Lightstreet United Methodist Church

For the week of July 14 – 8^th Sunday after Pentecost

Morning Prayer:  God of secret purposes and extravagant blessings, we come to praise You. We come because we want to, we sing our songs because we are glad to, we pray for Your grace because we need to, and we ask for the love of Christ in our hearts because without it we are a dead loss. Please lift every shutter within our mind, and open every door within our soul, that You, the Lord of glory, the God of countless hosts, may come in. Through Christ Jesus, the joy of loving hearts. Amen! (Discipleship Ministries)

Opening Hymn: #144 This Is my Father’s World

1. This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears
   all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
   This is my Father's world: I rest me in the thought
   of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; His hand the wonders wrought.
2. This is my Father's world, the birds their carols raise,
   the morning light, the lily white, declare their maker's praise.
   This is my Father's world: He shines in all that's fair;
   in the rustling grass I hear Him pass; He speaks to me everywhere.
3. This is my Father's world. O let me ne'er forget
   that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
   This is my Father's world: why should my heart be sad?
   The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad!

Psalm 85:8-13

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,       for He will speak peace to His people,
to His faithful, to those who turn to Him in their hearts.
Surely His salvation is at hand for those who fear Him,         that His glory may dwell in our land.

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;         righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,     and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,  and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before Him, and will make a path for His steps.

Children’s Time Ephesians 1:3-6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him in love. He destined us for adoption as His children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Children’s Message

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: Lightstreet Fire Company just concluded the annual fundraiser, the Lightstreet Carnival.  It continues to be a hot, hot summer.  These men and women are volunteers who serve the community in the most dire of circumstances.  A portion of Missions offering supports Lightstreet Fire Company.  Please consider giving your own donation to the fire company.  Take advantage of beverage sales and drop off water or Gatorade or snacks all year round.    

Offering prayer: Gracious God, in this sacred moment of offering, we recognize your sovereignty and mercy. As we present our gifts, may they reflect our gratitude for your presence in our lives, amid the complexities and uncertainties of our journeys. Guide us to dance with abandon, even amid our doubts and struggles, trusting in your steadfast love and grace. Amen. (Discipleship Ministries)

Hymn of Preparation: #400 Come, Thou Fount of every Blessing

1. Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
   streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
   Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above.
   Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love.
2. Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I'm come;
   and I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
   Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God;
   He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.
3. O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
   Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.
   Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
   here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.

Message Scripture:  Mark 6:14-29

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in Him.’ But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’

For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’ And he solemnly swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’ Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Message:                       Pastor Becky Cuddeback

To quote Rev. Jay Moses, it is hard to say – The Word of God, for the people of God and say/hear the reply – Thanks be to God! This account is hard. The murder of John really isn’t anything to be thankful for. It wasn’t a joyous moment for John’s disciples. We can only pray that Elizabeth and Zechariah had died and didn’t witness the execution of their son.

We have only three (which is enough) accounts in the gospels on this level of grotesque violence: Herod’s slaughter of the infants (Matthew 2), the murder of John (Matthew 14 and Mark 6), and the flogging and crucifixion of Jesus (Matthew 24, John 19, Luke 23, and Mark 15).

Yet, this account seems to come out of nowhere. We get no warning John’s life is in danger. Herod has gone out to hear John preach. Herod has talked to him while John was imprisoned. We get the impression that while Herod may not like everything John has to say, Herod was drawn to engaging with John.

So why this level of violence? Because this is the way the world works. Power will always demand its way and when it is threatened, no one is safe. Not John. Not Jesus. Not us, nor our neighbor.

Mark and the other gospel writers are telling us the Jesus story. We delight in the miracles, the healings and the teaching. Even Herod got excited at the possibility of seeing a Jesus sign when Jesus was brought before him (Luke 23:8).

What Jesus was bringing is the Kingdom of God, which threatens the powers that be. For Mark’s audience of the time, they didn’t need a reminder of the cruelty, suffering, and the violence. These three conditions were their reality. We forget that because as we read the gospels, we can get the idea that maybe things weren’t as bad as they are now. We can get the feeling Jesus didn’t live through this kind of violence. In order for us to get a better idea of the societal issues of that day, we need to look at different sources like Josephu and Tacitus and their histories.

These accounts – the slaughter of the infants, the executions of John and Jesus – in the gospels remind us that in the midst of Jesus’ ministry all was not calm and all was not bright. We see in contrast that Jesus and His disciples were creating spaces where folks could experience the Kingdom of God. Just as we are to be creating places, having encounters and looking for God moments today.

That is why it’s the Good News of Jesus Christ. One aspect of the good news is that we – you and I – have been given the power to bring the Kingdom here. Where there is hunger, we supply food, where there is loneliness, we create family, and where there is isolation we offer inclusion.

In our baptism, we are asked, “Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?” Resist means more than not engaging, although it’s a good start. We are called to exert force in opposition. When we see evil, injustice, and oppression, we work against it. We have authority and support from the Holy Spirit to act and when we don’t innocent people suffer.

Today, for the people of this community outside our doors, would the consensus be that we are working in opposition of evil, injustice, and oppression of the world? Are we offering the sanctuary, the oasis, the peace desperately needed so folks can come to know Jesus for this life and the one to come? The Church is Jesus’s response to the world. Yet, are we responding?

Closing Hymn: #428 For the Healing of the Nations

1. For the healing of the nations, Lord, we pray with one accord;

For a just and equal sharing of the things that earth affords;

To a life of love in action help us rise and pledge our word, Help us rise and pledge our word.

2. Lead us forward into freedom; from despair Your world release,

That, redeemed from war and hatred, all may come and go in peace.

Show us how through care and goodness fear will die and hope increase,

Fear will die and hope increase.

3. All that kills abundant living, let it from the earth be banned;
   pride of status, race, or schooling, dogmas that obscure Your plan.

In our common quest for justice may we hallow life’s brief span,

May we hallow life’s brief span.

4. You, Creator God, have written Your great name on humankind;

For our growing in Your likeness bring the life of Christ to mind,

That by our response and service earth its destiny may find, Earth its destiny may find.

Go into your week with the blessings of The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit.