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June 28, 2020, Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

6/27/2020

Opening Prayer
Let’s pray. Gracious and loving God, your love is steadfast and eternal. May our worship please you; may it be an offering that brings you great pleasure. Open our eyes to your light, that we may be a light to your world. In Christ’s name. Amen.

“Amazing Grace”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvt6E9N7AQw

Call to Worship           Psalm 13 (NLT)
1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
    How long will you look the other way?
2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
    with sorrow in my heart every day?
    How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
    Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
    Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love.
    I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord
    because he is good to me.

“El Shaddai”       performed by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clt8BoHb0JE

Scripture Lesson       Genesis 22:1-14 (NIV)
Morning Message           A Matter of Trust
Let’s pray. Gracious God, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love today, and strength to follow on the path you set before us this week; through Jesus Christ, Amen.
In Psalm 13:1 (our call to worship) David asks God the question, “How long, Lord? Will you forget about me forever?” In verse 3, he pleads with God to look at him and answer his questions. But finally, in verses 5 and 6, David decides to trust in God’s unfailing love. David was in a desperate situation, and it felt like God had abandoned him. But in the end, he chose to trust God based on all he knew about God, and all that he had already experienced with God: God was good, God was love, and God was faithful.
Billy Graham once told this story about trusting God even when we can't see what's ahead for us:
There was a man who became shipwrecked on a deserted island years ago. He managed to build himself a hut to live in, and with it stored the possessions he was able to salvage from his boat after it was wrecked.
He would watch every day for some sign of a ship or airplane passing by. He prayed to God for help. Some days he would get discouraged and wonder if he would ever get off that island, but still ... he prayed.
One day he was on the other end of the island and noticed some smoke coming from the direction of his hut. He ran as fast as he could back to the hut and then he realized that his fears had come true. His hut and all his belongings were destroyed by a fire. All that was left was the smoke and rubble of it all.
He asked God why did this have to happen. He did not understand. Soon he would find out. Later that day a ship appeared on the horizon and soon landed on the island and rescued him. They told him that they were plotting a distinct course and noticed smoke off in the distance and thought the smoke was a signal for help.
It was a sign for much needed help AND it was a sign from God that He was still in control and He would not forsake His beloved child even if there was a doubt.
That’s the question for each of us really. “Will we choose to trust God, with everything, even when we are facing the impossible, and even when we don’t understand?” Our relationship with God, and how we respond to him, is largely a matter of trust.

That’s the situation in which we find Abraham in our Scripture Lesson today, Genesis 22:1-14. The problem isn’t difficult to spot. There’s nothing to decipher. Plain and simple in verse 2, God tells Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on an altar at the top of Mount Moriah.
This is a story is written with practically no detail. The whole account is told in 14 or 15 verses. It is made all the more incredible and hard to swallow because of the lack of detail. It is dramatic precisely because there is no drama. Writer John Gibson describes it as Hebrew story-telling at its best, full of unbearable tension and suspense. There are two glaringly obvious problems with it, the first of which we almost have no need to even say out loud.
The first problem is simply that God’s request sounds outrageous to us. There is no logical reason why God would ask for a child’s life to demonstrate a man’s loyalty. A request such as this does not fit with the loving God we encounter all through Scripture. The book, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary comments, “we leave the story relieved that we got out in one piece.”
When, and if, we get past that first problem, we realize the second problem, a more logistical problem: Isaac, the son to be sacrificed, is a child born out of a promise from God.
God had called Abraham out of his homeland. He had promised that He would make a great nation out of him, as many descendants as there were stars in the sky. And God promised that out of his descendants would come a blessing to all the nations on earth.
Beloved Isaac is this long-awaited child of the promise and at this point, he is the only one left in Abraham’s household through whom God’s covenant promises could be realized. Nephew Lot chose to separate from Abraham and his family and strike out on his own. God said no to Abraham’s servant, Eliezer. Though with some protest, Abraham complied with God’s insistence that Ishmael be sent away. And now this. The final hope that Abraham and Sarah have for “a great name” is to be snuffed out at God’s command. To the human mind, this is incomprehensible.

