Sermon for Dec 30, 2012. Sharing Stories.

Psalm 148
148:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
148:2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
148:3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!
148:4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.
148:6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
148:8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!
148:9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
148:10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
148:11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
148:12 Young men and women alike, old and young together!
148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.
148:14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD!

Luke 2:41-52
2:41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

Sharing Stories

Psalm of praise –don;t you just love the imagery? When God is glorified, ALL of creation celebrates!

Pastor Bill is such great story teller, 

stories help us remember, help us figure out things and ideas, help us identify with one another, to find our common bonds. They help us laugh and cry together and learn together. Stories help us build community. Everyone has a story, everyone needs to be able to share their stories.

{READ GOSPEL LESSON}

Gospel lesson seems to be one of those family stories that gets told often, maybe every year as the family is again on the road home from Jerusalem.

Luke says at the beginning of his Gospel that he set out to write “an orderly account” and that he “carefully investigated these things” So he isn't just repeating tales that were floating around 30 years after Jesus’ life. He talked to the sources as much as he could. Scholars believe that Luke personally spoke with Mary, mother of Jesus. This is the only story we have in the Scripture from Jesus’ life from the time between his infancy and the beginning of his ministry. Maybe this was one of those family stories that got told every so often. And it gives us some insight into Jesus’ formative years.

The family had gone to Jerusalem for the annual Passover festival. This was, and is, the most important of holidays for Jewish people. The Passover commemorates the escape from enslavement in Egypt. Going to Jerusalem for the Passover was one of the things that a devout Jewish family did every year. So we see from this story that Mary and Joseph followed their faith, raising Jesus in their traditions.

In Biblical times, traveling could be a challenge. Ordinary people walked most places. And when making a lengthy trip, they traveled in groups.-extended families, neighbors. A trip like this, going to Jerusalem for Passover, would have had a lot of people going at the same time, so there could have been quite a contingent of people together. Women and children traveled together, the men together. So we can see that Mary and Joseph were not bad parents for losing him! Each would have assumed that Jesus was with the other group. Mary perhaps thinking Jesus, a young man of 12, was traveling with the men. Joseph, possibly thinking Jesus still a kid at only 12, was with the women and children, helping out with younger kids. Families traveled during the daylight hours and made camp at night so they didn't discover Jesus missing until then.

So - the Passover festival was done, at the end of a day's travel towards home, they realized that Jesus was not with them at all. He was lost. Knowing, as a parent myself, how anxious they must have been, they probably slept out of the exhaustion of travel, but wouldn't have slept well! So the next morning they hurried back . And on the 3^rd day, searching through the city of Jerusalem, finally they find him at the Temple! He is talking with the rabbis.The rabbis, teachers of the Jewish faith, would welcome men to join them in the Temple courtyard. The rabbi would sit to teach, the men could stand and ask questions and discuss points of doctrine. So here is Jesus, 12 years old, sitting with the rabbis, discussing and answering! And they were all astonished at the depth of his knowledge. I think this point is one of the main reasons we have this story in Luke’s Gospel. The next piece is why scholars believe that Luke got this story right from Mary. We see her reaction is very much the parent of an adolescent! “Why have you treated us like this?! Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you!” And Jesus' reply is, “Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"

This is an interesting family story isn't it?

Our 2 churches who've combined into one have great stories too. 2^nd Cong was founded as the new Beloit was growing. after a sturdy bridge was built across the Rock River, about where Grand Ave bridge is now. Businesses and homes were being built up on the west side of the river. And in February 1859 some of the West side residents thought it would be a good idea to build a church here too. since it was wintertime, I am convinced they were tired of slip sliding through ice and snow across a wooden bridge!

We have a new story to tell now. About how our 2 churches began to discuss a good idea, and share a passion for reaching out to others, and our love of good music and good coffee. And how we recognized that God was calling us together.

But we are still truly in the beginning of our story. We only have a few chapters done.
Bill's pastorate at 1^st and here, through this transition, is one of the more important chapters. Thank you again, Bill.

this United Church has a lot more chapters to write yet :)

When we hear a good story, we want to do 2 things. We want to tell one of our good stories too! And we want to tell somebody else the new story we just heard. When we share stories, when we tell a bit about ourselves, we are helping to know each other and understand where we've been and where we are going. We learn what we have in common. And how to work through whatever differences there are to embrace the commonalities. This is how we learn to truly love one another, as Jesus taught.

Going back to our Gospel lesson...

As I said, this story is the only one we have from Jesus’ formative years. And this story of Jesus’ life is the last mention of Joseph in the Gospels. Throughout the Gospels we see several mentions of Mary, but no more mention of Joseph. The traditional belief is that he died some time before Jesus began his ministry. And since this was a typical family of the times, most likely Joseph was several years older than Mary. Men followed their father’s trade and often would not marry until they were earning enough on their own to support a family. Women married not long after reaching child bearing age, so generally the husband was several years older than the wife.

So we learn from this story that Jesus grew up in a typical family. They followed the customs of their faith; they were parents who were anxious about their son. And after this, Luke writes that “as Jesus grew up, he increased in wisdom and in favor with God and people” This shows that Jesus grew intellectually, spiritually, and socially. So this was overall a healthy family.

Hearing this story, most of us who are parents or spend lots of time with kids, may find ourselves thinking about it from Mary’s perspective.

Don't you think Mary would have remembered this incident, maybe each year as they traveled again to Jerusalem for the Passover, certainly on the way home from there! “Jesus, are you with us?” “Yes Mother!” She would remember the terrible anxiety of believing her son was lost, and how lost she felt as well!

And I am positive she remembered this incident many years later, after another trip to Jerusalem for the Passover. Another morning when she had to go to look for Jesus, on the 3^rd day, for a much different purpose. This time the women were going to a borrowed tomb, to anoint his lifeless crucified body. What anguish must have been in her heart that morning.

The baby Jesus, whose story we told last week, the adolescent who aggravated his mother, was born to go to the Cross. That was His story, His purpose.

But it's not the end of the story.

Because of course when the women went to the tomb, they found it empty!

