March 27, 2022
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Call to Worship We gather today, seeking the peace Christ gives. We gather, in spite of many a conflict, many a doubt, within our souls. We gather, longing for the breath of God’s Spirit to give us courage and renewal. Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest. Bless us through the power of your Spirit. Give us the courage to live as your disciples each day. Gathering Song When You Are a Soldier Steven Curtis Chapman (For all the brave soldiers of Ukraine) https://youtu.be/HrUeCLlbZXo Announcements Monday, 6:00 – 8:00 PM Meditation Monday - The church will be open for anyone who would like to come and pray, meditate, reflect during the season of Lent. Tuesday, 10:00 AM Lenten Study at Lake Sunapee UMC Thursday, 7:30 PM Lenten Study via Zoom (Please note time change.) Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Lenten 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 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: 860 6673 2644 Passcode: 762435 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcyTFEtQFq Lenten Study: Max Lucado’s book 3:16 The Numbers of Hope. There is an in-person group on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM that meets at Lake Sunapee UMC and a Zoom group on Thursdays at 7:00 PM. Opening Prayer Reconciling God, you bring all of us to yourself through the power of your Son, Jesus Christ. Our mistakes may be large or small; they may be intentional or less so; but no matter our iniquity your love always runs to meet us on the road. Refresh us with the breath of your Holy Spirit. Renew us with the love of Christ Jesus. Refocus us so that we might bring our whole being into worship. Amen. Song Amazing Grace Andrea Bocelli and Alison Krauss https://youtu.be/60euxXvw5aA Hearing the Word Scripture John 3:16 (NIV) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Sermon Whoever Believes I was serving the Lawrence Memorial United Methodist Church in Pepperell, Massachusetts and the parsonage was literally in the parking lot of the church. I had one neighbor on the other side of the parking lot as you came up the driveway from the street. The family that lived there included a man, his wife, and a young teenage son. They also rented an apartment on the second floor of their house. I knew that they attended some variety of Baptist Church in town. One day, after I had been living there for about a year and a half, I was busy working in my office in the parsonage when the man rang my doorbell. I answered the door, wondering what he wanted. He said hello, and then said he wanted to ask me a question. I said okay. Then he asked, “Do you know if you’re saved?” It took me a moment to actually comprehend what he had said, because it wasn’t something I expected to hear. I was stunned by the question. Finally I managed to respond, “You do know that I’m the pastor of the church here?” He wasn’t going to be deterred that easily. He said, “Yes, but are you sure you’re going to heaven when you die?” At that point, I knew that any further discussion was only going to make me angry, so I said, “I think this conversation is over.” I closed the door and went back inside. There are a lot of different understandings of what it means to be “saved.” There are lot of different perspectives on who is going to be going to heaven. This man’s theology put him squarely in the camp of those who would be described as believing in exclusivism or particularism. They are at the most conservative end of the spectrum and believe, at the least, that the only people who are will be in heaven are those who have personally accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Some are even more exclusive than that. They believe that only people who are members of a particular denomination will go to heaven; or that only people of a particular congregation will go to heaven. Max Lucado, the author of 3:16 The Numbers of Hope, is an exclusivist, in the sense that he strongly believes that only those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior will go to heaven when they die; only Christians will be “saved.” While he affirms that “whoever” believes in Jesus will be saved, no matter what they’ve done, no matter where they are, no matter when they come to Christ, he allows no room for believers of other faiths to be right with God. He points to verses like John 14:6, where Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (RSV) And he reminds us that the apostles seem to concur with this in their preaching, such as when Peter states in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (NLT) And Lucado asks, “How can all religions lead to God when they are so different?” At the other extreme from exclusivism are those who believe in universalism; that is, they believe that all people will eventually be welcomed into heaven. One example of a believer in universal salvation is William Barclay, who wrote a series of commen-taries that I use, despite my disagreement with him on this point. For universalists, they cannot believe that a loving God would allow anyone to spend eternity in hell, and so they believe that God must provide some way for all persons to be saved in the end, even after death if necessary. I am not comfortable with either exclusivism or universalism. I have found myself resonating with a middle way, which Adam Hamilton refers to as inclusivism in his book, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White. In this book, he has a chapter on the question of whether there will be persons of other faiths, such as Jews and Muslims, in heaven. Some examples of others who hold the inclusivist view are John Wesley and C. S. Lewis. Hamilton writes: There are hundreds of millions of people who long to know God, who follow him according to what they know of his will, who pray daily to him … and who earnestly seek to please God by doing what is just and right. We say that God forms such persons in their mothers’ wombs, knows them by name, lovers them, sees and hears every prayer they utter, and surely sees their attempts to do what is right as they understand it. Is it really the gospel truth that God then stands by and watches