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

Worship March 18, 2012

Morning Prayers
Call to Reconciliation
In becoming one of us, God became poor so we could receive
the riches of mercy. In coming to us, God took on our death,
so we could be made alive together with Christ. Come, offer
your confessions, knowing that by grace you have been saved. Let us now confess our sin before God and one another:

Unison Prayer of Confession
The words we speak all too often do not show you in
our lives, God of our pilgrimage. We spend so much time
boasting to others, they imagine we have no need for you.
We grumble impatiently when you don't respond immediately
to our requests, but are slow to sing your praises. We
mutter under our breath about the behavior of those around
us, when we could be asking them if there is some way we
could serve them.
It is on our journey to the cross and the tomb that you
fill us with the riches of your mercy, O God, our Steadfast Love! You
do so, not because of any thing we have done, but because
of the compassion which flows from your heart wounded
by our failings. As we open our lives to receive your
forgiveness, may we turn to the Light which brings us
life, following Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, every
step of the way. Amen.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
How much does God love us?
Enough to become human and live as one of us;
not to condemn
us, but to save us.
Not by our speaking or doing, but by God's good and
precious grace are we saved. Thanks be to God! Amen.

The Pastoral Prayer
God of grace and God of glory, we pray that you will pour your power upon us. Give us the strength and courage to call your name boldly in thanks and praise. We come to you in thanksgiving for many things. We are thankful for a mild winter, and we look forward to seeing your beauty in a glorious spring. We thank you for the love of family and friends and all who remind us of your love. We thank you for this congregation and for the joy we share together in this place. We pray that you will bless us with the will to share the goodness of this church with others we may encounter in the rest of our lives. These are difficult times for your church, O God. Let us never forget that you are not far off, but that you are with us every day. Guide our steps and help us to take leaps of faith in serving your kingdom in this place and in the world.

We pray for our cities and townships, O Lord. We especially pray for those who serve and our own Russ. Bless them with wisdom, mercy, justice, and humility as they serve your people in Richland County.

We pray for the sick, both those whose names we have called and those about whom we are silent. Hear our prayers for them and for the concerns of our own hearts as we pray to you in silence.

We lift these prayers to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

John 3:1-17
1 ¶ Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.
2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."
3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?"
5 Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’
8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
9 Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
10 Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
11 "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony.
12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

“God so Loved This World”

It’s an election year and the words “born again” are being thrown about once more.
Jimmy Carter was our first President who used the term, “born again,” to describe himself. Reporters tried to find the term “born again” in dictionaries so that they could understand it.
Ronald Reagan, good Disciple that he was, had to be coached by his handlers on how to use the term “born again” when he was running for President in 1980 so that he could garner the evangelical Christian vote..
Bill Clinton considered himself “born again” and at times sounded like a Baptist preacher on the stump.
George W. Bush called himself “born again” and made no bones about how his faith had turned his life around.
President Obama, having come to faith in a UCC church (our partner denomination) isn’t really comfortable with the tern, “born again.”
And now, none of the three front runners in the race for the Republican nomination--a Mormon and two Catholics--consider themselves “born again,” though evangelical Christians are supporting all three!
Many Disciples aren’t sure what this “born again” idea is about. Well, we’re in good company. Nicodemus, the Rabbi and Pharisee who came to Jesus in secret at night didn’t understand it, either.
You must be born from above, Jesus tells him. But, how can you be born twice?
Jesus, repeats himself. Everyone is born of water--which I used to believe was about baptism, but now I understand to be about amniotic fluid. We are all born of water from our mothers’ wombs, but Jesus says, we must also be born of Spirit--from above. That’s trickier.
Being born from above is not some kind of secret-handshake-get-out-of-hell-card, but a radical reorienting of one’s self to try to understand the way God looks at the world.
Toward the end of the conversation, Jesus tells Nicodemus the key to being born from above--understanding God’s radical love for the world.
God so loved the world that he gave his son. Being born from above is beginning to understand grace--the idea that God’s love for us is greater than we can imagine.
God so loved the world--the(cosmos) that he gave a son to save it.
David Lose points out that that word cosmos
“everywhere else in the Gospel of John describes that entity [that cosmos] that is at complete enmity with God. Typical is this prayer by Jesus just before his crucifixion--reported in John 17: "I have given them [the Disciples] your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world"
This gives John 3:16 a bit more punch: "For God so loved the God-hating world that he sent his only Son ... ," we might accurately translate. Apparently, at least according to Jesus, God really, really, really loves the world.”

