Bread and More Soup Kitchen continues to serve a free to-go meal every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30-6:15.
Bread and More Soup Kitchen continues to serve a free to-go meal every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30-6:15.
Today is the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, August 2. With thanks to God, we're off to another fine day, made especially rich by pausing to take in some moments of worship and the refreshment our God offers.
- - Pastor Sean
Call to Worship:
Enter into the presence of God and be fed.
Call upon God, for God is always ready to answer.
God is near to all who call, who call from their hearts.
We praise and thank our God of life and love.
We open our ears to the voice of the Lord,
And listen for words of wisdom.
We seek the nourishment our God provides.
We praise and thank our God of life and love.
God is our refuge and our strength,
a very present help in times of need.
Sense the Holy Spirit in your midst and take in blessings this day.
We praise and thank our God of life and love.
Opening Prayer:
We open our hearts afresh this day to take in God anew.
Holy God. we have sensed your presence throughout the journeying of our days. We have seen you whenever our vision looked beyond the cloudiness of fears to the bright clarity of hope. We have tasted your offerings whenever we have savored the gifts of the earth and the produce of the labor of those around us. We have heard your voice whenever we were deaf to unkindness but alert for words of love and understanding. We have enjoyed your fragrance whenever we have breathed in the freshness of the morning and felt gratitude fill our hearts as clean air filled our lungs. We sensed your touch whenever we extended or received a helping hand. You, our God, are with us always, to be sensed and known, in Spirit and in truth. We offer our thanks for the many gifts we receive from your gracious hands.
Bless us, Holy One, in this our worship this day, remind us of the ways you nourish our souls, and help us to celebrate all you have done and are doing for us. Reach out to all who are hungry in mind or in body, and let your blessing rain upon us. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
Hymn: God Whose Giving Knows No Ending
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQJWFqr9ao4
Our Scripture Lessons: (attached)
Isaiah 55.1-5; Psalm 145.1-16; Romans 14.1-9; Matthew 14.13-21
Reflection: "Nourishment"
Although this, the first Sunday of the month, would normally be a communion Sunday, with this special period of ours that schedule has been reformatted a bit, but the hope and the plan is that we will return to it as we return to more normalized living of our days. Yet even without the bread and the cup, the nourishment of our God remains our in abundance. With the help of our readings this morning, we consider where our true nourishment lies, and we build one another up in love with the encouragement of scripture and the blessings of our God.
These days of pandemic living have been challenging for us all, but now -- at least for this meanwhile -- that we seem to be over the worst of it, it's a good time of pause and take in some of the lessons of our journeys. Anxiety, discomfort, need, even sickness and death, have visited us, our nation and our world, and they continue to be the realities that many still confront, but to see it as all bad is to be blind to the blessing that come with disguise. Often it is the most challenging legs of any journey that bring with them the biggest lessons, opportunities for growth, and strength gained by experience.
What have we learned? How have we grown? What blessings have we experienced through this? What can we take with us into the future as we look to the new?
The readings this morning are largely about food, but that is on the surface. Other lessons like those beyond the sickness that this pandemic brings for us, are there. Isaiah beacons the people to come purchase without money, and to take in that which truly satisfies. Isaiah moves from the mention of bread and wine, to the invitation of eating what is truly good, what truly satisfies. He moves from the readily tangible to that which they do best to take in. For the people, suffering through their days of exile and defeat, the truly good is that of a new vision of hope. Of hope of the day when they will again shine with the glory of God and be a beacon of light for other nations. Isaiah knew it was hope that sustains, hope that nourishes.
The lesson from Paul centers on food, but there too we find a greater lesson that lies beyond what the people are eating or refraining from. He knows the Jews refrain from certain foods and keep the Sabbath -- things the new members of faith, the former gentiles, don't do. They have habits that are not the same and are causing division. Paul asks the critical "who are they to pass judgment on another" for those others, Paul knows, give thanks and honor to the Lord in what they do. Food is not the consideration so much as true partnership is, and the respect that is offered to others, even those who seem so very different. The nourishment that Paul offers in his food-centered thought is that of respect and a generosity in thought that embraces the others as equal partners on the journey of holiness.
