June 28, 2020
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song Hallelujah, You are Good Steven Curtis Chapman and Matt Maher https://youtu.be/Dzh3aVV53H4 Call to Worship Come, rejoice in the salvation God offers. God will not forget us or hide his face from us. We may forget God, but God does not forget us in our need. We will trust, even when our lives have been shaken. We will worship, even when we are afraid. God will assure and comfort us; the promises of God give us hope. God will ease the sorrow of our hearts. We look to God to heal the pain of our souls. Amen. Song 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) Matt Redman https://youtu.be/DXDGE_lRI0E Opening Prayer Answer us, O Sovereign God. Save us from those who seek our harm, and from our own fears and doubts. Grant us faith that moves beyond blind adherence to the law. Help us trust you enough to climb mountains when the tops are not visible, when answers to our questions elude us. Let us hear your voice to give us direction. Let us know your purposes, so that we may choose to obey. Amen. Special Music Praise You in This Storm Casting Crowns https://youtu.be/97x_bCxmUqs Hearing the Word Scripture Genesis 22:1-14 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, you only son, whom you love – Isaac – and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, you only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And tot his day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (New International Version) Sermon Ultimate Trust When I was a teenager, I used to go with my church youth group to camp. We went to a beautiful place called In the Oaks, which was an Episcopal camp near Asheville, NC. It had originally been the autumn home of a wealthy family who only lived there for about a month each year, when the leaves turned colors. The main house was where the staff slept, and there were cabins all around in the woods. There was a big field perfect for softball games or volleyball, an Olympic size swimming pool, a bowling alley, and full-size basketball court. (I told you the family was wealthy.) One summer the youth director paired everyone up and told us that we were going to go on a trust walk. One person would wear a blindfold and the other person would follow a trail marked by flags through the field and into the woods. The blind-folded person had to trust that the other person would make sure they didn’t trip over a tree root or rock, or step into a hole, or walk into a branch. When we completed the course, we would trade places and go back over it again. It could be hard to trust, depending on whom you were paired up with. And some people did trip and fall or walk into low-hanging tree limbs. But it was a great exercise and taught us how hard trust really is. These days, with so much fear and apprehension due to the pandemic, it can also be hard to trust. We want to trust that other people will follow social distancing in grocery stores or the pharmacy, but we see that some people do not. We want to trust that if someone has been exposed to the virus, they will self-quarantine, but we have no way to prove that they do it. We want to trust our elected officials to give us accurate information and responsible guidance about what is safe to do, but we wonder when we get different information and guidance from different sources. The story about Abraham and Isaac found in Genesis 22 is a story about trust. It is a story about Abraham’s trust in God, and it is a story about Isaac’s trust of his father. It is a difficult story, a story we find hard to understand, a story that makes us question the character of God. And yet, it is a story that we can learn from. Abraham had waited a long time to have this child. God had promised Abraham and Sarah that they would become parents in their old age, and it had finally happened. The promise that God had made of Abraham becoming the father of a great nation depended on this child. Isaac was everything to Abraham. But then one day, to test Abraham, God instructed Abraham to take his son and offer him as a sacrifice to God. We wonder, What kind of God would ask someone to do that? But this was the ancient world, where people expected their gods to demand blood sacrifices, and other peoples practiced human sacrifice. Abraham wouldn’t have found the notion of human sacrifice so astonishing as was the notion of offering up Isaac as the sacrifice. If Isaac was put to death, then how would God fulfill his promise of making Abraham the father of a great nation? It takes at least one descendant to start that process! To our amazement, Abraham immediately made preparations for the trip to the mountain. He packed up supplies and loaded them on the donkey, selected two servants to go along, and got Isaac, and they began their journey. On the third day, they got close to the spot designated by God. Abraham told the servants to wait there, and then pay attention to what he said next: “WE will worship and then WE will come back to you.” Abraham was supposed to be offering up Isaac as a sacrifice on the mountain, but he says “WE” will come back to you. He must have trusted that God was not really going to demand Isaac’s life, but would make some other provision for the sacrifice. He must have believed that God would not take his son away from him. As Abraham and Isaac set out up the mountain, Isaac was understandably curious about how they were going to make a sacrificial offering without a lamb, and he asked his father about it. Abraham told him, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.” Again, we see Abraham’s trust in God to provide another way for him to make the offering than to actually sacrifice Isaac. He believed in God’s goodness and in God’s promise, and he trusted that, even if he did not know how it would happen, God would provide. Abraham and Isaac reached the place for the sacrifice, and Abraham built an altar. He arranged the wood on the altar. And he tied up Isaac and placed him on top of the wood. Then he god so far as to draw out his knife, ready to kill his son. I’ve