This world.
And that’s what this passage is all about. And that’s the difference between “born again” and “born from above.”
When I hear people say that they are born again, what I hear them saying is that they are in a personal, individual saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
But, being born from above, is seeing the world as God sees it--even a world that hates God. Being born from above is understanding that God is in a saving relationship with the world--the whole world--this world, which God loves so much that he became one of us. God so loved the world that he put on our skin and moved among to show us by his life, death, and life again how to really, really, really love the world.
This world.
Some of you might be perturbed that I use Ronald Reagan as an example of a Disciple. I’ve talked about President Reagan before as a Disciple and heard from some of you about it. Some of you are thrilled.
Is President Reagan the best example of a Christian? Maybe not.
But, that’s kind of the point. Being born from above is to see this world as God sees, and to love as God loves, and to understand that no one is beyond God’s grace.
I’ve told you this story of President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev before. At the peak of his Presidency, Ronald Reagan became friends with his counterpart in the Soviet Union. The two men genuinely liked each other, and they knew that the talks they had would have cosmic, if you will, consequences.
Reagan told his advisers that he believed Mikhail Gorbachev was a “closet Christian.” He was willing to look at the leader of the “evil empire” and see a child of God. That’s grace, church. That’s being born from above. Ronald Reagan may not have been born again, but I believe he was born from above.
Four years ago, this week, Mikhail Gorbachev visited the tomb of Saint Francis, in Assisi, Italy, and confirmed what Reagan had suspected twenty years earlier--that he was indeed a Christian--even though his position of power in the Soviet government precluded his confession of it.
In this season of Lent, we are encouraged to look inward to see ourselves as we truly are. Given the reality of this passage, maybe we should look around as well. What is God seeing in the world today? How are we to relate to this world that God loves--no matter what? How can we see the world as God sees it? How can we be “born from above?”
When we understand ourselves as being born from above, it’s Good News. Good News for us, Good News for Mansfield, and Good News for the world.

Offering
Invitation
We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,. How we “do good” is a personal matter between each of us and God, but it is why we are here. What is God calling you to give? When you present your offerings today, consider that this act of giving is why we were given the gift of Christ.
Prayer
God in heaven, thank you for creating our lives and our work. We know that we are your handiwork, with a purpose of doing, giving and sharing. Our relationship to you gives our lives meaning. Please use our gifts to further the work of the church, this congregation, and the community in which we live. Amen.


Benediction
God forth into the world in peace,
seeing this fragile and wonderful world as God sees it--from above.
Look on it in wonder.
Look on it with compassion.
Look on it and serve.
And may you be filled with the love of God,
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the communion of the Spirit,
now, and in all your days to come. Amen.