Matthew's lesson is all about the generosity of God and the abundance that can come from seemingly little so that all have their fill. Perhaps, the skeptics say, the real miracle was not that so much food that came from so little, but that all who were gathered were led to share the provisions they had in their baskets so all could be satisfied. Either way, it is the abundance of God's nourishment that makes it possible. Even there in that deserted wilderness place, there was nourishment for all.
What have we learned through all of this pandemic journeying? What have we learned and gained even as we continue in on the road to more normalized living? I hope the lesson to hold fast to hope has been a big one. The days do improve as we push ahead with hope, as we stay close to our God and check the attitudes to see the good that God is bringing.
I hope new appreciation for the worth of others is a lasting lesson for many through these days of turmoil and racial tension. I hope that we are getting closer to respect the lives of all and to not jump readily to judgment as tainted by prejudice. I choose to see us as a society-at-large making progress to break the bonds of injustice and intolerance so that we can build one another up in love.
I hope the generosity of God and others has blessed your heart in these pandemic days. I hope your caring for those around you has been strengthened through phone calls, zoom calls, and the sharing of kindness and goods. I hope that this time has allowed you more time to reach deep and discover the richness of God even beyond the sanctuary and in your own homes. As food lines grow, and need continues, I hope you will continue to share what you have for the nourishment of others.
For me, personally, I am glad that this pandemic allowed me to grow closer to my new next-door neighbors -- that we have been able to share what we have, to reach out and get to know each other better. I am glad to have discovered new recipes and the blessing of the mindfulness of cooking. I am glad that our church family has held close, even over distance and on-line worship. I am glad that many have taken to more prayer and Bible reading, that many have rediscovered God with them in all their days.
Consider the lessons of these days. Consider the strengths you have gained, the blessings you have received, the new and the truly nourishing that you can build on. And lift high your thanks to God, for God is good and God's mercy is everlasting. Be blessed by God.
Hymn: Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVj3jBR4RYI
Prayer:
Good and gracious God, for life-lessons learned, we give you thanks. For the perception of possibilities, we express our gratitude. For all you have given to satisfy our need, we praise and thank you. Whenever we turn to you, you quench our thirst and alleviate our hunger. With bounty and blessing, you turn scarcity into plenty and give us the opportunity to find nourishment for our souls in each and every day. We are grateful.
Holy One, we come to you as students of the Spirit and of your Word. We recognize the wondrous gift you have given us in enabling us to learn your ways and the ways of holy and wholesome living. We are grateful for growth in faith, and for opportunities that have allowed our spirits to stretch and reach. Even in loss, we have experienced your loving touch.
Merciful Lord, do bless us, help and heal us, each one. Help us to continue to learn and to grow. Ease our anxious hearts, comfort us in all our hurting places, and direct us in the way we should go. We need your help to take stock in what we've got, to build on success as well as on failure and disappointment. As our world struggles and we with it, grace us with peace and patience, and new discoveries that bring hope, comfort, and healing to all.
Gracious God, we renew our prayers for peace. Peace in our hearts, in our communities, and throughout our nation, so sorely divided. Help us all to learn from and listen to each other. Breach the divides that fracture us.
Love Lord, bless our families and our friends, continue to keep them safe in your care. Bless this church family and the faithful throughout the world that all who go to you in want or need may find angels in their path and the nourishment you bring.
We pray for the hungry and the homeless, the unemployed and the poor, and the suffering and lonely. Comfort them, and look after them in their need. Heal the sick and the injured. Bring relief to those in nursing homes and rehabs. We pray for those on our prayer list, O God; comfort them and the hearts of all who mourn. We pray particularly for the friends and family of Tammy's mother, Dawn White. Guide them all in the process of wholeness and healing.
We ask these things in Jesus' Name, and pray as our Savior taught us, saying, "Our Father who art in heaven...."
Benediction:
May our God the source of true nourishment, bless us all with hope that long sustains us, with learning that strengthens us, and with the bread of heaven that brings us all to everlasting life. Be blessed by God and enjoy the fullness of grace that God offers.
July 26, 2020
Today is the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, July 26. Here's hoping this finds you well and enjoying life. Thank you for taking a moment to worship, to invite God into your heart, and to let God shape you for the good of us all.
- - Pastor Sean
Call to Worship:
Let us call on our God and give thanks.
Let hearts rejoice as we offer our praise for the blessings we know.
Glory and praise to our God in whose covenant we find life.
