Sermon: “Mutual Service”

Scripture:  Mark 10:35-45

35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39 They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Sermon:  “Mutual Service”

One day, 25+ years ago, I lived in Haverhill, Massachusetts, and I went to the supermarket to return some empty soda cans.  I happened to be wearing old clothes, and I was carrying the cans in a green plastic garbage bag.  In this particular supermarket, the can-return machine is located near the customer service desk.  So, while I’m dealing with the cans, pushing them into the slot on the machine, out of the corner of my eye, I see a well-dressed, perfectly coiffed older woman standing in the customer service line watching me.  As a pastor, I was used to seeing parishioners in the grocery store, so I glance over at her and smile, thinking maybe she recognized me from church or something.  I didn’t recognize her, so I didn’t think much of it, until she came over to me a few minutes later, opened her purse, and held out a couple of dollars.  Puzzled, I stopped pushing cans into the machine and turned to face her.

“Here,” she said, “Take this.”  She looked me up and down, taking note, no doubt, of the holes in my jeans and the dirt on my sneakers.  “I’m sure you could use it.”  She pushed the money into my hand and walked away quickly, leaving me with my mouth gaping open.  Now, the downtown Haverhill Supermarket is located near a homeless shelter, and I think she had mistaken me for one of the shelter residents.  I wanted to run after her and tell her that she’d made a mistake.  I wanted to say, “No, you’ve got it all wrong!  I don’t need charity; I’m a professional.  A minister!  I have advanced degrees!!”  But I didn’t run after her—because, honestly, I didn’t think she’d believe me, and I figured, “Hey, I actually could use the money.”  So, I pocketed the 2 dollars she’d handed me, and I turned back to the can machine, which, at that point, I happened to notice had a sign on it that said something about “redemption.”  So I laughed out loud. 

But, I’ve got to tell you, although I found the incident to be rather amusing, I also found it to be a bit embarrassing.  There were other people around who had witnessed her “gift,” and, although they were just a bunch of people I didn’t know, I still didn’t want them to think I was what my grandmother might have referred to as a “charity case.”  (And, by this point, a crazy charity case, because I was standing there, by myself, laughing out loud for no apparent reason.) 

So, all this to say, I sympathize with the disciples when they are concerned about how other people view them, what other people think of them, about their status in society.  In chapter 9 of Mark’s this Gospel, we read about how the disciples were arguing with each other about who was the “greatest” among them.   In today’s reading from Mark chapter 10 we read that James and John continue this discussion, asking Jesus to give them places of honor in his kingdom. 

We might wonder why James and John and the other disciples seem to be so overly concerned with greatness, with status, with holding positions of honor.  But when we look at their society, we can understand their preoccupation.  Their’s was a very class-oriented society.  There were people at the top, wealthy folks who held positions of power, mostly Roman citizens; then there were people at the bottom, lepers and poor people, women and children, members of minority groups, foreigners and slaves—many of whom were barely treated as human.  (There were not too many people in the middle.) 

The disciples, most of them, before they met Jesus, were hard-working, relatively poor fishermen, closer to the bottom of the class spectrum.  They were looked down upon by the wealthy Roman citizens; they were avoided in the street.  (With their old, dirty clothes, they could easily have been mistaken for homeless people in the supermarket.)

So, after having met Jesus, whom they believed would be taking on the Roman government and literally setting up God’s kingdom on earth, the disciples were extremely hopeful that one day soon they could jump from the bottom of the social ladder up to the top.  They were no doubt looking forward to this because it meant that they’d finally get the respect and honor that they’d been denied all their lives.  When they finally got to be rulers in God’s kingdom, then, instead of avoiding them, people would be seeking them out, asking their advice, valuing their opinions, serving their wants and needs, instead of the other way around.  The disciples couldn’t wait!  Especially James and John.  They wanted to have the top places of honor in the kingdom. 

But Jesus tells them all, in effect, “No.  That’s not the way it’s going to be among you.  Status doesn’t count in God’s kingdom.” 

Now, I’ve just got to say, Jesus is always surprising me.  At this point, I would have expected him to say to James and John and the other disciples: “Status doesn’t count because everyone has a place of honor in God’s kingdom!”  But that’s not what he says.  Instead of saying that everyone has a place of honor in God’s kingdom, he says, “Whoever wishes to become great among you, must be your servant.  And whoever wishes to be first among you, must be slave of all.” 

So, in other words, Jesus is telling them that they’ve got it all wrong.  In God’s kingdom, they’re not going to be at the top—they, along with everyone else, are going to be at the bottom.  Everyone is going to be a slave.

Can’t you just imagine James and John and the others looking at each other and saying, “What is he talking about?!  We haven’t been following him for years in order to drop to the bottom of the social ladder--even lower than we are now.  We didn’t sign on to become slaves!”

When you think about it, what Jesus is saying is quite radical.  He’s saying to rich and poor alike—stop putting all that energy into worrying about what other people think of you, in working on your social status—either maintaining it, if you like where you are, or improving it, if you don’t.  Rather, Jesus is saying, take the energy that you put into working on your status and put that energy, instead, into serving, supporting and caring for other members of God’s family.

It’s important to note that Jesus is talking about mutual service here.  He’s not suggesting that some people are always the servants and others are always being served.  He’s saying that God wants us all to serve our fellow human beings.  AND to allow our fellow servants to serve us when we are in need, as our first hymn suggests.  We are all in this together. 

Which reminds me of an image that I once heard of the afterlife, of heaven and hell.  The speaker described the afterlife as a feast, where everyone was given a very long spoon to eat with.  However, in hell, people were starving, because no one could get the spoon to reach his or her own mouth.  But in heaven, everyone was happy and satisfied, because they figured out that all they needed to do to eat was to feed each other. 

So, my friends, may we ponder this analogy and apply it to our lives however God calls us to.  Maybe there are new ways that God is calling us to serve, care and support our fellow human beings-- here in the Franklin area and throughout the world.  As individuals and as a church community, I know that you are already involved in many avenues of service.  We heard about some of those avenues today in the Missions Moment--and we’ll hear about some more next week. 

There are many non-profit organizations and Missions Projects that need our support, and getting involved in them through hands-on work and/or by donating money are some ways we can engage in mutual service.  And, paradoxically, as we serve as we’ve all discovered, we will receive back more than we have given in terms of joy and a sense of connection.  So, may we be in prayer this stewardship season and listen for God’s leadership as we each consider how God is calling us to be involved in serving our neighbors in our church, our community, and our world. 

Let us pray…

PHONE

SLIPS OF PAPER.

- Moment of silence…lifting up in prayer those we hold in our hearts... others in this room and in our livestream…  [PAUSE]

- O God, bless the sick… those who are struggling… those who are grieving…caregivers… Give them strength and healing….  In Jesus name, Amen

PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE LORD’S PRAYER

- 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 debts
As we forgive our debtors`
- And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil. 
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  AMEN

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

[First draft of this sermon was written by Marlayna and preached October 22, 2006]

Information for October 17th Sunday Worship

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page and in-person!) Service will still be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person.

“... whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant,” (Mark 10:43) ”
- Prelude
- Welcome
- Announcements
- Call to Worship
- Hymn: #490 “Sister, Let Me Be Your Servant”
- Sacrament of Christian Baptism
- Missions Moment
- Scripture Reading: Mark 10:35-45
- Sermon: “Mutual Service"
- Pastoral prayer
- Lord’s Prayer
- Hymn: #600 “Jesu, Jesu"
- Benediction
- Postlude
We hope you can join us!

Link to scripture: Mark 10:35-45

Hymns for Sunday, October 17th

#490 Sister, Let Me Be Your Servant
#600 Jesu, Jesu

New Mask Requirement

Council decided on Tuesday to require anyone entering the church building to wear a mask at all times. (The only exception being that a worship leader may remove their mask only when they are at a microphone speaking or singing, so that people can hear them. Worship leaders must wear their masks whenever they are not at a microphone.)

Background:
Concern brought forward by worship team to Deacons and Executive team related to current state of Covid and need to be more rigorous with protocols. This includes masking while singing for congregation.

Rationale:

· There are more breakthrough cases of Covid 19 occurring to people who are vaccinated.

· There have been instances when we haven’t been “social distancing” inside the building while we have had our masks off.

· It would be heart wrenching if someone died because they caught Covid from being in our building.

· The church could be held financially liable if someone died after catching Covid in our building because our protocols were too lax.

Theological reason: Jesus calls us to “love our neighbors as ourselves” and to care for the most vulnerable among us.

Sermon: “What Do You Need to Let Go?"

Scripture Reading:  Mark 10:17-31 (New Revised Standard Version)

17 As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

“What Do You Need to Let Go?"

The desire for immortality seems to have been around forever.  In the Middle Ages, knights of the king’s court searched for the Holy Grail, believing that one sip from this legendary cup would allow them to live forever.  A few hundred years later, explorers in the new world sought the fountain of youth.  These days, some people pay thousands of dollars to have their bodies cryogenically frozen—with the hope that sometime in the future, when science advances, they’ll be able to wake up and resume their lives.