Worship March 11, 2012

March 11, 2012

Morning Prayers
Prayer of Confession
Call to Reconciliation
Perhaps we have spoken words which harm another.
It may be we have failed to honor another of God's
children. Maybe we have let our fears, our worries,
our desires come between us and God. Whatever
we might have done, God waits to listen to us,
to offer us grace and healing. Join me as we pray
together saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
Even with those simple commandments, Eternal
Love, we manage to get it wrong. We misuse your
name on an almost daily basis, and dishonor our
friends and neighbors by talking behind their backs.
We hunger for what others have, and think we can
put you in a box, storing you away on a shelf. We
find little enough time for our families, for ourselves,
you - much less setting aside an entire day for that
rest you call Sabbath.
Forgive us, Abiding Love. We think we are so wise
with the choices we make, only to end up with all that
keeps us from you. Your Word has come, to fill our
speech with grace, with hope, with peace. As we journey
to Jerusalem, may we invite others to join us as we seek
to follow Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L: Day to day, God offers us mercy and hope. Moment
to moment, we are surround by God's never-ending
love. Friends, trust this Good News for you!
God takes our brokenhearted prayers and crafts them
into words of grace, of joy, of peace. Thanks be to
God, we are forgiven. Amen.
The Pastoral Prayer
Loving and gracious God, you have given us guidance to create communities of faithfulness and justice: Cleanse your people that we may be your willing servants in your work of healing and reconciliation, as we pray: Let the words of our mouths and the mediation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer.
Let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight,
O God, our strength and our redeemer.
Your judgments are true and righteous altogether, O God: Let the message of the cross destroy the wisdom of the wise and thwart the discernment of the discerning, that the nations of the world may abandon their idolatries of power and wealth in order participate in God’s justice and compassion. Let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight,
O God, our strength and our redeemer.
You commandment is clear and gives light to the eyes, O God: Free this community from our addictions and idols and cleanse us from our sins, our secret faults and our presumption, that we may be whole and sound and innocent of great offense. Let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight,
O God, our strength and our redeemer.
Look upon your world and inspire all peoples to follow your commandments, to live justly and honestly with one another, and to offer compassionate relief to all in any need or under any threat. Let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight,
O God, our strength and our redeemer.
Let your healing grace be with those for whom we pray, especially those we have named and left unnamed in our silence.
Let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight,
O God, our strength and our redeemer.
Presider: Bless and consecrate this day of rest and prayer and hear our prayers and intercessions to you, O God; that we may join in Christ’s work to overturn all forms of exploitation and injustice in order to lead your people out of the house of slavery into the house of love, where your Spirit reigns in glory everlasting.
We lift these prayers to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 20:1-17
Then God spoke all these words: 2I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
3you shall have no other gods before me.
4You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,6but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
8Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
12Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13You shall not murder.
14You shall not commit adultery.
15You shall not steal.
16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

