Bread and More Soup Kitchen continues to serve a free to-go meal every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30-6:15.
We are an open and affirming member of the United Church of Christ and no matter who you are or where you are in life's journey, you are welcome here. Contact the Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Murray at 631-727-2621 for more information.
Announcements:
Early voting is an option for Suffolk County voters. Here in Riverhead, the polls open Saturday, Oct. 26, at Town Hall, and will continue as an option through Nov. 3. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The end of Daylight Saving Time is also approaching. Be sure to turn the clocks back an hour before you hit the sack on Saturday night, Nov. 2.
The Alley Cat Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-2 and Saturdays 9- Donations only accepted when the shop is open. Volunteers always welcome.
Sunday School: Please call our church office if you would like your child to join. Sunday School is held during church services.
If you would like to join us on Zoom , please follow the link
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86897065711?
pwd=a0FZcDg5MnRqKz-JMQXRLVzIBTGZFQT09 to start or join a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Meeting ID: 850 1493 9172
Passcode: 7272621
Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost
A Service of the Word
October 20, 2024 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Prayer for Peace Rios
(Once the music begins we ask that you would please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: Let your minds ponder the manifold works of God.
Let your spirits soar amid the wonders of creation.
Many: There is pulsating life all around us.
The earth is full of God’s creatures.
One: Sun and rain proclaim God’s infinite imagination.
Moon and stars sing the glory of the Eternal One.
Many: It is God who shares with us wisdom and understanding.
We depend on God for the gift of life.
One: We gather to worship and praise the God of all people.
We come to know the God we only dimly perceive.
ALL: We reach out for answers to our questions.
We long to find meaning and purpose for our days.
*HYMN: Come, O Fount of Every Blessing No. 459
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
…Source of all things, how can we approach glory so vast that all space and time is surrounded by you? We cannot comprehend the marvels of the earth. How shall we honor your majesty? You are so unknowable, yet evidence of your work is on every hand. The mystery of life in all its many forms, the discoveries we are allowed to make, the sweep of knowledge entrusted to our use, the amazing resources of this planet—all speak of a God who cares, who honors us, who provides for our salvation.
Let this time of meeting honor you and equip us to do your will….
CHILDREN’S TIME
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer
…In the name of Jesus Christ who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give life itself for us, we approach your Word with awe. We live in different times but in the same world in which Jesus ate and drank, lived and died. We share the same baptism and have the same opportunity to know your love and serve you. Help us dare to believe and trust and live our days returning your love through the neighbors near and far who need to know your care…..
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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 debts as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory,
now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING & OFFERTORY: For the Autumn Sky Schram
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Job 38:1-7 OT Page 447
❖ Psalm 104 Hymnal Page 689
❖ Hebrews 5:1-10 NT Page 194
❖ Mark 10:35-45 NT Page 40
SERMON: “Outthinking God”
I was going to add the “Yeah, good luck with that” to the sermon title, but it basically goes without saying. That’s not to say we still don’t try. Such are the footprints of Job. And we get it. It’s the “Come on, God, what’s up with this? Because from where I’m sitting, it seems you might have fallen asleep on the job.” (Or Job, as the case was for one.) In this regard, I can’t help but think of my cousin Sandy who recently lost her young daughter from brain cancer that proved an enigma to all, in spite of all the tests and all of the doctor-visits, and all of our prayers. You see, in Job’s case, it all worked out well, and it the case of my cousin and her child, it’s particularly hard to see. And you have your stories of tragedy and loss, too. We see it in the floods, in the
storms, in the tornados. Such sadness and loss; such is the case all too often.
The response, of course, is to question God, to try to outthink God, or even to fall into serious doubt to the point where faith dissolves. Such was the response of Job’s wife early in the narrative as she said to him,
"Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die." And yet, Job continued topush through it allwith a deep, heartfelt faith.Job’s dialogue with three friends fills out most of the book. They offer some of the thinking that is remarkably timeless as such arguments have long echoed through the ages: that God is not just, or does not
operate the world in the way of justice; that Job’s suffering is the result of sin; and that suffering is just a matter of growing stronger through lessons of life. It’s the stuff that fills out the tomes on the philosophy of religion. Yet, ultimately, in the darkness of experience of loss, all the arguments fall flat. Although disturbing, Job is an interesting book, and if you haven’t read it in a while, I recommend you go back and revisit it. But don’t look for easy answers, for as life has long taught us, there aren’t any.
Because we’ve been studying the book of Psalms, it was easy for me to see some genuine points of commonality between the two books and the lessons of faith they offer, specifically in light of suffering.The first lesson is that lament has its place in the life of the faithful. When bad things happen -- floods, fires, earthquakes, accidents, death, among them – we lament. We express our grief and sorrow and seek
some comfort, some healing. It’s a matter of putting the pain out there, but not for its sake alone, but rather for the good – the comfort and understanding – of many.
