Worship
Service for August 24, 2025
Prelude
Announcements:
Call to Worship
L: With great rejoicing we come to the house
of the Lord today!
P: God is our refuge and our stronghold.
L: The power and love of God flow through
this gathering.
P: We place our whole trust in God’s mighty
compassion for us.
L: Come, let us worship the Lord!
P: Let us celebrate the presence of God here
in this place and in all our lives. AMEN
Opening Hymn – How Firm a Foundation #361/408
Prayer of Confession
Lord God, we are so bound by
rules and regulations that we fail to see the human need that goes beyond the
bounds of structures. We easily relegate
compassionate service to those agencies in our society that have that as their
mandate, forgetting that You have given us the supreme mandate to care for one
another, even as You have cared for us.
We turn our backs on those in need, giving the responsibility to someone
else. “Let someone else do the work,” we
proclaim. And in that proclamation we
have revealed our selfishness and our inability to be Your disciples. Stop us from our selfish ways, and heal our
hardened hearts. Forgive us, again, as You
have so often before when we have failed to be Your witnesses and workers. Help us become involved in ministries of
peace and justice right where we are, for there is nowhere in creation where Your
love is not needed. Let us bring
messages of love and hope to all people.
Bring us to an understanding of the partnership of healing and hope that
abides in Your service. For we ask these
things in Jesus’ name. (Silent
prayers are offered) AMEN.
Assurance of Pardon
L: Though we have failed time and time again
to be God’s people, yet God heals and forgives us with gentleness and
compassion. God is with us always, ready
to lift and guide our lives.
P: We place our lives and our cares in God’s
loving presence and give thanks for God’s forgiveness. AMEN!
Gloria Patri
Affirmation of Faith/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 and Lord’s
Prayer
Summer is almost over
and we wonder where the time went, Lord.
We look at all the plans we had, those that we accomplished and those
that are now to be put aside for another time.
We look ahead to the busy year of witness and service and wonder if we
are ready to truly work for You. The
rest that we craved at the beginning of the summer now seems to have slipped
rapidly away, leaving us breathlessly facing the upcoming autumn season.
Help us, O Lord, to feel
Your strengthening presence with us.
Help us place our trust in You, knowing that You will empower and enable
us to be of service to You, caring for the lonely, giving to the poor and
needy, strengthening the downcast, offering a cup of cold water or a bite of
bread to those who hunger and thirst, helping the widow, championing the needs
of the foreigner, and protecting the children.
We have brought the
names and concerns of those who are dear to us to this service of prayer,
seeking Your healing, compassionate, gentle love. We especially pray for:
Holy One of Israel, let
us also be willing to place our needs and concerns before You in this time of
silence.
Gracious
God, give us a powerful sense of restoration and reconciliation to You, for we
ask all these things in the name of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ…Our
Father who art in heaven, Hallowed by 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 – Just
As I Am #370/488
Scripture Reading(s):
First Scripture Reading – Proverbs
15:1-8
Second Scripture Reading – 1
Peter 3:8-16
Sermon –
Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness
(Proverbs 15:1-8, 1 Peter 3:8-16)
Scripture calls us to imitate the gentleness of Christ, but
we are far more inclined to respond to difficult people in live situations in a
reactive, angry, harsh, arrogant, condemning, or judgmental fashion. I think most of us are guilty of this,
including myself. I’m certainly not
immune to reacting harshly or angrily.
Gentleness is the quality of being kind, tender, mild
mannered; it is softness of action or effect. Sometimes we think that gentleness is
weakness. But I don’t think gentleness
is weakness, instead I think it is strength under control.
Some people find it easier to be angry about the sins and
failings of others especially those that are directed toward us, than to gently
love them in Jesus’ name. 2 Timothy 2:25, tells us we’re to
be “correcting opponents with gentleness.
Most everyone felt safe in the presence of Christ,
because the message they clearly got from him was a message of gentle love and
acceptance that encouraged and enabled people to repent.
