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Sunday, March 28, 2021 || 6th Sunday of Lent (Palm Sunday) Pastor Christy Wright We invite you to light a candle at 9:30 AM and join us in prayer ONLINE or over the PHONE Audio worship is also available at (978) 990-5000, access code 719365#. Just dial in, enter the access code on your keypad, and you will hear the service begin with music. This Lenten Series is adapted from Marcia McFee’s Holy Vessels curriculum. Prelude O Worship the King Melissa Quilitzsch Announcements Palm Sunday Narrative When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” Opening Hymn Hosanna, Loud Hosanna UMH 278 1. Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang; 3. “Hosanna in the highest!” that ancient song we sing, Through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang. For Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord of heaven our King To Jesus, who had blessed them close folded to his breast, O may we ever praise him with heart and life and voice, The children sang their praises, the simplest and the best. And in his blissful presence eternally rejoice! 2. From Olivet they followed mid an exultant crowd, The victor palm branch waving, and chanting clear and loud. The Lord of earth and heaven rode on in lowly state, Nor scorned that little children should on his bidding wait. Introduction - Marcia McFee We have seen that the stories of Jesus’ healing ministry are filled with words and deeds. When he rode into Jerusalem, the people had hopes he would heal the oppressive system they were living under. We know that his healing was not confined to that moment in history, but offers a new way of life that has made a case for compassion for all, especially “the least,” ever since. As we head into the events of Holy Week, we begin to see that our ability to forgive ourselves and others is the foundation that can transform infirmities and allow us to move on. We integrate our beliefs and actions for the health of the whole. The parade of compassionate power we celebrate today is underscored by another healing story of transformation, symbolizing our ability to fuel our movement of recovery. We glorify God for beautiful words and works of wholeness and share that treasured beauty with others. We know there will still be pain, but we also know love will win. We have approached confession each week in Lent in such a way that we lay bare the brokenness in order to begin the process of healing. Along the way we have acknowledged our need to restore our own Holy Vessels while attending to our role in the healing of the community and the world. The work of healing will continue as we integrate all we have learned with all that we will do moving forward. For now, we remember how hard it is to move from thinking to doing. Let us pray: Forgiving God, We have opened ourselves to healing and sometimes it is easier to pray nice prayers than to do the hard work of putting into action what needs to happen. Help us remember the sacred nature of the holy vessels that we are, fragile and susceptible to shattering and yet capable of transformation. Help us to see ourselves as you see us. Help us to believe in our ability to change and heal as you believe in us. Help us, Healer. Show us our strength. Forgive our inertia. Move us to move one step at a time toward greater care. In this silence, we sense and acknowledge our yearning for wholeness. Know this: You are never alone in the struggle. No. Matter. What. Jesus is on the journey with us. Life’s parade is not passing you by. You are part of this Body of Christ, a community seeking healing. For you, for me, for all. Take a deep breath in to let this truth fill you…and breathe out with the relief of assurance. Vessels, holy and whole. Broken, needing the One. Open, body and soul. Healer, come. Scripture Reading - Matthew 9:1-8 And after getting into a boat Jesus crossed the sea and came to his own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings. Sermon - Pastor Christy Wright Have you ever been a part of a parade? I’m reminded of high school when I was part of the marching band. Every year we would play at our Memorial Day Parade as it winded through the fairgrounds, across two major roads, and down to the high school. It was always a lot of fun - but boy was it hard work! We’d be wearing heavy wool marching uniforms, carrying our instruments, and attempting to stay in time while playing memorized music with dozens of other musicians. But there were some exciting parts of the day too - we’d often get a bunch of free candy from other parade walkers, and there would usually be a simple BBQ lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers waiting for us at the high school when we returned. But my favorite part? Walking past my family and friends, who were cheering me on from the sidewalk. What a great memory, one filled with love and encouragement. This morning’s readings, both of the infamous Palm Sunday procession and of the healing story we just read, contain parades of their own. Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem was widely celebrated, but so was the man who was healed. In our second reading, Jesus approached a man who was paralyzed, and encouraged him in the forgiveness of his sins - but Jesus was challenged by onlookers who believe Jesus was taking too much authority. Who was he to forgive sins? Jesus went a step further; rather than arguing with them, he looked after the paralyzed man’s physical health too - and he was now able to walk! This had become a parade of its own - one in which the paralyzed man got up, took his mat, and went home - surrounded by crowds of encouragement and awe-struck passersby. As we reflect over our journey this Lenten season, may we recognize the healing in our midst and the ways in which Jesus has been present with us from day one. May we seek healing that touches every part of our lives: our spiritual healing, our mental healing, the healing of our bodies, and the healing of our communities. And above all else, may we recognize from where the healing comes: from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior in whose love and encouragement we walk each day. Hymn of Meditation Trust and Obey UMH 467 1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of God’s word, 3. But we never can prove the delights of God’s love What a glory God sheds on our way! Until all on the altar we lay; While we do God’s good will, God abides with us still, For the favor God shows, for the joy God bestows, And with all who will trust and obey. Are for them who will trust and obey. Refrain: Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 2. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, 4. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at God’s feet, But our toil God doth richly repay; Or we’ll walk by God’s side in the way; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, What God says we will do, where God sends we will go; But is blest if we trust and obey. Never fear, only trust and obey. Prayer of Meditation - Marcia McFee Healer of our every ill, especially when we find it difficult to believe or trust that sorrow will end, we come before you to make our petitions known. Hear our cries for healing of body, mind, and spirit. We know that already you are at work among us, showing us the way to recovery from the toxicities and grief of our time. Even when we cannot seem to believe it, we know that you see beauty in our brokenness. We pray especially for those who feel there is no end to sorrow, that no matter what we do or how hard we work to bring peace and justice to our world, it feels like we cannot gain traction. We give thanks that when we cannot bring ourselves to the healing source of your love, there are others around us that, through words and actions, bring us hope once again. Help to also be those who offer hope when we have the opportunity on this parade of compassion called life. We pray this day for… Commissioning and Benediction - Marcia McFee In this series, we have seen that Jesus’ healing actions often get “buzz” from onlookers. This day we have seen two different reactions from the crowd: shouts of adoration and the scoff of judgment from religious officials. His words and actions seemed to get one or the other–praise or accusations of heresy. But he continued his work anyway. He loved those that were deemed unlovable. He proclaimed healing in the midst of despair. He urged people to give their best in the midst of the worst circumstances. To be followers of Jesus is not an easy task. But it is the way that we become whole once again… to participate in the holy endeavor of bringing the kin-dom on earth as it is in heaven. And as we enter Holy Week, these themes will come into sharp focus. May we follow him, even to the broken places. We have asked this question each week: How can we as a church community become a “health hub” through our ministry and mission? Let us discern together how we can meet the needs of those within our community. Now go with confidence that God is making us whole and holy, recovering our depth of love for all and our joy of living in this world. May the words of Jesus ring in your ears: “Take heart.” And may the Spirit hover, move, and deliver salve to your soul and a spring in your step. Amen. Postlude Journey’s End Melissa Quilitzsch
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Sunday, March 21, 2021 || 5th Sunday of Lent Pastor Christy Wright We invite you to light a candle at 9:30 AM and join us in prayer ONLINE or over the PHONE Audio worship is also available at (978) 990-5000, access code 719365#. Just dial in, enter the access code on your keypad, and you will hear the service begin with music. This Lenten Series is adapted from Marcia McFee’s Holy Vessels curriculum. Prelude For the Beauty of the Earth Melissa Quilitzsch Announcements Opening Hymn Mountains Are All Aglow UMH 86 1. Mountains are all aglow with autumn colors so bright; 3. Early spring is the time to sow all God’s rich seeds of life. Rivers are filled with water, giving life to our days. Working hard, tilling God’s earth; making preparation. Golden fields wave their praise to God’s bountiful harvest; Looking forward to rewards of harvest so plentiful; Gratefully, skyward rising, hear our joyous songs of praise! Promised blessings will soon be ours in each revelation. Refrain: Reaching far as earthly eyes can see, reaching far as humble hands can toil, every harvest is from our Lord; every blessing is from our God. Praise for the harvest, thanks to our God. Praise for the harvest, give praise to God. 2. Every land so abundantly rich the harvest bears; 4. Praise the Lord as we’re planting God’s word deep in each heart Every orchard is filled with luscious, ripened new fruit. God has sent sunshine and the rain so the seedlings may grow Sun and rain by the Lord’s design shall come at proper time. Desert lands which seem barren, flowers still might bloom Working hard, God has given us reasons for deep gratitude. Trusting in God’s promises, our thanks to God we will show Introduction - Marcia McFee We continue our Lenten “season of recovery” as we focus on health as essential to our spiritual lives. The demands of following Jesus are great. He shows us that sometimes we must make extraordinary efforts to move in a new direction. As we consider the health of humanity, we cannot ignore the need to heal the very planet that sustains us. We live in increasing chaos of a beleaguered environment and the hoarding of resources. We want to be “saved” by something or someone else, but we discover this week that we are in the boat with the One who shows us our power to turn it around, to calm the storm. We protect the jewel that is our home, restoring something beautiful from scars of the past. Let us acknowledge our need to restore, repair, renew our Holy Vessels, especially this holy container of life on which we live–this