Sunday, August 26, 2012

“Even Our Prayers?”

I Kings 8:22-30, 41-43

August 26, 2012

The Pastoral Prayer

O God, we praise your name for the wonders of your creation. Even as the Mars Rover Curiosity is expanding our knowledge of your creation in the universe, new species are being discovered on this planet. Wonder of wonders, we are in awe of your power, and we sing your praises.

We thank you for the wonders we have seen with our own eyes here in Ohio. The beauty of the earth and the joy of human love. We thank you just for being alive and awake.

But we are aware of conflict in the world. We pray for the people of Syria, where one in ten citizens there is a brother or sister in Christ. We pray for those caught up in conflict in Burma and Bangladesh, and in internal strife in Kenya and Iraq. We hurt for our neighbors in conflict and pray for peace.

We pray for the American service personnel who are seeking peace in many places around the world. May their work result in a just and lasting peace, and may they come home safe, and sound, and soon.

We pray today for those in pain--whether the pain of physical illness or the pain of grief. Give them healing and peace.

We especially pray for the concerns of our Saturday morning guests, whose difficulties are many. Grant them your loving consolation

We pray for those who serve our cities, county and townships, especially our own Russ. Grant them patience, courage, mercy, and understanding in the difficult service they provide.

We pray for the students and teachers and administrators who have returned to school this week. Give them fresh eyes for new knowledge and a sense of wonder about all they teach and learn.

We know that much of what is on our hearts is unspoken, and we ask that you will hear us in our silence as we pray.

We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus, our Christ. Amen.

1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven.

He said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand.

Therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that which you promised him, saying, ‘There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David.

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built! Regard your servant’s prayer and his plea, Lord my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may heed the prayer that your servant prays toward this place. Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling place; heed and forgive.

“Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of your name—for they shall hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm—when a foreigner comes and prays toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built.

I remember the first time, six years ago, that I saw this sanctuary. I was captivated by the faceted glass, and the stained glass, and the beautiful peak of the ceiling. I was remembering that this week, and thinking of those of you who saw this sanctuary for the first time together, more than 55 years ago. If you were a part of that dedication service, please stand if you are able. Let's acknowledge these folks for a moment, and then recognize that they have a sense of what today's readings are about.

This lesson for today is part of a larger reading which is Solomon's prayer and the dedication of the first temple of Jerusalem. That prayer and dedication are themselves part of a larger reading which describes the building of the temple, even down to some of its most tedious dimensions.

Perhaps the folks who were a part of that dedication service of this sanctuary as Ben Hegelbarger entered this space can share some of the exhilaration that the people of Jerusalem—even all Israel—must have felt when Solomon led the procession into the magnificent temple for the ceremony we read of today. This temple was certainly the most opulent building ever known to the ancient Israelites. Its massive bowls for lamps and gold and cypress surely would have been an amazing sight to see.

Well, actually, the folks who lived in Jerusalem couldn't help but see it every day—it was on the highest point of Mount Zion in the middle of the city. But, seeing something is different from worshiping in it. To see the Ark of the Covenant—the ornate vessel that was said to carry the presence of God on earth. I can only imagine what those average folks must have felt when they entered that temple, following their king, and the Ark and the Priests and Levites. It must have been an amazing experience. And after all the entrances and the installation of the Ark, Solomon offers a long, very long pastoral prayer. I wonder what those first worshipers in the Temple learned from that prayer? And, more importantly, I wonder what we can learn from that prayer?

First, we learn that God is greater than. Greater than what? Exactly. Solomon acknowledges that God cannot be contained on earth in this fancy building, much less in heaven. The priests must have been edgy at this point—after all, it was the official belief that God's presence on earth was symbolized by the Ark, and now by the Temple itself. And here goes the King, saying that nothing can contain God. Not heaven. Not earth. And certainly not the Temple.

God is greater than. God is greater than our prejudices. God is greater than our politics. God is greater than our religious differences. God is greater than our church buildings. The Lord is greater than any of the ways in which we try to box God in. God is greater than.

The next thing we learn is also about the character of God. It is Solomon's petition that one day, when a foreigner comes to pray toward this house, that God will hear, and answer the foreigner's prayers, so that God will be known by all.. Now, what do you think that meant? Was Israel a pristine race? Not really. Was it so pure in its demographic makeup that there were no non-Israelites living there? No. If you go and read the Torah—the law of ancient Israel—you'll see that it makes numerous references to the strangers (aliens) living among you. Aliens were to be treated the same as everyone else. It really was not a surprise-or it shouldn't have been—to those who heard Jesus say, “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.” No, This is one prejudice which, at least at this point in Israel's history had been conquered.

I can't help think that this petition prayed by Solomon so long ago is about people who just wouldn't fit into any of the categories he understood, but foreigner was the best he could come up with in his categories. I believe Solomon was thinking of folks who just wouldn't fit in.

Us.