always wondered what was going through Isaac’s mind! But just at that moment, an angel called out to Abraham and told him not to kill Isaac, because now God knew how much faith he had in God, since he did not withhold from God his son. When Abraham looked up, he saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So he set Isaac free and then offered up the ram as a sacrifice to God. And Abraham named that place, “The Lord Will Provide.” He trusted God, and his trust was rewarded. I would like to think that my faith is as strong as Abraham’s, that I trust God as much as Abraham did. He was so confident in God’s care and God’s faithfulness to his promise, that he passed this test of his faith. I know I do trust God with my life, but it’s hard to imagine what I would do if God asked for the life of a loved one to prove my faith. Would I trust in God enough to know that God would provide, or would I cling to my loved one and refuse to take that chance? Trust is hard. It takes a strong, time-tested faith. Trust in any relationship is hard. But how do we learn to trust our spouse or partner, our parent, our child? We have trust because of our past experience. If that person has proved trustworthy and faithful in the past, then we trust them to be worthy of trust in the future. It is based on our relationship with that person. And our trust in God builds in the same way. We trust God because we know that in the past God has proven to be trustworthy. God has provided for us in the past, so we know that God will provide for us in the future. We have confidence based on that trust. Thomas Obediah Chisholm was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. At the age of 16, he began teaching school, despite his own lack of education. He became a Christian at age 27 after hearing the evangelist H. C. Morrison. Chisholm’s health was unstable, and he experienced bouts of illness which kept him from working. He did everything from journalism to selling insurance to evangelistic work. Through all the ups and downs, he found a special meaning in Lamentations 3:22-23: “His compassion fail not. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.” He wrote 1,200 poems and hymns, but perhaps the most famous is “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” written in 1923. It became popular around the world when it was used by George Beverly Shea during the Billy Graham Crusades. Its words continue to inspire and uplift believers: Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee; thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not; as thou hast been thou forever wilt be. Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided; great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Hymn Trust and Obey Big Daddy Weave https://youtu.be/k-LdHCuo5-Y 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 We have gathered in our many homes, O God, and many life experiences, and yet common themes flow through our minds and hearts. Many of us have known conflict and struggle, and realize we have reached this hour only with your help and generosity. Some of us live with illness or physical disability and have often spoken your name in weakness or despair. We have loved ones whose condition or behavior has made us feel anxious, and we have voiced that anxiety to you. Fears and uncertainties plague and paralyze us, and we have begged that these be taken away. We worry because we are alone, because no one cares, because we feel desperate or abandoned, and we have often prayed for our situations to be different. We are all mindful of our inadequacy, our lostness and aloneness without you. We are dependent on you for the most important things: for life itself, for love and companionship, and for strength and consolation and encouragement. Teach us to trust you each day, knowing that our needs will be met in you. Send healing on us and on our loved ones, especially those facing COVID-19. Be with those medical personnel who are under such stress, and with all who keep our hospitals working. Be with the families of the many who have died. Be with those who have lost their jobs or face financial hardship. (John Killinger, adapted) We ask all these things 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 We remember and give thanks, O God, as you provide for all our needs. Your bounty enables our giving of self and substance. Lead us now that we may be generous and inspire generosity in others. Use us and our gifts for your purposes. Amen. Song Trust in You Lauren Daigle https://youtu.be/n_aVFVveJNs Benediction Gaelic Blessing, John Rutter https://youtu.be/Eve2y-P-Zjk
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June 21, 2020
Happy Father’s Day Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song Together, Steven Curtis Chapman https://youtu.be/m-aCJy19-D0 Call to Worship Come together, disciples of Jesus Christ, who dwell in the shadow of the Most High. God is our refuge and fortress. We will not fear daytime threats or nighttime terror. God promises to keep you wherever you go. There is nowhere you can go that God is not. Surely God is in this place. God values your uniqueness and sends you patient endurance. God’s love surrounds and supports us. Song Bridge Over Troubled Water Mat and Savanna Shaw https://youtu.be/NZQSxDFDcxc Opening Prayer Eternal God, turn and be gracious to us, for the road is long and we are weary. We feel beaten down by the trials of life and need your strength to sustain us. Show us your favor, and offer us your blessing, that we may abide in faithfulness. Comfort us, O God, and revive our souls. Grant us the endurance to take up our cross and follow the difficult roads in life. Amen. Special Music Bleed the Same, Mandisa and Toby Mac https://youtu.be/HVKuA1s5I3o Hearing the Word Scripture Psalm 86:1-7 Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me. (New International Version) Matthew 10:29-31 [Jesus said,] “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (New International Version) Sermon You Matter to God YOU MATTER TO GOD Psalm 86:1-7 Matthew 10:29-31 On