May 2, 2021
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song And Are We Yet Alive Arr. Mark Miller https://youtu.be/dbMKx7rOTjg Announcements Thursday, 7:00 PM Zoom Bible Study Here is your invitation: Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Bible 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 Call to Worship Christ welcomes all who come to his church. We are to be an inclusive community. We are called to practice radical hospitality. We want to create a space where all will feel safe. May we love with the love of God. Opening Prayer Gracious God, it is not always easy to be hospitable. Sometimes we are overwhelmed with the task. Sometimes we feel as if no one were helping us. We are more comfortable with people we know. But you call us to welcome all people, especially those on the edge, those who are outcast, and those who have been excluded. May we practice the hospitality that you show us. Amen. Song There’s a Spirit of Love in This Place Church of the Redeemer, Morristown, NJ https://youtu.be/MDrkbo8rIbg Hearing the Word Scripture Luke 10:38-42 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (NIV) Sermon Women of the Bible Martha: A Model of Hospitality Webster’s Dictionary defines “hospitality” as the practice or quality of being hospitable, which means being friendly, kind, and solicitous toward guests; favoring the health, growth, comfort of new arrivals. In that case, there is no better example of a hospitable person in the Bible than Martha. We first meet Martha in Luke chapter 10. Let’s take a look at what scripture has to say about this remarkable woman. First, we know that whenever Jesus traveled to Jerusalem, he tended to stay at the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, three of his most cherished friends. Martha is presumed to have been the eldest, because she is always mentioned first. And, surprisingly, she is apparently the head of the household. It says that Martha welcomed Jesus to HER house. That is quite unusual. And it suggests a few possibilities. Perhaps Martha was the widow of a wealthy man, and her sister and brother chose to live with her. Or perhaps she had been made her father’s heir, even though women could inherit only if they had no brother. Some scholars suggest that Lazarus was sickly, and that explains his early death, and maybe their father made Martha his heir. In any case, Martha was the one in charge of the home. Second, we know that Martha was good at being a hostess. And she must have loved hosting Jesus. After all, he was a well-known teacher and healer. It was quite an honor to have him stay in her home. And she would have wanted everything to be just right. That would have required a great deal of work on her part, because it says that Jesus was traveling with his disciples. Apparently they were staying at Martha’ home, too. So she would have had to prepare meals for 13 extra people. That’s no easy job! And she was in the kitchen all by herself, because Mary had sat down at Jesus’ feet to listen to him teach. Third, we know that Martha felt comfortable in Jesus’ presence, perhaps as comfortable as if he were family. Because Martha went in to Jesus, interrupted him in his teaching, and spoke her mind quite frankly and freely. She complained that Mary was leaving all the work to her and she wanted Jesus to tell Mary to come and help her. This request was reasonable and logical. It wasn’t as if she were asking something extraordinary. She just wanted Mary to come and do her part to provide the meal for their guests. Jesus, however, does not grant Martha’s request. Instead, he gently corrects her. While Martha is busy doing a hostesses’ job, she has allowed herself to get so distracted that she has forgotten that listening to his teaching is more important. And Jesus refuses to send Mary in to help her. And we are left thinking that Martha is somehow lacking in her faith or discipleship, while Mary is praised for her choice. If that was the end of Martha’s story, we might think of her only as a good hostess. But the word “hospitable” can also mean “open, receptive.” And Martha was also a person who exhibited those traits. She was open and receptive to new ideas, specifically, to the idea that Jesus was the Messiah. The second story about Martha and her family takes place in John 11. Mary and Martha send word to Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, is sick and near death. By the time Jesus gets there, Lazarus has died and has been in the tomb for four days. Martha hears that Jesus is on his way to the house. But she doesn’t wait for him to get there. She goes down the road to meet him. For Martha to stand in the middle of the road talking to a rabbi in public violated social norms. And she again speaks her mind to Jesus. “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” You might hear that as a complaint or accusation, a bitter criticism that Jesus was not there when they needed him. Or you might hear it as an expression of faith, faith that Jesus could have done something to prevent Lazarus’ death. Jesus engages Martha in a conversation. And he says to her the words we often hear at funerals, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” And Martha answers, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” That statement of faith, that affirmation of the identity of Jesus, is only paralleled by Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah. It puts Martha on the same level as Peter in apostolic terms, as far as I can see. As Joanna Turpin says in her book, Twelve Apostolic Women, Martha “has obviously been occupied with more than pots and pans.” It’s too easy to put Martha in a box as a good hostess; she was clearly more than that. She was a committed and aware disciples of Jesus, who understood who he was and what he came into the world to do. She was concerned to show him hospitality, perhaps because she was so aware of who he was. She wanted to be sure that he was made to feel welcome because he would be so rejected at the end. We can see in Martha two challenges for us as followers of Jesus. First, we should also be people who practice hospitality. We do not have the opportunity to welcome Jesus into our homes or church in person, but we do welcome those who are or who might be followers of Jesus. We should do all in our power to make sure people feel safe and accepted in our presence. We should be sure that we practice inclusiveness and graciousness. Because as we show hospitality to others, we are showing hospitality to Jesus. Second, we should also be people who understand the identity and the mission of Jesus. Jesus was an in important teacher and healer, but he was more than that. He was the messiah, the Son of God. He came to deliver his people, to