Oh, and there’s one more problem with this story: Abraham seems to be okay with God’s command. He at the very least has decided to go along with it no questions asked. “Come on son, get your stuff gathered, we’re going on a day trip. We have to make a sacrifice to God.” Although, we may find a bit of relief with the fact that at some point at least, Isaac sees that there really is a problem with the whole scenario, and asks his father the question, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Although then even he seems to comply quite easily.
I said earlier that our relationship with God, and how we respond to him, is largely a matter of trust. The question for each of us is will we choose to trust God, with everything, even when we are facing the impossible, and even when we don’t understand? It is in this question that Abraham’s lesson, and ours too, lies. To sort that all out we have to consider Abraham’s life thus far.
A lot has happened between Genesis 12 when Abraham was first called out of Haran, and it seems that the Genesis writer wants us to read Genesis 22 with Abraham’s history with God in mind. Because this story seems to be the climax of all that has happened before.
Keep in mind that throughout Abraham’s life, after he said yes to God’s call to leave his homeland, the pressing question becomes that of a proper heir. How will Abraham produce a son when he is old and Sarah is barren? It’s a relief when Sarah gives birth to Isaac and God affirms that this is the one through whom his promises will be realized.
The heir apparent is the primary theme, but it is complicated by a sub-theme which is the wavering faith of Abraham. In Genesis 12:4, Abraham responds to God without hesitation, packing up and going to the land that God would show him. And in Genesis 15:6, Abraham believed the Lord and it was credited to him as righteousness.
At other times, however, Abraham acts in ways that clearly suggest doubt.

For instance, twice, out of fear, he tries to pass off his wife as his sister and Sarah ends up in a compromising situation with a local ruler (Genesis 12:10-20, 20:1-18).
Then there’s the fact that Abraham is so worried about producing an heir, he sleeps with a woman other than his wife. (Although admittedly, that was originally Sarah’s idea)
And then, in Genesis 17, Abraham laughs out loud when God tells him that Sarah would bear a child and that she would become the mother of nations.
So, throughout his life, there are indications that Abraham still doesn’t quite trust God to accomplish what he promised, or believe that God will keep his promises.

So, here in Genesis 22, God asks Abraham to fully live out his faith by trusting Him with his hopes, his future, his deepest longings, and his only son whom he loves. Genesis 22:1 calls it as a test, which causes me to believe that God never had any intention of going through with it. The messenger of the Lord stops Abraham’s hand, and keeps him from killing his son. God didn’t want a child sacrificed. What God wanted was for Abraham to come face to face with his own conflicted and divided loyalties, with his wavering faith.
God’s test of Abraham served its purpose and leaves an indelible mark on both God and Abraham. Abraham now knows, in an unforgettable way, that life with God is a gift, and God’s blessing is freely bestowed. He doesn’t need to do anything - God will provide—generously, and wondrously. All he has to do is look up him to see that God has been there all along, guiding his steps, directing his paths, and making a future for him.
But God now knows something too. God learns that Abraham fears him. This is the first time the writer describes Abraham’s attitude toward God in this way. Before this, Abraham listens to and obeys God. But now, God experiences from Abraham more than that, because now Abraham respects God, is in awe of God, and has a healthy dose of fear of the one who created him in the first place.
This is a hard story to read. But something changes between Abraham and God that day. Abraham learns to trust and fear God. And God proves that God can be trusted.
Although as I read the passage this week, I saw that this didn’t happen overnight. There were clues of Abraham’s spiritual growth. For instance, the two times God calls on Abraham, Abraham quickly answers, “Here I am.” He didn’t avoid God or run and hide. Then in verse 5, when he and Isaac separated from his servants he said to them, “We will go and worship, and WE will come back to you.” And in verse 8 in answering Isaac’s question about the lamb for sacrifice, Abraham said, “God will provide.” I believe Abraham, despite his past wavering and lack of faith had grown to the point in his relationship with God that he truly believed God WOULD provide, even though he had no idea what that would look like.
And in the history of God’s relationship with human beings, God demonstrates this time and again. In the end, God’s commitment to fulfilling his promises to Abraham and bringing about his redemptive purposes would end up costing God dearly. For while Abraham’s son is spared, God would give his own son up to death on the cross. This too was an act of provision on God’s part—a provision that would ultimately fulfill what God started in Abraham, that is, the restoration of blessing to the nations and to the world through his Son Jesus Christ.
And because Christ died, our relationship with God has forever been changed. Whatever sin, whatever guilt, whatever brokenness we carry, Christ has dealt with and abolished it in the cross. This story invites us then, to take the same posture of fear and awe that Abraham did, and to hold a deep gratitude for God’s faithfulness to his covenant promises and the redemption we have through him.
I’ll close with these thoughts, questions really: Do you trust and fear God as you should? And will you choose to trust God, with everything, even when facing the impossible, and even when you don’t understand? Your relationship with God, and how you respond to him, is largely a matter of trust.
Let’s spend some time with God in prayer:

Pastoral Prayer
Loving and Sustaining God,
You call us to obedience,
to follow you in all things;
to give up the things we cling to,
and to give ourselves wholeheartedly to your purposes.

We confess that we don’t always find this easy to do.
We confess that it is often very difficult to let go of the things we love.
But we also know that you never ask more of us than what is possible,
and that you stand ready, at all times, to sustain us,
and to provide everything we need.

Give us courage to faithfully follow your leading,
even when we cannot see the outcome,
even when the path you call us to seems impossible to comprehend.
Help us to trust you in all things,
to let go of everything that would stand in the way
of whole-hearted obedience to you.