Jesus had risen! The birth, death and resurrection is THE story, the greatest story.

so when we hear a great story? we want to share it! Share that story today. Tell others about the incomparable love of Jesus Christ. Tell them about the love that is here in this United Church of Beloit, looking ahead to the New Year together, to reach out in Love.

Let's start our telling of that story, by singing together Go Tell It on the Mountain!

Sermon given at United Church of Beloit, Nov. 25, 2012. 

Psalm 93

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Lord Reigns

93 The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
2 Your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.
4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea,
the Lord on high is mighty!

5 Your decrees are very trustworthy;
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, forevermore.

John 18:33-37

English Standard Version (ESV)

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Make Way for The King!

Lectionary...3 year cycle of readings that will take a church through most of the Bible. The Lectionary year begins with the first Sunday of Advent, advent being the 4 weeks preceeding Christmas. So the lectionary year C begins next week. SO today is the end of the year...it is Christ the King Sunday or the Reign of Christ Sunday. This day, the end of the lectionary cycle celebrates the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. It makes for an interesting way to get into the holiday season doesn't it? Thinkign about Jesus as the Ruler of Heaven and Earth...and next week we start over, anticipating the story of the Nativity.

so today we celebrate that Jesus is KING.

Ok in the USA, we don't have a king, indeed royalty today mostly have limited influence, nothing like in centuries past. So it may be hard for us to think in terms of a king. When we talk in our society about a king, it's usually a pop culture person!

In Bible times, there were local kings, like Herod, who was king of Judea, the southern area of what we know today as Israel. And there was the Roman emperor, Tiberius. These were men who exerted a lot of power, for good or ill. In this time period, the Emperor, also known as Caesar, Tiberias, in the year 19-roughly a decade before Jesus' ministry and trial- had had all Jews kicked out of Rome, and so there was not a lot of love between Caesar and the Jewish people. And adding to the animosity, In these times, one of the titles of Caesar was son of god, which of course was not something that the Jewish people could take to, being worshipers of God, the One true God!

In our New Testament passage...one that we hear during Holy week, Jesus has been arrested and is before Pontius Pilate. Pilate was a Governor, employed by Rome. The job of a Roman governor in a place like Jerusalem was to keep the peace, to administer justice, to collect the taxes, and particularly to suppress unrest.

READ GOSPEL LESSON

this passage is titled, My Kingdom is not of this world. Indeed Jesus' kingdom did not Originate on earth did it...but in heaven.

Pilate, tho not Jewish, may have some familarity with Jewish traditions. He asks Jesus “are you the king of the Jews” Jesus asks Pilate, are you asking on your own authority? And Jesus says My Kingdom is not of this world.

All through the Gospels, Jesus spoke of the Kingdom.

Jesus said the Kingdom of heaven has come near! Repent and believe the Good news!

But seek first the kingdom of God...

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

“Let the little children come to me.... for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Jesus talked all the time of Kingdom.

This is not an earthly kingdom he is referring to. Our Gospel lesson is from John, who begins his gospel saying that Jesus was indeed present In the Beginning, at the creation of all things. Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of all...of all creation, of heaven and earth.

Jesus even taught us to pray for this...we pray Thy Kingdom Come... thy will be done ON earth as it IS in heaven...

we pray for this, how will it happen? The Kingdom come on earth...

can it be that we are to be part of the answer?

Jesus said For this purpose I was born...to bear witness to the truth. What truth? In biblical times, truth was the latest proclamation from the emperor. If it contradicted last week's truth, oh well. Today's statement is today's truth.

Jesus was not talking about a “truth” that changes from day to day. Jesus was talking about eternal truth. That God is ONE God, creator of all. That the Holy Scriptures are truth.. in fact the prophet Daniel refers to 'the Book of Truth.” Jesus prayed for his followers-- Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

John's Gospel chapter 1, Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

and what else did Jesus say about truth? “I am the way and the truth and the life..”

Jesus was born to bear witness to the truth. The truth of the LOVE of God, for God so LOVED the world....all the world, all of God's creation, that God gave (See that? God loved, love spurs action, God gave....God's only begotten Son...that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” The WHOLE world!! and the word saved here means saved for eternity, but also healed, made whole. That is the Saving Grace of the Kingdom!

Jesus was a king, but not an earthly king. Jesus did not attain a crown through military action, through what we consider might and power. Quite the contrary. He came to earth as a baby, completely vulnerable. He served, and taught and healed, and loved. His life ended, on a cross, completely vulnerable once again—enduring the worst that humanity could dish out. His kingdom was not of this world. It originated in heaven-where there will be no mourning or crying or pain.

Jesus was born to bring people together in God. All people Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female..

when all people are together, and care ABOUT one another, they care FOR one another as well. When we love...love spurs action. We reach out to those around us.

In the holiday season, our culture may not encourage the Kingdom of heaven. Quite the contrary. We are encouraged to give more, spend more, to do more, to go to more places...and we may find we enjoy it less. Let us, this season, each of us, and as a church, this United Church of Beloit, make a good effort to remember the One whose kingdom we celebrate. Spend some time with the Word each day, to help keep our focus on Jesus. Think and pray about your giving and your charitable giving. Remember to give thanks for the little things, as well as the big ones. Remember that Jesus is King and Lord and He came for the sole purpose of bringing Heaven and earth--God and Humans, together. And when we follow...we can help others see that Kingdom in us and around us. WE can make the Kingdom happen, here on earth....as it is in heaven. We can be the answer to our prayer! Each of us, working together can help bring about the Kingdom for which Jesus was born. We do this by living our faith, by caring for others, as Jesus did in the Gospels. He took care of people, making sure their needs were met, feeding them, honoring their faith, helping them see the God of compassion. The peace of Christ, the peace that saves, heals, the peace of wholeness, and protection, right here on earth.

Jesus said, For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Today we wrap up the Christian year, and we will soon look forward once again to the arrival of the New Born King. Let us seek and honor His kingdom, and make way for the King of Kings!

CLOSING PRAYER

Sovereign God, ruler of all creation,

you sent Jesus to testify to the truth:

that you alone are the Lord of life.

