Worship for July 8, 2012

July8, 2012

The Pastoral Prayer

Gracious and loving God; this is the day which you have made! We will rejoice and be glad in it! We come to you today as a people ready to sing your praises and share in the delight of each others’ company and experience your presence together. We come in thanksgiving for all the many ways you have blessed us--through the love of family and friends, through the privilege of being your children, the freedoms we enjoy, and through the many other blessings with which you have gifted us. For all these things and more we thank you and praise you.

At the same time, we come with concerns for the world around us. We complain about the heat, but we pray that you make us mindful of those for whom heat and storms are more than mere inconvenience. We pray for those whose lives are threatened even now by this heat and drought in our country and beyond, and we pray for relief.

We pray for our state and for our leaders. We especially pray for our Governor John, our Lt. Governor Mary, our Senator Kris, and our Representative Jay. We ask you to fill them with wisdom and courage, and mercy and compassion, that they may have the strength to lead.

Bless those who lead our military and especially bless those who serve, that they may return safe, sound, and soon.

We have celebrated this week with cookouts and fireworks, but we pray that you will remind us that the greatest freedom is to worship you.

Bless all who mourn today, that they may feel you healing touch, and bring healing to those who suffer, both those names we have called and those we left unmentioned.

And finally, Lord, we pray for ourselves, and the things we dare not speak in words. Hear us even in our silence.

We pray all these things in the name of Jesus, and by his grace. Amen.

Mark 6:1-13

He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. ²On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! ³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. ⁴Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” ⁵And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. ⁶And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching. ⁷He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; ⁹but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. ¹¹If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” ¹²So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. ¹³They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

No Hands but Ours--No Power but His

Question: How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer: Only one, but the light bulb really has to want to change.

Question: How many saviors does it take to offend the people of Nazareth?

Answer: Only one, but the town really has to want to take offense!

Why do you think they took such offense at Jesus? Because they knew him too well. Nothing good can come from Nazareth, anyway, right?

My summer reading list has included a whimsical book entitled, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. I recommend it to you with some caution. It seeks to fill in the gaps in the canonical Gospels of Jesus’ childhood and early adult years. It is irreverent and wonderfully funny.

The book supposes an extraordinary if very ordinary childhood of Jesus. He was a regular little boy with some extraordinary talents, who began his apprenticeship with his carpenter father (by the way, tekton, the Greek word translated carpenter could also be translated stonemason).

The people of Nazareth watched him grow up like any ordinary kid and learn a trade just like every other boy would do. They knew him well. They knew him too well.

If Jesus had come into town with a rock hammer or a chisel under his belt, he’d have been received with open arms. That, after all, is what was expected of him. If he had carved a rock into a stone that would make part of good wall for a home, or if he’d fashioned an olive tree trunk into a bench, they’d have applauded and said, “Look what nice work that Jesus kid does. A chip off the old block!”

But Jesus came into town and went to the synagogue and started to teach the scriptures--a task for which the good folks of Nazareth knew he had no training. At first they are impressed and astounded. And then they started talking about his pedigree. Isn’t this that carpenter, that tekton? Isn’t this Mary’s boy (it would have been insulting not to refer to him by his father’s name)? Isn’t this the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Aren’t’ his sisters here?

In other words, who does this guy think he is, to come into this town and say and do all these things? They don’t trust him. They don’t trust that he is God’s emissary--much less that he is God himself. In that world, one’s status was fixed at birth, and as far as they were concerned, this Jesus would never be anything but a lowly tekton.

This is a common theme in Mark. Just before this, he raises a girl from the dead and heals a woman who’d been bleeding for 12 years, and they were amazed and confused. He cast out demons in Gerasa and they asked him to leave the area. He calmed a storm during a boat trip and those on board asked, “who is this whom the wind and sea obey?”

Who is this Jesus? Mark is trying to help us--the readers--figure that out.

And what about his inability to perform any deeds of power there? Mark G.V. Hoffman writes that a miracle is not merely an event, but an interpreted event. So if the people regarded Jesus as incapable of healing, any healing that would happen would not be attributed to him.

What follows is something that is truly astounding. Jesus sends his disciples out to heal the people in the villages. Mark particularly paints a portrait of the disciples as inept dunderheads. In Mark 4, they can’t understand the parables and need explanations. At the end of Mark 4, Jesus says of them that they are fearful and lacking faith when he calms the storm. They then ask, “Who is this?” In Mark 5, the question Jesus for wondering who touched him. And that’s just in those two chapters. There will be many more instances of stupidity and lack of faith in Mark’s Gospel. But, here, Jesus sends them out and--wonder of wonders--they are effective in ministry to the world.

And he sends them out with nothing. No laptops or tablets. No Iphones or IPads or IPods. Nothing. Nothing but the tunic on their backs and the sandals on their feet. Armed with nothing but the spirit of Jesus.

And now, Christ sends us out to do ministry in the City of Mansfield and beyond. The first part of the title of this sermon comes from a poem by Teresa of Avila. St. Teresa lived in the 16^th century. It is entitled:

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours

But it’s a pretty daunting assignment to go out into the world to do ministry in the name of Jesus. I’m guessing that many of us can’t picture ourselves in ministry, but we are. The key to being ministers in the name of Jesus is remembering that we have something those original idiot disciples did not have. We have experienced the faithfulness of God made known to us in Jesus crucified and risen. We have been given the knowledge of Jesus in the Gospels and the power of the Holy Spirit. We have the power of the Spirit of Christ!

But ministry? Please!

You just need to wrap your heads around it differently.

When you speak a kind word to an overworked store clerk, that’s ministry.

When you say a word of encouragement to a child, that’s ministry.

When you visit one of our members in a nursing home, that’s ministry.

When you send a card to someone who’s sick or just down in the dumps, that’s ministry.

When you tell someone about the wonderful Vacation Bible School we’re planning (you can give them the flyer from your bulletin), that’s ministry.

Whe you give to the work of the church, that’s ministry.

When you pull a weed from our community garden beds, that’s ministry.

When you come down to Fellowship Hall Saturday after next to serve breakfast to hungry people, that’s ministry.

When you work to change the world on behalf of hungry people, that’s ministry.