Lord, we bring before you now those who have been mentioned by name: those who are sick, those suffering with disease, those who are burdened with fear and doubt. We bring those who mourn, and those who are lonely. We bring all who are struggling this day. And we place them in your healing and loving hands. Heal, strengthen, and bless them. And in all things, may your perfect will be done.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen.

*adapted from Prayer of Commitment: Genesis 22 found at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/search/label/Proper%208%20A

The Lord’s Prayer
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. And forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

“Trust & Obey” performed by David Wesley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HSD1c0Geqc

Benediction People of the Light
It is the light of God’s love in Christ that brings a rich harvest of goodness and truth.
So, let us live like people who belong to the light.
Let us live as people who have nothing to do with worthless things that belong to the world of darkness.
In the name of Jesus
We go forth living in the light, and giving thanks to God the Father.

*adapted from People of the Light by Rev. Bob Brown and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website.

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June 24, 2020 Midweek Devotional

6/26/2020

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June 24, 2020 Midweek Devotional

Scripture: Psalm 13

Meditation: When God Seems Distant
Psalm 13 is a psalm of lament written by David. He is praying for relief from despair and his question to God is this, “How long will you forget me and look the other way?” In other words, this was written during a time when God seemed very distant to David. Perhaps David even felt abandoned by God. Of course, in the end, David proclaims that he will continue to trust in God’s unfailing love.

Now I have talked to people who tell me that God always feels near, and that they have never experienced a time in their whole life when God seemed far away. I myself have felt that way, and like David, I have asked God, “How long will you forget me?” During one of these times, a pastor told me, “If you expect nothing from God, you will get it every time!” In other words, the source of my dry spell was my lack of expectancy and faith. The older I get and the more I grow in the faith, the more I believe this to be true.
But how do we make the jump from feeling abandoned by God to trusting him as David did?

At those times when it seems as if God has turned His back, we must deliberately trust the fact that He loves us with an unfailing love, and that He will not forsake us, even though it may seem that way for a while. We must always remember that His timing is not our timing.

The famous preacher, Charles Spurgeon, was walking through the English countryside with a friend. He noticed a barn with a weather vane. At the top of the vane were the words, “God is love.” Spurgeon remarked that this was an inappropriate place for such a message, because weather vanes are changeable, but God’s love is constant. But Spurgeon’s friend disagreed. “You misunderstood the meaning,” he said. “That weather vane is stating the truth that no matter which way the wind blows, God is love.”

When God seems distant, I encourage you to join David in deliberately trusting in God’s unfailing love, however the winds of circumstance are blowing. As David wrote in Psalm 103:11: “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.”
Blessings for your day,
Pastor Kim

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June 14, 2020, Second Sunday after Pentecost

6/13/2020

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June 14, 2020, Second Sunday after Pentecost

Opening Prayer   (based on John 15:1-8)
God of love, plant us in the soil of your grace. Nurture us with the strength of Christ, the vine of everlasting life. Enlighten us with the wisdom of your Spirit, which flows through us today and all days.
Abide in us, that we may abide in you and live in your love.
In your holy name, we pray. Amen.
— Revised from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2012, © 2011 Abingdon Press.

“Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”       performed by Alan Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DObsJ1PSdnQ

Call to Worship       based on Psalm 25
We lift up our souls to you, Holy God.
We trust the Lord with our past, present, and future.
Teach us, Lord, that we may know your ways.
Guide our every move, Holy One,
that we may walk in your paths of love and mercy.
Let us worship the One who leads us in what is right.
Together, let us worship God!
O Lord, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love, and strength to follow on the path you set before us; through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Gospel Lesson       John 15:1-8 (NIV)
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“The Old Rugged Cross”           performed by George Jones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrXH3xe4mHY