Help us to listen always to his voice

so that we may proclaim his realm

of justice, peace, and endless love;

through Christ, who reigns forever.

Sermon given as guest speaker at Arena Congregational Church Oct 21
An Attitude of Gratitude

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2     Serve the Lord with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 Andthe peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

~~~

Do you have a favorite tool? 

I follow this rule—if it does not move, and should- use WD-40!

If it moves and shouldn’t—use Duct Tape!

You know, scientists who study behavior in animals say that the use of tools is one of the key definitions of intelligence. So, no matter what sort of tools you use every day, remember, you are being intelligent!

We have tools for our inner life too. For our spiritual, emotional lives. And I want to share with you one of the most powerful tools there is!  It is the tool of gratitude! Of giving thanks every day for the many many blessings we have, and through this thanksgiving, becoming even more aware of our blessings. This tool is the Attitude of Gratitude.

We see Gratitude all thru Scriptures. Especially in the psalms. Our passage today, Ps 100 is a prime example. As you remember, the psalms were hymns sung by the Jewish people on various occasions. This one was a song that was likely sung as people entered the temple for a worship service. Let’s look at our passage for a moment.

Shout for joy, to the Lord! Not to one another, not to the earth, but to our creator! And all the earth should rejoice like this. All of God’s creation needs to celebrate!

And yes, in addition to rejoice, we worship. And worship with gladness and with joyful songs. Worship happily, not out of duty but out of the joy of living. Living in community-in relationship with God and with each other, as we were created to be!

The Lord is God. He is the supreme being. AND He made us and we are his. We are his children! Or his sheep as the psalmist says. I used to really dislike the whole sheep metaphor. After all, sheep are not the brightest of animals! But then I found out that sheep have terrible trouble sleeping. Everything has to be just right for them, quiet place, nice soft grass to lay on, no insects, no scent of predators…or they have insomnia! (Do sheep with insomnia count people?)

As someone who has had insomnia for years, I realized that maybe we are closer to sheep than we like to think! So we are the sheep of God’s pasture.

so because he created all the earth, and we are his and his alone! We live and love with thanksgiving as God's beloved children and for the chance to worship, give thanks and praise him!

God is good, all the time. His love goes on forever…not just God but his love! For you and me and for all of his creation! And he is always the same, loving and faithful, through all generations. For all of us, forever. Isn't that wonderful!?

I love how this psalm is so lively, in just a few verses, you can really get a sense of a deep down joy-joy in being alive and in being a child of God, and deeply thankful to God for life and the opportunity to worship.

This is the sort of feeling is a true “attitude of gratitude”.

The Apostle Paul writes about this attitude in the letter to Philippians.

(READ new testament lesson)

Paul wrote these beautiful words of gratitude and hope while he was imprisoned!

We can not help but be struck by the depth of joy and confidence in the Lord expressed in this passage and throughout this letter.

Rejoice in the Lord! Could Paul have been singing psalm 100 to himself as he wrote? We can rejoice in the Lord every day as we go about our lives. The Lord is at hand, Paul writes. The Lord is everywhere, not just in church..at hand! As close as can be. What a comfort that is!

So...don't be anxious! Don't worry and fret...take your worries, your concerns to God, in prayer, Thanking God for God's presence and compassion, and give all of your cares to The Lord. And the Peace of God will guard your hearts and minds---it will protect you from your worries!

The Peace of God-- the Hebrew word is Shalom. Shalom means peace, but much more ..Peace is of course an absence of unrest...The idea of shalom also means “wellness,” “completeness,” “perfection,” “safety,” “soundness,” “success,” “wholeness,” “health,” and good relationships between people—all people! When there is shalom, everything is as it should be, our lives are as God meant them to be, our world is in the order he intended.

Shalom, that peace that passes understanding, is the gift of God, the God of Love, who promises to be with us always! No matter what we may go through, God is with us.

and then Paul goes on to guide us how to keep that Peace in our hearts and minds...by “thinking on these things.” “whatever is true, honorable, just, whatever is pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise”

these are qualities of God. Thinking on these things can help replace the “junk' that separates us from God. Thinking on these things helps us focus on God, help the Light of God's love shine in us, and out to others!

Jesus embodied these qualities of God, indeed Jesus said, do not worry about tomorrow, today has enough trouble of its own! Perhaps Paul had that lesson in mind as he wrote these words. And he taught us just how to live out those words. Keeping the qualities of God in mind, with gratitude, praying with thanks.

Our pilgrim forebears had this whole idea down pat. Over the years, we have gotten this idea that the Pilgrims were stern, rather mean-spirited people. That just isn't so. They loved God and loved one another as well as they possibly could. They had a strong work ethic, that was based in their gratitude to God for providing life, home, family and so on. One worked because it was taught in the Scriptures, and because in working, one was caring for all that had been given by God. and when they worked, they felt grateful to be able to work. They were grateful to have the tools to work well, and the ability to use them! They were deeply thankful people.

Being grateful for things in life, large and small, is as I said, a powerful tool for our lives. Gratitude can actually help you to “re-program’ your brain out of negative thought patterns. Now some people tend to see the glass as half full, some do not! By practicing gratitude, you can become a glass half full person!

I know this…by personal experience! And there have been scientific studies. People were asked to keep a Gratitude Journal.-a daily diary, where they were to write down things for which they were grateful.

The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Additionally, the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, was more likely to help others, exercised more regularly and made more progress toward personal goals. According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved. {The researchers} also noted that gratitude encouraged a positive cycle of reciprocal kindness among people since one act of gratitude encourages another. ¹

I want to challenge you to try this-- write down something each day. Big things or small- the sound of a bird, or a child’s laugh! Or seeing the colors of the sunrise or sunset. And the ability to see. Or having a home. Having family, church family!

Now I have to admit, sometimes it is hard to see something for which to be grateful! There is a story of the little girl who hated certain vegetables. When asked to say the blessing, she refused, saying, “The Lord knows I’m not thankful for brussel sprouts.” Her mother told her she couldn’t leave the table until she thanked God for something. The little girl bowed her head and said, “Lord, I’m thankful this stuff didn’t make me sick. Amen!”

Each day brings something for which we can say thank you to God. and the more often we remember to say thank you for blessings, the more we recognize how blessed we are. And in so doing, we grow closer to God. When we focus on our blessings, we learn to see things as God sees them. And we learn to find God’s presence in those around us, in ourselves, and in the world. Having an attitude of Gratitude, is training yourself to find God. To find God every day, everywhere! In yourself and in others! This awareness of the presence of God in everything and is what the Pilgrims knew so well. This awareness is recognizing that you are a gift! That each of us is a gift-and that all we have is a gift—a gift given out of love. Out of the greatest love of all, the love of God. This is a gift to celebrate today, and every day! And the greatest gift of all, given by God to one of us, is His Son, Jesus Christ. Through Him, we have God within. Give thanks today-and every day- for Him and for his blessings to you.

Amen.

1 Study by Dr. Michael McCollough, of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and Dr. Robert Emmons, of the University of California at Davis, quoted by The Osgood File on the CBS Radio Network.

Where 2 or 3....

Sermon given Oct 14, 2012 as Second Congregational and First Presbyterian were about to vote to become one unified church!

Where Two or Three are Gathered

Isaiah 43:16-19
16 This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,
17 who drew out the chariots and horses,
    the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18 “Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.



Luke 5:27-32
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

