Sermon: Sharing Our Stories

Scripture:  John 9:1-12; 24-25 (NRSVUE)

A Man Born Blind Receives Sight

1As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me[b] while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am he.” 10 But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+9%3A1-12&version=NRSVUE

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+9%3A24-25&version=NRSVUE

Sermon:  “Sharing Our Stories”

I am fairly certain that most of us have a handful of favorite stories we like to tell family and friends.  I know I do.  Maybe there’s a funny story about a grandchild or a pet—like when the dog ate the pot roast when no one was looking.  Or maybe there’s a heartwarming story of how you met your spouse.  Or maybe there’s a cautionary tale of something stupid you did in high school or college that you want younger family members to avoid.  We all have stories like this, don’t we?  And it can be particularly nice to tell them to people who have never heard them before because they often receive them with such relish; it’s wonderful to watch people savor our words and know we’ve added to their joy or enhanced their experience of life—even just a little bit.

The theme of our worship service today is “story,” and it’s based on chapter ___ of this book “B.L.E.S.S.”  One of the ways we can bless others is by sharing our stories with them.  This chapter in the book talks about how to share a specific type of story with others, the story of how we met Jesus.  This is the only chapter in the book where I found my theology differed quite a bit from the theology of the authors.  The authors are coming from an evangelical background, which was my background as well. 

I want to talk a little bit about the evangelical perspective of why sharing faith is important—and then move on from there to talk about how sharing stories of faith can be even more important when we come from a more inclusive or progressive understanding of Christianity.

I grew up in an evangelical, Baptist Church in Boston, where the pastor taught “witnessing” classes, and people were encouraged to hand out religious pamphlets on the Boston Common and talk to complete strangers about Jesus.  That’s not my theology—or practice-- anymore.  I started to question that theology—and the motivation behind such practices--when I was 19 years old, when I began to realize that it was based too much in fear. 

Back in my evangelical days, I felt that I had to share the story of Jesus—specifically how he died for our sins--because I was afraid that if I didn’t share it, then I would be depriving people of the only thing that could save their eternal soul.  It was a lot of pressure!  If anyone here grew up evangelical, you know what I’m talking about.  When I was a freshman in college, I felt so compelled to share my faith that I used to feel like a conversation was a failure when I didn’t mention Jesus.  Lest you think I am exaggerating, freshman year I actually had a friend say to me, “You know, Marlayna, we actually like you when you’re not talking about Jesus.”  Yikes!  I both laugh and cringe when I remember that…  It’s amazing I had any friends at all!   

As I got older (thanks be to God!) and started attending a UCC church, I discovered that there were other ways to understand the story of Jesus—his life, death, teachings—that focused more on love and less on fear and guilt.  I discovered that there were other ways to look at the Bible that took into account things like historical context and the concept of metaphor, that were still compatible with having faith. 

I discovered that it is still possible to experience the love, grace and forgiveness of God through Jesus while at the same time acknowledging that people of other religions-- and no religion—can also experience these things.  Christians don’t have a monopoly on God’s Love.  You all know that, but it was news to me when I was a young adult and finally let myself ask the question:  What kind of God would grant some people access to Love and deny others access based simply on the religious tradition they grew up in-- or their ability to believe specific doctrines?  I came to understand that there can be many paths to God, and one wonderful path is through Jesus, whose abundant welcome extends to everyone, no exception.  And that’s a great story to share!  One that the world—so used to religious people being closed-minded and intolerant—would be blessed to hear!

Yet, as I think about the concept of sharing our stories of faith with others, I think that those of us who have a more inclusive Christian theology may shy away from doing it for one main reason:  we don’t want to be mistaken for an evangelical who disrespectfully forces their beliefs on others out of fear. 

Having been that type of evangelical, believe me, there is a world of difference between someone who fearfully tries to manipulate every conversation into “let me tell you about Jesus,” AND someone who  humbly and respectfully shares only when they are asked about their experience of faith.

Today’s Scripture reading contains a great example of this type of humble, respectful response.   (I bet you wondered when I was going to get to that.)  Our reading is the story of a man who was born blind meeting Jesus and receiving his sight.  There’s a lot to unpack in this passage, and I can’t get to all of it, so I’m going to focus on the last part of it, starting in verse 8, after the man came back and was able to see.    

How does the man react to this amazing occurrence of being able to see for the first time in his life?  Let me tell you what he doesn’t do.  He doesn’t start knocking on doors with pamphlets—I mean papyrus-- in his hands.  He doesn’t walk up to complete strangers and say, “Look at me!  Check out my eyes.  Jesus fixed them!  And he can fix you, too, because you’re just as damaged as I was before I met him!” 

No.  The man does not do that at all.  He waits until people ask questions before he says anything!  When neighbors and others express curiosity about what happened, that’s when the man steps in and respectfully answers their questions.  And he doesn’t “over” share.  He isn’t hanging around waiting to get a foot in the door so he can recite a long, memorized spiel about Jesus and manipulate them into a conversion experience.  He simply answers what they ask. 

“Is this the guy who used to sit and beg?” 

“Yes, it’s me.” He says. 

And it’s not until people ask him point blank,

“…how were your eyes opened?”

that he gets into the details about Jesus and what he did.  And he relates his whole story in 2 sentences.   Verse 11:  “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.”

Simple, brief, to the point.

The same can be true for us.  As we practice our faith, God will give us opportunities to respectfully share our faith stories with others.  We don’t have to panic about it, we can keep it simple and answer people’s questions respectfully and briefly.  And if people ask us questions we don’t know how to answer-- or try to pressure us into a point of view we don’t share, like the man in today’s reading, we can admit what we don’t know, simply share our story in a sentence or two, and leave it at that.  In verse 25, when the religious leaders try to get the man to denounce Jesus as a sinner, he answers them like this:  “I do not know whether he is a sinner.  One thing I do know, though I was blind, now I see.” 

The man’s simple story of faith is a beautiful metaphor for the gift God offers to us all.  God blesses our lives by giving us new ways of seeing ourselves and the world.  God opens our eyes to see the Love that is all around us. 

One reason why it’s important to share our stories of faith--with people who ask us to share-- is that God works through us to bring insight and blessing to others. 

Maybe we don’t think that we have a story to share, but each of us does.  We are each here in this worship service because at some point in our lives, someone shared God’s Love with us—and it made a difference.

Maybe we experienced that Love through a church—through this church. 

Maybe when we walked through the door for the first time, someone greeted us and made us feel at home, and we came back because we felt we’d found a place we belonged.

Maybe when we got sick, members of our family of faith prayed for us or brought us casseroles—and we knew that no matter what happened, we wouldn’t have to face our illness alone, that there were people who cared.

Maybe an image we heard in a Scripture Reading stuck with us and became like a mantra that gets us through hard times. 

·        The image of the father welcoming home the prodigal son with open arms.

·        The image of Jesus taking children into his arms and blessing them.

·        The image of God’s everlasting arms underneath us all, holding us up through thick and thin.

Whatever our story—or stories of faith—when we share them respectfully and humbly with people in response to their questions, God can use our stories to bless others.

So, two bits of homework for you to help you articulate and share your story of faith:

1.     In one or 2 sentences, answer this question:  How has God’s love made a difference in my life?  How has God’s love made a difference in my life?  Write down your answer.

2.     Two:  pray for God to give you an opportunity to bless someone else by sharing your 2-sentence story of faith with someone who expresses an interest in hearing it.

May God be with us in this blessing exercise.

July 24th Worship

Information for this Sunday’s Worship

Seventh Sunday After Penetecost

July 24, 2022 - 10 a.m.

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

Order of Worship:

• Welcome and Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn: #480 “I Love To Tell the Story”

• A Message to Children of All Ages

• Scripture Reading: John 9:1-12; 24-25 (NRSVUE)

• Sermon: “Sharing Our Stories"

• Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

• Hymn: “Sent Forth by God’s Blessing” [from New Century Hymnal]

• Benediction

• Video Postlude “Thine Be the Glory"

Link to scripture readings: John 9:1-12; 24-25 (NRSVUE)

Hymns for July 14, 2022 

#480 “I Love To Tell the Story”
“Sent Forth by God’s Blessing” [from New Century Hymnal]

Sermon: B.L.E.S.S. - Serve

Scripture:  John 13:12-17 (NRSVUE)

12 After Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers[a] greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+13%3A12-17&version=NRSVUE

Matthew 20:28

28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+20%3A28&version=NRSVUE

It’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy—or at least, that’s the dream of summer.  And one of the quintessential symbols of that dream is the flip-flop sandal.  You see pictures of these sandals everywhere—from advertisements on the internet to stickers in the back of car windows.  I’ve even seen people wearing flip flop earrings.  (Let me clarify—I’ve seen people with small silver earrings shaped like flip flops—not actual rubber shoes hanging off the side of people’s heads…but I digress…) 

Sandals are comfortable shoes to wear in hot weather, aren’t they?  They are comfortable because so much of our feet are exposed to the outside air and cooling breezes.  But, sometimes that foot exposure can be a mixed blessing, particularly in Jesus’ day, where people either wore sandals or went barefoot in that hot, dry climate.  The BLESS book gives a compelling—and somewhat amusing-- description of what exposed feet were like back then:

In the first century, the feet were two of the dirtiest areas of the body.  Just imagine no nail clippers, no pedicures, no socks, and a culture where shoes were seldom worn.  [and] In this agrarian culture, it was almost impossible to avoid stepping into “stuff” that would make feet truly disgusting!  (BLESS, p. 98)

I think I’ll stop there.  You get the picture (probably too clearly J.)  It’s no wonder that before mealtime, members of the household and their guests always had their feet washed before sitting down to eat.  It was doubly important to do because they didn’t sit in chairs to eat back in Jesus’ time, they reclined on the floor or on cushions around tables.  So feet would have been even closer to the food-- and to the faces of those eating it than we might imagine. 