as they perish? Not only so, but must we believe as Christians that God has designed an eternal punishment – a torment – for them, because, though they sought God, they did not understand that Jesus is the Christ and they did not call upon him for salvation? This I find incomprehensible and completely out of character for a God whose defining characteristic, according to the Scriptures, is love, and whose secondary characteristics are justice and righteousness.” Thus, Adam Hamilton, and I also, have a problem with the exclusivist perspective on salvation. But on the other hand, neither of us can accept the universalist view either. As Hamilton puts it: On the converse side, there are hundreds of millions of people who have, their entire lives, resisted God’s will, who have not lived lives of love, who have not valued justice or mercy, and who lived lives in which they were the center of their existence .. The only way they could enter heaven would be if God removed their freedom to choose or reject him. This I don’t see God doing … I see two choices for such persons. Either their lives are snuffed out, as many believe will happen. They could have had eternal life, but instead they are eternally separated from God through a final death. Or they are allowed to go to a place where all of those souls who wish to live primarily for themselves, and who resist God and goodness go. That makes sense to me. But how do you answer the question about the destiny of Jews, Muslims, and people of other faiths being in heaven? Is there a Biblical basis for that? Adam Hamilton points out the consistent theme in scripture of God’s concern for all of humankind. God created Adam and Eve, from whom all people descended. After the flood, God made a covenant with all of humanity. God promised that all nations would be blessed through Abraham. God promised Hagar that her son Ishmael would be made into a great nation. Rahab, a Canaanite, and Ruth, a Moabite, are considered heroes, even though they are not Jews. God frequently mentions his desire for the nations to come to him. Cyrus, the Persian king, is referred to as God’s anointed one, or “Messiah” in the book of Isaiah. The book of Jonah shows God’s concern for the people of Ninevah, which was the capital of Assyria, an enemy of Israel. Jesus came to bring salvation to all people, including the Gentiles. The first people to welcome and honor Christ in the book of Matthew were the Magi, astrologers from Persia who most likely were followers of Zoroaster. And according to Romans 1:20, all human beings have access to some knowledge of God through the created world. And so we can see a clear pattern in the Bible of God’s interest in all people, not just the Jews, and not just the Christians. Adam Hamilton asks us to consider a woman who is a faithful Jew or Muslim. She is sincere in her faith and wants to have a relationship with God, and does her best to live according to the demands of God as she understands them. She prays, studies, helps the poor, serves others, gives sacrificially, and loves God. She is not likely to convert and is not persuaded that Christianity is the truth. Hamilton writes, “I believe that God, who is just and loving, sees this woman’s heart. I also believe that it is by God’s grace alone that she has sought God in her religion. I believe that God accepts what the person knows to bring, and that it is possible that she will be saved. All that she has brought to God is trust, which is all that any of us bring to God. And in her response to her trust, she has sought to live according to God’s precepts, as she understood them, which is what we have sought to do.” So how can that work? How can we make sense of that, and still take seriously the words of Jesus? If I understand the way of inclusivism correctly, it works like this. Jesus Christ died for everyone, whether or not everyone believes in him. And God can choose to apply the saving work of Jesus on the cross to anyone God chooses to apply it to. God can give the gift of salvation to anyone God chooses to give it to. God can choose to give that gift to someone of another faith who has sought God, loved God, and responded to God’s love in the only ways that the person knew how to do it. Adam Hamilton says, “If God chooses to save anyone, including the Hindu, Muslim, or Jew, I believe it will only be by means of the saving work of Jesus – hence no Hindu, Muslim, or Jew would enter the kingdom of heaven except by the work of Christ, even if they did not know to call upon that work. In other words, no one comes to the Father but by him.” I realize that this is a difficult concept to grasp, and it may be a new concept for some of you to think about. I have often puzzled over this question, ever since I was in the Brownie Scouts with a Jewish girl, Alisa. As we grew up together, I could not believe that the God I had been taught to believe in – a God who loved me and who loved everyone – would send Alisa to hell just because she was Jewish. Somehow, even as a youngster, I had this thought that God must have made some way for Alisa to be in heaven when she died. She was Jewish because her parents were Jewish and brought her up to be Jewish, just the same as I was Baptist because my parents were Baptist and brought me up to be Baptist. Why would one of us go to heaven and the other go to hell when we both believed in the same God? After all, we shared the books of the Old Testament! “Whoever believes” will not perish, but have eternal life. My understanding of “whoever believes” is bigger than Max Lucado’s. It is more inclusive. Maybe I’m wrong. But in my heart, this is what I can live with. And after all, if I can trust God to judge me and my life, then I can trust God to judge every other person’s life. Song Your Grace is Enough Chris Tomlin https://youtu.be/tYT6OkaSrzQ 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 Today in this hour for all sinners and saints we come to you, God, to pray for your wisdom and your grace. Open our hearts when they are small, when we hear the sound of music and dancing but we choose to stay outside. Crack open our stingy outlook, and bring us into the rhythms of your abundance. Open our hands when they are