Today's Worship Service - May 15, 2022

Click Here when highlighted for the YouTube link 

Worship Service for May 15, 2022

Prelude

Announcements:

Call to Worship

L:      God has made this day.

P:      Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

L:      The God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead raises us to new life daily.

P:      Thanks be to God!

 

Opening Hymn – Christ is Made the Sure Foundation    Hymn #417/403

Prayer of Confession

          Gracious God, Dresser of Vines, we confess that we have been more willing to consume the fruits of others than to bear fruit ourselves.  We have refused to give of ourselves when the harvest is uncertain.  We have not been fruitful because we depended too much on ourselves and not enough on You.  Help us, God, to be channels of Your grace, branches who feed on Your life-giving Spirit, bearers of Your word of love and joy, in Jesus Christ, .  (Silent prayers are offered)   AMEN.

Assurance of Pardon

L:      God’s love is steadfast, and God’s faithfulness endures from age to age.  From generation to generation God has been forgiving.  In the name of God, the Father, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and by the power of the Holy Spirit it has been declared that our sins are also forgiven.

P:      Thanks be to God!  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

 

Sacrament of Baptism -  for Addison Amelia Bollinger

Pastoral Prayer and Lord’s Prayer

Good and gracious God, we adore You and praise Your holy name.  We are especially grateful for Your steadfast love, revealed to us in the words and deeds of Jesus, Your Son.  We give thanks for the disciples and all the generations that have followed in their footsteps, faithfully carrying out the mission entrusted to them by Christ.  It is our turn, Lord, to take that mission, to make it our own and spread Your name, Your love, Your mercy and grace to every corner of the world.  To do that, we need to start here at home.  Unite us in our commitment to Christ.  Give us the courage to venture beyond familiar places, to see in unfamiliar faces potential friends and neighbors.  Transform our hearts and minds so that we may be instruments of healing, comfort, and peace every day and everywhere that You may lead us.

          This morning, Lord, we lift up to You the names of those that we hold dear to us….

 

Hear our hearts, O Lord, in these moments of silence as we also lift up to You our own selves.

 

Lord, may Your empowering Spirit be present with all those who are in any need this morning as we unite in prayer together saying….

 

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 –  O God, Our Help in Ages Past        Hymn #210/686

Scripture Reading(s): 

First Scripture Reading – Psalm 148

Second Scripture Reading – Acts 11:1-18

Sermon     “A Bigger Circle”

A Bigger Circle

(based on Acts 11:1-18)

 

A couple of weeks ago we had a passage from Revelation 5:11-14.  The Myriads worshipped God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Then all of creation joined in; all of heaven and earth, and under the earth and even all the leviathans that dwell in the sea.  Revelation 7:9 repeats the same idea.

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”

These words came from John, who had a vision about heaven and what would be there.  And in his vision, John saw that there was such a large number of people that no one could count them, there was so many.  And surprise, surprise, they weren’t all the same.  There were people in heaven that didn’t look like one another – there were tall people and short people, fat people and thin people, there were people who had pale skin and people with dark skin.  Among them, they spoke many languages, not all of them spoke Greek or Hebrew, but they spoke Spanish and Italian, Japanese and Russian, English and Germany, Swahili and Tlingit.  They came from every nation on earth.  Currently, there are 197 countries in the world.  And there were people from every one of them in heaven.  And if you want to get really specific, every tribe was represented, as well.  So, not just every nation, but every group of people that gathers on earth for a cause or a belief or an interest – every tribe!

Yet, if you recall your Old Testament history, the world was separated by language, tribes and nations, nearly from the beginning.  Do you remember the story, from the Tower of Babel in Genesis?

So how do we go from not understanding one another in Genesis and separating ourselves among only people of like interests, skin colors, languages, nations, or tribes to a vision of heaven where everyone is together?

This passage in Acts is supposed to help show us how.