Yet lament is but an early stage. If we get trapped into lament alone, we try in vain to make sense of it, and in our thinking, we run the risk of trying to outthink God: That God is not just or that God does not have all things under control, or as an extreme conclude there is no God. Lament needs to graduate to prayer. We lift our concerns and take our brokenness to our God of the ages and of all creation. Job’s problem that initiates God’s rebuke in today’s lesson, is that Job’s address to God is an accusation. In his efforts to outthink the ways of the Divine, Job blames God. As God’s initial response makes clear, we do not have the understanding of time beyond time, of all
creation. Our wisdom, our thinking, can only fall short of the divine. There is no outthinking God.We learn with Job and Psalms that the prayer that is needed is one that affirms God’s wisdom and ways, and asks for healing, for comfort, for understanding and peace. It’s the plea that God will come to our rescue, wipe away our tears, and lead us into a better place, a peace that passes all understanding.
With such prayer, faith and hope take hold. As we journey from lament to prayer, we aim to, and even find that we may well finally be able to, arrive to a point of praise. Yet such takes time and effort. Provided that we don’t try to outthink God, walloowing in reason from our human understanding born of loss and pain, we can return to know that God does indeed love us, help us, heal us, and leads us in ways of justice
and peace. Such is the movement of the book of Job and of Psalms. We progress through sorrow and loss, to lament, and lift our voice in prayer. Then by listening with the heart to God, we can find the comfort of the Holy One and peace, even without full explanation and understanding. The vision, the aim and hope, is that through all our loss and pain, we will come to know anew and so proclaim in the words of the Psalmist, “O God, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all…Bless God, O my soul. Praise be to God!”
*HYMN: O Grant Us Light No. 469
*BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel.
Lead us back if we should stray.
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: The Heaven’s Declare Marcello
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
SERVICE OF WORD AND SACRAMENT
OCTOBER 6, 2024 10am
OPENING WORDS:
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together.
PRELUDE: Andante Ross
(Once the music begins, we ask that you would, please maintain respectful silence)
*CHORAL INTROIT:
We are here this day to share God's love;
We have come with burdens and cares,
For within this place, we are bound as one
In this fellowship, we share.
*CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: God’s word has been lived among us!
We gather in the name of Jesus Christ!
Many: Christ is a part of God’s ongoing creation.
We gather before the One who is heir to all things.
One: Long ago, God spoke to our spiritual ancestors.
Today, God continues that revelation through Jesus.
Many: Who are we that God is mindful of us?
Yet God crowns us with glory and honor.
One: Jesus has named us as brothers and sisters.
We are called to recognize all humanity as children of God.
Many: The realm of God is for all people.
God’s dominion is over all creation.
*HYMN: Be Now My Vision #451
WELCOME
PRAYER OF INVOCATION:
…We have trusted in you, Eternal God, and that trust brings us to this time of worship. In this place, your steadfast love becomes evident again as we sing our songs of thanksgiving and tell of your wondrous deeds. We are grateful for the life and witness of Jesus, whom you sent among your people to make possible our
reconciliation and healing. For the saving grace available wherever you reign, we give thanks. Help us to be childlike , to receive your blessing, and to welcome your embrace. Take us into your arms, we pray….
CHILDREN’S TIME
PASSING OF THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS, CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
A TIME OF PRAYER:
❖ Pastoral Prayer:
…God of our ancestors, whose dominion is over all time and space, we thank you for receiving us as your children, for melting the hardness of heart that locks us into our own narrow point of view and keeps us from sharing our lives fully with partners who are different from us. We ask you now to touch is in ways that heal, address our fears, awaken hope in us, and open us to self-giving love. We long to live in a world
refreshed by mutual caring and honest commitment. Teach us, that we might fulfill our role toward the vision….
❖ Silent Prayer
❖ 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory, now and forever. Amen.
NEIGHBORS IN NEED OFFERING:
OFFERING & OFFERTORY ANTHEM:
For the Beauty of the Earth Rutter
*DOXOLOGY AND BLESSING OF GIFTS:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, you heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
❖ Job 1:1, 2:1-10 OT Page 416
❖ Psalm 26 Hymnal Page 636
❖ Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 NT Page 192
❖ Mark 10:2-16 NT Page 39
*GLORIA:
Glory to the Creator, the Christ, the Holy Spirit,
Three-in-one; as it was in the beginning
Is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen. Amen.
SERMON: “Making Sense of the Mess”
Life has sure felt messy to me of late. Not only is there the ongoing tragedy of the war in Ukraine, but now Israel and seemingly the whole Middle East is a bloody mess. Closer to home, Hurricane Helene caused massive suffering, death and loss, the toll of which is still unknown, and even closer was the death of a dear
colleague and friend, the Rev. Stan Knavel after years of battling with leukemia. And there’s this election and even the violence it brings as evil takes aim. It’s messy.
