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 Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 13. Although a little cloudy, it's a fine late summer day here in the Northeast and the light of God still shines brightly upon us.
We open our hearts to the presence of God and worship together:
Call to Worship:
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of our God.
Let us remember God’s marvelous works.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Let all within me praise God's name.
The Lord our God has saved us in difficult times.
May we always be mindful of God’s guiding hand.
When evil surrounds us and we have been wronged.
God helps us to turn the evil to good.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Let all within me praise God's name.
We need not be afraid in the currents of our days.
No matter where we are, we remain in God’s care.
Give praise to God, our strength and our salvation.
Give thanks to God who rescues us.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Let all within me praise God's name.
How great is God’s mercy.
We sense among us God’s kind and loving presence.
Let us praise our God and give God thanks.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Let all within me praise God's name.
Opening Prayer:
Awesome God of miracles and wonder, you who led our spiritual ancestors with a pillar of cloud, we give you thanks and praise, and offer our prayers afresh to you this day. Lead us through the threatening times in which we live. As you saved them from the waters of the sea and the weapons of their pursuers, save us from the floods of our own misfortunes. O God, we pray that you would employ all the troubled waters of our lives to douse the fires that burn too fiercely throughout our land. .
Holy One, again this day we pray for healing: Healing for our planet, from the threatening storms and raging fires. We pray for healing from the pandemic that plagues us and continues to do much harm to many. We pray for healing from all that ails us in the living of our days.
Come, Lord Jesus, calm our anxious hearts and increase our faith. Remind us of your love for us and of your mighty deeds of miracles and love. Guide us in this our worship and lead us to a life that shines bright with your love and salvation. You are our help and our hope, we praise you and thank you; in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: O Christ, the Healer, We Have Come
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O5vdLNE-Gw
Our Scripture Lessons: (attached)
Exodus 14:19-31; Psalm 114; Philippians 2:25-30; Matthew 18.21-35
Reflection:
The mighty miracles done at God's command seem to have ceased, at least to our seeing, to our hearing. There is none like Moses or Jesus whom all the world can see and proclaim as those bringing the impossible to life to the awe of many. And yet we still need such a God. We need our God to free the oppressed, to feed the hungry, to cure the ill. We still need our God of miracles and wonder. But, it seems that God has largely left the heavy lifting to us. Ours is a different world from that of Moses, or that of Jesus and the early apostles, or that of Paul. The mighty pharaohs have long vanished into history, the miracle working prophets seems to have left us, even the throngs of the faithful have diminished. Ours is a much different world, even different now that from that of a year gone by.
Yet our God has equipped us with what we need. We like Moses, have the power to fight oppression, racism, and the many prejudices that divide us. We are enabled to divide the waters of fear and distrust by building a community that looks to the genuine worth of all people. The modeling for such a genuine healthier society begins with us. It begins in our homes and with our lips. It begins we the way that we embrace and care for each other as brothers and sisters unto our God. We have to work hard at fostering understanding and respect for all, in all that we do, so that the color of the skin or the accent of the other is not a barrier that divides or something that needs to be overcome, but seen and received as a gift of God who created the rainbow. The way to end prejudice begins on the ground level; it begins with us. You are an agent of change.
As the second lesson reflects with the little known Epaphroditus, the instant healing with a touch and a prayer seems to have largely disappeared even in Paul's day. People, even the faithful, fell sick even to the point of death without the touch of Jesus' hand or the presence of the earliest apostles. But even without such healers in our time or in our midst, people are living longer and better to the glory of God. God has equipped us with learning and experience, with new science, researchers and doctors who cure us and look after to our well being. But as with the fight to end prejudice, we are also agents of our own healing. We have to remain mindful of what we can do to foster health and healing for ourselves. Diet and exercise have long been touted, but they are often difficult notes for us to take and apply for ourselves. Even vaccines have been discounted or ignored by many, especially those in communities in faith who think that God alone will heal and protect. Yes, God does heal and protect, but God does so with our cooperation. God doesn't work in a vacuum or on a solo mission. It's up to us to work with God and each other to keep one another safe and healthy. The refusal to wear masks, the large gatherings that ignore social distancing protocols, put us all at risk. Even without a vaccine, we can put this pandemic to bed by reducing its spread to less than 1%. Once we learn to stop passing the virus to each other, the virus will eventually disappear. We pray that those on college campuses and in states where the spread is seeing the highest levels will learn to be cautious. We hope that we, too, will continue to be vigilant with our health in our days. You are an agent of the change we need.
