Sunday March 03, 2024 Worship Services “The Only Question that Matters” by Rev. Bruce L. McNeely
March 3rd, 2024
Gathering
MUSICAL OFFERING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
· Please join us in Calvin Hall following worship today for fellowship.
· The Gathering Place is open every Thursday.
· Turn Clocks ahead on March 10th.
· Lady’s Lunch Bunch March 13th 11:30am @ Yen Ching’s
· Session March 17th
· Pulse Articles Due on March 20th.
· Good Friday March 29th The Cross will be carried from Christ Episcopal to St Boniface beginning at 11:30 am Stations of the cross will begin at 12:00 pm indoors
· Easter March 31st
PRAYER REQUESTS
· JoAnn Grimm and Joan Boyd are residents of Fieldstone in DeWitt.
· To the Welcher Family as they Mourn the loss of Judy Welcher
· Bev Hermann as she prepares for knee surgery in April.
· Joan Pinkston, on hospice.
· Ellen and Keith Miller who struggle with health issues. Ellen is at Eagle Point Care Center
· For our brothers and sisters in Israel, Palestine, and Ukraine.
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
L. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
P. The decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple.
L. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
P. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
L. The ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
P. They are more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. Let us worship God!
GATHERING PRAYER Holy God, as the season of Lent continues and we trace once again the footsteps of Jesus as he made his way to Jerusalem, we pray that our devotion to him will be strong. We pray that our diligence to follow him will be steadfast. And we pray that we, as members of his body here on earth, will let our lights shine for him in all the dark places in this community and world. Hear our prayers, O God, as we seek to worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen.
HYMN When Morning Gilds the Skies #487
CALL TO CONFESSION Christ calls us to live lives in harmony with our God and our neighbors. Even our best efforts fall short. Yet our God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Trusting that abundant mercy, let us confess our sin together.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of righteousness, we confess that we have not kept your commandments. We bow down before idols, declaring our allegiance to other powers and principalities. We take your name in vain, using it to justify our own prejudices and opinions. We do not make adequate time to rest and remember your goodness, nor to revel in the delight of family and friends. We look the other way in the face of violence and oppression, misogyny and sexual assault, land grabs and unjust economic practices. Our dishonesty and greed get the better of us. Yet you gave us commandments not for condemnation, but so that we may live in justice and joy. Purify us by your righteousness and enfold us in your grace. Sanctify our intentions and actions, that our lives may begin to reflect your Beloved Community. Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
L. Hear these words of the Apostle Paul, “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” The grace of Christ is sufficient for us.
P. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Thanks be to God!
SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
PASSING THE PEACE & INTERLUDE
May the peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS Romans 8: 26-39
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake, we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
MESSAGE “The Only Question that Matters”
Karl Barth, the great Protestant theologian, once said that when people come to church on Sunday morning, they have one question on their minds, the only question that truly matters—Is it true? The promises of God, the saving power of Jesus Christ, the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit, the hope of resurrection: is it true? Can we as Christians believe the truths our faith teaches us? Can we trust in those truths and live by them? When terrible tragedy strikes, the sudden death of a loved one in an automobile accident, the young person struck down by cancer, the death and destruction wrought by tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes, that question becomes even more compelling. Are the promises of the Gospel true? Will God see us through the darkest night? Can God be trusted on the darkest day imaginable? There is, of course, another question we always ask at a time of tragedy, loss, and death, and that is the question of Why? Why did it happen? Why does a loving God allow such terrible things as accidents, cancers, suicides, and disasters to occur? In his book God's Universe, Harvard astronomer Owen Gingerich writes about "questions without answers." When Professor Gingerich was seventeen, his only brother was killed by a car while delivering newspapers on his bicycle. Decades later, Gingrich’s devout Mennonite father still agonized over why God would allow such a tragedy to befall his teenage son. Similarly, in his book The Language of God, Francis Collins, retired Director of the National Institutes of Health, wrote about his daughter's rape and how