this Father’s Day, I find that I am in need of a father right now. I mean, I have a father, he lives in California with my brother and is reasonably healthy and doing well. But I need a father here, now, up close and personal. I remember what it felt like to have my dad hold my hand when I was a little kid; my little hand in his big one, and it felt so strong and reassuring. I remember sitting in my dad’s lap, leaning on his chest, hearing his heart beat, feeling his lungs fill and empty, knowing that I was in the safest place on earth. There was unconditional love, protection, support, encouragement, and grace in my father’s presence. There still is. I have been crying out like the psalmist lately, feeling in distress, wanting to feel the reassuring presence of my heavenly Father, needing to know God’s mercy and love and protection. These are troubling times, everywhere I look, and it is scary and confusing and infuriating and discouraging and sometimes very overwhelming. And it is a time when I need to know that God is watching over us – watching over me – taking note of what is going on down here and working to bring about mercy and justice and truth. I need a reminder that we are worth something to God, worth everything to God, and that God cares about all that is happening in our world. It seems that there is strife and division and anger and grief and death all around. The COVID-19 pandemic is not going away any time soon. I cannot even begin to process the fact that, as of today, over 118,000 Americans have died and over 2.1 million have been sick. Every one of those 118,000 people have loved ones who are grieving over them, who could not even be with them to say goodbye. There is the recent racial tension that has led to continuing protests and demonstrations, peaceful and not-so-peaceful. Black Lives Matter has been countered with Blue Lives Matter, as if only one of those statements could be true. Black mothers have shared the grief they feel over the death of children at the hands of the police, and at having to teach their sons to be afraid of the very ones who are sworn to protect them. Liberals and conservatives are at each other’s throats, Democrats and Republicans, refusing to cooperate on much of anything, so that nothing seems to ever get done. The main concern of most politicians seems to be how to get re-elected. There continues to be controversy on LGBT issues. The recent Supreme Court ruling that prevents the firing of people simply over their sexual orientation has provoked some to claim that the court is interfering with churches and religious groups. These conflicts are not just “out there,” but they are a part of my life. I have many black friends, and a cousin who is a police officer in North Carolina. Two of my close friends in Rhode Island who are African American were stopped one night coming out of Newport, pulled over for no reason other than the fact that they were black, driving a nice car, and in an exclusive part of town. I am a registered Democrat and a liberal, and my closest family members are Trump supporters and conservative in every way. My sister-in-law regularly makes posts on Facebook that call liberals and Democrats by impolite names and blames them for trying to destroy democracy, as well as a host of other ills. I know of many families divided by politics, to the point that they cannot even discuss the topic any more. I have been rejected by members of my own family because I am gay, and I know people who were actually put out of their parents’ homes when they were young because of their sexual orientation. These political and societal issues hit very close to home for me. I have looked at many pictures of people in recent weeks, looking at their faces, wondering about their lives. There are the pictures of the exhausted doctors and nurses treating COVID-19 patients, and of the patients on ventilators. There are also pictures of those patients finally able to go home from the hospital. I have seen families gather outside assisted living facilities and nursing homes to wave to elderly loved ones on the other side of the window. There have been faces of black men and women killed by police, and angry demonstrators looting stores and setting cars on fire. There were the police officers standing and not reacting with force even when crowds shouted at them and threw things. And there were the officers who killed young black men. There were jubilant faces on the steps of the Supreme Court and people waving gay pride flags. And there were other faces, people not so happy about the ruling. And I have reminded myself as I look at each one of those faces that this is a person who matters to God. I am aware that saying Black Lives Matter is significant in many ways, because for too long and for too many people, black lives haven’t mattered very much. And I am aware that saying All Lives Matter is not an appropriate response to the injustices suffered by African Americans. But there is a deep truth that every life matters to God, every person is important and of value to God. We are all children of God, loved unconditionally and given grace and mercy every single day of our lives. God even knows how many hairs are on our heads! We are significant simply because we are God’s children. We have worth and value because we were created by God: white or black or any other skin color; male or female; gay or straight; liberal or conservative; Democrat or Republican; civilian or police officer. When God’s children treat each other like God’s children, when we see each other’s worth and value through God’s eyes, we create a world where people are not discriminated against because of the color of their skin, or called names because of who they voted for, or accused of treason because of what political party they support, or labeled as sinners just because of their sexual orientation. In a world where we embody God’s vision for faithful living, there would be justice for everyone, there would be respect for each person, there would be compassion for all who suffer, and there would be a