~~~~~~~
This morning, I was on the internet, (shocking, I know) and on Facebook, one pastor friend was unintentionally funny because of a typing error. He posted, “All are welcome this morning in celebration of a baptism, with gratitude for the TIRES that bind us.”   

We are working through series on “Natural Church Development”. According to author Christian Schwarz, there are 8 characteristics of growing churches. Schwarz says that instead of asking 'how do we get more people to come to church?” we need to ask “how can we grow in each of these 8 quality areas?” Today we discuss Holistic Small Groups.

So what does that mean. First, small groups means yes, our Bible study groups, Sunday morning, Friday Prayer breakfast, women's groups, Youth groups certainly. But 'small groups' certainly encompasses more. Small groups can be any group that gets together regularly. This can include...Carl's Coffee, choir!...how about, church boards and committees? Of course! our work groups and teams who have been leading the process of the coming together of 2 churches?! You bet!--so, Are these holistic small groups? Well, what does that mean?

“Holistic” defined according to Merriam Webster online...: relating to or concerned with wholes (W-h-o-l-e-s-not a hole in your sock but the entirety -the complete being) or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts. 
e.g. holistic medicine attempts to treat both the mind and the body. 
Holistic medicine knows that your emotions and spiritual life affect the physical being, and how you feel physically affects your mental, emotional and spiritual state.
holistic means to understand that we are more than just the sum of our parts, and also that we are integrated with all that is around us. In the body of Christ lesson Doug gave us last week, we learned that each single part of a body is important, we NEED every single aspect, even the baby toe, right? And holistic theory helps us integrate and celebrate the WHOLE, not just the parts! Holistic small groups deal with the whole person, caring for needs of all participants,  So that we remember –Re-Member...get it!? That each member of a small group is a key part of that group and each group is an integral part of the church, therefore a part of the WHOLE. And that the whole church is a part of, and key, to the larger community, and so on.

Holistic small groups in a church are groups in which the work of Jesus is evident. it's evident in the people and in what they do. The Love, the compassion, the hope of the future, and the knowledge that God is with us through the present. Holistic groups are made up of people who are following Christ. The groups are intentional about keeping Jesus at the heart of what is being done. These groups incorporate prayer, even bible time, discussion of how God is working in our lives, and where God is leading the group, and especially-- recognizing consensus in the group as being the leading of the Holy Spirit! Each of us can be a part of understanding where God is leading, but we really learn and grow together in a group. Each of us brings our own experience and understanding, which is a PART of the whole understanding and experience of God. So we can then complement each other and grow together.

How can we be sure a group we are in is a “holistic” group? Do you enjoy being a part of the group? Are Godly priorities part of the group? Or is there complaining, or other negativity? Recurring negative talk and feelings are a sign that this is NOT holistic, it is not about the work of the Lord! If you are feeling this, please take even a moment to pray within your heart, if not aloud, for people to remember that we are gathered IN Christ, and may the Spirit of Christ be a presence in your midst. The group may even need to refocus, to make a new commitment to Following Jesus.

I believe that our transition work groups and teams have been holistic small groups. The meetings that I attended always started at least with a prayer for guidance. Some incorporated a short bible reading or devotion, to help us focus on the mission of that meeting. To remind us that we are here for a much larger purpose. This transition isn't just about us. In this process, we have recognized that we are doing something new. That God is doing a new thing, right here. We started off thinking this change would be something special, but we've come to realize that there is much more than what we perceived at the very beginning. In this process, we began to realize that God is indeed doing a new thing. We are coming together, not just 2 mainstream churches, but we are becoming a new entity! We of course honor our roots, our history, but we are much more than that! Together we have an amazing capability to reach out in the Name of Christ. Just look at what we have done together just the past several months!