The desire for immortality was present in Jesus’ day as well.  The rich man in today’s scripture reading was looking for it—it’s clear from his question, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus, however, gives him an answer he doesn’t expect.  The Scripture tells us that “Jesus looks at him and loves him.”  In other words, rather than getting angry at the man’s ignorance or privilege, Jesus answers with compassion and says, “You lack one thing; go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”  The rich man is shocked by Jesus’ words and goes away grieving. 

I remember being a kid reading this Scripture, and I didn’t understand the man’s reaction.  At the time, the choice seemed easy to me.  I mean, compared to immortality, how good could his possessions be?  Silk, gold, diamonds, shoes—sure, they’re nice, but you can’t take them with you!  Why couldn’t he see that?  Why couldn’t he let go? 

As an adult, my understanding of what Jesus was asking the man to do has grown, and I have a greater appreciation for how difficult the choice actually was.  It’s become clear to me that the possessions themselves probably weren’t the main roadblock for this man—my guess is that it’s what went with them:  power, prestige, influence, the ability to make choices.  Or maybe it went even deeper than that:  maybe what the man had trouble letting go of was his identity.  No doubt, his wealth bought him a nice position in society.  People recognized him, looked up to him, admired him.  Without all that, what would his life be about? How would he define himself?  Who would he be?

When who you are is too closely defined by what you have— then to give up your possessions means to give up yourself—and the man in our reading wasn’t able to do that--at least not yet. 

And his lack of ability to do what Jesus asked implies that there was something else that the man lacked too.  His understanding of eternal life was apparently not the same as what Jesus understood it to be.  For the man, eternal life evidently meant being immortal, living forever in the same identity and lifestyle to which he’d become accustomed.  But, for Jesus, eternal life was defined differently.

For Jesus, eternal life was first and foremost entering into the community of faith, the family of God.  It was claiming a new identity:  your identity as a child of God, a child who is as equally loved, accepted, valued, and forgiven as all of God’s children. 

This is what Jesus was getting at when he commanded the man to sell his possessions and give to the poor.  Jesus was trying to get the man to claim a new identity and, with it, new priorities.  Jesus was encouraging the man to see himself first and foremost as a child of God— a child who is called to be part of a community where growing and sharing equally in love, acceptance, and forgiveness are valued above wealth, power, prestige and influence. 

My friends, like this man, we are each called by Jesus to claim our identity as children of God, as part of the community of faith.  To fully claim this identity, there may be things in our lives that we need to let go.  Like the man in the reading, maybe we have allowed other things to define us more than our relationship with God---  maybe we have found our primary identity in our work or our status or family relationships.  Not that these things are bad in and of themselves, but the problem with letting these things define us more than our relationship with God is that these things are not eternal.  Jobs end.   Status can easily change.  Family configurations shift.  And when these changes happen, if our identity is not centered in God, we are cast adrift.  Let me give you an example.

Ed and Kathy—not their real names—have been friends of my husband for years.  When they were newly married, they moved from the Midwest to the Gold Coast of Connecticut, got good jobs in the corporate world, and started to climb the ladder of success.  He was an executive in a corporation, and she worked for a real estate company.  When they had saved enough money, they started a family—had 3 children in fairly short order.   While the children were young, Kathy cut her work schedule to part-time so she could be home with the kids at least some of the time.  But the two of them—and their children—had such busy schedules, that the whole family rarely, if ever, got together as a unit.  Ed and Kathy themselves were like ships passing in the night and started to feel burned out—like they were drifting away from each other and themselves-- losing their identity as a couple and as individuals.

(Something that happens fairly often in our world today.) 

At the time, Ed and Kathy were not religious--they hadn’t been to church since they were young, but they started seeking something beyond themselves to bring life to their souls.   They even prayed about it, though they weren’t even sure there was a God who was listening.  Well, as a short-term solution, they decided to take a family vacation together, and ended up in Vermont—and, by divine providence, stumbled upon the Westin Priory.  Some of you may be familiar with it, but, if not, the Westin Priory is where a group of Catholic Benedictine monks live and work and lead worship services open to the public in an old stone chapel, where they play guitars and drums.  Ed and Kathy found these worship services so healing that they decided that they needed to reconnect with God and participate in a church community like this on a regular basis. 

To make a long story short, they decided to change their life-style so that everything they did reflected their renewed understanding of who and what God was calling them to be.  So, they left Connecticut, bought an Inn in Vermont near the Priory, and started what they considered to be a ministry of hospitality—reasonably priced accommodations where burned-out city dwellers could come to find renewal.  Their children lived with them there in the Inn, and although Ed and Kathy have now retired, two of their children have continued the ministry of hospitality there at the family Inn in Vermont. 

Now, I’m not saying that we all need to move to Vermont and start a ministry.  What I am saying is that if we each allow our primary identity to be “a child of God,” we can stay centered and make a positive difference in the world no matter what happens to us.  If our primary identity is being a child of God, we will have a community of faith that offers mutual support and care and helps us grow through good and bad times alike.   When we are grounded in this identity, that’s when we discover the true meaning of eternal life, which is not simply immortality for an individual, but rather being part of something larger than ourselves.  It’s being part of the Kingdom of God, which many people these days call the “kin-dom of God,” to emphasize that it’s all about relationships, that is, sharing equally with others in the love, acceptance, and forgiveness of God—now and always. 

I think many of us have come to appreciate the importance of this kin-dom--being part of a community of faith-- even more during this pandemic, haven’t we?  I’ve talked with a number of people who have expressed how church connections--virtual and in-person--have been a lifeline for them in this time of Covid.  And how the stress and grief of Covid, as awful as it has been, has also forced us to re-think some of our priorities.

So, my friends, may we each take some time this long weekend--and beyond--to re-examine our own priorities--to prayerfully ask ourselves the question, “Is there anything I need to let go of in order to make my relationship with God-- and others in God’s kin-dom-- top priority?”  And, by the grace of God, may we continue to grow together in Christ, sharing more equally in love, acceptance, and forgiveness with all God’s people.

Let us pray. 

O God, you have called us into your kin-dom, and we have answered that call by being part of this family of faith.  O God, continue to challenge and teach us through your Scriptures, through your good gifts of reason and reflection and science, through our interactions with others, that we may grow in faith and understanding.  Help us to see and treat all people as equals, working for justice in ways that build each other up and not tear each other down.  May your all-encompassing love help us to let go of whatever gets in the way of our making you and your kin-dom our top priority. 

And hear us now as we lift up to you our prayers for our community and our world.

Bless the Afghan refugees as they resettle in new countries, including the family that is now settling in Worcester.  Help our fellow citizens welcome these newcomers with open arms and value them as brothers and sisters in God’s all-encompassing family. 

Bless all of the participants and spectators taking part in the marathon tomorrow.  Keep them safe, O God, and may this event be filled with joy.

PHONE

SLIPS OF PAPER.

- Moment of silence…lifting up in prayer those we hold in our hearts.. others in this room and in our livestream…  [PAUSE]

- O God, bless the sick… those who are struggling… those who are grieving…caregivers… Give them strength and healing….  In Jesus name, Amen

PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE LORD’S PRAYER

- 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 debts
As we forgive our debtors`
- And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil. 
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  AMEN

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

[An earlier version of this sermon was written by Marlayna and preached on 10/15/06.]

Information for this Sunday’s WorshipOctober 10th, 10 am

 (found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page and in-person!)

Service will still be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person.

“... 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’” (Mark 10:17) ”

- Prelude
- Welcome
- Announcements
- Call to Worship
- Hymn: #606 “God Whose Giving Knows No Ending"
- Scripture Reading: Mark 10:17-31
- Sermon: “What Do You Need to Let Go?"
- Pastoral prayer
- Lord’s Prayer
- Hymn: #609 "Take My Life"
- Benediction
- Postlude

We hope you can join us!

Link to scripture: Mark 10:17-31

Hymns for Sunday, October 10th

#606 God Whose Giving Knows No Ending
#609 Take My Life

Sermon: “Learning Faith from a Child”

Scripture Reading:  Mark 10:13-16 (New Revised Standard Version)

13 People were bringing little children to Jesus in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Sermon:  “Learning Faith from a Child” 

I love this passage where Jesus takes the little children up in his arms and blesses them!  Not only does it show us how much God values children, but also it teaches us adults something about faith.   “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”  When Jesus said this, I am sure the disciples stood up and took notice.  I can just picture them stopping in their tracks, their jaws dropping, the word, “What?!” forming on their lips.  This statement had to come as a shock, since children in that day and age were considered to be unimportant, “non-persons,” almost.  This statement of Jesus’ flew in the face of what they’d been taught in their culture—that wealthy men with power and prestige were the ones whom God had blessed, the ones closest to God’s kingdom—not little children who had nothing. 

