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Sunday, November 29, 2020 || 1st Sunday of Advent 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. Lighting of the Hope Candle - By Jeanyne Slettom The Gospel of John speaks of Christ as the true light coming into the world. In commemoration of that coming, we light candles for the four weeks leading to Christmas and reflect on the coming of Christ. It is significant that the church has always used that language—the coming of Christ—because it speaks to a deep truth. Christ is coming. Christ is always coming, always entering a troubled world, a wounded heart. And so we light the first candle, the candle of hope, and dare to express our longing for peace, for healing, and the well-being of all creation. Let us pray: Loving God, as we enter this Advent season, we open all the dark places in our lives and memories to the healing light of Christ. Show us the creative power of hope. Prepare our hearts to be transformed by you, that we may walk in the light of Christ. Amen. Scripture Reading Isaiah 64:1-4 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence - as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil - to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for God. Mark 13:28-37 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that it is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at rooster’s crow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.” Sermon In the news over the past several weeks, we’ve been hearing of hopeful reports from various researchers: a vaccine is on the way! From the start of the pandemic, many organizations put their other projects on hold and reorganized their teams to focus all of their efforts on finding a solution, a cure for Covid-19. As a church, we’ve been praying for this for months - and it is finally before us. It has been a long journey, and an exhausting one at that. But now we see that there is hope; there is light in the darkness. We won’t be living in pandemic times forever, but, here’s the thing: we will be forever changed. We can’t go through something like this and just return to normal; our lives have been fundamentally altered and shaped by what has occurred over the past year. The way we do things has changed, some things temporarily, others permanently. And it’s not all bad. In the past, going to dinner with my friends was something I really enjoyed, but I’m realizing that it was something I took for granted. We’d just text each other around 4 PM, ask if anyone had evening plans, and two hours later, we’d be crammed into a booth at our favorite diner laughing as we stole fries from one anothers’ plates. But now, everything has changed. I can’t remember the last time I ate inside a restaurant, let alone with a large group of friends. But when the day comes, when it is safe again, you can bet that I will be so present to those moments and appreciate them that much more. As I was researching the scripture this morning, I was playing around with the idea of expectation. These passages emphasize both the surprise of a glimmer of hope as well as the signs that hope might be on its way. And expectancy is exactly that: waiting with hope, expecting, reading the change of the seasons to see what’s coming next. But what about those times that seem so dark, so bleak, that we’re not able to see any possibility for healing? Another theme that came up for me as I was meditating on this week’s scripture was the understanding of light and dark. In the definitions of the word “light,” most referred to the visible spectrum of radiation that we can see with the human eye. The cool thing is that light exists beyond this spectrum too; we just can’t see it. And the definition of the word “darkness” is that it’s the absence of visible light. Darkness is not the absence of all light, because, in fact, there is no such thing. Scientifically, there is no way to escape light - it is always present, even if our eyes can’t perceive it. When we begin to recognize that the Light of Hope is always with us, we will be forever changed. We can’t go through something like this and just return to normal; our lives have been fundamentally altered and shaped by what has occurred throughout our faith journey. The way we do things has changed, for good. Thanks be to God that every encounter with Jesus provides an opportunity for healing, growth, and new eyes to see the Light we couldn’t see before. As we reflect together on this first Sunday of Advent and all that is to come this season, we light the candle of hope this morning because we recognize that the Light in our lives is Divine Love, Love that has never left us and never will. It is the hope of Light on the horizon, even when we can’t see it. Hope is here. Hymn of Meditation - O Come, O Come Emmanuel UMH 211 1. O come, O come Emmanuel, 5. O come thou Key of David, come, And ransom captive Israel, And open wide our heavenly home. That mourns in lonely exile here The captives from their prison free, Until the Son of God appear And conquer death’s deep misery Refrain Refrain Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel 2. O come, thou Wisdom from on high 6. O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer And order all things far and nigh; Our spirits by thy justice here To us the path of knowledge show Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And cause us in her ways to go. And death’s dark shadows put to flight Refrain Refrain Benediction/Commission and Blessing Take time, in the busyness of this season, for quiet reflection— For the light of God’s love is discernible everywhere. We will let ourselves be surprised by wonder, and set aside time to offer quiet thanks. The good news of Advent is this: Christ is coming. Christ is always coming. We will welcome Christ into our hearts. We will let ourselves be guided by his ministry. We will go forth from this place in hope. (Jeanyne Slettom) And now, may the peace of the Lord Christ go with you wherever God may send you; may God guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm; may God bring you home rejoicing at the wonders God has shown you; may God bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