Thanks and praise to our God whose loving kindness is in our midst.
Let all God's people open their hearts to the presence of the Lord.
Let us seek the strength that God alone provides.
Surely the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
Thanks and praise to our God whose loving kindness is in our midst.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
We can manage all things with God's loving care.
The Holy One meets us where we are, and blesses us with what we need.
Thanks and praise to our God whose loving kindness is in our midst.
Opening Prayer:
Gracious and Loving God of all ages, peoples and places, we invoke you holy presence in this place and in our time. We give you thanks for the opportunity to come together, for the gift of faith, and for fertile ground for your holy seed to grow. We pray that you will help us to sense your presence and take comfort in your Spirit. Continue to plant your Word among us that it may spring up in nurturing and inviting ways. May we find the assurance we need to live with a healing faith even in the face of loss, discouragement or suffering. Bless us in this our worship, nourish our souls, and teach us the art of living with full trust in your will and ways. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: Holy Spirit, Truth Divine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-l3crMBYP8
Our Scripture Lessons: (attached)
1 Kings 3.5-12; Psalm 119.129-136; Romans 8.22-27; Matthew 13.31-33, 44-52
Reflection:
Every time I read the parable of the mustard seed, I can't help but think, "that's not the smallest seed." If you've ever sown lettuce or arugula seeds, you know what I'm talking about...those seeds are tiny! There's also no way a mustard plant would grow to be a tree. It might, in the right environment, grow to be a shrub, but that's about it. Yet that's not where the wisdom lies in the parable. It's about the little that becomes big, even life changing. Wisdom.
Wisdom gets a lot of play in scripture. Not only are the words "wise" and "wisdom" used some 500 times in our Bible, but also some of the books -- Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs -- are categorized by Hebrew scholars as Wisdom literature. Wisdom, along with the Law and the Prophets, has long been key to faithful living as God intends for us.
Of course, the king of wisdom, is Solomon, remembered for his prayer which we read today. There too we find a good definition for what wisdom is and its application. Solomon specifically asks for "an understanding mind to govern...able to discern between good and evil."
Solomon, however, even in spite of his wisdom, ran into trouble. The Biblical record gives him a very mixed review. He did open trade routes and amassed a vast fortune for the nation, but he also took many foreign wives, and that led to his tolerance of a variety of foreign idols in the land. As a consequence, the people were led to worship other gods, to lose their religion and regard for the one true God, and that eventually brought on the division and downfall of the nation. As people abandoned God and lived to and for themselves, they lost their identity as a chosen and united people who did right for others and nation.
Solomon was blessed with wisdom, yet the people, well, not so much. The lesson that was eventually applied after the fall to the Assyrians and the Babylonians, was to return to God and faithful living. It was only after they did that, that they were able to return to the land and rebuild their nation.
When I look at the news of our days, the division and the inability by many to curb the spread of Covid, it's not hard to draw parallels. Our traditions of faith and sacred Scripture hold the clues for successful and holy living. Yet people, especially the younger generations, have largely sidelined God, and with that they have been led to live for themselves and to follow the dictates of their own minds. The wisdom of the Bible teaches us to love and respect one another. The love of neighbor is a primary teaching. Racism and social divides, vandalism, theft, dishonesty, are consequences of the loss of right teaching, of holy wisdom.
Not unrelated is the spread of the virus. After witnessing what happened here in New York as well as in other nations of the world, it's mind-boggling to me that so many states have failed to put the needed measures in place to save lives. Even in states such as Florida, Arizona, and Texas, where the virus has spun out of control, people are fighting mask rules and refuse to initiate stepped measures of shut-downs and slow re-openings. People argue that it's their right not to wear masks, it's their right to carry on as usual, and their right to disregard social distancing and to have large gatherings and parties. There is a serious shortage of communal wisdom, and overcrowded hospitals and morgues are the consequence.
Here in our area, in our state, we've been doing well. Measures were put in place and have largely been followed. The result has been a huge curve in the infection rate. The fear is that as people get too relaxed and begin to live with their own wisdom, that has proven ineffective, we will see another strong wave of infection.
But there is hope. The examples we set, we who are led by the Spirit, to care about others, to love neighbors, and to treat one another with respect, can be a beacon of hope. We who continue to take the measures we need and to proceed with caution into more normal living, can and will, serve as the little -- the mustard seed, yeast or pearl -- that creates the big change.