I can just picture the disciples puzzling this out with each other later on, when they were again walking along the road.   I can imagine their conversation:

- “The Kingdom of God belongs to children??  Do you understand what Jesus meant by that?!”

- “Is he really saying that there is something about little children that brings them closer to God than the rest of us?”

- “Yeah, I think he’s saying that--and more than that:  he’s actually saying we need to be like them!  But in what way?” 

- “Could it be the way they trust others so freely?”

- “How about their openness, their willingness to accept and love people, faults and all?”

- “Yeah, and maybe it’s also their lack of guile-- their natural tendency to be full of hope…” 

I can imagine the first disciples having this kind of conversation, because it’s the conversation that scholars have been having over this statement ever since. 

It’s a conversation that I commend to you to think about, starting with the question, “What is it about little children that naturally brings them closer to God than the rest of us?”  (And, while we’re thinking about this, it’s important to note that the gospel of Luke, in relating this story, uses the word “babies” instead of little children.  So, we’re talking really young children here.) 

It’s a question that I’ve thought about over the years, and a few years ago I came up with an answer that made sense to me--and then I found that answer written up in a book.  (Just an aside:  I didn’t know whether to be psyched that I’d come up with a theory that was corroborated by a scholar—or annoyed that I hadn’t thought of it sooner and written the book myself! J) So, my answer (that I have to say was very well-stated by the scholar) is that it’s primarily a little child’s “radical dependence” on other people that brings them closer to God.  They have not yet learned to strive for self-sufficiency, so they are ready and willing to receive all the blessings that God has to offer, including life itself.   (New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII, p. 647)

Sadly, however, in our culture, as we grow up, we tend to lose this openness to receiving blessings from God and other people.  We are taught that our highest value should be autonomy, self-sufficiency, independence.  We begin to believe that relying on others, instead of ourselves, makes us weak and worthless.

I know that I internalized that message early on.  Let me give you an example. 

When I was around 5 years old, I used to love hanging out with my father in his basement workshop.   I used to love watching him work on “projects,” as he called them— items he would repair or make out of wood or metal.  And one day I decided, myself, to embark on a project—to make a toy airplane out of wood.  I had collected two scraps of wood that I wanted to use for the body of the plane and the wings, but both were a little too long, so I figured the first order of business was to cut them down to size—using one of my father’s saws.  I told my father what I wanted to do, and he said he’d be glad to help me.  But, apparently, I did not like that suggestion.  My father told me years later, when we were talking about the airplane project, that I had looked at him indignantly and said, “No, Daddy, I can do it all by myself!” 

Now, the amazing thing here, was that he somehow managed not to laugh at me.  Here I was, 5 years old, small for my age, not even tall enough to reach the work table, barely strong enough to even pick up a saw, never mind use it, and yet I thought I could handle a woodworking project all by myself.  Well, to make a long story short, I discovered I couldn’t do it by myself, I allowed my father to help me, and together we made a pretty decent little toy plane.  (Which hung for years from the ceiling of my room.  J)

So, analogous to this, the concept that competent adults should be able to do everything on their own without relying on their fellow human beings and God is simply not true.  Autonomy is a myth.  And, worse than that, it’s a myth that sets us up for isolation, loneliness, and deep feelings of inadequacy.  If it weren’t so painful, it would be as laughable as a 5-year- old who thinks she can make an airplane by herself out of wood! 

The truth is what’s stated in the first couple of steps in any 12 step program.  Let me paraphrase: “By myself I am powerless; I look to God, or my Higher Power, for strength because I cannot do it alone.”  We all know the truth of this statement, don’t we?  How many of us have faced situations in our lives when it feels like we are standing at the bottom of a mountain and the only way forward is up, but we have no energy for the climb.  Whether we are facing an addiction, an illness (our own or someone else’s), a loss, or some other huge obstacle, one of the first feelings that may hit us is hopelessness, because we are inadequate to face such momentous things on our own. 

My friends, this is one very important thing that little children can teach us about faith:  We cannot do everything on our own; God is the source of our strength and power.  We cannot do everything on our own; God is the source of our strength and power!  The more we accept this fact, the happier we will be.   In fact, that’s part of why we have church—to encourage one another to look to God and to support each other.  Because we can’t do it all alone.  It’s the grace of God that gives us life. 

So, in the coming weeks, whatever projects we embark on in our individual or corporate lives, may we do them in the strength of God’s power, for God’s purposes—recognizing that it is only in connection to God and our fellow human beings that we will thrive. 

Let us pray… 

Gracious God, we thank you that you have not created us to be islands unto ourselves.  You have given us the gift of each other--and you strengthen us when we turn to others--and you--for the support we need.  Help us to accept support when we need it, and help us to give it when others are in need.

Hear now our prayers for our community and our world. 

We pray that the marches yesterday for Women’s Reproductive Rights will bear good fruit.  We pray that women’s health care will be a priority for our politicians, and we pray that we can find ways to talk with each other about complex issues like abortion without our conversations escalating into angry confrontations.  

We continue to pray for healthcare workers taking care of patients with Covid 19.  Keep them safe, O God, and may people worried about whether or not to get the vaccine find trustworthy sources that give them the information they need to weigh the risks. 

We pray for our church community as well.  We received a few requests by email…

1.   We pray for Julia who will be having surgery on Tuesday.  She asks for prayers for her doctors and nurses who will be taking care of her, and so we pray for them--AND HER--that your Healing Spirit will guide their work--and that everything will go as planned.

2.   We pray also for Lyn’s friends Meri and Mark and family as they deal with Meri's worsening ALS.

3.   And we join Lyn in a prayer of celebration for her daughter Michelle, who is in the Netherlands to receive her Master of Legal Letters degree in international law on Tuesday.

PHONE

SLIPS

- Moment of silence…lifting up in prayer those we hold in our hearts.. others in this room and in our livestream…  [PAUSE]

- O God, bless the sick… those who are struggling… those who are grieving…caregivers… Give them strength and healing….  In Jesus name, Amen

PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE LORD’S PRAYER

- 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 debts
As we forgive our debtors`
- And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil. 
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  AMEN

Information for this Sunday’s Outdoor Worship October 3rd, 10 am

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page and in-person!)

Service will still be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person.

"Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)- Prelude

Service will feature Special Music by Julie Gorman, Kathy Danielson, and Sue Borchard

- Opening Song
- Welcome
- Announcements
- Call to Worship
- Hymn: #113 Jesus Loves Me!
- Scripture Reading: Mark 10:13-16
- Sermon: “Learning Faith from a Child"
- Pastoral prayer
- Lord’s Prayer
- Hymn: #422 Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ
- Benediction
- Closing Song

We hope you can join us!

Link to scripture: Mark 10:13-16

DETAILS:

• Please bring your own “beach” chair.

• Please park on the street (as the parking lot will be our seating area.)

• People with mobility issues may be dropped off at the entrance to the parking lot.

• Service will be held in the sanctuary if it rains.

Hymns for Sunday, October 3rd

#113 Jesus Loves Me!
#422 Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ

Sermon: “Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us”

Scripture Reading:  Mark 9:38-41 (New Revised Standard Version)

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

Sermon:  “Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us”

Today’s Scripture reading is not an easy one to hear or interpret.

First of all, there’s the whole demon possession thing.  In a scientific age, we understand that most of the behaviors that ancient peoples attributed to demon possession we would attribute to physical or mental illness.  And, thanks be to God, when such illness is correctly identified, then a person can be treated.  So, we need to be careful not to take everything literally when we read an ancient text that arose in a completely different worldview than our own.

Mainline scholars today approach ancient texts like this one mostly through a metaphorical lens rather than a literal one.  With that in mind, I encourage us to see the “demons” spoken about in this text as a metaphor for the things that negatively affect the health of a person or a community.  In other words, “casting out demons,” would be a metaphor for restoring a person or a community to a state of health.

Viewed like this, today’s Scripture reading does not seem so off-putting to our sensibilities.  However, what does still seem off-putting is the disciples’ reaction to the restoration of health.  Given that restoration of health is a good thing, you’d expect the text would read something like this:  “The disciple John said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we rejoiced because it was so wonderful to see our neighbors free from their infirmities!’”  But that’s not the way the text reads. 

Instead, John says, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 

What is up with that reaction?!  The disciples witness a healing--actually, several healings, because the word “demon” is plural, but instead of praising God and encouraging the healing to continue, they get mad and try to shut it down. 

What were they thinking?!  The phrase “because he was not following us” gives us a clue.  Apparently, whoever this unnamed outsider is, he did not follow the proper protocols; he did not approach the disciples and ask their permission to heal in Jesus’ name.  He did not even give the disciples the courtesy of informing them that he would be working on their turf!  And their noses got more than a bit out of joint because, somehow, the disciples erroneously had it in their heads that they were the ones in charge, that all of the healing work “in Jesus’ name” had to be directed by them.  Which is ludicrous, of course.  “Jesus” is not a brand that can be owned; Jesus is the Son of the living God--the Christ--who embodied God’s Spirit; Jesus is the one who empowers whomever he chooses to heal in his name.