very planet. Let us pray: Life-giving God, in the beginning, you created this universe with a phrase, “Let it be…” and the waters and dry land, the sky and the creatures were formed. You set humanity among these wonders and invited us to care and honor all things. We have not successfully answered that call. Seeing the abundance as a feast that would never end, we gorged ourselves, taking more than we could replenish at a rate that could not be sustained. We are beginning to comprehend the magnitude, beginning to see that things cannot just keep going “as usual” and not have dire consequences. We are frightened, which is partly why we are slow to accept it. But we now are witnesses to the forces of a world more broken than when we inherited it: water, wind, and wave, fire, drought, and earthquake that signal it is time to pay attention and to make real change. Too often we think there is nothing we can do–that the change required is too great. It all feels overwhelming and so we look away, sometimes even from the small things that could make a difference for our own community. Help us, Healer. Show us our ability to chart a different course. Forgive our inaction. Move us to move one step at a time toward greater care for one another. In this silence, we sense and acknowledge our yearning for wholeness. Know this: Jesus asks us to do hard things, to make changes, knowing we are capable. No. Matter. What. We can change in order to heal this jewel planet called home. The calm of Christ in the storm is available. For you, for me, for all. Take a deep breath in to let this truth fill you…and breathe out with the relief of assurance. Vessels, holy and whole. Broken, needing the One. Open, body and soul. Healer, come. Scripture Reading - Matthew 8:23-27 And when Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” Sermon - Pastor Christy Wright The first time I realized that all of creation was intertwined, that our stories inherently intersected with creation as a whole, was when I was in middle school, on a small motor-powered skiff in the Poquonnock River in Connecticut. I was attending the first of many sessions of “ocean camp,” where I learned about marine science with an organization connected to the University of Connecticut. As we slowly powered our way into the different basins of the river, our instructor pointed off into the distance toward some houses built right along the shoreline. The water near the private docks was bright green, filled with algae, and it appeared to be teeming with life. But she told us a different story: overuse of lawn fertilizers made green lawns even more green, but the chemicals ran off into the water during rainstorms. When fertilizers end up in the water column, it invigorates the growth of algae - which is good at first: it provides food for fish and other organisms. But it can quickly turn into a disaster: this growth of algae can rapidly turn into a dangerous and deadly situation for the ecosystem. As the algae continues to bloom, it crowds out light that other plants need, and it uses up the oxygen that fish require. A healthy estuary can quickly become a hypoxic environment, one devoid of oxygen and necessary diverse nutrients to sustain life. All because of some lawn fertilizer. As we reflect on our role here on earth, it can be easy to read back to Genesis and see that we are called to have “dominion over” the world. But as we refer back to the original language of Hebrew, we recognize that “dominion over” doesn’t translate well into English. The original language actually defines humanity’s relationship to the earth as a “partnership,” that humanity is called to “steward” the earth, to take care of it and all that is within it. How does this change the way we’ve thought about our own agency in creating a better world? In this morning’s scripture passage, Jesus got into a boat with his disciples, and they began a trek over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Suddenly a great storm arose, and the disciples were afraid; all the while, Jesus was asleep. The men on the boat panicked, and quickly woke Jesus, who responded by noting their lack of faith, then calming the storm himself. The disciples were struck by Jesus’ power and marveled at the miracle before them. What I find interesting about this passage is that Jesus not only rebuked the storm, but in some ways, it felt like he also rebuked the disciples. Rather than taking care of the storm first, Jesus turned to the disciples - as though waiting for them to do something about the wind and the waves. Several times throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see Jesus putting the ball back in the court of those asking for help: last week we heard about the woman who reached out in faith - and Jesus said that it was her faith that had made her well. And when there was no more wine at the wedding at Cana? Jesus empowered the disciples to turn water to wine - he himself never touched anything. It was all the disciples’ doing. In each of these cases, Jesus highlighted humanity’s agency to make things right - to partner with God in righting a wrong, in healing, and in reconciliation. It’s as if Jesus is saying, “I believe in you; believe in yourself.” And the good news is that even when we fail (which we will, because we’re human), Jesus doesn’t leave us on our own to pick up the pieces. Just as Jesus was already in the boat, and he stepped in and calmed the storm, we, too, are not alone in our own storms. If we listen closely, we will hear the Spirit’s guidance and Jesus’ encouragement to take action. We have a role to play as we partner with God in restoring what has been lost. And when we take action, we recognize that our actions do in fact affect others. It’s not just about us; it is about all of creation, for we are all intertwined. As we continue on our path in healing this Lenten season, how is God calling you to take agency in your own life as it relates to creation as a whole? In