deliver all people, from sin and show them the way of salvation. During his life on this earth, he practiced a radical hospitality that meant the inclusion of many who had been seen as outsiders and outcasts. He willingly sat down with sinners and prostitutes, soldiers and tax collectors, Jews and Gentiles and Samaritans. And those who would follow Jesus should do the same. And at the end of his time on earth, Jesus went to the cross to show his love for us by paying the price for our sins. He died and was buried. But on the third day God raised him from the dead, fulfilling the promise of everlasting life to those who believe in him. Martha was made the patron saint of cooks and housewives. And in the Catholic Church she is celebrated on July 29. But I would agree in many ways with Meister Eckhart, the great scholar and Christian mystic of the Middle Ages, who said that Martha was the ideal woman. And I wouldn’t mind being just like her. Song Help Us Accept Each Other Edgewood United Church https://youtu.be/BG17fRvcVwQ 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, we tend to honor the Marys in the church, those who are interested in spiritual matters. They are the ones who attend Bible study and teach Sunday School. They are the ones who organize prayer meetings. But help us to remember that the Marthas of the church keep things going. They set up for coffee hour and organize church suppers. They remember when it is time to clean out the refrigerator and how to run the commercial dishwasher. They are the ones who handle the United Methodist Women pie sale and cookie walk. They come early and stay late whenever there is a church social. And they are the first to bring food to a family where there has been a death. And they, too, are interested in spiritual matters. Remind us that we need both the Marys and the Marthas, and remember to thank them for all that they do. 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 comes from you. It is all a gift. As we return a portion of that gift to you, bless it and us. And use it to your glory and for your purpose. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Call to Communion Come to the Table of Grace Union United Methodist Church https://youtu.be/tIXGe9XT4uA The Great Thanksgiving The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. You created all people on earth and call them your children. As you accept us, you accept each of them. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest! Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. He welcomed all who came to him and accepted them. As Martha welcomed Jesus and the disciples into her home and did all she could to make them comfortable, so may we welcome all who come into our church and do all that we can to make them feel safe. By the baptism of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. On the night in which he gave himself up for us, Jesus took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” When the supper was over, Jesus took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said, “Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and vine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at the heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen. Receiving the Elements Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Song Christ Has Broken Down the Wall Westminster Presbyterian Church Greenville, SC https://youtu.be/ZtaL00nOxgA Benediction As Martha showed hospitality to Jesus and his disciples, may we also show hospitality to all who come our way. As we have been loved and accepted, may we also show love and acceptance to all. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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April 25, 2021
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song Somewhere Over the Rainbow Judy Garland “The Wizard of Oz” https://youtu.be/PSZxmZmBfnU Announcements Thursday, 7:00 PM Zoom Bible Study Here is your invitation: Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Bible 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 Call to Worship We come together aware that we have been called for such a time as this. There are things that we can do to make our world a better place, more like the kingdom of God. We seek the power and wisdom of God, who leads us toward a more just society. We want to be found among the faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Song For Such a Time as This From “Esther” David K. MacAdam https://youtu.be/YUXAtSNy2Ww Opening Prayer O Holy God, We live in a time of mass shootings, racial injustice, global pandemic, economic inequity, and political polarization. We listen for voices of truth, of common sense, of hope, of healing, of promise, and of reconciliation. Instead we too often hear voices that fan the flames of violence and mistrust and labeling and greed. Help us to stand with those who are victims, with those whose voices are not heard, with those who are sick with those who struggle to make ends meet, and with those who reach across the aisle to try and get things done. We were called and created for such a time as this. Let our words and our actions proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, who turned the world upside down. Amen. Song Born for This Mandisa https://youtu.be/iZvZWUZFevI Hearing the Word Scripture Esther 4:1 – 5:3 (NIV) When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes. When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why. So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people. Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night of day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions. On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” Sermon Women of the Bible Esther: For Such a Time as This I am an idealist. I freely acknowledge this. I am a dreamer. I see the world as it could be if everyone lived the way that we were created to live. I imagine what it would be like if the kingdom of God really came about on earth. I think the best of people. I expect everyone to be fair and honest and just. Maybe that’s why one of my favorite movies is “The Wizard of Oz,” and one of my favorite songs is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” It’s a song of longing for a world that is more beautiful, more perfect, more kind than the one we sometimes experience as our reality. But that kind of world doesn’t just happen. It doesn’t come about because we wish for it or hope for it or dream of it. Bringing about the kingdom of God on earth means that we have to act. We have to not only live out the principles of the kingdom, but we have to actively work to make the world more like God’s vision for what it could and should be. We have to look evil in the face and