clenched too tightly; when we sing the songs of nationalism more than we do the hymns of your praise. May we reach out to those who have left all they know, afraid of where they came from and unsure of where they are going. Open our eyes when we would rather keep them closed; when we look away from our neighbor instead of looking into ways we can be of help. Sharpen our vision so that we may see them from far away and search for clothes, shoes, and food to greet them. Open our minds when they are shut, blocked by the certainty of our own opinion rather than exposed to your radical love and grace. Help us to be agents of your reconciling peace, regarding no one from a human point of view but with the mind of Christ. (David Gambrell) We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who brought your kingdom to this earth: 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, your forgiveness is a gift that is beyond measure. We cannot repay such a gracious offering, but we can show our thanks for it. We offer our silver. We offer our gold. We offer our lives, the young and the old. May our gifts be used in service of the whole people of God. Amen. Song Victory in Jesus The Peasall Sisters https://youtu.be/eGq0J9IGmxQ Benediction We, who were dead, have been given new life. Go into the world, rejoicing that God has welcomed us home. Go with God’s blessing to share that welcome with everyone! Amen.
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March 20, 2022
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Call to Worship Listen to the good news: God is with us, this day and every day. Because God is with us, we can face each day with courage. We can find some good in everything, for we are never completely alone. God’s goodness sometimes seems to be a trickle, and sometimes a mighty flood. But always God is with us. We worship God for his goodness. We praise God with our songs. We seek God in our prayers. We offer ourselves to God because he is God. Gathering Song Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus Fernando Ortega https://youtu.be/0dmO8UPlWoo Announcements Monday, 6:00 – 8:00 PM Meditation Monday - The church will be open for anyone who would like to come and pray, meditate, reflect during the season of Lent. Tuesday, 10:00 AM Lenten Study at Lake Sunapee UMC Thursday, 7:00 PM Lenten Study via Zoom Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Lenten 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 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: 860 6673 2644 Passcode: 762435 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcyTFEtQFq Lenten Study: Max Lucado’s book 3:16 The Numbers of Hope. There is an in-person group on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM that meets at Lake Sunapee UMC and a Zoom group on Thursdays at 7:00 PM. Opening Prayer Loving God, your thoughts are not our thoughts, and your ways are not our ways, yet your patience with us is great and your love for us even greater. You have been our help in times of trouble – tending to us and caring for us. Gather us beneath your wings now that we might feel safe, and in the warmth of that safety find the strength to be vulnerable, honest, repentant, and joyful. Clinging to you, we join our hearts and minds for worship with the help of your Holy Spirit. Amen. Song Welcome to Our World Michael W. Smith https://youtu.be/JlbWqn0T4TQ Hearing the Word Scripture Psalm 74:1a, 11 (The Message) You walked off and left us, and never looked back. God, how could you do that? … Why don’t you do something? How long are you going to sit there with your hands folded in your lap? John 3:16 (NIV) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV) This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, so not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Sermon Where is God When You Need Him? When I close my eyes at night, their faces haunt me. The little children clutching their stuffed animals. The women with tears in their eyes, with fears in their eyes, carrying small suitcases with a lifetime of memories left behind. The civilians carrying automatic weapons, prepared to defend their homeland. The doctors and EMTS trying to treat injured patients by flashlight because there is no electricity. The bodies laid out in the streets and abandoned because it is too dangerous to go out and bury them. Bodies of women and men, children and infants. The faces of those who are tasked with lowering the dead into mass graves. And the faces of those who are defiantly resisting the invaders. And most of all, the face of President Zelensky, earnestly pleading with the world for the help that he needs to try and save his nation. I am amazed at his courage and strength, when he could have chosen to leave his country and keep himself and his family safe. Instead, he stayed and took on the role of leader and commander in chief by stepping out of any kind of safety net and into the line of fire. There are other images that come into my mind as I try to go to sleep. The bombed-out city squares and hospitals, apartment buildings and playgrounds, theaters and soccer fields. The theater in Mariupol with the word “CHILDREN” painted in bold letters on the ground on both sides of the building, clearly marking it as a shelter for women and children, but not protecting it from being blown up with hundreds of civilians inside on Wednesday. That city has been suffering horribly, under siege and blockaded by the Russians, running out of food and water. There are two AP journalists there, both Ukrainian, and their photographs have been a record of the utter destruction that has taken place. It was their images of the bombed maternity hospital that were shown to the world, the only proof of what happened. In Lviv there was a missile strike on Friday, in this city only 43 miles from the Polish border. The city is an important one for many reasons: it is ground zero for displaced persons who are trying to make their way out of Ukraine; it is a weapons supply route; and it is a base for embassies and media outlets that fled from Kyiv. The photographers and journalists who are reporting on the war are among the heroes, in my opinion, risking their lives to