desire to serve others. My heart has been broken so many times in recent weeks as I have watched the worst of human nature present itself. A black man dying with a white man’s knee on his neck. COVID-19 cases spiking because people refuse to follow common sense requirements for social distancing. A gay woman being told that she is a sinner just because of her sexual orientation and that she is tolerated only because she is a family member. A black woman crying as she tells a news reporter that all she wants is to be able to have children and not have to worry about them being killed. A woman on Facebook mocking the decision of the University of Georgia band decision to stop playing the theme from “Gone With the Wind” at the end of football games. But I have tried to take note of the signs of God’s hand at work, too. The police officers kneeling in support of the peaceful demonstrators. The COVID-19 patients able to leave the hospital after weeks being near death. The decision of Quaker Oats to get rid of the “Aunt Jemima” brand. The white and black people standing together for equal justice. The fact that a conservative-majority court ruled in favor of eliminating discrimination against gays and lesbians. I need a father right now. And I am thankful that I have a good earthly father who lets me know that I am loved and respected, who made me feel safe as a child and confident as an adult. But I am even more thankful that I have a heavenly Father who loves all of us as his children unconditionally, who works for us and in us and through us to bring about a world where we all feel loved and cared for and protected. On this Father’s Day, I hope you can also feel that gratitude in your heart. Hymn His Eye is on the Sparrow https://youtu.be/lRhgD0UtpL4 Praying Together Concerns and Celebrations: Please share any concerns or celebrations you may have with Pastor Elisabeth. Please note if you do not want this shared with this faith community. Pastoral Prayer O God, who is known in the glory of lakes and mountains and in starry nights and splendid sunsets, but who is known best in the quietness of our own hearts when we listen for you to speak, we wait before you now in this place, in the hush of these moments, and ask for your spirit to fall quietly upon us. Dispel our fears, ease the stress in our minds, remove all awkwardness, and make a difference in our lives. Heal us of old hurts and wounds. Encourage us out of our despair. Be our companion in loneliness. Direct our paths. Enable us to love one another and to care about the world beyond us. Watch over all doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, and all essential workers. Hear our prayers for those who are suffering with COVID-19 and for their families; for the families of all who have died; and for those who are out of work. Be with all those who are working for justice in our country, and for all who have suffered because of the injustice that is present. We pray for all who are sick or recovering from surgery; for those who suffer from dementia or Parkinsons and for their caregivers; for those who are struggling financially; for those who are feeling alone and forgotten; and for those who are afraid. We pray for those who have recently graduated from high school or college, with radically different celebrations than what they had imagined. Give them hope and enthusiasm for the future. And we pray for all fathers on this special day for honoring them. (John Killinger) We ask all these things 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 Receive the gifts of our hands, O God, that they may be signs of your love and grace for a divided world. Through our offerings, help others follow your way of life. Fill the world with your mercy, Holy One, that your faithful people everywhere will honor you by sharing your kingdom. Amen. Song The Prayer Mat and Savanna Shaw https://youtu.be/cqFCbtRz1Z0 Benediction Gaelic Blessing, John Rutter https://youtu.be/Eve2y-P-Zjk June 14, 2020
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song Swing Down, Chariot https://youtu.be/TEWsFOVnKLs Call to Worship The good shepherd calls. Come to him to find a place of comfort and safety. We turn away from our weariness and fear; we leave behind our anxiety and cares. There is bread here to feed our every need; there are still waters to refresh our souls. We will devote ourselves to learning and praying. Find strength in this hour to follow Jesus’ steps. We praise God for this time apart, for refreshment and renewal. Hymn UMH #128 He Leadeth Me https://youtu.be/sVgHneowNb8 Opening Prayer Christ our shepherd, we would rather chart our own course than be shepherded like sheep; we would rather find our own way than see you as the Way; we would rather be shepherds than sheep, who are vulnerable and exposed. Forgive us when we bleat our resistance, as you guide us to higher pastures. Be our gate, our way to safe havens, where we can dwell with you secure. Amen. Special Music Look at the World, by John Rutter https://youtu.be/lUNsj2NSCJ0 Hearing the Word Scripture Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (New International Version) Sermon Learning to Rest I am not someone who can do nothing very easily. I find it hard to just relax. Even when I am watching TV at night, I am busy with other things: working puzzles, playing games on my cell phone, doing the crossword from the newspaper, reading a book or magazine. I hate to feel like I’m wasting time. But five years ago, I had to learn how to rest. I didn’t have a choice. I had emergency surgery for a perforated bowel. I could have died. And after the surgery, I had absolutely no energy to do anything. Six months later, when I had a follow-up procedure, once again I was knocked for a loop. During those months of surgery and healing and recovery, I learned how to rest. I learned how to just sit on the back porch and do nothing except listen to the birds and watch my dogs play. I became familiar with the sounds of the neighborhood: the kids playing across the street, the family behind me having dinner together