As the gospel lesson teaches us, there has been perhaps no bigger dividing force among humankind, no societal sickness that persists in our midst, other than our inability to forgive one another, and even to forgive ourselves, for the wrongs we have done. The confession of sin has long been a part of Christian liturgy. In many traditions, a corporate confession begins each week's worship service. The Roman Catholic traditions have even named the act of reconciliation a sacrament. Forgiveness and its kin, repentance, is hard work. We have a way of holding on to the sins of the past so that they taint our way of being in the world. When we refuse to forgive, the hurt continues to do us harm and to hold us back. It ruptures friendship and families, and poisons the waters for many as the distrust and judgmentalism holds on to us. When asked how many times we need to forgive, Jesus answers "Not seven times but seventy seven times," yet even that is not understood to be a number to be counted but rather to suggest always. But to genuinely receive and extend forgiveness, there must be learning involved. The ways that both parties have harmed each other must be received, learned, and corrected. We as a society and as individuals need to get better at forgiving ourselves for the sins of our past and moving ahead in ways that foster better communication, cooperation, and healthy living. Forgiveness also necessitates a new vision for the future, for it no longer focuses on the rift that was, but on the bond that can be.
There is certainly much that threatens the health and well-being of our world, of our societies and our own little communities. But our God, who wills for us a wholeness and wellness of being, has placed the means to get there in our hands. We need to support and work with one another to combat the societal oppression and prejudices that divide us. We need to work with one another to find ways out of this pandemic as we look after the welfare of each other and do what we can to stop the spread of the virus. We need to teach and to take to our hearts, compassion, understanding and forgiveness. We are all agents of change. Although change may come slowly, it can and will come, if and when we all work together as brothers and sisters of our God. Be blessed by God. Amen.
Prayer:
Loving and most gracious Lord, with humble and thankful hearts we call to mind your mighty deeds. You have long been our Redeemer, the font of our healing and salvation. We thank you for your guidance and your care throughout our lives, and we remain most grateful for the many ways that you have come to our rescue
Work within and among us to ease our minds and help us to focus on your healing touch. Mend, we pray, the brokenness that divides us. Help us to rediscover the peace that we so desperately need, peace in our communities, our nation, and throughout our world. Work with the leaders of our land that they may be led in ways that foster harmony among all your children of various cultures and shades of being. End, we pray, the warfare and violence of our time and help us all to find the path to reconciliation and wholeness.
Look upon all of us with your mercy. Comfort us with the assurance of your care and goodness and save us from despair. Grant us patience in our affliction, and mold our hope that we can again envision a right and curative spirit within us. Nurse us, we pray, into the health you intend for all your children.
Gracious and loving God, grace us with the wisdom we need to be truly loving and forgiving. Help us to forgive ourselves for the sins of our past. Help us to forgive others who have done us wrong. Help us to turn rancor and mistrust around with the prospect of the newness of being and genuine compassion for all.
We pray, O God, for the many who look after us and seek to heal all that ails us. For the peacemakers and healers, we pray that you would guide their minds, their lips, and their hands to restore health to your people. We pray for those who labor for a better and cleaner earth that can sustain life for years to come. We pray for the many in harm's way of the storms of fire, of wind and of rain, that they can find safe shelter in times of need. Bless and safeguard those who protect us, who strive for cures for the cancers of our days, and who work in ways that best reflect the goodness we have long known in Jesus Christ our Savior.