The early church was a Jewish Church.  Jesus was a Jew, his disciples were Jews, and Jesus’ ministry had been spent among the Jewish people.  And although Jesus’ commission to his disciples in Matthew 28:19 was to “go and make disciples of all nations,” up to this point the followers of Jesus were still mostly just Jewish.

But now the church was beginning to see Gentiles, or non-Jews, coming to faith in Christ, and this posed some significant theological and practical problems.  For example, the Jewish Christians continued to observe the Old Testament food laws and circumcision, and one question that arose was should Gentile Christians observe these same laws or not.  If not, how were Jewish believers to maintain their own obedience to food laws when fellowship in Christ involved eating with unclean Gentiles?  And how would close association with Gentile believers affect the relationship of Jewish believers with other Jews who did not share their faith in Christ? These issues were serious theological issues.  They were not to be dealt with lightly.   The Holy Scriptures from God had told the Jewish people that THIS, what was written in the sacred text, was to be their law.  It was to be how they conducted themselves before their God and in life.  And now, the admittance of Gentiles into the fold of believers was threatening the very core of their beliefs. 

 

 

What we see is potential divisions emerging between Jewish and Gentile Christians.

“What God has made sacred, you must not call profane!”  With these words the Apostle Peter set off shock waves within the early church gathered in Jerusalem.  The early church that had been so united in its common experience of the resurrection of Christ and the Pentecost experience of the Holy Spirit is now being threatened with a theological controversy that could bring about upheaval and division.  

How can Peter betray and abandon the sacred traditions of his people?  Just like John wrote in Revelation years later, Peter, the rock upon which Christ said he would build his church, has had a dream.   And this dream, if it was to be taken seriously would turn upside down everything that this gathering of Jewish Christians held dear; the laws and customs of Judaism.  What is at stake here in our text from Acts is the very future of Christianity.  Would the Jesus movement be for Jews only remaining an obscure Jewish sect never venturing beyond the boundaries of ancient Israel?  Or would the Gospel of Jesus Christ transcend its Jewish roots and become an explosive force spreading in every direction across the known world?  

It is remarkable that Luke, the author of Acts, is willing to show us an episode in which schism threatened the fellowship of the very first Christians.  But I think Luke wants us to see the church at its most vulnerable moment when it was in conflict; why?  Perhaps to show us that we’re no longer talking about a religion that is separate from the conditions of the human heart.  That this faith is about being real and honest, vulnerable and compassionate – because that is who God is. 

So, here the new sect of Jewish Christians have the theological question about whether or not a follower of Christ (A Christian) had to be Jewish.  They were wrestling with the question of how they were called to uphold all the laws and customs that Jesus and the Apostles grew up with and practiced as faithful Jews; about what to eat and what not to eat as laid out in scripture.    

It would be easy for us to dismiss this as irrelevant to us today, except the first church was dealing with a profound issue that continues to grip the church today.  It is the appropriate question of how a community of faith defines who is in and who is out; who belongs and who doesn’t.  But what do you do when some new-fangled idea comes along, something different from the way we were raised, something challenging to what we believe?  

Or, to put it another way: how do we know something is from the Lord or not?  Let’s see what we can learn from this story of conflict.  First thing we might notice is that the conflict itself is acknowledged.  This story from Acts reminds us that sometimes we have to talk about difficult subjects that have the potential to divide us.  

The critics within the Jerusalem church said, “Wait, hold on Peter!  What are you trying to tell us?”  And it’s good that they did because you can’t just go with every new thing that comes along without questioning it.  It must be tested.  So, the Jewish people had their traditions.  Those traditions had been practiced for centuries.  They were written in the Sacred text as law coming directly from God.  Because of those traditions and laws, in the chaotic world of the ancient middle east, the people of Israel were able to say this is who we are.  We are not Edomites or Egyptians or Assyrians or Phoenicians.  We are the people of Israel.  This is what we have done over centuries to define ourselves; it is our way of life.  It is how we celebrate that we are a people set apart by God.  Because we believe ourselves to be a chosen people, we seek to follow God’s ways in being careful about what we eat and who we eat it with.

