For the week of August 25 – 14th Sunday after Pentecost
Morning Prayer: Holy One of mystery and power, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below, keeping covenant and steadfast love with all who walk before You with pure and upright hearts. Give us the strength and the power to withstand the forces of evil at work in our lives and in our world. Amen. (Discipleship Ministries)
Opening Hymn: #389 Freely, Freely
- God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name, I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name,
and in Jesus’ name I come to you, to share His love as He told me to.
Refrain: He said, “Freely, freely you have received, freely, freely give.
Go in My name and because you believe, others will know that I live.
- All power is given in Jesus’ name, in earth and heaven in Jesus’ name,
and in Jesus’ name I come to you, to share His power as He told me to.
Psalm 84
84 How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord of heavenly forces!
2 My very being longs, even yearns, for the Lord’s courtyards.
My heart and my body will rejoice out loud to the living God!
3 Yes, the sparrow too has found a home there; the swallow has found herself a nest
where she can lay her young beside Your altars, Lord of heavenly forces, my king, my God!
4 Those who live in Your house are truly happy; they praise You constantly. Selah
5 Those who put their strength in You are truly happy;
7 They go from strength to strength, until they see the supreme God in Zion.
10 Better is a single day in Your courtyards than a thousand days anywhere else!
I would prefer to stand outside the entrance of my God’s house
than live comfortably in the tents of the wicked!
11 The Lord is a sun and shield; God is favor and glory.
The Lord gives—doesn’t withhold!—good things to those who walk with integrity.
12 Lord of heavenly forces, those who trust in You are truly happy!
Prayers of Intercession: Thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayers for those dear to our hearts. We now pray as You have taught us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us, not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Offering spotlight: A number of people in this church gather to study the Scriptures on Sunday mornings and during the week. Part of your offering is used to supply the pastors and teachers with study materials. At least one copy is then placed in the church library so that more people can learn to interpret Scripture and apply it to their lives. Thank you for giving so that those who serve Christ are able to do so without personal cost.
Offering prayer: Eternal God, as we bring forth our offerings today, we are reminded of Your enduring presence among us. With hearts full of gratitude, we offer these gifts as a symbol of our commitment to live lives of worship, not just within these walls but in every moment of our existence. May our actions, our words, and our very lives be a testament to Your glory, shining forth Your love and grace to all we encounter. Amen. (Discipleship Ministries)
Hymn of preparation: #593 Here I Am, Lord
- I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard My people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin My hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?
Refrain: Here I am, Lord. Is it I Lord? I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart.
- I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them. They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone, give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak My word to them. Whom shall I send? Refrain:
- I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame,
I will set a feast for them. My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give My life to them. Whom shall I send? Refrain:
Scripture: John 6:56-69 (CEB)
56 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me and I in them. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats Me lives because of Me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. It isn’t like the bread your ancestors ate, and then they died. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things while He was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
60 Many of His disciples who heard this said, “This message is harsh. Who can hear it?”
61 Jesus knew that the disciples were grumbling about this and He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What if you were to see the Human One going up where He was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life and the flesh doesn’t help at all. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 Yet some of you don’t believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning who wouldn’t believe and the one who would betray Him. 65 He said, “For this reason I said to you that none can come to Me unless the Father enables them to do so.” 66 At this, many of His disciples turned away and no longer accompanied Him.
67 Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
68 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that You are God’s holy one.”
Message: Ben Dodge
How many of us remember the classic game of “Truth or Dare”? Whether you muster up the courage to reveal a personal, and often mortifying, truth, or succumb to the pressure of accepting a dare, it’s easy to say you have more fun when you’re not standing in the spotlight. Your choice of secrecy or self-preservation is largely defined by the person who shines that spotlight on you—the one who probes into your privacy and sets the stage for their own entertainment.
The disciples were in a perpetual game of “Truth or Dare” whenever they followed Jesus into a new town or listened to His teachings. From the very beginning, they entered the game to become “fishers of men” and messengers of the Good News, leaving all the comfort and familiarity of their old lives behind. As His closest friends, they were present to hear Jesus speak in parables, connecting with His audience through relatable stories. From farmers and shepherds to fishermen and other tradesmen, He knew how to draw His followers closer to God through the power of His well-crafted words.
Yet we read these “difficult” and even “harsh” words that turn some away. How could this be? After all, we have the privilege of knowing where they come from, and the disciples have already witnessed great miracles to shed light on this man to whom they are listening.
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in them. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats Me lives because of Me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. It isn’t like the bread your ancestors ate, and then they died. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
Yes, the picture painted here is not quite the same as a typical parable. Rather than comfort His audience with identifiable characters and a clear moral to the story, Jesus gives us an image some would rather not even put into words. While some could have certainly misinterpreted what was said, we can assume Jesus’s listeners upheld strong cultural roots that honored their forefathers and remembered their escape from Egypt centuries before. This reference to the manna in the wilderness illustrates just how God provides in their time of need. He continued to do so through Jesus, an even greater source of fulfillment who extended an invitation for all to receive Him, just one of many dares He would pose to them and to us.
Could it be? Is it possible that what Jesus offered—a bright future with Him and the Father—has even more promise, more sustenance than laws and conventions? This sounds too good to be true! A simple invitation, a small dare if you will, is all it takes to live into this reality as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Yet who among us is willing to forego the safe, the secure, and take on this venture? Others have played the game, too, each with their own degree of success. For instance, we read about an encounter with a rich young man, a righteous man, who sought counsel from Jesus. Once he was told to give up his many possessions to follow Him, the young man turned dismayed and declined the invitation. Despite his best efforts to keep the law, he hesitated when his earthly needs were challenged by the Bread of Life.