Back in that day and age, the lowest ranking person--aka servant-- in the household had the unwelcome job of being the foot-washer.  So, taking today’s reading at face value, imagine the disciples’ surprise when Jesus, in today’s scripture passage, got up from the table and started washing the disciples’ feet.  Now, since the meal was already in progress, we can probably assume that some foot-washing had already been done.  But, still, the symbolism was clear—Jesus was voluntarily taking on the position of the lowest ranking servant in the household.  And not only that, he was actually coming in close contact with people’s bunions and other unpleasant grossness!  If your reaction is revulsion, you are not alone.  Earlier in chapter 13, immediately preceding our reading, Peter—representing the rest of the disciples-- felt the same.  “No way, Lord!” he said.  “You are NEVER going to wash my feet!”   

Jesus’ response?  “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”  Commentators are quick to point out that Jesus is speaking metaphorically here.  Some say that this passage—written around 70 years after Jesus’ death-- is primarily about the meaning of baptism—of washing away sins, and that may certainly be one implication of this passage, but it is not the only implication.  The larger meaning is about relationship.  The word “part”—in Greek, meros—sometimes translated “share” actually meant “fellowship.”  (New Interpreter’s Bible Comentary, Vol. IX, p. 223)  So, Jesus is saying, “Unless I wash you, you have no fellowship with me.”  In other words, to be in fellowship with Jesus, to be in good relationship with him, involves sharing with him not just the parts of ourselves that we are proud of, not just our best selves, but also bringing to him our dirty feet.  The places in our lives that we struggle with.  The things we’ve messed up.  Our sins, if you will.  Our bad habits.  Our regrets.  In this passage, Jesus is calling his followers to bring to him the things we are ashamed of-- and wish we could change, but haven’t been able to. 

And here’s the amazing part of it all—the good news of the Gospel--Jesus says, “I want all of you.  I accept-- and love-- ALL of you.  All parts of you—the good, the bad, and the ugly, as it were.”  In this foot-washing passage, Jesus is teaching his followers what relationship is all about.  He is modeling what intimacy is:  the sharing of our whole selves with the God we see revealed in Jesus—even the parts that we are ashamed of and want to change.  Intimacy is taking a risk and being vulnerable; it’s trusting that God will not reject us—but, rather, will still embrace us with open arms-- and offer us grace and forgiveness and the opportunity for a fresh start.  It’s a powerful message, isn’t it?! 

But Jesus doesn’t leave it there.  The acceptance, love, grace and forgiveness that we receive in Jesus is exactly the blessing we are to offer to our fellow human beings.  And one way we do that--an entry point to building relationships and blessing others—is through service.

Our second scripture, from Matthew, chapter 20, verse 28, says that “The Son of Man”—another name for Jesus—came NOT to BE served, but to serve…”  This BLESS book calls that emphasis on service a “seismic paradigm shift.”  (BLESS, p. 99) 

In Jesus’ day—and it’s still the same in ours, the “higher you rise [in society] and the more power and wealth you accumulate, the more leverage you have to get others to serve you.”  (BLESS, p. 100)   As people move into the middle—or upper middle—class, often we begin to pay people to do stuff we’d rather not do, like clean our homes, mow our lawns, give us pedicures.  And I’m not saying there is anything wrong with paying for those things—or receiving payment for doing them--who doesn’t like a good pedicure or to come home to a clean house after a long day at work-- or to get paid for a task we do for someone else?!    But these are business transactions, not relationships.  Jesus’ main point here is that we are called to be in relationship with God and with one another.  And relationships, unlike the business transactions we all engage in, relationships require MUTUAL give and take, mutual service, mutual vulnerability. 

Over the past few weeks we’ve been talking about how people get to know each other—how they build relationships.  One of the ways is through eating, sharing meals together, like we talked about last week.  And listening, like we talked about the week before.  Today’s first scripture reading makes clear that building relationships also involves sharing the uncomfortable, difficult, painful parts of our lives—not sharing ONLY the celebrations.  We need to cry with each other, grieve with each other and pray with each other.  We need to apologize when we step on each other’s toes—and accept those apologies.  In a word, we need to serve each other—bring each other casseroles, send encouraging notes—metaphorically wash each other’s ugly, bare feet like Jesus has washed ours.  It’s in those times of mutual service that we truly deepen our relationships. 

And let me emphasize here, it’s mutual service.  Jesus said in our first reading from John chapter 13, verse 14, “…you ought to wash one another’s feet.”  This implies that sometimes we are the foot-washer and other times we are the foot-washee. 

As I said earlier, the way our world works is that people, in general, prefer to be the foot-washee—that is, when we move up the social ladder, we prefer to pay others to serve us by doing the stuff we don’t like to do.  (Think toilet-cleaning, lawn-mowing, etc.) 

In the Christian community, however, sometimes that preference can be reversed.  Sometimes we follow Matthew 20:28 to the extreme and we ALWAYS take the role of the servant, never letting ourselves BE served, because we think that’s what Jesus wants.  Except that it isn’t.  We need to hear John 13:14 as much as we hear Matthew 20:28.  Sometimes we need to let others serve us, to let others see our vulnerabilities, to embrace us in our pain, to forgive us when we mess up—because, otherwise, our relationships will not deepen much beyond the level of a business transaction. 

So, my friends, as we move into this new week, may we continue to pray for people, listen to them, eat with them.  And, as we listen, may God reveal ways we can serve others and be a blessing to them.  AND may God help us recognize and accept service from others.  May God help us practice saying, “yes,” graciously, when someone offers to do something for us.  We are probably all used to saying, “No, that’s okay, really, I’m all set.”  But sometimes Jesus wants us to say, “Okay.  Thank you.”  “Yes, it has been a hard week.  A meal would be nice.”  Or, “You’re right.  I could use that gift card-- or that cup of coffee or that prayer.”   

As we engage in this mutual give and take of service, may our relationships deepen, grow, and flourish in Jesus’ name.  And may we hear the words of Jesus from John 13:17:  “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” 

July 17th Worship

Information for this Sunday’s Worship

Sixth Sunday After Penetecost

July 17, 2022 - 10 a.m.

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

Order of Worship:

• Prelude

• Welcome and Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn: #490 “Sister, Let Me Be Your Servant”

• A Message to Children of All Ages

• Scripture Readings: John 13:12-17; Matthew 20:28

• Sermon: “Serve"

• Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

• Hymn: #453 “Called as Partners in Christ’s Service”

• Benediction

• Postlude

Link to scripture readings: John 13:12-17; Matthew 20:28

Hymns for July 17, 2022 
#490 “Sister, Let Me Be Your Servant”
   #453 “Called as Partners in Christ’s Service”

Sermon: "Eat"

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 9:9-13 (NRSVUE)

The Call of Matthew

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.

10 And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with Jesus and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Have you ever thought much about how you got to know your closest friends, family, companions?

For most of us, I am guessing, food was involved.  How many of us have fond memories of late-night pizza and conversation shared with the people who became our best friends in college?  Or a nice Italian dinner with a date who later became a spouse?  Or a holiday meal at the home of a parent or grandparent or close friend where family and friends lingered around the table with wine or coffee or ice cream—or all 3?!   To quote this book “Bless,” on which this sermon series is based, the authors, Dave and Jon Ferguson, say “…we often fail to recognize the power of eating—specifically the experience of eating with someone.  Something special happens when we gather at the table.”  (B.L.E.S.S., p. 77)

Jesus certainly understood this to be true.  If we read through the Gospels looking for references to eating, we will find dozens of them!  In fact, though we may never have noticed it before, a lot of Jesus’ ministry was “centered around meals.”  (B.L.E.S.S., p. 79)  A few well known examples include:

1.     The wedding feast in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus turned water into wine, his first miracle.

2.     The feeding of the 5,000 on the hillside where Jesus took one little boy’s lunch and used it to feed the multitude.

3.     The Last Supper before his crucifixion.

4.     The breakfast on the beach after his resurrection.

These are some well-known examples of Jesus sharing food with people in a way that conveyed God’s love and blessing. 

Today’s Scripture reading contains a lesser-known example of Jesus blessing people through eating with them.  It’s the calling of the disciple Matthew.  Authors Dave and Jon Ferguson point out something about this Scripture that is counter-intuitive.  After inviting Matthew to follow him as a disciple, Jesus doesn’t then sign him up for a Bible class or a discipleship webinar—or some other traditional form of education and training.  No.  Contrary what anyone might expect, the first thing Jesus does after inviting Matthew to be a disciple is to go over to Matthew’s house and join him and his friends for dinner. 

Then, as now, one of the main ways of establishing friendships was through eating with people.  But, in Jesus’ day, the act of eating with people had a lot more rules around it than we have; how one ate in public—and with whom--was connected with the ways their culture expressed honor and shame. 