Paul, in the letter to the Romans, describes Christians as being grafted on to the Jewish covenant like a branch grafted on a tree. That grafting, of course, occurs in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Solomon couldn't see that far down the tunnel of history, but remember the trait that he was known for? Wisdom. Solomon knew that there would be folks who wouldn't quite fit in to his understanding of the world and of faith and of covenant would somehow fit into God's understanding of covenant, and he prays that God will hear them, so that all will come to know God.

And so, the second thing we learn about the character of God is—God is Greater than. God is greater than our understanding, and our nationalism.

And then, there's us. Here we are, 25 centuries and more down the line, and what are we to learn from this ancient prayer of King Solomon? In the last section of the sermon, we saw ourselves as the foreigner—the folks who just might not fit in, and yet, we will and we do.

But what does this say to us as we gather in our own temple five decades after we dedicated it? Would Rev. Hegelbarger's prayers that day inform us as much as Solomon's?

I've been thinking about who wouldn't quite fit in, and it's a growing list. First, there's foreigners themselves. Like Jesus said---do for them, do for him.

There are women who work on fourth street selling their bodies. They don't want to be there, and they'd rather do anything else. But there they are. There are gay and lesbian folk. They don’t quite fit in to human understanding, but I believe they do to God.

I read a article describing Mansfield recently which said that it has the most number of churches per-capita in the country, and also the highest heroin usage per-capita. What are we to make of this? We Mansfield folk seek meaning a communion with God. But, we are also a people in pain—physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. And we are just as likely to seek relief in the needle as in the sanctuary. That breaks my heart. Should break yours, too.

The plight of our neighbors is getting worse. The blight in our neighborhood continues to grow.

And here we are, fifty years after we dedicated our temple, not quite knowing what to do. The ministries which need our attention around us are overwhelming. There are so many people who just don't quite fit in—like us as we were grafted into God’s people through Jesus Christ. And we almost don't know where to start.

Really? Let me ask you this. Ten years ago who would have believed that we could feed 300 people on a Saturday morning? Six months ago, would you have believed we could produce a VBS as part of a consortium of six congregations and make a difference in the lives of 80 children?

But, you know what? You did not do this on your own. You did this because—and here's that third point—God is greater than. God is greater than our limitations. God is greater than the boxes we try to keep him in, and God is certainly greater that the boxes we shut ourselves in. God is greater than any of the limits we can place upon ourselves.

God is greater than.

And yet, this great and wonderful God is as near to us as our own breath, and loves us, supports us, and lifts us up.

And in the prayers of Solomon, this great and wonderful God has drawn near to us, and heard our prayers—even our prayers. And, now we pray,

Loving God, we thank you that you have brought us near to you and heard our prayers—even our prayers. We pray that you will strengthen us and give us your imagination as reach out to those who, in our eyes, might not fit is, but in your eyes, are your children. Make us be Good News for Mansfield, and for the world. Amen.

Offering

Invitation

In 1 Kings 8, King Solomon places the ark in the new temple and prays for God’s presence to reside there. We also pray for God’s presence to reside with us in our church. Our building provides space to be with one another in God’s presence. Like Solomon’s temple, our church requires financial support to keep up with repairs and evolving ministry needs. Today, let us consider the importance of our building: what it means to us and to our community. Let us make our offering knowing that part of our financial support will be used to maintain a sacred gathering place for God and the people of God.

Prayer

Creating and sustaining God, you have given us special sacred spaces to gather together for worship, for prayer, for support, and for celebration. Please accept our gifts for the ministry of this congregation and for the church in the world. We pray that in time all people will find sacred spaces where they will feel your presence. Amen.

Benediction

Go in peace and care for one another in Christ's name

- and may the love and the grace of God surround you,

- may the wisdom and the mercy and the power of Christ Jesus fill you

- and may the comfort, the challenge, the wisdom and the power of the

Spirit be with you, both now and forevermore. Amen

Worship for August 5, 2012

August 5, 2012

The Prayers of the People

Loving God - you rain down your blessings upon us from heaven and we thank you for it. Help us, O God, to recognize the food and drink you have

provided and to gather it in each day. Feed us till we want no more....

Lord, in your mercy-- hear our prayer...

Loving God, you call us to labor for those things which endure, to work for that which truly satisfies. We pray today for this. Feed us with the bread of heaven and show us how:

to make right things that are wrong,

to give your hope to the lost

to bring your wisdom to those who are confused

to gather to you those who are need of your salvation.

Lord, in your mercy-- hear our prayer...

Caring God -- we have prayed that you might touch us and use us - that you

might feed us that we might feed others -- at this time we pray that your

healing hand and life-giving Spirit might touch those people and those

circumstances that we have named aloud in this place and in each others’ presence- and those we have held in our hearts..... Lord, in your mercy --hear our prayer...

And we remember this church - and pray that it might be a place where life is celebrated and people know and share your love. All these things we ask in the name of Jesus our Christ. Amen

John 6:28-35

²⁸Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” ²⁹Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” ³⁰So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? ³¹Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”³²Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” ³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Working at Believing

In the church in which I was raised, we talked a lot about works. About what you had to do to be saved.