When you have been raised this way, to believe a certain thing like this - it is not just an opinion, or even a belief or practice.  It becomes part of your very DNA.  For Jews the idea of eating unclean food was simply revolting.  It brought about an emotional, almost chemical sense of revulsion.  This deep-seated feeling doesn’t easily yield to theological arguments.  You can’t really even debate it no matter what you say or how rational you might be.  A change of heart regarding a subject like this for the Jews can only come from an even deeper place.  

And that deeper place according to our story is when one sees with one’s own eyes the Spirit of God doing a new thing; when one sees the Holy Spirit working in people’s lives that you might have considered unclean, outsiders, and even worse.  It is only in this way that one is shocked into a new awareness.  And that is what happened to Peter.  But notice what happened next.  Peter did not respond to his critics with countless theological arguments.  He did not angrily confront those who disagreed with him.  He didn’t engage in an “us vs them” debate.  He simply told them a story - his story.  

He said these people came to me and invited me to go with them.  And to see what their lives were like.  And I went.  And yes, I knew that I could be defiled by associating with the unclean, but I went.  I felt like God wanted me to go.  And I saw that God’s spirit was working in them in powerful ways.  And this changed my heart.  This is my story, but it could just as easily have happened to you.  What would you have done if this had happened to you?

This text offers this very important clue about conflict in church.  We will more likely be able to resolve our conflicts and discern the will of God when we share our stories.  Not debate.  Not arguments.  Not name-calling.  Just, this is my story.  This is what I have experienced for myself.  And that’s exactly what Peter did.  No one could argue against it because the story itself wasn’t about right or wrong; it was simply a story about what happened and what Peter did about it.

          Now, there are a lot of years yet to go between Genesis, when all of the people on earth were separated into various tribes, and the Revelation as seen by John regarding heaven.  This story from Peter, recorded in our Holy Scriptures, is just one story about how we go from Genesis to Revelation.  And that story, that quest, to be more Heavenly, to usher in the Kingdom of God continues, even today.

          Some day there will be a grand celebration when all the Children of God sing and worship together before the throne of the Holy One.  Until that day comes, we need to share our stories and make our circle bigger each and every time we welcome someone to join us in telling their stories, as well.

Thanks be to God.  AMEN

Offertory

Doxology

Prayer of Dedication

          We give you thanks, O God, for the blessings of this life; for family and friends, for work and play, for health and healing, for the good that we receive and that we also give.  We praise your holy name not only with our lips, but by returning to you a portion of the gifts that you have so generously bestowed on us, asking you to use them to build up the body of Christ here and to the ends of the earth.  AMEN.

Closing Hymn – Immortal/Invisible, God Only Wise      Hymn #263/33

Benediction –

          Today we are sent out as Christ’s disciples, but we are also called to draw a bigger circle and invite those in who might be elsewhere rejected.  Go in peace.  AMEN.

Postlude

Today's Worship Service - Sunday, May 8, 2022 - Happy Mother's Day

 Click Here when highlighted for the YouTube link to today's service.

Worship Service for May 8, 2022

Prelude

Announcements:

Call to Worship

L:      Jesus Christ, the Passover Lamb who was slain, lives!

P:      Worthy is the Lamb to receive power and wisdom and glory and blessing!

L:      Myriads of the faithful, freed and called to be a nation of priests of God, sing praise:

P:      Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto God, forever and ever.  AMEN!

 

Opening Hymn – Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty   Hymn #138/3

Prayer of Confession

          God of life and death, we confess that sometimes we are not alive to the possibilities You offer.  In the midst of pain, unfairness, and fear, we find little reason for hope.  We feel despair or blame others, but we do not turn to You for help.  Forgive us, show us how to share the new life You offer, through Jesus Christ.  (Silent prayers are offered)   AMEN.

Assurance of Pardon

L:      Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.  Your sins are forgiven, and your future made new.

P:      Thanks be to God!  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

Loving God and Parent of All,

We are grateful today to gather as children birthed in your image, blessed offspring of your creation. As a mother hen gathers her brood under her wing, we join today, to hear your teachings and experience your love.