it challenged his faith. Why did God not intervene to protect his daughter? Why was the perpetrator never caught and brought to justice? Like Owen Gingrich’s father, like Francis Collins, we all have “questions without answers.” These are the questions we wrestle with late at night when sleep refuses to come. It is almost as though, in our shock and numbness, our minds demand an explanation. We are, after all, only human. We see things through a glass darkly. We want to know why bad things happen to good people who don’t do a thing to deserve the hand life has dealt them. In April Rabbi Harold Kushner died. Many of us remember reading his best-selling book of over 40 years ago, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. It’s interesting that Rabbi Kushner didn’t title the book, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People. Nowhere does either the Jewish tradition or the Christian faith give an answer to the “why” question. Read the Book of Job, for instance, and you will see that the Bible doesn’t spend time explaining why bad things happen. In a world that fell from grace a long time ago, brokenness, illness, accidents, natural disasters are all unpleasant realities of life, inevitable and universal. Because we are human, we want to know why. Because we are only human, we cannot know why. The day may come when we will know why, but not on this day, and not in this life.God knows that what we need at a time of tragedy is not an explanation. What we need is faith. What we need is assurance that good is stronger than evil, that love is more powerful than hate, that justice will ultimately prevail, and that the hope of the resurrection is, indeed, something we can count on. God knows that beneath all our whys is the only question that really matters: can God be trusted in the face of death? And so while our minds yearn to know why so many terrible, tragic things happen in this world, our souls yearn to know the answer to an even more fundamental question: can God be trusted when the trials and tribulations of life threaten all that we hold dear? That is the question the Apostle Paul addresses in the marvelous eighth chapter of his letter to the Romans, verses 26-39. This glorious passage offers us the assurance that in addition to receiving new life in Christ, the subject matter of verses 1-25, the Holy Spirit also makes the pain of life easier to bear by bringing comfort and support to those who suffer tribulation. Our text begins in verses 26-27 with the assurance of the help of the Holy Spirit in our attempts to reach the throne of grace in prayer. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. There are, of course, different kinds of prayer. The prayer prayed before a meal is different from the prayer prayed in the surgical waiting room at the hospital. The prayer before bedtime is usually nothing like the prayer uttered when life-support is removed in the ICU. The prayer at a funeral home is not like a prayer at a wedding. And a prayer at a city council meeting is not like a prayer at the Lord’s Table. Sometimes we pray because we think it is the right thing to do. Sometimes we pray because we don’t know what else to do. And sometimes we pray because our very lives depend on it. Prayers, as different as they are, change us, and some believe prayers change the circumstances around us. A lot of prayers have been whispered that have calmed many an inner storm. Often they seem to either reduce the size of the challenge before us or increase our own strength for that challenge. How many of us, in a time of shocking tragedy and sorrow, found ourselves unable to pray, unable even to mumble a few words of prayer? Anne Lamott has written that there are really only two kinds of prayer: help me, help me, help me and thank you, thank you, thank you. Yet, in those moments where we find ourselves incapable of saying either “help me” or “thank you,” Paul says the Spirit prays for us “with sighs too deep for words… according to the will of God.” Even if we are completely tongue-tied and incoherent, even if we are totally-overwhlmed by the power of grief, and even if we are totally numbed to God’s presence in our lives, God, the Searcher of hearts, is intimately aware of our needs through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Then in verses 28-30, we come to a hopeful passage that, ironically, is often interpreted in a way that crushes the hope of those who suffer. Some people read verse 28, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,” to mean that nothing bad ever happens to those who love God, as if the universe somehow rearranges itself so that those who love God experience only the good. This, however, is the opposite of what Paul means. Romans 8:28 should not be mistaken for a theology in which one’s positive actions result in positive life outcomes. Nor should we hear in Paul’s words that all things that happen in life are good in and of themselves. Don’t tell me for a second that my son’s suicide was a good thing unless you want a serious fight on your hands! No, what this verse really means is that God is at work in the world, transforming it for God’s good purposes. No matter what awful thing happens to the believer, God is mysteriously at work for