When you perform any act of kindness or justice, that’s ministry.

Question: How many members of First Christian Church does it take to change the world?

Answer: Start with yourself. But you really have to want to be changed. And with all of us--the world doesn’t stand a chance.

And that will be Good News for us, Good News for Mansfield, and Good News for the world. Amen.

Offering

Invitation

God knows about our lives and how much money we have. God does not want us to give more than we can or should. God does ask us to willingly give as we’ve received, and God will be pleased if we give what we can with enthusiasm. Let us make our offerings with joy, knowing that God already knows what we can afford.

Prayer

Gifting and giving God, we make our offerings to you with a willing, eager spirit. Please accept the gifts presented this morning for the use of the church so that our mission and service may be fulfilled. Bless those who could give richly and richly bless those who could not. Amen.

Benediction

Go in peace, love and care for one another in the name of Christ; Go in ministry with nothing but the power of Christ’s Spirit in you.

- and may the love of God the Father rest upon you

- may the grace and the mercy of Christ Jesus the Son dwell within you

- and may God the Holy Spirit strengthen, comfort, and sustain you

both now and forevermore. Amen.

Worship June 10, 2012

June 10, 2012
 The Pastoral Prayer
 Gracious and loving God, we gather here on this Sunday, the feast of Corpus Christi, not to remember a Jesus from long ago, but to celebrate his presence here among us in song, scripture, sermon, and wine and bread. We are thankful that in him, you too, are present with us. We are thankful for the gift of this glorious spring--even as our temperature has risen this week, and pray for those whose weather has not been so kind--especially for those in droughts in the Southwest United Sates and in sub-Saharan Africa. Rain down your love and your water on your children. We pray for our county and for its people. We pray for economic and spiritual renewal, and that you will use us to be a part of it. We pray for our state and those who serve it. We pray especially for our Governor John, our Senator Kris, and our Representative Jay. We thank you for their service and ask you blessings of wisdom, mercy, and justice be upon them. We pray for our church--your church--as we face difficult times. Help us to hopeful without being Pollyannaish. Help us to realistic without being fatalistic. Remind us that we belong to you, and that you love us very much. We pray for the sick and the suffering, that you will bring your healing touch--both for those named and unnamed. We pray for all who service our country at home and abroad, and that you will bring them all home safe and sound. There are things on our hearts and minds which we have not spoken. Hear us even in our silence, O God. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

 Mark 14:22

While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 24He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

 “This Is my Body…”
One of the options for this second Sunday after Pentecost is the observance of the feast of Corpus Christi--Latin for the Body of Christ. It is primarily a Catholic celebration and a chance to visit the doctrines of the Catholic Church as they pertain to the celebration of the Eucharist, Lord’s Supper, or Communion--three different ways to say the same thing about what happens at the Lord’s Table when we gather.

 Even though we are not Roman Catholic, I thought this would be a good occasion for us to visit some of the beliefs we share as Disciples about the practice of communion. This sermon will be a bit different that usual as it will be something of a doctrinal sermon--which is a neat trick in a church that has no official doctrines about anything!

The thing we can say, then about our doctrine of communion is that we have no official doctrine! We entrust our members to think for themselves, but we offer tools to enhance that thought and stimulate conversation. I hope that today’s sermon will provide such stimulation for each of you. We have no official theology of communion, but the Preamble to the Design for the Christian church offers this simple yet elegant sentence: “At the table of the Lord, we celebrate with thanksgiving the saving acts and presence of Christ.” The primary author of that statement was Ronald E. Osborn, one of the great thinkers of the church in the last century whom I was honored to know as a friend.

 With this statement, the church affirms several things about the Lord’s Supper. First of all, it is the Lord’s table, not ours. We cannot be territorial about what is not ours in the first place. More on this later. Secondly, communion is a celebration, not a morbid memorial. My two favorite communion hymns are, “I Come with Joy,” and “A Hymn of Joy We Sing,” which we will sing in a few minutes. The table is alive with thanksgiving and joy and is the place where we meet the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith, as we recognize his presence among us. More on this later as well.

Next, the nature of communion is covenantal and sacramental, not ordinal. In the Christian Church, we used to speak of baptism and communion as ordinances--things we do because Jesus ordered us to. Now we speak of baptism and communion as sacraments. What’s the difference? An ordinance is something we do. A sacrament is something God does in us. Sacrament is defined in various ways but the one that makes the most sense to me is that it is a “tangible sign of an intangible grace.” The bread and wine which we take are not necessarily a means of grace in and of themselves, but signs that we are already blessed by God and tangible signs and reminders of that grace. Ronald Osborn referred to communion (and baptism) as a covenant-sacrament--in which we pledge faithfulness to God, and God promises faithfulness to the church. 

Next, our celebration at the table is universal.  We believe that we are not alone when we gather at the Lord’s table. We share this table with others across the corner and around the world. It’s no wonder, then, that World Communion Sunday was founded by Jesse Bader, a Disciples minister who worked for the Federal Council of Churches--the predecessor of the National Council of Churches. We Disciples have held Christian Unity to be of the utmost importance (Barton W. Stone called it our polar star) from our very beginnings. The table is the most visible sign of that when the church gathers--even in our separate buildings.

At the table of the Lord, we celebrate his real presence--though not in the same way as our Catholic brothers and sisters. In Catholic theology, when the priest prays for the Holy Spirit to come over the elements of bread and wine, they actually become the body and blood of our Savior. You can bet they’re trying to explain that across town at St. Peter’s this morning. We can respect that belief, but we don’t share it. For Disciples, the real presence of Christ at the table is not in the elements of bread and cup, but in the community which gathers to partake of them. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 18--“Wherever two or more of you gather in my name, I’m there with you.” At the table of the Lord, we celebrate his real presence.

And finally and most importantly, for Disciples, the table is always open and inclusive! We emerged as a Christian movement in the early 19th century when communion was the property of the clergy--to be granted or withheld on a whim. Alexander Campbell and others saw communion as too important to the life of the church to be held captive by anyone, and so we serve at a table at which we are not hosts. Christ is the host, and the elders, deacons, and minister are merely servants--here to help guide those who would approach the table to experience the presence of Christ. There’s and old invitation to the table with John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, used to offer which goes something like this: “All who have faith in Christ, and those who would have faith are welcome.” I like that, because it leaves the invitation out there for all, as I would believe Christ would.

