provide for us, as we work toward the coming of the kingdom, just as God provided for the children of Israel, out in the desert, moving toward the land that God had prepared for them. We have a mission, a purpose, a destination, and God will provide what we need to sustain us as we move toward the fulfillment of that mission. One way that God provides for people’s needs is through each other. While there are hungry people in the world, in our country, we are given the task of helping to feed them. We do that by donating to food banks, either giving good or donating money. We do that by volunteering in soup kitchens. And we do that by contributing to United Methodist offerings. Unlike the early people of God, we have the advantage that God himself has come into the world to BE our bread. We have the advantage of having a tangible presence in the form of Jesus. As Will Willimon writes, “Here, standing before us, in the flesh, is the fullness of God. IF you have ever wondered just what God looks like, or how God acts, or how God talks, then wonder no more. In this faith, we do not have to climb up to the divine; God … climbs down to us.” Through Jesus, God is offering to provide our daily bread, our daily nourishment. God is offering a new way to be connected to people; God is offering a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I have found that some people, even some church-goers, are uncomfortable talking about having a personal relationship with Jesus. They are perhaps afraid of being linked to those religious talking heads who loudly proclaim through various forms of media that they are “born-again Christians” who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Of course, technically speaking, all Christians are born again, according to John 3. And all Christians are supposed to be involved in a personal way with Jesus. We are to know him, not just to know about him. We are supposed to talk to him and to listen to him talk to us. We are supposed to spend time with him, cultivating this relationship. And in the time that we spend with Jesus, we find that our spiritual needs, our spiritual hungers, are being satisfied. For myself, I know that in order to nurture this relationship with Jesus, I have to carve out some time each day that I dedicate to intentional, deliberate time alone with Jesus. I have to just be in his presence. I have to look for him in the words of scripture and through my prayer. I have to let him know what is going on in my life and see if there is something Jesus might offer to help me with my concerns and struggles. It is not a time that I give grudgingly, feeling like there is something else I should be doing that would be more productive. It is the most productive thing I do all day. And when I miss that time for some reason, my day quickly find me running out of energy and losing focus. One commentator wrote, “When we engage in the daily disciplines of cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus through prayer, study, meditation and service, we start to experience the benefits and want more. We learn that Jesus is, indeed, good for us on a lot of levels.” For me, the benefits include bringing a sense of wholeness to my life and a sense that I am on a journey with a faithful guide. Praying for our daily bread reminds us that we can trust God to provide for our needs. It connects us with Jesus, who invites us into a personal relationship with him. And finally, it calls to mind the strong language that Jesus used when he said that those who believe in him must eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to have eternal life. This would seem to be a clear reference to the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion. We ingest bread and juice that represent for us in some powerful way the very flesh and blood of Jesus, our savior. They become the means by which Jesus feeds us with grace, forgiveness and mercy. William Barclay wrote that when we eat his flesh and drink his blood, we are feeding our hearts and souls and minds with Jesus. We “revitalize our lives with his life until we are filled with the life of God … If you want life, you must come and sit at that table where you eat that broken bread and drink that poured-out wine which somehow, in the grace of God, brings you into contact with the love and the life of Jesus Christ.” Every time we come to the Lord’s table in worship, we are celebrating a meal that is full of spiritual nutrition. We are partaking in a diet of grace. In fact, John Wesley believed in open communion because he believed that a person could, in receiving communion, be saved by the grace of God. We pray for our daily bread. We receive that bread in the form of Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life. And we remind ourselves of the spiritual nourishment that is ours through celebrating the Lord’s Supper, eating the bread and drinking the juice, tangibly and intimately connecting our lives with the life of Jesus. Above all, we are reminding ourselves that God is present in our lives through Jesus, providing for our needs, reaching out to us with the invitation to taste and see that the Lord is good. God is our loving God and God is with us. One day a father went to his son’s preschool class on the day that all the dads were invited to visit. But when he got there, he was shocked to see that only a handful of the dads showed up to be with their children. The children and their dads were invited to sit in a circle. The teacher asked the children to tell something about their fathers that made them special. One little boy said, “My father is a lawyer and he is really busy with his work. He makes a lot of money so that we can live in a big house. He couldn’t be here because he has a meeting with one of his clients.” One of the girls spoke up, “My father is very smart. He teaches at the college and a lot of important people know him. He couldn’t come because he has a class he has to teach.” Finally it was time for this father’s son to share something about his dad. He looked up at his father, then just smiled and proudly said, “My dad is here!” Our dad is here. Our Father is present. He is present in Jesus Christ, our bread of life. We pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” And God shows up. God provides for our needs. God gives us our daily bread. God gives us Jesus. God gives us himself. Song You Feed Us, Gentle Savior Ben Finer and Haeja Kim https://youtu.be/syvB6Tql5vo Praying Together Concerns and Celebrations: Please share any concerns or celebrations you may have with Pastor Elisabeth. Please note if you do not want this shared with this faith community. Pastoral Prayer (Based on John 6:35, 48-60) Loving God, we are hungry, so very hungry. There is an emptiness in our souls that we cannot seem to fill, no matter what we try to put in it. Not more possessions. Not more people in our lives. Not more work. Not more efforts to be perfect. Not more money. Not more pleasure. We are still hungry, and we hunger for the bread that only you can provide. You sent Jesus to be the bread of life. No one who goes to him will ever be hungry again. He is bread that has come down from heaven; anyone may eat of it and live forever. What an amazing gift! What an incredible promise! To be fed until we are full and to have eternal life. But that gift came at a price: the life of Jesus. We eat of his flesh and drink of his blood as we share in Holy Communion. We do this to remind ourselves that we have been redeemed at the cost of Jesus’ life. Jesus gave himself freely and willingly for us. He loves us that much. You love us that much. And so, every time we smell the aroma of the bread or savor the taste of the fruit of the vine, we remember that we are loved. Let us feel the fullness of that love and the reality of our salvation. Let us never feel hungry again. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught his disciples to pray: The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Responding Offertory: You may send your offerings to Grantham United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 152, Grantham, NH, 03753. Doxology UMH #95 Prayer of Dedication Gracious God, you provide all that we need. As we share out of the bounty you have given us, bless our gifts that they may bless others. Amen. Benediction The Lord Bless You and Keep You John Rutter Batavia Madrigal Singers https://youtu.be/akT32E83zjI |
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