But before we get too critical of the disciples, it’s important to remember that they are human beings with human flaws like all of us.  In this text, they aren’t doing anything that most of us haven’t also done at some point in our lives.

I know I have.  Let me give you an example. 

In one church I served, several years ago, there was an AA group that met on the same night we had church meetings.  (The church owned a big building with a number of different meeting spaces.)  The AA group that met in the fellowship hall was very well attended--in fact, more people attended that group than attended worship on Sunday mornings-- and when they’d take a break partway through their meeting, many of them would go outside to chat and smoke.  And, as it happened, their favorite gathering spot was underneath the windows of the second floor meeting room where church meetings took place. 

I have to confess that when I was in a church meeting on AA nights, my first thought on hearing the AA group outside the window wasn’t always, “Praise be to God!  How wonderful that so many people have found support and healing from their addiction!” 

I wish that had been my first thought.  But mostly it wasn’t.  Often my first thought when I heard the AA group or smelled their cigarette smoke wafting through the meeting-room window was, “I wish they wouldn’t be so noisy--and do they have to smoke right under our windows?!  How rude!”  Like the disciples in today’s reading, rather than seeing the big picture and rejoicing in the healing that was taking place--which was the most important thing in God’s eyes, I’m sure--I allowed myself, instead, to focus on a few minor things that annoyed me. 

But back to the disciples.  I believe there is another dynamic going on in this situation, as well--a dynamic that fueled the disciples’ emotional reaction to the unnamed healer and contributed to their desire to stop his good work.  And this dynamic has nothing to do with the healer himself.  The healer’s behavior just happened to trigger the disciples’ unresolved emotions from a previous incident. 

Earlier in chapter 9 of Mark’s Gospel--not part of today’s text, we read that the disciples themselves were trying to cast a demon out of an afflicted boy, but they simply weren’t able to do it.  And, still smarting from their failure, they get into an argument with members of the crowd who had witnessed the failed healing.  And, if that wasn’t humiliating enough, Jesus then enters the scene and chastises everyone for their lack of faith.   I think we can assume that, at this point, the disciples had to be feeling pretty bad; if I were in their place, I’m sure I would have felt embarrassed, chagrined, ashamed, and angry.    

So, given human nature, a couple of days later, when the outsider in today’s text shows up and has great success at doing what the disciples have publicly failed to do big time, the disciples’ feelings seem to intensify.  It looks to me like the disciples are jealous of the outsider’s ability to heal people when they themselves lacked that ability, despite all the time they had spent with Jesus.  Plus, the healer’s success also seems to have triggered some of the disciples’ unresolved emotions from the previous incident, and the disciples unfairly redirect some of their own anger from that previous incident at him.  Psychologists call this phenomenon transference--when people redirect their feelings for a person from a previous incident onto an entirely different person and a new incident.  (https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/transference)

Why am I bringing this up?  Because we all do it--not just the disciples.  It’s a human thing.  For example, maybe we have unresolved anger from an argument we had with a family member, and then later someone at work says something that triggers that anger, and we unfairly redirect--and sometimes intensify--that anger onto the person at work.  Why am I bringing this up?   Because we all need to be aware that we do this--we all need to monitor our own behavior, notice when we do it, and put a stop to it.  Because when we are unaware of the times we engage in transference--when we don’t put a stop to the emotions we unfairly transfer onto other people, it is damaging to community.

We see the potential damage in our reading for today.  The disciples, unaware of their jealousy and their transferred anger, try to put a stop to God’s work of healing that was taking place in their community.  To put it another way, the disciples’ unexamined feelings nearly became a road-block to the mission of healing that God had given-- not just to them--but all who seek to follow God’s way of Love!  

Because of the disciples’ lack of awareness and ability to monitor their own behavior, Jesus had to intervene and remind the disciples not to impede God’s work.  Using words that were probably a direct quote from a proverb of his era, Jesus tells them, “Whoever is not against us is for us.”  In other words, Jesus reminds the disciples:

“Don’t let your emotions blind you to the big picture of what God is doing in the world.  Remember, God uses a variety of people--not just you--to accomplish God’s work of healing in the world.”

This Scripture text has some things to teach us today, doesn’t it?  To state the obvious, in our world, there are numerous divisions between people-- and emotions are running high, fueled by many things, including the stress, anxiety and grief of living in this pandemic.  In this atmosphere, how often do we--like the disciples of old--run into folks whose behavior triggers our ire?  Speaking for myself, I dare say it can almost be a daily occurrence!  May this Scripture passage remind us to take some deep breaths before we respond in these situations.

May this Scripture passage remind us to look at the big picture and evaluate what is going on before we unthinkingly transfer our emotions onto someone else.  May we pray for the people who make us mad.  May we ask ourselves some questions, such as:

·        Are the people who are triggering my ire well-intentioned? 

·        Do they share God’s value of helping all people--particularly those who are disadvantaged-- thrive? 

·        Are they working to heal the world, even if the way they choose to do it may be different than the way I might choose to do so?

Even if we think we know the answer to those questions, let’s have the courage to bring them up.  To ask these questions--not just to ourselves, but, where it’s appropriate, to the other.  Because maybe we know their answers--OR maybe we would be surprised…When we notice ourselves getting mad, can we set our anger aside and respond instead with curiosity?  Can we say something like,

·        I want to understand where you are coming from.  Can you tell me why you are saying or doing that? 

·        Can you tell me how what you are doing helps the greater good and improves the lives of people who are suffering?

The more we recognize our own humanity and tendency to transfer our feelings onto others, the more we can engage others with compassion, as Jesus did. 

Now hear me, I’m not naïve enough to suggest that everyone out there is working for healing or trying to do God’s will.  There are, sadly, some people in this world who really don’t seem to care about the suffering of their fellow human beings.  But we should not let our anger fool us into thinking that everyone who disagrees with us is in that camp.  God loves us all.  And healing is best accomplished when we allow God to open our minds and hearts and show us how to work with those others who ultimately want the same things we want, but who just go about it a different way.   

May God guide us in our discernment and help us to see the truth in Jesus’ words that “whoever is not against us is for us.”

Let us pray.   [OVER]

·        Loving God, thank you that you are still speaking through the words of Scripture and challenging us to work with our neighbors to heal the wounds of our world. 

·        Oh God, we boldly ask that you begin that healing with us. 

·        Forgive us for the times when we let our anger blind us to your bigger picture.  

·        Forgive us for the times when we transfer our emotions onto others, focusing more on what other people do wrong than what they do right. 

·        Help us to be humble enough to offer the same grace to others that you offer to us. 

·        Open our eyes to the glorious possibilities of the healing that could be accomplished in our world if we worked together with those who are seeking the same things we are, but by different means.

And hear us now as we lift up to you our prayers for our community and our world.

Bless our House of Representatives as they discuss and vote on a massive tax and spending bill.  May the reps listen to each other and find viable compromises, while at the same time focusing first and foremost on those who are disadvantaged.

Be with all of us as we continue to make decisions about how to live in this pandemic.  As we discuss the pros and cons of being vaccinated and wearing masks, help us to continually fact-check our assumptions, asking the same questions of ourselves as we ask of others.  And remembering that we decide affects others, and vice versa.  O God, lead us through this polarizing time with love, grace, and compassion.

Bless immigrants from Haiti.  Keep them safe as our country and other countries figure out how to handle the influx of people understandably escaping disaster. 

PHONE

SLIPS OF PAPER.

- Moment of silence…lifting up in prayer those we hold in our hearts.. others in this room and in our livestream…  [PAUSE]

- O God, bless the sick… those who are struggling… those who are grieving…caregivers… Give them strength and healing….  In Jesus name, Amen

PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE LORD’S PRAYER

- 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 debts
As we forgive our debtors`
- And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil. 
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  AMEN

Information for this Sunday’s Worship - September 26, 10

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page and in-person!)


“Whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:40)
Service will still be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person.

• Prelude

• Welcome

• Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn: #284 “Gather Us In"

• Scripture Reading: Mark 9:38-42

• Sermon: “Rejoice in the Successes of Others”

• Pastoral Prayer

• Lord’s Prayer

• Hymn: #687 “In Christ There is No East or West”

• Benediction

• Postlude

We hope you can join us!

link to scripture: Mark 9:38-42

Hymns for Sunday, September 26th

#284 Gather Us In
#687 In Christ There Is No East or West

Sermon: “Concluding Comments about the Rising Church"

Scripture Reading:  Isaiah 42:6-9 (New Revised Standard Version)

6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
    I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
    a light to the nations,
7     to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
    from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord, that is my name;
    my glory I give to no other,
    nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have come to pass,
    and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
    I tell you of them.