Together we are working with Hands of Faith, helping families on the path from homelessness to a stable lifestyle. We hosted a beautiful music concert, attended by well over 200 people- the donations from which went to Project 16:49 to help homeless teens. Our Vacation Bible school helped 30 some kids get a better grasp of what it means to follow Jesus. We hosted a book bag bash, getting bags full of school supplies to 162 needy kids! And giving many more lunch and time to relax and play in a safe, structured environment. Some of the kids who were there and at VBS have come on Sunday morning! Just think how much we are accomplishing already this year, and we haven't even formally merged yet!
How much more can we do together, if we are committed to following Jesus, and reaching out in His name?!
Our 2 churches proudly come from the tradition of the Protestant Reformation, with its emphasis on the Bible. Our 2 churches have this long history of compassion and caring for others. It is after all, what the Bible tells us! Our churches have thought long and hard about our sense of purpose and our vision for the future. A few years ago, both churches did vision statements. 1st's was at the beginning of their transition process. 2nd's was as we were moving into our 150th anniversary celebration. Both vision statements tell of churches who emphasize worship and music. Both statements tell of churches with a love of fellowship, coming together to share coffee, a meal and good company, churches who holistically care for our members and our community. Both statements tell of a commitment to reach out in the Name of Jesus, as the Bible tells us. We are honoring the long traditions of our churches, as we are forming a new one! We will continue to honor our history, but right now, in this merger process, we need every member to renew our commitment to Follow Jesus! This is the only way we will discern the vision that God has for this new church. A couple days ago there was some discussion of what our vision for the future is. And I believe that we are so entrenched in this immediate process that we have not seen a precise vision for the future. God has not revealed it yet, or we are not quite perceiving it yet! But a few years ago, during the process of crafting our vision statement, I was praying about the future of our church. And this image came to my mind...a beautiful image, it was there for just a moment, but I certainly remember it. It was this church building with beams of light shining out from it. You know how light from a lighthouse can be seen from miles and miles away..there's a light on Cape Cod that can be seen 30 miles out to sea! This is what that light looked like, but shining in every single direction! Bright, warm light, glowing, it could be seen shining over our community for miles! It was the Light of Christ. Emanating from this very place. It was light that tells of love, hope, peace, and healing, from our Lord Jesus.

These 2 churches coming together are the beginning of this vision coming true. There is more to be revealed, the light will only shine as it is meant to when each of us is fully committed to following our Loving Lord. Then this new Unified Church will indeed be a new thing for Christ, perceived far and wide, fulfilling God's dream for us and for the generations to come!


Please pray with me:
Holy Lord God,  we are here in Your name, yearning to better follow You. Help us today and every day, to Live in the love and light of Jesus. Help us to follow You more today than yesterday, and even more tomorrow! Help us to care for the whole person, the whole church, the whole community, as YOU would have us do. Guide us to help the Light of Christ shine ever more brightly from this place into the world. In Jesus' Holy Name, amen.

Forgot to post this sermon from Mother's Day 2012. title Mother Love.

1 John 5:1-6
5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.

5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

5:3 For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,

5:4 for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.

5:5 Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

5:6 This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

John 15:9-17
15:9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.

15:10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

15:11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

15:12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

15:13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.

15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

15:15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.

15:16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.

15:17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

Happy Mother's Day!

A boy forgot his lines in a Sunday school play. Luckily his is mother was in the front row especially to prompt him.
She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it did not help. His memory was completely blank. Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, 'I am the light of the world.'
He beamed and with great feeling and a loud clear voice announced, 'My mother is the light of the world.'

The Gospel of John chapter 15, the words of Jesus, spoken to the disciples on the last night of Jesus' earthly life. Jesus is speaking from his heart, saying “abide in My love!” teaching to love as he has loved. Not as others love, but as Jesus himself loves! Maybe your parents had a hard time conveying their love. Jesus says very plainly here how much he loves and cares for his followers. And since we are so loved, we are to love others. We do not HAVE to obey, but we wish to, because of that love. Both of our scriptures today speak of this obedience to God because of the Love of God, through Jesus :)

Good parents give of themselves, loving and caring for the family, make sure kids have place to sleep, enough to eat, warm clothing in winter and so on....some parents are not able to do these things well. They have other issues that prevent them from doing better. FORTUNATELY we have a loving perfect parent in God!God loves us unconditionally, as we are and not as we should be, because none of us is as we should be. When we recognize how loved we are, we are better able to love others well. We can grow out of the trouble we may have grown up in, because of that profound love. And loving others means-as good parents do- to offer ourselves, and our gifts.

Here at church for example, we offer our gifts—our weekly monetary gift of course, but also our time, our talents -making music, making food, organizing events, wiping tables or washing communion plates, any number of ways to help out. We offer our gifts because we are blessed! When we put God first, everything we do can be an offering! So we are wiping tables, singing a song, to honor God. Since God is love, we want to do for God in loving ways!

When we are loved well, we feel cared for and want to care for others.

When our children are babies, we change diapers not because we want to, we do so because we love them! So we change them and clean them up well because they can't do it yet. We want to do well to keep them healthy and happy. Just out of love. When we were little kids we wanted to do what our parents asked because we loved them. Now we want to do as Jesus says, because of the incredible love shown us, even in spite of all we do that is not Godly. So we do what we can and do it as well as we can. To honor God. And that is a way that the Light of Christ shines through us to others.

We may think we will help others when we get all squared away. We can't give this week because we can't afford steak. Can we afford burger? Cottage cheese? Then we are ahead of many others. We are called to help others, regardless! We may not have much, but we can still help! Because there is always someone worse off, there is always someone who needs our help. Right now, each of us has a place to return to, a place to lay down at night. It may not be a palace, but it's home. It's a place where we are comfortable and feel safe. Thank you, God! Sadly, even today in the 21^st century USA! there are many people who do not have a place to call home. Over and over the Bible tells us to care for others, especially the widow and orphan. In those times the widow and orphan were the most likely to be homeless. And in a society in which men were well into their 20s before marrying a younger woman, there were apt to be a LOT of widows and orphans...therefore a lot of folks who were homeless or nearly so. Today it is often a single parent family, or a family of a military veteran who are homeless. You and I have homes. How can we not help those without?

A couple of years ago, Jeff Hoyt, executive director of Hands of Faith spoke here at 2^nd Cong. We were inspired, collected a good offering for the ministry and folks here were interested. 1^st Presbyterian has been involved in Hands of Faith and wondered as we began talks of coming together, if 2^nd would care to help with Hands of Faith. Several of us said YES! This is clearly something we were meant to do. A commitment from each of us of a few hours spent together, a home-cooked meal, can mean so much to these folks who are working hard to get their lives back on track! let's help them see that God is the ultimate safe haven, even in hard times. God is the perfect parent, the place of rest, of comfort. Jesus' light will surely shine through as we help.

Jesus says, “you did not choose me, I chose you!” now of course the disciples DID choose to follow Jesus, but Jesus, who was in the beginning, actually chose them---and us-- first. And he appointed the disciples..and US-to go and bear fruit! To show the Love of God by loving and caring for others!