 Several weeks ago, when we had our Children’s Sunday, our kids were sitting up here in the choir when the communion trays were passed, but they were bypassed. I know that it is our tradition to serve only baptized children, but I wonder if we ought to think about that some more. For me, I find it difficult to think that the Jesus who brought children close to him and blessed them would push them away from the table. Something to think about.

T his week, I received a pastoral letter from our General Minister and President, the Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins. The subject of the letter was Sexual Orientation--on which she readily admitted that we are not of one mind. But the thrust of her letter was about the Lord’s Table, where we gather gladly as Christians gay or straight, conservative or liberal, or any other division you can think of. This is possible because what brings us together around the Table is not politics or views on social matters or even theology. What brings us together at the Lord’s Table as Disciples is our love of Jesus Christ. The table is more than just open--it is all-inclusive.

The celebration of Lord’s Supper is covenantal and sacramental in nature. It is a sign of the oneness of the church. It is a memory of Christ’s saving acts as well as a recognition of his presence. And the table is open and inclusive to all. This, my sisters and brothers, is good news for us, good news for Mansfield, and good news for the world. Amen.


Offering Invitation God is good. God works for the good. It is natural that we, the benefactors of all that God-given good, are grateful. We express our gratitude with our service, with our use of our time, and with our financial resources. Our offerings will now be presented.
Prayer God of goodness and generosity, thank you for everything you have given us. We worship and praise you with our gifts. Our prayer this morning is that through us the world will see Christ’s light and come to know your goodness. Please take our gifts and use them to strengthen the ministry of the Christian Church—here at home and everywhere in the world. Amen.

Benediction 
Go out into the world in love and peace--witnesses to what you have experienced in song, scripture, sermon, but mostly at the table of the Lord--in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Amen.

Sermon April 15, 2012

1John 1.1-2.2 1We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— 3we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 2My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. “But…If…Then…” Some 40 years ago, the great psychiatrist and Presbyterian elder Karl Menninger wrote a small book entitled, Whatever Became of Sin? in which he lamented the loss of the word sin from the modern vocabulary. More than the loss of the word was the loss of the concept--the idea that we are people who sin against God and against each other--and therefore are in need of some outside intervention in our lives. Perhaps this started as early as the 1920s, when the story (almost surely apocryphal) is told of President Calvin Coolidge returning to the White House from church one Sunday morning to be greeted by Mrs. Coolidge, who asked what the sermon was about. Coolidge, who was known for his brief utterances is said to have responded with one word, “Sin.” Mrs. Coolidge pressed him, “well, what did he say about it?” The President answered, “He was against it.” Perhaps it’s better told through the eyes of Norman Greenbaum. Norman Greenbaum is a Jew, who in 1969 was a young rock-n-roller. One day, Greenbaum was watching Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner sing a gospel song on the television. He thought to himself, “I could do that!” Greenbaum wrote and recorded an iconic gospel/rock song entitled, “Spirit in the Sky,” which became a huge hit and still gets airplay today. Now you know me well enough to know that I do not disparage our Jewish brothers and sisters, but Brother Greenbaum got it all wrong about sin. One of the prominent lines in the song is, “Never been a sinner. I’ve never sinned.” Obviously, Norman had never read Romans 3 which declares that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” He certainly had never read our lesson for today which states in verse 8 of the first chapter of 1 John, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” One of the great privileges I have as a minister is preparing young people for church membership through baptism in Pastor’s Class. Just a few weeks ago, we addressed the question, “what is sin?” The answer that we worked with is fairly simple and not original. Sin is anything that comes between us and God and each other. Paul described it as falling short--as in falling short of the goal of perfection. Of course, none of us can achieve perfection in this life, and so we all, by definition, sin. But we don’t like talking about it. Not as a nation and not as a church. In the first proclamation of a National Day of Prayer in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln called on the nation “to confess our sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon.” 100 years passed. In the early 1950s, Congress passed a law that the president should henceforth and every year after that should designate a certain day in May as a National Day of Prayer and he should issue a proclamation so designating that day. President Eisenhower, in the first year, went back to Abraham Lincoln’s declaration, borrowed much of the language and used the word “sin” in that first declaration in the early 1950s. Dr. Menninger points out that in all the succeeding years, President Eisenhower left the word “sin” out. He points out that as of the early 1970s, in the 20 years that had passed, no American president, in issuing his call to prayer, used the word “sin” again. Eisenhower didn’t, Kennedy didn’t, Johnson didn’t, Nixon didn’t. Now 40 years have passed again from the publication of that book and, so far as I know, no president since then has used the word “sin” in his proclamation. Think about that. President Lincoln used the word “sin” in 1863. President Eisenhower did the same in the early 1950s. No president since then has used that word in connection with the National Day of Prayer. Dr. Menninger adds the interesting insight that Republican presidents talk about pride and self-righteousness, while Democratic presidents talk about shortcomings and mistakes. But no president actually has the courage to call Americans to repent of their sins. And we’d like to use Calvin Coolidge’s take on sin in the church. Admit we’re against it and be done with it. But it’s one thing to stop talking about sin and another to stop the practice of sin. That’s why Dr. Menninger wrote the book Whatever Became of Sin? His thesis is correct. We are living today in a society that has lost the concept of sin but not the practice of sin. We have forgotten the concept of sin but the practice of sin continues unabated. Years ago, a young woman named Rhonda came to see me in my study. She’d done something awful years before, and her pastor at the time told he it wasn’t her fault and that everything was alright. But it was not alright. She carried around with her a massive sense of guilt, which turned into a burden of shame. There’s a difference between guilt and shame and it is an important distinction. Guilt says, “I have done something wrong.” Shame says, “I am something wrong.” Shame is toxic, but guilt can be useful. After letting Rhonda talk for a long time, I asked her if the activity she’d carried around with her for years was sin. Sinful. Something which had come between her and God and others. She cried and said yes. I then read verses from today’s lesson for her. “8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 2My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous…” We prayed together--confessing the sin which had weighed her down for so long and asking for God’s forgiveness. Rhonda walked out a different person. Our Catholic neighbors are onto something with the sacrament of confession. Admitting that we have sinned and seeking God’s forgiveness is a powerful thing. But, I don’t see myself sitting in a little booth waiting for you come by and confess your sins. And so, our best effort can be a corporate prayer of confession--not to make us feel guilty, but as a means of unburdening ourselves of guilt by way of letting go of the things that separate us from God and from each other. To give structure to the process of seeking forgiveness from God--that’s what it’s about. Our Revelation class has said that the Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon--can’t have one without the other--are good things and that we should continue them beyond the season of Lent. And so, we shall. “Whatever Became of Sin?” asked Dr. Menninger. Well, sin is alive and unwell. But God’s gracious forgiveness is greater than all our sin. Don’t let sin eat at you and tear you apart like it did to Rhonda. Confess your sin to God and accept his forgiveness--whether you do so on your own or as we pray on Sunday Morning. Sin is only a dirty word if we bury it. God’s grace can bring it out into the open and wipe it out. And that is good news for us, good news for Mansfield, and good news for the world. Amen.