Sermon:  “Concluding Comments about the Rising Church"

(Last sermon in a series on the book Weird Church)

My best friend in high school was Albanian Orthodox, and I have a wonderful memory of dancing at her wedding.  One dance in particular was very memorable:  the band started playing a song I didn’t recognize and suddenly everyone was up on their feet--from the youngest preschooler to the oldest grandmother.  They arrived on the dance floor in groups of 2 or 3, often with one person leading another by the hand.  Then, with one person leading the whole group, they all formed a circle holding hands and started doing a fairly simple dance step--it was something like 3 or 4 steps to the right followed by a step or two left, a partial turn, and then repeat.  For good or for ill, I’ve never been one to sit out a dance, so despite not having any idea what I was doing, I jumped right in with everyone else, and I actually got the hang of it because I kept holding the hands of the people next to me, and I kept watching the leader’s feet! 

But then the pace of the music increased, and everyone started dancing faster and faster, and the circle became a spiral, and everyone was laughing and cheering and I kept holding onto the hands of the people on either side of me and watching the leader, and although I probably stepped on a few feet in the process, no one seemed to mind--it was absolutely wonderful!!  Such a fun celebration!!

The experience of that dance popped into my mind when I read the last few chapters of this book.  The authors begin chapter 26 by quoting the pastor of a church in New York City that has been trying new things.  Here’s what the pastor says:

“This project has helped me see what God has been working on and recognize God’s invitation to me into what God is up to.  It feels like dancing with the Triune God who is already dancing in a circle to beautiful music.  My project has become a search for the dancing God and led me to join God’s dance…  My prayer changed from discerning God’s will or asking God to work on my plan-- to keeping up the dance with God.”  Pastor Paul Moon quoted on p. 161 of Weird Church.

This image of dancing with God is a good one, isn’t it?!  I wonder if that image was in the prophet Isaiah’s mind when he wrote today’s Scripture reading, particularly verse 6, where the prophet, speaking on God’s behalf, says, “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand…”  I have taken you by the hand.  Even if you’re not a confident dancer, if a good dancer takes you by the hand and leads, not only do you pick up the steps fairly quickly, you also recover quickly from any mis-steps you make.  AND before you know it, you are smiling and laughing and enjoying the dance. 

Over the past few months, going through this book, Weird Church, we have looked at many different ways churches can do ministry.  Some may have been far outside our comfort zone and felt very weird; some may have felt more doable because they are adaptations of what we’ve already experienced.  The idea isn’t to pick something at random, try it, and hope it succeeds.  The idea is for all of us--as individuals and as a church family--to be in a spirit of prayer.  To ask God to take us by the hand and lead us in the dance, and to trust that God will show us what we need to learn as we step out in faith onto the dancefloor. 

An interesting thing about today’s Scripture passage from Isaiah that I have never noticed before--despite having read it dozens of times over the years--is how many times the pronoun “I” is used. The prophet is relaying the words of God to the people of Israel.  In this passage, God is calling them to be a light to the nations.  To open the eyes of that are blind.  To bring out of prison those who sit in darkness.  Scholars say this passage is reminding the people of Israel of the promise God made to their ancestors Abraham and Sarah in Genesis chapter 12, verses 1-3.  God told them, “through you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.”  In short, God is reminding the people of their mission, the purpose for which God created them and put them on this earth:  to shine the light of God’s love and justice out into the world--to reach everyone. 

It’s the same mission that Jesus had--and passed on to his disciples and to the church and to us.  We are to follow God in the dance and invite others to join us--to shine the light of God’s love and justice, light that opens people’s eyes and frees them from the forces in the world that constrict their lives and leave them suffering in darkness.  There is nothing more fulfilling that we can do in the world.

But back to the pronoun “I.”  God does not just give us this mission and then disappear.  By using the pronoun “I” 8 times in these 4 short verses, God assures us, “I am” right there with you.  In the present moment, I am leading you.  If you take my hand, I will open your eyes and heart and I will free you from whatever prison you are in, AND I will use you to open other people’s eyes and hearts and free them from whatever prisons they are in, whatever forces bind them and stop them from being their full selves.  All you need to do, says God, is keep hold of my hand and the dance of love and justice will spring forth in new ways and accomplish all the blessing I intended from the beginning. 

How might we and our church change if we saw ourselves first and foremost as being led in a new dance of love and justice by God?  Would we enjoy it more?  Would we be less fearful of trying new things? 

The last two glimpses of the rising church described in this book are very interesting.  One is called “Moment of Grace,” and it is described in Chapter 25.  In this chapter, the authors point out that not every faith community lasts forever.  In fact, they point out that “every church that [the Apostle] Paul planted in what is today Turkey vanished centuries ago.  And yet those faith communities are our spiritual ancestors.  We are direct descendants.”  The point being that even if a particular church building closes its doors or a particular mission trip ends, the church is the people--and, and as long as people’s hearts remain open, the light of God’s love and justice continues shining through people’s lives and bringing new blessings wherever the people go from there. 

The last glimpse of the rising church is called “holocracy,” and it refers to a way a church is governed.  In a holocracy, there is no management hierarchy.  Every group or ministry in the church operates autonomously, without being micromanaged by another group or person.  (Weird Church, p. 172).  But the most interesting thing about this model, I think, is its focus on spirituality.  Let me read a description:

“Imagine a church…where all the people in each cell and circle are rallied toward daily practices of prayer and/or meditation, and daily practices of kindness, forgiveness, and peacemaking.  Where it is all about spiritual practice, regardless of the programs, the theological convictions, or the lack thereof.”  (Weird Church, p. 163)

The book closes with the hope that churches will take heart in the understanding that God is still dancing with us.  Even though many institutional churches may be shrinking, God’s Spirit has not left our world.  On the contrary.  God is as present as ever.  God is as willing as ever to take us by the hand and dance and help us shine the light of love and justice in the world.  The authors of this book find hope that many people whom we might consider “secular” because they do not belong to an institutional church really are spiritual seekers. They describe a world where “for many, Jesus becomes a mystical and deeply personal friend and guide…[where] Bible students move beyond a fixation on what is literal/historical and what is not, to an exploration of what the ancient texts reveal about the contours of our souls.”

The book leaves us with this challenge:

“Move to the edges, if you dare, toward those rising sons and daughters who have long abandoned our houses of worship…the young artists, and activists, with voices fresh and unorthodox, ready to prophecy.  Do not do this selfishly, with the hopes that they will bail out a tired, old church.  It is not about us.  It is about them.  Moreover, it is about transcending all notions of “us and them.”  … it is about showing up to dance with God and all the folks God is bringing to her party.”  (Weird Church, p. 169)

May we take this challenge to heart and show up to dance with God, allowing God to lead us into new ways of being church, of sharing love and justice with our neighbors.  And as we do so, may we find our strength in Jesus, giving thanks that he is with us always, even to the end of the age.

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Information for this Sunday’s Worship, September 19th

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page and in-person!)
"See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:9)

Service will still be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person.

- Prelude
- Welcome
- Announcements
- Call to Worship
- Hymn: #545 “He Leadeth Me: O Blessed Thought”
- Scripture Reading: Isaiah 42:6-9
- Sermon: “Concluding Comments about the Rising Church” (Last sermon in a series on the book Weird Church)
- Hymn: #528 “Give Thanks"
- Pastoral prayer
- Lord’s Prayer
- Benediction
- Postlude

Link to scripture Isaiah 42:6-9

Hymns for Sunday, September 19th 

#545 He Leadeth Me: O Blessed Thought!
#528 Give Thanks

A Different Peephole

In Memoriam
BISHOP JOHN SHELBY SPONG
June 16, 1931 – September 12, 2021

Those who participated in our Sunday AM
Discovery Group will remember his interesting,
clear, and provocative presentations. Over the
years, many people have commented that Jack
Spong’s writings enabled them to remain in the
church. He will be missed, but our Faith Develop-
ment Library has a number of his recordings that
you can sign out to enjoy.
Lyn Pickhover, Saddened

Information for this Sunday’s Worship, September 12, 10 am

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page and in-person!)

Service will still be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person.

- Prelude
- Welcome
- Announcements
- Call to Worship
- Hymn: #7 “When in Our Music God Is Glorified”
- Scripture Reading: Psalm 150
- Hymn Sing
- Pastoral prayer
- Lord’s Prayer
- Hymn: #614 “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me"
- Benediction
- Postlude

Link to scripture Psalm 150

Hymns for Sunday, September 12th 

#552 Standing on the Promises
#555 Through It All

“More Glimpses of the Rising Church" (#10 in a series on the book Weird Church)

Scripture Reading:  2 Corinthians 5:17

17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Sermon:  “More Glimpses of the Rising Church"

(#10 in a series on the book Weird Church)

I was out watering my garden yesterday--something I have not had to do very much this summer, given the excess of rain we’ve had--and I noticed something interesting.  Right in the middle of one clump of Montauk Daisies there was one stem with leaves that were all wilted and dried up.  I brought it along with me this morning for show and tell--here it is.  [HOLD UP DRIED STEM.]  The clump of daisies in which I found this stem is located right near our front door, and I have a vague memory of dropping something into it by mistake this past week when I holding a bunch of stuff in my hands and trying to unlock the door at the same time.   (It might have been my phone or an empty travel mug--I can’t remember exactly, because I drop stuff all the time… I just can’t multitask.)  At any rate, whatever I had dropped into the plant apparently broke this stem and disconnected it from the rest of the stem and the roots of the plant.  And stopped its growth.