The Gospel according to Matthew, Chapter 11 records Jesus
as saying, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Gentleness isn’t seen as a desirable quality
anymore. Men and women want to be strong, assertive and tough. Who
wants to be known as gentle? Gentleness is
for the losers. And yet, the term “Gentleman”
was used to describe a man who had learned how to act respectfully and
considerately toward other people. We rarely identify or address people today
as “ladies and gentlemen,” terms that were supposed to have at least a little
to do with one’s behavior and conduct. But
gentleness is listed as one of the last remaining fruits of the spirit, a
Christian virtue, that we are to pursue.
Be gentle even when it’s difficult. One day a young man was walking along an
isolated road when he heard something like a crying sound. He couldn’t
tell for sure what the sound was, but it seemed to be coming from underneath a
bridge. As he approached the bridge, the
sound got louder and then he saw a pathetic sight. There, lying in the muddy riverbed, was a
puppy about two months old. It had a gash on its head and was covered
with mud. Its front legs were swollen where they had been tightly bound
with cords. The young man was
immediately moved with compassion and wanted to help the dog, but as he
approached, the crying stopped, and the dog snarled his lip and started to
growl. But the young man didn’t give up. He sat down and started
gently talking to the dog. It took a long time but eventually the dog
stopped growling and the man was able to inch forward and eventually touch the
dog and begin unwrapping the tightly bound cord. The young man carried the dog home, cared for
its wounds, gave it food and water and a warm bed. Even with all of this,
the dog continued to snarl and growl every time its rescuer approached, but the
young man continued to treat the dog with gentle kindness. Weeks went by and the man continued caring
for the puppy. Then one day as the man approached, the dog wagged its
tail. Gentle kindness and consistent love had won, and a lifelong
friendship of trust and loyalty began.
In our own relationships, whether it’s parents with
children, between spouses, friends, or even animals, gentleness is a greatly
desired and a highly effective quality. It’s like oil lubricating an
engine. A mechanic will tell you
changing the oil in your vehicle at the regularly recommended amount of mileage
or time is the single most important thing you can do for the long-term care of
your engine. Regular preventative
maintenance with gentleness in our words and deeds, is one of the most
important things we can do for the long-term care of smooth-running
relationships, as well.
Another passage is scripture, this one from the Letter of
James, chapter 3, says “Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by
your good life that your works are done with gentleness born
of wisdom… the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality
or hypocrisy.” It is remarkably sad these
days how many leaders and prominent people are so obviously lacking in this
gentleness and wisdom. But this
gentleness goes for parents, too.
Another story tells of parents of a young son who wanted
to teach him responsibility, so they required him to call home when he arrived
at a friend’s house a few blocks away so they knew he had gotten there. Unfortunately,
he forgot. The first time this happened,
his dad called a bit later to be sure he had arrived. The son was told
the next time it happened; he would have to come home. A few days later, however, the telephone again
remained silent when the son went to his friends house, and the father knew that
if the son was going to learn he would have to experience consequences. The
dad went to call his son, regretting that the son’s time would have to be
spoiled by his lack of consideration and remembrance to stay in contact with
his father. But as the dad pressed the button for his son’s number, he prayed
for wisdom. ‘Treat him like I treat you,’ the Lord seemed to say to him. With that, as the telephone rang one time, he
hung up. A few seconds later the phone rang, it was the son.
“I’m here, Dad!”
“What took you so long to call?” the father asked.
“We started playing and I forgot. But Dad, I heard
the phone ring once and I remembered.”
“I’m glad you remembered,’ the father said. “Have
fun.”
How often does our own lack of gentleness reflect our
mistaken belief in a God who enjoys punishing us when we fail to do what we
should?
When Paul tells us to let our gentleness be known to
everyone, he’s reminding us that people, especially children, are watching us
and learning from us all the time, even when we aren’t aware of it.
An unknown author wrote this:
“When
you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the
refrigerator, and I wanted to paint another one. When you thought I
wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be
kind to animals. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my
favorite cake just for me, and I knew that little things are special
things. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and
I believed there is a God I could always talk to. When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I felt you kiss me good night, and I felt loved. When you thought I
wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes
things hurt, and it’s all right to cry. When you thought I wasn’t
looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could
be. When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked…and wanted to say thanks
for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.”