Easter Sermon April 8, 2012

Easter Sunday April 8, 2012 “There’s a Savior at Hand” John 20:1-18 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her. We’re all here for different reasons this morning--and yet we’re all here for the same reason. Some of us are here because it’s Sunday. You’d be here whether it was Easter or the third Sunday in August, which is just Sunday. Every time the doors are open, you are here. You’re probably mad that we let the blizzard call off church two weeks ago. You’re here because it’s Sunday and you are here. And we are delighted that you are here. Some of us are here because it’s Easter, and, well, you try to come all the time, but for Easter--you’re definitely going to make it on Easter. You’re here because it’s Easter and we’re really glad you’re here. Some of you are here because your momma or your grandmamma wanted you here, and God bless you for coming. You be nice to Mom and Grandma. You’re gonna miss’ ‘em some day. You’re here because you are good children and grandchildren, and we are so happy you are here. And I’m here because, well, this is my job. Welcome to my job! I’m here every Sunday, too, though in times past, I’ve gone especially because it is Easter, and I’ve also gone to church to make my Mom happy. And we’re all here because a frightened and disheartened young woman named Mary Magdalene went down to the cemetery in the dark--and we all know the dark. We all know the dark places of life. Somewhere last week, a group of workers was told that the company was closing the plant, and they would all be out of jobs. Somewhere last week, a woman was told by her husband that he didn’t love her anymore. Somewhere last week, a soldier’s husband received word that his wife was coming back from Iraq--in a casket, and that he would now raise his children on his own. Somewhere last week, some of our neighbors lost their fight to stave off foreclosure, losing the only asset they had. Somewhere last week, a family was killed in an accident. We know the dark places. Somewhere, sometime, we’ve all been there--in despair--for different reasons. Mary was in the dark place because she had lost all hope. She and the others who followed Jesus had placed their hope in one who came at life in a different way. The world wanted a king who would dominate with might, and Jesus talked about the blessings of meekness. The world wanted a messiah who would bring justice by way of the sword, and Jesus spoke of loving your enemies. The powers spoke of punishment and retribution, but Jesus said forgive until you lose count. The power structure spoke of containing God in a box in the temple with restricted access, and Jesus said, “the kingdom of God is within you.” And now, those same authorities had taken Jesus and killed him--silencing him, and boxing him up so that he could be managed and contained. And Mary had come to the garden tomb in the darkness to finish the job of embalming his lifeless body which had died along with all her hope. She’d come to finish caring for the body of her Lord, but it was gone. She ran to get the others. They ran back. Then they ran away. They ran away because they didn’t understand it what the resurrection meant. The empty tomb was just an idea they couldn’t comprehend--a concept that had no meaning for them. Craig Barnes writes that we still run around when we don’t understand something. So, they ran. But Mary stayed. She cried, and bent over to look into the tomb. And in the tomb, two angels. The word angel simply means a messenger. But, these angels ask her a question, and she shows that she doesn’t understand what she sees. Then the gardener asks her the same question, and she again demonstrates her total lack of comprehension. And then, the gardener calls her by name, and the gardener is no longer the gardener, but Jesus. And by calling Mary by name, this is no longer a trip to the cemetery, but an encounter with the Risen Christ. This is important--none of the disciples understand or comprehend what is going on. The resurrection as an idea is a failure. The resurrection as a concept doesn’t work. The resurrection as a theory has no validity whatsoever. But, the resurrection as an encounter with Jesus is something else entirely--even if Mary still doesn’t completely get it. She wants to hold on to him--in her own way, to keep Jesus boxed up and under control, but that won’t work--not in the new world of the resurrection. And that’s instructive for us. We’re not here because we are certain of our hold on Jesus Christ. We’re here because in Jesus Christ, we’re certain of God’s love for us. We’re all here for the same reason--but not just because Mary had an encounter with the risen Lord, but because she told someone else about that encounter, then they encountered the risen Lord, and shared that with someone else. And all those encounters have become relationships. And down through the last 2000 years, women and men have encountered the risen Lord, and shared that encounter with others. And we are here today because we have all encountered the risen Lord, and we want to celebrate it together. Today, if not before, we have encountered the risen Christ in the waters of baptism. We have encountered the risen Lord in the singing and the praying, in the organ and the bells and in the choir. We have encountered him in the promises made with infants. And we will share the most intimate encounter with the risen Lord in the bread and the wine. The resurrection is not an idea to be comprehended, or a doctrine to be believed. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a reality to be experienced. It is an intimate encounter. We sing “In the Garden,” not because it’s sweet and sentimental, but because when we do so, we acknowledge that Mary Magdalene’s story has become our story--that’s what that hymn’s about! And we are now part of an ongoing and unfolding story of Jesus Christ. Now, after having this encounter with the risen Lord, we have a job to do. Now, although we’ve already established that you are at my job, this job belongs to everyone. We are called to share the good news that this encounter is available for all. The good news is, there’s a savior on the loose--not boxed up all neat and tidy. This savior is out there in the real world, not just at loose but at hand, coming up along side us in all our dark places. And he knows all our names. Invitation to the Table You have joined your story to Mary’s, and therefore you are a part of Jesus’ story as well. Come to the table, where the story is both retold, and continuing.