We are in a time of sea change for traditional churches. More churches are the church not just OF the community but FOR the community. Churches reach out to others to be a blessing, showing the love of Christ. One of the interesting facets of this time of change is that young people are coming into churches, because they have first joined mission projects and then learned about the churches involved and they begin to attend. People who consider themselves “spiritual but not religious” are finding that some of us who are religious are actually spiritual too! that is the Holy Spirit, the gift of God, is the Truth. The truth of God.

Our Loving parent promises that

..for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. OUR faith...can help conquer the world!? Can a few folks in a midwestern town make a difference in the world?! Yes! Absolutely! Two church families, coming together to share their love of God and compassion for others can make a difference right here and far beyond this corner of Beloit! What each of us does has a ripple effect. We can never be sure just how far our words and actions will reach. Our work together, to help the homeless, the hungry, to help children and to reach out to all kinds of people will fill our community with the Light of Christ! And who knows what effect this can have on those folks we reach out to!? At the very least, families will remember that a group of folks helped out when they were struggling. This church can become a beacon of the Light of Christ for people all over this area. When we abide in Christ, he abides in us. And we can accomplish so much together. God has surely brought us together for this day and time, for God's purposes.

Today, Mother's Day, can bring up complex feelings. You may be reminded of a wonderful relationship with your Mom or another relative, or your own kids. Or it may remind you of losses, of your mother or maybe a child. Or the loss of the nurturing that you didn't receive from your own mother. Can we think of today as a day to celebrate the love that runs all through life? The love that we experience holding a baby, the love that we may have found in family members or dear friends. An unconditional love..the love that we know comes from God :) Good parents offer a lot of themselves. Our Heavenly parent offered up the very best....God's own Son who laid down his life for his friends...and us.  

Daily Bread. Sermon given at 2nd Cong/1st Pres Sept 2, 2012.

Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15
16:2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
16:3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."
16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not.
16:9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, 'Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'"
16:10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
16:11 The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
16:12 "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"
16:13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
16:14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.
16:15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

John 6:24-35
6:24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
6:25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"
6:26 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
6:27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal."
6:28 Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?"
6:29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."
6:30 So 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?
6:31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
6:32 Then 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.

6:33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
6:34 They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
6:35 Jesus 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.

{BOB Uecker, "Voice of Milwaukee Brewers" recognized at Miller Park, sharing a few of his quotes}

"They said I was such a great prospect that they were sending me to a winter league to sharpen up. When I stepped off the plane, I was in Greenland."

"When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I looked in the other team's dugout and they were already in street clothes." 

I knew when my career was over. In 1965 my baseball card came out with no picture.

going into football season...

watching professional sports and even the Olympics last month....

To compete at that level requires not just practice, but hours of watching training films, learning about adequate hydration and rest...athletes need to sleep 8-10 hours every night, plus rest an hour or 2 in the afternoon, because the body needs to rest to rebuild muscle tissue that is damaged during such extreme activity. And they have special diets, Lots of protein of course, for muscles, carbohydrates for energy—carbs like vegetables and breads with whole grains, not sugary cereals or cupcakes...yummy as those are!

There are all kinds of experts to advise athletes on each area of training. Sports medicine and sports nutrition are areas of training that didn’t exist back when Ueck was playing (or in the Lombardi Era in Green Bay) and just in the past few years there have been tremendous advances in these areas.

Thousands of years ago, there was no such thing as a nutrition educator was there?! But God-- the creator of all, knew a thing or two....

OT lesson, Moses was leading the Israelites, they had left slavery in Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, leading the people through the desert. The people are complaining! They complain that it would have been better to have died in slavery, where they were also constantly complaining, BUT they had enough to eat!

God hears their complaints. Note the text does not say they prayed about it, but that God heard anyway. and God told Moses that they would receive food! “Draw near to the Lord for he has heard your complaining!” God hears, and God provides!

God provided quails to eat in the evening and in the morning was fine powder to make bread. “manna' The Hebrew word manna, literally means, “what is it?”

could God have provided them with wheat, or barley or corn, sure!! but the people needed something that was unusual, that they would realize was indeed from GOD!

God provided for the Israelites.

Gospel lesson...this story comes just after the miraculous feeding of 5000 men, not counting the women and children. And following that, the Disciples are rowing across the Sea of Galilee at night, the water is rough because of winds, and the men see Jesus walking on the water! He calms them saying, it is I do not be afraid, they take him into the boat and immediately they arrive on the other side.

Then we read this story...

READ Gospel lesson

Jesus says you were looking for me, not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill...

does this mean the people were looking merely for the provision? For food, bread and fish, sustenance, easily provided. And Jesus says to them, don't be so caught up in the temporary things of life!! bread will spoil, look instead to eternity!

The people seemed to not 'get it' yet....the feeding of 5000 was a one-time thing. The manna from heaven was a daily occurrence for 40 years! The people of Jesus' time expected that the coming of the Messiah would be marked by a miracle as great as or greater than the giving of the manna in the desert.

and so the people still doubt or maybe they are challenging Jesus. After all he is making some pretty bold statements!

he corrects them saying Moses didn't provide the bread in the desert, it was God...Moses was chosen by God to lead, but God did the providing!

but Jesus says :MY father who gives the true bread from heaven'

the true bread from heaven. The word “true” has a special meaning. Jesus refers to what is everlasting, as opposed to something merely representative. The bread God provided through Moses was only material and temporary, not spiritual and eternal.

And they demand he give them this bread always!

And then he says HE is the Bread of life!!

this is one of the 7 “I am” statements Jesus made in John's Gospel. Saying “I Am” in itself was pretty bold, because the Hebrew people knew that “I AM” is the name God used to Moses! “tell them I AM sent you”

so when Jesus made these statements saying, I AM, he was indeed claiming to be Divine, claiming to be One with God.