People are always looking, and we learn from what we see
and experience. Gentleness is the fruit
of the spirit others need from us especially when they are hurting or have made
a mistake. Isn’t it great to experience
gentleness from others when we’ve done something wrong or when we’re hurting?
In yet another letter from Paul in Galatians, chapter 6 he
writes,
“My
friends if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the
Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.
Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s
burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
There have been books written about the church being the
only army that shoots its wounded. Church
is the last place many people will turn when they’ve seriously messed up their
lives or feel lost and alone or feel that no one understands them. They feel badly enough already, and unfortunately
a lot of people think all they’ll get from Christians or a church is more
condemnation. I can’t tell you how many
people have said to me, “Oh the roof will fall in, if I show up. Or, they’ll just talk about me if they see me
darken the doors.” I’m not kidding. We have a lot to learn about being gentle
with one another.
But who doesn’t make mistakes? Paul says one of the signs someone has
received the Holy Spirit is the ability to minister to and restore someone in a
spirit of gentleness, not a spirit of anger, arrogance or judgment.
Evelyn Underhill wrote in The Spiritual Life,
“All
our action must be peaceful, gentle, and strong. If we desire
a simple test of the quality of our spiritual life, a consideration of the
tranquility, gentleness, and strength with which we deal with
the circumstances of our outward life will serve us better than anything that
is based on the loftiness of our religious notions, or fervor of religious
feelings.”
Strong people are gentle. The stronger you become, the gentler you will
be. Harshness, belittling, name calling, and bullying are signs of
weakness and immaturity, not strength and maturity. Gentleness is strength that is harnessed,
channeled and controlled to produce the good God wants in your life. Gentleness flows from the recognition that we
too are tempted, we also transgress and fail in our efforts at becoming like
Christ. If our heart and spirit are
right, when we fail to do what we should, the Holy Spirit will convict and
burden us enough. What we need from
others is not more condemnation, but gentleness.
Harsh admonitions like, “What were you
thinking? How could you!” These are not gentle phrases. It
seems to me one of the qualities of gentleness is the ability to respond calmly
instead of with condemnation.
One more story; A man related this rather dated, but poignant
story about his wife.
I remember a time when I was sitting on the antique
window seat that Helen treasured through the years. Because the original
fabric had worn through, Helen had recently recovered it in a handsome
corduroy. A heavy storm was in progress, and I sat staring at the rain
pelting down on dead autumn leaves. The
gloomy look of the garden seemed to match the mood of hopelessness that had
come over me. Problems at work had made me fearful of the future.
Basic questions that surface with the coming of middle age had made me fearful
of life itself. I started to light my
pipe and accidentally spilled some hot ash which burned a hole right in the
center of the window seat cover. Seeing what had happened, Helen didn’t
immediately respond, but later, calmly threaded a needle and stitched a
beautiful flower over the charred spot. When
I looked at the finished work, I realized it was a striking symbol of our long
life together, and my spirits began to soar. I had married a repairer of
broken spirits, a healer of wounds, a woman whose gentle presence was an
antidote to fear. I understood, perhaps
for the very first time, that it was Helen’s deep and abiding trust in God’s
goodness that made it possible for her to be a source of light and a harbinger
of hope in times of darkness and despair.
If
we need some motivation to work on being gentler in our communication and
responses to people, some words of Jesus about what is revealed in how we speak
and communicate are worth pondering. In
Matthew 12, Jesus says, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and
the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you,
on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word
you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will
be condemned.”
So, friends, be gentle with one another.
Offertory –
Doxology –
Prayer of Dedication –
Most
praiseworthy God, thank You for the different gifts we bring into this
community. Help us find and appreciate
one another’s gifts and to use them in accordance with Your will. Take these, our tithes and offerings and
multiply them for Your use in the world.
We pray this in Jesus’ name. AMEN
Closing Hymn – God Be With You, Till We Meet
Again #232 Brown
Benediction –
This day, you
have been healed and restored at this service.
God has given us new strength and courage to serve Him in this world, Therefore, go in peace and confidence. Go in gentleness and humility. God in tender care, ready to serve God in all
places and at all times. AMEN
Postlude
No comments:
Post a Comment