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Sunday, November 22, 2020 || Reign of Christ 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. Scripture Reading Matthew 25:31-40 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by the Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” Sermon Back in April of this year, something really sweet happened in my hometown. A young boy by the name of Marcello was feeling a bit restless with remote learning and decided that he wanted chocolate cake to ease his boredom. When he asked his parents if they could go to the grocery store to get one, they declined and tried to get him to stay focused. But as the day wore on, he realized just how much of an emergency this was. So, without his parents’ permission, he called the nonemergency police line in town and spoke with the dispatcher, who was rightly confused. After asking all of the right questions to make sure Marcello wasn’t in any danger, he dispatched a couple of officers to his house to check up on him. And, they brought a chocolate cake. When Marcello’s parents opened the door to the officers, Marcello ran up to them, saw the chocolate cake, and was thrilled that his sweet treat had been delivered, while his parents stood shocked and pleasantly surprised in the doorway. When asked about the incident, Ledyard Police Chief John Rich said that the officers “went above and beyond the facts and circumstances of the situation and actually made the little guy's day with their kindness. And that's what I've seen all throughout my time at Ledyard Police Department, their connectedness with the people." The reason I love this story is because it reminds me just how important it is to treat all people with love and care, and the ways in which little bursts of joy and surprise can change everything. The dispatcher on the other end of the line didn’t know who Marcello was, or if there was something wrong; they were only able to hear Marcello’s voice. And the officers who delivered the cake weren’t sure exactly what was going on either, but they showed up and had faith that they could make someone happy with their delivery. In this morning’s scripture passage from Matthew, we hear of a king who recalls all of the times he was hungry, and given food. He was thirsty, and he was given something to drink. He was a stranger and welcomed; naked and clothed; sick and taken care of; and in prison and visited. But the righteous were confused: when did we see the king hungry or thirsty, as a stranger or naked, sick or in prison? And he answered: when you did it to others, you’ve done it to me. But how? So here’s what’s happening: it’s been said that there is a Divine Light within everyone, like a candle that can never be extinguished. The incarnate, embodied, enfleshed Spirit is within all people and all creation, and we are called to compassion and love, just as Jesus has shown us the deepest grace and care. Through our actions, all whom we encounter will witness God’s great kingdom where the table is long enough for all people, where there will be an abundance, where all will have what they need to not only survive, but to thrive. But we have a role to play. It isn’t just God’s job to welcome people, or to provide. Rather, we are called to partner with God in feeding those experiencing food insecurity, making sure everyone has clean water to drink, welcoming the new neighbor who just moved in across the street, donating coats and jackets to folks who need them, bringing soup to those who are sick, and writing letters to those who are in prison. We all have a role to play in making the kingdom a reality, and even more so, the kin-dom: the understanding that the kin-dom is a place where all are family, where we are all kin with one another - and family bonds are not easily broken. Our call is to be present to Love come down - Jesus Christ incarnate in our world - and to be the body of Christ, to be the Love in our world. And as we prepare our hearts and homes for Advent and Christmas over the next several weeks, we will be focusing on the Love come down, Jesus Christ incarnate, embodied, present within our lives and all those whom we encounter. What a beautiful vision. What an important call. So, as we go from this place, let us ask: “Who is a stranger and needs a friend?" “Who needs a warm winter coat?” And “Who wants chocolate cake?" Amen. Hymn of Meditation - We Meet You, O Christ: UMH 257 1. We meet you, O Christ, in many a guise; 3. We hear you, O man, in agony cry; Your image we see in simple and wise For freedom you march, in riots you die. You live in a palace, exist in a shack; Your face in the papers we read and we see. We see you, the gardner, a tree on your back The tree must be planted by human decree. 2. In millions alive, away and abroad; 4. You choose to be made at one with the earth; Involved in our life, you live down the road. The dark of the grave prepares for your birth. Imprisoned in systems, you long to be free; Your death is your rising, creative your word; We see you, Lord Jesus, still bearing your tree. The tree springs to life and our hope is restored. And now, may the peace of the Lord Christ go with you wherever God may send you; may God guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm; may God bring you home rejoicing at the wonders God has shown you; may God bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