bring the story to us, the real story, to counter the lies that are being told by Vladimir Putin. Some of them have been killed doing their jobs. Marcus Yam, a photographer for the L.A. Times, says that his photos show “the methodical destruction of a country … the world needs to see the horrors of this violent chaos.” And Heidi Levine, who is a 30-year veteran photographer in war zones, including Iraq and Syria, spoke to a CNN reporter and said, “How could this be happening in 2022? It just feels like we have learned absolutely nothing from history.” She has been waking up with nightmares from all that she has seen. She said, “I even saw a cemetery where the graves were destroyed from the shelling. So even the dead are not allowed to rest in peace here.” I see all of this, and I have questions. Many questions. Why aren’t the Western nations doing more to defend Ukraine? How can we allow the destruction of this democratic nation that was simply living its life when it was attacked for no reason? And the deeper questions. How could God allow this to go on? Where is God in all of this? Where is God when you need him? I read Psalm 74 last week as one of the devotional passages in my schedule, and I’ve been reading from The Message paraphrase of the scriptures. And the words just jumped off the page at me: You walked off and left us, and never looked back. God, how could you do that? … Why don’t you do something? How long are you going to sit there with your hands folded in your lap? The writer was clearly facing enemies who were getting the best of him and wanted to know why God had abandoned him and his people. He wanted to know why God wasn’t doing something to help them. I would imagine that every person – every group of people or nation – that has suffered has felt that way to one degree or another. And I would imagine that some people in Ukraine have been asking the same kinds of questions. Where is God? How could God allow this to happen to us? Why didn’t God protect us? Where is God when you need him? We are given the answer in the scriptures. God is with us in the suffering. God is not off at a distance watching it happen. God is right here with us, walking with us through it, experiencing it with us, feeling it with us, giving us the strength to bear up under it. How do I know that? Let me try to explain what I mean. We are told in John 3:16 that God gave his one and only Son. God sent Jesus into the world. In some way that I cannot understand or explain, when Jesus came into the world he was both fully human and fully divine. God put on human skin and became one of us. Jesus was vulnerable. Jesus was dependent. Jesus was a living, breathing creature, just like us in every way. He felt all the feelings we feel. He knew what it was like to be hot and cold, tired and energized. He was happy and sad and even angry on occasion. Jesus knew what it meant to love and be loved in return. He had friends and he had enemies. Jesus experienced life as we experience life; he knew it all. And he even knew physical pain and suffering when he endured the forty lashes and then the crucifixion. And we are told in Matthew 1 that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy that one would be born who would be Immanuel, or God with us. Jesus is God with us. Yes, Jesus was human and is human and feels all of our human feelings and knows all of our human weaknesses. But Jesus was and is God, and embodies the power and authority and creativity and compassion and grace and mercy and boundlessness of God. Jesus brings the resources of God with him as he walks with us through times of suffering. And he offers them to us. He heals us. He empowers us. He forgives us. He delivers us. He enables us to endure what we think will destroy us. To know that we are not alone in times of our greatest need and our greatest pain is an amazing source of encouragement. And to know that it is God who is with us is an even greater comfort. I believe – I know – that God was with those women who were in the maternity hospital that was bombed, and that God was with the woman whose baby died during birth and who also died. I believe that God was with those civilians in the theater in Mariupol who were killed when it was destroyed. I believe that God holds in his arms those children and babies who have died. I know that God is with the millions of refugees, people who have taken so little of the stuff of their lives with them as they fled from the destruction hurled at them by a brutal enemy. I know that God is with those civilian soldiers who have made a commitment to defend their homeland against an invader. I believe that God is with the people of Mariupol who are besieged and running out of food and water. And I know that God is with President Zelensky as he stands up to face a stronger and better equipped enemy force. Do you know that God is with you, too? Do you believe that Jesus walks with you every day? Not only when you are suffering, but when life is going well? God loves you so much that he sent his one and only Son into this world, to become one of us. Jesus understands us, he knows what it’s like to be human. And we can turn to him – to God with us – to Immanuel – whenever we need him, and he will be there. Where is God when you need him? God is with you. That is a promise. Song O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Peter Hollens https://youtu.be/zshzkkD-NYA 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 Creator of all that was and is and shall be, you have brought us beneath your wings and cheered our fledgling feats of flight. You have cared for our tender stems and watered our deepening roots. We turn to you and call upon your holy name. We give thanks for the wonder of your creation, and we pray your forgiveness for the ways we have laid waste to it. We offer praise for its awesome beauty, and we share our concerns for the harm that it has endured. We give thanks for the fruits of hope and faithfulness we have witnessed this week, and we pray your blessing on those who have shown those fruits to us. We take a moment in silence to repent of our failures this week – when we have turned away from others, spoken harsh and unforgiving