every night, the UPS truck making deliveries, the man across the street hollering at his teenage son. I read books that were just “for fun,” watched TV shows without doing anything else, and enjoyed talking to friends on the phone. And I began to hear God’s voice in new and different and unexpected ways. Sometimes we all get caught up in the business and stress and anxiety of everyday living that we forget how to rest. When there is news available 24/7, with alerts on our cell phones to every breaking story; when we are having to learn how to hold meetings remotely by Zoom or some other platform; when we are afraid every time we go into a store or post office because of the COVID-19 pandemic; when we struggle wot help our children go to school by computer; when we worry about having enough money or whether our job will be secure; when we face illness ourselves or watch a loved one suffer; when we struggle to make relationships work; it is hard to rest. When I start feeling that tension and stress building up in my body, I turn to this most familiar and beloved Psalm, maybe the most beloved passage in all of scripture. Jeff Paschal writes, “In the heat of this pressure cooker the psalmist offers cool, refreshing peace found in knowing and celebrating who God is and who we are … God is the one who makes us rest. God is the one who slows us down and restores our very being.” Psalm 23 was written by David, who had been a shepherd and who was now the shepherd of his people as their king. Perhaps he was wondering how he would care for them and reflecting on how God cared for him. He begins his psalm by remembering, “The Lord is my shepherd.” God is the one who tends the flock. God takes on this role willingly and with compassion for the sheep. And because the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need; I lack nothing. There is no need that God cannot fulfill. It may sound simplistic to say that God meets my every need, maybe a little naïve. But when it comes right down to it, God is the only necessity in life. As long as I have God, everything else will be taken care of. I trust God to provide for me. That trust didn’t just happen; it grew over the years of my life, as I saw God provide for me over and over again. When I look back at my life, I can see so clearly that God was always with me and that it was God who gave me the resources I needed to meet life’s challenges. And then we come to the interesting choice of words, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” I have always stopped at the word “makes.” Why would God have to make me lie down in green pastures? Why would God have to make me rest? Because I sometimes don’t have the sense to take good care of myself, that’s why! I work hard, I worry a lot, I feel the responsibility of caring for my parishioners, I stress over the big issues like pandemics and racial tensions, I push the limits, I burn the candle at both ends. It takes God’s gentle but firm hand to make me rest sometimes. God leads me beside the quiet waters and refreshes my soul. God lets me catch my breath. God makes sure that I am spiritually well-fed and satisfied. I am able to sleep well at night and wake up in the morning refreshed and ready to go again. I tap into the power and energy of God through prayer and study and silence. God makes me lie down in green pastures; God takes care of me. I can rest because God is leading me in the right direction. And whether God leads me up on high mountains or through the darkest valleys, I know that God is with me, right there by my side. And so I have nothing to fear. God is my powerful protector, and God knows how to use that shepherd’s rod to fight off predators that might cause me harm. God has my back when I have to face the evil in this world. In fact, I am so safe that I could sit down to a six-course meal right in front of my enemies and eat my fill! My cup overflows with blessings when I am in the presence of God. I know that God will accompany me all the way to my heavenly home, showing me love and mercy all the way. And I will dwell in God’s home forever. No matter what happens to me between now and then, I can trust God to be with me and to provide what I need. And then I will enter the place where there is perfect rest, perfect peace, and perfect love. It is hard these days to feel completely at peace or at rest. There is so much that is troubling around us, so much bad news, so many things to worry about. But that just makes it all the more important for us to rest in God’s care and love. We need our physical and our spiritual strength, and the only way to have them is to learn to rest. Leslie F. Brandt paraphrases Psalm 23 like this: The Lord is my constant companion. There is no need that He cannot fulfill. Whether his course for me points to the mountaintops of glorious ecstasy or to the valleys of human suffering, He is by my side, He is ever present with me. He is close beside me when I tread the dark streets of danger, and even when I flirt with death itself, He will not leave me. When the pain is severe, He is near to comfort. When the burden is heavy, He is there to lean upon. When depression darkens my soul, He touches me with eternal joy. When I feel empty and alone, He fills the aching vacuum with His power. My security is in His promise to be near me always, and in the knowledge that He will never let me go. We are all in different places in this journey called life. Some of us have lived awhile, and others are still young. Some have had it hard, and others have seemed to live a life untouched by tragedy or hardship. None of us knows what the future holds. But we do know that ultimately our future is with God, as our present is with God. God is our Good Shepherd; we can trust God to take care of us. And we can learn to rest. Hymn UMH #138 The King of Love My Shepherd Is https://youtu.be/eUZAjkC48bY 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, Gentle Shepherd, we come to you this morning needing to rest in your arms. These are troubled times in our world and in our nation. There is a pandemic that