We pray too, for the many we hold dear to our hearts. We remember in spoken prayer and in silence those we know to be most in need of your healing touch. Bless those on our prayer list, including the many in the west who are struggling with the blazes around them. We ask these things in Jesus' Name who taught us to pray saying, "Our Father who art in heaven...."
Hymn: For the Healing of the Nations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYFwJitauAM
Benediction:
May we be blessed by our God to go forth in peace and to be of good courage. May God bless us to hold fast to that which is good, to render no one evil for evil, to strengthen the fainthearted and help the afflicted. May God bless us to honor all people and to love and serve our God. Amen and a
September 6, 2020
Today is the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 6. As it's the first Sunday of the month, this is our communion Sunday. If you've yet to do so, please set out some bread and juice which will be for you the Bread of Life and Cup of Blessing.
We open our hearts and worship together:
Call to Worship:
This is a day for new beginnings.
This is a time of God’s approaching.
This is the moment for faithful response.
We give thanks and praise to our God on high.
Praise God in the assembly of the faithful.
Praise God for life enriched by love.
Praise God for love that fulfills God’s law.
We pause to remember God’s faithfulness through the centuries.
We pause to celebrate God’s vibrant presence with us.
We pause to reflect on a new season that is coming into being.
Let the faithful worship our God of all ages and give thanks.
Let God’s Word fall gently upon us and teach us.
Let us celebrate the Holy Spirit who guides us through our days.
We give thanks and praise to our God on high.
Opening Prayer:
Good and Gracious God, we come before you with awe and thanksgiving for you are mighty in power and love. We give you thanks and praise for your presence throughout the ages and for your presence in our lives. We call to mind your marvelous deeds, made known in the hearts and lives of those who have gone before us. We recall your mercy made known in the journey of our own days. You are our source of hope and renewal, our font of sacred stories and holy meals throughout all time, our firm foundation of faith and strength. We look to you anew this day with open hearts and bring to you our need for your holy inspiration. Help us to sense the nearness of your Spirit among us. Help us to hear your words of life and love. Help us to be refreshed in the journey as we strive to walk with you and others with peace and grace. Holy One, fall afresh on us and bless us with the confidence we need to manage the challenges that are set before us in the days and weeks ahead. Bless us in this time, O God, and lead us in our remembrance and praise. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Hymn: This Is a Day of New Beginnings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqORaqZtC9w
Our Scripture Lessons: (attached)
Exodus 2.1-14; Psalm 149; Romans 13.8-14; Matthew 18.15-20
Reflection:
As the Biblical accounts attest, troubles that befall humankind have long been with us. The Bible and world history offer us not only accounts of some the ills that have long come our way, but they also offer lessons for us to learn and methods for us to apply as we seek to mitigate some of life's more harsher realities in the living of our days.
In the usual years of days past, the Gospel lesson would be more relatable than the other lessons. We've known conflict, in churches, in families, in community. We've also seen conflict escalate through gossip, innuendo and rumors. The lesson is clear. Take the problem to the source. Don't triangulate or worse. Discuss the issue with the one in question and trust God's leading. It's sage advice and a good preventative measure to prevent more trouble down the road.
Although the middle lesson from Paul's letter to the Roman has more sage advice for all -- "love your neighbor as yourself" -- some of it has those of us who dig deep into Biblical commentary scratching our heads. The mention of adultery, murder, stealing and coveting, reveling, drunkenness, debauchery, licentiousness, quarreling and jealousy within two short paragraphs gets one wondering what kind of church Paul is writing to. It seems like there was a whole lot of fixing needed there in old Rome. But Paul is just addressing what he sees as the big issues, those that cause the biggest messes. He wants the people to avoid them. And boiling their prevention down to the golden rule makes it accessible to all of us. Additionally, although armor isn't anything that most of us would contemplate donning, the armor of light is wonderfully poetic and something we all can aspire to putting on when we're confronted with the truly troublesome.
