For the week of August 31 – 12th Sunday after Pentecost
Morning Prayer: Father God, In the face of all our realities: We are the people who heal each other, who grow strong together, who name the truth, who know what it means to live in community, moving toward a common dream for a new heaven and a new earth. In the power of the love of God our Creator, The company of Jesus Christ, And the leading of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (Discipleship Ministries)
Opening Hymn: Church in the Wildwood Words & Music: William S. Pitts
- There’s a church in the valley by the wildwood, No lovelier spot in the dale;
No place is so dear to my childhood, As the little brown church in the vale.
Refrain: Come to the church in the wildwood, Oh, come to the church in the dale,
No spot is so dear to my childhood, As the little brown church in the vale.
- How sweet on a clear, Sabbath morning, To list to the clear ringing bell;
Its tones so sweetly are calling, Oh, come to the church in the vale. Refrain - There, close by the church in the valley, Lies one that I loved so well;
She sleeps, sweetly sleeps, ’neath the willow, Disturb not her rest in the vale. Refrain - There, close by the side of that loved one To trees where the wild flowers bloom,
When the farewell hymn shall be chanted I shall rest by her side in the tomb. Refrain - From the church in the valley by the wildwood, When day fades away into night,
I would fain from this spot of my childhood Wing my way to the mansions of light. Refrain
Psalm 112:1-5
112 Praise the Lord!
Those who honor the Lord,
who adore God’s commandments, are truly happy!
2 Their descendants will be strong throughout the land.
The offspring of those who do right will be blessed;
3 wealth and riches will be in their houses.
Their righteousness stands forever.
4 They shine in the dark for others who do right.
They are merciful, compassionate, and righteous.
5 Those who lend generously are good people—
as are those who conduct their affairs with justice.
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: Come back to Sunday School! Did you take a summer hiatus from learning? Let’s get back into it. Every Sunday at 9:20 am. Class leaders are always needed. No experience necessary, just a desire to learn what the Scriptures tell us about living everyday lives in such a way as to point others to the faith we have in Jesus Christ. Talk to Pastor Becky about sharing your faith.
Thank you for giving to cover costs of curriculum and classroom supplies for classes for children and adults.
Hymn of Preparation: Down to the River to Pray
As I went down in the river to pray Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the starry crown? Good Lord, show me the way
O, sisters, let's go down Let's go down, come on down
O, sisters, let's go down Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the robe and crown? Good Lord, show me the way
O, brothers, let's go down Let's go down, come on down
Come on, brothers, let's go down Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the starry crown? Good Lord, show me the way
O, fathers, let's go down Let's go down, come on down
O fathers, let's go down Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the robe and crown? Good Lord, show me the way
O, mothers, let's go down Come on down, don't you wanna go down?
Come on, mothers, let's go down Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the starry crown? Good Lord, show me the way
O, sinners, let's go down Let's go down, come on down
O, sinners, let's go down Down in the river to pray
As I went down in the river to pray Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the robe and crown? Good Lord, show me the way
Scripture: 1 John 4:7-21
7 Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. 8 The person who doesn’t love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent His only Son into the world so that we can live through Him. 10 This is love: it is not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins.
11 Dear friends, if God loved us this way, we also ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God remains in us and His love is made perfect in us. 13 This is how we know we remain in Him and He remains in us, because He has given us a measure of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the savior of the world. 15 If any of us confess that Jesus is God’s Son, God remains in us and we remain in God. 16 We have known and have believed the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who remain in love remain in God and God remains in them. 17 This is how love has been perfected in us, so that we can have confidence on the Judgment Day, because we are exactly the same as God is in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love because God first loved us. 20 Those who say, “I love God” and hate their brothers or sisters are liars. After all, those who don’t love their brothers or sisters whom they have seen can hardly love God whom they have not seen! 21 This commandment we have from Him: Those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister also.
Affirm your faith by reciting the Apostles’ Creed: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen. (UM Hymnal #882)
Message: Answering the last of your questions, specifically, What does God: Father-Son-Holy Spirit look like? Pastor Becky
We finish up this week with the last of our questions, at least the last of our questions for now. I promise that although they may seem like they're all over the place, they'll be connected by the end.
Our first question is more of a statement or a suggestion, but I will flip it to make it a question. “How about we start saying Amen and Hallelujah like our leader, the Bishop says”. If we frame that into a question, maybe it is this: What keeps us from interacting in worship? Well, honestly, some of it is tradition and expectation. We listen quietly and attentively, just like we did in school. Many of us grew up in an age where children were to be seen and not heard, and unfortunately we've carried that into adulthood.