“Taking the Name in Vain”
The Ten Commandments have been revered, ridiculed, litigated, misused, and ignored throughout its history. But, we rarely stop to think of the history behind it.
After its liberation from slavery in Egypt, Israel was hardly a model nation. They complained. They rebelled against God. They fought amongst themselves. And, they cheated each other. And the widows, especially needed to seek justice from a higher authority. That authority was Moses. Now, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, watched Moses holding court one day from morning until evening. And he could see that Moses was headed for a burnout. And so Jethro recommended that Moses appoint judges to help settle the disputes of the people. Moses would still be the Supreme Court judge, but the others would have authority over most matters. Moses would retain the role of mediator between the people and God, and he would be the teacher--the one who would communicate God’s law to the people.
This is the context in which Moses climbs Mount Sinai and is given the law--to guide the people, but also to guide the judges in their decisions in bringing justice to the widows and downtrodden in the people.
There have been numerous efforts to post the Ten Commandments on walls over the past couple of decades. Some people want to post them on public schoolroom walls in the hopes that they will be a kind of tutor for the children. Some people want to post them on courthouse walls, I guess so that the lawyers will better behaved. There have been numerous constitutional battles over these issues as close as our own courthouse.
Stephen Colbert asked a congressman who favored posting the 10 Commandments in all public buildings if he could name them. He got three.
Our Jewish neighbors call the Ten Commandments the Decalogue, Greek for “10 words.” The ten words begins with a statement. This statement is a part of every word after that.
That statement is, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. And that statement is the reason for the ten words.
I am the Lord your God.
Before any “thou shalt nots,” a relationship is established. God claims the people as his very own and calls them to live out this relationship. The commandments really read,
Because I am the Lord your God, you will have no other God’s.
Because I am the Lord your God, you will not take my name in vain.
Because I am the Lord your God, you will not commit sexual infidelity.
Because I am the Lord your God, you will not kill.
Because I am the Lord your God, you will not bear false witness against your neighbor.
This, says God, is how people who are in relationship with me behave.
Notice that the relationship with God is not conditional. It doesn’t read, if you will not steal, then I will be your God. Not, if you will keep the Sabbath, then I will be your God.
No. God says emphatically, I am the Lord your God. Here is one of the many arguments for grace in the Hebrew Scriptures. God claims the people before placing her expectations on them.
It is the relationship that God claims that is the basis for the entire document--or, might I say, tablets. Posting the 10 commandments on a schoolhouse wall presupposes a relationship which may or may not exist. The same goes with the courthouse walls.
It is absolutely untenable to expect someone to follow the rules without knowing the ruler. People cannot be expected observe the commandments without being in relationship with the maker.
Some will argue that there is no other way to begin that relationship with those not in it. But, that’s not so. It is not the school board’s job to share the Good News of a relationship with God with the children in their districts. It is not the judge’s job to do the same in their courtrooms.
The job of sharing the Good News falls to us. We have been brought into relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And we are compelled by God’s love to share the Good News, because we belong to God.
But, of these commandments, which is the greatest? When Jesus was asked which is the greatest commandment, the answer did not come from the ten words. Do you remember that conversation in its varying versions? The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all that you are, and to love your neighbor as yourself. The first four of the ten commandments are about loving God and the last six are about loving neighbor. So, it is the ten commandments that make up the greatest commandment.
I want to spend a few minutes talking about the third commandment--on not taking the Lord’s name in vain. This is, I believe, an entirely misunderstood commandment in our times. I confess to you that I came to this conclusion at the feet of Professor Newton Fowler in seminary.
First, I have to tell you that Professor Fowler and I did not get along very well. One day, he was making a point about the bible appearing in popular culture. He said that the Beatles had recorded Turn, Turn, Turn (a setting of Ecclesiastes 3). Having an encyclopedic knowledge of rock and roll, I informed him--in front of the class--that it was Pete Seeger who wrote the song and a band called the Byrds who popularized it. Embarrassed, he never called on me again in class and my grades in his classes were lower than I expected they should have been. Can you imagine, me, challenging authority?
Anyway, Prof. Fowler insisted that taking the Lord’s name in vain had nothing to do with swearing, or saying “O my God,” or anything of the sort. He claimed, and I believe rightly so, that taking the name in vain was about claiming God’s name, but then acting in such a way as to deny it.
An example from scripture: Jonah. God tells Jonah to go one way, and Jonah heads the other. He ends up on a ship that get’s caught in a storm. The others on the ship ask him who he is and where he is from. Jonah answers, “I am a Hebrew; I worship the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the land.” See, here Jonah claims to belong to God--he takes God’s name--but he acts in a way that is totally contrary to God’s wishes. Jonah claims God as his own, but does the opposite of God’s will. By taking God’s name (claiming to belong to God) and not doing what God wishes, he takes God’s name in vain.
And so it is with us. We have all taken the Lord’s name--but do we live out God’s will in our lives? Do our ethics show us to be God’s people living up to his name which we have taken? An ethics teacher I once knew said that there were two books on ethics for all of us--our checkbooks and our datebooks, or how we spend our money and our time. Does the way we spend our time and our money show what we truly believe? Does it show that we are truly bearing God’s name or taking it in vain?
If this pinches a bit--it should. But one thing we learn in Lent is that we have forgiveness. God forgave Jonah--and even the evil kingdom of Ninevah to which he was sent. God’s grace and love are stronger than all our sin--even the breaking of the third commandment. Our call is to live lives worthy of the name of God.
And I’d love to know what you’re thinking.

Offering Invitation & Prayer
Invitation
For just one minute, consider your passion. What creates energy in you? God puts that fire inside so that we will give our very best effort. Everything that we offer to God feeds that fire, including our weekly offerings. Our collective support provides for ministry and outreach—the very things that excite us as Christians. As we now present our offerings, consider how in giving you are also feeding your spirit.
Prayer
Lord, please accept the offerings presented here as a symbol of our passion for you, for our congregation, and for the Christian Church. Help us to use all our gifts for your mission, as you would have us do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
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Benediction

Go in peace;
- And may the love of God uphold you
- the mercy of God sustain you
- and the Word of God direct you
The Lord bless you all - both now and forevermore. Amen