The first lesson, the passover lesson complete with its mention of plague, would in former days seem to be the one that is most foreign to us. But now we can relate more readily to it, at least in part. No, we're not keeping a lamb or a goat for a pair of weeks, and no we're not sprinkling its blood on the lintels of our homes, and most of us don't celebrate a passover meal, but plague prevention we get. If there were a way to keep the plague out of our homes and away from our families, we'd do it. Or at least some would. At least for a while. But then it gets tired, it gets old, and we question its efficacy. Such has been happening in the world around us. In the last week, over a hundred new cases were reported in our county, and college campuses throughout our nation are now the newest hotspots. People, it seems, are growing lax about this. The lesson to follow the rules, to prepare and be vigilant is what we are still called to do to prevent trouble.
There are things we all do well to do now. Be sure to get a flu shot. Get a thermometer if you don't yet have one. If we do get hit with another wave of the pandemic, we want to be prepared.
With the record number of hurricanes this year, we have another call to action. We've already been hit by a fierce tropical storm. The possibility that a hurricane will come our way is certainly viable. Take time to review again your hurricane preparedness guide. Be sure you have provisions at home in case we have to spend some days without power.
And most of all, be vigilant with prayer. God is with us. God cares. Trust God, prevent the trouble as best you can, and know that with the leading of the Holy Spirit we, like the faithful who have go one before us, can weather all the storms of life that come our way.
Be blessed by God. Amen.
Prayer:
Loving and most gracious Lord, we give you thanks for time together with you who sustains us. For the gift of answered prayer and of paths that continue to flourish with the bounty from your hands, we are grateful. For the help your have long extended to us and your saving grace in times of need, we give you thanks. Holy One, you continue to set before us the ways of life and death, help to choose wisely that we may live and thrive in the land to which you have led us.
Almighty God, our world continues in deep need of your healing touch. The pandemic continues to plague our days and young and old alike are sick and dying. Societies throughout the globe are suffering from the unrest and a growing need that has shaken us. Poverty is on the rise, and hope is diminishing for many. Prejudice and violence have erupted in our streets, and hunger has become a daily reality for many. We pray that you would lead us to in ways that foster peace, fortify hope, and strengthen our resolve to care for one another.
We pray for the researchers and healthcare workers that they may develop the remedies we need and extend the care that saves lives and heals. We pray for the peace-keepers, the soldiers, police, and citizens of our nation that they may all work together to bring into being compassionate, responsible and lawful action. We pray for families that are fraught with grief and concern for those close to their hearts. We pray that fractured relationships may find reconciliation that love can again take hold. We pray for peace, peace in our hearts, in our communities, in our nation and world. Holy God, bless, we pray, the sick and the sufferings and the many who care for them. Lead the tormented and addicted to places of genuine recovery and wholeness. Place angels of mercy in the path of the hungry and the homeless that may find the help they need.
Good and gracious God, we pray for ourselves, too. Bless us each one and help us and heal us. Be with our families and friends and look after them with kindness. Teach us to live well together, to support one another, and restore in us a sense of genuine joy in living.
We remember in spoken prayer and in silence those we know to be most in need of your healing touch. Bless those on our prayer list, and those whose concern we hold in our hearts. We ask these things in Jesus' Name who taught us to pray saying, "Our Father who art in heaven...."
Hymn: Dear God, Embracing Humankind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5aZHlgWjKs
Our Communion Service:
v 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.
v Silent Confession
v Unison Prayer of Confession:
Eternal God, our sins burden us, our regrets bring us down and the awareness of our failures remain with us. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can scarcely bear, and all our sorryness within. Set us free from a past that we cannot change; open us to a future in which we can be changed. And grant us grace to grow more and more into the person you intend us to be, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
v 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.
v Our Litany of Communion
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 peace go with us into the days ahead. May God's wisdom lead us in faithful action. And may we long be nurtured by the power of God's love. Amen and amen.