is still raging, with thousands of people dying and millions of people sick. Families are separated from their loved ones while they are sick, and even when they are dying. Medical personnel are exhausted, but providing excellent care for both body and soul. Scientists are working on a cure and on a vaccine, and we pray for their speedy success. There are essential workers and first responders who put their lives on the line every day for others, and we give thanks for their service. Protect us and our families as this disease rages on, and give us wisdom to take care of ourselves in appropriate ways. And, Lord, there is another sickness that is causing suffering and death, and that is the disease of racism. It permeates all areas of our life together, from the opportunities available to people of color to the killing of unarmed men and women by those sworn to protect and serve. White privilege protects many people from the barest awareness of what people of color endure every day. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us ears to listen to the cries of those who are grieving. Show us how we might take action to change the injustice and make things right. Teach us again the truth that we are all your children, without regard to color or race, and we are equal in your sight. O God, we also pray for those within our own community of faith who are suffering, some from cancer or dementia; some from their duties as caregivers; some from financial stress or job insecurity. We pray for those who are recovering from surgeries or rehabbing from strokes. We know that you are aware more deeply than we are of the needs that are there, and we entrust all those for whom we are concerned to your loving care. We pray all of 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 We hear the voice of Jesus the Shepherd, O God, and seek to follow his way for our lives. We bring our gifts before you. Accept them and use them so that others may receive the assistance they need. Use us to bring people close to you so that they may hear your voice calling them to a place of rest and safety. Amen. Hymn UMH #381 Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us https://youtu.be/SQe8slFjX-o Benediction The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want. In pastures green, we rest secure. Our shepherd leads us forth. By still waters, we rest secure. Our shepherd brings us abundant life. Go with the blessings of our shepherd. Amen. June 7, 2020
Welcome! We’re so glad you have joined us today! Gathering Gathering Song TFWS #2282 I’ll Fly Away https://youtu.be/s0sEv6RaHz4 Call to Worship Praise God, all people of faith and hope! God has looked on us with great favor. God is our refuge and strength in times of trouble. God offers stillness amid the turbulence of our times. By the tender mercy of God, we meet for worship. Praise God! Hymn W&S #3101 Love Lifted Me https://youtu.be/YgZVbiZlYr0 Opening Prayer Jesus, remember us as we come into this time of prayer. Guide us in your way of peace. Reign in our hearts, with your justice and righteousness. Shepherd us as your people, that we may display your glorious light for all the world to see. In the light of your powerful love, we pray. Amen. Special Music How Can I Keep From Singing https://youtu.be/VLPP3XmYxXg Hearing the Word Scripture Luke 23:33-43 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: This is the King of the Jews. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (New International Version) Sermon God’s Word When Being Good is Not Enough “Do you think I’ve been good enough to get into heaven?” In a seminary class, it might have been an interesting hypothetical question to begin a discussion of theology or philosophy. I might have enjoyed the intellectual challenge of trying to answer it. But it wasn’t a hypothetical question being asked in a classroom. It was quite serious and quite personal. The person who asked it was my mother. She had been fighting cancer for about four years, and we knew that it was terminal. For her the answer to the question was not about theology or philosophy; it was about facing death with a sense of peace. “Do you think I’ve been good enough to get into heaven?” Where could I begin to find an answer that would satisfy my mother or myself? How could I give her the hope and the courage that she needed? I found myself thinking about the day Jesus died, and about the people who were there on that day that we have come to call Good Friday. The Jewish leaders made a point of getting close to the cross where Jesus hung; they wanted him to know they were there. They were the ones who had put him there. Now, these religious leaders were not what we would call bad people. We would identify them under any other circumstances as the good guys. They were serious about their religion. They expected others to be serious about it, too. They studied the Law of Moses, and listened to the scribes offer interpretations of the Law in reference to every conceivable situation that might present itself about how to live out the Law. And then these men set about keeping the letter of the Law every single day. The Law said, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” What did it mean to keep the Sabbath holy? There were literally thousands of definitions and explanations. The most basic was that you did no work on the Sabbath day. And they could tell you exactly how many steps you could take before it became work. They knew every jot and tiddle of what it meant to honor your father and your mother. They could explain just what it meant to not covet your neighbor’s wife or possessions. And they made sure to offer the proper sacrifices at the proper times, offer the proper prayers in the proper situations, and give their tithe (on the net or on the gross, as they saw fit.) These religious leaders knew what they had to do in order to be good enough to get into heaven. It was what set them apart as righteous. As long as they kept the Law and followed the rules, they had it made. And they knew that Jesus disagreed with them at every