Morning Message
Let’s pray. Gracious, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love today, and strength to follow on the path you set before us this week; through Jesus Christ, Amen.
Introduction
4th century church father, Saint Basil said, “A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” In John 15:5, our Savior Jesus promises, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Here in the Gospel of John, Jesus is saying goodbye to his disciples. He is telling them over and over again that he is soon going away. And he is preparing them for the time when he won’t be with them in the same physical sense that they have always known.
He will, however, still be with them through the Living Presence of the Holy Spirit.
And He says that Holy Spirit will live with them, and will be in them. In John 14:8 Jesus say, “I will not leave you as orphans.” And Jesus tells His disciples in John 14:18, “I will come to you. Before long,” he says, “the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day, you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
Scripture
In our Scripture passage for this today, Jesus continues to prepare the disciples for the time when He is no longer with them physically. He knows the trials they will face in the days and years ahead. So, Jesus invites them (and us) to enter into a more profound relationship with Him by urging us to live in Him, make our home in Him.
And instead of wringing His hands in despair, Jesus speaks a word of hope and trust to them. He tells them to stay close to Him no matter what life throws their way. He says, “I am the Vine, you are the branches……Live in me. Make your home in me…….. just as I do in you.”
For most of us, we don’t have to look too far to find every day examples that help deepen our understanding of what Jesus is getting at when He compares Himself to a Vine and you and me to the branches. It almost goes without saying that once a branch is cut off from its life source, it is simply not going to live long, not to mention being at the end of its fruit bearing potential. The story is told of a farmer in a rural congregation in South Carolina who once planted several acres of watermelons that he had presold to a grocery store chain in New York City. When the truck got there for the watermelons, though, there was a misunderstanding over who was supposed to harvest the crop. The deal fell through, the truck left empty, and the farmer gave all the watermelons to a local church youth group to sell at a roadside market for missions. The young people and their parents put on boots and gloves and went out into the fields in search of the melons.
They soon saw that some of the branches had separated from the vine, had    turned brown, and had no fruit worth finding. But the green, living branches were still connected to the vine and had tasty watermelons under their leaves.
This is a perfect, real life example of what Jesus is saying when he uses the metaphor of a vine connected to a branch, and branches that bear good fruit. What Jesus is emphasizing here is that if we live a faithful life connected to jesus we will also live a fruitful and productive life for him.
And the connection He is talking about isn’t temporary or shallow. It is abiding, enduring and deep. It is learning to live lives more and more and more rooted in Jesus. It is living in Christ in the same way that Christ lives in us, becoming stronger and stronger day after day, year after year……producing more and more high-quality fruit along the way.
Application
So, let’s ask ourselves this morning:

“Are we connected to Christ?”
“Are we rooted in Jesus?”
“Where do we get our nutrients for living?”
“Are we bearing fruit for the Kingdom?”
“Are we making our home in Jesus?”

Bishop Sandra Steiner-Ball, from the West Virginia Conference, spoke at Annual Conference a few years ago and she said it like this, “You are what you eat. Both physically and mentally.” She went on to say that what we produce is the evidence of whether or not we are truly one with Christ, whether or not we are truly connected to the Vine.
We have to ask ourselves the hard questions:

What do you spend your time doing?
What things do you give your life to?
What words come out of your mouth?
What are the topics of your conversations?
Do you spew anger, jealousy, control?
Or do you speak words of encouragement and love?

You are what you eat, both physically and mentally, and if you are not devoting time to Scripture and prayer and silent meditation, the you must be feeding yourself with other things, and it is those other things you will produce, instead of the things of God.
All this takes work because we are constantly living in, taking residence in, fixing ourselves permanently to many things in our world. And we kid ourselves if we think that those things are not affecting us, shaping us, transforming us.
The proof of what is shaping us is all around us. That which we value, what we spend our time doing, the activities that we engage in, our attitudes, whether or not we are putting what we claim to believe into action, whether we are becoming more loving, more kind, gentler, more patient, more like Jesus OR more like something else (something that reflects worldly values, beliefs, and behaviors) all point to the things that captivate our hearts.
We are indeed what we eat. What we eat spiritually determines what captivates our hearts and minds. And what we eat determines the fruit of our lives. This is a hard lesson. It takes a life-time and then some to try and get ahold of what Jesus is talking about.
In verse 9 of Chapter 15 Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.
Now remain in my love.” And a couple of verses later Jesus says: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” That’s really what it’s all about, is it not? Love. The kind of love that comes from a living, abiding, connected relationship with Jesus Christ. The kind of love which is the fruit or result of being joined to the Real Vine.
A great preacher was once asked to share about the person who influenced him the most in his life and his call to ministry. He surprised the audience when he told them the name of someone that no one knew: Miss Emma Sloan. He explained that Emma Sloan was his Sunday school teacher throughout his childhood and youth. She gave him a Bible and taught him to memorize Scripture verses, though she never explained them or interpreted them. He always told the children: “Just put it in your heart, just put it in your heart.”
The preacher shared with his audience how Miss Emma taught them a Bible verse for each letter of the alphabet, and then ended with these words: ‘I can’t think of anything, anything in all my life, that has made such a radical difference as those verses. The Spirit of God brings them to mind time and time again.”
Miss Emma Sloan was teaching this young man what it means to live in God’s Word, to live in Christ as the branch lives by being connected to the vine.
Jesus says, “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you are joined with me you will bear much fruit.”
And the fruit we will bear begins inside of us and grows out into our families, our towns, wherever our lives touch the lives of others. And it’s not so much about the words we use; it’s about the love we give. We know it when we see it, don’t we?—a life connected with God.
Someone teaches us by the example their life. We know it when we live it ourselves, I think. But the thing we tend to forget is this: on our own, it is impossible for us to fend off the many, many things that threaten to interfere with our staying alive in Jesus, and staying connected to the vine.
Think for a minute about some of these things: temptations and trials, unrealistic hopes and ungrounded fears, undeserved wealth or maybe unjust poverty, talent as well as untapped potential.
Any and all of these things, and a thousand more, left on their own, can easily cut me off from the only source of life that really matters: Jesus, the Vine.
And they often do it in a way that I don’t even notice at first…until I start to realize that around the edges I am simply dying, I’m running ragged—like a branch that is separated from the vine.
Conclusion
Perhaps that is a description that fits your life this morning. Ragged, dry, spiritually dying. Remember Jesus’ words to us: “Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown in the bonfire. But if you make yourselves a home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.”
Jesus is offering us an amazing gift. In Him, we have been handed the source of life itself. Why in the world would we allow anything to get in the way of our receiving it? All we have to do is stay attached, and all we have to do is make our home in Jesus. And not just for ourselves, but for God’s love to be made known in the lives of our families, our community and our world.
Often, when we think of connecting and growing in Christ and producing fruit we often think about Bible study and prayer and solitude.
But we forget that service is part of how we grow and produce fruit, too. It is in loving others that we reflect God’s love for us. It is in sacrificing for others that we reflect Christ’s sacrifice for us.
Make note of this verse, Philippians 2:2, and make it part of your daily prayer this week. Paul says this in Philippians 2:2, “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in Spirit, intent on one purpose.” Then pray for God to show you where could be bearing fruit, or more fruit, for him. Make this part of your daily prayer this week, too. Something as simple as a card can produce good fruit because it brings joy in an unexpected way to a friend or loved one.
I’ll end with this quote from Joni Eareckson Tada, “Believers are never told to become one; we already are one, and are expected to act like it." Let’s pray.