words, refused to share with those in need, or kept others from feeling your grace. In your mercy, O God, hear our prayer. We thank you for your church, that we can tend to one another, raise our wings to give harbor, and challenge each other to be our best selves. May we be your hands and feet in the world, scattering your love like so many seeds. (David Gambrell, adapted) We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who brought your kingdom to this earth: 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, through our offerings we identify with the cause of Christ. We proclaim our concern for all people. We identify with their suffering and grief, and we rejoice when good comes to them. We offer both our material resources and our personal time and effort here to extend the body of Christ into this moment in history and into the whole world. Amen. Song How Firm a Foundation First-Plymouth Church Lincoln, Nebraska https://youtu.be/vXcgQL0SQ40 Benediction Go in peace, for you do not go alone. God goes with you. When your path leads into the wilderness, remember that Jesus has been there before you. Bless others along the way and receive their blessing. Amen. March 6, 2022
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Call to Worship We have gathered in the presence of God, who is love. We have gathered in the shadow of the cross, sign of God’s love. Let us give thanks for the compassion of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the unity of the Holy Spirit. We will pray and sing, praising God with hearts and hands and voices. Amen. Gathering Song Gather Us In The Heralds Choir of St. Mary’s Music Ministries https://youtu.be/Y94LRdZzRnc Announcements Monday, 6:00 – 8:00 PM Meditation Monday - The church will be open for anyone who would like to come and pray, meditate, reflect during the season of Lent. Tuesday, 10:00 AM Lenten Study at Lake Sunapee UMC Thursday, 7:00 PM Lenten Study via Zoom Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Lenten 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 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: 860 6673 2644 Passcode: 762435 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcyTFEtQFq Lenten Study: Max Lucado’s book 3:16 The Numbers of Hope. There is an in-person group on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM that meets at Lake Sunapee UMC and a Zoom group on Thursdays at 7:00 PM. Opening Prayer God of love and grace, we come into your presence with gratitude and praise. We are humbled to think of how you offer your love to ordinary people like us. And we are amazed to think of ourselves as your beloved children. May all that we say and pray and sing this morning bring honor and glory to your holy name. Amen. Song God Loves People More Than Anything Point of Grace https://youtu.be/yyGV9vi8WIo Hearing the Word Scripture John 3:16 (NIV) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Sermon God Loves Everyone For God so loved the world … It may be that John 3:16 is the best-known of all Bible verses. I know it was the first verse I memorized as a little girl in Sunday School. And I have heard many Sunday School lessons and sermons on it in my life; I’ve preached many sermons on it in my life! People who don’t know anything else about the Bible probably have heard of John 3:16. Back on January 8, 2009, University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow called attention to the verse in dramatic form when he had John 3:16 written on his eye black during the NCAA championship football game. Three years later, on January 8, 2012, Tebow was playing for the Denver Broncos when he led them to a 29-23 playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. In this game, Tebow passed for 316 yards and averaged 31.6 yards per completion. Once someone noticed the coincidences, Google searches for John 3:16 exploded. Time magazine referred to it as the “John 3:16” game. It is likely that no one in modern American history has made more people aware of John 3:16 and its meaning than the Rev. Billy Graham, who once called the verse, “the gospel in miniature.” He preached to more people around the world than anyone else in history, and often he used this as his text. What is it about John 3:16 that makes it so special? Why are we so drawn to it? What is it that holds our attention? Why do we put so much importance on this one verse? It holds so much meaning in so few words; it does summarize the message of the gospel in brief form. And the truth that it tells is life-changing. I want to focus this morning on one part of the message, the very first phrase: For God so loved the world … What do you hear when I read those words? How do they make you feel? Do they speak to your heart and your soul? What if you were to read those words after being told all your life that you were no good; that you were going to be judged by God; that you were going to hell? What if you believed those things about yourself? How would this verse change your life? The problem with people – especially those of us who live in the Western world – is that we assume that everything has to be earned, including the love of God. We believe that God will only love us if we are good enough or holy enough or righteous enough. As Edwin Searcy, a pastor serving a congregation in the United Church of Canada writes, “We assume that if God loves anyone, it will be those who love God; but the text does not read, ‘God so loved the church’ or ‘God so loved the faithful’ or ‘God so loved the pure’ … This story is about God’s deep and abiding love for the world.” But what does it really mean for God to love the world? Brett Younger, professor at McAfee School of Theology at Mercery University says, “God does not love just those who gather on Sunday, not just the religiously inclined, not just those who have heard the name of Jesus, but the whole world…” I love what William Barclay wrote in his commentary: It was the world that God so loved. It was not a nation; it was not the good people; it was not only the people who loved him; it was the world. The unlovable and the unlovely, the lonely who have no one else to love them, those who love God and those who never think of him, those who rest in the love of God and those who spurn it – all are included in this vast inclusive love of God. As St. Augustine had it: ‘God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love.’” I remember hearing a sermon when I was a teenager that really made an impression on me. It was a sermon on this verse. Our pastor read the verse out loud, “For God so loved the world …” And then he said, “When you read this verse, you should insert your name here. Because God so loved you that he sent his Son.” And he had everyone repeat the verse, putting their own name in. So I said out loud, “For God so loved Elisabeth that he gave his only Son …” And he had us repeat it, twice. “For God so loved Elisabeth …” I can’t tell you how powerful that was. I had never really taken it in before, how much God loved me, personally, how much value God placed on my life. It changed the whole way I thought about God, and my relationship with God. It is my firm belief that the church’s first mission is to get the word out to people that God loves them. There are lots of people out there who have never heard that message spoken out loud, and others who may have heard it, but don’t really believe it. Maybe because no one else has ever loved them, so why would God? Maybe because they feel unworthy of being loved by God. Maybe because they think that they have done things that are so awful and unforgivable that God could never love them. Maybe because they have been told that they are unacceptable or living in sin or going to hell. Maybe God, for them, is a judge seated on the bench just waiting to sentence them to death. But no matter what they have done, no matter who they are, no matter what life has done to them, they need to hear loud and clear that God loves them. God loves everyone. Mikeal C. Parsons, professor of religion at Baylor University, writes, “God’s love knows no favorites … God’s love transgresses all human barriers placed in the way, embracing and enveloping persons for who they are – God’s children formed in God’s image.” Imagine if that teenager who committed suicide because he was being bullied had believed deep inside that God loved him? What if that couple who couldn’t seem to stop arguing and calling each other names believed that God loved them? How much differently would customers treat the people behind the counter if they believed that God loved everyone? How much differently would we treat the people who live in our own homes? In a world – in a country – that is so divided, we need to recognize and acknowledge that God loves people who are different from us. God loves both Republicans and Democrats, both liberals and conservatives. God loves both rich and poor, both white and people of color, both gay and straight. God loves women and men, boys and girls, infants and the elderly. There simply is no person or group of people who are outside God’s love. That can be a bitter pill to swallow for people who like to sit in judgment of others, to point out their flaws and faults and sins. But it is how God operates. As the writer of 1 John puts it, “God is love.” That is his very nature. God’s love is not necessarily a warm, fuzzy kind of love. It’s not that fragile. God’s love for us is a deliberate act of will. God chooses to love us. He chooses to work for our good, for our best interest, in all things. God always has compassion on us, and always forgives. No matter what we do or where we go or how many times we make the same mistakes, God will love us anyway. The only thing that will stop God from loving us is if we flat out reject his love and turn away from it. We do have the power to say “no” to God’s love. Brett Younger writes, “God’s love does not coerce us into relationship, but does require us to choose whether we will love God in return. A stepping stone can also be a stumbling block. A healing presence can be a disturbing presence. Every light casts a shadow. God comes to our death-bound situations, where we can see the life God offers. We have to decide how we will respond to God’s love.” In our smallness and our pettiness, we can be guilty of deciding who is worthy of God’s love. But the fact of the matter is, none of us is worthy. That’s not the basis for receiving God’s love, thank goodness. God loves us simply because we are his children and we belong to God. What we could never earn, God freely gives. Not only to me and you, but to everyone. God loves everyone. For God so loved the world … Song God Loves You Jaci Valesquez https://youtu.be/kzUqlTKdqlk 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 Gracious God, in whom we trust, teach us to call on you in times of both joy and sorrow, for ourselves and for the world. We come together now in heart, mind, and voice. You have promised that when we call to you, you will answer us. Hear our cry, O God, on our lips and in our hearts. We pray today for all who are in the wilderness: for those who are in the midst of dry seasons, who see no end on the parched horizon, slake their thirst with drops of your grace; for those who are lost, wandering and hungry for clarity, may your Spirit continue to lead them even unawares. We ask, trusting your promise, that when we call to you, you will answer us. Hear our cry, O God, on our lips and in our hearts. We pray for all who suffer temptation: the temptation to give up hope; the temptation to ignore others’ pain or our own; the temptation to seek power and prestige; the temptation to take more than we need; the temptation to believe in our point of view rather than believing in you. We admit that we can be tempted to distrust your promise that when we call to you, you will answer us. Hear our cry, O God, on our lips and in our hearts. We pray for all who do not have enough food, who are vulnerable to the whims of power, and whose cries go unheard by all but you. Open our ears and our hearts to hear those voices so that we may help fulfill the promise you have made that when we call to you, you will answer us. Hear our cry, O God, on our lips and in our hearts. We also pray on this day for the people of Ukraine and for an end to this war. Let there be peace on earth. We rest in your promise, that when we call to you, you will answer