In all of our living, even beyond racial tensions, political divides, and the spread of the virus, we are taught by our God to consider well the wisdom of Scripture. The choices we make have consequences. Choose wisely that you may live, and live the life that God would have you live. We're to do right by our neighbors, and to do right by ourselves. We're to hold fast to our God, and to prayer, letting the Spirit intercede for us even when we don't know how to pray. We're to hold fast to hope, to faith, for our God will not disappoint. Be kind to yourselves, ask for help when you need it, and always reach out to the wisdom of our God
Hymn: God of Grace and God of Glory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYaJ1CYbn1c
Prayer:
Good and Gracious God, you who dawned upon the people who walked in the shadows, rise upon us all who await you. Help us to see your brightness and to foster the hope that you set before us. Like the prophets of old who discerned the signs of their times and the doom that follows wrong, awaken us to see and overcome the evils of today. By the mind that was in Christ Jesus, compassionate, free in thought, steadfast in purpose, stayed on you, arouse in us a generous mind and a bold vision. Inspire us to find paths of grace, and with wisdom lead us to bring blessing to our world. Like the candles lit with prayers in shrines throughout the world, kindle in our hearts a deep faith that lights our way. Loving God, fountain of all truth and light, grant us all holy and healthy understanding of ways of living that build one another up in love.
Holy One, we pray for ourselves, each one. Guide us in the way we should go, and heal the ills that plague us. We pray for the many we hold close to our hearts, our families and friends, watch over them and help them in the journeys of their lives. Bless this church family and the faithful throughout the world that we may be examples of generous hearts who strive to make this world better and safer for all.
Good and Gracious God, we pray for peace. Peace in our hearts, in our communities, and throughout our world. Grace us with new understanding of the worth of all people, with true wisdom that fosters harmony. We pray for the ill and struggling, for the recovering and the afflicted, for the homeless and the hungry throughout our land. We pray for the many on our prayer list.
Almighty and Most Holy God, we need your help in all we are and in all we do. Bless us with hope, with healing, and with the wisdom we need to move ahead to truly better tomorrows. We ask these things in Jesus' Name, and pray as our Savior taught us, saying, "Our Father who art in heaven...."
Benediction:
May our God who blessed Solomon, bless us all, with wisdom, with strength, and with a gift of faith that shines bright and grows with the passing of the days. Be blessed by God with the assurance of the power of the Holy Spirit, and with peace that passes all understanding. Amen and amen.
July 20, 2020
Our Scripture Lessons:
Genesis 28.10-19a, Psalm 139.1-14; Acts 2.42-47; Luke 24.28-35
Reflection:
It's Communion Sunday and as the readings reflect there has long been something very special about the breaking of the bread in celebration of Jesus' gift of presence and salvation to us.
Although the first lesson is from our lectionary, the Epistle and the Gospel lesson were specifically selected to give us a look at some of the earliest communion traditions of the church.
Our communion tradition, although ancient to us, is the result of many centuries of transformation as based on church development, need and circumstance. What we're doing here today is simply continuing that long on-going tradition of transformation as dictated by the times. Communion began in an odd upper room at the last supper. Then the breaking of the bread was done in homes of the faithful. It wasn't until the church organized and formed rites, reshaped again by the Reformation, that communion as we know it in church came to be. Today with our celebration, we re-shape it again, but we do so honoring the traditions of the past in an age-old practice of home celebration, sanctified by prayer and the teachings of the apostles.
The first lesson from Genesis again reminds us that God is found beyond the temple or church settings. Jacob discovered the presence of the Holy One in an odd wilderness where he slept with a stone pillow. Like him, we too know that we have discovered our God in the odd settings of our days. In the wilderness of our days, our park paths, our gardens, in parking lots, in our rooms, in the solitude of our homes, we have known God to be present. We have known God to walk with us, to whisper in the breeze, to grace us with moments of blessings even when we have laid down to sleep. God presence is not limited by space or time. And that same sentiment is echoed in the Psalm.
The lesson from Acts features the ways the earliest followers practiced their faith. They did so, not only in temples or churches, but in homes. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and prayer. And there we find specific mention that the faithful broke bread at home where they ate with "glad and generous hearts."