One thing you most certainly did NOT do in Jesus’ day and age—if you were at all concerned about your reputation as an upstanding religious person--was to eat with “sinners.”  And, by the way, the word “sinners” as used in today’s passage was a “catch-all term for anybody who wasn’t religious or who was involved in illicit [practices, such as financial fraud or] prostitution.”  (B.L.E.S.S., p. 81)  So, flying in the face of social and religious convention, “sinners” were the exact people that Jesus sought out and established friendships with around the dinner table. 

By eating with “sinners,” Jesus was in effect declaring that he fully accepted them as part of his social group, despite their behavior that others judged to be unacceptable.  To put it even more strongly, eating with “sinners” was Jesus’ way of proclaiming that God’s mercy extends to everyone, without exception.  By sharing bread with those whom society excluded and judged, Jesus was broadcasting God’s message that ALL are worthy to receive God’s blessings. 

Sadly, the religious establishment—represented in this passage by the Pharisees—had trouble taking in this message, as is sadly true to so many religious people in Jesus’ day and ours.  They were so focused on following the rules that they missed the spiritual truth that God desires “mercy, not sacrifice.”  This quote found in verse 11 of today’s Scripture is a paraphrase of a verse from the Hebrew Scriptures, Hosea 6:6, where God says through the prophet Hosea, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”  In other words, God’s top priority is for people to reach out in love and blessing to our neighbors.  God’s top priority is not—and never was—judging people’s shortcomings and declaring them unworthy.

Following Jesus’ example and eating with our neighbors, friends, and family—regardless of whether or not we share their opinions or agree with everything they say or do-- is one way we can help others feel accepted, loved, and cared for.  Even though our culture doesn’t have the same shame and honor connotations as Jesus’ culture did, eating with people is still a powerful way to be a blessing to them. 

Just an aside here—I want to point out that the eating spoken of in today’s Scripture passage goes beyond the act of physically providing food for people who are food insecure.  Helping people who do not have enough to eat is incredibly important, and it is something we are all called to do, whether by physically providing the food and/or by helping to change the systems that shut people out of being able to adequately provide for themselves.  The Missions Team and Social Justice Team at this church help us all to do that in many ways, from working with the Food Pantry to providing sandwiches for the Common Cathedral to raising awareness of the ways racism contributes to whole groups of people not having access to healthy resources.  This passage, however, and the “Eat” chapter in the BLESS book focuses primarily on what else is provided around the table in addition to the food. 

Building on the last chapter in the book, which was entitled “Listen,” the authors point out that “listening and eating make a great combo.”  Further, in our culture when people often eat by themselves—or looking at their phones—actually eating with people and at the same time sharing a meaningful conversation is powerful!  The author’s say, “Active listening coupled with a good meal can catapult a casual acquaintance into a growing friendship.” 

In this day and age when there is such division in our country—eating together as a way of building relationships with our neighbors is one small thing we can do to help reach across the divides.  Now, I’m not talking about inviting a perfect stranger over for a cup of tea—that would be weird, possibly dangerous, and more than a bit creepy.  I’m talking about inviting a neighbor over for dessert or a work colleague out for lunch—or a friend from your exercise class out for a donut—I mean a protein shake. 

Those are all easy, organic ways to begin to expand our circles of friends and our circles of blessing.  The authors of the BLESS book point out that part of what makes eating an easy way of blessing people is that we are not trying to fit something else into our schedule.  We already eat 3 meals a day—21 meals a week—anyway.  So all we are doing is inviting someone to share one of those meals with us.  Piece of cake.  Or kale, as the case may be.  Either way, when we share meals with each other, it's a blessing.

Spiritual writer Henri Nouwen put it this way.  He said, “When we invite friends for a meal, we do much more than offer them food for their bodies.  We offer friendship, fellowship, good conversation, intimacy, and closeness.  When we say, ‘Help yourself…take some more…don’t be shy…have another glass…’ we offer our guests not only our food and drink but also ourselves.  A spiritual bond grows, and we become food and drink for one another.”  (Nouwen quoted in B.L.E.S.S., p. 85)

I want to leave you with one final thought and a challenge.  The “eat” chapter in the BLESS book asks the question, “What would it look like if you set aside just one or two meals (out of 21) every week to bless people by eating with them?  Picture a world where people are sitting together, eating, talking, listening, and connecting to one another.  [We] believe that’s a picture God is waiting to see!” (B.L.E.S.S., p. 88) 

So, here’s the challenge.  I plan to invite one of my neighbors to share some food with me and my husband Paul sometime before the end of July.  Someone in the neighborhood we’re just starting to get to know.  I wonder if you could do the same?  Invite a neighbor or friend or work colleague or someone you’re just starting to get to know to share some food with you.  Sometime before the end of July.  And when you’ve done it, let me know.  And we can celebrate together! 

July 10th Worship

Information for this Sunday’s Worship

Fifth Sunday After Penetecost 

July 10, 2022 - 10 a.m.

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

Order of Worship:  

• Prelude Song

• Welcome and Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn:  #284 “Gather Us In”

• A Message to Children of All Ages

• Scripture Reading:  Matthew 9:9-13 (NRSVUE)

• Sermon: “Eat”

• Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

• Hymn:  #424 “I’m Gonna Eat at the Welcome Table”

• Benediction

• Postlude

Link to scripture readings: Matthew 9:9-13 (NRSVUE)

Hymns for July 10, 2022 
#284  Gather Us In
#424  I'm Gonna Eat at the Welcome Table

July 3rd Worship

Information for this Sunday’s Worship

Fourth Sunday After Penetecost 
Guest Preacher - Rev. Mary Poole

July 3, 2022 - 10 a.m.

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

We will not have the capability to receive prayer requests through Facebook during Sunday’s worship service, so if you have a prayer request you would like shared during worship, please email Rev. Poole by Saturday morning:  revmarypoole@gmail.com.

Order of Worship:  

• Prelude Song: “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” (verses 1-3)

• Welcome and Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn:  #487 “Help Us Accept Each Other” (verses 1-2)

• Reading from Gratitude Book

• Scripture Reading:  Galatians 5:1, 13-15

• Sermon: “Faith of the Free?”

• Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

• Offering of Gifts

• Sacrament of Holy Communion

• Prayer of Thanksgiving

• Hymn:  #487 “Help Us Accept Each Other” (verses 3-4)

• Benediction

• Postlude Song: #720 “America the Beautiful” (verses 1-3)

Link to scripture readings: Galatians 5:1, 13-15

Hymns for July 3, 2022 
#721  My Country, 'Tis of Thee
#487  Help Us Accept Each Other
#720  O Beautiful for Spacious Skies

Sermon: “Listen”

Scripture Reading:  Luke 18:35-42

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar Near Jericho

35 As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 Then he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him, and when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me see again.” 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.”

Sermon:  “Listen”

“You and I live in a world where hardly anybody really listens to each other.”  Let me repeat that (in case someone was having trouble listening…J)  REPEAT  

This is a quote from the book B.L.E.S.S., 5 everyday ways to love your neighbor and change the world.  (p. 57) 

The authors list 5 ways we can be a blessing to our neighbors, and each way starts with a different letter that spells out the acronym, B.L.E.S.S.  Last week we looked at the way that started with the letter “B,” “Begin with prayer.  Today we look at the way that starts with the letter “L”. 

And that way is, in a word, “Listen.”  Listening to other people is a way we can be a blessing to them.  Which sounds so simple, but actually is harder to do that we may think.  Hence the author’s statement I quoted a minute ago, “You and I live in a world where hardly anybody really listens to each other.”

I bet you can think of any number of examples that support this statement, can’t you?  The first example that comes to my mind is the number of people I pass on my morning walk or bike ride who do not respond when I cheerfully say, “Good morning!”  My first reaction is always to feel a little offended—like they have purposely chosen to ignore my words.  But then I realize that they’ve got ear-buds in—or they’re looking at their phone or they’re concentrating on their dog or perhaps they just haven’t had their coffee yet…  There are any number of reasons why they simply don’t hear me…

And if I were being honest—which is what you would expect of a pastor, I realize-- I confess that sometimes I, too, have earbuds in for my walk or I go out pre-caffeine and may miss what’s going on around me.  God knows how many people have said “Good morning” to me that I haven’t listened to!

All that to say, not listening is a human foible that all of us fall into from time to time, and perhaps more so with the advent of technology that gives us 24/7 access to so many avenues of information—so many that we may be too overwhelmed to really listen to any one of them!

But, the good news is that listening is a skill we can all “develop and get better at.”  (B.L.E.S.S., p. 56)

Today’s Scripture can help us develop our listening skills.  It’s kind of like a case study in listening—with examples both of how to do it--and how not to do it. 

In our reading, Jesus and the disciples are on the move.  They are walking to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover, and they are on the road approaching Jericho, a city that was about 15 miles away from their destination.  As they travel, Jesus knows that approaching Jerusalem means that he is approaching the end of his life and ministry, a fact that the disciples have NOT yet come to comprehend, despite Jesus’ 3 attempts to explain it to them.  All that to say, I think we can assume that Jesus has A LOT on his mind as he’s walking along and may be using the travel time as an opportunity to prepare himself mentally, emotionally and spiritually for the suffering he will face. 

In contrast, the disciples walking with him are probably in a completely different head space.  As they near the end of their long journey, like any of us traveling for a holiday, they probably just want to get to Jerusalem as quickly as possible in order to start their vacation, their celebration of the Passover Holiday. 