us. Hear our cry, O God, on our lips and in our hearts. Amen. (David Gambrell, adapted) We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who brought your kingdom to this earth: 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 Faithful God, you have kept your promises to us. Our lives give witness to your abundant blessings. May we faithfully keep our promises to you. Strengthen our commitment to live as true disciples of Jesus Christ. Your love sustains us, guides us, and empowers us. Take these gifts as signs of our promise to give ourselves completely into your care – to live without fear, to trust your love completely and without reservation. Amen. Song You Are Mine CFJ Choir https://youtu.be/Lb8vPST8yd8 Benediction And now may the God who created all that is birth such a new dream in our lives that we will joyfully serve others in the power of grace. And may the blessing of God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – rest upon us all now and until we meet again. Amen. February 27, 2022
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song (for Ukraine) Bring Him Home Mat Shaw https://youtu.be/AhTJA_A_PzQ Announcements Monday, 6:00 – 8:00 PM Meditation Monday - The church will be open for anyone who would like to come and pray, meditate, reflect during the season of Lent. Tuesday, 10:00 AM Lenten Study at Lake Sunapee UMC Thursday, 7:00 PM Lenten Study via Zoom Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Lenten 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 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: 860 6673 2644 Passcode: 762435 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcyTFEtQFq Lenten Study: Max Lucado’s book 3:16 The Numbers of Hope. There is an in-person group on Tuesdays at 10:00 AM that meets at Lake Sunapee UMC and a Zoom group on Thursdays at 7:00 PM. Opening Prayer God, our Guide and Guardian, lead us on this journey of faith. Through the days and weeks of Lent, help us walk your path to the cross. Strengthen us to resist anything that would lead us astray. Walk with us, Jesus Christ. Be our shelter and our salvation, even as we seek to be your disciples. Amen. Song Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days https://youtu.be/97zOXymY4to Hearing the Word Scripture John 3:1-17 (NIV Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Sermon Good News for Nicodemus Sometimes the most important conversations in your life happen without your planning for them. They just kind of sneak up on you. That’s what happened to me near the end of my 7th grade year in school. One day as I was leaving math class, my teacher, Elizabeth Derrick, asked me to come and see her after school. I was pretty sure I knew what she wanted; I had scored a 5 on my last test. That’s 5 out of 100. So when the final bell rang, I made my way down to her classroom. But Mrs. Derrick didn’t even mention my last test. Instead, she asked me if I had signed up for my 8th grade classes yet; we all had been given a list of classes and a paper that had to be turned in at the end of the week. I hadn’t filled mine in yet. Mrs. Derrick then said, “I think you are very smart, Elisabeth. In fact, I think the reason that your work is so inconsistent is that you’re bored in your classes. I think you need more of a challenge. And I want you to sign up for honors classes next year. I believe you can do the work.” I was stunned. My work – especially in her class – was inconsistent. On the previous test I had scored a 95. And I guess I knew that I was bored most of the day in school. So that night, I talked with my parents and told them what Mrs. Derrick had said, and we agreed that I would sign up for honors classes. And that decision changed my life forever. I flourished in the 8th grade and began to love school. I made very good grades through high school, college, and graduate school. And I kept in touch with Mrs. Derrick until she passed away. That one conversation proved to be a turning point in my life. That’s what happened to Nicodemus that night when he went to talk to Jesus. He thought that he was going to have a nice academic discussion with another teacher, someone he was curious about and wanted to know more about. But instead, the conversation turned into something very different and life-altering. Jesus put before Nicodemus the very heart of the gospel message, the good news. Nicodemus had impressive credentials. He was a Pharisee, someone who was an expert in Jewish law. He was a teacher of Israel, which meant that he knew and kept all of its rituals and practices. And he was a member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, which was the highest governing body of the Jewish people. Frederick Buechner calls him “a VIP with a big theological reputation to uphold.” Brett Younger, a professor of preaching at the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, describes Nicodemus in more modern terms: Nicodemus is chair of the religion department and a mover and shaker in the ministerial association. He has a blog called ‘Religion for Grownups.’ Being a professional expert on God is good work if you can get it. Nicodemus is adept at articulating the intricacies of religion and detecting the logical shortcomings in other people’s faith … Nicodemus’ coming to see Jesus is surprising, because as far as the ministerial association is concerned, Jesus is a troublemaker. His only status with the local clergy is as a pain in the neck. Just last week he kicked over some tables during a big stewardship campaign at the temple. Nicodemus knows that there are social risks in coming to see Jesus; so he decides that with his reputation to uphold, it might be smart to pay his visit at night. Nicodemus was a good man. We sometimes label the Pharisees as the bad guys, because of their conflicts with Jesus and the harsh words Jesus sometimes had for them. But the Pharisees were the ones who were highly concerned with obeying Jewish law (and making sure that other people did so), with doing all the things they were supposed to do, and not doing any of the things they were not supposed to do. And he was drawn to Jesus because he was curious about a man who was doing the things he was able to do, things