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Sunday, November 15, 2020 || 24th Sunday After Pentecost 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. Scripture Reading Matthew 25:14-30 For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Psalm 145:8-16 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and God’s compassion is over all creation. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all God’s words, and gracious in all God’s deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. Sermon I have been a part of the United Methodist Church since I was a teenager. I’ve visited many churches, and I’ve loved being a part of a worldwide connection. As I entered seminary to earn my master’s degree, I encountered folks who were of diverse backgrounds from all over the globe. Some were conservative, some were liberal, and others were moderate. All the while, we learned to live together and found hope in our mutual love of God. But as we progressed through the ordination process, some of my close colleagues and friends began to face persecution for who they were; some were part of the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer + community, and in the United Methodist Church, our bylaws still state that those who live an open homosexual life are prohibited from entering the ministry because they are “incompatible with Christian teaching.” And one by one, my friends and loved ones began to be dropped from the ordination process simply because of their identity. They were thrown out of the ordination process, and in some cases, their membership at their home churches was revoked. When I think about God’s great grace and love for us, I can’t help but feel as though we’ve been betrayed by the church. Such actions of denying folks church membership seems itself to be incompatible with Christian teaching; how is this okay? As we read this morning’s first scripture reading from Matthew, our typical interpretation is to understand the master as God, and the slaves as us, as disciples. In this reading, the slaves are given talents, without instructions, while the master is away. We are told that two of the slaves invest the talents and have doubled the return for the master. The other slave buried the talent, and when the slave had not made a profit on it, the master took what the slave had, gave it to the other slaves, and threw the “wicked” slave into the outer darkness where there was great weeping and gnashing of teeth. Sounds incredibly compassionate and loving, right? (sarcasm implied) In general, the moral of the story as we typically read it is that God provides us with great gifts and entrusts us to make a worthwhile return on all that God has invested in us. And if we fail, we will be cast out from the family of God and from God’s presence. Right? But, given everything we know about God, and everything we read in our second passage this morning from Psalms, this is a very difficult interpretation to swallow. There’s a sense of injustice in our hearts as we hear what happened to the one slave, and even more anger when we hear that those who have plenty will be given more, and for those who have nothing, even more will be taken from them. To be honest, this interpretation doesn’t match what I know of God. And though it may seem unorthodox, I’m wondering if we might be able to flip the story upside down, reinterpret it in a way that is more scripturally balanced, and find hope rather than fear. What if we understood the master in this story to be society, and the last slave to be Jesus? We know that Jesus is known as a slave, for he took on the likeness of humanity and in his divinity, he gave up his life so we might experience resurrection, even in the midst of death. So maybe Jesus is the slave who refused to make a profit for the wicked master of society; maybe Jesus refused to play the game of reaping a crop where no seed was planted. And as a result of Jesus’ countercultural way of living, he was thrown out, persecuted, and left for dead. What happens when we put people over money and profit margins? What happens when we stand against society’s materialism and instead lead a simple life, living into our identity as who we are and who we were created to be? For some of us, we may become social outcasts because we don’t define success or what it means to be Christian in the same terms as the wider culture. But there is good news. We know that Jesus is cast out, but we also know that he is resurrected. Jesus finds new life outside of the ruling powers of the world, and is united with us, with others who have been cast out because of their resistance to the powers that be. And we are finding ourselves adopted into the family of God. The more that we learn about the kingdom of God, the more that we might find that the kingdom might not be centered among the privileged and all those who have an overabundance, but rather the kingdom is found on the margins of society, among the folks who have been cast out. Rather than weeping and gnashing of teeth, we can be found in the abundance of God, for we know that God is merciful and slow to anger, and that through the Divine, we have everything we need. And there is even more good news: my friends and colleagues who were forced out of the church because of their identity have found their calling in new ministries that are inclusive of all people. Even within our own church denomination and region here in New England, we are working toward full inclusion and a more diverse church. There is hope, and there is resurrection on the other side. What a blessing it is to be a part of something new. So what is our role? Where are we called to act for the sake of others? Let us pray: O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others; open my ears that I may hear their cries; open my heart so that they need not be without succor; let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong, nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich. Show me where love and hope and faith are needed, and use me to bring them to those places. And so open my eyes and my ears that I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for thee. Amen. - Alan Paton, South Africa, 20th cent. Hymn of Meditation - For the Healing of the Nations, UMH 428 1. For the healing of the nations, 3. All that kills abundant living, Lord, we pray with one accord; Let it from the earth be banned; For a just and equal sharing Pride of status, race, or schooling, Of the things that earth affords; Dogmas that obscure your plan. To a life of love in action In our common quest for justice, Help us rise and pledge our word, May we hallow life’s brief span, Help us rise and pledge our word May we hallow life’s brief span 2. Lead us forward to freedom; 4. You, Creator God, have written From despair your world release, Your great name on humankind; That, redeemed from war and hatred, For our growing in your likeness All may come and go in peace. Bring the life of Christ to mind, Show us how through care and goodness That by our response and service Fear will die and hope increase, Earth its destiny may find, Fear will die and hope increase Earth its destiny may find And now, may the peace of the Lord Christ go with you wherever God may send you; may God guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm; may God bring you home rejoicing at the wonders God has shown you; may God bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
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Stream Audio Worship AboveCovered under ONE LICENSE: #400013-P SPECIAL NOTE: We invite you to join us in a Celebration of Life for Evelyn Armitage on Tuesday, November 10th. Calling hours are from 10 AM to 11 AM at Varnum Funeral Home in West Brookfield, and a public graveside service will be held at 11:30 AM at Pine Grove Cemetery in Warren. All are invited to share in her memory.
In Christ, All Things Are Held Together Sunday, November 8, 2020 || 23rd Sunday After Pentecost 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. Scripture Reading Isaiah 65:17-19, 24-25 For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent - its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord. Sermon - A Reflection From Election Day Today is Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020. For many of us, on this day we are feeling the weight of the choices before us as we go to the polls and vote, and as we anxiously await the results, which could take days or weeks. And as we reflect together on Sunday morning during our worship service, the truth is that we still probably won't have any answers about the future of leadership in this country. We will still be living in pandemic times, and we will be swimming in uncertainty, and in some cases, experiencing a rise in protests and potentially even violence. All feels unstable, unknown, and chaotic. We cannot deny all that is before us, because denial of reality prevents us from moving forward, from working toward a better future. So. Let me just say: this is hard. I don't think I speak for myself when I say that this has probably been the most difficult year of our lives. Truly. We have had to shift our entire way of being: our workplaces closed down; our children stopped going to school in the spring and are still adjusting to what it’s like to be back in school in the fall; our church buildings have remained vacant; and everything is so different. Any sort of change requires grieving, because we have lost so much in the past eight months. We have lost loved ones and key members of our congregation; we have lost our autonomy and our ability to travel; and we have lost our way of life. We are disoriented, and it feels as though we are far from home, far from any place that resembles familiarity. We cannot deny any of this, because this is reality. So. I invite you to breathe deeply. See all that is before us, witness it, and accept it. This is where we are. And. Take a moment to grieve. To feel. To sense the loss we’ve collectively experienced this year. But there is good news. We’ve been through this before; there are stories upon stories in the Bible that tell of the darkest of times that eventually reveal themselves into the brightest of opportunities and the newness of what is to come. As an example, doesn’t this feel a bit like Good Friday? We are reminded of all the signs that pointed toward Jesus’ death: the increasing conflict, the disciples growing more uneasy, even Jesus himself revealing the reality of the situation. And we have witnessed Jesus’ arrest, his questioning, and his being strung up on the cross. We saw him take his last breath, and as we watch him being lowered from the execution, his body wrapped and prepared for burial, we are at a loss. But we also know that there would be no resurrection without death. That doesn’t make this moment any easier, though. Because we are still disoriented, far from home, far from anything that resembles familiarity. And yet. We know that this is not the end of the story. We know that we have to wait three excruciatingly long days or weeks or months or years or centuries, but we begin to see the colors on the horizon. And we know that Jesus is risen. We know that resurrection is on the other side of death. Because God is in the business of reversing sorrow and turning it to joy. God creates love from hate, peace from war, and orders chaos into beauty. You see, Jesus’ resurrection transcends time and space, because the Divine character of God’s love is so expansive that it cannot be contained. Hear now a reading from Colossians 1:15-20. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers - all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell; and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. So. I invite you to breathe deeply. See all that is before us, witness it, and accept it. This is where we are. See the fresh snow that has fallen on the ground. Witness the last of the colorful leaves as they blow by in the breeze. And accept that the seasons are changing, because God declares that it is good. We can already sense that change is coming, and with God by our side, who can be against us? So if you’re feeling like you’re wearing thin, if you’re barely holding on, take heart: Christ holds all things together. When the world feels like it’s crumbling beneath our feet, Jesus is our foundation. And soon, a new heaven and new earth will reveal themselves, and we will be found in resurrection at the sun’s rising. This momentary struggle is nothing compared to the glory we find in God’s great love. This resurrection may take different forms: it might be election results that surprise and bring joy; it might be a reconciliation within the family that was unexpected and filled with love; it might be simply waking up another day to the fresh fall sunlight as it streams in through our windows. This is resurrection at work, in your life and collectively in all our lives. We are not left alone on this journey, for Christ holds all things together. So. I invite you to breathe deeply. Seek to see that which is invisible, for what is invisible is eternal. Be a witness to God’s great love so that we might spread the good news wide and far. And I invite you to accept the Holy Spirit as it blows through our lives once more, as we stop for a moment, listen, and recognize that this is not the end. It is the beginning of something new, something beautiful, something beyond imagination, as we partner with God to bring forth the Kingdom of God. Hymn of Meditation - When Morning Gilds the Skies UMH 185 1. When morning gilds the skies 3. Let all the earth around My heart awakening cries: Ring joyous with the sound: May Jesus Christ be praised! May Jesus Christ be praised! Alike at work and prayer, In heaven’s eternal bliss To Jesus I repair: The loveliest strain is this: May Jesus Christ be praised! May Jesus Christ be praised! 2. The night becomes as day 4. Be this, while life is mine, When from the heart we say: My canticle divine: May Jesus Christ be praised! May Jesus Christ be praised! The powers of darkness fear Be this th’eternal song When this sweet chant they hear: Through all the ages long: May Jesus Christ be praised! May Jesus Christ be praised! And now, may the peace of the Lord Christ go with you wherever God may send you; may God guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm; may God bring you home rejoicing at the wonders God has shown you; may God bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
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Sunday, November 1, 2020 || 22nd Sunday After Pentecost Rev. Bryant Clark 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. Opening Prayer Loving God, despite our trying days, allow us to remember who we are and remind us of Whose we are. Let us remember that we are God's children, and that when we see the face of another, we are looking at the face of God. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Scripture Reading Romans 8:26-39 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who have love for God, all who are called according to God's purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he also called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all day long and we are accounted like sheep waiting to be slaughtered. No, in these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things yet to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of Jesus Christ our Lord. Sermon - Rev. Bryant Clark When I was a child, I went to a school which held an assembly every Friday, from the time that I was in 5th grade through 8th grade. Every single Friday we would file into the auditorium, and we would do two things: we would say the Pledge of Allegiance, and then we would sing our school’s alma mater. Our school’s colors were blue and white. We were the Blue Knights, and all throughout junior high we would be separated into the Blue Team and the White Team. The idea was if you were on the Blue Team, you could do certain things throughout the year to earn points for your team. These could be things like helping out in the office or doing good deeds in the classroom. Your teacher might say, “What team are you on, Bryant?” And I of course would say, “I'm on the Blue Team.” It was hereditary, meaning that if you had a parent or especially an older sibling who was already on the Blue Team or the White Team, you would inherit it. In the assembly that we had every week, we would sit on either side of the auditorium. I would sit on the right side because I was on the Blue Team. And on the left side, there was the White Team. It all came down to the last day of school when we would hold what we called Field Day. We have this big field in the back of our school, a big soccer field, and we turned it into a carnival that we did at the end of every year. There was a big race that every grade would compete in, a big relay race between the Blue and White teams, and so all the grades would pick the fastest boys and girls from each team. Everyone would dress up as our colors. So if you were on the White Team, you might put a white bandana on your arm or sometimes the girls would get paint, and they would write on their faces. It was like this