Jesus' followers were Jewish, they regularly celebrated feast days, including the feast of Unleavened Bread. This is the feast commemorating the flight from Egypt. God gave Moses specific instructions for the people to make unleavened bread -bread with no yeast at all- as the Israelites were to leave Egypt. Then later gave specific directions on celebrating this holiday, the Passover, every year afterwards. The Israelite people understood the symbolism of bread as sustenance and also sacrifice. Unleavened bread, which has no yeast in it, was to be used for this feast...it is pure. What was used to leaven bread in those times, since they couldn't go to the store to buy a jar of yeast...was a bit of dough saved from a previous batch, dough that was fermenting a bit. A small bit would be stirred into a batch of dough, mixing through it and causing it to rise. Because of the fermentation, This is dough that would spoil very quickly if not baked right away. So leavening, and leavened bread has to be cleaned out of the house to prepare for the passover. The leavening is symbolic of sin. Only a little bit of it can affect a big batch of dough. So the Hebrew people even today, do an intense cleaning project before the Passover holiday, to remove all the leaven, to become completely clean and without sin.

When Jesus spoke of bread, here and in other places in the Gospels, it was sometimes symbolic and sometimes very real. Here he is saying he is bread...sustenance, something we need and want every day, and yet something that is pure and without sin. Later, when he introduced the communion story, he was definitely claiming the pure and without sin aspect...using the unleavened bread of the Passover celebration, to say “This is my body -given for you”

When He told his followers, "I am the Bread of Life," Jesus was reminding them-and us- that He is basic to our daily lives. Just as we need daily nourishment, we need to focus on God, We need Jesus Christ every day, as much as we need basic sustenance.

Could this be part of what we pray when we ask “Give us this day our daily bread”? Yes we are praying for our daily needs, food, clothing, shelter, but could there be even more to that prayer? Could there be more to life if we follow Jesus every day, asking him to be closer to us every day? And therefore helping us to better reach out to others in love?!

Barbara Brown Taylor in An Altar in the World

When I hear people talk about what is wrong with organized religion, or why their mainline churches are failing, I hear about bad music, inept clergy, mean congregations, and preoccupation with institutional maintenance. I almost never hear about the intellectualization of faith, which strikes me as a far greater danger than anything else on the list. In an age of information overload, when a vast variety of media delivers news faster than most of us can digest—when many of us have at least two e-mail addresses, two telephone numbers, and one fax number—the last thing any of us needs is more information about God. We need the practice of incarnation, by which God saves the lives of those whose intellectual assent has turned as dry as dust, who have run frighteningly low on the bread of life, who are dying to know more God in their bodies. Not more about God. More God.

In reading some of the references in the Bible to bread...i was struck by this..when Jesus said, 'man cannot live on bread alone but on every word from the mouth of God'

this is in Matthew 4, when Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness. It is a quote from Deuteronomy chapter 8. what struck me was the phrase “every word”...

whole of The Word. We need ALL of the Bible. Not some of it, not a few select verses, or even a favorite chapter or two...but EVERY Word from the mouth of God.

It's sort of like bread that is processed so that the bran and wheat germ are gone ...it's tasty, but it's not as nutritious as the whole grain! It just doesn't stick with you.

We Congregationalists & Presbyterians, are children of the Protestant Reformation. We are people of the Bible.

I know how hard it can be to make time to read the bible every day. I struggle with it. Yet, the days that I do read, seem to go better. My life seems to go better, not that I have fewer troubles...but that I cope better. I pray better. I have a teeny bit more patience...well sometimes...

and having more of Jesus every day has actually helped my faith grow! The more I know of Jesus the better I want to know him! The more I read and learn the more I want! Its like when you first fall in love, you can't spend enough time with the other person!

Prayer, bible reading, these are how we find more God...these are among the spiritual disciplines that help us to be better followers of Jesus, and therefore better people!

In Life With God, Richard Foster writes...Spiritual Disciplines involve doing what we can do to receive from God the power to do what we cannot do. ...Freedom comes not from the absence of restraint but from the presence of discipline. Only the disciplined gymnast is free to score a perfect ten on the parallel bars. Only the disciplined violinist is free to play Paganini’s “Caprices.” This, of course, is true in all of life, but it is never more true than in the spiritual life. When we are on the spot, when we find ourselves in the midst of the crisis, it is too late. Training in the Spiritual Disciplines is the God-ordained means for forming and transforming the human personality so that in the emergency we can be “response-able”—able to respond appropriately.

Spending time with the Bread of Life, in prayer, reading the Bible, helps us to better serve. As we head into fall, a new season of school or work, and we as a church are working through this merger process, let us draw ever closer to the our Loving Lord.

Let us work with the Ultimate Trainer. Enjoy the Bread of Life, and never be hungry again. We may not be professional athletes, but we can be better people, better church members and better followers of our Lord Jesus.  

Psalm 27, Matthew 6 From Me to We

Sermon given at Ecumenical Lenten service, Wed March 28, 2012.

Psalm 27 ESV

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!

This is a Psalm of David, one of the many times he was fleeing for his life. David wrote this and other Psalms as prayers, and they are intensely personal. but they were prayers to be sung! Sung in worship...in community. The Psalms have been called the Hebrew Hymn book and the Christian prayer book. As personal as the Psalms are, and if one read through them all, every emotion is there! As personal as they are, they are intended to be sung in community.

These Ecumenical Lenten services have been so good. The different types of worship, music, the various sermons, have been wonderful. And it;s so good to enjoy the hospitality and catching up with folks after the services. It's so nice to renew these connections.

After all that's what these services are about. Worshiping God of course! And renewing connections between our churches :)

and we are all connected in some way. You know there is a thing about six degrees of separation...a theory that everyone is connected to everyone else by six degrees, six other people or fewer. I think here in Beloit it's only 2 degrees!

The bible reminds us of connections too. This prayer reminds us of connections! Our Gospel lesson is one you find very familiar. You see, some time ago I heard that the best way to pray is to pray the Lord's Prayer, but take an hour to do it! Wouldn't that be ideal! Yet, to take an hour to pray...well, it's hard to admit, but I can't focus that long, can you? And the phone will ring, or the cat wants to play... but one day I managed. And it changed the way I think about prayer, especially this prayer.

Matthew 6:9-13 NRSV

‘Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.

(May the Lord add a blessing to this reading of His Holy Word)

What changed the way I think about prayer? The first word, “Our”.

prayer is personal, but the pronouns are all plural! Jesus said, pray this way....

we pray in community! And yes, Jesus taught that one should go into one's prayer closet...to pray effectively we often need to make some space, take time to breathe deeply and clear away some of the hubbub of the day. And in Bible times, you didn’t have your own office or your own room! You lived with your multi-generational family in just a few rooms! So Jesus advised to get away for prayer, because most of the time that was the ONLY way for a bit of privacy to really focus on God.

And yet, the prayer that Jesus taught is a prayer that reminds us that we are all connected, to God and to one another.

When we pray this prayer, we are praying with each other! We are praying with people of faith, of every denomination or none, everywhere- who are praying this same prayer, even at this same moment! It is Wednesday night during Lent, there are midweek services happening all over this country right now! All over the world, perhaps right at this moment, others are praying these same beautiful words –in community with us! At this moment it is morning in China, Laos, where it is not safe to proclaim Jesus Christ. But Christians there are indeed praying this prayer right now. We pray in community with them, and for them. And for all the others who are praying.

We also pray with the great cloud of witnesses. Those who have gone before, even generations before, are praying with us, cheering us on to better live God's will.

let me be clear, When we pray, “Our Father” we are not claiming ownership of God. God is infinite, and perfect, far beyond our ability to imagine or to claim! No we are saying “Our” as a recognition of God's loving claim on us, that we are chosen through Jesus, through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Henri Nouwen (if you read no other author, read anything by Nouwen!)

When we dare to trust that we are never alone but that God is always with us, always cares for us, and always speaks to us, we can gradually detach ourselves from the voices that make us feel guilty or anxious, and embrace the present moment. If we could, for a few minutes each day, just be fully where we are, we would indeed discover that we are not alone, and that the One who is with us in our hearts wants only to give us the love we need and the power to love others.

The Love we need and the power to love others....when we have the love we need, we are empowered to learn to love others well. This is why we pray in community. Why we live and worship in community. We are to love God with all our heart soul mind and strength, and love each other! When we spend time with other people of faith, like in these worship services, and talk to one another, we connect. We find that we are all connected, by our love of God, by our love of our families. we learn that we are all just regular folks, with stuff to deal with. Everyone has stuff, and once we learn that about each other, we can have compassion. Compassion of course is caring, loving concern. It is what we feel when we identify with another who is going through the SHTUFF of life.

And when we realize that we are all just trying to do the best we can in spite of what is bogging us down, our hearts soften a bit and we become more compassionate, more Christ-like. We care and we want to help.

Richard Foster Life with God

Attending to the needs of others—whether in the physical, spiritual, social, or political spheres—is as central to Christian faith as the greatest commandment: “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:37–40)

We know what Jesus did for us. It's Lent, we are in worship on Wednesday night, that's why we are here! But how are we living out our faith outside of church? We are indeed called to live out our faith beyond our church attendance. And that is how we will again fill our churches. Because we all want to see our churches full. But folks don't go to church just because it's Sunday any more! In fact lots of people work Sundays, or nights, and going to church is something that has to be arranged, it takes commitment!

It's challenging. Because a lot of the time we have to just trust God and not see exactly what the next step is. In one of the Indiana Jones movies, Harrison Ford as Indy had to cross a huge rocky chasm. It's too far to jump and there seems to be no way across. He finally takes one step, seemingly into thin air, and a there appeared a rocky step! Each bit of the rocky bridge appears only as he just takes a step of faith.

We, as people of faith, may need to keep taking steps onto a bridge we can not see! We want to help others see Christ in us, and the best way to truly show Christ, is for us to see Christ in others. Every time we pray as Jesus taught, we pray Our Us and We, we are being stretched a bit to see Him in each other and in the rest of the world.

Francis Chan in Crazy Love How would my life change if I actually thought of each person I came into contact with as Christ-the person driving painfully slow in front of me, the checker at the grocery store who seems more interested in chatting than ringing up my items, the member of my own family with whom I can't seem to have a conversation and not get annoyed?

How indeed would our lives change?

We will only be true followers of Jesus Christ –the one who lived, suffered and died for each of us and for all of us! ..When we know that Christ is in everyone we meet, yes even THAT neighbor...and when we respond with care and compassion to each person, because Christ is within us and within them, whether or not they know it yet. How will things change when we are loving God so much that we sense God's presence inside every bit of God's creation.

And--How will our churches change? If they are filled with people who recognize Christ in each other and in the world?

Author N.T. Wright in his book Simply Christian, writes of what the church can be:

“It’s a place of welcome and laughter, of healing and hope, of friends and family and justice and new life. It’s where the homeless drop in for a bowl of soup and the elderly stop by for a chat. It’s where one group is working to help drug addicts and another is campaigning for social justice. It’s where you’ll find people learning to pray, coming to faith, struggling with temptation, finding new purpose, and getting in touch with a new power to carry out that purpose, It’s where people bring their own small faith and discover, in getting together with others to worship the one true God, that the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. No church is like that all the time. But a remarkable number of churches are partly like that for quite a lot of time.”

Our churches are partly like that, part of the time. They can be more and more like that if we make it so. We can take this renewed recognition of the Passion of our Lord and our growing com-passion, back to our churches and help others find this profound sense of community. These last 10 days or so of Lent, pray thoughtfully and think prayerfully about how we can help make our churches more like this vision.

God who is our Light and Salvation created humans, created you and me for a personal relationship with himself, and to be in compassionate community with each other. The Infinite , perfect God so LOVED the world....all of the world, that God gave his one and only son, Jesus. Jesus-the One who knew no sin- took all of our sin, our pride, our hate, greed, selfishness, everything that keeps us apart from God, Jesus took upon himself at the cross. Jesus endured the cruelest death that humankind could mete out. He did it purely from love and desire to make us one with God. In these final days of Lent, let us prayerfully remember and honor what Jesus did for us by living out that prayer He taught.