what ways are you being led to take next steps in your personal healing and in our communal healing? I invite you to reflect prayerfully with God on the actions you can take today, and this week, toward this restoration. It may be using less fertilizer on our lawn (maybe?), or it might be something like reaching out to someone who needs to hear from you. It might be something as small as dropping a card in the mail, or something as big as donating toward a particular organization to support their work in personal and communal healing. As we prayerfully consider the work before us, may we recognize the energy Jesus has given us and the faith Jesus has in us to do good work in his name. May we recognize the stories that intersect with our own as we work to create a better world. And may we always be listening to the still small voice that says, “I believe in you; believe in yourself.” Amen. Hymn of Meditation Wounded World that Cries for Healing FWS 2177 1. Wounded world that 2. Through our nation’s 3. Honor those whose cries for healing - Spent frustration Loving spirit Here we hold each other’s pain, Through the corridors of stress Nurses hope, restores and heals, Wounded systems, May there move a Towel and basin Bruised and bleeding Kindlier wisdom Used in service Bear the load, the scars of strain; All may feel, and all may bless; Like the Christ who comes and kneels; Dollars ration out compassion, Tax and tithe are for a purpose In the tending, in the mending Hard decisions rule the day, Shared to shield the poor and weak; May we see the right and fair, Jesus of the healing Spirit, Past the symptoms of our sickness In our common quest for wholeness Free us to another way! Let the voice of justice speak. Heal each other by our care. Prayer of Meditation - Marcia McFee Healer of our every ill, especially our fractured creation, we come before you to make our petitions known. Hear our cries for healing of body, mind, and spirit. We know that already you are at work among us, showing us the way to recovery from the toxicities and grief of our time. You remind us that you are in the boat with us in the midst of difficult times. We give you thanks for this path of following you, even when you call us to crossover from one way of life to another. We pray especially for all who are impacted most by dwindling resources. We pray that we will continue to learn and see and know how our actions affect others, not just ourselves. We give thanks for the wake up calls that our young people are sounding and we pray for the fortitude to move this journey forward alongside them. We give thanks for the courage of activists and educators who help us wake up to this storm and to see that we have it within our power to calm that storm, to restore the earth’s wholeness. We ask for courage and encouragement to re-evaluate how we as a church can join this effort now and into the future. We pray this day for… Commissioning and Benediction - Marcia McFee This week the reaction of the crowd in the story is amazement at Jesus’ connection to the cosmic forces of wind and wave. As scientists now try to teach us, all things are connected. We are part and parcel of all creation. Rather than dominion, we are to be a-tuned to all around us. We see the cry of creation in awakened natural disasters and we must heed the call not to hide in fear, but to work for healing. And so in our communal discerning about how this church community could become a “health hub” through our ministry and mission, let us put our minds to imagining how we can learn about contributing to the beauty and healing of our environment. I invite you to explore with us the possibilities for a new or renewed commitment to a contribution we can make at George Whitefield United Methodist Church to our larger community’s effort to recover from this past year. Now go with confidence that we can face the storm with Jesus in the boat, recovering our depth of love for all and our joy of living in this world. May the words of Jesus ring in your ears: “follow me.” And may the Spirit hover, move, and deliver salve to your soul and a spring in your step. Amen. Postlude He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands Melissa Quilitzsch
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Sunday, March 14, 2021 || 4th Sunday of Lent Pastor Christy Wright We invite you to light a candle at 9:30 AM and join us in prayer ONLINE or over the PHONE Audio worship is also available at (978) 990-5000, access code 719365#. Just dial in, enter the access code on your keypad, and you will hear the service begin with music. This Lenten Series is adapted from Marcia McFee’s Holy Vessels curriculum Prelude Amazing Grace Melissa Quilitzsch Announcements Opening Hymn Be Thou My Vision UMH 451 1. Be thou my vision, 2. Be thou my wisdom, 3. Great God of heaven, O Lord of my heart; And thou my true word; My victory won, Naught be all else to me, I ever with thee, May I reach heaven’s joys Save that thou art. And thou with me, Lord; O bright heaven’s Sun! Thou my best thought Thou and thou only, Heart of my own heart, By day or by night First in my heart, Whatever befall, Waking or sleeping, Great God of heaven, Still be my vision, Thy presence my light. My treasure thou art. O Ruler of all. Introduction - Marcia McFee We continue our Lenten “season of recovery” as we focus on health as essential to our spiritual lives. Prolonged times of difficulty can impede our ability to stay creative. The picture of our lives is dulled and hope for a brighter future can fade. We need a touch of inspiration to awaken us from our sleep, as we hear in one of this week’s healing stories. We also awaken to our agency to seek out the Divine Healer, reaching out to touch the power we know can restore our intellect and imagination. We emerge ready to re-engage with the world, seeking and seeing solutions, creating different pictures of life renewed just as a mosaic artist creates beauty from broken pieces of glass. Let us acknowledge our need to restore, repair, renew our Holy Vessels so that we might be able to create and imagine new possibilities, new solutions. Let us pray: God of All Possibilities, made in your image, you have tasked us as co-creators of a better world. You bestowed imagination and the ability to learn and progress. But we are tired. Our energy wanes and enthusiasm wanes. The call for ideas, solutions, work-arounds, and adaptations has been non-stop for us all–whether we are needing to find ways to keep children engaged and well, or figuring out how to maintain a passion for our work in the midst of trying times, or needing desperately to undo systems of oppression too long affecting our lives and the lives of our neighbors. Not only our livelihoods, but our liveliness is at stake. Too often we want to give up, declare it all too hard and simply isolate, waiting out the time for better days. It all feels overwhelming and so we look away, sometimes even from the need in our own community. Help us, Healer. Show us our energy reserves. Forgive our cynicism. Move us to move one step at a time toward greater care for one another. In this silence, we sense and acknowledge our yearning for wholeness. Know this: We are gifted with agency to affect healing in the world. No. Matter. What. We are not alone and we can join with others to magnify hope. Christ will answer when we call, when we reach out for what we know can help. For you, for me, for all. Take a deep breath in to let this truth fill you… and breathe out with the relief of assurance. Vessels, holy and whole. Broken, needing the One. Open, body and soul. Healer, come. Scripture Reading - Matthew 9:18-26 While Jesus was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district. Sermon - Pastor Christy Wright Several years ago, I attended my first workshop at the United Nations Church Center in New York City, a seminar about climate change and how we could make a difference on individual and communal levels. As we were given a tour of the building at the beginning of the day, I couldn’t help but be in awe of all of the work being done there: this particular property is owned by the United Methodist Women Foundation, and it houses dozens of nonprofits and non-governmental agencies that are seeking to build a better world. It is truly a mosaic of faith-filled people from all over the globe doing the work of God. As we look across history, we witness wars, famine, and, in our time, pandemics; this reality can be so gut-wrenching and painful, and it can be easy to fall into hopelessness. But we are called to respond in a way that reflects Jesus’ hope, healing, and resurrection: a response of collecting the broken pieces of life and partnering with God to reassemble them, to transform reality into something life-giving and beautiful. This is a true act of healing, healing that we are all empowered to participate in through the power of the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ guiding hands. In this morning’s passage, we hear of the stories of a synagogue leader whose daughter had just died and a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. The religious leader ran up to Jesus in a panic - his daughter had just died, but he knew that Jesus would heal her. As Jesus was on his way to visit the girl, a woman with a chronic illness reached out her hand and touched his robes, knowing that she would be healed from just a touch - and she was. Jesus continued on to meet with the girl, took her hand, and she was made well again. From a historical perspective, much of this passage deals with purity and Jesus’ response to it. In this time and place, women who suffered from hemorrhages, like this woman, were declared unclean and defiled. They were cast out from their communities and sent to live in solitude or with other women who were suffering the same fate. This woman, who had been suffering for twelve years, would have had to leave her family, her loved ones. And the girl? She was presumed dead, and dead bodies were also declared unclean. But notice what happened with Jesus in this passage: Jesus was touched by the woman, which by law, would have made him unclean. There were ceremonial rites he would have had to go through in order to be declared clean again. But he went straight to the young girl - who was dead - and took her by the hand - becoming defiled himself, again. Jesus seemingly ignored all of the protocols surrounding purity here, but he did it to make a point: purity and impurity are not the focus; healing is. All of this made me wonder: what if these stories were intertwined? What if these relationships were actually closer than we realized? What if the girl in this story was actually the bleeding woman’s daughter? Perhaps twelve years ago, this woman was cast out by the leader of the synagogue. Maybe instead of two healings - the healing of the woman and of the daughter - what if there were actually three? I’m thinking that a relational healing took place here as well, one in which a family was reunited through Jesus’ touch. When read through this lens, the broken pieces of this situation - the hopelessness, the fear, the isolation - were all healed in this moment, becoming a sacred mosaic through Jesus’ touch. As a church, we’ve been living through a pandemic for exactly one full year. Our last gathering together in the building for “normal church” was on March 8th, 2020. And it’s felt like it’s been a decade, hasn’t it? We have had to endure so much as a church family, and now we are beginning to see newness springing about. This past year, our lives have intertwined through phone calls and letters, through prayer chains and newly imagined worship services. The mosaic of our community, the many facets of who we are and the saints who have gone before us, are continually reinforced and recreated each and every day. Grace has touched our lives even before we’ve reached out to Jesus, and Jesus has taken our