Worship
for the Lord’s Day
November
1, 2020
Due to a quick trip to
Florida to see my mother for her birthday we will not have in-person worship this
Sunday, November 1, but will meet virtually via this format. We return to in-person, corporate worship on
Sunday, November 8 at our regular times: Olivet Presbyterian Church in West
Elizabeth (9:45am) and Bethesda United Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth
(11:15am). For those of you who will
continue to worship from home, we’ll continue to provide you a similar
experience here, on-line.
Let’s begin:
Prelude
Call to Worship
The promises of the
world turn to ashes and dust, but the promises of God last forever. The Holy One calls to us, “Come!” We seek God in worship to rekindle the gift
of God ablaze within us. AMEN.
Hymn When Morning Gilds the Skies (first
and last verses)
Prayer of Confession
With the weepers we weep. With the warriors we yearn for peace. With the exiles we wander far from home, for
our hearts wander far from You. We live
in an uncertain world – time and again we turn to people who promise us
security. But God, You are our only
source of safety. Help us turn to You,
our heart’s true home. Call us again and
lead us home. Author of Peace, teach us
to seek our peace in You. Source of
Every Blessings, forgive us for the multitude of our transgressions. Rekindle a spirit of love and self-discipline
within us, through Jesus' name we pray. (Silent prayers are offered) AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Our Savior Jesus Christ
abolished sin and death and brought life and immortality to light. By the grace of the Eternal One, we are forgiven
in the power of the Holy Spirit living within us. AMEN.
Affirmation of Faith –
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the
Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son
our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin Mary;
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended
into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall
come to judge the quick and the dead. I
believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life
everlasting. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer:
(Continued prayers for
all those affected by the Coronavirus, for our schools, for our national
leaders. We also pray for those affected
by this season’s series of hurricanes and the wildfires that have damaged so
much. Continue to pray for a safe and
democratic process for our national vote.
Since today is considered All Saints Day, we want to especially remember
those saints who have gone before us to our heavenly home.)
God of all nations, You called Your
people to be a light to the world, to draw to Yourself all who seek peace. Lord, we ask that You use us, Your church, to
be instruments of that peace, so that justice and compassion might be known in
every land.
We pray for
Your hurting and broken world. We pray
that conflict, wherever it may be, comes to an end, that wars might cease and
that peace can truly be realized. We
pray for our enemies, as much as we pray for our friends and allies. Lord, give our nation’s leaders a spirit of
wisdom and a heart of reconciliation, that we might be guided to provide for
the well-being of the hungry and homeless.
We pray for
small businesses and their owners who are trying to support their families
during this time, for health care workers, teachers, and other “at risk”
workers who face difficult decisions to provide for their families and do what
they love to do.
We pray for
Your church and its leaders. This has
been a really difficult year for us.
Continue to speak words of wisdom and imagination in the face of depression
and anxiety. We pray that You continue
to speak Your quiet, yet urgent whisper of calling. Make us as community, models of righteousness
for all who seek to know Your ways.
Teach us to rejoice in all things and to seek what is honorable, just,
pure, pleasing, commendable, and praiseworthy, that we might be good
ambassadors of Your good news to those whose hearts are restless for You.
Lay Your
healing hand on those we name this morning who struggle with sickness of body,
mind, or spirit. We especially pray
for….
Lord, by Your healing and comforting, reveal Your power and
love, and give us a taste of the feast to come in Christ’s name, we pray…
Our Father, who art in
heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our
debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. AMEN.
Hymn Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken (first and last verses)
Scripture Readings
Old Testament: Psalm 43
1Vindicate me, O God, and defend
my cause against an ungodly people; from those who are deceitful and unjust
deliver me!
2For you are the God in whom I
take refuge; why have you cast me off? Why must I walk about mournfully because
of the oppression of the enemy?
3O send out your light and your
truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your
dwelling.
4Then I will go to the altar of
God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my
God.
5Why are you cast down, O my
soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again
praise him, my help and my God.
