For the week of March 16 – 2nd Sunday in Lent
Morning Prayer: Almighty God, You who are over us, You who are one of us, You who are: Give me a pure heart, that I may see You; A humble heart, that I may hear You; A heart of faith, that I may abide in You. Amen. (UMH 392, adapted)
Opening Hymn: #103 Immortal, Invisible, God, Only Wise
- Immortal, invisible, God only wise, in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. - Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love. - To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small; in all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish, but naught changeth Thee. - Thou reignest in glory; Thou dwellest in light;
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render: O help us to see 'tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.
Psalm 51:7-12 (NRSV)
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that You have crushed rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
and do not take Your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
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: Withrow College students—especially those living in the dorm—have greatly appreciated the new bath houses that Lightstreet UMC made possible through your generous donations last year. As we focus on the mission of Withrow College—To Live With Integrity, Excellence, Innovation, and Service—we sometimes forget the value of the infrastructure that surrounds that mission. These bath houses are not only a wonderful convenience, they demonstrate to our public health and nursing students the critical importance of ensuring a hygienic environment for all.
Electrical disruptions—an all too frequent occurrence—often makes it difficult for faculty and students. The addition of a 10k generator will enable classes to continue with minimal disruption and for students--especially those living in the dorms--to continue to study. You may not realize it, but Ghana is just north of the equator which means that year round there are only 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. A generator will help “light their path” in the evenings as students pursue their education.
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful support that benefits not only Withrow College and its students, but also all those they touch. God bless you all.
Offering prayer: Loving God, our shelter and hope, as we walk through this holy season, we come to You with hearts open to Your grace. In our giving, may we reflect the love that sustains us, and may we lift one another up in times of need and vulnerability. Use these offerings to bring comfort to the weary and hope to the brokenhearted, just as You draw near to us in our struggles. Strengthen us to be a source of light and love in this world, reflecting Your compassion in all we do. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen. (Discipleship Ministries)
Hymn of Preparation: #402 Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
- Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart;
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.
In my heart, (in my heart) in my heart, (in my heart)
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart (in my heart).
- Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart;
Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart.
In my heart, (in my heart) in my heart, (in my heart)
Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart (in my heart).
- Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart;
Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart.
In my heart, (in my heart) in my heart, (in my heart)
Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart (in my heart).
- Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart;
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart.
In my heart, (in my heart) in my heart, (in my heart)
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart (in my heart).
Scripture: Matthew 7:1-5 (CEB)
7 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 You’ll receive the same judgment you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt out to you. 3 Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? 5 You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye.
Message: Give Up Harsh, Condemning Judgments Pastor Becky
Welcome to the 2nd Sunday of Lent. We are on a journey together toward the celebration of Jesus’s resurrection as transformed people. We are spending this time looking to shed those qualities, habits, lens, reactions that deny Jesus and the new life offered to us. We acknowledge this isn’t an overnight change, yet we have to start somewhere. Last week was an overview of the things we can hang onto that keep us from moving into new life, that hinder us from Christian perfection. Christian perfection is living with the motivation of doing all things for the love of God and the love of neighbor. We examined bitterness, spiritual apathy, and discouragement.
This week, we are looking at harsh, condemning judgments. We will do this through the warning in Matthew 7:1-5. It’s part of the Sermon on the Mount.
You have already made dozens of judgments this morning. You decided to get out of bed. You decided what you were going to wear. Our days are made up of thousands of judgments, decisions, and choices. We have to make value judgments and moral judgments every day.
Yet, these aren’t the judgments Jesus is talking about in Matthew 7. He isn’t talking about deciding. Jesus is leaning into the definition of judgment that means “to condemn” or “to censure”. The first verse of chapter 7 of Matthew could better for our understanding be translated, “Condemn not, so that you be not condemned.” This reframing should hit us straight in the heart.
Our words have meaning and consequences. They can either build someone up or utterly destroy them. There are over 100 verses in scripture that pertain to the power of our tongue.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Matthew 12:37 For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.
Psalm 34:12-13 Do you love life; do you relish the chance to enjoy good things? Then you must keep your tongue from evil and keep your lips from speaking lies.
With those admonishments in mind – we need to not make hasty, condemning judgments based on rumors. We have to decide not to repeat something we have “heard” in regards to one another and our neighbor. Gossip is a congregational killer. It doesn’t promote healthy relationships and has the power to isolate and misrepresent.
In 1932, Herbert J. Taylor devised the “4 Way Test”. He was attempting to change the ethical climate of Club Aluminum products. They were headed for bankruptcy and he believed that if those in the company thought correctly, they would act correctly. It is four simple questions to filter information through.
- Is it the truth?
- Is it fair to all concerned?
- Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
- Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
If you can’t answer all 4 questions with a firm yes, then there is no need to share the information. Gossip, spreading rumors, would be a bad thing that would be a good thing to give up for Lent. Giving up judgments based on rumors would lead us into transformation.
When we have to make judgments, they need not be unkind or unsympathetic. We can decide to no longer support or align with another person without making them look bad. We don’t need to bash them personally or professionally. There will always be folks we encounter that aren’t “our cup of tea”, but that doesn’t make them bad or evil. Our personalities may not mesh, something about them is annoying – like their voice – but it still doesn’t make them bad. Misrepresenting another person based on our personal preferences is unkind and unnecessary.
How we speak about each other reveals much more about us, than it does about the person we are speaking of. One of the first truths about biographies (those books and stories written about folks of notoriety or acclaim) is that you will know more about the author than you will about the subject of the book. The author gets to decide how that person is portrayed. The story gets shaped by what is and what is not included. The conjecture made based on sources of conversations can completely change how the subject is seen or understood. A person’s story told by their estranged partner will always paint a different picture than the story told by their mother. We decide how someone is portrayed. May our stories be kind, and if they can’t be kind – maybe we don’t repeat them.
In our judgments, we have to be sure we have the information we need so that we don't become known as something far worse than the person we are talking about. Hasty, harsh, unkind judgments will get us labeled as hateful and haughty, especially when it is based on incomplete or false information.
Judgment belongs to God, let me finish with scripture from James 13:1-10:
“My brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers, because we know that we teachers will be judged more strictly. We all make mistakes often, but those who don’t make mistakes with their words have reached full maturity. Like a bridled horse, they can control themselves entirely. When we bridle horses and put bits in their mouths to lead them wherever we want, we can control their whole bodies.
Consider ships: They are so large that strong winds are needed to drive them. But pilots direct their ships wherever they want with a little rudder. In the same way, even though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts wildly.
Think about this: A small flame can set a whole forest on fire. The tongue is a small flame of fire, a world of evil at work in us. It contaminates our entire lives. Because of it, the circle of life is set on fire. The tongue itself is set on fire by the flames of hell.
People can tame and already have tamed every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish. No one can tame the tongue, though. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we both bless the Lord and Father and curse human beings made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it just shouldn’t be this way!”
It should not be this way, indeed! Amen
Closing Hymn: #348 Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching, watching for you and for me.
Chorus: Come home, (come home), come home, (come home);
you who are weary, come home; Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!
- Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading, pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies, mercies for you and for me?
- Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming, coming for you and for me.
- O for the wonderful love He has promised, promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon, pardon for you and for me.
The blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you this week.