So, to the disciples—the ones verse 39 refers to as those “in the front” of the crowd—to the disciples, the blind man who is shouting for mercy from Jesus—is an unwelcome distraction.  To the disciples, hearing the man shout is like hitting traffic, an obstruction in the roadway-- when you’re only a few miles away from your destination and you just want to get there.  The man and his heartfelt cries are nothing more than an annoyance they don’t even listen to, never mind consider stopping to deal with.  I think that if the disciples had had smart phones and they heard the man shouting, they quickly would have asked Siri to find an alternate route.  But they don’t have smartphones—so they go old school and shout back, sternly ordering the man to be quiet as they walk on by.   

But that’s not what Jesus does.  Verse 40 says when he heard the man’s shouts, “Jesus stood still.”  Jesus stood still.  It may sound obvious, but that’s the first step in listening.  When you hear a heart-felt cry, stop whatever it is you are doing—be still and focus your attention on the person who is speaking. 

Jesus then ordered the man to be brought to him.  I’m not saying that we should do that—the second step of good listening is not ordering people around.  Commentators tell us that ordering the man to be brought to him was probably a reference to a parable that Jesus had recently told—where the head of a household orders people on the margins of society—the lame and the blind, people who are poor and disabled—to be brought in to enjoy a great feast. (Luke 14)  The point of the parable being that God’s kingdom includes everyone, even—or especially-- those whom society tends to overlook and exclude.

But Back to this scripture.  When Jesus heard a heart-felt cry, he stopped and he paid attention to the one speaking.  Then he did something very profound.  He asked the man a question, verse 41, “What do you want me to do for you?”  This is a pretty amazing question, considering who’s asking it.  We might expect that Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, would already know what the man wants and just give it to him.  But that’s not the way Jesus interacts with people.  He engages them—heart, mind, body and soul.  He invites them into relationship.  He looks them in the eye and asks what they want and need.  Maybe it’s because the human part of Jesus really didn’t know what the man needed. 

Or maybe it’s because Jesus never forced his will on others.  Jesus always respected people enough to let them choose what they wanted to do.  When he called Levi the tax collector to be a disciple, Jesus issued a simple invitation:  Follow me.  When the rich, young ruler was having trouble leaving his possessions behind, Jesus didn’t demand he hand them over—or send the disciples to his house to clear it out--he let the rich man make the decision to walk away.  Jesus didn’t even stop Judas—the one who handed him over to the authorities—from making his destructive choice, despite the very dire consequences.

My point?  Jesus modeled for us what listening involves.  Listening always involves an intentional choice to stop what we’re doing, be still and focus on another person.  Listening involves asking the other person what they need, not arrogantly assuming that we know what they are going to say or that we know better than they do what’s best for them.  In short, listening involves entering into relationship with others and hearing their pains and their joys—helping them get what they want and need--not forcing them to do what we think they should do.

The authors of this book say that listening is one of the ways we can love our neighbors and be a blessing to them.  They quote pastoral counselor David Augsburger who said, “Being heard is as close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.”  REPEAT.  (B.L.E.S.S., p. 56)   

I was thinking about this as I listened to the news this week about people’s reactions to the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade.  I hope that people will consider joining me via Zoom on Wednesday night to talk about our reactions to the decision and which Scriptures might have bearing on the topic of abortion.  I’m not going to talk about that right now. 

But what I do want to talk about in regard to that decision is how we listen to each other.  Years ago, there was a woman in one of the congregations I served who defined herself as “pro-life” in terms of abortion and everything else.  Yet, contrary to some stereotypes, she was incredibly respectful to people who interpreted the Scriptures different from the way she did—she understood that abortion was a complex issue, and while she was glad to share what she believed and why, she never tried to force her opinion on others. Rather, in both her job and her volunteer work, she listened to what others needed, and she dedicated herself to caring for people whom others cast aside.  She’s one of the most loving people I have ever met.

I contrast that with another voice I heard on the radio this week who also defined himself as “pro-life,” a former politician from Mississippi reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision.  When a reporter asked him what he would say to a woman who was pro-choice, he responded that he would tell her “to get down on her knees and pray to God to open her heart” so that her mind would change.  (NPR, Friday afternoon, June 24th.)  My first reaction to this comment was, “Thank God I live in Massachusetts!”  My second reaction—okay, maybe it was my third or fourth-- was a prayer, “O God, help me to follow Jesus and always ask people what they need, rather than assuming that I already know.” 

Whether we define ourselves as pro-life or pro-choice, the important thing is to listen and talk respectfully to each other, explain our reasoning, share our data and try to understand others’ point of view.  And we have an opportunity to do that around this issue, if we wish, on Wednesday night.

“Being heard is as close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.”  Let us follow the example of Jesus and truly listen to what people are telling us they need.

June 26th Outdoor Worship

Information for this Sunday’s
OUTDOOR WORSHIP

Third Sunday After Penetecost

June 26, 2022 - 10 a.m

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

Order of Worship: Order of Worship:

• Special Music: “We Are One (In the Father’s Love)"

• Welcome and Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn: #586 “Open My Eyes, That I May See”

• A Message to Children of All Ages

• Sung Response: #305 “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying"

• Scripture Reading: Luke 18:35-42

• Sermon: “Listen"

• Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

• Hymn: "Day by Day"

• Benediction

• Special Music: “Lord You Hear the Cry (Lord Have Mercy)”

Link to scripture readings: Luke 18:35-42

Hymns for June 26, 2022 
#586  Open My Eyes, That I May See
#305  Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying
—  Day by Day

June 19th Worship

Information for this Sunday’s Worship

Second Sunday After Penetecost

Father's Day

June 19, 2022 - 10 a.m.

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

Order of Worship:

• Prelude

• Welcome and Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn: #570 “Sweet Hour of Prayer!”

• A Message to Children of All Ages

• Scripture Reading: Luke 6:12-16

• Sermon: “Begin with Prayer"

• Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

• Hymn: #575 Come and Find the Quiet Center

• Benediction

• Postlude

Link to scripture readings: Luke 6:12-16

Hymns for June 19, 2022 
#570  Sweet Hour of Prayer!
#575  Come and Find the Quiet Center

Sermon: “Blessed to Be a Blessing”

Scripture Readings:

Genesis 12:1-3  - The Call of Abram

1Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Mark 12:28-31 - The First Commandment

28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Sermon:  “Blessed to Be a Blessing”

 Our Church PURPOSE STATEMENT reads like this:  Franklin Federated Church is a Community of Abundant Welcome to All, Growing Together in Christ and Serving with Love.

Our Church Vision Statement expands on that and describes what we will seek to be and do in the next few years, starting now.  

Following Christ and led by the Holy Spirit, we articulated that “We will be both inward and outward focused--taking care of the needs of people who are already part of the congregation in order to equip ourselves to reach out and connect with new people and partner with others to meet the needs of the wider community.” 

It is a wonderful Vision Statement, very much in line with the teachings of Christ and the Hebrew Scriptures.  (And, just to review, a Transition Team put together this Statement based on a series of meetings held in 2020 and 2021 where the congregation reviewed your history, articulated hopes and dreams, and discerned what God was calling you to do and be.  The Vision was edited by Council and presented to the congregation for feedback.)

Last month I met with a few volunteers from your Church Council to put together an Implementation Plan, so you could put your wonderful Vision into action.  As we reviewed the Vision and the activities that groups in the church are doing this year, the volunteers noticed a couple things.  Let me share them with you:

1.     Most of our current church activities are more inward focused than outward focused.

2.     To fulfill the Vision God is calling us to, we need a better balance of inward and outward focus.  In other words, we need to stretch ourselves to be more outward focused.  We need to think intentionally about it.

Then someone who was part of the group of volunteers working with me to put the Vision into action said something like this, “I think we may need some sort of training regarding how to be more outward focused.  We each may need to learn how to better articulate what our own faith is, why faith is important, and how to communicate that respectfully to others.”  And the other volunteers from council, working with me, agreed. 

And, then, being even more specific, someone said, ”A sermon series on ’How would you invite your neighbor to church and why would you want to?‘ might be helpful.“

That last bit sounded like a hint to me....  So I made the mistake of praying about it—I mean, I joyfully lifted it up to God in prayer.  I prayed something to the effect of, “Lord, I’ve never preached a sermon series like this before; I’m going to need your help.  But, no rush, Lord.  I’ve got other things to preach about.”  Wouldn’t you know it, a few weeks later, my husband –a church consultant--is reading this book called, “B.L.E.S.S.:  5 Everyday Ways To Love Your Neighbor and Change the World.”  I pick up the book and read the back cover that says, and I quote:

When you’ve been transformed by God’s love, you can’t help but want others to experience the same grace and freedom.  But how do you share it without scaring them away or offending them? 

          …what if there were an organic, authentic way to share your faith with your friends, neighbors, and coworkers?

          Dave and Jon Ferguson have found five simple, straightforward practices that will allow any believer to do just that.  And by consistently living them out, you can affect not just individual lives but your entire neighborhood and community—one person at a time.

Wow!  The book sounded like it was EXACTLY what the volunteers from Church Council were asking for in a sermon series!!  What an incredible answer to prayer!!  (God is good—all the time.)

So I read the book, and I loved it!  (I hope that those of you who are reading it will love it too. ) It’s all about how we are all blessed by God to BE a blessing to others. 

Everything the book says is based on the foundational Scriptures of our faith, two of which we’ve read today.  These Scriptures make clear that God wants us to have an outward focus—to care for our neighbors as much as we care for ourselves.