turn. Since they were so confident of their own understanding of faith, they labeled Jesus a heretic and a threat to orthodox faith. The punishment for this crime was death. And they put a stop to this man who taught such radical, but popular, ideas. They had him crucified under Roman authority. And they never even realized that Jesus was on that cross for them, dying for their sins, because it never would have occurred to them that they were sinners in need of salvation. After all, they were doing what they had to do to be good enough to get into heaven on their own. There are still people out there like these religious leaders. Some of them are ultra-conservative Christians, people who live by the Bible, convinced that every letter on every page is the literal Word of God as dictated to his chosen scribes. They give their tithe (on the net or on the gross, as they are so moved); they attend the important church ceremonies and celebrations; they keep a mental checklist of do’s and don’ts, like a scorecard in the ultimate game. Others in this group choose to view all matters of faith through the lenses of specific causes or theological constructions on social issues. There are those who would use a person’s stand on the issue of abortion as the litmus test of faith. Others, just as vehement, would measure righteousness on a woman’s right to choose. Some are ardent ecological warriors, while others argue that global warming is a myth. Some are vocal supporters of equal marriage for gays, and others are equally vocal opponents. But I can tell you this: no matter what your yardstick is designed to measure, righteousness is not based on points or grades or finishing all the tasks on the list. You can’t get good enough to get into heaven by measuring yourself against any specific list of standards, any more than those ardent, misguided keepers of the faith who congregated under the cross of Jesus could. The second group of people there on Good Friday were the Roman soldiers who were assigned the gruesome task of carrying out the death penalty. These soldiers didn’t even think in terms of righteousness or unrighteousness. Their only god was Caesar, and they worshiped him by winning battles and keeping peace in the Empire. They didn’t have to be good; they were powerful. They assumed that if they had been given victory and glory and most of the known world at the time, then it was a sign that the gods had smiled on them with favor and approval. To them, might made right. And they had the weapons to prove it. Who needed a king, much less a king of this small population of Jews, stirring up rebellion? They had already finished off any number of would-be Messiahs in this God-forsaken land of people who were clearly under the thumb of Roman rule, but who stubbornly held on to their belief that God would rescue them and restore to them their freedom. What was one more? There are also plenty of people out there today who believe that might makes right, that their power is proof of divine approval. This is true on a personal level. We all know people who are convinced that they are perfect, and they are in positions of authority that allow them to feed this delusion. We run into it every day. The office manager who keeps a tight rein on his personnel because they are all well aware that he could fire them at the least transgression. The person on the other end of the phone line who has you at her mercy, reciting the irrefutable litany, “Our computer says …” There are even people like that in positions of authority in the church. I’ve heard of situations where nothing ever got done without the stamp of approval from a domineering church member, whether or not that person served on the church board. I’ve heard of situations as well where pastors were constantly walking on eggshells, afraid to provoke the matriarch or patriarch of a church and be forced to leave. On the other hand, I’ve also heard of pastors who thrive on what they see as a power position over their congregations, ram-rodding their agendas through, no matter what. People like this never even ask the question, “Do you think I’ve been good enough to get into heaven,” because they simply assume that they are going to get in because of their power and authority, which prove their goodness. There were other people at Calvary that day. There were the two criminals who were crucified alongside Jesus. One of them apparently took up the mocking and taunting of Jesus by the religious leaders and soldiers. After all, he could have been a mean-spirited person himself, someone who took pleasure in another person’s suffering, and, in a perverse way, to particularly enjoy the suffering of a good person. It has a way of leveling the playing field. One of the oldest tricks in the book is to make yourself look better by making the other guy look worse. And so he joined in. Scripture says that he “hurled insults” at Jesus. Have you ever felt assaulted with words? It isn’t true that words can never hurt us; sometimes words hurt us more than anything else could. There are still people like that, too. They take great delight in pointing out the hypocritical behavior of people who call themselves Christian. “Look at Joe Blow over there. He says he is a Christian, but he cusses and drinks the same as I do. What difference does it make if I’m in church or not?” There are always people we can point our fingers at to make ourselves look better. But it does not really change the state of our own character. We cannot convince anyone else, much less God, that we are good enough to get into heaven by showing how much worse other people are than we are. But the second thief wasn’t like that. He saw no need to harass Jesus, or join in the taunting and mocking and laughing. He knew a bad man when he saw one, and Jesus just didn’t fit the pattern. This man Jesus was clearly a victim, not a criminal. He was being put to death for no good reason. He was innocent. This thief had done wrong and he knew it. The punishment was horrible beyond words, but at least he knew he deserved it. But Jesus did not