call it what it is and stand up to it. We have to work to change what can be changed, even when it might seem impossible. And we have to remember that what is impossible for us is possible for God. One of my favorite quotes was by Robert Kennedy, who said, “Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.” But after you ask, “Why not?” you have to take responsibility for making those things happen. One of the greatest stories in the Bible is about someone who took a stand and faced evil and risked her life to save an entire people. It is the story of Esther. The story of Esther is set in the reign of King Xerxes of Persia, who reigned from 486 to 465 BCE. King Xerxes became dissatisfied with Queen Vashti and banished her from his presence forever. Then, at the suggestion of his personal attendants, a version of “Star Search” was put into motion whereby there was a search for all the beautiful virgins in the kingdom to find a woman to replace Vashti as queen. There was a Jew living in Susa named Mordecai who had a beautiful cousin named Hadassah. He had raised her as his own daughter because her parents had died. She was also known as Esther. And she was very beautiful. The king’s attendants took notice of her and brought her to the palace along with the other beautiful women in the kingdom. Once there, the women underwent an entire year of beauty treatments before being presented to the king. And the king was more attracted to Esther than to any other woman, so he made her queen. About this time, Mordecai learned about a plot by two of the king’s officers to assassinate the king. He told Queen Esther, who reported to the king what Mordecai had said. The officers were found and put to death. There was a noble named Haman who schemed and maneuvered himself into a higher position than any other noble in the kingdom. The king gave him the highest seat of honor and other people were to bow down and honor him. Mordecai refused to do this, and Haman became enraged over it. He learned that Mordecai was a Jew and he decided to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom. Haman went and talked to King Xerxes about the Jews, accusing them of not obeying the king’s laws. He told the king that the Jews kept themselves separate from everyone else and practiced different customs. He asked the king for a decree to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom in return for a large sum of money. The king told Haman to do as he wished with the Jews. Haman then sent out an edict in the name of the king that ordered the people to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews on a certain date. Mordecai learned about this plot. He sent word to Esther and asked her to approach the king and beg for mercy for her people. He said, “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Even though it was forbidden to go the king unless he summoned you, Esther went into his presence. Xerxes decided to allow Esther to remain. And he told her that whatever she requested he would give her, up to one-half of the kingdom. Esther did not immediately ask for mercy for the Jews. Instead, she planned a banquet and invited only Haman to attend. She would make her request at the banquet. In the meantime, King Xerxes had trouble sleeping that night and got up to read. He happened to read an account of how Mordecai had saved him from the assassination attempt earlier. He asked his attendants what had been done to honor Mordecai, and they told him that nothing had been done. As it turned out, Haman came to the palace just at that moment and the king saw him. He asked Haman how he should honor a man that had delighted him. Haman assumed that the king was talking about him, and he made lots of suggestions of ways to honor such a man. The king was happy with his answer, and he told Haman to honor Mordecai in all those ways. And so, even though Haman hated Mordecai, he had to do it. The day came for the banquet and Haman came to the palace. The king asked Esther to make her request, and said that he would grant it, even to half of the kingdom. Esther asked Xerxes to spare her people from being killed, and told him how Haman had conspired to have them killed and paid money for it. The king became angry with Haman and ordered that he be killed. He gave Queen Esther all of Haman’s estate, and she put Mordecai in charge of it. Then the king issued an order overriding Haman’s edict and giving the Jews permission to destroy their enemies. They celebrated and feasted and then they took their revenge on their enemies. Queen Esther established this as a permanent celebration, which was known as Purim. So that’s the story of Queen Esther. What does her story have to do with us? First, Queen Esther was put in a particular place at a particular time for a reason. God placed her in the palace so that she would be able to save the Jews from destruction and annihilation. It was no mistake that the events took place in the way that they did. It was not a coincidence; it was a God incident. God’s hand was at work in this entire narrative. Second, when Esther learned about the evil that Haman had planned for her people, she stood up against him in the presence of the king. She approached the king, even when it was forbidden to go to him without being invited. She risked her own life in order to save the lives of many others. She confronted the man who was her mortal enemy with courage and conviction. And justice was served. Haman paid the price for his evil scheme. And the Jewish people eliminated their enemies. It was harsh, because the world they lived in was harsh. Clearly we should not think in terms of killing our enemies or seeing that as fair or just. But God held them accountable for their actions, just as ultimately everyone will be held accountable. Third, Esther took care of her family. She made sure Mordecai was not only safe, but provided for when she put him in charge of Haman’s estate that the king granted to her. Mordecai had taken her in and given her a home when she was an orphan, and when she had the opportunity Esther repaid his generosity. She did not think in terms of keeping the wealth for herself; she wanted to do something kind for someone who had been kind to her. We live in a day when there is much injustice and evil. Maybe every time is like that. And we are sometimes put in a place at just the right time to make a difference. Sometimes we act to put ourselves in a position of influence. And sometimes God uses us just where we are. We have been put where we are for such a time as this. This past week we witnessed a turning point in our country in regards to equal justice under the law. The verdicts in the George Floyd case can be a beginning in working to make our justice system more fair