that someone could not do unless God was empowering them to do it. And so he made up his mind to go and talk to Jesus, teacher to teacher, and find out what he was missing. Nicodemus probably imagined two scholars sitting down to a friendly theological conversation, and his first words to Jesus seemed to pave the way for that kind of thing. But Jesus quickly turned the conversation down another path entirely: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” As Frederick Buechner imagines the scene: That was all very well, Nicodemus said, but just how were you supposed to pull a thing like that off? How especially were you supposed to pull it off if you were pushing sixty-five? How did you get born again when it was a challenge just to get out of bed in the morning? He even got a little sarcastic. Could a man “enter a second time into his mother’s womb,” he asked, when it was all he could do to enter a taxi without the driver’s coming around to give him a shove from behind? A gust of wind happened to whistle down the chimney at that point, making the dying embers burst into flame, and Jesus said being born again was like that. It wasn’t something you did. The wind did it. The Spirit did it. It was something that happened, for God’s sake. “How can this be?” Nicodemus said, and that’s when Jesus let him have it. Maybe Nicodemus had six honorary doctorates and half a column in Who’s Who, Jesus said, but if he couldn’t see something as plain as the nose on his face, he’d better go back to kindergarten. Nicodemus wanted to have a nice conversation with Jesus, two teachers talking about matters of faith. But, as one commentator put it, he was out of his league and he knew it. He had a hard time connecting the dots as Jesus tried to explain it to him. He had the basics, but couldn’t follow Jesus’ lesson. Maybe he was too literal-minded, and the metaphors were beyond him. The last words he uttered were, “How can this be?” And, after trying to explain it to him, Jesus finally sums it up by saying, “… the Son of Man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” We don’t know whether or not Nicodemus understood any of that. The Gospel of John does not tell us what Nicodemus thought or felt as he left that night. Frederick Buechner imagines it like this: What impressed Nicodemus even more than the speech was the quickening of his own breathing and the pounding of his own heart. He hadn’t felt like that since his first pair of long pants, his first kiss, since the time his first child was born or the time they’d told him he didn’t have lung-cancer but just a touch of the flu. What we do know is that, after the crucifixion of Jesus, Nicodemus went with Joseph of Arimathea and asked for Jesus’ body; they anointed and prepared it for burial according to the customs of the Jews. As Buechner puts it: He went along with Joseph of Arimathea to pay his last respects at the tomb in broad daylight. It was a crazy thing to do, what with the witch-hunt that was going on, but he decided it was more than worth it. When he heard … that some of the disciples had seen Jesus alive again, he wept like a newborn baby. At the very least, what that important conversation with Jesus gave to Nicodemus was a new kind of hope, the promise of a new kind of life. To live a kingdom of God life, Jesus said, meant that he would need a rebirth, a new identity. And I believe that Nicodemus found that rebirth, else why would he have shown up to care for Jesus’ body at the cross? In broad daylight? That one significant conversation changed Nicodemus’ life forever. It brought the good news to Nicodemus. Over the next four weeks, we are going to break down the deep meaning in John 3:16, that good news that Nicodemus received. And we are going to hear that good news for ourselves all over again in new and deep ways. Listen for the voice of Jesus speaking to you during this Lenten season. Open your heart to the winds of God’s Spirit to move through you. Imagine a rebirth, a new life. It’s possible, even when you’re getting older. Even after you have been born again as a Christian, you continue to be transformed by the Spirit of God working in you. God continues to create new possibilities for and through you. God continues to show you how to live out the good news in the world. Song Magnificent Obsession Steven Curtis Chapman https://youtu.be/cel_O-qy0i0 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 One who is like no other, we dare to call upon your name, for in Christ we have been brought near to you. Like Nicodemus, we seek your answers – as long as they conform to common logic. Like your earliest disciples, we welcome every sign of your presence – as long as it satisfies our expectations. It would seem that we are only willing to offer you parts of ourselves. You want us to jump in with both feet? We will put one foot in and keep one foot out. You want us to be single-minded? We will split every hair of every argument. You want us to commit our spirits? We will divide ourselves right down the middle. But that does not do, does it? You call us to new life, radical transformation, rebirth. Unless we are born again, we cannot see your kingdom. We must begin all over again. Teach us again how to see, but this time through your eyes. Teach us again to walk, this time in your shoes. Teach us again to feel, this time through your senses. Teach us again to love, this time with your heart. Help us to be born again. Help us to see your kingdom. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who brought your kingdom to this earth: 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, we bring this offering and ask that you transform our dollars and coins into our gifts: bread for the journey, food for the hungry, hope for the despairing, and opportunity for the discouraged. Transform our lives also, that we may walk with Christ and offer your love to the world. Amen. Song Since Jesus Came Into My Heart https://youtu.be/A98gIom-CAE Benediction May the God who brought good news to Nicodemus remind you of that same good news each day. And may you be bold to carry that good news into a world that needs to hear it. Amen. |
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