Which reminded me of today’s Scripture.  “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:  everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.”  In case the connection between this dead daisy and today’s Scripture is not readily apparent, let me explain.  Normally when I read this verse, I focus on the second part--the new creation.  But this week, when I read the verse again, the first part of the verse kept jumping out at me--the part about being “in Christ.”  And I got to thinking again about what being “in Christ” actually means. 

Like everything in the Bible, this phrase of Scripture is subject to interpretation and may mean different things to different people.  And, in our denominations--American Baptist and United Church of Christ, we celebrate how each of us is free to interpret the Scriptures according to our own study and discernment--praise be to God.  So, let me just share a little bit about what being “in Christ” means to me--and perhaps also to you.

Based on my years of study and life-experience, being in Christ means to me that we--everyone, regardless of our background, race, gender, sexual orientation, abilities, age, political persuasion, theological beliefs or any other category by which human beings tend to judge each other--we are all welcomed, accepted, affirmed just as we are as Children of God.  In a nutshell, each and every human being is loved by God more than we can imagine, and nothing we do can ever separate us from that love.  (Romans 8:38-39).  Furthermore, we are forgiven by God for anything we have done or are doing or might do in the future to hurt ourselves, our neighbors, our world.  That is not to say that God condones any of our harmful behavior--on the contrary.  The more we open our hearts to the God we see revealed in Jesus, the more God actively works within us; through the Spirit we accepted when we chose to follow Christ, God transforms our hearts, minds, and behavior for the better.  And, as we are being transformed, we reach out in service to share that transforming love with others in our world. 

But back to my Montauk Daisy.  When we stay “in Christ”--that is, when we intentionally choose to stay connected to Christ’s love in our individual lives and through our faith community, we grow and flourish.  (For more on a similar metaphor, see Jesus’ words in John chapter 15…)  But, when something happens that knocks us off kilter--we may feel like this [HOLD UP PLANT AGAIN]-- cut off from our source of growth and spiritually dried up.  It happens to all of us, doesn’t it?  We all have dry periods.  We all have times in our lives when for various reasons we feel cut off from Christ, from the source of our spiritual life and growth and health. 

And this analogy doesn’t just apply to individuals.  It also applies to  churches.  Sometimes local churches--and even whole denominations-- dry up.  Sometimes the culture changes around us and the ways we’ve been tapping into Christ’s Spirit do not work well anymore.  Or are not sustainable.  Sometimes in church we do not find ourselves growing or flourishing or experiencing much joy.  Which brings us to the point of this book.  The culture is changing around us, and churches need to make shifts in ministry if we want to continuing growing in Christ.  And, let me reiterate-the book is not saying that Christ’s Spirit has dried up.  No, thank God--the Spirit of Christ’s Love and Acceptance and Forgiveness and Service is alive and well and still transforming lives--and will continue to do so.  But local churches need to change or adapt our ways of tapping into it.  In the words of today’s Scripture, we need to find ways of letting go of the “old” that has and is passing away and allowing the “new creation” that God is forming to grow and thrive.

Let me share a few glimpses of new ways--out lined in this book--that real life churches are tapping in to Christ’s Spirit and thriving.

One glimpse--from Chapter 17--is called “The Community Center.”  Let me read from a description of how this works.  It is a “first person” testimony of a church member:

“How can we partner with Christ in the unfolding of the kingdom in this community?”  that was our overarching question when we began dreaming about ministry in this neighborhood.  We spent lots of time meeting the neighbors, non-profit groups, and small business owners in the area.  [Everybody shared] our stories and listened.  Through that deep listening we began to discover synchronicities of gifts, needs, and passions… Together we transformed a storefront into a place where people can meet to collaborate … We have nonprofit partners who help pay the rent, and we are becoming known as the place where good stuff happens for the neighborhood.  On Sundays we use the space for worship, and the other days of the week the space is used for arts groups, parenting groups, yoga, community meetings, and 12-step groups.  The pastor is also the executive director of the space and chaplain for all the groups.  (Weird Church, p. 122)

This particular example is of a church who got rid of their old building and now operates out of a rented storefront.  However, other examples in the chapter speak of churches who have done similar things by keeping and renovating their old buildings.  It’s important to note that what they do with their building is dictated by the Church’s Vision for ministry and understanding of what fits best with needs of the neighborhood in which--and with whom-- they are called to minister.

Another glimpse of a church that is growing and thriving in Christ is from chapter 18; it is called “Mission Base Camp.”  Let me read a first-person account quoted in this book by someone whose church is an example of this model:

For years, our church had been advocating for LGBTQ rights--within the district of Columbia, within the U.S. military, within our denomination.  I remember the day we voted to conduct gay weddings, in holy transcendence of the denomination’s rules.  The day of the vote came after several months of conversation and discernment within the congregation.  We knew as we voted that a Yes vote risked our pastor (Dean Snyder) being removed and possibly defrocked.  Dean was fearless about the matter.  …The voting was by secret ballot…[We sang while] We watched ballot after ballot going into the box.  By the end of the fourth hymn, they certified the vote:  397 to 8, and the house erupted in cheers.  I realized that day that we were a mission base camp--a community energized by a great gospel cause, where everything we did from worship to Bible study finally called for the question “What are we going to do about it?”  (Weird Church, p. 127-8)

This chapter goes on to give other examples of churches focusing on a single mission, such as advocating for prison reform, helping to end homelessness in their area, or working to prevent suicide.  And when the mission the church has been working on gets resolved, then the church moves on to discern and address the next mission or issue they feel Christ calling them to take on.  In the words of this book, “Everything a Mission Base Camp church does, including children’s ministry, will have to be framed in terms of world impact for good.”  (Weird Church, p. 131)

The final glimpse I want to share today of new ways local churches are organizing themselves to tap into Christ’s Spirit and thrive is from Chapter 24 and it’s called, “The Seminary.”  This chapter is not talking about seminaries as we know them, formal institutes of higher learning where people go to get graduate degrees in theology and become pastors.  This chapter is talking about small churches that are organized primarily around studying the Bible.  Let me share the paragraph of testimony quoted in this book:

Before I started at my current church, I had been in and out of churches for thirty years and I still could not tell you much about the Bible.  And I never knew how much happened in history between Bible times and now.  Nor could I tell you the ways that Christianity differed from Buddhism, or how it has similarities.  That has all changed.  Not only has my faith grown in the last few years.  But I…understand how things fit together.  Being a part of a true learning community has opened my eyes to so many things about the core of what Christianity is, as well as to the insight it offers to the world for almost every challenge we face.  It also has inspired me to make some major life commitments in terms of how I want to channel my energy, my prayers, and my resources to make a difference.  (Weird Church, p. 152)

This chapter points out that this model of church is similar to the ways Jewish synagogues operated for centuries.  The main mission of these churches is to “awaken fresh, intelligent, and heartfelt faith in their students, connected with centuries of tradition that have come before us.  They trust that from that awakening God will do amazing things in students’ lives…” (Weird Church, p. 153)  These churches are described as “small and intense,” and they empower their members to intentionally live out their faith in their daily lives. 

So, these are some glimpses of “the rising church” of the future, new ways that churches are organizing themselves for ministry in the 21st century so that they can tap in to Christ’s Spirit and grow and thrive and shine the light of God’s Love out into the world.  May God be with us as we prayerfully consider how God might be leading us to become a new creation for Christ’s sake. 

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt,

Franklin Federated Church, Franklin, MA

Information for this Sunday’s Worship, September 5th

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page and in-person!)

"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Service will still be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person.

- Prelude
- Welcome
- Announcements
- Call to Worship
- Hymn: #552 Standing on the Promises
- Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Sermon: “More Glimpses of the Rising Church"(#10 in a series on the book Weird Church)
- Hymn: #555 Through It All
- Communion of the Lord’s Supper & Pastoral prayer
- Lord’s Prayer
- Benediction
- Postlude


We hope you can join us!

Link to scripture - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Hymns for Sunday, September 5th 

#552 Standing on the Promises
#555 Through It All

“Glimpses of the Rising Church" (#9 in a series on the book Weird Church)

Scripture Reading:  1 Corinthians 13:8-13 (from The Message paraphrase)

8-10 Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

11 When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

12 We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

13 But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Sermon:  :  “Glimpses of the Rising Church"

(#9 in a series on the book Weird Church)

It’s late August, and around this time every year I inevitably ask myself wistfully, “Where did the summer go?”  And then my next thought is, “Woah!  That means Fall is just around the corner!”  I said, “Woah!”  But I could just have easily said, “Wow!”  Because this time of year is full of transitions, which almost always bring with them a mix of feelings.  For many children, youth, young adults, parents, teachers, professors, there is the HUGE transition of “back to school.”  People getting used to new classrooms, new classmates, new students, sometimes entirely new schools.  For freshmen in college, there is not only a new school, but also a totally new living situation.  And for parents of college students, there is a new living situation as well!  And did I mention a mix of feelings?  Excitement, trepidation, joy, and sadness, just to name a few. 