Sermon May 6, 2012

May 6, 2012 Morning Worship @ First United Methodist Church (InterChurch Council Pulpit Exchange) Psalm 23 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long. “The Gospel in Miniature” Invariably, when planning a funeral with a family, they will ask that the 23rd Psalm be included in the service. I will smile and say that with me, you get the 23rd Psalm whether you request it or not. The fourth Sunday in Eastertide is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Traditionally, the text from John 10 is read—“I am the Good Shepherd…my sheep know my voice…” I’ve made no secret that I’m not fond of Good Shepherd Sunday. I don’t like being referred to as livestock—but today is different. Today, I want to dwell on the comfort afforded to us in the 23rd Psalm—the same comfort that it provides those who are grieving the loss of one they love. Martin Luther, the great 16th century reformer once said that John 3.16 was the Gospel in miniature. God so loved the world that he gave his only son… As miniature Gospels go, it’s pretty good The Gospel—literally, Good News—is that we are saved by a loving creator whose love for us is so great that he sent his son to live and die among us. In his life and death and life again, he showed us how to live and how to die. For God so loved the world… I think you can go back even further. I think the Gospel in miniature can be found in the 23rd Psalm—the great comforting words attributed to the shepherd King David. The Lord is my shepherd. I want for nothing. He provides food and water, correction when I need it. Boundaries with the rod and staff. The rod, by the way was a way of keeping the sheep where it was supposed to go—not to beat the sheep. In the Proverb “spare the rod and spoil the child,” that’s also what the rod refers to—boundaries, not beatings. The shepherd makes peace with my enemies, treats me like royalty, and promises lifelong—read eternal lifelong—dwelling in the Lord’s home. But the particular place where this Gospel comes into play at least for me is the 4th verse. Even though I walk through the darkest valley. I fear no evil, for you are with me. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. One of the names given to Jesus Christ is Emmanuel, which means, “God with us.” Here is that concept of Emmanuel—God with us—long before Jesus’ birth. I will fear nothing for you are with me. In funerals, I will state that the person whose life we celebrate was without fear at the moment of death because God was with them as they walked through the valley of the shadow of death. No fear. And at those same funerals, I will assure those gathered that we can have no fear because God is with us. We can be hurt, we can be saddened, but we do not fear, because God is with us. Now the Psalms are the prayer book of the Jewish people, and hence they would have been Jesus’ prayer book, too. When Jesus was at his most painful moment on the cross. He cried out the words which open the 22nd Psalm—Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani—Aramaic for “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” Those words didn’t come from out of the blue. Jesus knew the Psalms like he knew the backs of his nail-pierced hands. The Psalms provide the reader with every kind of emotion—even abandonment and pain. My God, My God, why have you forsaken me. Saying those words would have been as natural for Jesus as it might be for us to sing one of those wonderful Charles Wesley hymns when we are happy. I came across an idea last week I’d never thought of before—from Michael Lodahl, a Nazarene theologian. If Jesus quoted Psalm 22.1 on the cross, what might he have been saying to himself as he carried his cross through the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha. What if, before he experienced the abandonment of the cross, he had his own Emmanuel moment on the way to the cross. Might Jesus have been carrying that cross to his death saying, “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear nothing, for you, God, are with me. I like that idea, in that Jesus walks with me through my darkest valleys because he has walked through his own. In his Good Friday sermon at First Christian Church, the Rev. Kent Joy preached about Jesus knowing our times of abandonment and understanding what we feel. Jesus knows our feelings of abandonment because they are his feelings, too. He also knows our fears, and assures us that we are not alone. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid, for God is with me. Last Wednesday, I participated in a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association out at the Reformatory. The person who drove me home noticed my collar, and asked if I would pray for her and her family. She started to cry as she told me the most heart-wrenching story of mental illness and broken relationships I’ve ever heard—and I’ve heard a lot. In the middle of her story, she said, “I’m all alone, and no one knows what I’m going through.” I asked her if she knew the 23rd Psalm, and she said, “Sure, the Lord’s my shepherd and so on.” “Remember the part,” I asked her, “that starts, “Yea, though I walk the valley…” and she picked it up. “…of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” She smiled and stopped crying. That’s not going to solve all her problems, but it’s always good to know that you’re not alone. The Rev. Steve Bentley, our Disciples regional pastor—kind of like your District Superintendent--was in Mansfield last week for our Disciples District ministers’ gathering. And he told us about one of our Disciples churches in Cleveland—St. Philip’s Christian Church where he has preached on occasion. He talked about the wonderful services they have every Sunday with enthusiastic worship and happiness on every face. As he talked, I began to wonder how big this magnificent congregation must be. 200? 300? Larger? It turns out that St. Philip’s Christian Church has about twelve members. They meet in a basement room around a space heater because their gas has been cut off. Tree roots outside the building are tearing at the foundation. The church is literally across the street from the projects. If any church has any thoughts that they are walking down the valley of the shadow of death, it’s St. Philip’s. If any church has a right to be fearful, it’s St. Philip’s. And yet, there is no trepidation there—no fear. Because God—Emmanuel—is with them. And they rejoice in that presence without dread. The mainline churches of Mansfield have big problems. Some might say that we are walking down the valley of the shadow of death. I do not agree, but I know this: Whatever we face, we can face it without fear because God is with us. We all--whether First Christian or First United Methodist--have financial problems we can’t ignore. We have empty pews we can’t ignore. We have building issues we can’t ignore. And at the root of all these problems is our failure to share the good news that Jesus Christ is in our midst at First Christian Church and First United Methodist Church in Mansfield. We need to invite others—not to solve our attendance issues, not to solve our financial matters, but because we want them to have an encounter with Jesus Christ. What could we possibly be afraid of? We mainliners treat inviting others to church as if it is walking through the valley of the shadow of death. What do we fear? Rejection, maybe? What if we all set a goal to invite at least one person to church during the month of May. And, trust me folks, First United Methodist Church and First Christian Church are not in competition with each other. Our competition is an increasingly unchurched culture. One person. Who knows what effect might ripple through our community if we do so. It would be Good News for the Church, Good News for Mansfield, and Good News for the world. Amen. --Chris Whitehead

Worship for Sunday April 1, 2012

April 1, 2012
Call to Worship
L: We come to prepare for the holiest of weeks.
P: We will journey through praise, with joy on our lips;
we will travel through betrayal and death,
cradling hope deep in our hearts


L: Jesus leads us through this week, and we will follow,
for he is the life we long for,
he is the Word who sustains us.
P: We wave palm branches in anticipation,
we lay our love before him, to cushion his walk

L: Setting aside all power, glory, and might, he comes:
modeling humility and obedience for all of us.
P: Hosanna! Hosanna!
Blessed is the One who brings us
the kingdom of God.