New Testament: Matthew
23:1-12
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; 3therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do
not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the
shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move
them. 5They do all their
deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their
fringes long. 6They love to
have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to
have people call them rabbi. 8But you are
not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all
students. 9And call no
one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one
instructor, the Messiah. 11The greatest
among you will be your servant. 12All who exalt
themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
Sermon – Just like the hymns, you can click on the
sermon title to hear/watch a video of today’s sermon via YouTube.
Broad Phylacteries and
Long Fringes
(based
on Matthew 23:1-12)
Today’s passage concludes Jesus’
public ministry, and his exchange with the scribes, Sadducees, Herodians, and
Pharisees. They’ve tried everything they
can think of to stump him and entrap him.
But now it is Jesus’ turn to make the crowd take a good long look at
these “religious leaders”.
First, Jesus said that they sit on
“Moses’ seat”, which means that they sit on the seat of law and judgment. This “seat” was called the seat of Moses
because from the time of the Exodus, Moses sat and listened to the people’s
complaints, to their questions about the future, about what God was doing and
he passed judgment when necessary regarding conflict or a question of
interpretation and he taught the people how God wanted them to live. This Seat of Moses became an actual place of
honor and recognition in front of the members of the congregation in the
synagogue. Certainly, in Jerusalem, this
seat looked more like a throne, as it was the central Temple for all Jews.
Rabbi
Shapira explains that this seat and those that sat upon held an extremely
important role for the Jewish followers because the Torah did not answer all
questions and many Jews continued to ask how they should conduct their
lives. Here the scribes and Pharisees
that were promoted to sitting here on Moses’ seat, would often provide answers
to those who came before them. Jesus was
affirming their authority in verse 2 and told the crowds that they should
listen to them; that they should do whatever they teach you and follow their
instruction. However, Jesus went one
step further. Listen to them, do what
they teach, follow their instruction BUT, do NOT do what they do.
Why?
Because they did not follow their own advice, their own teachings, their
own laws. Many of them had risen to this
position of power and now believed that the following of rules was beneath
them. Yes, they might know right from
wrong. Yes, they might know and
understand the law that God had laid out for the people to follow, but they had
stopped believing that they too should follow those laws.
Second, some of these scribes or
Pharisees would often make the requirements of following God’s laws overly
difficult. They got caught up in the
making of the law rather than the spirit of the law.
Third, Jesus says that they would make
their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. Do you have any idea what this is referring
to? Well, let’s start with the meaning
of phylactery, which literally means “to preserve”. A phylactery in Jewish tradition was a small
leather box that contained a number of verses from the Scriptures and was worn
about the body by straps during prayer.
It was meant to be like an amulet to remind the wearer to preserve their
faith. The passages, written on vellum
were the following:
Exodus 13:1-10
The Lord said to Moses: 2Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is
the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals,
is mine. 3Moses said to the people, “Remember this day on which you came out of
Egypt, out of the house of slavery, because the Lord brought you out from
there by strength of hand; no leavened bread shall be eaten. 4Today, in the month of Abib, you are going
out. 5When the Lord brings
you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites,
and the Jebusites, which he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing
with milk and honey, you shall keep this observance in this month. 6Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and
on the seventh day there shall be a festival to the Lord. 7Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days;
no leavened bread shall be seen in your possession, and no leaven shall be seen
among you in all your territory. 8You shall tell your child on that day, ‘It is
because of what the Lord did
for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9It shall serve for you as a sign on your hand
and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the teaching of the Lord may be
on your lips; for with a strong hand the Lord brought you out of
Egypt. 10You shall keep this ordinance at its proper time from year to year.