The Apostle’s 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 Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;*
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at 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 Spirit,
the holy catholic** church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer
Gracious God, your Word tells us, 'If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.'
Risen Lord, you came as a sacrifice for our sin. Give us faith to accept this act of love, so that we turn from all human efforts and soak in the atoning righteousness of your death and resurrection.
Lord, in your mercy... hear our prayer.
Risen Lord, you are the true vine and we are the branches. By your Spirit, produce the fruit of love, joy, peace, and patience in us for others to taste and enjoy. Keep us from hanging on to love for ourselves. Prune all selfishness from us and fill us with your love.
Christ, in your mercy... hear our prayer.
Risen Lord, have mercy on your earth and supply its needs. Where people are hungry, give food. Where people are in distress, comfort them. Where people are in trouble, bring order and peace. And turn the whole world to you in faith, repentance and praise.
Sovereign God, in your mercy... hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ, focus our love on people we know with specific needs. Heal those who are unwell, those whose names have been mentioned today, and others in need whom we now name silently in our hearts... (brief silence)
Healing God, in your mercy... hear our prayer.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for hearing us and caring for us in all our needs. Constantly intercede for us before our heavenly Father, and open our eyes that we may see him through you. We ask all this in your holy name, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—revised from the Lutheran Church of Australia’s Worship Planning Page .

The Lord’s Prayer
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. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

“When We All Get to Heaven”       performed by Casting Crowns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDL85-FoJWg

Benediction
Rom. 15:5-6 - May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We go in peace to be Christ to the world. Amen.

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June 10, 2020 Midweek Devotional

6/10/2020

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Scripture: John 15:5
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. “

Meditation
Bright and early Wednesday morning, I received a text from Wendy. I want to share some of it with you:

“I’m out watering my garden, some peace and enjoyment with my flowers. I was watering and “dead-heading” my flowers and thought how lucky we are that God doesn’t dead-head us when we don’t produce or thrive for him. That God doesn’t just walk through and whack off the ones who don’t believe in him. Or take out those who don’t know him, or ignore him, or have backslid. So that his flock would have no more naysayers and thrive more. Or would we?
Maybe in helping others to know God we are also helping our own faith get stronger. Have a beautiful day, my friend!”

With a smile, I thought, no, God doesn’t pop off our heads when we fail him. In fact, the Bible says quite the opposite is true. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Our spiritual water and nutrients all come from him, and apart from him we can do nothing. But with him, he promises we will produce much fruit. And, as his people, we are stronger together, because Jesus is our unifying force who keeps us all together in Spirit.
Thank you Wendy for this great story that reminds us of both God’s great love and care, and his forgiveness!

Thoughts for Reflection

In what areas do you feel most connected to God, and where are you seeing the fruit of the Spirit in your life?
Are there areas in your life in which you feel detached from the Vine or “cut off” from God?
What is one thing you can do for yourself this week that will keep you more attached?

Blessings for your day,
Pastor Kim

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June 7, 2020, 2020 Worship: Peace with Justice Sunday

6/6/2020

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June 7, 2020, 2020 Worship: Peace with Justice Sunday

Opening Prayer   A Prayer for Overcoming Adversity by Girolamo Savonarola
Lord, we pray not for tranquility, nor that our tribulations may cease;
We pray for thy spirit and thy love, that thou grant us strength and grace to overcome adversity; through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lesson from the Psalms       Psalm 8 (NLT)
1 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
    Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers--
    the moon and the stars you set in place--
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
    putting all things under their authority--
7 the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
    and everything that swims the ocean currents.
9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

“How Great Thou Art”   performed by Alan Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-m_6KN5ISA

Gospel Lesson       Matthew 28:16-20 (NLT)
16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
This is the Word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God. Amen.

“Open My Eyes, That I May See” sung by the Joslin grove Choral Society
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDceaG7kFQA

Morning Message
Let’s pray. God of love and mercy, may you bless the reading and hearing of your Word today. May it settle into the depths of our beings, that we may grow in spiritual maturity, and reflect your love and character. Amen.

This week Bishop Park issued a statement and has asked that it be read to all congregations in the Susquehanna Conference.
  June 2, 2020
“How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my life from the lions!” (Psalm 35:17)
Dear Beloved Sisters and Brothers of the Susquehanna Conference,
Grace to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Healer of our Brokenness, and Hope of the World!
My heart is breaking as I write this pastoral letter to you. My heart cries with the Psalmist, “How long, O Lord, will you look on?” My soul is restless and disturbed. I keep praying, “Show me the way I should go” (Psalm 143:8), as I pray for people in harm's way while violent clashes continue and escalate. Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy!
It is with deep anguish, sorrow, and then righteous anger that I watched in abject horror, along with millions of people, the slow death of Mr. George Floyd. We all heard him cry out, “I can’t breathe.” We watched in stunned silence as he lay constrained and gasped his last breaths under the choking knee.
Today we are confronted by two killers who steal breath. The corona virus shortens the breath of its victims. Racism chokes the breath, both figuratively and literally, out of its victims and suffocates righteousness from society. Life requires breath. Is breathing not a basic right?
The breath of God, however, fills people with renewed life. We remember that Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). This past Sunday, we read in Acts 2 about the Pentecost experience of those early believers. While they were gathered in a house in Jerusalem, they heard the rush of a mighty wind and flames like tongues of fire rested upon each of them. People who had come to the city from many nations were able to hear, in their own languages, these Spirit-filled believers speak of God’s good news in Jesus Christ.
This breath of God changed the direction of history. It inaugurated the coming of the realm of God, a focal message that Jesus frequently proclaimed. It’s intriguing that the Risen Christ used his forty days between his resurrection and ascension to speak about the realm of God (Acts 1:3). We are reminded that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The work of building the realm of God continues. Now we must act with courage and conviction as God’s breath of justice and righteousness in our time and place.
The miracle of Pentecost was one of both speaking and hearing. We must claim the miracle of speaking. Those of us who claim Christ’s name cannot stand idly by and allow racism free rein. We must condemn, boldly and loudly, the sin of racism. God’s people are to speak up that racism does not have a place in God’s reign.
We must also claim the miracle of hearing. We must hear the stories and the truths of victims of racism to whom we have turned a deaf ear. We must learn their language of suffering, pain, frustration, anger, hope, and resilience. We must amplify their voices.
I invite you, my sisters and brothers, to a time of prayer for the Pentecost miracle of the tongues and ears, and to repentance. We must fall on our knees and ask God to open our mouths and ears, and ask for God’s forgiveness for our silence when we should have spoken out, and our speaking when we should have been listening.

We in the Susquehanna Conference are called in our vision and mission to embody the beloved community of Christ. Martin Luther King Jr. broadened the term “beloved community” to describe a society in which no one goes hungry or homeless, racism and bigotry would be overcome by an inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood, and love and trust would triumph over fear and hate.

Beloved communities do not allow racism and prejudice to flourish. Beloved communities do not accept discrimination and violence against those who are different because of pigments of skin. Beloved communities do not, through silence, permit institutional racism. Beloved communities do not allow the cries of the oppressed to echo unanswered for generations.
As the believers at Pentecost told of God’s deeds of power, so must we raise our voices to proclaim the good news of God’s justice, righteousness, and promise of reconciliation and new life for those who turn from wicked ways. Let us as individuals and as a conference join together and rededicate ourselves to bringing the beloved community of Christ to fruition so that all may be free from the chains of hate and fear.

We are in the season of Pentecost. It’s about the fresh breath of God that creates the wind that changes the direction of human destiny toward justice, reconciliation, and peace. Let the hallowed wind of the Spirit ignite the holy fire of passion for, and commitment and dedication to, the vision of the Beloved Community of Christ, for such a time as this.
“How long, O Lord, will you look on?” As I utter those words, I must ask myself and each of you, how will we in church hasten the heralding of God’s reign? Indeed, we are in this together
.
With You in Christ’s Ministry,
Jeremiah Park

“How long, O Lord, will you look on,” David asks in Psalm 35. It is a question maybe many have asked themselves recently. It is also a question we know we won’t know the answer to until God’s appointed time. Christ Himself says that in Matthew 24:36. So, I believe it is good that our Gospel lesson today is Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus’ Great Commission to his disciples, because it reminds us that as we wait, Jesus has given us a job to do.
I want to read the Scripture text again, this time from the Message, because I think Peterson’s choice of words is helpful.

Matthew 28:16-20 (The Message), “Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.
Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Jesus was ready to leave this earth and return to the Father. The disciples met him at the appointed place. But some didn’t worship him, some were still unsure. Why? Because worshipping Jesus is a commitment to him as Lord of your life. It is a commitment to live as he taught us and to carry out the holy work he’s given us. For some, that’s too much to risk.
I find it interesting that the uncertainty of a few disciples did not deter Jesus from issuing his charge to all of them. Jesus didn’t take a few minutes and try to change the minds of those who were unsure. He didn’t say, “Come on guys, look at my scars again. Remember when I walked through the unopen door?”
These were men who had witnessed his death AND resurrection. They had spent forty days with him AFTER his resurrection. Their doubt probably was not about Jesus and who he was. Their doubt was about themselves and their willingness to risk everything for his sake.

But on that day, Jesus met them where they were, and in the end, all but John died as martyrs for the Gospel, and John lived out his life in exile because of his faith.

Jesus’ commission to his followers is simple in theory. It is in the living it out that’s hard. Because living it out is risky business. Living out our faith in any real way where we truly are Christ to a broken world is not the easy way of life. It’s tough. It’s sacrificial. And it’s a choice.

With all that’s gone on since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the protests, riots, and violence that has ensued since that time,
my mind has gone back to my time in Pittsburgh.
On my first day of work, Michelle Taylor, a thirty-something African American woman, squared off with me and said this, “I just want you to know right up front that I don’t like white people.”
And by the grace of God, I said, “Okay. But if you ever need my help with anything, I’m available anytime.”
And she restated her dislike and walked away.

Now was that fair? No, it wasn’t. Did she have reason to not like me in particular? No, she didn’t. Had I ever done anything to her? No, I hadn’t.
But you see, the thing I have learned about people through the years is that this kind of anger comes from a deeper issue. Be it jealousy, sadness, neglect, abandonment, or abuse, or even what you were raised to believe or a medical condition, anger is almost always the RESULT of something.
And I am thankful to say that by the time I left the city in 2010, Michelle and I were friends. In fact, she hugged me longer than anyone else on my last day.
I believe it’s because I met her where she was that day. I accepted her and didn’t try to change her mind, and in time, she began to respect and trust me. Through the years, I learned about her upbringing, her fears and her dreams. The fact that she had been dislocated twice from affordable housing and now had to take three buses just to get to work. And yes, by God’s amazing grace, we parted as friends. But in the meantime, I learned who Michelle was and why she was angry.

So, all that being said, let’s bring this back to the Gospel message. Because our relationship with Jesus, and what we believe about his death and resurrection, is truly the key to life. For all of us. It is the key to ANY relationship we will have in this world. Because only in Jesus Christ can we be reconciled back to a right relationship with God. As Chuck Swindoll has said, “The most important thing about you, is what you believe about God.” And I believe that your belief about God will filter in and out of every area of your life, and that includes your relationships with people.

Just like my relationship with Michelle. It would have been easier to explain why she was wrong for disliking me and to explain that not all white folks are racists. It would have been even easier for me to simply walk away and try to avoid her the best I could. But all that would have been meaningless. Because there is nothing transformational about sticking up for yourself when someone else is obviously hurting, nor in walking away.
Jesus met his disciples where they were that day, even when some still doubted, and if we truly want to grow to be more Christlike, then we believe we are called to do the same.

If we are willing to take the risk to both worship Jesus, and accept his Great Commission as our own, then before we ever start even talking about Jesus’ love and forgiveness, before we quoting Bible verses to people, we first have to meet them where they are, get to know them, and hear their story.
The Great Commission is a familiar story to many of us. We get what we’re supposed to do. Perhaps what we need is to be reminded of the heart of Christ’s message. The heart of it that says that when we pray “Thy will be done, Thy Kingdom come” we are praying for God’s reign to come to earth right here and right now, through us. Because while we look forward to heaven, we also remember that one definition of heaven is a place where God’s will is done. And his will can only be done when we are willing to take the risk and face the pain and meet people, who don’t walk, talk, look, and think like us, right where they are.