Morning Prayers
Call to Reconciliation
When the parade is over, do we pick up our lives,
brush them off, and live in the old way? Do we toss
our palm branches aside, so we can grasp the seductions
of the world? As we begin the journey through the
holiest of weeks, let us speak the truth, as we confess
to our God, praying together,

Unison Prayer of Confession
Ever constant Love, mixing love and hope together,
you pave the way to the kingdom, but we prefer to stub
our toes on the potholed roads of temptation. You will
touch the cup of grace to our parched lips, but we seem
to hunger for the ashy taste of bitterness. You beg us to
learn the songs of salvation, but we hum along with the
chorus death plays in the background of our lives.
Have mercy upon us, God of Holiness. As you come
to us, you bring healing for our brokenness, peace for
our troubled lives, hope for our doubting minds. May
we empty ourselves of everything which keeps us from
following you, so we may receive these gifts, and more,
from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silent prayers may be offered.
Assurance of Pardon
L: Laying aside judgment, God offers us redemption;
setting aside anger, God embraces us with love;
letting go of grief, God pours living water upon us.
This is the good news, my friends:
God's steadfast love endures forever.
Hosanna! Hosanna!
Blessed is the One who brings us
the kingdom of God! Amen.

The Pastoral Prayer
Ever present God, we come to you today in praise and thanksgiving for the joy of being together. To sing our Hosannas along with the crowd in Jerusalem so long ago. To give you thanks for healing we have experienced either for ourselves or for others.
But we come with a dark side, as well. We wonder if we would have joined those same crowds as they called for Jesus’ crucifixion. We think not, but we wonder, none the less.
We stand before in the midst of a world at war. There are the wars our nation is in, but we turn a blind eye to other wars, uprisings, and other conflicts; conflicts over freedoms, land, oil, diamonds, and drugs. We know that you do not want your children to fight. Help us to be peacemakers, even as we pray for those who serve our country. We pray for our Commander in Chief, Barack, our Vice-President Joe, our senators Rob and Sherrod, and out Representative Jim. Form them into makers of peace and justice.
We stand before you in the midst of a struggling city and townships. We see foreclosures in our neighborhoods and worry over our own finances. Help us to know that whatever state we are in, you are with us.
Your church, O Lord, is hurting. We come before you today seeking your wisdom and guidance as we work to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ with scarce resources. Help us to see the abundance around us and live in you abundant blessings.
We have brought the names of those who are suffering this day. We lay the concerns of the sick before and you and ask for your healing touch.
We have come with concerns on our hearts which we dare not speak with our lips. Hear us, O God, even in our silence.
We pray these things in the name of Jesus, and by his grace. Amen.

Mark 15:1-15
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.
Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’
He answered him, ‘You say so.’
Then the chief priests accused him of many things.
Pilate asked him again, ‘Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.’ But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
Now at the festival Pilate used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked.
Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom.
Then he answered them, ‘Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over.
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead.
Pilate spoke to them again, ‘Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?’
They shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’
Pilate asked them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Crucify him!’ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