hand. Thanks be to God that as we continue to collect the broken pieces of life, we are invited to partner with God to reassemble them, to transform reality into something life-giving and beautiful. May we recognize Jesus’ healing power in our brokenness and in our wholeness. May we be empowered to heal as Jesus heals, trusting in faith and grace that God’s great love will fill in the cracks. And may we always remember the Love that will not let us go, always bound in our sacred mosaic through the power of the Holy Spirit, in the healing touch of Jesus, and with God’s never ending presence. Amen. Hymn of Meditation O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go UMH 480 1. O Love that wilt not let me go, 3. O Joy that seekest me through pain, I rest my weary soul in thee; I cannot close my heart to thee; I give thee back the life I owe, I trace the rainbow through the rain, That in thine ocean depths And feel the promise is not vain, Its flow may richer, fuller be. That morn shall tearless be. 2. O Light that followest all my way, 4. O Cross that liftest up my head, I yield my flickering torch to thee; I dare not ask to fly from thee; My heart restores its borrowed ray, I lay in dust life’s glory dead, That in thy sunshine’s blaze And from the ground there Its day may brighter, fairer be. Blossoms red life that shall endless be. Prayer of Meditation - Marcia McFee Healer of our every ill, especially our malady of exhausted spirits, we come before you to make our petitions known. Hear our cries for healing of body, mind, and spirit. We know that already you are at work among us, showing us the way to recovery from the toxicities and grief of our time. You remind us that we do not have to shoulder everything alone. We give you thanks that all we must do is orient ourselves toward your divine spirit to accompany us, touch us, inspire us, heal us. People who were healed by Jesus were not afraid to ask. And so we come before the Holy One, making our petitions and desires known, trusting the work of the Spirit. We pray especially for all who feel opportunity and possibility is cut off to them. Whose spirit is continually dampened and damaged by those who fail to see value in their contributions, who steal away rights to the fullness of expression. We give thanks for communities, churches, non-profits, and businesses that are supporting the flourishing of all voices, especially voices that have been silenced. We give thanks for the courage of innovators who use their resources and creativity to make more good in the world, making this a priority over profit. We ask for courage and encouragement to re-evaluate how we as a church can join this effort now and into the future. We pray this day for… Commissioning and Benediction - Marcia McFee Each week we look at the reaction of the crowd in the healing story. This week there is an interesting reaction at Jesus’ notion that the girl was not dead. They laughed. Full-blown funeral rites had begun, flutes and all. And yet Jesus said, this is not the end of this story. The idea that we could come back to life better than before, that we could find some way to bring life back to what feels dead, may seem preposterous to some at this point. Laughable. But, like Jesus, we need not be deterred. Can we forge ahead, enter the “house” of sorrow and dare to proclaim that can still exist? And so in our communal discerning about how this church community could become a “health hub” through our ministry and mission, let us put our minds to imagining how we can learn about innovative ways that are being created to revive our communities. Who are the bright spots of life among us, among our civic, political, neighborhood organizing leaders that are working passionately to alleviate the devastating effects of the pandemics that have raged among us? I invite you to explore with us the possibilities for a new or renewed commitment to a contribution we can make at George Whitefield United Methodist Church to our larger community’s effort to recover from this past year. Now go with confidence that we will awaken, we will seek out and reach for the healing solutions that our neighbors, our communities, our world needs, recovering our depth of love for all and our joy of living in this world. May the words of Jesus ring in your ears: “You are not dead, you are sleeping.” And may the Spirit hover, move, and deliver salve to your soul and a spring in your step. Amen. Postlude Sky’s the Limit Melissa Quilitzsch
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Sunday, March 7, 2021 || 3rd Sunday of Lent Pastor Christy Wright We invite you to light a candle at 9:30 AM and join us in prayer ONLINE or over the PHONE Audio worship is also available at (978) 990-5000, access code 719365#. Just dial in, enter the access code on your keypad, and you will hear the service begin with music. This Lenten Series is adapted from Marcia McFee’s Holy Vessels curriculum. Prelude Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken/Mendelssohn's Consolation Op. 30, No. 3 Melissa Quilitzsch Announcements Opening Hymn Be Still, My Soul UMH 534 1. Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side. 3. Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; When we shall be forever with the Lord, Leave to your God to order and provide; When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, In every change God faithful will remain. Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored. Be still, my soul: you best, your heavenly friend Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past, Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end. All safe and blessed we shall meet at last. 2. Be still, my soul: your God will undertake To guide the future, as in ages past. Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know The Christ who ruled them while he dwelt below. Introduction - Marcia McFee Those who collect beach glass often become “archeologists”–seeking out any markings or clues as to the story of the original piece. It often takes much time to bring out the truth behind it. This week we acknowledge the power of truth-telling as a healing property. There are stories that have shaped our lives, leaving us without the ability to see who we truly are in the eyes of God and leaving us without the ability to speak the depth of our stories of struggle. We focus on the importance of recovery of mental health, reclaiming our sense of who we are and being able to proclaim new redemptive stories of divine worth. Let us acknowledge our need to restore, repair, and renew our Holy Vessels, and that the health of our minds deeply affects our physical and spiritual health. Let us pray: Centering and Calming Divine Breath of God, You gifted us with amazing minds, capable of so many things. You gave us the ability to think and feel, imbuing us with discernment of thought and emotion. Like our physical bodies, sometimes this aspect of ourselves is beleaguered. We struggle under the strain of disappointment, despair, and delusion. Too often we hide this, afraid of what others might think of our difficulties in managing or moving forward, even in the face of devastating circumstances. Too often we perpetuate the stigma of a less-than-perfect state of mind by shaming ourselves and others. Millennia of misunderstanding compounds our fear. We label and belittle, all the while turning the hatred upon ourselves, for no one is immune from troubles of the mind at some point. People opened their lives to Jesus. We are drawn to the Healer–opening our hearts with honesty about our lives and finding assurance that offers peace. So many are suffering now, God, weary and distraught, grieving and at the end of their rope. We cannot fathom the proportions of loss and so we look away, sometimes even from the need in our own community. Help us, Healer. Show us our capacity for compassion. Forgive our inattention. Move us to move one step at a time toward greater care for one another. In this silence, we sense and acknowledge our yearning for wholeness. Know this: You are accepted. No. Matter. What. Accepting the truth of our difficulties is part of the journey of recovery. Sharing our stories of difficulty can open the way for healing. For you, for me, for all. Take a deep breath in to let this truth fill you… and breathe out with the relief of assurance. Vessels, holy and whole. Broken, needing the One. Open, body and soul. Healer, come. Scripture Reading - Matthew 9:27-33 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them, “See that no one knows of this.” But they went away and spread the news about him throughout that district. After they had gone away, a demoniac who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.” Sermon - Pastor Christy Wright When I was in college, I got my first true sense of what I’m calling “toxic empathy.” For those who know me well, they know that I have an empathetic presence, but most don’t know how much of a struggle that can be sometimes. In college, I lived and went to school with friends and colleagues who were all dealing with a lot, too much for any one friend to be able to solve or make better, regardless of how hard I tried. And as an empathetic person, I always struggled with how to best be present for them. If someone was crying, my response would always be tears. If someone was angry, I would be right there with them. But to mirror someone’s emotions, and to carry them as though they were my own - is that really the healthiest thing to do? It got to a point where I wasn’t sure which emotions belonged to me, and which didn’t. My own empathy had become toxic. When explaining this to one of my chaplains, he was very supportive and said that this was a good thing; it showed that I cared a lot about my friends and, in fact, all those I encountered. But he also suggested that there might be better ways to show up for people who needed help, and better ways to care for my own mental and emotional health, so he gave me the contact information for our on-campus counselor. Though at first apprehensive, I agreed to make an appointment. And, to be honest, it didn’t go well. When I explained the situation, the therapist seemed dismissive - if I wasn’t in crisis, why was I there? Eventually I just dropped it and instead tried to create better boundaries. It wasn’t until seminary when I tried counseling again, and the difference was like night and day. Counseling isn’t just something we should tap into when we’re in crisis mode - though it can be extremely helpful then too. No, counseling can be something so life-giving, regardless of our current circumstances. You see, it was here where I found absolute freedom - freedom to be able to explore my emotions with someone I trusted. It helped me to get a better handle on my identity as an empath and how to best use my gifts for myself and for others. And again, during the throes of the pandemic, I sought out counseling to create a toolbox of techniques for how best to care for myself and others, because y’all, sometimes we just need a little extra help. In this morning’s scripture reading, we hear of a story of two blind men who followed Jesus and begged for his healing. It can be assumed that these men had been blind from birth; they had never known anything different from their current experience. But there was something so compelling about Jesus, something so mysterious, that somehow they knew where Jesus was, and who he was. They had the faith to believe that Jesus would heal them, but I can guarantee you that these blind men didn’t get to Jesus all by themselves. It’s interesting that there was a mute man in their midst too. I wonder, had it been him who led the blind men to Jesus? In their faith, these blind men followed Jesus into the house (or were led by the mute man), and by their faith, they were healed. Their eyes were opened. And everything was new. Everything was different, and they rejoiced and told all who