In our reading from Mark, Jesus sums up what the most important commandments are in all of Scripture.  I bet we know this reading by heart.  Basically, it’s this:  “Love God and Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Today, I want to focus on the “love your neighbor” part.  The authors of this book—brothers Dave and Jon Ferguson, who are pastors of a church-- point out that the commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself” appears in the Bible 8 times.  And then, focusing on the fact that it is written as an imperative, they say, “Jesus knew that if he didn’t make it a command, we’d treat it as optional.”  Which would be very human of us.  I know I prioritize commands above suggestions, and I bet I’m not the only one…

Their point?  Loving our neighbors is not optional.  Jesus makes clear that we need to “find time, make sacrifices, and be intentional” about loving our neighbors as ourselves.  (B.L.E.S.S., p. xx)  Or, to use words from our Purpose Statement, we—each and all-- need to work at having an outward focus as well as an inward one—because that’s what God wants. 

And having an outward focus involves sharing God’s Love through both deeds and words. 

Most of us are probably fairly comfortable sharing God’s love through good deeds.  In fact, we may even quote the old line, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.”  That quote has been attributed to St. Frances of Assisi, but there’s no evidence Francis actually said it.  However, I’d say that attributing it is beside the point, because, most of the time--at least, speaking for myself—when we quote it, we do so because we are looking for an excuse not to talk about our faith.

The authors of this book don’t let us off the hook.  Using words to express how God’s grace, healing, joy, forgiveness, strength (whatever word you might choose at any given time) makes a difference in our lives is an important part of how we love our neighbors.  In fact, we do our neighbors a disservice if we don’t let them know that our grace, healing, joy, forgiveness and strength come from God and theirs can too. 

The good news found in the pages of this book is that sharing our faith through words doesn’t have to be pushy, scary, difficult, or awkward.  In case we have doubts about that, the authors reassure us by referring to data from studies that have been done.  Research—in this case, done by Gallup--shows 87% of Americans believe in God.  Further, 1 in 4 non-Christians are curious about what Christianity might mean in their lives.  And--I love this statistic—79% of unreligious people agreed with the statement, “I don’t mind talking to a friend about their faith if they value it.”  (B.L.E.S.S., p. 8)

The book then goes on to make the case that people are actually looking for friends with whom they can explore spiritual matters.  Isn’t that good news?!  People are looking for friends who can listen without judgment, allow them to draw their own conclusions, and confidently share their own perspective.  [REPEAT]  Wow!  I think we can all vouch for the fact that when WE find friends like this in our own lives, it is one of God’s greatest blessings!

And, speaking of blessings, this brings us to our other scripture reading, the one from Genesis chapter 12, The Call of Abram.  Abram-- whom God later renamed Abraham--is the patriarch of 3 religions:  Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.  God makes clear to Abraham that he is blessed—not so that he can hoard God’s blessings to himself or just enjoy them with the small circle of his own family—no.  God blesses Abraham so that he can share his blessings abundantly--with the whole world.  In verses 2 and 3, God says, “I will bless you so that you will be a blessing…in you, ALL the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  Wow!  Talk about a Vision of abundant welcome!

But back to this book.  The authors—brothers and pastors Dave and John Ferguson identify 5 every day ways we –people who love God and don’t want to be pushy or disrespectful--can love our neighbors and change the world. 

They’ve made the 5 ways easy to remember, because each one starts with a letter that spells out the acronym B.L.E.S.S.

Begin with Prayer

Listen

Eat

Serve

Story

In this sermon series, I’ll be looking at one each week.  Next week’s topic will be “Begin with Prayer.” 

And let me make another plug for the book here.  At the end of each chapter, there are a series of discussion questions.  I’ll be in the faith development room each week after worship, and we’ll discuss the sermon and a question or two per chapter.  Even if your schedule or geographic location doesn’t allow you to join that discussion, you can still answer the questions if you want as a way of putting your faith into action.  (And if there’s enough interest, we can even have one or two on-line discussions.  Let me know.)

So, may God be working in us this week to both look inward and notice the ways God has blessed us—and then to begin to look outward to be aware of the people around us whom God might be calling us to bless…

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA

June 12th Worship

Information for this Sunday’s Worship

First Sunday After Penetecost
June 12, 2022 - 10 a.m.

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

Order of Worship:

• Prelude

• Welcome and Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn: #494 “They’ll Know We Are Christians”

• A Message to Children of All Ages

• Scripture Readings: Genesis 12:1-3; Mark 12:28-31

• Sermon: “Blessed To Be a Blessing"

• Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

• Offering

• Doxology

• Hymn: #487 “Help Us Accept Each Other”

• Benediction

• Postlude

Link to scripture readings: Genesis 12:1-3; Mark 12:28-31

Hymns for June 12, 2022 
#494  They'll Know We Are Christians
#487  Help Us Accept Each Other

Sermon: “Connection in the Midst of Conflict”

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Sermon:  “Connection in the Midst of Conflict”

When I was doing my doctoral work in Chicago, I attended a number of African American worship services.  It was there I learned the responsive call to worship, where the pastor would say, “God is good,” and the congregation would reply, “All the time.”  (We can try that if you want:  God is good.  All the time.) 

At one service I attended in Chicago, after this call to worship, the pastor said something like, “Now turn to your neighbor, and tell them one way God has been good to you this week.”  (Don’t worry, I’m not going to make you try that right now.  But it’s a good idea for future, isn’t it?)

I’ve got to admit that the “talk with your neighbor” thing kind of caught me off guard when he said it.  I mean, it’s just not something that’s been part of my worship tradition.   But I knew what the pastor was trying to do.  He was trying to get his congregation to connect with each other and talk about the goodness of God.

Something similar is happening in our Scripture reading this morning.  The followers of Jesus—along with devout Jewish people from all over the Roman Empire, had come to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost.  At the time, Pentecost was a harvest festival—“…one of three pilgrimage feasts when the entire household of Israel gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the goodness of God…”  (New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. X, p. 53.)  (Later, beginning in the second century of the common era, the festival evolved to also become a celebration of God giving the Torah to Moses.)  (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shavuot)

But Pentecost this particular year turned out a little differently from all the years previous.  This particular year, shortly after Jesus ascended into heaven, a miracle occurs.  While the disciples are “all together in one place, suddenly there came a sound, like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue [of fire] rested on each of them.  And they began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” 

Now, let me stop here for a moment and say that there are different interpretations and understandings of this Scripture reading.  Some people take it literally; some metaphorically; and some see it as a combination of the two.  The differences in interpretation come partly from recent scholarship that gives compelling evidence that the Book of Acts was written in the second century of the common era and was intended to be read more as metaphor, not as a factual, eye-witness account of the event.  (https://www.westarinstitute.org/blog/when-was-acts-written-not-in-first-century/)

Regardless of whether we take this event literally or not, there are many things we can learn from it.  One important thing I believe we can learn is that the Spirit of God enables communication and connection between people of very different backgrounds. 

We’re told that people from all over the Roman empire—

—in their own languages they heard the disciples speaking about God’s deeds of power. 

Now, this list of places from all over the Roman empire (that Sue read beautifully, despite the hard-to-pronounce names!) might not mean much to us now, since many of these geographic regions now go by different names, but it might mean something to us if we looked up and located on a map what these places are called today.  So I Googled them.  If the writer of Acts were writing today, his (or her) list of regions would have included what we now know today as Italy, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq.   Quite a list, wouldn’t you say?

And although these regions, at the time, were united under Roman rule, it didn’t mean that the people back then got along any better than they do today.  In fact, even in Jesus’ day, many of these regions had been warring with each other for centuries!  Yet, devout Jewish people from these sometimes hostile nations would come together once a year, for the Feast of Pentecost.  They would gather to share their gratitude and celebrate the goodness of God.  However, when they did so, we can assume that the groups from each nation, though united by a shared faith, would remain somewhat isolated from each other because, not only were their nations traditionally enemies, but also they were separated from each other by a language barrier. 

Yet in breaks the power of the Holy Spirit of God, and suddenly a rag-tag group of Galilean fishermen and other unsavory characters can be heard speaking in the native language of every country—friend or foe--that was represented by the people gathered for the Feast. 

And here’s a miracle:  the Holy Spirit got people from warring countries talking with each other.  Connection in the midst of conflict. 

When I read this Scripture this week, I was aware, that conflict and wars are still going on, even centuries later, between the regions listed here--and, of course, between regions that are not listed in this passage.  And, as we are all also painfully aware, conflicts are also going on within countries.  All over the globe, including our own country, men, women and children—military and civilian--die by violent means every day, even when countries are not at war.  It’s heart-breaking.

Doesn’t it make you yearn for a literal miracle, another literal in-breaking of the Holy Spirit, where enemies stop fighting and start talking?  Where connection is made in the midst of conflict?  

Now, my guess is that probably today there is not going to be another literal Pentecost miracle.  Not that God is incapable of performing such a miracle, but chances are newspaper headlines for tomorrow will NOT be:

·        Washington DC: National Cathedral shaken by Violent Wind

·        Unexplained Tongues of Fire Appear above the Heads of Worshippers Worldwide

·         Democrats and Republicans Actually Seen Talking Together

·        Language Barriers Overcome 

·        Common Ground Identified on Several Important Issues

·         World Peace Within Reach!

 That would be awesome! but probably it won’t happen today. 