and just. There are many voices speaking up and speaking out. Think about the thousands of people who demonstrated around our country, and even in other counties, after George Floyd’s death became known through a video taken by a bystander. People felt that enough was enough, that something had to be done, that somehow people needed to be held accountable for the killing of persons of color by the police. And justice as done when the former police officer responsible for George Floyd’s death was found guilty on all charges. The members of the jury were surely put there for such a time as this. And they made it possible for true justice to be done in this case. I don’t know when or where any of us will be put in a position to change our world. Maybe we are changing it slowly but surely every day as we live our lives in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ. Maybe by speaking up in person or through calls or letters to our elected officials or by participating in a demonstration, we are finding ways to make a difference. Maybe it is by seeking friendship with people who are not like us, getting to know them and trying to see the world from their point of view. Maybe it is though our votes on issues and in choosing who we want to represent us in government. There are groups and agencies that are working for justice who would love to have more volunteers. We can all find a way to get involved if we really want to. I am a dreamer, even though I have plenty of reasons to have grown cynical. I am an optimist, in spite of the evidence that the world demands our pessimism. I want to imagine a different kind of world, I want to believe in a country where people are treated equally, I want to be brave enough to speak up when I am in a position to do so. And I think that my dreaming and imagining are faithful responses to Jesus, who was certainly a dreamer, too. His vision for the world found in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount is an idealistic vision. But, like Jesus, I want to work toward making that vision a reality. I think it is what Esther what do. What about you? Song For Such a Time as This Marty Goetz and Misha https://youtu.be/rSACa4bEPLY 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 Holy and gracious God, we thank you for the story of Esther. We are moved by her faithfulness and by her courage. When her people were threatened with annihilation, she risked her own life to intercede for them. It was not coincidence that she was in the right place at the right time; it was by your will. You placed Esther in the palace for such a time as this. We live in a day when there are many people experiencing injustice, persecution, and even death. People of color in our country face discrimination, prejudice, and hatred. They have been treated as if their lives do not matter. Help us to take a stand, to speak up and speak out, to intercede for those whose voices are often ignored or discounted. We were put in this time and place for a reason; we have been called for such a time as this. We pray for the day when our country will truly embody its founding principles of liberty and justice for all, when all men and women will be treated equally, and when the color of one’s skin no longer leads to unequal justice. For when that day comes, we will have come one step closer to bringing your kingdom on earth. 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, we give because we want to make a difference – in our church, in our community and in our world. Bless these offerings and use them for your purposes. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Song I Will Rachel Ross https://youtu.be/ZgmpRp50WO0 Benediction As Esther stood up and risked everything for her people, may we be willing to risk everything to make a difference in our world. We can, with God’s help, create a world that is more just, more loving, more equitable, and more peaceful. Go forth ready to meet such a time as this. Amen. April 18, 2021
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song Old Church Choir Zach Williams https://youtu.be/yOEviTLJOqo Announcements Thursday, 7:00 PM Zoom Bible Study Here is your invitation: Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Bible 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 Call to Worship No matter where we go in life, we know that God goes with us. Whatever we may face, we will not face it alone. God is our strength and our rock, our savior and our redeemer. Our redeemer is faithful and true. Song My Redeemer is Faithful and True Steven Curtis Chapman https://youtu.be/fV-CyD8JD9c Opening Prayer Faithful God, we have been called to follow Jesus. We know that Jesus was faithful to you, even when it meant going to the cross. We have many examples of faithfulness in scripture. We know what it means to give our lives to you. Help us to have the courage of our conviction, that we might be found faithful to the end. Amen. Celebration of Birthdays and Anniversaries Song Faithful Friend Twila Paris and Steven Curtis Chapman https://youtu.be/NrU-PHQYVbE Hearing the Word Scripture Ruth 1:1-22; 3:1-6, 16-18 In those days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. Now Elimilek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me – even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons – would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!” At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.” (NIV) Sermon Women of the Bible Ruth: Faithful to the End My middle name is Ruth. I am the third Ruth in the family. My mother’s name was Nancy Ruth, and her mother was Lilian Ruth. I have always been proud to have Ruth for a name, and I always knew that if I had a daughter she would also have Ruth as part of her name. Unfortunately, I never had children of my own. But my brother’s daughter, Andrea, when she was adopted and her last name became Smith, also chose a new middle name, and the name she chose was Ruth. So the Ruth’s will go on! Ruth is a beautiful name, not so common as it used to be. In the 1890s, it was the 3rd most popular name in the US, and was in the top 10 through the 1920s. Now it sounds kind of old fashioned, but I like it. It comes from the Hebrew meaning “ companion” or “friend.” And it is easy to see why our Ruth from the Bible was named Ruth, because her story is about being a friend and companion. The story begins with a famine in the land of Israel. This famine led a family from Bethlehem to move to Moab in order to survive. The family included Elimelek, his wife Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. Some time after arriving in Moab, Elimelek died and Naomi was left with her two sons, who had married Moabite women, one who was named Orpah and the other who was named Ruth. But