The gospel lesson also centers in on a home setting where the earliest followers invited a fellow wanderer into their home and broke bread with him. There in their home, they were surprised to discover it was the risen Christ with them. Christ was known and shown to them with the breaking of the bread.
As we take of the Bread of Life and Cup of Blessing in our homes this day, we are reminded that God is there. Our Holy Spirit travels with us and is pleased to make God's home with us. We, as ministers of God, take God in, literally and figuratively, within the solace of our own spaces, our own homes. And there we nourished, blessed afresh by God in honor of Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This day, celebrate our God who journeys with you and makes your home a holy place of God, too.
Prayer:
O God, in mystery and silence, you are always present in our lives. You bring new life out of destruction, hope out of despair, growth out of difficulty. We thank you that you never abandon us, but labor to make us whole. Help us to perceive your unseen hand in the unfolding of our lives, and to attend to the gentle guidance of your Spirit, that we may know the joy you give your people.
We give you thanks, Gracious God, for the power of invention and discovery, for newness and promise with each day you give to us. We are grateful for time together and apart, for you are always with us, in quiet moments and in times of celebration. Bless us all in this time, help us and heal us, and guide us through the journey of our lives. Be with our families and all we hold dear to our hearts, watch over them and keep them in the safe-keeping of your love. Bless our world with peace, with healing, with hope, that our tomorrows may again be bright with the joy of living
We remember in spoken prayer and in silence those who suffer and are in pain, those who are without work, those who have nowhere to call home, those who are weary and unsure of life, those who live with fear, oppression or hunger, those who long for your peace, love and justice, and all who grieve.
We ask these things in Jesus' Name who taught us to pray saying, "Our Father who art in heaven...."
Hymn: Break Thou the Bread of Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPGiVA731lM
Our Communion Service:
- Call to Confession:
Before we eat of the bread and rink the cup, we are called to examine ourselves and make our confession to the Lord our God.
- Silent Confession
- Unison Prayer of Confession:
Eternal God, whose Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path, we recognize and confess that we have failed to respond fully to your gracious presence in our lives. Through Jesus Christ you have offered us new life fulfillment, and the freedom to serve you. We confess that we are captive to sin, that our sin binds us with false pride, and the wrong we do is made worse by the good we leave undone. Reconcile us to you and to all people. God of mercy, forgive all our sin and strengthen us anew for life as you intend it; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
- Words of Assurance:
God hears the confession of our hearts and lips. Through the grace of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven all our sins, and by the Holy Spirit we are empowered for new life.
The Lord be with you, lift up your hearts, and give thanks to God Most High.
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:
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.
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:
Christ’s death, O God we proclaim.
Christ’s resurrection we declare.
Christ’s coming, we await.
Glory be to you, O God.
Know that the bread of life you eat and the cup of blessing your drink has been blessed by God in the gathering of the faithful in prayer, by the power of the Holy Spirit whom we asked to grace you in your setting in your time.
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.
The bread of life. The cup of blessing. Take, and celebrate God in your life.
Benediction:
May God's Holy Spirit lead you.
May God's strength protect you.
May God's peace be with you in the fullness of God's love.
Be blessed by God. Amen and Amen.
July 12, 2020
Greetings church,
Today is the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, July 12. In planning the service with the deacons, we set aside this Sunday as our Children's Sunday. Not reflected in this on-line service is the recognition and thanks that were extended to our Sunday School teachers and the presentation of pins and certificates to the children. It made for a fine church moment, and certainly fit in well with prayer and praise to God
Here's hoping you'll take to moment to open you heart and worship where you are.
Call to Worship:
God's breath stirs the trees and rustles the leaves.
It drives the rain and fills us up.
Holy One, we sense your presence.
Thank you God for being here and always near.
God's voice speaks in the thunder and the surf,
in poems and prayers, and whispers in the silence of our days.
Holy One, we listen for your word.
Thank you God for being here and always near.
God's image shines in blooming fields and verdant pastures,
on shimmering waters and bright sandy beaches.
Holy One, we see your splendor and rejoice in your beauty.
Thank you God for being here and always near.
God's hands shape the mountains and the streams,
the painter's canvas, and the home-cooked meals.
Holy One, we praise your touch in all the world
Thank you God for being here and always near.