But what if I gave you permission based on scripture to be interactive in worship? To let our praises be heard when we're together? We turn to Psalm 147:1 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” The Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says this, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
So with this encouragement, I say speak out, respond to each other's praises and concerns. Lift hands in song and praise God as we are together. So that we are encouraging one another in our faith to know that we are in agreement with one another and that we truly feel for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Well, this leads to the next question. What is the difference in Christian beliefs with Methodism, Catholicism, and the overarching generalization of Protestantism? Well, I think we just pointed out one. There are some of our brothers and sisters who are very vocal in worship and others are not, yet this is not what makes us different from one another.
Let's go over the things that make us unified. We all believe in a triune God – The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. We look to God as Creator, Jesus as Redeemer, and Holy Spirit as the sustainer, the one who animates our lives and encourages us to stay on a path of discipleship. Not only that, we have a shared belief of the holiness of Scripture, the need to be in fellowship, and in worship together. We all aspire to be an expression of Jesus Christ in the world for our communities.
Where we begin to diverge from one another is in our rituals. In the Methodist Church we have two sacraments, baptism and communion. We share this in common with our brothers and sisters that are Lutheran and Presbyterian. This is something we also hold in common with our brothers and sisters that are Catholic and Episcopalian, yet they expand their sacraments to include confirmation, marriage, confession, anointing the sick, and holy orders.
We call them sacraments because we believe God’s grace is imparted to us in the participation. It isn't so much that we come to the communion table, but that we are called. We are responding to God's voice. Coming to be remembered, to be fed and held in grace.
When we look to baptism, we bring babies and ourselves to the waters of baptism, but it isn't anything that we do or say or that the priest or pastor may do or say. It's God who meets us in the water. Baptism is a constant state, always in the present tense. It isn't that you were baptized, it's that you are baptized. You are in connection with God, empowered by the Holy Spirit and that you're able to have your life and being in connection to God. The overarching thought, belief, doctrine is that in our sacraments grace is imparted to us by God.
It also helps us be informed of salvation. It's a process of transformation, upheld by God's grace, deepened by acts of mercy, good works, and connection to a body of Christ. Transformation does not happen in isolation.
Now this is where we break with our Baptist brothers and sisters and also with some non-denominational gatherings. What we see as sacraments, they refer to as ordinances. An ordinance is a symbolic act that serves as an expression of faith and obedience. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper and baptism is motivated by the believer as a response to God, not as God initiating the call to come. Salvation is seen as a moment of instant justification and not a process of transformation.
Now all of that being said, it isn't that one is better than another or a matter of what is right or wrong, but it's more a matter of what we have been exposed to, where we were raised, how we got to where we are within the congregations that we worship in. It is rare for a person to explore the theology of a church or a denomination and have that knowledge become the reason they decide whether or not to become part of a particular congregation. Usually it depends more on the relationship built with another person that has led them to the church that they attend. Some of us have been in the same church that our parents brought us to. We don't know any difference and we have espoused the beliefs of that congregation. Others of us have been in other places and we worship with those that we have built relationships with. We may not always agree with all of the thought and theology and practice, but we love the people that we're with and have decided that this is where we will build our faith. And it's in relationship we begin to see God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
So what does God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit look like? Is He a ghost or does God look like us? Only those who saw Jesus know what Jesus looked like in His human and resurrected self. We can guess based on ethnicity, geography, gender, but we don't have a true sense. Although I'm pretty sure Jesus wasn't white or blue eyed. Our pictures are probably best described as seeing something dimly in a mirror. Yet what we can see is love. I John 4 describes God's overarching characteristic as love. When we experience love in all its many forms, we see a glimpse of God. When we recognize love in another, we see God. When we experience acts of mercy and compassion. We see the Holy Spirit when someone acts or embodies a love of God. If you want to see God, we look to each other. Isaiah 6 speaks of the seraphs that fly around the throne room of God crying out holy, holy, holy as they encircle the throne because they see an aspect, a facet of God they've never seen before. Those aspects, those facets are you when you act, live, share and embody love.
One of the greatest acts of love answers our last question for today. How can we fill the empty seats up in our church? Invite another to come with you to worship. Share the love that you have experienced with one another in relationship with our fellowship. Here's the thing, we can go out and do all the good works: Food banks, coat drives, community meals, prayer walks and construct houses. But just doing the work in the presence of others doesn't lead them to a relationship. It's being vulnerable and saying I love Jesus and I love you. Would you like to come to worship with me? I want to introduce you to a group of people who are loving Jesus together and I want them to love you, too. It’s building relationships, walking with folks and embracing them and God.
So this next week, I want you to think about how you got here, to Lightstreet United Methodist Church. I want you to think about the last time you invited another to come to worship with you. Then invite someone to come with you. Amen.
Some glad morning, when this life is over I'll fly away
To that home on God's celestial shore I'll fly away
Refrain: I'll fly away, oh glory I'll fly away. When I die, hallelujah, by and by I'll fly away
Just a few more weary days and then I'll fly away
To that land where joy will never end I'll fly away
Refrain: I'll fly away, oh glory I'll fly away. When I die, hallelujah, by and by I'll fly away
The blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you this week.