Exodus 13:11-16
11“When the Lord has brought you into
the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your ancestors, and has
given it to you, 12you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the
firstborn of your livestock that are males shall be the Lord’s. 13But every firstborn donkey you shall redeem
with a sheep; if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. Every firstborn
male among your children you shall redeem. 14When in the future your child asks you, ‘What
does this mean?’ you shall answer, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought
us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go,
the Lord killed
all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborn to the firstborn
of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord every male that first
opens the womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16It shall serve as a sign on your hand and as an
emblem on your forehead that by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of
Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6Keep these words that I am commanding you today
in your heart. 7Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home
and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as
an emblem on your forehead, 9and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 11:13-19
13If you will only heed his every
commandment that I am commanding you today—loving the Lord your God, and serving
him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14then he
will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later
rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine, and your oil; 15and he
will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you will eat your
fill. 16Take care, or you will be seduced into turning away, serving
other gods and worshiping them, 17for
then the anger of the Lord will
be kindled against you and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be
no rain and the land will yield no fruit; then you will perish quickly off the
good land that the Lord is
giving you.
18You shall put these words of
mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand,
and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. 19Teach
them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are
away, when you lie down and when you rise. 20Write
them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21so that
your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that
the Lord swore
to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.
All males over the age of thirteen,
after their bar mitsvah when they became an adult in the Jewish faith, was
required to wear them. Although these
phylacteries were only to be worn during times of prayer to meditate upon and
help preserve the faith, the scribes and the Pharisees that held the highest
positions in Jerusalem wore them day and night as they went about their
business. And they were hung on very
broad straps, rather than the customary narrow ones, to bring more attention to
them, so that everyone knew how righteous and pious they were; preserving the
faith and observing its commands day and night.
In addition to these phylacteries, men
wore prayer shawls under their garments.
These prayer shawls, called tallit in Hebrew, were knotted and
fringed at the corners and would peek out from beneath their wardrobe. If you’ve ever seen the movie, Fiddler on the
Roof, you’ll recognize them right away.
The significance of the fringe is important. For those of you who are into numerology will
love this next part. For those of you
who aren’t, this might be interesting but perhaps a bit tedious. Just stay with me.
Taken
from the website called My Jewish Learning, I found out that the fringe
on the tallit or prayer shawl is called a tzitzit in Hebrew. Numerical value of words is a system in which
an alphanumeric code is used to assign a number to a word or phrase based on
its letters. Those who follow the
meaning of patterns and numbers this is highly influential in much of
Judaism. The numerical value of this tzitzit
is 600. Each of the fringes contain 8
threads and 5 knots, making a total of 613, which is the total number of
commandments given in the Torah.
My Jewish Learning explains
that when making the fringes one winds the long thread around the other threads
between the 5 knots 7, 8, 11, and 13 times respectively. The first three numbers equal 26, which is
the numerical value of the Tetragrammaton – which is the collection of the four
consonants that make up the Hebrew name for God - Yahweh (YHWH), as it is written
in Hebrew which doesn’t have actual vowels in its written form. And the remaining number equals the numerical
value of the Hebrew word ehad or “one”.
Which reminds the Jewish believer of the Shema prayer, one of the most
important prayers of the day, which serves as a centering for all other prayer,
“Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” So this prayer includes the significance of
the numerological functions of the prayer shawl.
Some Jews were known to tuck in their
fringes, under their garments, others were known to wear them peeking out from
beneath as a constant reminder. Here
Jesus says that the Scribes and Pharisees liked to wear extra long fringes so
that they could be seen no matter what garments they wore.
Jesus then simply goes on to give
examples of how they like to be greeted and recognized as men of honor and with
great fanfare – “bow down, kiss the ring”.
Jesus warns his followers against such
folly and to be humble. There are a
number of parables written that Jesus uses to teach the same lesson, but after
this same group of men tried to entrap him, he makes an example of their own
behavior.
The big lesson for us and the
take-away after all that is that we should learn all that we can from those who
are wise and knowledgeable in such things, but be careful that we don’t set
them too high on a pedestal. Sure, we
can have heroes, but the higher we raise them up, the farther they have to
crash when our heroes don’t measure up to their own standings.
Christ is our only measure and our
only true hero.
Thanks
be to God.
Hymn For All the Saints (first
and last verses)
Benediction
May
the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you; may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you
peace. AMEN.
Postlude