the good of those who love God. We are “predestined,” says Paul, “to be conformed to the image of Christ.” Don’t get sidetracked, as some have, by theological speculation about the meaning of the term “predestination.” Just as Christ was predestined for death, resurrection, and glory, we are predestined to share fully in his life, death, and resurrection. Paul is making a correlation with verse 26. Just as we do not always know how to pray as we ought, we also do not always know what is good for us or what is bad. Do any of you remember the old Archie Campbell comedy routine from “Hee Haw” where he’s cutting Roy Clark’s hair, and he says, “My great uncle died.” “Oh, that’s bad.” “No, that’s good, he left me fifty thousand dollars.” “Oh, that’s good.” “No, that’s bad. When Internal Revenue got done I only had $25,000 left.” “Oh, that’s bad.” “No, that’s good. I took that $25,000 and did something I always wanted to do: bought me an airplane.” “Oh, that’s good.” “No, that’s bad. I was flying the other day and flew upside down and I fell out.” “Oh, that’s bad.” “No, that’s good. As I was falling through the air, I saw I was headed toward a haystack.” “Oh, that’s good.” “No, that’s bad. I saw a pitch fork pointing up in the middle of the haystack.” “Oh, that’s bad.” “No, that’s good, I missed the pitch fork.” “Oh, that’s good.” “No, that’s bad. I missed the haystack too.” The fact is, we do not always know enough to make an ultimate determination as to what is good and what is bad in our lives. Sometimes what we think is bad turns out to be for the best. Our task, says poet Christian Wiman, is "not to ask for release or rescue, but that one's will be conformed to the will of God. “Then in verses 31-39, Paul’s language rises to a crescendo of assurance and hope. The issue is framed by a series of rhetorical questions, followed by a response to each question. First question: If God is for us, who is against us? The “if” here is not “iffy;” it could just as well be translated “since.” Eugene Peterson renders Paul’s question this way: “With God on our side like this, how can we lose? Is there anything else God wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?” Second question: Who shall bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? Answer: Nobody, because God is the One who justifies and makes us right with God through the grace of Jesus Christ.Third question: Who shall condemn us? Answer: Nobody, because Christ died, was raised, and now intercedes for us before the throne of God (v. 33).Fourth question: Who shall separate us from God’s love? Answer: None of the possible candidates, because, as God’s faithful people, no matter what befalls us, no matter what tragedies strike us, “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”It reminds me of the climactic scene in the 1988 movie “The Bear.” A fierce mountain lion is stalking the orphaned grizzly cub. The cub’s life seems to be in great danger as the lion moves in for the kill. Suddenly, the cub lets out the fiercest cry it can muster. Amazingly, the mountain lion turns and runs away! The camera draws back to reveal just yards behind the cub a massive adult grizzly bear, reared up on his hind legs, delivering a fierce warning to the mountain lion. The bear cub’s enemy was great, but in the protective shadow of the great grizzly, the mountain lion was nothing. With the giant grizzly as its protector, the cub had nothing to fear. With God as our Sovereign Lord, we, too, have nothing to fear. As this marvelous chapter draws to a close, Paul pulls out all the stops and offers the reader a veritable boatload of every evil he can imagine with the power to consume and destroy human life. And he asks whether any of it can have final victory over those whose citizenship is in heaven. Can hardship, or anxiety, or starvation, or homelessness, or risk of life, or disease, or the ravages of war, can any of that, any of that, separate us from the love of Christ after what he did for us on the cross? The resounding answer is, NO! For the Good News of God’s kingdom is that when we make Jesus Christ Lord of our lives, neither death nor life, neither earthly powers nor the powers of the spirit, neither COVID-19 nor future climate catastrophe, neither systemic racism nor religious genocide, neither wildfire nor cancer, no, nothing in the highest heights or in the lowest depths of the universe, or anywhere in the whole of creation, has the power to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And so Paul gives us the answer to the only question that matters: “It is true. Christ died and was raised to life so that all who die in him might live again.” When fear, sorrow, and death beat their restless wings around us, it is true that God will lead us through the worst that life can offer. It is true that in all things God works for the good of those who love God. Probably the first prayer all of us learned was that simple children’s table grace: “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food.” On every day of your life, and especially on the worst of days of your life, may you always remember that God is great, God is good, and nothing will ever separate you, or those whom you love, from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.