“Cheers to Jeers”
I have a question which is itself more than one question.
The first is which Jesus will we see today? Will it be the one who rides in to the cheers of the crowd—acknowledging the hosannas as they are shouted to him? I often wonder, why not this Jesus? After all, at the moment of his triumphant entry into the capital city, he had the hearts and minds of the people with him. Why not declare the kingdom of God on earth and let the people run the Romans right out of Judea and Galilee? Why not? Surely in that moment, he could have done anything he wished to do. Why not be Jesus the triumphant conquering king?
But, that's not the Jesus we'll ultimately get. The Jesus we'll ultimately get is the one who gets down from the animal and finds himself in the custody of the government. The Jesus we'll get will find himself tried, convicted, beaten, and humiliated in a torturous, painful death on a symbol of shame. Why is it that this is the Jesus we get—the Jesus who won't take the easy way, the shortcut?
Before we get to that, I have another “which Jesus? question. It involves the question of Yeshua BarJoseph and Yeshua BarAbbas. Yeshua is Aramaic for Jesus, and yes, the character in the Gospels known as Barabbas had the first name of Jesus.
We know from other sources that he was from Nazareth, and about the same age as Jesus of Nazareth. Tony Campolo imagines that they grew up together—in a village of only a few hundred, surely they knew each other. The teacher would call on Jesus in class and they would both rise. Their friend would yell, “Jesus, your mama's calling you,” and they would both scurry home.
But, it wasn't that they grew up together, but that they grew very much apart in the course of their lives. Barabbas was a called a thief in the other gospels, but Mark gets it closer. He was a murderer, a terrorist, if you will. He was a part of a movement to push the Romans out of the land by any means necessary. His version of salvation for the people of Israel involved murder, violence, and terror. If Barabbas had had the weaponry of today, he'd be lobbing the improvised explosive devices into the barracks every day.
Contrast that with the Jesus we got, a man who was content to let the authorities humiliate and execute him without protest. A man who was willing to live out what he had taught. If someone hits you on one cheek, let them hit the other. Do not resist an evildoer. Meaning, don't hit back. A man, who, while enduring immense suffering, prayed that God would forgive his killers.
Which Jesus? The one who would murder the entire lot of public officials, and then go have lunch, or the Jesus who would forgive them for doing the unspeakable things they did to him?
Which Jesus, indeed? The one who would lead an armed revolt against oppression, or the one who changed hearts by love?
Pilate offered this very choice to the people of Judea some two-thousand year ago. “which Jesus shall I release for you?”
And the people--the same people who cheered our Jesus on Palm Sunday back then--chose the Jesus of violence, hate, and murder instead of the Jesus of compassion and love.
We know that the valiant efforts to take back the land from the Romans went on for another forty years, or so. Valiant as these efforts may have been, they were an absolute failure, leading to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in the year 70.
And the other Jesus went to cross. We use the cross as a symbol of our faith, but its origins are far more sinister.
Crucifixion was one of the tools used by Rome to keep its conquered lands under control. It was used against non-citizens, and slaves to bring shame on those who were crucified and their families. Disciples theologian Rita Nakashima Brock notes that this execution was so shameful that families of the crucified would not even speak of it. It was carried out outdoors to spread the shame and make a spectacle of the long and agonizing process. Their naked bodies would be left to rot and be eaten by scavenging animals. In the end, there would be nothing left to acknowledge or bury or memorialize—it was as if the person never existed.
The writers of the gospels broke that silence. They told of how their messiah faced the agony of the cross and defeated it. His death was swift—with no broken bones and with dignity, depriving the Empire of its power to humiliate. The Empire even allowed his body to be taken down, unlike the others who had met their death in this way.
The early use of the empty cross in the church was always as a symbol of life—that Jesus, in his death and resurrection had defeated the cross of its shame and pain. It was only in the tenth century that the image we know as the crucifix comes into use, and the cross takes on a more somber and violent imagery in the church.
I like the early version better. The cross is a symbol of light and life, because Jesus went to it with love on his heart. The crowd may have chosen the Jesus of violence, but the Jesus of love faced the worst violence the world could throw at him and defeated it.
The violence of Jesus BarAbbas could not conquer Rome, but the love of Jesus BarJoseph converted the entire Empire little by little over the next three centuries. The people may have chosen violence over love, but it was love that conquered violence in the end.
Sometimes, it looks to us like violence wins. Sometimes we even embrace it—we choose Jesus BarAbbas. But if love could conquer an empire then, might not it conquer violence now? Now, you might think that sometimes we have to choose the Jesus of violence. The world is indeed a scary place. I get that. But, love will win out.
Kyril was the Orthodox Bishop of Sofia, Bulgaria during the Second World War. One night, the Nazis came and rounded up every Jew in the city of Sofia, herded them into a fenced pen, and prepared to deport them by train. Kyril, who was very tall, came striding down to the rail yard with 300 church members behind him. In addition to being about 6' 6” tall, he wore the bishop's miter, he must have looked like a giant to the Nazis. He pushed his way passed the sentries and went into the pen with the entire Jewish population of Sofia. At the top of his lungs, he shouted out the words from the Book of Ruth, “Whither thou goest, I will go, and whither thou lodgest, I will lodge, and your people will be my people and your God will be my God.”
The entire Jewish population of Sofia cheered. The Christians cheered. And the Nazis backed down.
Not one Bulgarian Jew was deported or killed during what we call the Holocaust. Not one.
The church is called to speak words of love. To speak up for those who are oppressed. To comfort the afflicted. To, in the words of the Apostle Paul, overcome evil, not with evil, but with good. To remember that even in times like these that just plain stink, we worship a God who, in Jesus Christ, has conquered the worst violence that the world can muster. And that is the Jesus whom we are called to choose. Remember, even through this dark time we call Holy Week, the promise of the resurrection looms. And God will bring us through the dark days into the light by the power of Jesus' love.
And that is Good News for us, Good News for Mansfield, and Good News for the world. Amen.
Offering
Invitation
Blessed are we who come in the name of the Lord. Blessed are we when we have the opportunities to be witnesses to our faith. The gifts we offer to ministries of our congregation and the wider church are ways in which we can joyfully proclaim our belief in a better world.
Prayer
Gracious God, we pray that all the gifts we offer may be used to joyfully proclaim your vision and hope for our world. Amen.

Benediction
Go in Peace - and may God be gracious unto you -
may his love flow forth abundantly upon you -
and may his eternal faithfulness
give you strength for each and every day - Amen

Worship March 25, 2012 The St. Andrews Cross

Morning Prayers
Call to Reconciliation
We close our heart's eye, and wonder why we cannot
see Jesus. We wander down the same old paths, and
are amazed that Jesus is not ahead of us. We speak
and live in ways which keep us from being God's children.
Let us come to the One who offers us grace and mercy,
as we pray together, saying,
Unison Prayer of Confession
Love that knows no boundaries: we crowd our lives
with so much activity, that it is hard to find time for you.
We become so focused on ourselves, we can overlook
those around us who are searching for hope. We fill
our spiritual emptiness with junk, rather than feasting on
your Word.
Abundant Mercy, forgive us. Open our eyes, that
we may see your new covenant written in plain sight
on our hearts. Open our hearts, that we may join you
in serving the broken of the world. Open our love, so
we may pour it out as abundantly and graciously as
your love is given to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
Like a parent tenderly washing her child, God bathes
us in the warm waters of forgiveness, cleansing us, and
restoring us to new life.
Through Christ, we are made whole; through Christ,
we are loved; through Christ, we become new people.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Pastoral Prayer
O Lord - when we contemplate the sacrifice of Jesus - your Son - we are
overwhelmed. Your mercy and your love know no human limitations. Your
grace and your forgiveness are greater than all we can tell. Help us,
O Lord, to declare your compassion and to give all praise and honor to
your most holy name. Put in us the willingness to follow where-ever you
may lead us.

Lord we pray for all those who do not understand you this day -
especially we pray for those who would blame you for the suffering that
they or others must endure. Show them, O Lord, your will is entirely
good -- that you take upon yourself our pain, our guilt, our death, so
that we may live in wholeness and in eternal peace. Show them O God, and
relieve their distress.