after about ten years, both of the men had died and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. It is interesting to note that the focus of the story to this point was Naomi; she was the one who was left, not her daughters-in-law. In a world where women were dependent on men for support and income, this was a terrible tragedy for all three of these women. Some time later, Naomi got word that the famine was over back home, and she and her daughters-in-law began to get ready to move there. It would make sense for Naomi to go; she must have had relatives there, or at least friends, who could take her in and provide for her. But what about the two younger women? Naomi had nothing to offer them, and so she told them several times to return to their own families of origin. According to Jewish law, if Naomi had other sons the women might have married them, in order to carry on the family name, but Naomi had no other sons and was too old to start a new family. And so she encouraged them to go where they might have a better future for themselves. Orpah reluctantly went back, after they cried together. But Ruth was adamant that she was not going to leave Naomi. Ruth then made a statement that often gets repeated at weddings, taken completely out of context. These words were spoken between a daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, not a couple. Ruth was declaring her faithfulness and loyalty Naomi. She said, “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Where you die I will die, and I will be buried there. May God deal with me if even death separates us.” That is a powerful declaration! And Naomi finally gave in and stopped trying to convince Ruth to leave her. And they journeyed together to Bethlehem. As it turned out, one of Naomi’s relatives back in Bethlehem was a man named Boaz. And Naomi began to scheme to bring Ruth and Boaz together. First, she sent Ruth out to glean in his fields. Boaz took note of her and encouraged her to only come to his fields to glean. He had heard the story of her faithfulness to Naomi and he wanted to help take care of them. Boaz even instructed his men to leave some stalks of grain in the field for Ruth to pick up. Then Naomi instructed Ruth to get Boaz’s attention in another way. She told Ruth to go the threshing floor at night and lie down at the feet of Boaz. When Boaz noticed Ruth, she asked him to spread the corner of his blanket over her, since he was the guardian-redeemer of her family. What Ruth was doing, in actuality, was request marriage. A guardian-redeemer was a near relative who was responsible for protecting the needy members of his extended family. One of those obligations was to provide an heir for a brother who had died. And Boaz told Ruth he would have to speak to another man first, who was a closer relative than he was. So Ruth reported back to Naomi what had taken place. As it turned out, Boaz worked out with the other man so that he could marry Ruth, and that is what he did. And as things turned out, Ruth was the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth was a faithful companion and friend to Naomi. She was willing to leave her own country and her own family to go with Naomi to Bethlehem. She listened to Naomi’s instructions when they got to Bethlehem about how to provide food for them through gleaning. And she obeyed Naomi when she told Ruth to approach Boaz at the threshing floor. I cannot imagine that any of that was easy for Ruth. Faithfulness demands a lot sometimes. Loyalty can be costly. And yet, Ruth was willing to pay the price. And God blessed her by giving her another husband, Boaz, and by making her, a foreigner, the great-grandmother of the greatest king in Israel’s history. I see in Ruth a model of how we should be faithful to our commitments to one another. Whether it is with a friend, a relative, a spouse, or a partner, when we are committed to that person we are faithful, we are willing to sacrifice in order to see to their needs and we are willing to do whatever is asked of us. In the same way, when we are in a relationship with God, we are called to the same kind of faithfulness. Following Jesus demands that kind of loyalty, that kind of self-sacrifice, that kind of obedience that is seen in Ruth. I also see in Ruth an example of how God is faithful to us. God goes with us wherever we go, even if it is to a foreign land. God will not let us travel alone through life. He will be there, ready to help, a companion and a friend to us. Ruth was a faithful friend, a loyal companion, who was faithful to the end. We would all do well to remember her life, her love, and her example. Song Faithful to Me Kathy Troccoli https://youtu.be/PHzdtKsYgx4 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 Almighty God, we are thankful for the story of Ruth. In her life, she demonstrated great faithfulness to her mother-in-law, Naomi. By her example, she showed us what it means for us to be faithful, not only to each other, but also to you. And by her example, she also showed us what it means for you to be faithful to us. It is sometimes hard to be faithful; there are so many distractions and obstacles in the way. We are tempted to follow after something or someone else that seems more appealing or that promises great reward. Help us to be committed to you and to each other, that we might be faithful to the promises we have made. 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 Giving God, we come now to give back to you a portion of what you have given to us. May our gifts be used to benefit your church and to meet the needs of others. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Song Love the Lord Lincoln Brewster https://youtu.be/EAbeFfsqLdc Benediction As God has been faithful to us, may we also be faithful to God. Let us show that faithfulness through our praise, our prayers, and our actions. We commit ourselves to following wherever Jesus leads. Amen. April 11, 2021