But this doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit has stopped working.  I think it means that we, current-day followers of God and Christ, regardless of geographical region or political persuasion have to be more actively engaged with the Spirit.  We have to ask the Spirit to work through us as we step out and make connections with other people.  We can’t just wait for leaders to fix the world for us.  We too have to be actively involved to lay the groundwork for our leaders and the Holy Spirit to build upon.

I think this is what the African American preacher was trying to get us to do in the worship service that I talked about at the beginning of this sermon.  When he said, “Turn to your neighbor and tell them how God has been good to you this week.”  He was trying to get us to connect with each other.  He wasn’t sending us to Iraq or Moscow or even across the aisle to connect with our enemies, he was trying to get us to first practice connecting with our brothers and sisters in the faith.

I think he was onto something.  So often conversations in our society, even with people who sit next to us in the pew, are primarily superficial.  “Hi, how’re ya doin?”  “Fine, thanks, and you?”  Don’t get me wrong, that’s a good start, but often it stops there.  If we have trouble getting beyond surface-level conversation with people with whom we have a lot in common, how are we ever going to work up to talking to people who are very different from us? 

I think this is where the Holy Spirit comes in.  We can start by asking the Holy Spirit to be in our conversations as we begin to talk with people we know about the goodness of God.

In that African American service where the pastor said “turn to your neighbor and tell them how God has been good to you this week.”  I confess that my first impulse, as an introvert, was to get up and run out of the sanctuary.  But I was in the middle of a pew, so I stayed, and I turned to the woman next to me, whom I didn’t know, and she smiled, and she started telling me about how she was thankful that God had seen her through a recent illness.  And as she spoke, I relaxed, and I was able to tell her about how God had helped me develop new friendships with people in my Doctoral Program.  And when the pastor said, “All right everyone, stop talking, time to get back to worship,” I’ve got to tell you that none of us wanted to stop talking! 

My friends, the Holy Spirit of God is still active and working in the world.  May we allow the Spirit to work through us to help us form connections, even in the midst of conflict.  One way we can begin to do that is by being aware of what we are thankful for.  So, I invite you to take a minute now, and during our prayer time, to write down one thing you are thankful for on the sticker attached to your bulletin.  And, if you want, after the prayer, when the offering plate is passed, you may put the sticker into the plate to become part of our Church Gratitude Book. 

May we use our statements of gratitude as a basis for conversation this week, sharing what we are thankful for with our neighbors, as a way of making connections even in the midst of conflict.

God is good.  All the time.  Let us claim that promise. 

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA 

Peephole for Pentecost

“Did it really happen?” All too often we Christians try to fact check our Biblical texts as if they were newspaper accounts. (As a student of history, I plead guilty to such exercises, even as I argue they are futile.) If we insist on factual accuracy, we can miss the really important point: the meaning of the story.
So it is with the story of Pentecost which we find in Chapter 2 of the Acts of the Apostles, long believed to be a sequel written by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. Current research concludes that Acts was written about 125 C.E., too late to be a first-hand account by someone who actually knew Jesus. According to the author of Luke-Acts, the disciples were in Jerusalem for Shavuot, the Jewish Feast of Weeks, the beginning of the grain harvest seven weeks or fifty days after Passover. Shavuot was celebrated as God’s giving the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai, in effect the birthday of Judaism.
According to Acts, Peter and the other disciples spoke with tongues of fire over their heads while their words were heard in many languages, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This “event” is considered to be the birthday of the Christian church (although “Christian” and “church” were not actually used until long afterward.”)
Pentecost is Christianity’s foundation myth, the first fruits of Jesus’ ministry and sacrifice. (Remember that “myth” does not mean falsehood; it points to something greater than literal truth. It embodies an idea, a principle, something huge and all-encompassing.)
Does it matter whether Pentecost really happened that way? I don’t think so. The important thing is that the disciples, grieving and confused after the traumatic loss of their leader, squared their shoulders and took up the burden of spreading the life-giving message far beyond the small group who had actually known the human Jesus.
Sunday, June 5 marks the birthday of Judaism and the birthday of Christianity. I’m going to wear red to celebrate the day. I hope you will, too.

Lyn Pickhover, Celebrating

June 5th Worship

Information for this Sunday’s Worship

Penetecost
June 5, 2022 - 10 a.m.

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

Order of Worship:

• Prelude

• Welcome and Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn: #241 "Holy Spirit, Truth Divine”

• A Reading from Our Church Gratitude Book

• A Message to Children of All Ages

• Scripture Reading: Acts 2:1-13

• Sermon: "Connections in the Midst of Conflict"

• Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

• Offering of Gifts and Gratitude

• Communion of the Lord's Supper

• Hymn: #249 "Spirit”

• Benediction

• Postlude: "Shine, Jesus, Shine"

• Slideshow Honoring Graduates

June 5th is Pentecost Sunday, when churches all over the world celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the "Birthday" of the church. The traditional color for Pentecost is red, so we invite you, if you wish, to wear red clothing to worship in celebration!

Link to scripture: Acts 2:1-13

Hymns for June 5, 2022 

#241 Holy Spirit, Truth Divine
#249 Spirit

May 29th Worship - Hymn Sing

Information for this Sunday’s Worship

Seventh Sunday of Eastertide
May 29, 2022 - 10 a.m.
HYMN SING

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

Order of Worship:

• Prelude

• Welcome and Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn: #4 "Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty”

• A Message to Children of All Ages

• Scripture Reading: Psalm 150

• HYMN SING

• Pastoral Prayer

• Lord’s Prayer

• Hymn: #722 "This Is My Song”

• Benediction

• Singing Postlude: "Shine, Jesus, Shine"

Link to scripture:  Psalm 150

Looking ahead: June 5th is Pentecost Sunday, when churches all over the world celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the "Birthday" of the church. The traditional color for Pentecost is red, so we invite you, if you wish, to wear red clothing to worship in celebration!

Hymns for May 29, 2022

#4 Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
#720 O Beautiful for Spacious Skies
#53 Morning Has Broken
#658 Restless Weaver
#227 In the Garden
#59 This Is My Father’s World
— De colores (Sing of Colors) - TNCH
#75 I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry
#56 For the Beauty of the Earth
#2 Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
#86 Great Is Thy Faithfulness
#33 How Great Thou Art
#546 Amazing Grace!
#722 This Is My Song
— Shine, Jesus, Shine

Summary of Rev. Marlayna Schmidt’s 5/22/22 sermon

Summary of Rev. Marlayna Schmidt’s 5/22/22 sermon:   Some things we can learn from Acts 16 about the Spirit’s leadership and how we might respond to it in our lives:

1.      Even the most devout Christians run into obstacles, despite sincere hearts and fervent prayers.  So, when doors are closed in our faces and our plans are thwarted, don’t give up.  Keep praying.

2.    Paul didn’t travel on his own.  He traveled with others on his journey of faith.  So, we need to enlist others to pray for us and with us, particularly when we hit the inevitable closed doors along the way. 

3.      Prayer involves listening, not just talking.  And one way we can hear the Spirit is by listening to what our fellow travelers on the journey of faith have to say.  Paul received the vision of the man in Macedonia but he didn’t move ahead until he shared the vision with his companions and they were all “convinced” of the way. 

4.      If you set out on a new endeavor--a relationship, a job, a mission--and hit a closed door, AND, if you try altering your plans only a little bit (like Paul did at first), and it still doesn’t work, be open to the idea that the Spirit may be calling you to move beyond where you thought you were going and beyond where you feel comfortable.  In other words, sometimes the Spirit stretches us.

5.      Even if you’re not sure of the way, keep moving, and trust that the Spirit will guide you.  Not every door opens, but some will.  But we need to keep moving to find them.  It’s like if you’re in a hallway and you try one door and it doesn’t work.  You don’t just stand there staring at it, you move on and try the next one.  Trust the Spirit.

6.      Use your reasoning, build off your previous strategies, but, if they don’t work, be open to going with the flow.  If Paul had not been able to switch gears--if he kept looking for a synagogue led by men within the city walls, he would never have found one. (In fact, modern archeological work backs up the fact that there were no synagogues in ancient Philippi.  New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Vol. X, p. 230)  Instead, because Paul was open to the Spirit, he found an open air worship center outside the city led by women.  Who knew?  (The Spirit, that’s who.)  Adaptability is key.  We need to be willing to let go of our preconceived notions.  Have you ever been in a meeting and heard the words, “We’ve never done it that way before.”  The implication being “And we’re not going to try it that way now.”  That’s a death knell to ministry.  The Spirit loves to show us new ways that work even better than the old!

7.      The Spirit brings people into our lives to work as partners with us who are sometimes very different than we might expect.  In the patriarchal culture in which Paul operated, he probably wasn’t expecting that the Spirit would choose a wealthy, foreign, business woman to work with him to start a church.  So, we need to ask ourselves:  Who is God bringing into our lives to work with us on this journey of life and faith?  We need to be open to the fact that the people God calls to work with us may be completely different than those whom we have previously envisioned.  In our world today, where racial and ethnic tensions can so sadly lead to violence like we saw in Buffalo this week, it is vitally important to remember that we are all God’s children and God calls us to build bridges between people, not cause divisions.

8.      Paul always kept his primary Vision and Purpose in mind in the midst of his travels.  He knew he was called by God to proclaim the good news and strengthen the faith of the churches.  So, God calls us, as individuals and as a church community, to stick to the Vision and Purpose that God has given us.  The particular methods by which achieve our Purpose and Vision may change, but the Purpose and Vision remain constant. 

INTRODUCTION.  Today’s Scripture Reading is set by the lectionary.  It is from the Book of Acts, which tells the story of how the church grew and expanded following the resurrection of Jesus.  Today’s reading recounts part of the second missionary journey of the Apostle Paul.  As we hear these words read aloud, let us listen for how the Holy Spirit opened some doors for Paul’s ministry and closed others. 

Scripture Reading:  Acts 16:6-15 (NRSV, Updated Edition)

6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8 so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

11 We therefore set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.

Sermon: “Not Every Door Opens”

Scripture Reading:  Acts 16:6-15 (NRSV, Updated Edition)

6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; 8 so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

11 We therefore set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.

Sermon:  “Not Every Door Opens”

I had a friend, years ago, who was very funny.  She used to joke about what she would put on her tombstone after she died--just to give people walking around the cemetery something to smile about.  Here’s a few of the phrases she considered:

1.     I told you I was sick.

2.     She always said her feet were killing her but no one believed her.

And my personal favorite:

3.     It seemed like a good idea at the time.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.  I could always relate to that statement.  Not that I had many ideas that were actually dangerous, but I have, over the years, had ideas that seemed brilliant at the time, but when I got a ways down the road following my brilliant idea, a door closed in my face.  I’m guessing that many of us may have had such an experience from time to time.  Maybe we felt called to pursue a particular job or relationship or an idea for a ministry or mission that simply didn’t turn out the way we’d hoped or dreamed or prayed that it would. 

If this has ever happened to you, you are in good company.  It happened to the Apostle Paul in today’s scripture reading.

It’s really easy to get distracted by all the hard-to-pronounce names and places in our reading and miss what’s really going on, so let me take you through it.  For the next few minutes, I am going to walk you through Paul’s journey, so that we can see how the Spirit leads by opening some doors and closing others.  Then I’ll talk about what we might learn from Paul’s experience of the Spirit’s leadership.

First, some background.  Earlier in the Book of Acts, the Apostle Paul, along with his colleague, Barnabus, have traveled extensively starting churches in various cities in the regions of Syria, Cyprus, and southern Asia Minor.  https://www.conformingtojesus.com/charts-maps/en/paul's_first_journey_map.htm.  

At the end of Chapter 15, Paul decides that he wants to return to the churches that he and Barnabus had started--to check on them and see how they were doing.  It seemed like a good idea at the time, but in the process of making plans, Paul and Barnabus have a sharp disagreement and part company.  In other words, the door that Paul had anticipated opening for him, ends up closing in his face.  Barnabus sails for Cyprus, leaving Paul behind, and Paul has to alter his original idea.  Paul finds a new traveling companion--a church leader named Silas, and with the blessing of the church, they head off in a different direction.  They go through the regions of Syria and Cilicia, where Silas had already been working to strengthen the churches.  (New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. X, p. 223.) 

Now, for a while, things go really well.  Doors are opening right and left, Praise be to God!  Their ministry expands, and they pick up more traveling companions to help them in their work.  They continue their travels, and Chapter 16, vs. 5 reports that “the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.”  Woohoo! 

But just when everything seems to be coming up roses, another door slams shut.  In the first verse of our reading for today--chapter 16, verse 6--we are told that Paul and his companions were “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.”  (Just to be clear, the Asia referred to here is a province in what is now Turkey.)  We’re not told why or how the Spirit forbids them, only that she does, and so with this door closing on them, they are forced to change plans.  Which they do.  Sort of.  Truth be told, they only alter their route a little bit, head slightly northeast, to Bithynia, a neighboring region, and try to go there. 

But again the Spirit closes another door, does not allow them to enter.  I picture the Holy Spirit--who in some ancient Jewish texts is referred to in the feminine gender--I picture her with her hands on her hips saying to Paul and his companions, “Are you even listening to me?  What part of ‘I forbid you to speak the word in Asia’ do you not understand?”

At this point, after hitting a few dead ends, we might expect Paul to feel discouraged and frustrated--perhaps even angry at the Holy Spirit for leading him all the way out here only to close a bunch of doors in his face.  In fact, I might not even blame Paul if he decided to call it a day, wrap up this mission and head back home.  But he doesn’t.  He keeps moving.  Maybe he finally gets it that the Spirit forbid him to speak the word in Asia because she was calling him to go beyond Asia.  Way beyond.  So, he and his traveling companions head west--in the opposite direction from home--and travel quite a distance, ending up in a city on the coast of the Aegean Sea, where Paul has a vision, presumably, in the midst of prayer.  In the vision, Paul sees a man pleading, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 

Paul shares the vision with his companions--we know this because verse 10 reports that ALL of them become “convinced” that God has at last opened a new door and finally shown them the way forward.  So they cross the Aegean Sea and move deeper into Europe--ending up in Philippi, a leading city in Macedonia, which is now part of modern day Greece. 

I know this is a lot of detail--but bear with me.  I’ll get to what it could mean in just a minute. 

So, after the vision, we might expect all doors to be fully open and the path to be perfectly clear--but, still, it isn’t.  Paul and his companions find their plans thwarted again!  Up to this point, Paul’s general way of proclaiming the good news was to visit the local synagogue and be a guest speaker.  But, being now in very foreign territory, having traveled all the way to Europe, Paul discovers that there is no synagogue in Philippi!  Another dead end!  If I were Paul, I might just throw in the towel.  But he doesn’t.  Verse 12 reports that they remain in the city for some days.  And on the sabbath, they use their powers of reasoning and discover a group of gentile worshippers--all Women--praying outside the city gates, down by the river. 

Now, foreign, female worshippers are not their usual audience, but, by this time, Paul finally realizes that the Spirit opens doors he doesn’t expect, so he just goes with the flow.  He sits down, which, in those days, was the posture of a rabbi who was about to teach. And the person listening most intently is a wealthy, successful businesswoman named Lydia.  Verse 14 says the Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly.  Long story short, Lydia becomes the first leader of the church in Philippi.  In fact, she even becomes the main sponsor of the church, providing her home for its worship space.

So, what can we learn from all this about the Spirit’s leadership and how we might respond to it in our lives?

Let me suggest 8 things.  FYI:  8 is a lot.  You don’t have to memorize these points.  I’ve provided a sheet in the narthex for you to take home--and I will ask Michele to post a link to this sheet on the church’s facebook page tomorrow.  

1.     Even the most devout Christians run into obstacles, despite sincere hearts and fervent prayers.  So, when doors are closed in our faces and our plans are thwarted, don’t give up.  Keep praying.

2.    Paul didn’t travel on his own.  He traveled with others on his journey of faith.  So, we need to enlist others to pray for us and with us, particularly when we hit the inevitable closed doors along the way. 

3.     Prayer involves listening, not just talking.  And one way we can hear the Spirit is by listening to what our fellow travelers on the journey of faith have to say.  Paul received the vision of the man in Macedonia but he didn’t move ahead until he shared the vision with his companions and they were all “convinced” of the way. 

4.     If you set out on a new endeavor--a relationship, a job, a mission--and hit a closed door, AND, if you try altering your plans only a little bit (like Paul did at first), and it still doesn’t work, be open to the idea that the Spirit may be calling you to move beyond where you thought you were going and beyond where you feel comfortable.  In other words, sometimes the Spirit stretches us.

5.     Even if you’re not sure of the way, keep moving, and trust that the Spirit will guide you.  Not every door opens, but some will.  But we need to keep moving to find them.  It’s like if you’re in a hallway and you try one door and it doesn’t work.  You don’t just stand there staring at it, you move on and try the next one.  Trust the Spirit.

6.     Use your reasoning, build off your previous strategies, but, if they don’t work, be open to going with the flow.  If Paul had not been able to switch gears--if he kept looking for a synagogue led by men within the city walls, he would never have found one. (In fact, modern archeological work backs up the fact that there were no synagogues in ancient Philippi.  New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Vol. X, p. 230)  Instead, because Paul was open to the Spirit, he found an open air worship center outside the city led by women.  Who knew?  (The Spirit, that’s who.)  Adaptability is key.  We need to be willing to let go of our preconceived notions.  Have you ever been in a meeting and heard the words, “We’ve never done it that way before.”  The implication being “And we’re not going to try it that way now.”  That’s a death knell to ministry.  The Spirit loves to show us new ways that work even better than the old!

7.     The Spirit brings people into our lives to work as partners with us who are sometimes very different than we might expect.  In the patriarchal culture in which Paul operated, he probably wasn’t expecting that the Spirit would choose a wealthy, foreign, business woman to work with him to start a church.  So, we need to ask ourselves:  Who is God bringing into our lives to work with us on this journey of life and faith?  We need to be open to the fact that the people God calls to work with us may be completely different than those whom we have previously envisioned.  In our world today, where racial and ethnic tensions can so sadly lead to violence like we saw in Buffalo this week, it is vitally important to remember that we are all God’s children and God calls us to build bridges between people, not cause divisions.

8.     Paul always kept his primary Vision and Purpose in mind in the midst of his travels.  He knew he was called by God to proclaim the good news and strengthen the faith of the churches.  So, God calls us, as individuals and as a church community, to stick to the Vision and Purpose that God has given us.  The particular methods by which achieve our Purpose and Vision may change, but the Purpose and Vision remain constant. 

So, my friends, let us trust God to open the right doors for us on our journey of faith--as individuals and as a congregation.  Let us help each other to see the doors when they open--and let us have the courage to walk through them together.   Let us pray…

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA

    And let us be filled with joy as  ad enthusiasm as we move into God’s beautiful future. 