Richard Rohr has said, “Those whose hearts are open to pain will see Jesus.” As Christians, we are called to open ourselves to the pain of others, and love them, as they are, without condition and judgement, as Jesus would have done.
I’ll wrap this up by joining with Bishop Park, and repeating his words, “I invite you, my sisters and brothers, to a time of prayer for the Pentecost miracle of the tongues and ears, and to repentance. We must fall on our knees and ask God to open our mouths and ears, and ask for God’s forgiveness for our silence when we should have spoken out, and our speaking when we should have been listening.”

Racism has no place in the church, in God’s Beloved Community. The only way to affect change is by listening to our African American brothers and sisters, and speaking out boldly against racism.

Let’s pray silently for a few moments and prepare ourselves to receive his grace through the bread and the cup, remembering that as Christ met the disciples where they were that day, so he meets us in the bread and the cup. Open your heart to receive His grace today.

Communion Scripture       Luke 22:14-23 (NLT)
14 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. 15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
21 “But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. 22 For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.” 23 The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.

Bread & Justice    a reading from the Blue Hymnal 639
O God, just as the disciples heard Christ’s words of promise and began to eat the bread and drink the wine in the suffering of a long remembrance and in the joy of a hope, grant that we may hear your words, spoken in each thing of everyday affairs:
   Coffee on our table in the morning;
   The simple gesture of opening a door to go out, free;
   The shouts of children in the parks;
   A familiar song, sung by an unfamiliar face;
   A friendly tree that has not yet been cut down.
May simple things speak to us of your mercy, and tell us that life can be good.
     And may these sacramental gifts make us remember those who do not receive them:
   Who have their lives cut every day, in the bread absent from the    table;
   In the door of the hospital, the prison, the welfare home that does not open;
   In sad children, feet without shoes, eyes without hope;
   In war hymns that glorify death;
   In deserts where once there was life.
Christ was also sacrificed; and may we learn that we can participate in the saving sacrifice of Christ when we participate in the suffering of his little ones. Amen.

A Blessing Over the Bread & Cup
Loving God, pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
       and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
      that we may be for the world the body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
      one with each other,
      and one in ministry to all the world,
      until Christ comes in final victory
       and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
      with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
       all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,
now and forever. Amen.

Receiving the Bread & Cup

Pastoral Prayer
Gracious God, you are holy and righteous. Your majesty can be seen in all of creation; your goodness can be seen in you care of even the smallest sparrow; and your love can be seen most completely in your Son Jesus Christ.
Your love is steadfast, even when we fail you. Today we confess the sins of racism, our apathy, our denial. We confess the sins of silence when we should have spoken out, and our speaking when we should have been listening. Cleanse us of these things and create in us new hearts and minds in which we reflect your love and your peace.
Healing God, we lift up all who have been mentioned by name today. We pray for healing and comfort. We pray that your will be done. In all things.
We praise you God, and give thanks for your continued provision and grace,
For our church we pray for continued sustenance, wisdom, and peace, as we begin to navigate the green phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We pray all this in the name of our Savior Jesus. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer
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. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

“Here I Am, Lord”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5wfvGqPNHE

Commission & Benediction    (inspired by Gen. 1:26 & 2 Cor. 13:11 & 14)
Dear brothers and sisters, I close our worship this morning with these words from the Apostle Paul: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet those you meet with God’s love, as human beings made in the image of God. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

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June 3: Midweek Devotional

6/3/2020

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June 3, 2020 Midweek Devotional Scripture: Luke 10:25-29 (NLT) One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Meditation Jesus answered the legal expert by telling the Parable of the Good Samaritan: Along a dangerous road a man is beaten, robbed, and left for dead. Three people come his way: two religious people, and one more person, from perhaps the most despised people group of Jesus’ day, a Samaritan.

The two religious people, who should have had a clear understanding of God’s law, passed by the man. But the least likely person of all, the Samaritan, stopped and showed compassion beyond what anyone would have expected. The legal expert had correctly quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. He understood the law required him to love his neighbor. His only question was “who is my neighbor?” After telling the parable, Jesus turned the question back to him by asking, “Of the three men, who was the neighbor to the one in need?” Jesus’ point was that while the legal expert knew the law, he did not understand the spirit in which God had given it, and that spirit was the spirit of love.

For the legal expert, and for you and me, the question is not “who is my neighbor?” In the spirit of God’s love, the question is always “how can I be a neighbor to the one in need?”
Thoughts for Reflection Lack of love is often easy to justify, even though it is never right. Where is this evidenced in my life? Our neighbor is anyone of any race, creed, or social background who is in need? Is this belief evidenced in my life? Love mean’s acting to meet a person’s need. Who can I be a neighbor to this week in my church or community?
Blessings for your day, Pastor Kim

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June 28, 2020, Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

June 24, 2020 Midweek Devotional

June 14, 2020, Second Sunday after Pentecost

June 10, 2020 Midweek Devotional

June 7, 2020, 2020 Worship: Peace with Justice Sunday

June 3: Midweek Devotional

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