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August 16, 2020
Today is the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, August 16. For a while there, it was looking pretty good. I actually even went down to church with the service in hand. I had tailored the service to be short enough to get in before the showers. Yet there I sat and it continued to rain, and the radar indicated that no change was in sight. I did see one car do a quick drive by, and one soul arrived to keep me company, but that was it. Apparently, it was clear to most everyone that we wouldn't get today's service any way but online. So here it is, with the hope that your day is still bright with the light of our God with you.
-- Pastor Sean
Call to Worship:
This is a day to rejoice in our God.
Let the hearts of the faithful be glad for the Holy One is in our midst.
May God be gracious to us and bless us.
May God’s face shine over all the earth’s people.
Gracious is our God whose mercy is everlasting.
Let all the people praise the God of all nations.
Let us give thanks and enjoy the blessings God gives.
May God grant us understanding and courage.
May faith grow beyond our doubts.
Gracious is our God whose mercy is everlasting.
The earth is yielding its blessing.
Let all the earth look to our Creator who restores us.
Hope is renewed with each new day.
Days of bright promise still spring forth.
Gracious is our God whose mercy is everlasting.
Opening Prayer:
Good and gracious God, we celebrate your presence and give you thanks ad praise. Bless us in this time, and renew us with your love.
Maker of Our Days, you created each of us unique beings with differing strengths and weaknesses. Help us not only to use our strengths to assist others but also to allow others to use their strengths to meet our weaknesses.
Restorer of Our Souls, you have seen the parched places we have in our lives and the devastation that has come our way. Meet us in the places of our deepest pain so that our facades of self-sufficiency might fall away, and we might be drawn into right relationship with you and one another.
Breath of Our Lives, without you we are but a mound of clay. Fill us with your presence, invigorate our worship, illumine our minds and hearts with your love so that others might be drawn into your light and nurture God of the Earth, we offer our thanks for the gift of creation. Help us to move well into the days ahead, and bless us in this time. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.
Hymn: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx0rCabJ16c
Our Scripture Lessons: (attached)
Isaiah 56.1, 6-8; Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 15: 21-28
Reflection: "Pushing Ahead with Patient Perseverance"
We're now five months into this new era of living with a pandemic in our midst. We've looked behind us and considered the strength and nourishment we have gained even in spite of the challenges. We've considered, too, the losses and that which has weighed us down as we pushed to forge ahead. And now we continue our journey into the unknown of the coming months, still with the restraints of precautions, still with the notion of illness in the air, still with the threat of sickness and death. Many of us just want to be done with it all. We're ready to return to normal, and yet rather than the green light before us, the light is still yellow. Some want to gun it and plow ahead; others are more inclined to continue to tap the breaks. The decision is not an easy one.
The news does hold some promise. Numbers are down in our area, and yet new cases are reported daily. Trials for vaccines are well under way, and some nations are reported ready to roll out with them. But we are still here in a middle land of sorts, still waiting, still wary.
The scripture lessons today look to new days of promise. None are quite there, but the promise comes. It comes, however, with caveats. It's not a new day when all rules are thrown out, but a day when the new arrives with understanding that a germ of the old is still there that requires both restraint and stretch -- stretch to understand what is still needed, what is still warranted, while embracing a time of greater freedom and openness.
The lesson from Isaiah looks to the day when foreigners and outcasts will be readily welcomed along with the faithful of the land, to the holy mountain and God's house of prayer. Yet the keeping of the Sabbath and a hold on the covenant of God as spelled out in the ten commandments is needed for such a welcome. The rules relax some, but not everything is cast aside. The important still remains.