May 15th Worship

Information for this Sunday’s Worship

Fifth Sunday of Eastertide
May 15, 2022 - 10 a.m.

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

Order of Worship:

• Prelude

• Welcome and Announcements

• Call to Worship

• Hymn: # 70 “God of the Sparrow, God of the Whale”

• A Message to Children of All Ages

• Scripture Reading: Psalm 148

• Sermon: “Partners in Praise"

• Pastoral Prayer

• Lord’s Prayer

• Hymn: #61 “All Things Bright and Beautiful”

• Benediction

• Postlude

Link to Scripture: Psalm 148

Hymns for May 15, 2022

#70 God of the Sparrow, God of the Whale
#61 All Things Bright and Beautiful

Sermon: “God, Our Mother”

Scripture:  Psalm 23 (Contemporary language paraphrase by singer/songwriter Bobby McFerrin, dedicated to his mother)

The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all I need,

She makes me like down in green meadows,

Beside the still waters, She will lead.

She restores my soul, She rights my wrongs.

She leads me in a path of good things,

And fills my heart with songs.

Even though I walk, through a dark & dreary land,

There is nothing that can shake me,

She has said She won’t forsake me,

I’m in her hand.

She sets a table before me, in the presence of my foes,

She anoints my head with oil,

And my cup overflows.

Surely, surely goodness & kindness will follow me,

All the days of my life,

And I will live in her house,

Forever, forever & ever…

Sermon:  “God, Our Mother”

TODAY is Mother’s Day, a day to celebrate mothers and people who have played a mothering role in our lives.  Psalm 23 was one of the lectionary readings set for today, and I chose singer/songwriter Bobby McFerrin’s paraphrase of Psalm 23 for our reading because he used the feminine gender for God, and dedicated his paraphrase to his own mother.  Here’s what he said about it when he was interviewed in 2012:

[This version of] The 23rd Psalm is dedicated to my mother. She was the driving force in my religious and spiritual education, and I have so many memories of her singing in church. But I wrote it because I’d been reading the Bible one morning, and I was thinking about God’s unconditional love, about how we crave it but have so much trouble believing we can trust it, and how we can’t fully understand it. And then I left my reading and spent time with my wife and our children. Watching her with them, the way she loved them, I realized one of the ways we’re shown a glimpse of how God loves us is through our mothers. They cherish our spirits, they demand that we become our best selves, and they take care of us.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omega-institute-for-holistic-studies/bobby-mcferrin_b_1582043.html

What Bobby McFerrin said is so beautiful, isn’t it?  I quote it because he paints an inspirational picture of the way mothers can and hopefully do function in our lives.  But I quote it knowing that we live in an imperfect world, and while mothers may all aspire to cherish their children’s spirits, take care of them, and help them to be their best selves, sometimes mothers, for various reasons, are unable to do this.  And that’s painful--for the children, for the mothers themselves, for the whole family.  I want to recognize that pain--and let you know that if this was your situation--God recognizes your pain.

However, the good news of this psalm is that God, who is our ultimate mother, cherishes every member of her flock and can restore us:  body, mind and soul, regardless of any deficits we may have experienced in our lives.  Thanks be to God.

For the sermon today, I want to go through Psalm 23 and look closely at what it says about the ways God takes care of her flock.

Psalm 23 may well be the best known chapter in the whole Bible.  I think this is mainly because of Verse 4, which many of us can quote from memory:  “Yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil.  For thou art with me.”  Verse 4 affirms that God is with us during the most difficult parts of our lives--even through death--which is a powerful, beautiful, hopeful message.  Praise be to God!  But, because we focus on that one verse, that one message, almost exclusively, we may miss some of the other equally powerful, beautiful, hopeful messages in this Psalm.  So, today’s sermon will focus on the other verses and see what we can learn.

The Psalm starts out with the analogy of a shepherd taking care of the sheep. 

Verse 1:  “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  Other translations, including the Bobby McFerrin paraphrase  say, “The Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need.”

 I want to start by noticing the words “want” and “need” in these translations--because the words “want” and “need” can mean two very different things.  I may want a whole bunch of things that I don’t really need, which I think may be true of all of us.  Some of the items on my personal “want” list include:

·        an inground, heated swimming pool in my backyard;

·        a NEW bright blue, electric, mini cooper convertible;

·        a Rhodes 19 sailboat with an accessible mooring

·         

but while I may want these things, I’m fairly certain that I don’t need any of them and that God, my shepherd, is not going to supply them for me.  Not that I wouldn’t enjoy them if she did, but it's important for me to recognize that I don’t need them.

My point: verses 1-3 are talking about God supplying needs, not wants.  Basic needs. 

First for food.  God provides the sheep with green pastures not only so they can have a nice meadow to rest in--but first and foremost so they can have food to eat to sustain their bodies.  From a sheep’s perspective, green pastures are primarily for eating, secondarily for resting.  We humans may tend to forget that distinction because we get our food from other sources. 

Second.  God leads the sheep beside the still waters not primarily to provide a calm environment for them to clear their minds, meditate, or do yoga.  (When this psalm was written, Goat Yoga had not been invented yet--and sheep yoga has never been a thing, as far as I know, thanks be to God.  But I digress…)  God leads the sheep beside the still waters so they can literally quench their thirst--so they have water to drink to sustain their bodies.  God is supplying needs, not wants.

Third.  The traditional translation of verse 3 says that God leads the sheep “in paths of righteousness.”  Other versions talk about “right” paths.  Commentators agree that “right paths” is a better translation.  Which leads to the question:  “What makes a path right or wrong?” And are we talking right or wrong in a moral sense or something more practical?  J. Clinton McCann, Professor of Biblical Interpretation at a UCC seminary, makes a good case that the “right paths” being spoken of here are designated “right” in a practical sense.  In keeping with the analogy of the shepherd providing for the basic needs of the sheep, right paths are logically the ones that lead the sheep to the green pastures and still waters--places to eat and drink, where “danger is avoided and proper shelter is attained.”   (New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Vol. IV, p. 767.)

So, the analogy of God being a shepherd means that God is first and foremost concerned with supplying the basic necessities to sustain our bodies, just like a shepherd does for his/her sheep.  In fact, McCann the commentator suggests that a better translation for the shepherd “restores my soul” is the shepherd “keeps me alive.” 

Which brings us to something that this Psalm implies but doesn’t state outright:  that even though the word “my” is used a lot in this psalm, it is not just addressing the needs of an individual’s body or soul.  Saying the Lord is “my” shepherd doesn’t mean that I, as an individual, am taken out of the flock and favored.  No.  It is important to understand that this psalm was written in an era when the concept of an individual with individual rights apart from the community did not exist.  What that means is that the concern of this psalm was always for the entire community.  It was understood by the author and the initial hearers that the shepherd was concerned with meeting the basic needs of the whole flock, equitably.  Not favoring some and discriminating against others. 

So, an important implication of this Psalm is that just as God is concerned with meeting the needs of the whole flock equitably, so we too, as children of God should be concerned with equitably meeting the needs of our whole community. 

Which is brings us to verse 5, a fascinating verse.  The traditional version reads, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  We seem to have moved from the analogy of shepherd and sheep to that of a gracious host--or hostess--providing a meal in the midst of an armed conflict.  What a wild thing to think about! 

Professor McCann suggests that the wording used in verse 6 sheds light on this analogy.  Verse 6 reads “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”  The word for “follow” in Hebrew literally means “pursue,” which is something that enemies generally do in the midst of war.  But the analogy of the table with overflowing provisions implies that the “enemies have been rendered harmless.”  It is God, the gracious hostess, who pursues the flock in order to meet their needs and surround them with overflowing goodness and mercy.  Professor McCann even goes so far as to suggest that this Psalm raises the possibility that even enemies are invited to the table to experience God’s goodness and mercy, God’s steadfast love.  Wow! 

So what difference does all of this Biblical commentary make in our lives today? 

Let me suggest two main things. 

1.     We need to allow God our Mother, Our Shepherd, to restore us:  body, mind and soul.  We need to open our hearts to God in prayer and ask God, first and foremost, to meet our needs.  Because our truest identity is found in being God’s child, and when we accept that identity and make our home in God’s steadfast love, then we will truly have all that we need. 

2.     We need to follow the example of God, our mother, our shepherd, our gracious hostess, who cares for the needs of the whole flock, equitably, not just a favored few.  So, we need to share what we have with others.  If we have found green pastures and still waters--food and drink and calm places to do yoga, then we need to continue to work to make sure our fellow human beings and other creatures on this planet have the same. 

How we do this may look different in different people’s lives.  Some examples may include working to promote:

·        legislation that protects the rights of the most vulnerable or stops climate change;

·        local efforts to celebrate Juneteenth or Pride month;

·        the work of the local food pantry. 

·         

The list of ways we can help our fellow members of God’s flock is endless.  The important thing is that each of us does something to prioritize the needs of others rather than focusing only on our own needs and wants.  And I know you already are doing such things.  This Psalm reminds us why we are doing them and encourages us not to lose heart.

So, this Mother’s Day, may we allow God our Mother, in the words of today’s paraphrase, to

…restore [our] soul…right [our] wrongs,
…lead [us] in a path of good things,
And fill [our] heart with songs.

And as we do this, may God use us to bless the rest of the flock.  Let us pray…

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt

Franklin Federated Church

Franklin, MA