deserve it. And so this thief rebuked his partner in crime, and then turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” At that moment, all the noise going on beneath them seemed to stop. There was a kind of holy hush between this thief and Jesus, which blocked out everything else. Jesus looked at this man, the only one to express any faith in Jesus that day, the only one who had an inkling of an understanding about who Jesus was and what he was doing. And Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Jesus turned the world upside down with thirteen words. It wasn’t a matter of who was good enough to get into heaven. It was a matter of who was humble enough, who was most aware of his own unworthiness, who knew he needed something from outside himself to bring him peace. This man wasn’t good enough; he could never become good enough. But he didn’t have to. Because Jesus was good enough to get us all into heaven. That is the real message of the cross to me. We can’t be good enough. No one can. That is the result of human sin. We don’t deserve to live, we deserve to die. But heaven isn’t about who deserves to be there. It is about the free gift of grace that was given to us at the cost of God’s own Son. It is in our realization that we are not good enough that we begin to make room to receive Christ into our hearts and lives. We need Jesus. We need what only Jesus can offer. We can only find what we need when we acknowledge that we have a need. Pastor Edward F. Markquart at the Grace Lutheran Church in Seattle offended a lot of people when he said that Mother Teresa doesn’t deserve to go to heaven. He said, “Of all the Christians in the world, Mother Teresa must rank near the top. She must have the longest list of good works behind her name. She must have the largest number of good deeds. Within the grade book of heaven, she has more gold stars behind her name than any other name. Yet she, too, was given eternal life and salvation. She didn’t earn it. She doesn’t deserve it. Mother Teresa doesn’t deserve eternal life. The Bible is clear: all people have sinned. All people have fallen short of the glory of God. No one is saved by their good works … We are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ … Salvation is a gift for people who do not earn it; who do not deserve it … Mother Teresa, when she was asked about her life, said, ‘I am unworthy. I am unworthy. I am unworthy that God chose me to live with the poor. How unworthy am I that God chose to give me eternal life. I am not worthy.’ Mother Teresa knew that she had been saved by grace. It was a gift of God to her. She received it humbly.” “Do you think I’ve been good enough to get into heaven?” The only answer to the question is, “No.” But the rest of the answer is, “It’s not about being good enough. It’s about being humble enough, contrite enough, and honest enough to admit that we’ll never be good enough. But Jesus is good enough. And Jesus has given us heaven as an act of grace.” I believe that the day will come when those who believe and who receive that grace will here Jesus say to them, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Hymn UMH #292 What Wondrous Love is This https://youtu.be/n-UmemwpAvA Praying Together Concerns and Celebrations: Please share any concerns or celebrations you may have with Pastor Elisabeth by email at [email protected]. Please note if you do not want this shared with this faith community. Pastoral Prayer Loving God, who creates us into new being each day, help us to discover your purpose for our lives and to seek our roles in fulfilling this purpose. We praise you for your creation of our lives day by day, for your re-creation of hope within us, even when hope seems foolish. We pray for this world of ours, in which cynical self-interest and grasping for power often seem to be the rules by which human beings live. We confess our responsibility for those thoughts and actions by which we further the powers of evil and destruction in our world, for we know finally that becoming human is a process of reconciliation and not of separation, of trust and not of suspicion, of communion and not of coercion. We accept your call to peacemaking, wherever we may be and in whatever situation we find the hatreds, the fears, or the distrusts which cry out for peace to heal and to mend the brokenness. Help us each to offer thanks to you, not in empty words or pious gestures, but in lives which are faithful to your call. Enable us to bear the fruits of thankfulness in serving others and in building community with the people in our lives. May we reach out to people, supporting them in their struggles and celebrating with them their joys. May we also accept the love and friendship offered to us by others, as we confess and acknowledge our needs, our weaknesses, our times of despair and hopelessness. We see your loving purpose in these expressions of human concern; we feel your loving touch healing us and caring for us as a child is cared for by a parent. Especially today, reach out and touch those who are ill or suffering. We pray for those in our congregation who have special needs today, that you may bring them healing and wholeness. (Barbara Peterson) We offer our specific prayers for all those who are suffering with COVID-19; for their families; for the healthcare professionals who care for them. We pray for the families of all who have died of this disease, and for all those who are working to find a cure. We pray for those who are out of work and for small business owners, for all essential workers, and for first responders. We pray all of 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 Light Giver, we offer these gifts of light and love, that others may see your image reflected in the ministries of our church. Shine through these gifts and through our lives. Light our way that we may be light in your world. Amen. Hymn CH #778 Sweet By and By https://youtu.be/vIEP669fGQA Benediction The Lord Bless You and Keep You, John Rutter https://youtu.be/lCpxgEHqjFA |
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