This is the time of year when everyone realizes that in the very near future, things are going to be different, and how things are going to pan out, we don’t exactly know. 

To quote this morning’s Scripture reading, from 1 Corinthians 13, verse 12: “12 We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.”  You may be more familiar with a traditional version of this Scripture that reads, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly.”  But while this familiar version is beautifully poetic, given how much mirrors have improved in the last 2000 years, the mirror image (so to speak) has lost a lot of its impact.  I prefer the wording in The Message paraphrase of squinting in a fog or peering through a mist.  It fits better with what the Apostle Paul was trying to get across--that although we may get some glimpses, we can’t see the whole future stretched out in front of us--it remains mostly hidden. 

I’ve been doing a sermon series on this book, Weird Church, which points out that our world is in a time of transition.  The culture is rapidly changing around us, and if the church wants to continue sharing its message of God’s Love in ways that people can understand, then we’ve got to make some changes too.  For the past several weeks, I’ve talked about 7 different shifts in ministry that the church needs to make to continue sharing its message.  The implication is that if the church makes these shifts--or even some of these shifts, it’s going to look or feel rather different, which is a bit scary, isn’t it?  I mean, what if we don’t like the changes?  I am guessing that each of us has at least a part of us that resists change (I know I do!) and asks, “Can’t we just keep everything the same?”

This book answers that question with an emphatic, “No.”  Or, let me rephrase.  Actually, we can choose to keep everything the same, but if we make that choice, then, like animals who aren’t able to adapt to their changing habitats, we’re not going to be around for much longer.  To quote from page 83,

“Most of the churches that are designed for yesterday will vanish like the dinosaurs, and possibly more quickly than we currently expect.  One particular type of church that will be nearly extinct by midcentury is the denominationally based, neighborhood franchise church waiting to get its box of curriculum and offering envelopes from headquarters…  If that is your church, then we are talking in this book about the end of church as you know it!” 

I’m not going to sugarcoat it--these words are more than a bit chilling.  They are predicting that denominationally based churches, like ours, are simply not going to be around for much longer--unless we make some changes.  We need to dare to squint into that fog, peer into that mist that is our future and see if we can catch a glimpse or two of what the future may hold for us.  Not so that we can freak out at our demise--but so that we can be motivated to go in directions that are life-giving!  If we look at new, potential ways to adapt to our changing environment, we might see one or two or three new ways to do ministry in Jesus’ name that, in the words of this book, “…help to stir longing and imagination within your church’s people and kickstart you on the next phase of your journey together with God.” (Weird Church, p. 83)

This book actually looks at 19 new ways that churches can do ministry in the future in order to adapt to the way society is changing.  They give  “snapshots” or “glimpses” of each new way based on examples of actual churches that have already started to implement these new ways and are doing vibrant ministry.  The authors don’t claim that every new way will work in every setting, but they do invite us to look at them and pray about them and consider which adaptations the Spirit of God might want us to consider.  Since exploring 19 different glimpses of new ways to “do” church is not feasible in one--or a few--13-minute sermons, I will present only a handful of “glimpses of the rising church” over the next couple of weeks--a sampling that may stir longing and imagination.  (And, by the way, the authors call it “rising” church as a reminder that our faith is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus and the power of God to bring new life to any situation.)  Let’s briefly look at 3 glimpses today. 

[NOTE to readers:  In the next pages of this sermon, I am summarizing different chapters in Weird Church, using a combination of the authors’ words and my own.]

One “glimpse of the rising church” is called “simple cell.”    Some people also call these churches “house churches” because they consist of groups that meet, primarily, in people’s homes.  The groups may be connected to a larger organization, or they may just pop up independently.  Each group forms their own practices and rituals, and “Their monthly rhythms often include worship, fellowship, learning, and mission.”  Here is a description of a simple cell church from the point of view of someone who is “spiritual but not religious” who has newly started participating in one:

“I wasn’t sure what I was getting into.  My friend invited me over to her house church on a Thursday evening and I met a bunch of people who intrigued me…  I have found a safe place to ask questions about all the things that I find offensive about religion…  We do all kinds of things together, like watching movies and talking about them, cooking meals together, gardening for our local food pantry, and serving meals at the local shelter…  Each of us takes turns sharing our gifts and interests, leading, and hosting.  I like how we read the Bible.  They call it lectio divina.  I am not exactly sure what the term means, but it invites me to listen to my intuition and to the wisdom of the group… we are on a journey together and I like that.”  (Weird church, p. 89)

This book points out that this simple cell, house church model may be foreign to most of us in our culture, but it is a configuration of church that allowed Christians to thrive for hundreds of years, particularly in times of persecution.  It was also the form that John Wesley followed in the Methodist movement back in the 18th century.  As I read the above description, I thought it sounded somewhat similar to the “connect group” concept you have here at FFC.

Another “glimpse of the rising church” is called “Dinner Party.”  Here’s a description of one such weekly gathering that takes place in an old church basement.  The description is written from the point of view of someone who came to this church for the first time, having been invited by a friend:

“There were about forty people gathered, everyone so friendly, so relaxed.  It was like a good dinner party.  Then came the Trader Joe’s wine bottles, and a toast to Jesus… And the breaking of these magnificent loaves of bread…A couple of guys had worked all afternoon in the kitchen preparing soup and bread.  As we ate, there was Bible reading, poetry, music, and people telling stories from their lives…  You could not stop the conversation.  It was so interesting, so honest…  The pastor finally talked a bit--I guess it was a sermon.  It was funny, and it was about life.  When the evening came to a close, I thought it had been the shortest church service ever--but I looked at my watch to see that two hours had passed.” (Weird Church, p. 95)

One thing the authors point out about this form of church is that it is very easy to have it be multi-generational.  This “dinner party” form of church seemed to me like the old church potluck dinner combined with Bible study, song and sharing.

The final glimpse of the rising church that I wanted to mention today is called “Community-Based Enterprise” where a church starts some sort of regular, on-going business venture that “builds up” the community around the church while at the same time making money to supplement their budget.  The type of business venture varies, of course, depending on the needs of the community in which the church is situated.  Some real-life examples include: 

·        Baking bread and selling it at a local farmers’ market

·        Creating marketable crafts and selling them regularly

·        Building websites for nonprofits

·        Having a pumpkin farm

·        Starting a coffee shop

·        Running a thrift store

·        Housing a pre-school

·        Turning the church sanctuary into a climbing center (this church now holds their weekly worship services in the banquet room of a popular local restaurant, which actually increased their worship attendance!)

It is important to note that this “Community-Based Enterprise” model is not easy.  One pastor--the one with the church who created the pumpkin farm--describes this ministry as a constant “hustle.”  It is not for low-energy leaders.   Many of the business ventures involve “repurposing  buildings in ways that build community relationships and create cash flow,” which requires not only a lot of work, but also the willingness of the congregation as a whole to “think outside of the box” and prioritize what is most important to them. 

Enough glimpses for today.  I invite you to hold these glimpses--and others from the book-- in prayer.  To picture yourself as “squinting into a mist, peering into fog,” being led by the Holy Spirit.  Ask yourself, “What does God want me to see?  Are there any elements of these glimpses that stir my imagination and longing?”  And, remember that as long as we ground ourselves in the faith, hope, and Love of God, God will guide us into the future in ways that bless our church’s ministry to the community around us. 

Our closing hymn …

LET US PRAY:

O God, bless your church universal AND this local group of people called Franklin Federated Church.  Be with us as we squint into the fog and peer into the mist of our unknown future.  Help us to continue to experience the Light of your Love, and help us shine that light into our world. 

And now, O God, hear our prayers for our community, our nation and our world.

- Be with the people of Louisiana, where Hurricane Ida is forecast to arrive as Category 4.  We pray that all who are vulnerable can safely evacuate and that their homes and businesses will be spared.  

- O God, we continue to lift up to you Americans and American allies in Afghanistan--as well as the citizens of that country, particularly women, girls, and people of religious minorities who fear oppression, persecution, and even death.  Surround them with your Love and may they be protected from harm.  May there be no more terrorist attacks.

- And, God, we continue to pray for our climate, where some areas have life-threatening drought and some have devastating floods.  Help us all to make the adjustments we need to make in order to stem global warming. 