I guess it’s only fitting that the readings of the week are messy too. We get the good and faithful Job who is left to suffer, then a lesson on the savior who is also left to suffer, and then the messy teaching of Jesus on divorce, which certainly seems a bit hardhearted and naïve. It’s messy.
We’re left, again, with the unfortunately too frequent challenge of making sense of the mess. Theosophic faith is a faith based on the belief of an all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God who is wrapped in mystic being. Most of us have such faith. Yet, it becomes particularly challenging in the face of evil and the suffering it brings. "How does such a good and loving God allow such bad things to happen?" we ask. Then
we struggle to hold tight to faith, in spite of it all, in spite of who we are, where we are, the horrors of our world, and pain and sorrows we know. The call, of course, is to still embrace the Divine within us and around us and live and love and continue to strive and do, even in spite of it all. With lessons from the Psalms, the call is to let
faith foster hope, and turn lament into praise.Job, one of the wisdom books of Hebrew Scripture, can be a disturbing text on the surface. We read about the
suffering of the one called Job, an upright and righteous man who at first, in spite of all his riches and blessings, continues to choose to do what is right and good. He loves God and is perpetually faithful. To prove that Job's faithfulness is not simply a result of a blessed life, God allows him to be tested through horrible suffering. We
want to scream out “that’s not fair.” For even though we know humankind can be less than right, true or just, we expect God to be all of the above. This goes against all our expectations. Yet more than just an historical narrative, the book of Job is an ancient tale of a legendary character who has much to teach us what is truly
valuable in life and what constitutes truly faithful living.
Prior to Job, evil is the result of sin, as God punishes humankind for their unrighteousness. But this book explores what happens when bad things happen to good people. It is about right sacrifice, proper adoration and worship, giving thanks in all things. It’s about faith alive in hope when all looks bleak, and wisdom that only
comes from God. In the end all works out; Job is the model of faith; and we can affirm again God is good.
Hebrews. Presents a Christian response to Jewish theology and explores the question of who is this Jesus and what have our ancestors in faith said about him. Jesus is the perfect example and pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Jesus, even in spite of his own suffering, points the way to God for us. That Jesus never relents from fighting against evil and injustice and the way to salvation is made powerfully clear in the gospels for us. Proclamation, praise, trust, offering of self, and sister-and brotherhood are made evident in this one made fully human, in spite of the evil it will bring.
The challenge that comes our way is to strive, in spite of the evil we know, to emulate the faith and example of Job and Jesus. Can we hold on to faith when evil comes our way?
One of the theories of evil in the light of God (the study itself is known as Theodicy), of which there are many, is the Iraneanen or Soul Making Model: This holds that we are incomplete souls in need of improvement and growth. Evil is a necessary condition for a world in which we overcome obstacles and struggles in order to
develop. Many higher-order goods (e.g. self-sacrifice, endurance, courage charity, compassion on the poor and suffering, etc.) are not possible unless we have to overcome evil. Richard Swinburne writes: "We would never learn the art of goodness in a world designed as a hedonistic paradise." This model points out that God often allows the condition of suffering to improve us as we become purified through life's trials. As we come to the rescue of others, or as we experience the love and generosity that comes our way through our own suffering, we are made more complete for the good of all.
In that light, comments such as those offered in Augusta are born: “In these moments of hardship, one of the beauties about who we are as a country is people really rally together and show the best of who they are in moments of crisis.
It really highlights the fact that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us, and that the best of, the strength of who we are is, we come to each other’s aid in a time of need.”
Another prominent theory in theodicy, the study of evil in light of God, is The Free Will Model: God wants us to freely love him, which means allowing for the possibility that we might choose against him. All of us, since the days of Adam and Eve, have free will. Free will provides a great good—self-determination--and carries with
it significant responsibility. This is especially true of relationships involving love: such must be entered into freely. Evil is an unfortunate result of human free will. If God were to intervene at every point of our wrongdoing, our free will would be compromised. We, and those around us make choices. Unfortunately, some people choose badly. At the hands of those who choose evil, at the hands of those who take up guns and massacre innocents, who drink (or text) and drive, who commit heinous crimes, or who continue to ignore dire warning about climate change, people suffer and die. This is not God at work. I believe God's heart breaks.
For me, I see truth in both these theories, and I continue to hold fast to scripture. If I am held to be errant in my theodicy, I err on the side of fideism, of faith and trust. I hold fast to my faith that God is ultimately good, that God has everything under divine control even when the limitations of my cognitive abilities and my experiences suggest otherwise. I hold that God is to be trusted despite life’s trails and difficulties. And I know, that in spite of my having thought and studied through the theories and thorny issues, some might say that such a position is that of child-life faith.
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
May faith long shine with bright hope, and may the lament of God’s people be turned to praise. Amen.
OUR ORDER OF COMMUNION
THE INVITATION AND TIME OF CONFESSION:
❖ Call to Confession
❖ Silent Confession
❖ Unison Prayer of Confession:
All-seeing God, we would like to wash our hands in innocence, but we cannot escape from the guilt we carry. We compare ourselves favorably with people we label worthless or hypocrites, but that very judgment breaks faith with you. We avoid bribery and other evil devices, yet we would still like to have advantages for ourselves over others. We are not bloodthirsty, but we have not yet adopted the way of peace. We humbly seek forgiveness as your children in need of your welcoming love. Amen.
❖ Words of Assurance
THANKSGIVING:
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to God Most High.
People: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Pastor: We give you thanks, God of majesty and mercy,
for calling forth the creation and raising us from dust
by the breath of your being.
We bless you for the beauty and bounty of the earth and
for the vision of the day when sharing by all will mean
scarcity for none.
We remember the covenant you made with your people Israel, and we give you thanks for all our ancestors in faith.
We rejoice that you call us to reconciliation with you and all people everywhere and that you remain faithful to your covenant even when we are faithless.
We rejoice that you call the entire human family to this table
of sacrifice and victory.
We come in remembrance and celebration of the gift of Jesus Christ, whom you sent, in the fullness of time, to be the good news.
Born of Mary, our sister in faith, Christ lived among us to reveal the mystery of your Word, to suffer and die on
the cross for us, to be raised from death on the third day, and then to live in glory.
We bless you, gracious God, for the presence of your Holy Spirit in the church you have gathered. With your
sons and daughters of faith in all places and times, we praise you with joy as we say together:
All: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory,
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION AND COMMUNAL PROCLAMATION:
Pastor: We remember that on the night of betrayal and desertion,
and on the eve of death, Jesus gathered the disciples for a shared meal of preparation.
Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying: “This is my body
which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, he took the cup after supper.
Again he gave God thanks and praise and said:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this,
as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
All: Christ’s death, O God we proclaim.
Christ’s resurrection we declare.
Christ’s coming, we await.
Glory be to you, O God.
PRAYERS OF CONSECRATION:
Pastor: Eternal God, we unite in this covenant of faith, recalling Christ’s suffering and death, rejoicing in
Christ’s resurrection, and awaiting Christ’s return in victory. We spread your table with these gifts of the
earth and of our labor. We present to you our very lives, committed to your service on behalf of all people.
We ask you to send your Holy Spirit upon this bread and wine, upon our gifts, and upon us. Strengthen
your universal church that it may be the champion of peace and justice in all the world. Restore the earth
with your grace that is able to make all things new.
ALL: Be present with us as we share this meal,
and throughout all our lives, that we may know you as
the Holy One, who with Christ and the Holy Spirit,
lives forever. Amen.
SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP:
Pastor: Alleluia! Christ our Passover is offered for us.
People: Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Pastor: The gifts of God for the people of God.
We celebrate the grace of God in our midst.
(Please wait until all have been served and we’ll ingest together)
UNISON PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:
We give you thanks, Almighty God, that you have refreshed us at your table through the body and blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Continue to heal us, we pray, and strengthen our faith. Increase our love for one
another, and send us forth into the world in courage and peace, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; we
ask these things in the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
*HYMN: We Limit Not the Truth of God 316
*PASTORAL BENEDICTION
CHORAL BENEDICTION:
May the light of God shine on us today.
May the light of God shine on us today.
May it show us where to travel,
Lead us back if we should stray,
May the light of God shine on us today.
POSTLUDE: Fantasy Bach
(please remain seated for the postlude)
We're biblical, traditional, yet progressive.
We honor and take pride in our
Congregational roots.
We covenant with one another and with God,
as revealed
in Jesus Christ through the illumination of
the Holy Spirit.
We endeavor to walk humbly with God and
strive for justice and peace.
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.
Isaiah 56.7
We are an open and affirming congregation in which all persons regardless of race, ethnic background, economic status, gender, age, or personal ability, are equally affirmed into membership, leadership and employment
and joyfully welcomed.
Our church office is open for phone calls at 631-727-2621. Pastor Sean will return your calls. Our secretary is in the office Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Our church office is open for phone calls at 631-727-2621. Pastor Sean will return your calls. Our secretary is in the office Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Worship on Sundays at 10:00am.
No matter who you are or where you are in life's journey, you are welcome here.
103 1st Street, Riverhead, New York 11901, United States
Today | Closed |
Our church office is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am-12:00. Church services are held on Sunday at 10:00am, and coffee hour in the fellowship hall following the worship service. Sunday School will be held at 10:00 am. (To run concurrent with our worship service)
Copyright © 2024 First Congregational Church of Riverhead - All Rights Reserved.
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