Paul who writes of a radical welcome in Romans, also brushes on the new and the old. Although God receives the gentiles, God doesn't cast off the Jews. Yet all must rely on the mercy that comes through Christ. The disobedience, the sin, of all, can be eradicated but only through holding fast to the faith of the resurrection and gift of grace that makes God's welcome possible.
As Jesus taught and preached in Matthew's gospel, the good news that Christ brought was still confined to the Jews, to "the lost sheep of Israel," as Jesus calls them. Yet a Canaanite woman with a sick daughter stretches the confines of the blessing with her faith. She forges ahead, but does so with respect and a patient persistence.
The lessons remind us that as we strive to embrace a new day of disease-free living, we, like the faithful before us, need to hold firm to the underlying foundations of what has brought us to this day of greater freedom, of more universal opening. The basics weren't thrown out, the book wasn't entirely re-written, but freedom came within the bounds of the fundamentals that held the promise.
As we move ahead, please do so with a patient persistence. We can't rush to cast off all restraints, all caution. Even with more venues opening around us, the light is still yellow. Masks, social distancing, and regular hand-washing is still needed. But soon, if everyone does his or her part, we'll be able to see exactly where the virus is, where the pockets of infection are, and we'll be able to embrace a new day when such living as ours these days will be only found in history books.
Hold fast to God and to prayer. Remain steadfast in your awareness and your practices. We stretch with hope into the new day but we cannot lose the foundations of faith and faithful, responsible living for the good of all.
Hymn: Lead On O King Eternal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzlponYvF30
Prayer:
Good and gracious God, we thank you for our journeys, for we have come save thus far. We give you thanks for days of promise that await us, and for the vision of life without masks or restraint. God of the Earth, we offer our thanks for the gift of creation. You have filled it with sights and sounds and smells to treat us to the joys of summer. Your gift of the Holy Spirit continues to renew and refresh us, and we are grateful.
Holy and Loving God, you have reconciled us with you through the power of the cross. Help us to do the work of Christ in the world, extending support to those in need and speaking up for those cast aside. Let your people throughout the earth build bridges of reconciliation and strengthen bonds of community. Keep us mindful that you, the Maker of Our Days, the Restorer of Our Souls and the Breath of Our Lives are with us always. Guide us to move ahead as a community that has found common ground, common identity, common purpose, and has risen above disagreements, division, and past hurts. Grant us peace. Peace in our hearts, throughout our nation, and our world. Reform our understanding so that we may proceed with cautious optimist and patient persistence.
We offer our prayers for people who have experienced personal tragedies – emotional or physical or spiritual meltdowns. We pray for those whose human errors have caused a fallout of suffering to others and to themselves. We pray for all people whose safety and support systems have failed and who are left unprotected and endangered. O God, who wills health and wholeness, restore these people and fill them the one sure and reliable renewing source of power – the power of your Spirit.
Protect, O God, those who protect us. Bless with wisdom those who lead us. Illumine the researchers to find new pathways of health and wholeness. Heal the sick, gracious God, and do bless us and our families and friends. Keep us all in the warm embrace of your tender care.
Holy one, we lift our hearts to you in prayer for those on our prayer list, and for the many unnamed in need of your care. Help us all, dear Lord, for we need your help. 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 of constant renewal and strength bless us each one with wisdom for our days, with hearts that look to the needs of others, and with compassion and concern that translates into truly faithful living. Be blessed by God a go in peace this day and forever more. Amen and amen.
August 9, 2020
Today is the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, August 9. The storm is well past, the sun is shining, and all seems right with the world, at least with a quick glance. Lots of prayer is still needed. We take a moment and settle into a time of worship.
- - Pastor Sean
Call to Worship:
Over the wind and waves, Christ comes to us.
The Spirit is sensed by open hearts.
We come in faith beyond fear.
Thanks be to God, the master of the storms of life.
Our hopes have brought us together.
The storms of life need not frighten us.
Our faith can keep us from sinking.
Thanks be to God, the master of the storms of life.
Our doubts can lead to greater faith.