Meanwhile, a few pages after the Gospels, we learn more about Saul, a respected Pharisee and persecutor of early Christians. A major transformation occurred when Saul became Paul—a devoted follower of Christ who not only took on the dare to set aside his position, but who also gave of himself to travel, write to the early churches, and model his faith while imprisoned. Although he faced several hardships, Paul conveyed his truth, carried out his dare, and won the game to lead a fruitful life of uniting others in Christ.
So we know we have a choice to either confine ourselves to our personal bubbles or RSVP to a life with Christ, but this conversation is not yet finished: “… [Jesus] said to them, ‘What if you were to see the Human One going up where He was before? The Spirit is the one who gives life and the flesh doesn’t help at all. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Yet some of you don’t believe.’ Jesus knew from the beginning who wouldn’t believe and the one who would betray Him. He said, ‘For this reason I said to you that none can come to me unless the Father enables them to do so.’ At this, many of His disciples turned away and no longer accompanied Him.”
In His cryptic way, Jesus elaborated on the truth He shared before, emphasizing the vitality of the spirit and acknowledging His place as the Human One. Although His audience has openly followed Him for some time, a new condition has been placed that would filter many former disciples out of the crowd. They’ve all taken the literal and figurative first steps of identifying Jesus and turning to Him for wisdom and healing, but they lacked a deeper appreciation for who He really is and were unwilling to open their hearts to Him.
Reading the scriptures, turning to Jesus for reassurance and insight, and accepting Him as the Messiah marks the first step in our walk of faith. However, knowing the truth only takes us so far down this path; we need to challenge ourselves to not only accept His invitation, but to also invite Him in within us. Indeed, when we embrace the Spirit and allow it to move us into action, we become the instruments to do His will on Earth as it is in Heaven. If we forget this need for divine intervention, our monthly giving of food and yearly giving of coats and clothes, even our Sunday morning gatherings would become rote, muscle memory. We need a central figure, a motivator to bring us back together week after week, someone to guide us in our missional work.
Consider the twelve who remained with Jesus once the rest of the crowd dispersed. Had they never met their Savior, they would have never known the hope and the love He would bring. Simon and Andrew would have still cast their nets alongside James and John, struggling to see beyond their immediate needs. Matthew would have also continued on his trajectory to building on his wealth, collecting taxes at the expense of investing in the riches of Heaven. Thankfully, we live in full awareness of how these chosen few were shaped by their relationship with Jesus. They were met by the Spirit through the flames of Pentecost, and they were entrusted with instructions to play the game—bear witness to the truth and dare their audiences to live out that truth.
When asked if they also wanted to leave with the crowd, Peter and his cohorts stayed because they recognized the truth: that their friend is the “Human One” who spoke “words of eternal life”. They reaffirmed what they believed and set the stage for the next phase of their own journeys of faith. Once they came to realize they were in company with the Human One, they were then equipped to receive the Holy Spirit and allow it to transform their witness as it did for the apostle Paul. Despite their wavering faith in stormy waters, in the garden, and even shortly after the resurrection, they were able to further the kingdom, heal in the name of Jesus, and even contribute their own letters and Gospels to the scriptures, bringing “Truth or Dare” with Jesus well into the 21st century.
Just imagine what the Spirit can do in all who boldly say, “You shall pass.” More families will feel the warmth of Jesus and find lasting nourishment. More children and youth will seek to grow together in a safe, welcoming place year-round. Doors and hearts will open up to the needs of our neighbors, both near and far. The smallest gesture will make all the difference in how we bring the game to our community, touching the lives of those around us with a smile, a helping hand.
In Greco-Roman mythology, there were times when the game was brought to the people in unexpected ways. Tales describe of how the Greek goddess Athena and Roman gods like Jupiter and Mars assumed disguises in order to be welcomed into the homes of their subjects. The few who took them in were rewarded for their hospitality. Had these deities revealed themselves to all they met, not one person would have turned them away. However, it would no longer be “Truth or Dare” if these homeowners weren’t forced beyond their comfort zones and knew their visitors. After all, there would be no question what you would do if Athena was found knocking on your door.
What would “Truth or Dare” be without struggle and uncertainty? Even centuries after these accounts were told, and after the disciples embarked on their mission, we still face the same challenges in our day-to-day interactions, making the game that much harder to play. Just ask Ray Peterson, played by Tom Hanks in the classic 80’s movie, The Burbs. He and the others are curious about the newest addition to the Hinkley Hills community: the mysterious Klopeks. Ray and his neighbor, Art, find no alternative than to ring the doorbell. Reluctant, the two prod each other down the sidewalk and eventually press the button, only to retreat after they expose a hidden nest of swarming bees. Meanwhile, across the street, onlookers Bonnie and Mark Rumsfield tend to their flowerbeds and debate whether they should be watching the scene unfold. “Truth or Dare” at its finest—a bold public display with little to show for their efforts.
The game we play does not exist in the comfort zone, and we cannot hope play it alone. After all, how can we when we are told to lean not on our own understanding? We may not even get the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of our labor, for the Spirit that we receive must also be received by others. Nevertheless, many of us have made the conscious decision to establish our faith in Jesus, to testify to the truth. As with His disciples, at least the twelve to stayed by His side, we are fueled by this relationship with Him and with each other. Now it is our turn to extend the invitation, to free up our hearts for the Spirit to take residence and to dare us to share the love of God. For as Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know you are God’s Holy One.” That’s a truth worth telling, and I dare you to tell it.
Closing Hymn: #707 Hymn of Promise
- In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
- There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;
There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
- In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
Let us go out, renewing our relationship with the Human One, and see what He has in store when we invite Him in. I double-dog dare you! May He bless us as we depart, and may His love for you be plainly seen this coming week in all we say and do. Amen.