We even sang about it. I remember a couple of hymns in particular--“To the Work, to the work, we are servants of God, let us follow the path that our Master has trod.:” Another was “We’ll work till Jesus comes, we’ll work till Jesus comes, we’ll work till Jesus comes, and we’ll be gathered home.

The messages of the sermons and hymns were pretty clear. You had to earn your place in the kingdom of God by working for it.

The first and most important--the pre-eminent--work was baptism. Baptism was seen in the church I grew up in as a work--something you had to do. That’s different that the way we view baptism--which is that it is sacramental and something God does in us. And the next most important thing there was to do was attending church. You had to go to church at all costs or your very soul was at stake. My late Mother--God rest her soul--loved being in church, but that’s not why she attended every single service of the church. She went because she had to. If the doors of the church were open, we had to be there--or else.

There was also the list--things you couldn’t do--like smoke or drink or dance. There was a mantra: “we don’t’ smoke and we don’t chew and we don’t go with girls that do.”

Other works, like giving, and teaching Sunday School or Vacation Bible School, and helping the poor were important, but certainly secondary to church attendance.

The problem of works in the church is nothing new. In the early 16^th century, the Roman Catholic Church was emphasizing works to a degree that was downright abusive. Indulgences were being sold to free relatives from purgatory and to guarantee one’s own salvation. Sacraments were treated as works that one had to do or put the soul in peril.

In the midst of this, Martin Luther was a priest and professor who found himself months behind in his prayers--another work he had to do. He began reading the book of Romans and rediscovered the doctrine of Grace. Luther determined that very little of what the church was teaching was important--not the prayers, not the other works and certainly not the indulgences paid to secure salvation. What mattered was receiving the grace of God made known through Jesus Christ with the grateful response of faith--with faith itself being a gracious gift of God. It’s interesting to note that nearly 500 years after Luther broke with the Catholic Church that the Catholics and the Lutherans issued a joint statement of agreement on Justification-by-Faith in 1999.

I think it’s important to take a moment every time we talk about grace to define it. Grace means nothing I can do will make God love me any less than I am already loved. Grace means nothing I can do will make God love me any more than I am already loved.

In other words, you are saved by the amazing grace of God--which is a gift. You can’t earn it--not by teaching the children, not by working at the community breakfast, not by giving to the poor, and certainly not by attending church--although, I commend you for being here in the heat today.

The crowds following Jesus demand to know what they must do to perform the works of God--literally to work the works of God. And Jesus tells them that to believe in him is to do the work of God. But what is belief?

Let’s move for a moment to the book of James which notes that even the demons believe in God--and shudder. James calls for a faith--a belief, if you will--that is put into action. This wonderful book of James gives us a primer on what grace looks like when it is lived out. In the first chapter, James writes that “Religion that is pure and undefiled is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress…”

James isn’t concerned whether you have the proper doctrine about baptism or whether you have the right belief about the Lord’s Supper. He’s not concerned that you have a literal view of the bible or not. He’s concerned in how you respond to the grace God has given you--how you live out God’s free gift of salvation. You see, grace calls for a response.

James closes his second chapter with these words, “…for just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.”

Martin Luther, the great reformer whose stress on the importance of the free gift of God’s grace continues to inform the church after nearly 500 years, was skeptical of the Book of James. He thought it was a “book of straw,” because it was so oriented toward works. But read carefully and closely, James is not discounting grace at all. What he is saying is that grace calls for a response.

If we receive God’s free gift of the grace of Jesus Christ, then we are called to live out that grace in imitation of Jesus. We are called to help the poor, to heal the sick, to feed the hungry, to show kindness to others, to love our enemies, to visit prisoners, and welcome strangers--as counter to our culture as some of those things may be.

Some years ago, a friend of mine decided to take his youth group out and feed parking meters in Southern California.

“What are you doing?” people demanded.

“We’re performing random acts of kindness for people we don’t know in the name of Jesus Christ.”

“Why are you doing it?”

“We’re performing random acts of kindness for people we don’t know in the name of Jesus Christ.”

The meter-maids demanded to know why they were doing it--because they couldn’t write any tickets.

“We’re performing random acts of kindness for people we don’t know in the name of Jesus Christ.”

When you put your belief in action, the world doesn’t always know ho to handle it. But, what a world we create when we do.

And when we work at our belief and respond to God’s grace, that will be Good News for us, Good News for Mansfield, and Good News for the world. Amen.

Offering

Invitation

We give, not as a work of our own, but as a grateful response for all that God has done for us. Let us give today--not because we must, but because we may. Let us now present our tithes and offerings.

Prayer

Lord of all, please take our offerings and make them blessings to the world around us, and around the world. May we be blessed by our giving, and a blessing to others in the name of Jesus our Christ. Amen.

Benediction

Go in peace, love and care for one another in the name of Christ;

--and may God grant to you a heart that is open to his mercies

--and the eyes to see and the ears to hear that which he is doing -

--may the Lord pour down upon you the Bread that Satisfies

and equip you by the power of the Holy Spirit to share what you have received

with one another this day

both now and forevermore. Amen.

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