We give you thanks for empowering us to have a child-like faith. Teach us to have compassion in our human relationships, to forgive those who hurt us, to share with all of your children, and to play with imagination and courage.

We thank you indeed for the women among us and around us, in whom you have gifted the privilege and the challenge of being mothers and mother figures.

For all mothers, everywhere - Strengthen them in the ways that they raise their children, grant them wisdom for the lessons that they teach, discernment in the ways that they discipline, and may others grant them the thanks and honor they deserve.

We thank you for grandmothers, sisters, aunts, teachers, Sunday school teachers, adult mentors, big sisters, and anyone, everywhere, who plays a motherly role in the life of another boy, girl, or adult. Grant them the ability to model the example of Christ for all within their influence, that they might share the love that you have so freely shown to all of us.

We pause to remember those for whom Mother’s Day is a source of discomfort, even perhaps anxiety and pain:

For some, this day brings to mind melancholy remembrance of their own mothers who have died. There may even be those for whom this is the first Mother’s Day since their mother's passing. To these people, grant your peace and comfort, and may they give thanks for their mother’s lasting influence.

There may be those for whom Mother’s Day is a painful reminder of their own singleness, or their own inability to have children. Remind each of these that such women have always had a special place in your concern, especially throughout the history of the Bible. Give them your special care and love, and grant them your assurance that they are not alone; neither are they without ability to make a lasting impact on the world.

And to those for whom their experience with and memory of their own mothers has brought enduring pain, remorse, and guilt, grant the power of healing and forgiveness. Remind us of the wrongs we have done to each other, and the power we have, in your name, to bridge even the deepest divides.

For all these things, we give you thanks, O God who is a loving father and mother to us all.

We also pray for….

 

Hear now our own prayers that we offer to You in silence….

 

In the glorious name of Jesus Christ, we now pray together saying…

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 –  How Firm a Foundation          Hymn #361/408

Scripture Reading(s): 

First Scripture Reading – Psalm 23

Second Scripture Reading – John 10:22-30

Sermon     “Big Heart Courage”

 

          As I mentioned last week, the scripture passage offerings in the Revised Common Lectionary make today’s reading a bit awkward in the chronological scheme of events, following Christ’s death and resurrection, as we wait to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  Today’s reading takes us back in time to when Jesus was still preaching and teaching across Jerusalem.  It is the Festival of the Dedication and Jesus is walking within the Temple grounds in the Portico of Solomon.  Today, the more commonly used name of Hanukkah was also known as the Festival of Dedication or the Festival of Lights; eight days during which the Jews commemorate the rededication of the Temple by lighting a candle each night remembering the miraculous event when a very small amount of oil lasted eight days to keep the eternal flame lit within the temple.  And Solomon’s Portico was a double columned porch on the east side of the Temple, often used by teachers of the scriptures to gather with their students.  The Pharisees were known to gather here, as a group, to watch over those who were teaching and observe that the teachers or Rabbi’s, particularly those with a following, were correctly teaching their students.

Our scripture today finds Jesus walking the temple grounds during a holy festival time at the porch where students would gather to listen to their teachers.  And the Pharisees are right there waiting to catch Jesus teaching something that they might object to.  When he does not, they confront him, directly.   

          There is high drama in these verses that test both Jesus and those who oppose him.  On the one hand, it tests the human part of Jesus to stay on task – to stay committed to that purpose for which he came.  It tests his courage in the midst of immediate danger and his ability to reason in the heat of the moment.  On the other hand, it is a severe test of the intellect and heart of those who assail him.  They must withstand Jesus’ bold, compelling defense as they look to trap him into saying something for which they might use for accusation later.