[LOOK AT PHONE]

- Moment of silence…lifting up in prayer those we hold in our hearts.. others in this room and in our livestream…  [PAUSE]

- O God, bless the sick… those who are struggling… those who are grieving…caregivers… Give them strength and healing….  In Jesus name, Amen

PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE LORD’S PRAYER

- 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 debts
As we forgive our debtors`
- And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil. 
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  AMEN

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA

Peter 4:8

What a world.....what a world! Said the Wicked Witch of the West, from the movie Wizard of Oz (like she knew anything about catastrophes), "How about a little fire, scarecrow?" We got that! WILDFIRES and FLOODS and PESTILENCE (murder hornets) - oh and did I mention EARTHQUAKES?
But! Would our God give us all of this without some degree of influence and skill ? Twice this year we have harnessed wealth and technology in order to leave the planet! Surely Gods forgiving nature should be passed along to us all and those that follow us. Give is part of forgive - it's that simple.

God has forgiven any times, when asked will you give?

Charity shall cover a multitude of sins - Peter 4:8

~ Bob Miller, on behalf of your Deacons

Information for this Sunday’s Outdoor Worship August 29nd, 10 am

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page and in-person!)

“"We don’t yet see things clearly…” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Service will still be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person.

- Opening Song “The Joy of the Lord"
- Welcome
- Announcements
- Call to Worship
- Hymn: #529 “I’m So Glad Jesus Lifted Me”
- Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13
- Sermon: “Glimpses of the Rising Church" (#9 in a series on the book Weird Church)
- Hymn: “Shine, Jesus, Shine”
- Pastoral prayer
- Lord’s Prayer
- Benediction
- Closing Song “What a Beautiful Name”

We hope you can join us!

Link to scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13

DETAILS:

• Please bring your own “beach” chair and sunscreen.

• Please park on the street (as the parking lot will be our seating area.)

• People with mobility issues may be dropped off at the entrance to the parking lot.

• Service will be held in the sanctuary if it rains

Hymns for Sunday, August 29th

Click on the links below to view hymns

#529 I'm So Glad, Jesus Lifted Me
― Shine, Jesus, Shine

Sermon Transcript: A Reading of "Why I Stay"

Why I stay: A prayer

christiancentury.org/article/first-person/why-i-stay-prayer

First Person

Because my yearning comes from somewhere, and that somewhere must be you.

by Debie Thomas December 20, 2016

I stay because A was for Adam, B for Bethlehem, and C for Cross, and my first classroom was a pew. Because I played hide-and-seek in the font when the preacher wasn’t looking, answered every altar call with a sprint down the aisle, and snuck the leftover communion juice from the glasses the church ladies washed on Mondays. I was hoping—I understand this now—to steal a drop more of you.

Debie Thomas

Debie Thomas is minister of lifelong formation at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, California. She blogs at Journey with Jesus.

See All Articles

Jul 5, 2017 issue

Because I love stories, and I cherish the ones I first learned in your book. Because I am Eve and the apple makes sense to me. I’m Rachel and I won’t surrender my sacred objects. I’m Leah and I long to be loved. I’m Hagar, and I will name you in the desert. I’m Miriam and I am ever watchful. I’m the bleeding woman and I need the hem of your robe. I’m Mary Magdalene and I must bear witness by your tomb. I’m Junia and my story aches to be told.

Because childhood ends but childhood hungers do not. Because you were my first house, first father, first mother, first love, first hate, first heartbreak, first safety, first terror.

Because the psalmist got it right: I was cast on you from birth. Because Peter got it even better: Lord, if I left, to whom would I go?

Because I like questions, and it turns out that you ask good ones. Because I answer when you ask, and my answers never shock you.

Why are you so afraid? (Are you kidding me?)

Do you still not understand? (Nope, not even a little bit.)

What do you want me to do for you? (Um, how much time do we have?)

Do you want to get well? (Occasionally.)

Do you love me? (I think so. Or, I want to. Or, not yet. Or . . .)

How long shall I put up with you? (A little longer, please.)

I stay because sorrow came too many times this year, and there had better be an afterward to explain it. I stood at gravesides and raged, my body betrayed me to panic, and my children knew fear and pain. Bodies failed, minds cracked, and we didn’t live happily ever.

I stay because all in all there are far too many unfinished stories, and I’d like to believe you’re neater than that. Because I yearn for so much more than I have. Because my yearning comes from somewhere, and that somewhere must be you. Because “on earth as it is in heaven” is all I’ve got, and if it’s not enough, then I am lost. Because “Death, where is thy sting?” is a mockery, but “Jesus wept” is not.

Because joy comes too, and it doesn’t look anything like I think it should. Because you hound me, and I can’t get rid of you. Because our pursuit of each other is exquisite in both directions—pleasure and pain. Because rarely—too rarely, but I’ll take what I can get—the veil parts, the ground gives way, the skies open, and my hunger for you intensifies to the breaking point of communion. The hunger itself becomes you: incarnate, shining, present. I know you then in the liturgy, in the Word, in the broken bread and spilled wine. I press my palms against ancient redwood trees, and you are there. You awe me in the mountains and at the shifting edges of the ocean. I hear you in the stillness of the forest, in the cacophony of birdsong. I feel you in the solid embrace of the people I love—their hands your hands, their eyes your eyes, their voices soft echoes of yours.

And in those moments the possibility of you grows and grows until I am unhoused and undone, almost too alive for this world. Because you are my Everlasting Almost—almost here, almost certain, almost always, almost irrefutable. You are the tenuous edge I will live and die on. Because the almost of you—heartbreaking as it is—is sweeter than any guarantee I can find in this world. Because you’re not who I thought you were, so I must wait for revelation. Because the mystery of your strangeness is a lure that calls my name. Because I thought I needed to contain you, but a tiny deity won’t bend my knee.

Because the path is winding, and you are a God worthy of perilous journeys. Because I need to wrestle, and you meet me at the river. Because this is no ordinary hunger, and your manna alone will suffice. Because you know the loneliness of the desert, and so do I. Because I will drown unless you part this water. Because the world is dark, but it shimmers at its edges.

Because I’m wild inside, and you are not a tame lion. Because you suffered, and only a suffering God can help. Because you spoke of joy, and I need to learn how to laugh.

Because I am wired to seek you, and I will not let you go. Because my ache for you is the heart of my aliveness.

Because I am still your stubborn child, and I insist on resurrection.

A version of this article first appeared at Journey With Jesus and is included in the July 5 print edition under the title “Why I stay.” The online version was edited on June 19

Information for this Sunday’s Outdoor Worship August 22nd, 10 am

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page and in-person!)

“"We don’t yet see things clearly…” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Service will still be live-streamed for all who cannot attend in person.

- Opening Song “The Joy of the Lord"
- Welcome
- Announcements
- Call to Worship
- Hymn: #529 “I’m So Glad Jesus Lifted Me”
- Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13
- Sermon: “Glimpses of the Rising Church" (#9 in a series on the book Weird Church)
- Hymn: “Shine, Jesus, Shine”
- Pastoral prayer
- Lord’s Prayer
- Benediction
- Closing Song “What a Beautiful Name”

We hope you can join us!

Link to scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:8-13

DETAILS:

• Please bring your own “beach” chair and sunscreen.

• Please park on the street (as the parking lot will be our seating area.)

• People with mobility issues may be dropped off at the entrance to the parking lot.

• Service will be held in the sanctuary if it rains

Hymns for Sunday, August 22nd

Click on the links below to view hymns

#529 I'm So Glad, Jesus Lifted Me
― Shine, Jesus, Shine

Information for this Sunday's Worship, August 15th

Information for this Sunday’s Worship
August 15th, 10 am 

(found on church website Franklinfederated.org and FaceBook page and in-person!)

ORDER OF WORSHIP (40 minutes)
- Prelude
- Welcome and Announcements
- Call to Worship
- Hymn: # 595 “Be Thou My Vision” (verses 1-2)
- Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 3:5-12 (from New Revised Standard Version)
- Sermon: "Words About Wisdom"
- Music Meditation "Lead Me, Lord" Alan Mercer
- Pastoral prayer
- Lord’s Prayer
- Hymn: #464 "God of Grace and God of Glory" (verses 1-3)
- Benediction
- Postlude

Link to Scripture: 1 Kings 3:5-12 (from New Revised Standard Version)

Covid Guidelines for Sunday Worship (Voted by Church Council on August 10th)


ActivityCurrently in place at FFCMA "Recommendation"FFC plan effective 8/15Mask wearing Not required; up to individual if they choose to wear itJuly 30, 2021 - Wear a mask when indoors even if vaccinated. Reword our signage at the door to be "We strongly encourage mask wearing for indoor gatherings based on MA guidelines" Leaders of service (including Ushers and Greeters) will wear masks unless speaking or singing.SingingSinging in sanctuary with no masksNo specific guidanceSinging will continue and it will be up to the individual if they wear a mask while they or others are singing. Social Distancing of pewsNo limiting of seatingNot AddressedThe streamers will be put back on the pews to promote social distancing. OffertoryOffertory box in Narthex Not AddressedWe will continue to use offertory box process and not pass the offertory plate

Hymns for Sunday, August 15th

Click on the links below to view hymns
#595  Be Thou My Vision
#464  God of Grace and God of Glory