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song Still Rolling Stones Lauren Daigle https://youtu.be/Vr0d51uFTMc Announcements Thursday, 7:00 PM Zoom Bible Study Here is your invitation: Elisabeth Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Bible 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 Call to Worship Christ is risen, Christ is living, dry your tears, be unafraid! Death and darkness could not hold him, nor the tomb in which he lay. Do not look among the dead for one who lives forevermore; tell the world that Christ is risen, make it known he goes before. Amen. (Nicolas Martinez) Song Crown Him With Many Crowns The Village Chapel Worship Team https://youtu.be/Vr0d51uFTMc Canticle of Moses and Miriam UMH #135 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, who has triumphed gloriously; the horse and its rider the Lord has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and has become my salvation; this is my God whom I will praise. I will exalt my father’s God who is a mighty warrior, whose name is the Lord. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host the Lord cast into the sea; and his chosen officers are sunk in the Red Sea. The floods cover them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, terrible in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them. In your steadfast love, you have led the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. You will bring them in, and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. The Lord will reign forever and ever.” Then Miriam, the prophet, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dancing, and Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, who has triumphed gloriously; the horse and its rider the Lord has thrown into the sea.” Song He is Exalted Twila Paris https://youtu.be/xuos8WiVF_w Hearing the Word Scripture Exodus 2:1-10 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.” Exodus 15:19-21 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.” Numbers 12:1-15 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, he said, “Listen to my words: When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous – it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from it’s mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!” The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back. Sermon Women of the Bible Miriam: Leader in the Wilderness I’m not sure why, but I always picture Miriam somewhat like Bette Midler, sort of brash and plain-spoken, with a beautiful singing voice, and an air of self-confidence. We don’t have very much information about Miriam in the Bible, and she only appears in a three lengthy passages. Other than those, she is mentioned in Micah 6:4 as a prophet, along with Moses and Aaron; and her death and burial at Kadesh are recorded in Numbers 20:1. We first meet Miriam in Exodus 2. The backdrop for the story is that the Hebrew slaves had grown in number to the point where Pharaoh felt threatened by their numbers. So he issued an order that all boy babies born to the Hebrews were to be thrown in the Nile River and drowned. At that point, we learn that a couple who were both of the tribe of Levi had a son, whom they managed to keep hidden for three months. Then his mother put him in a basket among the reeds along the bank of the Nile and Miriam stood a distance away to see what would happen to him. As it turned out, things turned out pretty well for the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter happened to come along to bathe in the river. She saw the basket and she knew that it must be a Hebrew baby hidden there, and she felt sorry for him. So she decided to adopt him. Miriam asked Pharaoh’s daughter if she should bring a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby, and she said yes. So Miriam went and got their mother and brought her to Pharaoh’s daughter, who gave the baby to his own mother and told her to take him and nurse him and she would pay her. When the baby got older, his mother took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son; she named him Moses, which means “draw out,” because she drew him out of the Nile. There are a couple of things that we learn about Miriam from this story. First, we learn that she was brave. It took courage to stand there and watch over her brother. If Pharaoh’s soldiers had come along and discovered the baby, they surely would have killed him and maybe Miriam, too, if they thought she had hidden him there. It also took courage to approach Pharaoh’s daughter and speak to her. Again, the woman may have not had good intentions toward the baby, and Miriam could have been punished for her role in hiding him. But Miriam was bold enough to speak to this royal woman and propose a plan that kept Moses with his mother for awhile longer, while getting paid for taking care of him! That courage and boldness would come in handy later in Miriam’s life. The next time we encounter Miriam it is in Exodus 15:19-21, just after the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea. After experiencing the plagues sent by God, Pharaoh had decided to set the Hebrew slaves free, and they had left Egypt. But later on he changed his mind, regretting that he had let all that free labor get away. So he took his chariots and his army and he set out after them. He eventually trapped them at the Red Sea. But God provided an escape route for his people – he dried up the sea so that they could walk across on dry land. Then, when Pharaoh followed them, God caused the sea to return and drown the entire army. Moses sang a song of victory, and then Miriam, who is referred to as a prophetess, also sings a song. The Song of Miriam is regarded by scholars as being very old, and is perhaps the oldest Israelite poem we have. It may have been composed very close to the time that the event took place. Miriam led the women in dancing and singing. There were women among the Israelites who were skilled in the singing that was required at times of death and grief, and in the same way others were skilled in singing and dancing with joy at times of victory and liberation. At the Exodus, it was surely a time for singing and dancing. The most important thing to note about Miriam in this passage is that she is referred to as a prophetess. That doesn’t mean someone who prophecies about the future. Prophecy in those days meant bringing a word from the Lord or preaching and teaching about God. It was a term of respect and position. Miriam was an important leader among the Israelites and would have been seen as being in a place of honor. We next meet Miriam in Numbers 12. Miriam and Aaron had become upset with Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They felt that he should not have married a foreign woman. They talked between themselves about it, and said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” In other words, they put themselves in equal positions with Moses. Well, the Lord heard them talking and called Miriam, Aaron and Moses to come to the Tent of Meeting. There, through a pillar of cloud, like the one that led the people through the wilderness, God spoke to Aaron and Miriam. He said the Moses was faithful and that he spoke with Moses face to face. Then he asked, “Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” God was angry with them. When the cloud lifted, Miriam was left with leprous skin, as white as snow. I have no idea why Miriam was punished in this way but Aaron was not. One commentator suggests that because Miriam is mentioned first at the start of the chapter, which was not normal for that time, perhaps she had taken the lead and Aaron followed along. Miriam was clearly a person of importance who played a larger role in Israel’s history than what we find in scripture. Aaron appealed to Moses that he not hold against them the sin they had so foolishly committed against him. Then Moses asked God to heal Miriam. God said that Miriam was to be banished from the camp for seven days, a public shaming and what was required for someone considered unclean. The people waited until this time was over until moving on. What we learn about Miriam here is that, as great a leader as she was, she did have faults. Her mistake here was her pride, I think; she felt equal to Moses, or at least close enough to being his equal to question his behavior in marrying the Cushite woman. She wanted to hold him accountable for his actions and she was going to confront him. But God intervened on behalf of Moses and let Miriam and Aaron know that Moses did have a higher position than theirs. They should not think too highly of themselves. We don’t know much about Miriam, but what we do know is powerful. Miriam was a prophetess, a leader among her people, during a challenging time in their history. Yes, they had been given their freedom, but they had a long way to go to get to their new homeland. They needed leaders like Miriam: courageous, bold, and also fallible, like us. She was revered by her people as a prophetess and leader, and we should also give her our respect and honor as a woman of significance. Song Song of Miriam Elaine Hagenberg Victory Women’s Ensemble Des Moines Christian School https://youtu.be/4PWxhRxOxOQ 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, We come to you this morning continuing to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. With his rising from the dead, he brought us hope of life eternal. We feel joy and laughter bubbling up inside of us, and we cannot help but dance. Because of the sure and certain hope of resurrection, our mourning does not last forever, but we are able to find peace when a loved one passes from this life to the next. We cannot thank you enough for this wonderful gift. We pray today for all those who suffer, whether from illness or grief or loneliness, depression or fear or pain; grant them relief. We pray for those who care for the sick, who tend to the poor, and who reach out to the outcasts. We pray for our church, as we continue to find our way through this pandemic. Help us to acknowledge and count as worthy the ministry that we are still able to do. As we move forward, show us your will and give us the courage to follow it. 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, what we have is a gift from you. As we return to you our gifts, we ask that you bless them and use them for your purpose. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Song Hallelujah Chorus The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Virtual Choir https://youtu.be/4PWxhRxOxOQ Benediction You who are Easter people, go from this time with joy. Remember that Christ is risen! Carry the good news to others in Jesus’ name. Amen. Bulletin for Maundy Thursday 2021
Greeting Gathering Song Make Me a Servant Maranatha Singers https://youtu.be/r6U8O_WnPZY Call to Worship From busy weekday lives we pause this hour, gathered as friends, to remember Jesus’ last earthly night with his disciples. May we listen for God’s invitations to personal discipleship and service; to communion with one another and with the Holy One. Let us prepare our hearts and minds to worship God. Amen. Hymn O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee Church of St. Stephen, Downsview https://youtu.be/xoWzpJpyPaQ Prayer of Confession Wellspring of Love, Source of Compassion, Teacher of Truth, you call us to wash the feet of others as you have washed ours, yet we are often unwilling to kneel at the feet of our friends, preferring to be served rather than to serve. You invite us to join all of creation at your feast, yet we are unwilling to make room at our table for someone we don’t know or who is different from us. You pour yourself out for the sake of the whole world, yet we are unwilling to let go of our selfish desires. Forgive us and free us from our unwillingness to find our true life as the body of Christ – a body given for the healing of the world. Amen. Assurance of Forgiveness Hear the good news: God washes our souls with love and grace before we even ask. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Scripture John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Sermon A Lesson in Humility Edward J. Farrell wrote in his book, Gathering the Fragments, “We seldom recognize a final occasion when it is happening. Only in retrospect do we recognize that it was the last. Then we recall every moment, every gesture and try to draw from it what we will carry with us the rest of our lives.” I recognized my mother’s final Christmas with us for what it was. It was impossible not to. She was in the final days of her five-year battle with cancer. And this time, it was clear that the cancer was going to win. She was so thin, her face was so thin. She couldn’t hold much food down, and seemed to exist on ice chips. She could no longer get up out of the bed on her own, so when she woke up at night I had to wake up my dad to help me lift her up. She had to move about the house in a wheelchair. I was furious that she wasn’t in the hospital, but she apparently had told her doctor and my dad in no uncertain terms that she was going to be home for Christmas. Everything about those days seared itself into my brain. We had decorated the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, just like always. But my mom sat on the couch and ordered me about, telling me exactly where to hang the ornaments. I came to the angel I made from a toilet-paper roll when I was in kindergarten, and I told her I wasn’t going to hang that tacky thing on the tree. I teased her that if I absolutely had to do it, it was going on the side facing the wall, where no one could see it. On Christmas Day, we opened our presents. My mom had had me take her shopping for my gift that year, so I wasn’t surprised. But it was a wonderful gift, a portable keyboard that would record, which would help me in composing music. It was more expensive than most gifts we exchanged in my family, but she wanted to give me something special. There were also funny gifts, too, like a Hagar the Horrible baseball cap for my dad and a big box of Jelly Bellies for my mom. I cooked the Christmas dinner, the first time I’d ever done the whole thing by myself. None of us felt much like eating, but we made a valiant effort, and had plenty of leftover turkey for sandwiches and soup and salads. I have pictures