Our losses can open us to greater possibilities.
Let us call on God’s name and give thanks.
Let the hearts of all who seek God rejoice.
Thanks be to God, the master of the storms of life.
We will rejoice in God’s wonderful works.
We will share with others God’s marvelous deeds.
Thanks be to God, the master of the storms of life.
Opening Prayer:
Holy and Gracious God, we give you thanks for another new day and the opportunity to experience your goodness and grace. We remain grateful for the progress that has been made to date and for the bright light of hope for the days to come. We thank you for lessons of life and love, and for the bonds that have been made stronger with your blessing. We open our hearts and bring to you our burdens and cares this day, and pray that you will guide us with wisdom and insight as we continue our spiritual journeys. Bless us, dear Lord in this our worship, and draw us closer to you. Help us to sense the nearness of your Spirit, to hear your words of life, to be moved to a place of genuine peace, and renewed by the power of your love. We unite our hearts and gather in this time in name of Jesus who saves us all. Amen.
Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDyTzv3gwUE
Our Scripture Lessons: (attached)
1 Kings 19.9-18; Psalm 85.1-10; Romans 10.5-13; Matthew 14.-22-33
Reflection: "Losing the Weight"
After last week's reflection on nourishment, a reflection on losing the weight seemed a fine choice for a follow-up of sorts. Yet as nourishment focused on soul food rather than body food, the weight of this reflection focuses on that which weighs down our soul rather than what collects around our hips; although -- talking to self -- losing a bit of that wouldn't be a bad idea.
As even we considered what we learned through this pandemic and that we do well to take forward with us, now let's give some thought to that which is best left behind. I readily admit that part of the inspiration for this reflection was the storm this week and what I call God's pruning. I'm also aware of that some of that "pruning" was a bit more of than what was truly needed, but I'll leave that thought for another day.
Although we didn't get much rain at all, Isaias brought us a whole lot of wind. Wind, in many languages, including the Biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek, is the same word as Spirit. The storm brought down the heavy stuff, that which was hardest for the trees to bear, and then left the mess of cleanup to us. We were tasked with collecting it, and getting rid of it, and for some of it, we needed to call in additional help. The process works as a fine metaphor for the approach to life that prunes and cleanses the most burdensome in our lives, that which holds us back and prevents us from moving well with the Spirit of our God.
In light of these past many months of pandemic, what did we learn that we're happy to see go, or realize that we do well to cast off or unburden ourselves of? I'll begin with the obvious. Hoarding. I don't know who got the idea that toilet paper was something that needed to be purchased in abundance, but I certainly didn't appreciate it, and I know the same was true for several of us. It's a little mindboggling because last I checked dysentery is not and never was a symptom of the virus. The hoarding, of course, was the product of fear -- fear of shortages, of not being about to get the most basic of needs. I'm glad to see that hoarding go.
Fear that leads to bad choices and unhealthy living for all is definitely a burden that we do well to leave behind. Fear is predominantly featured in our reading. Elijah hid in the cave because of fear of that which was going on in his world. But his hiding did little to help anything, and the Lord knew it. The Lord called Elijah out of the cave and on to mountain side where the fierce wind, earthquake and fire had just passed. And there God tasked Elijah to let go of his fear, to trust God, and to get on with what he was called to do. A fear that holds us back from that which God is calling us to do for the good of all is a burden we do well to let go of. And we get it. So often when facing any kind of diagnosis or medical procedure we are tasked with letting go of fear and trusting God anew. The concern, of course, is natural, but fear does us no favors but only eats at us.