HYMN O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go #384
PASTORAL PRAYER
Table-turning God, we praise you, for in taking on flesh and dwelling among us, you hallowed all human experience. We thank you for the gift of emotions- from joy to sorrow to anger. Help us to regulate our inclinations and impulses. May we always stay attuned to the guidance you give us through the feelings of our bodies, minds, and spirits.
God of holy traditions, we give you thanks for the rituals that shape our lives, give us meaning, and draw us closer to you. Enliven us and keep us from growing rigid in our sacred practices. Shake up our systems so that we may draw closer to you.
God of justice and righteousness, we pray for the healing of the nations. Guide rulers and citizens with your wisdom and compassion. Teach us to care for the poor and vulnerable. Drive out ignorance, hatred, and greed from all the earth’s peoples.
Lord Jesus Christ, whose body was and is God’s own temple, we thank you for the variety of bodies you have made in your image. Keep us always appreciative of the delightful diversity of your people. We pray for bodies that are broken, sick, weary, or growing old. Send your loving presence to all who seek healing in body, mind, or spirit.
Comfort all who are afflicted, and with the generative fire of your Holy Spirit, lovingly afflict all who are comfortable. All this we pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who taught us to pray, saying, “Our Father…”
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
OFFERING OUR GIFTS TO GOD
God’s house does not operate according to the logic of the market, but according to the abundance of God’s grace. Let us each give what we have, trusting that by God’s , it will be enough. Let us receive the morning offering.generosity
DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
We give thee but thine own, Whate’er the gift may be; All that we have is thine alone, A trust, O Lord, from thee. Amen.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day, he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
He is seated on the right hand of the Father,
And he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN Amazing Grace #280
CHARGE & BLESSING
Body of Christ, go forth from this place knowing that it is your Lord who drives you out into the world. Go forth, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to be the very place where God’s presence dwells. And as you go, may God’s grace nurture your heart, God’s justice guide your mind, and the Holy Spirit’s power fill your every breath, to the glory of our living Lord. Amen.
POSTLUDE
Gathering
MUSICAL OFFERING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
· Please join us in Calvin Hall following worship today for fellowship.
· The Gathering Place is open every Thursday.
· Turn Clocks ahead on March 10th.
· Lady’s Lunch Bunch March 13th 11:30am @ Yen Ching’s
· Session March 17th
· Pulse Articles Due on March 20th.
· Good Friday March 29th The Cross will be carried from Christ Episcopal to St Boniface beginning at 11:30 am Stations of the cross will begin at 12:00 pm indoors
· Easter March 31st
PRAYER REQUESTS
· JoAnn Grimm and Joan Boyd are residents of Fieldstone in DeWitt.
· To the Welcher Family as they Mourn the loss of Judy Welcher
· Bev Hermann as she prepares for knee surgery in April.
· Joan Pinkston, on hospice.
· Ellen and Keith Miller who struggle with health issues. Ellen is at Eagle Point Care Center
· For our brothers and sisters in Israel, Palestine, and Ukraine.
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
L. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
P. The decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple.
L. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
P. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
L. The ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
P. They are more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. Let us worship God!
GATHERING PRAYER Holy God, as the season of Lent continues and we trace once again the footsteps of Jesus as he made his way to Jerusalem, we pray that our devotion to him will be strong. We pray that our diligence to follow him will be steadfast. And we pray that we, as members of his body here on earth, will let our lights shine for him in all the dark places in this community and world. Hear our prayers, O God, as we seek to worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen.
HYMN When Morning Gilds the Skies #487
CALL TO CONFESSION Christ calls us to live lives in harmony with our God and our neighbors. Even our best efforts fall short. Yet our God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Trusting that abundant mercy, let us confess our sin together.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of righteousness, we confess that we have not kept your commandments. We bow down before idols, declaring our allegiance to other powers and principalities. We take your name in vain, using it to justify our own prejudices and opinions. We do not make adequate time to rest and remember your goodness, nor to revel in the delight of family and friends. We look the other way in the face of violence and oppression, misogyny and sexual assault, land grabs and unjust economic practices. Our dishonesty and greed get the better of us. Yet you gave us commandments not for condemnation, but so that we may live in justice and joy. Purify us by your righteousness and enfold us in your grace. Sanctify our intentions and actions, that our lives may begin to reflect your Beloved Community. Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
L. Hear these words of the Apostle Paul, “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” The grace of Christ is sufficient for us.
P. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Thanks be to God!
SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
PASSING THE PEACE & INTERLUDE
May the peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS Romans 8: 26-39
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake, we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
MESSAGE “The Only Question that Matters”
Karl Barth, the great Protestant theologian, once said that when people come to church on Sunday morning, they have one question on their minds, the only question that truly matters—Is it true? The promises of God, the saving power of Jesus Christ, the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit, the hope of resurrection: is it true? Can we as Christians believe the truths our faith teaches us? Can we trust in those truths and live by them? When terrible tragedy strikes, the sudden death of a loved one in an automobile accident, the young person struck down by cancer, the death and destruction wrought by tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes, that question becomes even more compelling. Are the promises of the Gospel true? Will God see us through the darkest night? Can God be trusted on the darkest day imaginable? There is, of course, another question we always ask at a time of tragedy, loss, and death, and that is the question of Why? Why did it happen? Why does a loving God allow such terrible things as accidents, cancers, suicides, and disasters to occur? In his book God's Universe, Harvard astronomer Owen Gingerich writes about "questions without answers." When Professor Gingerich was seventeen, his only brother was killed by a car while delivering newspapers on his bicycle. Decades later, Gingrich’s devout Mennonite father still agonized over why God would allow such a tragedy to befall his teenage son. Similarly, in his book The Language of God, Francis Collins, retired Director of the National Institutes of Health, wrote about his daughter's rape and how it challenged his faith. Why did God not intervene to protect his daughter? Why was the perpetrator never caught and brought to justice? Like Owen Gingrich’s father, like Francis Collins, we all have “questions without answers.” These are the questions we wrestle with late at night when sleep refuses to come. It is almost as though, in our shock and numbness, our minds demand an explanation. We are, after all, only human. We see things through a glass darkly. We want to know why bad things happen to good people who don’t do a thing to deserve the hand life has dealt them. In April Rabbi Harold Kushner died. Many of us remember reading his best-selling book of over 40 years ago, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. It’s interesting that Rabbi Kushner didn’t title the book, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People. Nowhere does either the Jewish tradition or the Christian faith give an answer to the “why” question. Read the Book of Job, for instance, and you will see that the Bible doesn’t spend time explaining why bad things happen. In a world that fell from grace a long time ago, brokenness, illness, accidents, natural disasters are all unpleasant realities of life, inevitable and universal. Because we are human, we want to know why. Because we are only human, we cannot know why. The day may come when we will know why, but not on this day, and not in this life.God knows that what we need at a time of tragedy is not an explanation. What we need is faith. What we need is assurance that good is stronger than evil, that love is more powerful than hate, that justice will ultimately prevail, and that the hope of the resurrection is, indeed, something we can count on. God knows that beneath all our whys is the only question that really matters: can God be trusted in the face of death? And so while our minds yearn to know why so many terrible, tragic things happen in this world, our souls yearn to know the answer to an even more fundamental question: can God be trusted when the trials and tribulations of life threaten all that we hold dear? That is the question the Apostle Paul addresses in the marvelous eighth chapter of his letter to the Romans, verses 26-39. This glorious passage offers us the assurance that in addition to receiving new life in Christ, the subject matter of verses 1-25, the Holy Spirit also makes the pain of life easier to bear by bringing comfort and support to those who suffer tribulation. Our text begins in verses 26-27 with the assurance of the help of the Holy Spirit in our attempts to reach the throne of grace in prayer. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. There are, of course, different kinds of prayer. The prayer prayed before a meal is different from the prayer prayed in the surgical waiting room at the hospital. The prayer before bedtime is usually nothing like the prayer uttered when life-support is removed in the ICU. The prayer at a funeral home is not like a prayer at a wedding. And a prayer at a city council meeting is not like a prayer at the Lord’s Table. Sometimes we pray because we think it is the right thing to do. Sometimes we pray because we don’t know what else to do. And sometimes we pray because our very lives depend on it. Prayers, as different as they are, change us, and some believe prayers change the circumstances around us. A lot of prayers have been whispered that have calmed many an inner storm. Often they seem to either reduce the size of the challenge before us or increase our own strength for that challenge. How many of us, in a time of shocking tragedy and sorrow, found ourselves unable to pray, unable even to mumble a few words of prayer? Anne Lamott has written that there are really only two kinds of prayer: help me, help me, help me and thank you, thank you, thank you. Yet, in those moments where we find ourselves incapable of saying either “help me” or “thank you,” Paul says the Spirit prays for us “with sighs too deep for words… according to the will of God.” Even if we are completely tongue-tied and incoherent, even if we are totally-overwhlmed by the power of grief, and even if we are totally numbed to God’s presence in our lives, God, the Searcher of hearts, is intimately aware of our needs through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Then in verses 28-30, we come to a hopeful passage that, ironically, is often interpreted in a way that crushes the hope of those who suffer. Some people read verse 28, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,” to mean that nothing bad ever happens to those who love God, as if the universe somehow rearranges itself so that those who love God experience only the good. This, however, is the opposite of what Paul means. Romans 8:28 should not be mistaken for a theology in which one’s positive actions result in positive life outcomes. Nor should we hear in Paul’s words that all things that happen in life are good in and of themselves. Don’t tell me for a second that my son’s suicide was a good thing unless you want a serious fight on your hands! No, what this verse really means is that God is at work in the world, transforming it for God’s good purposes. No matter what awful thing happens to the believer, God is mysteriously at work for the good of those who love God. We are “predestined,” says Paul, “to be conformed to the image of Christ.” Don’t get sidetracked, as some have, by theological speculation about the meaning of the term “predestination.” Just as Christ was predestined for death, resurrection, and glory, we are predestined to share fully in his life, death, and resurrection. Paul is making a correlation with verse 26. Just as we do not always know how to pray as we ought, we also do not always know what is good for us or what is bad. Do any of you remember the old Archie Campbell comedy routine from “Hee Haw” where he’s cutting Roy Clark’s hair, and he says, “My great uncle died.” “Oh, that’s bad.” “No, that’s good, he left me fifty thousand dollars.” “Oh, that’s good.” “No, that’s bad. When Internal Revenue got done I only had $25,000 left.” “Oh, that’s bad.” “No, that’s good. I took that $25,000 and did something I always wanted to do: bought me an airplane.” “Oh, that’s good.” “No, that’s bad. I was flying the other day and flew upside down and I fell out.” “Oh, that’s bad.” “No, that’s good. As I was falling through the air, I saw I was headed toward a haystack.” “Oh, that’s good.” “No, that’s bad. I saw a pitch fork pointing up in the middle of the haystack.” “Oh, that’s bad.” “No, that’s good, I missed the pitch fork.” “Oh, that’s good.” “No, that’s bad. I missed the haystack too.” The fact is, we do not always know enough to make an ultimate determination as to what is good and what is bad in our lives. Sometimes what we think is bad turns out to be for the best. Our task, says poet Christian Wiman, is "not to ask for release or rescue, but that one's will be conformed to the will of God. “Then in verses 31-39, Paul’s language rises to a crescendo of assurance and hope. The issue is framed by a series of rhetorical questions, followed by a response to each question. First question: If God is for us, who is against us? The “if” here is not “iffy;” it could just as well be translated “since.” Eugene Peterson renders Paul’s question this way: “With God on our side like this, how can we lose? Is there anything else God wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?” Second question: Who shall bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? Answer: Nobody, because God is the One who justifies and makes us right with God through the grace of Jesus Christ.Third question: Who shall condemn us? Answer: Nobody, because Christ died, was raised, and now intercedes for us before the throne of God (v. 33).Fourth question: Who shall separate us from God’s love? Answer: None of the possible candidates, because, as God’s faithful people, no matter what befalls us, no matter what tragedies strike us, “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”It reminds me of the climactic scene in the 1988 movie “The Bear.” A fierce mountain lion is stalking the orphaned grizzly cub. The cub’s life seems to be in great danger as the lion moves in for the kill. Suddenly, the cub lets out the fiercest cry it can muster. Amazingly, the mountain lion turns and runs away! The camera draws back to reveal just yards behind the cub a massive adult grizzly bear, reared up on his hind legs, delivering a fierce warning to the mountain lion. The bear cub’s enemy was great, but in the protective shadow of the great grizzly, the mountain lion was nothing. With the giant grizzly as its protector, the cub had nothing to fear. With God as our Sovereign Lord, we, too, have nothing to fear. As this marvelous chapter draws to a close, Paul pulls out all the stops and offers the reader a veritable boatload of every evil he can imagine with the power to consume and destroy human life. And he asks whether any of it can have final victory over those whose citizenship is in heaven. Can hardship, or anxiety, or starvation, or homelessness, or risk of life, or disease, or the ravages of war, can any of that, any of that, separate us from the love of Christ after what he did for us on the cross? The resounding answer is, NO! For the Good News of God’s kingdom is that when we make Jesus Christ Lord of our lives, neither death nor life, neither earthly powers nor the powers of the spirit, neither COVID-19 nor future climate catastrophe, neither systemic racism nor religious genocide, neither wildfire nor cancer, no, nothing in the highest heights or in the lowest depths of the universe, or anywhere in the whole of creation, has the power to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And so Paul gives us the answer to the only question that matters: “It is true. Christ died and was raised to life so that all who die in him might live again.” When fear, sorrow, and death beat their restless wings around us, it is true that God will lead us through the worst that life can offer. It is true that in all things God works for the good of those who love God. Probably the first prayer all of us learned was that simple children’s table grace: “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food.” On every day of your life, and especially on the worst of days of your life, may you always remember that God is great, God is good, and nothing will ever separate you, or those whom you love, from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.
HYMN O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go #384
PASTORAL PRAYER
Table-turning God, we praise you, for in taking on flesh and dwelling among us, you hallowed all human experience. We thank you for the gift of emotions- from joy to sorrow to anger. Help us to regulate our inclinations and impulses. May we always stay attuned to the guidance you give us through the feelings of our bodies, minds, and spirits.
God of holy traditions, we give you thanks for the rituals that shape our lives, give us meaning, and draw us closer to you. Enliven us and keep us from growing rigid in our sacred practices. Shake up our systems so that we may draw closer to you.
God of justice and righteousness, we pray for the healing of the nations. Guide rulers and citizens with your wisdom and compassion. Teach us to care for the poor and vulnerable. Drive out ignorance, hatred, and greed from all the earth’s peoples.
Lord Jesus Christ, whose body was and is God’s own temple, we thank you for the variety of bodies you have made in your image. Keep us always appreciative of the delightful diversity of your people. We pray for bodies that are broken, sick, weary, or growing old. Send your loving presence to all who seek healing in body, mind, or spirit.
Comfort all who are afflicted, and with the generative fire of your Holy Spirit, lovingly afflict all who are comfortable. All this we pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who taught us to pray, saying, “Our Father…”
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
OFFERING OUR GIFTS TO GOD
God’s house does not operate according to the logic of the market, but according to the abundance of God’s grace. Let us each give what we have, trusting that by God’s , it will be enough. Let us receive the morning offering.generosity
DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
We give thee but thine own, Whate’er the gift may be; All that we have is thine alone, A trust, O Lord, from thee. Amen.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day, he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
He is seated on the right hand of the Father,
And he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN Amazing Grace #280
CHARGE & BLESSING
Body of Christ, go forth from this place knowing that it is your Lord who drives you out into the world. Go forth, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to be the very place where God’s presence dwells. And as you go, may God’s grace nurture your heart, God’s justice guide your mind, and the Holy Spirit’s power fill your every breath, to the glory of our living Lord. Amen.
POSTLUDE
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