          We’re probably not used to speaking about Christ in terms of his courage, after all we see him as Christ, the Son of God.  But we also need to remember that he was fully human, as well.  He had been born, just like the rest of us, grew up as any child would - part of a family, and he loved life.  Though his destiny was authored and ordained by God for a specific purpose, he knew what that purpose was and voluntarily took on this role as Messiah, as Savior, as humanity’s Redeemer and Prince of Peace.   Still, it took a great amount of courage, I think, for him to follow through with this – for he knew where that path led – ultimately to a cross.  Keep in mind his outbreak in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed to God for this cup, this destiny, this way of the Cross at Golgotha would be removed from him.  Yet, he held fast to a determined courage. 

          Again, last week, we spoke of the Lion of Judah which ended up being the Lamb of God in Revelation; worn torn, embattled, as if it had been slaughtered.  Today’s scripture we see a glimpse of that lamb surrounded by the wolves ready to attack.  And yet, with boldness and courage, the Lamb of God holds firm and speaks directly to those who wish to entrap him.  It is a test of his courage and love; like a mother hen protecting her chicks.  Jesus protects his own followers with his words of courage in the face of his accusers.

          Many of our English words are borrowed from other languages and the word courage comes from French, and means “large heart.”  And that is exactly what Christ has, a heart large enough to love each one of us completely and unconditionally.  A heart large enough to love even his enemies and face the coming suffering of the cross, because of his compassion for every one, for all humanity.  Jesus has a heart with courage born of love – a heart large enough to face this dangerous crowd and still speak the truth to them.

          This scene comes after Jesus had already made some pretty bold, if indirect, statements concerning his deity – a couple of chapters earlier in John he spoke with a Samaritan Woman about spiritual matters and she tells him that she knows that the Messiah is coming and when he comes, he will explain everything.  His response to her was, “I who speak to you am he.”  And in an earlier scene with pretty much the same crowd who had tried to stone him the first time, he said to them, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing.  My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.  Though you do not know him, I know him.  If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.  I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!”  It comes as the culmination of a speech where Jesus states that he is the good shepherd.  Jesus doesn’t say to the crowd, “I am the Messiah,” directly.  Instead, he uses symbolic language that speaks to the heart of each listener.  And here in this passage and this discourse with the Pharisees, Jesus evokes the same image – that of a shepherd leading his sheep.  For they hear and know his voice.  While it is true that belief can be achieved through intellectual persuasion, it is, ultimately, the heart of a person that fully grasps, understands, and ultimately accepts Christ, often by faith alone.

          Although John often uses the generic term, the Jews, he is referring specifically to the Pharisees and other religious leaders.  Here in our text, they want Jesus to end all the suspense and state plainly if he is, in fact, the Messiah.  They want clear, precise language; and it’s exactly what Jesus provides, although they still don’t like the way he says it.  For he says quite plainly, “I have told you, and you do not believe”.  This statement said precisely this way allows Jesus to avoid the trap they are trying to set for him making a statement for which they can then accuse him.  In addition, it gives their hearts one more chance to receive the truth of who Jesus is, if they would only hear and listen. 

          I don’t think God makes anyone believe – it is our choice to do so or not.  Eyes can be open, yet unable to see.  Ears can be open, yet unable to hear.  Hearts can be open, yet unwilling to fully grasp and understand the love that is offered.  Jesus states in vs. 26 that they do not believe; not because they couldn’t, but rather - they simply wouldn’t.  Jesus, in essence says to them, “Look at my works.  Actions speak far louder than any words I can say; seeing is believing, is it not?  What do my actions and all the signs and wonders I’ve provided, tell you who I am?”

          Jesus boldly deals with their lack of faith, and states quite succinctly the rewards for those who believe.  But because of their lack, they do not believe.  Jesus has not asked for blind faith.  He doesn’t say, “Believe because I tell you to believe.”  He wants us to fully know, to fully comprehend by listening and seeing, because he demonstrated who he was  over and over again.  But the Pharisees’ and other religious leader’s hearts were hardened against him.

          The reasons for their disbelief, I think, were many.  For these religious leaders, there was much at stake.  If Jesus indeed was the Messiah, the prestige of their positions as religious leaders would certainly suffer, be in question, or simply be eliminated.  Their income would be lost as their flock turned to Christ.  Their power and influence would suffer.  They could not afford for Jesus to be who he said he was, even though his coming was prophesied, even though everything about him fit the prophecies.  And, I think, more importantly, everything they interpreted about God, the Messiah, and their beliefs would be in question.  Because this Messiah wasn’t the ruler they were expecting, that they had been believing in and teaching about themselves.

          Jesus places the consequence of their disbelief squarely on the shoulders of their refusal to believe his works.  And he offers the promise of protection to all believers when he says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

          Now the biggest question is what does this story mean for us today?  I think it lays out the very serious situation that every person faces – belief in Christ or not. 

          Jesus gives us an opportunity to recognize who he is; not based solely on what he says, but also by what he has done.  He challenges us to open our hearts and he wills us to see and hear the truth around us for what it is.  I think that is the heart of evangelism.  It’s not simply passing out flyers or tracts, knocking on people’s doors to ask them if they believe in Jesus Christ.  It’s not about getting up on some soap box and shouting that the end of the world is at hand and you better believe.  It’s not about giving someone a talk about the four spiritual laws.  It’s about being active in other people’s lives; showing them Christ.  It’s about having open and honest conversations about your own faith journey with others, allowing them to see Christ in you, just as Jesus showed the power and love of God in him to those who were willing to see and learn.  It’s about doing and being so that people can see the power of Christ in you.  Because just as Jesus said that God was in him, that he and the Father are One, Jesus is also in us.

A friend of mine on Facebook posted the image of Jimmy Carter and under the image it said, “Jimmy Carter (and I would add Rosalyn Carter as well) is an elegant reminder that Christianity is a practice not a declaration.”

          Ultimately the question becomes: Are we actively practicing our beliefs so that others can see Christ in us?  And sometimes that takes a great deal of courage. 

Thanks be to God.  AMEN.

 

Offertory - Ashley Mayersky solo, “Mom” by Garth Brooks

Doxology

Prayer of Dedication

          Gracious God, You open Your hand in blessing and give us life.  Signs of Your love surround us.  Take these gifts we offer and use them for the glory of Your name.  Make us living symbols of Your compassion for this world.  However we are able, may we reach out in love and mercy to help bring Your healing and light to this world.  AMEN.

Closing Hymn – Seek Ye First     Hymn #333/713

Benediction –

As Christ’s Big Heart Courage leads his followers, may be go out into the world with the same Big Heart Courage and share His love with others.  Go in peace.            AMEN.

Postlude

Today's Worship Service - Sunday, May 1, 2022

 Click Here when highlighted for the YouTube link to the service.

Worship Service for May 1, 2022

Prelude

Announcements:

Call to Worship

L:      Sing praises to God, you faithful!  Give thanks to God’s holy name!

P:      Weeping may linger for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

L:      You turn our weeping to dancing, God;

P:      You remove the garments of mourning and clothe us in gladness.

L:      May we praise You and not be silent!

P:      We will give thanks to You, O God, forever!

 

Opening Hymn – All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name   Hymn #142/43

Prayer of Confession

          God, we confess that there are many hours when we are not mindful of Your presence.  We give up the comfort and avoid the challenge that come from Your Word and Spirit.  Forgive us and restore the joy of knowing You.  May Christ be made known among us in our acts of love for one another.  (Silent prayers are offered)   AMEN.

Assurance of Pardon

L:      Because of the grace of God, the redemption bought by Jesus Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, your sins have been forgiven.

P:      Thanks be to God!  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

          Almighty God, your strength and might overshadow the darkness of the world.  Your presence gives us joy and contentment, even in the midst of suffering.  Hear us as we cry out to You, and enter every situation of need with your life-giving love.  Teach us to trust You through every trial and problem we face, that we might serve as a witness to others of Your unfailing love and mercy.  In the same way You come to us with compassion and grace, send us to others with the light of your hope.

          In our caring for others, we shared concerns with one another.  We now lift them up to You and ask that You also care for….

 

Hear our inner thoughts Lord as we pray to You in silence….

 

In the glorious name of Jesus Christ, we now pray together saying…

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 –  O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go     Hymn #384/606

Scripture Reading(s): 

First Scripture Reading – Psalm 30

Second Scripture Reading – Revelation 5:11-14

Sermon     “The Myriads”

The Myriads

(based on Rev. 5:11-14)

 

          To be perfectly honest, my least favorite time to preach is between Easter and Pentecost.  Partly because Easter was really the climax of the Christian Story.  Pentecost itself is a sub-climax to the story, but there really isn’t much of a build-up to it.  And the second reason is due to the offering of passages from the Revised Common Lectionary.  The Revised Common Lectionary always offers four readings for every Sunday on a Three Year Cycle – one from the Old Testament, a second one from the Psalms, a third reading from the Gospels and the last from an Epistle.  However, between Easter and Pentecost, they usually drop the Old Testament reading in favor of passage from Acts and the gospel reading always seems odd in chronology since they are mostly about Jesus’ ministry with his disciples.  And the Lectionary schedule usually opts for a reading from Revelation as the Epistle reading.

          From a pastor’s and preacher’s point of view, it’s difficult to take a passage from Acts and preach on it because the whole book needs to be studied in its entirety, in my opinion.  I find it difficult to isolate one story and try to sermonize on it as each depends so much on everything that was going on with the growth of the church and the mission of the twelve apostles after Christ’s resurrection.  And Revelation, likewise.  It is mostly a symbolic or allegorical story of a vision of the far distant future and requires a serious study which is not easily conducive to Sunday morning sermons.

So, between now and Pentecost I always feel discomfort about preaching.  Shall I preach on a psalm – not necessarily an impossible task, but a daunting one?  Or do I tell, or retell, a tried and true gospel story one more time?  Or do I plunge head first into the Acts of the Apostles and the unrealistic expectations (for today) of the growth of the Christian Church or do I instead go with the Symbolic Vision of the writer of Revelation, even as the author clearly states that it all came to him in a dream.

You’ll notice over the next few weeks, until we get to Pentecost Sunday on June 5, that I end up jumping back and forth between all of them.

This morning I am plunging headfirst into the Revelation passage because this particular passage doesn’t need a lot of background information and isn’t full of allegorical or symbolic meaning.  It does, however, point to a far distant imagined future where Christ completes the new creation.

Let’s first recognize the audience that the author of Revelation was writing to; namely, small, struggling Christian communities who were enduring significant persecution from Roman authorities, as well as some internal squabbles from among one another regarding an evolving theology. 

And now a short explanation of the setting in chapter 5 prior to the verses we read.  In the beginning of Chapter 5, God holds a scroll which has been sealed shut with seven seals.  And an angel of the Lord searches for someone who is worthy enough to open the scroll and break the seals.  This sounds a little like God’s search of Noah to build the ark to save the world, or the search for Abraham to bless and multiply the nations, or the search for Joseph to rescue his people from famine, or the search for Moses to lead the people out of bondage.  One person who is worthy enough, in spite of their flaws.

However, this is the ultimate search and test; the defeat of evil and the fullness of God’s reign for all eternity.  The angels’ search for such a one is in vain for no one is found worthy to break the seals and open the scrolls.  And so, in the beginning of chapter 5, John, the author and receiver of the vision, breaks down in tears.  At this point, an elder approaches John and tells him that he need cry no longer because the Lion of Judah has conquered and is worthy to open the scroll.

John turns, expecting to see a great lion, majestic in glory, powerful in might, ferocious in battle – King of all beasts; worthy of praise and adoration.  Instead, John finds a lamb, war-town and embattled, standing as if it had been slaughtered.  This Lamb goes to the throne and takes the scroll.  At this, the elders immediately fall before him and worship.