The epistle lesson looks at another fear, specifically the fear of damnation in the final days. Some apparently looked at sin, theirs and others, and were speculating who will and will not be saved. Paul makes our salvation clear, and phrases it three times in case the people don't get it: "...If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved;" "No one who believes in him will be put to shame;" and the third is , “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” If there's anything that really has to get pruned from our thinking, it's the fear of God in our days. God forgives. Jesus helps and saves. The power of the cross to save is stronger than any of our sins which pale in comparison to the sacrifice for our sake and our salvation that Jesus made. That, of course, except if you're a serial killer. Then I'm not so sure. don't be a serial killer. But shy of that, you are absolutely covered. Hold on to that. And put the fear of God's punishment or the wrath of God in the dump. Salvation through Christ is assured.
The Gospel lesson also looks at the fear that holds us back. Like Peter, when we pay attention to the fierce wind that blows rather than setting our sights on Jesus, we sink. Peter quickly learned that even in a storm all he had to go was to reach out to the arms of Jesus and be saved. Fear and doubt were that which Peter had to overcome and he did so through the power of God, by falling into the arms of Jesus.
Yet for us, the voice of God is seldom so readily indentified as it was for Elijah, and Jesus is no longer in the flesh among us. For us, the challenge to overcome our burdens, to let go and let God, is no less needed for us as it was for them, yet for us it's trickier. We need to dig deep into our faith. We need to clearly envision the helpful arms of God open and ready to lift us up and save us.
Consider well what it is that is holding you back or burdening you in the living of your life. What is it that you learned to let go of in these days? What is it, that like the leaf piles still awaiting attention in my yard, that still needs to go? Yet be wise with your pruning and your cleanup. don't cast off that which is needed or what is best for your well-being. The mask and the hand-washing is still needed for your sake and others, but a feeling of isolation, of constriction, and longing for the days of yesteryear are not. It's a new day, a new era, but we're still connected, and with the simplicity of a phone, we can always feel connected. We're still living, and living with abundance. Reach out for help when you need it, for some things are not cured by one alone. And always rely on God to overcome. Jesus saved, and saves still. Together, connected, and with our God, we can let go of our burdens and live life in abundance as we work together for the good of all.
Hymn: Burdens (Jimmy Kimmett)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpMtTuTdJfI
Prayer:
Good and gracious God, O God, we give thanks this day for the gift of life, for the wonder of bodies, the reach of minds, the capacity to connect our spirit with yours. You have granted us life as a dwelling place, yet we are often not at home within it. We offer our prayers for those whose bodily structures are strained or stressed or shaken by disease. We offer our prayers for those who minds are occupied by warring thoughts and who need the refuge of your powerful peace. We offer our prayers for those whose spirits are unsettled by difficult choices and wandering allegiances. For all who suffer, we ask your healing, your wisdom and your grace.
We give thanks for this world as our habitation and pray that you will help us make it more our home. We are prone to ill-treat it, to disregard its fragility, to keep letting our environment fade into disrepair. Our relationship with the Earth is marked less by harmony than by discord. A feeling of apprehension has a hold upon us. We dream of finding consistent, caring resolution to human problems, yet often we lack the courage to transform dreams into goals. Our need for your guidance is great.
Help us, Lord, to lose the burdens of life, to let go of all that weighs us down. Continue, we pray, to grace us with wisdom for the living of our days. Guide us in ways that build one another up in love, and support one another over the rough seas of life.
We pray, O God, for peace. Peace in our hearts, throughout our nation and our world. We pray for healing, and for new insight and methods that will best help us through our days of challenge and disease. We pray, for ourselves, each one. Bless us, heal us, help us to unburden and find our salvation with you. Bless our families and our friends, all whom we hold dear to our hearts. Watch over them and keep them safe. We pray for the grieving and the infirm, for the many we know who are in special need of your healing touch in this time. We pray for those on our prayer list, and the many unnamed in need of your care. We ask these things in Jesus' Name, and pray as our Savior taught us, saying, "Our Father who art in heaven...."
Benediction:
May God long make your burdens lighter, and help you to overcome all that holds that you back. May your steps be lighter, your vision clearer, and your awareness of God among us bright. May God bless you and keep you, long shine up on you, and give you peace. Be blessed by God. 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.