Opening Prayer:
Good and Gracious God, we give you thanks and praise for the gift of creation. We celebrate your presence in all our days. Your provision is endless, and your care is always abundant. You bring new life from the dry and dusty places, and you cause hope to spring from wells that have long grown dry. We praise you for moments of grace in all our days, for the delight of love and of children's laughter, and for gentle acts of kindness that shine with your Spirit. Holy One, fall afresh on us this day. Inspire our thoughts and tame all fear and doubt. Teach us to be stewards of your love, slow to anger and quick to bless. We pray that you augment our thankfulness and lead us into the joy of living. Guide us, O God, in this our worship and throughout our week so that we may transform our world into a more blessed creation you would have for all. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: For the Beauty of the Earth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTOfSKXkRa0
Our Scripture Lessons: (attached)
Isaiah 55.10-13, Psalm 104.1-9, 24, 35; 1 Timothy 4.1-10; Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23
Reflection:
I've been thinking a lot about the children over these past many weeks of our pandemic days. As churches and schools closed throughout the land, I thought about what they were missing. The basics of education -- reading, writing, arithmetic -- those I knew were being covered by home-schooling and on-line classes. But it was the other stuff that also brings important life lessons which I knew they were missing out. Sports, the clubs, school plays, field trips, dances, proms, a graduation day surrounded by classmates, parties, those were all being skipped. As I reflected on my school days, I knew it was those other things that filled out the important life lessons every bit as much as the studies, and that I knew was a huge loss. Of course, the lack of in-person church didn't help matters at all either.
As the news cycle switched to racial violence, Black Lives Matter, and riots and looting, all on top of our pandemic days, I couldn't help but shake my head and think what a world these kids are growing up in. And there was lots of finger-pointing, mean speech, and division. What a world.
I found it easy to go negative. It's easy to allow the head to move to lament and sadness, sadness for our world mixed with deep concern for quality living and the wonder of what a mess our kids are enduring and inheriting. Yes, the negative came easily.
But there was hope, there is hope to still be found. Neighbors reached out to neighbors, scientists and healthcare workers throughout the world united, people gave thought to the hungry and most needy in their midst. Many families grew closer, even in spite of separation and distance. People made masks and shared lessons of new ways of living. Murky waters and smog-laden air cleared. Reform and new progress, new solidarity, arose.
The children, I know, are learning through all of this. They've been taught about disease and the importance of science, of medicine and self-care. They've been taught about the earth, about our connectedness as a planet, about the danger of unsanitary conditions and pollution. They've been taught about prejudice and hate. And there is hope in those lessons, there is hope for our children, and for us and our world.
The United Church of Christ, our denomination, has an-going initiative called Three Great Loves. It focuses on the Love of Neighbor, the Love of Children, and the Love of Creation. Of course, as a church initiative the un-touted love that it's all based in is the love of God. If you go to the UCC website, you can learn more about it. It's a solid focus, for with God's love so expressed we can best foster hope in the world that's coming to be.
Our texts and our focus of the day fit in nicely with the themes of children, creation and neighbor. The lesson from Isaiah speaks clearly of creation. By God's word, the earth is renewed. It gives sprout and nourishment, and the mountains and trees rejoice. Beauty comes from the wastelands. The earth celebrates the newness that God brings.
The great thing about our children who grow up in this area of ours, surrounded by farms, fields and forests, is that they come to understand that for the earth to yield and rejoice, it takes our care and keeping. They learn that the food in supermarkets doesn't just magically appear, but is tended and grown. And many of us have taught our children to garden and to grow. They've learned at home and here in church, through our plantings and our gardens, to care for the planet. Matthew's Eagle Scout focus on the wilderness and osprey nests is a prime example of how they're learning and reflecting such care. There is hope.
Through church and home, or so I trust, our children have also been taught about the love of neighbor. Through our food drives, their shopping outings, and our soup kitchen, they have learned the importance of caring for those in need. And we teach respect and love for all, regardless of any -ism that may divide us.
This is the fertile ground for the sower, and you help in all you do, in what you teach by example, in how you live. Our teachers, our ministries, our families, provide fertile ground for our children to learn the truly big lessons of wellness for our world. There is hope, and hope in abundance.