would listen about Jesus’ great healing power. Several years ago, my eyes were opened to the importance of normalizing conversations about mental health. For some reason, we want to hide behind our emotions and pretend everything is okay. One of my good friends, who is a pastor, said this a few months ago: “With God, it’s always okay to not be okay.” With God, we can find healing. But sometimes God also presents other people in our lives to help us along the way, like counselors and therapists - and like the mute man who helped the two blind men get to Jesus. God wants the best for us; but sometimes that requires a leap of faith, allowing ourselves to get the help we need toward healing and wholeness. We are not meant to journey alone. Praise be to God that we don’t have to. As we close this morning, I want you to know that I am present for you in whatever ways I can be. I am not a licensed therapist or counselor, but I can pray with and for you, and I can be a listening ear. If you would like information about counseling or therapy in our area, I’m more than happy to pass along some resources. It has been a long year. A difficult year. But we are not alone, and we know healing is right around the corner. My hope and prayer is that we find the freedom for which we’ve been searching, as we close with this blessing from John O’Donohue: As a bird soars high in the free holding of the wind, clear of the certainty of ground, opening the imagination of wings into the grace of emptiness to fulfill new voyagings, may your life awaken to the call of its freedom. As the ocean absolves itself of the expectation of land, approaching only in the form of waves that fill and pleat and fall with such gradual elegance as to make of the limit a sonorous threshold whose music echoes back along the give and strain of memory, thus may your heart know the patience that can draw infinity from limitation. As the embrace of the earth welcomes all we call death, taking deep into itself the tight solitude of a seed, allowing it time to shed the grip of former form and give way to a deeper generosity that will one day send it forth, a tree into springtime, may all that holds you fall from its hungry ledge into the fecund surge of your heart. Amen. Hymn of Meditation It is Well With My Soul UMH 377 1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, 3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! When sorrows like sea billows roll; My sin, not in part but the whole, Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, It is well, it is well with my soul. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! Refrain: It is well with my soul; it is well, it is well with my soul. 2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, 4. And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight Let this blest assurance control, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, And hath shed his own blood for my soul. Even so , it is well with my soul. Prayer of Meditation - Marcia McFee Healer of our every ill, especially our malady of stigmatized fear of mental illness, we come before you to make our petitions known. Hear our cries for healing of body, mind, and spirit. We know that already you are at work among us, showing us the way to recovery from the toxicities and grief of our time. You have stamped each one of us as “worthy.” We give you thanks that your mercy is wide and your faithfulness to us not depend upon having our feelings sorted out or our sense of well-being secure. You are not waiting for us to “get our act together” before offering us your love and grace. We pray especially for those who have experienced heightened and acute mental and emotional difficulties as a result of this past year of isolation and fear. We pray for those who feel far from hope and we mourn those who could not find a lifeline to survive this hardship. We pray for those who find themselves without access to adequate care, someone to talk to, or appropriate resources to steady their hearts and minds. We give thanks for those who are telling their stories, showing us how to open our hearts to help others and offering ripples of healing in the community. We pray grateful thanks for progress toward holistic healthcare and the efforts of all who are working to de-stigmatize mental illness, making it easier to ask for, and get, the help so desperately needed. We ask for courage and encouragement to re-evaluate how we as a church can help now and into the future. We pray this day for... Commissioning and Benediction - Marcia McFee Each week we look at the reaction of the crowd in the healing story. This week the crowd was amazed and cried out that nothing like it had ever been seen before. How interesting that the crowd is “seeing” something for the first time, just like the blind man is brought to sight! Could it be that this is as important to the story as the ones who received physical healing? How could we open our eyes, figuratively, in new ways? What do we need to envision anew? And so in our communal discerning about how this church community could become a “health hub” through our ministry and mission, let us put our minds to imagining how we could shine a positive light on the work of mental health. The needs are so urgent, especially now. Throughout this time, I invite you to explore with us the possibilities for a new or renewed commitment to a contribution we can make at George Whitefield United Methodist Church to our larger community’s effort to recover from this past year. Now go with confidence that the One Who Is Living Water is already cleansing, renewing, and clarifying our lives, recovering our depth of love for all and our joy of living in this world. May the words of Jesus ring in your ears: “Do you believe it is possible?” And may the Spirit hover, move, and deliver salve to your soul and a spring in your step. Amen. Postlude Dreamweaver Melissa Quilitzsch |
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