Here is where our passage begins, as the chorus of praise to the Lamb continues to grow: many angels, the four living creatures (we do not know what these are), but evidently some type of beasts of creation from God we’ve never seen before and the elders once again sing with a loud voice.  There are so many that they number into the myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands.  For the author of the time, a myriad (or murios in Greek) was specifically defined as the number ten thousand, but in reality, it meant an uncountable number, a number so large that it is in truth innumerable.  To the ancient writers most people couldn’t fathom or grasp the number ten thousand, it was so large.  Therefore, the word murios was used.  However, today we might use the phrase billions upon billions instead to convey the same idea or meaning.

The entire concept of Revelation is for you to imagine.  For you to step into the dream world of possibilities and look beyond what is easily grasped and into a future that is beyond our imaginations.  In these short verses of scripture, we are to picture a new heaven and a new earth with all the elders and these strange looking living creatures that we’ve never encountered before and all the angels that number into the billions praising and singing to the Holy Trinity; God, Christ, and the Spirit.  Can you even imagine such a sight or sound?  Think about how glorious it is when the pews of this church is packed full and the sound of the hymns sung together makes the walls of the church fill with joy and wonder.  We long for that day.  We yearn for those fleeting moments.  It is the same longing and yearning we have for the future when the Lamb who is worthy breaks the seals of the scroll and reveals that the powers of evil have been banished forever.

And yet, that’s not the end of the scene.  As the seals are broken, this heavenly chorus sings of what they represent.  If you go to verse 12, they sing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive:

Power – first seal

and Wealth – second seal

and Wisdom – third seal

and Might – fourth seal

and Honor – fifth seal

and Glory – sixth seal

and Blessing” – the final, seventh seal

All seven seals broken, not just five or six, seven – which often represents the number of perfection in ancient writings.  If seven represents the number of perfection; which number, do you think, is given the most importance?  The first one, power?  The last one, blessing?

Actually, it’s the one in the center, surrounded equally by the ones in front of it and the ones behind it.  So, it is number 4 or Might.  This Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, is so mighty that death will not destroy it, that evil will not overpower it, that the Lamb is the only one worthy enough, powerful enough, strong enough, mighty enough to break the seals and open the scroll.  This Lamb is mighty.  The first three; power, wealth, and wisdom pour themselves into the fourth one; might.  And might reveals the final three; honor, glory, and blessing.

After the seals are broken and what was written on the scroll revealed; which are the attributes of perfection in the Lamb and the final destiny of the future without evil, with God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit seated on the throne, there are more voices added to the heaven choir.

Verse 13 tells us that EVERY creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, joins their voices together with the heavenly multitudes as well to praise and worship those seated on the throne.  I’m not sure what your vision of heaven is, but in this vision, EVERY creature is there.  Not just those who we think are worthy, who we think will go to heaven; not just those who pass some kind of litmus test for Spiritual Entry into those Pearly gates, but it is quite clear in this passage from Revelation Chapter 5, verse 13 that EVERY voice is there and is raised in praise to those who are on the throne.  And it’s not just our human brothers and sisters, but EVERY creature, as well. 

Can you imagine the sound of the birds that have ever lived singing?  Can you imagine the wonder of the leviathans of the deep singing their whale songs to God?  Can you imagine the triumphant chorus of every human being that has ever walked this earth singing praise to God?  And somehow that noise does not hurt our ears, but makes us want to sing our praises even louder.

One day, the heavens will be filled with the glory of God as we all join our voices with the Myriads in heaven and sing our praise to God pouring back what has been poured out on us; blessing and honor and glory and might!

And the four living creatures said, “AMEN”

Offertory

Doxology

Prayer of Dedication

          Gracious God, we give thanks that through Christ, we live in Your favor.  In praise and thanksgiving, we offer these gifts as we commit ourselves again to Your service as members of the living body of Christ.  AMEN.

Closing Hymn – Fairest Lord Jesus    Hymn #306/87

Benediction –

          You are the people of the Resurrection!  You know the powerful love of God!  Go into God’s world proclaiming hope, peace, and joy, in the name of the Risen Lord.  AMEN.

Postlude