of that Christmas, but I can’t look at them. It’s just too painful to see how my mom looked then. But I don’t need the pictures to remember the most important part of that holiday. Because what really mattered was the love that my mother had for me and my dad that gave her the determination to be home for Christmas, so that we could remember her that way and not in a hospital bed. What mattered was her laughing and our teasing and the normal parts of the celebration. What mattered was what she was saying to us, in words and in looks and in touches, and that was that she loved us and wanted us to be happy. When I think of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, I know that they were not aware that this would be their last supper with him. They seemed blissfully ignorant of the forces of evil that were gathering against Jesus, one of which was sitting at the table with them that night, ready to betray the Lord to the Jewish and Roman authorities. They thought they had all the time in the world to be with Jesus, to learn from him, to watch him heal the sick and teach people, to laugh with him and fish with him. But later on, they remembered all the details – they recalled the moments, the gestures, the words, and they knew that these were things they would carry with them for the rest of their lives. They knew that these were things they needed to share with others. All four of the Gospel writers include a story about the Last Supper. Tonight we are looking at John’s account. Even though the disciples were not aware that this was their last meal with Jesus, Jesus “knew that the time had come” for him to be put to death. And, according to John, “Having loved his own …, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” Jesus did that by washing his disciples’ feet, stooping down and becoming like their servant, or, according to some translations, their slave. In those days, when people wore sandals on the dusty roads, it was customary to have a servant wash the feet of guests when they arrived at your home. But no one had done that for the men gathered for the Last Supper. So Jesus got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, poured water into a basin, and started washing the feet of his disciples, and drying them with the towel. He explained that just as he had done that for them, they should do it for one another. Perhaps literally, but more importantly, they were to show each other that kind of love, love that enacts itself through serving the other. Just as Jesus served them in such a humble and humbling way, they were to serve each other in humility. And Jesus gave them a new command: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” This was the new top priority for those who followed Jesus. There are lots of ways that we can put this command into practice. We serve others in many different ways. Some collect food for the food pantry; others take clothing to the thrift shop. Some walk to raise money for hunger or other charities. Some reach out to their neighbors who are elderly or sick and offer rides or help with meals. There are endless ways to live out Jesus’ example of love and service and humility. I read about a man named Herb who was working at a hospital in Chicago and putting himself through medical school. He met a wonderful man there named Chaplain Lily. Many of the people who came into this hospital were poor. When he met them, Chaplain Lily carried a Bible and a pair of nail clippers. When he made his daily rounds, he offered to clip the patients’ toenails. Some of the people had not even had a bath in ages; some didn’t own a pair of shoes. But no matter what condition their feet were in, Chaplain Lily offered to clip their toenails. Herb was so moved by this example, that he started carrying nail clippers in his pocket wherever he went. When he visited a patient in the hospital, he brought out his nail clippers. Many of the people he saw were elderly and could not tend to their own feet, so Herb did. Over the years, he must have trimmed thousands of rough, ragged, dirty, thick toenails. For many people, it was the one act of kindness offered to them, a job that even their family members were reluctant to take on. After he became critically ill himself, Herb kept on clipping toenails until he literally couldn’t do it anymore. Then others stepped in to take on this task. After Herb passed away, his family gave out nail clippers to members of their church and other friends, along with a note sharing their father’s story, and they encouraged people to carry the nail clippers and continue Herb’s ministry. A simply act of kindness, clipping someone’s toenails. Not so different from washing someone’s feet. What acts of kindness could you perform for someone this week? How are you living out Jesus’ command to love one another as he loves you? Are you an example of humble service? Hymn Jesu, Jesu Polk Street UMC, Amarillo, TX https://youtu.be/zsMps8Su6zY Prayer Teacher of Truth, Wellspring of Love, Source of Compassion, as we live into the last hours that Jesus spent with his disciples, we give you thanks and praise. For even though he was betrayed, Christ is always in our midst when we love one another. Call to Communion Communion Song Bethany Music https://youtu.be/oMFgBYaEd3o Communion Prayer Servant God, we remember this night your many gifts of grace and servanthood as you walked upon this earth; we remember this night your many gifts of grace and servanthood as you touch our lives today. With humility and gratitude, we come to the table and accept your gracious gifts of forgiveness and love. Christ Jesus, we remember that night when you took a loaf of bread, gave thanks, broke it, saying, “This is my body that is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” We remember that in the same way, you took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” We remember on this night why we eat this bread and drink this cup: to proclaim the great mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on all those gathered here, that we might be disciples of your new covenant of love and grace. Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and vine, that they may be for us the life and love of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by your gracious love. By your Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. The Giving of the Bread and Cup Hymn Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service First-Plymouth Church, Lincoln, NE https://youtu.be/MIPIyM2Qz4k *Stripping of the Church *Benediction Go and take up the basin of Christ, serving God and your neighbor in all that you do. And may the peace of Christ the servant be with you now and forever. Amen. |
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