big kind of fake rivalry - I say it was fake because it really only came up once a year and occasionally throughout the year. It was just kind of something fun that we did to create a little competitive atmosphere. But when the chips were down, or when there was some sort of other opponent, like if our school was playing a sport against another school, nobody cared who was on the Blue Team or the White Team. We were all just the same kids from the same school playing the other schools. There were a couple of moments when we would sense this certain kind of camaraderie. And of course, with any kind of camaraderie, there are both opportunities, and there are also dangers. You see, we went to a prep school, which means that among other things, when we got to high school, we were able to recruit kids from all over the country to come and play sports at our school on a scholarship. Maybe it won’t surprise you that a lot of us felt that we were really special going to that school. I think it was taught to us like that. Whether they meant to or not, our parents and our teachers, they really talked us up, like we were the elite, we were the special ones: people were going to work for us some day. That’s damaging, of course it is, and I know that now, looking back on it. See, what you come to realize is that any of this in-group, out-group stuff, any stereotyping, anything that has one group dominating or looking down on another, it’s not good for either group. It’s not healthy for anyone, even if you’re winning. That’s why I read today's scripture in a mixed mind because, of course, if God is with us who can be against us? These words are just like the words that were in our first hymn: Surely it is God who saves me. In our moment of trial, God is with us. When the chips are down, when we feel like we’re suffering and all hope seems lost, God is with us. If God is with us, who can stand against us? And fortunately, though, we know that sometimes we are not always the ones that are in need. We are not always the ones that are down-and-out on their luck, or not always the ones pushed around by society. Think about what you’ve seen in the past few months in this shut down. How many of those who were preaching the gospel, those who are striving to encourage folk to listen to the love that God implores us to treat each other with, how many of those were pushed aside? Name-called, ridiculed, how many of them were seen as less than? Still too, when the chips are down, when things get tough, the pattern happens just like it always seems to happen: we retreat farther and farther into our groups, like the Blue Team against the White Team. And the more that competitions seem to be part of the equation, the more people that are vying for power, the more scarce supplies seem to be. We retreat farther and farther back into smaller and smaller groups. In our country, of course, we often retreat to our country first, that makes sense, but very quickly after that, we might retreat into political parties or racial groups, smaller and smaller until all that really seems to matter is our group, our family, our town. If we are God's elite, if we are God's chosen people, if we are the children of God, then we are called to do more than just retreat in our group or pat ourselves on the back for being in the in-crowd. In this moment as the chips are down, if we are God's elite, if we are God's ambassadors on this Earth, we need to act in ways that uphold that truth, that nothing can separate us, any of us, from the love of God in Jesus. Because friends, it has been a hard couple of months. There have been lots of ups and downs as we travel farther and farther through this pandemic. And it can seem less and less appropriate to not be okay, to be someone who is still in need, someone who is still depressed, someone who is still anxious. With God, we know that it is always okay to not be okay. So, as Christian folk, we need to lean in when others are leaning out. We need to love more when others are struggling to love at all. We need to be people building bridges between groups, building bridges between one another, and building bridges between this world and the Kingdom of Heaven beyond. May it be so. Amen. Time of Remembrance - Adapted from Safiyah Fosua’s A Prayer Meditation for All Saints Day We give you thanks, O God, for all the saints who ever worshiped you, whether in arbors or cathedrals, wooden churches, or cement meeting houses. We give you thanks, O God, for hands lifted in praise: manicured hands and hands stained with grease or soil, strong hands and hands gnarled with age, holy hands. We thank you, God, for hardworking saints, whether hard-hatted or aproned, blue-collared or three-piece-suited. They left their mark for you, for us, for our children to come. Thank you for the sacrifices made by those who have gone before us. Bless the memories of your saints as we lift them up to you today: Judy Bartlett Barry Bennett Dorothy Carpenter Oloose Chicoine Ardell Marona Raymond Swartz Phyllis Warriner And all friends and family of our congregation and communities who have entered eternal life this year May we learn how to walk in confidence from their examples of faith, dedication, worship, and love. Amen. Hymn of Meditation - O How He Loves You and Me O how He loves you and me O how He loves you and me He gave his life, what more could He give? O how He loves you O how He loves me O how He loves you and me And now, may the peace of the Lord Christ go with you wherever God may send you; may God guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm; may God bring you home rejoicing at the wonders God has shown you; may God bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. |
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