We pray, O Lord, for those who bear the cross of Christ this day, for
those who give of themselves without regard to the cost.... We pray for
parents who care so deeply that they forget themselves for the sake of
their children; for brothers and sisters who give up what is theirs so
that their siblings may prosper, for those of faith who sacrifice their
time, their energy, and often their very lives, so that those around them
who are in need may be satisfied.

Father, we pray for those whom have been lifted up before you today in
our updates - and we ask your blessing upon them.

Lord, we pray today for things we dare not speak aloud. Hear us in our silence.

O Lord, accept all our prayers this day. We ask it in the name of Christ
Jesus, he who died that we might live, and who lives that we may never
die. Amen

John 12.20-26
20 ¶ Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
23 Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

“Why We Use the Saint Andrew’s Cross”
The denominational symbol of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a red chalice with a St. Andrew’s Cross.
It was drawn on a placemat by my late friend Ronald Osborn, and officially adopted as our church’s symbol in 1971. Since then it has become a recognizable representation of belonging. Anywhere you travel in the U.S. or Canada--and in many other parts of the world-- this chalice with the cross serves to let you know that this is your church.
But why is this “X” shaped cross called St. Andrew’s? And what does it have to do with our scripture for today?
Today, we examine the life of Andrew--at least what we know of it. Some of which is more reliable than others, but all of it germane to our point. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Andrew is simply a name on a list. Where we learn a little something about Andrew is in the Gospel of John, which is our text for today.
In the first chapter of John, Andrew is the first to be a disciple of Jesus, after apparently being a disciple of John the Baptist. Andrew and another disciple were with John when Jesus walked by and John shouted out, “behold, the Lamb of God!”
They asked Jesus where he was staying and Jesus said, “Come and see.”
They spent that day with Jesus, and while we don’t know where they went or what they did or even what was said, we know it had a profound impact on Andrew. Andrew went right away to his brother Simon, later to be known as Peter, and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” Andrew then introduced Peter to Jesus.
And this is evangelism at its very best and in its most basic form--introducing someone to Jesus.
And that is primarily what we know of Andrew--he introduces people to Jesus.
He does it again in the sixth chapter of John, at the event headlined in your bibles as the feeding of the five thousand.
A big crowd had followed Jesus out into the countryside. By the way, the number five thousand didn’t count the women and the children so this crowd was probably closer to 20,000! It was time to eat, and Jesus asked Philip how they might buy enough food to feed the people.
Philip answered, “two hundred denarii would not buy enough for each of them to get a little.”
What Philip was actually saying was that it was impossible--since a denarius was a day’s wage, and the idea that the disciples and Jesus would be carrying around two hundred of them was absurd. Feeding the crowd would simply not be possible.
But, then, something amazing happens. Andrew introduces a young boy to Jesus--a boy who was willing to share his lunch. Even Andrew is skeptical about the prospects, but Jesus blesses the food and the crowd is filled and there is food left over.
We don’t know exactly what happened there, but I do know this: miraculous things happen when we share what we have, and miraculous things happen when we introduce someone to Jesus Christ. Let me repeat those things: miraculous things happen when we share what we have, and miraculous things happen when we introduce someone to Jesus Christ.
The last appearance of Andrew takes place in our scripture for today. This occurs just after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, during the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. Some Greeks came to Philip asking if they could see Jesus. Philip told Andrew, and together, they took them to Jesus. Once again, Andrew was the willing go between, introducing first his own brother, then a boy with a lunch basket, and a Gentile group to Jesus.
Remember, Jesus said he had come only for Israel, and he had told his disciples to go nowhere among the Gentiles. It must have taken some nerve for Andrew to bring these Greeks to Jesus.
Where the other disciples were willing to just go along to get along, Andrew stuck his neck out and took chances because he knew the power of bringing people to Jesus.
What do we know of Andrew outside the bible? Well, it’s pretty fanciful, but interesting.
Tradition has it that Andrew made his way to what are now known as Romania, Ukraine and Russia and preached the Gospel there. He was crucified in Patras, a city in Northern Greece. The legend has it that he deemed himself unworthy to die on a Roman cross as did Jesus, and requested that he be executed on and “X” shaped cross, now known as a Saint Andrew’s cross.
Some of Andrew’s remains, or relics, were taken to Scotland where Andrew became known as the patron Saint. The flag of Scotland bears an “X” shaped cross in his honor.
And here’s where the Disciples of Christ come in. Two of our church’s founders, Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander Campbell, were natives of Scotland who came to America by way of Ireland.
The Saint Andrew’s cross was chosen for the Disciples symbol because of those ties to Scotland, but also for our historic emphasis on evangelism.
And there lies the rub.
Our emphasis on evangelism is primarily historic and not contemporary--in other words, we used to introduce people to Jesus, but not so much, anymore.
And this is tragic--not only for the diminishing number of us, but for the whole church.
Who knows if the family member you could invite to First Christian might be the next Peter--the rock of the church?
Or what about your neighbor who doesn’t have a church home? Who knows what example of sharing she might set for us?
And what about the stranger you meet in the store, or the person who cuts your hair, or mows your lawn, or the guy on the next treadmill at the “Y?” Who knows what might come out of a simple invitation and an opportunity to meet Jesus?
Some in our church want to emphasize the Scottish connection to our church when they see the “X” shaped cross, but I hope that it takes us back to Andrew--the original evangelist.
Evangelism means Good News, but it can’t be Good News if it’s not shared.
Sharing Jesus is indeed Good News for us, Good News for Mansfield, and Good News for the world. Amen.


Offering
Invitation
A seed is completely useless unless it is planted. Then it can become the beginning of a great harvest—producing many seeds, which will produce more grain. This is a lot like our money here on earth. One dollar is not a large amount of money, but combined with other dollars it becomes a powerful tool. We must use our resources today to ensure that there is a strong ministry for tomorrow. As we present our offerings, please consider how much more powerful our gifts are when combined.
Prayer
Dear God, help us to be like the wheat seed that has been planted. Help us to use your resources to grow your ministry, so that the money, time, and talent we give today will make a difference for years to come in our church and our community. Amen.

Benediction
Go in peace - love and care for one another in the name of Christ and share his Good News;
And may the blessing of God fall upon you;
may the living presence of Jesus surround you;
and may the Spirit guide and support you
both now and evermore. Amen