The epistle lesson from 1 Timothy speaks of importance of the continuation of such teaching. We all need to keep at it. We need to keep them clear of demeaning and hateful speech and actions. We need to continue to teach love for neighbor, to teach deep respect for one another of all shades of being. We need to continue to teach care for the less fortunate and compassion for all. We need to continue to teach about our earth and the importance of its care and keeping.
Through us, our children and grandchildren, there is hope. Even in these pandemic days, hope lives on, and our call to make a difference for our world in the lessons we teach each other, that we teach our children, have rarely been so important. Let us teach well, so others may learn well, and together we will create the world that God intends for us.
Hymn: In the Bulb There Is a Flower
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDpByzZqeQ4
Prayer:
Gracious God, we ask your blessing on your church throughout the world that it may long remain a faithful witness to your love. Help us tend well all the sheep of your pasture, and to raise our children well.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Teach us to see our interdependence with all of your creation. Help us to respect each other and build up one another in love. Break down the walls of prejudice and hate, and give growth to a truly caring community.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Pour out your Spirit on all those in authority that there might be justice and kindness in our government and communities. Tend the divine spark within each of us and draw us close to you. Increase our sense of your presence so that all our thoughts and words may reflect your will.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Holy One, heal the sick, comfort the dying and those who grieve, help the poor. Strengthen the weary, bring peace to the fraught and fearful, hear the prayers of all who call upon you.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, we pray for the ourselves, each one, for our families and all we hold dear to our hearts. Watch after them and keep them safe, comfort them in their times of need. We pray for the many on our prayer list and the sick and the suffering throughout our world. Help us to navigate well the days ahead, Dear Lord, and lead us in the way that we should go. We ask these things in Jesus' Name who taught us to pray saying, "Our Father who art in heaven...."
Benediction:
Go forth into the world to serve God with gladness;
be of good courage;
hold fast to that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the fainthearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honor all people;
love and serve God,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Be blessed by God. Amen and Amen.
JUNE 21, 2020
Today is the Third Sunday after Pentecost, June 21. Happy Father's Day to all! We had a nice, although a bit warm, outdoor service this morning. Here's hoping you have also enjoyed the day so far, and you find God shining brightly in your heart.
- - Pastor Sean
Call to Worship:
A new day has risen upon us,
and we have reason for thanks and praise.
Thanks be God, a loving parent to us all.
God our Creator surrounds us with beauty,
and fills our world with caring hearts and helping hands.
God our Redeemer reaches out to us afresh each day;
our God saves us and leads us on.
God our Sanctifier has blessed us with life and love,
with celebration and song, with friends and family.
Thanks be God, a loving parent to us all.
We give God thanks for this day and this time,
for the blessing of prayer, the comfort of our faith, and gift of love.
We open our hearts anew this day and worship our God,
for God is good and God's mercy is everlasting.
Thanks be God, a loving parent to us all.
Opening Prayer:
Good and Gracious God, on this Father's Day, we give you thanks and praise for the many ways that you have shown yourself to be a loving parent to us. We give you thanks for your provision, for the gift of the earth, and bounty we enjoy. We thank you too, for courage and strength in times of struggle, and for the ways that you have shown yourself to us as we have overcome our hard times. Creator and Creating God, continue to grace us with eyes of faith. Help us to see the good and to keep hope glowing brightly even in times of trouble. Help us to embrace life as your gift to us, and enable us to live with gratitude that conquers fear and doubt. Send us your light to illumine our path, and teach us to be your children of joy and peace. Be with us in this time, O God. We worship you and give you thanks. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: This Is My Father's World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ZVLOLMRMw
Our Scripture Lessons: (attached)
Genesis 21.8-21, Psalm 86.1-10, 16-17; Romans 6.1b-11; Matthew 10.24-31
Reflection:
All of a sudden it's Father's Day. The dark days of Lent, the struggle of Holy Week, and even the journey through Easter Tide have all faded with time that marches on. We've missed some good celebrations together, and even today we're missing the good Father's Day meal that the women of our church have prepared in years past. Yet in spite of the struggle that was, and the struggle that still is, hope continues to shine bright and there are still ways and days of celebration for us all.
Our Old Testament lectionary reading today is a tough one for Father's Day. Instead of lifting high the blessings of fatherhood, even of a good "Father God," it captures one of the "ugh" moments of scripture. Abraham gives into the pleading of his wife and dismisses his concubine Hagar and her small son, the unnamed Ishmael of our passage. He gives Hagar bread and water and then sends both of them off into the wilderness. It's certainly not what we know a loving father should do.
Yet the lesson has been preserved for us within the annals of Scripture and even within the embrace of the lectionary to again give light on our God who can and does turn around tough situations, to God who illumines our eyes to see a new ways of doing and being in the world. In spite of the harshness, the lesson is still filled with promise -- "for I will make a great nation of him" -- and with hope -- as the boy grows to be an expert with the bow and takes a wife.
Still, those of us who were blessed by a loving father who didn't abandon us, one who was there to teach us and help us grow, are grateful such was not the case the for us. We can and do celebrate this day with thankfulness for our dads, with thankfulness for the gift of fatherhood known in and through the burgeoning life of a child.
I am aware that some will not really celebrate this day, but that doesn't mean their days are or have to be without celebration. I am aware that even we who have been treated in the past to Father's Day celebrations with the kids at home will not celebrate that way this day. Yet there are still celebrations to be had, and celebration is a key part of life for it fosters joy and hope.
This is and has been Pride Month. Not all celebrate it; many, especially with cancellation of the parade and festivities, aren't even aware of it. I get that. It's not their celebration. Friday was Juneteenth. For many of us, this was the first year we've ever heard of Juneteenth. Yet in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, that day of Juneteenth, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law, when the slaves of Galveston, Texas, finally heard they were free, has become a new celebration for many; and now it'll be an annual one. Not all will celebrate it. Yet although the observations and celebrations of the end of structural homophobism and of structural racism are hard for all to celebrate, they rightfully have their place, as does Father's Day.
On this Father's Day, my hope is that you can truly celebrate the gift of fatherhood in your life. And even if this celebration is elusive for you, I hope that you can discover other days and other ways to celebrate the gift of life God has given to us all. Celebrations bring joy and hope. Especially in these times of a global pandemic, we need more of them.
When the world has you feeling down, when you feeling more like Hagar and Ishmael than like Sarah and Isaac, my hope is that you'll set your sights on the wellspring of hope that is. Find cause for celebration in your life, and renew the joy of living. God is good, and as the Gospel reminds us, God's eye is on the sparrow, and you can be sure God's eye is watching you. Be blessed by God. Amen.
Hymn: His Eye Is On the Sparrow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTiIHLfuzxc
Prayer:
Gracious and Loving God, for the many ways you continue to come to us and care for us, we give you thanks. For our daily bread, for our homes, our beds, our families and friends, we give you thanks. Time and time again, you have rescued us from danger and saved us. You have taught us your way, and given us the gifts and strengths of the Spirit. We are thankful. And yet, O God, we have the concerns of our hearts, and the worries of our days. Even as so much of the world has come together, there is still so much that separates us. We pray for peace and renewed understanding. We pray for greater acceptance, tolerance, and most of all love.
Bless us, Dear Lord, each one. Heal us in all our sore and broken places. Bless our families and friends and keep them safe. Bless all the fathers, the mothers, the children of the world with renewed hope and peace. We pray for a cure, for a end to our pandemic days. We pray for a end to all the -isms that so divide us. Lead us, Gracious Savior, into days of true compassion and care. Holy God, you know the concerns of our hearts, and we lift them up to you. Do bless those who serve, those who save, and those who suffer. Do bless us, each one, O God. We ask these things in Jesus' Name who taught us to pray saying, "Our Father who art in heaven...."
Benediction:
May the Lord our God, the Loving Father of us all, embrace you with genuine love this day. May God comfort your hearts, ease your burdens, and sprinkle your days with joy. Be bless by God and filled with peace. Amen and Amen.
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.
All activities are currently suspended. Our church office is open for phone calls at 631-727-2621. Pastor Sean will return your calls. Our secretary, Henza is in the office most Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
All activities are currently suspended. Our church office is open for phone calls at 631-727-2621. Pastor Sean will return your calls. Our secretary, Henza is in the office most Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
Please join us for 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
Open today | 10:00 am – 11:30 am |
Our church office is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am-12:00. Church services are held on Sunday at 10:00am followed by coffee hour in the fellowship hall. Sunday School is held at 10:00 am.
Copyright © 2020 First Congregational Church of Riverhead - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder