May 22, 2022 Worship Services "A Life Of Faith"
by Pastor Kolleen Klemmedson
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May 22, 2022
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Gathering
MUSICAL OFFERING
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Let me remind you quickly of our protocols for everyone’s safety.
· Attendance was taken by Ushers as you entered.
· Masks are required by those not vaccinated as well as social distancing
· Offerings may be placed in the plate by the doors.
· Please write your prayer request on the Yellow cards. An usher will pick them up during the 1st hymn.
· Please join us after service for fellowship in Calvin Hall
PRAYER REQUESTS
Gary Iverson, Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett, Jo Lefleur, Dr Dyke, Harlan Marx ,Lois Seger, Jon Ryner, Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Werner & Kelly Families, Avis Severson (Kolleen’s Mom), Ukraine, Arlene Pawlik, Angela and Tristan, and Karla Singer (Rich Lewis Niece)
PRELUDE
*CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 148:1-6, GNT
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from heaven, you that live in the heights above.
2 Praise him, all his angels, all his heavenly armies.
3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, shining stars.
4 Praise him, highest heavens, and the waters above the sky.
5 Let them all praise the name of the Lord! He commanded, and they were created;
6 by his command they were fixed in their places forever,
and they cannot disobey.
*GATHERING PRAYER (from The Book of Common Worship)
O God, you have prepared for those who love you joys beyond understanding.
Pour into our hearts such love for you, that, loving you above all else, we may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
*HYMN God Of Our Life #275
*CONFESSION
Let us confess our sins to our merciful God.
Lord, you have blessed us in so many ways, and we have many reasons to praise you. Yet, there are days when we are less than faithful. There are seasons when we are discouraged rather than holding tight to your promises. There are moments when we make unhealthy choices rather than follow your intentions
There are times when we just want to go our own way rather than listen for your Holy Spirit to inspire us and guide us. Forgive us the times we are faithless and restore us to the beautiful relationship you offer us. “Create a clean heart for me, God; put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me!” (Psalm 51:10)
*WORDS OF ASSURANCE Psalm 145:8, NRSV
“The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
In that great mercy, God sent his Son, to redeem us and save us.
Through Jesus the Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God!
*SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
PASSING THE PEACE (facing those across the aisle from you)
Left: May the peace of Christ be with you.
Right: And also with you. May the peace of Christ be with you.
Left: And also with you.
INTERLUDE
Word
SCRIPTURE LESSONS Acts 16:9-15,NIV
9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
John 14:22-29, NLT
22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” 23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the
peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.
Revelation 21:10, 22-27; 22:1-5, CEB
10 He took me in a Spirit-inspired trance to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…
22 I didn’t see a temple in the city, because its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. 23 The city doesn’t need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 27 Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is vile and deceitful, but only those who are registered in the Lamb’s scroll of life.
22 Then the angel showed me the river of life-giving water, shining like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb 2 through the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life, which produces twelve crops of fruit, bearing its fruit each month. The tree’s leaves are for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 Night will be no more. They won’t need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will shine on them, and they will rule forever and always.
SERMON A Life Of Faith
What does it mean to live a life of faith? As I look at these scriptures I see some of the answers. From Paul’s story I might say it is to openly listen for God’s call and go where we are sent. I can certainly relate to that as someone who has been an itinerant preacher in the United Methodist Church, but it wasn’t all that different in the years I served here or in my retirement since. I try to live my faith by openly listening for God’s call and going where I am sent. How about you?
From Lydia’s perspective, a life of faith is worshipping and serving God regardless of the biases of gender, ethnicity, or location. She was a woman in a non-Jewish community who held prayer meetings with her friends outdoors, because there wasn’t yet a synagogue, and she didn’t hesitate to take seriously the sincerity of a traveling preacher and offer him hospitality. She was also open to God’s Spirit, and followed through.For Jesus, of course, it was doing his Father’s will, but as he explained this to his disciples at the last supper, he also taught them that a life of faith means loving God and obeying God’s Word. The added benefit of that faith is that it leaves you with a peace far beyond what the world offers.
For John of Patmos as he wrote out the Revelation he received from God, a life of faith lived on this side of the grave leads to living in God’s eternal light, where peace and healing are possible.
A life of faith has obligations or at least expectations, but it also has benefits and rewards. As for the expectations there are many scriptures you might refer to if I asked this question in say a Bible Study group. I’m sure someone would suggest the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 and someone else would come up with the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12). I like the simplified version, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” (variation of CEV) If I asked anyone from the Church of the Brethren they would quote Micah 6:8, “Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.” If I wanted the more extensive list from Paul, I would turn to the second half of Romans 12 beginning at verse 9. This passage is sometimes called the marks of a Christian. You could turn to the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 or the love passage in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 or the full armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18. All of these give you some facet of what a life of faith looks like. So do the parables and many other passages. Jesus’ summary statement was his answer to the greatest commandments, to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39) You’ll find this list of scriptures in your bulletin at the end of the service. Take them home for personal reflection.
If you think through your day, how do you live out your faith? It may be an act of faith just to get out of bed in the morning. Your day might begin with prayer. You might include a devotional reading or scripture reading. But there are other basics you might not think about that could be part of living out your faith. The things you do for your health fulfil some of your faith obligations, because God expects you to be a good steward of the body God has given you for this earthly life, so brushing your teeth, taking your meds, the choices you make about breakfast or exercise relate to faithful living. Other choices you make might relate to environmental stewardship like choosing to buy products that avoid plastic packaging or finding a use for the water from the dehumidifier or reducing your reliance on your car when possible. I’m sure you have many ways you practice environmental stewardship, and I invite you to recognize that this too is part of your faith practice. It is faithful living when you reach out to help a neighbor or a stranger, when you are kind to the people serving you, and when you forgive the person who just cut you off. How we treat others is a major way we live out our faith, so choosing to be kind, choosing to forgive, choosing to accept the interruptions are all expressions of a life of faith though sometimes we find it difficult.
I never want to give the false impression that living out our faith is easy. If it were easy we wouldn’t have needed the forgiveness Christ offered us. As humans we do the best we can on any given day, but none of us follow Jesus, obey, or serve God perfectly. We fall short, just as Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans. Part of our life of faith is accepting this reality, confessing our short comings, and asking God to help us. The Bible passages I suggested earlier could become for you prayers of confession if you choose to use the Bible as a mirror and take an honest look at your days reflected there. Such self-examination belongs in a life of faith, but the next step is also important – accepting God’s forgiveness and asking the Holy Spirit to work within you to help you change. A simple prayer from Psalm 51:10 comes to mind, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.”
I said earlier that a life of faith also brings benefits and rewards. One of these is of course forgiveness and the opportunity to start fresh. Another is the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit as Jesus was telling his disciples the night of his Last Supper with them. At that time he also promised them his peace, a benefit we all need. To take a closer look at the peace Jesus gives, not as the world gives, we need to consider the Greek word eirene used in the New Testament for the Hebrew word shalom usually translated as peace. The NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary defines eirene with several synonyms, “peace, harmony, tranquility; safety, welfare, health” and in terms of relationships suggests reconciliation. Psalm 29:11 has a similar concept to what Jesus is saying. “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Peace here is shalom defined with similar words, “peace, safety, prosperity, well-being; intactness, wholeness; peace can have a focus of security, safety which can bring feelings of satisfaction, well-being, and contentment.” We can agree this is a major benefit to our life of faith.
That peace can sustain us in this earthly life. John of Patmos also showed us a glimpse of benefits beyond the grave in a life with God yet to come for us. But there is also a sense in which this can also be anticipated even here and now. We don’t have to wait until death to live in God’s light. It shines on us now if we choose to live in relationship with God. The light of God’s truth, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the fullness of Christ’s love and joy are available to us now as well as waiting for us in eternity. Much of the imagery from the final verses of Revelation 21 come from Isaiah 60 written after the exile welcoming God’s people home. Isaiah 60 begins, “Arise, shine, thy light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” We can choose to live in that light now as well as look forward to its fullness in the life to come.
I’m especially fond of the imagery in Revelation 22. One theological scholar subtitles it, “Eden Restored.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible) It mirrors the paradise where creation including humanity began in Genesis 1. These two chapters make beautiful bookends to our Bible, in spite of some painful realities acknowledged in between. But perhaps the best part is not only creation restored, but our relationship with God also restored in spite of all the mistakes humanity makes now. As that scholar put it, “The new Jerusalem represents a new and greater Eden, free of sin and curse, where God’s people will serve him forever.” In other words, it is our life of faith lived out as it was intended to be.
The imagery includes the “river of life-giving water, shining like crystal” hinting back not only to the rivers that flowed out of the first Eden, but also to rivers mentioned in the prophets Ezekiel and Zechariah, and to Jesus as the living water in John’s gospel, life giving water that sustains us. This contrasts the absence of water in the wilderness of the Exodus or the bitter waters over which the people then complained. In the wilderness God provided the only water they were able to drink.
The imagery also includes the “tree of life” that once again hints back to both Genesis and to Ezekiel. This tree bears fruits for each season, thus offering nourishment year-round, but notice that the leaves are for the “healing of the nations.” Our world is sorely in need of such healing grace. That healing comes when we no longer live under the curse of sin. It reverses the punishment incurred by eating the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3.
The final promise is full reconciliation with God. Whereas Moses and others were only allowed to glimpse God’s glory, when that curse of sin is removed, we will finally be able to see God face to face and know God more fully than we can now. We live our life of faith as best we can now in our days here on earth in anticipation and hope of that fuller life yet to come.
One more point I’d like to suggest. You are the only one who can live your life in faith. No other human can do it for you. By the same token, you cannot live anyone’s faith for them. Each of us must be responsible for our own choices, our attitudes, and our actions. But we are meant to encourage each other, to forgive each other, to teach one another, and to share our faith not only by words but especially by example. When we fall and when we fail, we should lift each other up to try again. We must each live our own faith, but we do so in a community of faith.
On the other hand, Jesus is always there to help us. Jesus shares with you the yoke of faith if you choose to partner with him in the tasks God assigns. So when life feels too heavy or too hard, remember that Jesus said, “28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Through the promised Holy Spirit, Jesus continues to share that yoke with us.
As I read my devotions earlier this week, Daily Prayers had this closing prayer for Tuesday morning. It is the prayer I want to offer for all of us as I close this message.
“God of our salvation, as the light of morning dawns, heaven and earth sing your praise. Cause us to live and grow in faith, so that we may bear good fruit for the glory of your holy realm, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
*HYMN Love Divine, All Loves Excelling #376
PASTORAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
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, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING OUR LIVES
Merciful God, as you have given so generously of yourself to us through creation, through Jesus your Son, and through the Holy Spirit, we offer our lives back to you. May we be faith filled and faithful to you always as we look forward to the blessings you will share in this life and in the next. Amen.
*DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
*AFFIRMATION Apostle’s Creed (Ecumenical) p. 14
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 into hell.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And He will come 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 life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN Lift High the Cross #371
*Sending Forth
*CHARGE & BLESSING
*POSTLUDE
Scriptures for Personal Reflection:
· Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:3-17
· Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)
· Brethren Motto Micah 6:8
· Marks of a Christian Romans 12:9-21
· Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23
· Love passage in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
· Full armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18
· Greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37-39)
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Gathering
MUSICAL OFFERING
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Let me remind you quickly of our protocols for everyone’s safety.
· Attendance was taken by Ushers as you entered.
· Masks are required by those not vaccinated as well as social distancing
· Offerings may be placed in the plate by the doors.
· Please write your prayer request on the Yellow cards. An usher will pick them up during the 1st hymn.
· Please join us after service for fellowship in Calvin Hall
PRAYER REQUESTS
Gary Iverson, Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett, Jo Lefleur, Dr Dyke, Harlan Marx ,Lois Seger, Jon Ryner, Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Werner & Kelly Families, Avis Severson (Kolleen’s Mom), Ukraine, Arlene Pawlik, Angela and Tristan, and Karla Singer (Rich Lewis Niece)
PRELUDE
*CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 148:1-6, GNT
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from heaven, you that live in the heights above.
2 Praise him, all his angels, all his heavenly armies.
3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, shining stars.
4 Praise him, highest heavens, and the waters above the sky.
5 Let them all praise the name of the Lord! He commanded, and they were created;
6 by his command they were fixed in their places forever,
and they cannot disobey.
*GATHERING PRAYER (from The Book of Common Worship)
O God, you have prepared for those who love you joys beyond understanding.
Pour into our hearts such love for you, that, loving you above all else, we may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
*HYMN God Of Our Life #275
*CONFESSION
Let us confess our sins to our merciful God.
Lord, you have blessed us in so many ways, and we have many reasons to praise you. Yet, there are days when we are less than faithful. There are seasons when we are discouraged rather than holding tight to your promises. There are moments when we make unhealthy choices rather than follow your intentions
There are times when we just want to go our own way rather than listen for your Holy Spirit to inspire us and guide us. Forgive us the times we are faithless and restore us to the beautiful relationship you offer us. “Create a clean heart for me, God; put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me!” (Psalm 51:10)
*WORDS OF ASSURANCE Psalm 145:8, NRSV
“The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
In that great mercy, God sent his Son, to redeem us and save us.
Through Jesus the Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God!
*SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
PASSING THE PEACE (facing those across the aisle from you)
Left: May the peace of Christ be with you.
Right: And also with you. May the peace of Christ be with you.
Left: And also with you.
INTERLUDE
Word
SCRIPTURE LESSONS Acts 16:9-15,NIV
9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
John 14:22-29, NLT
22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” 23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the
peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.
Revelation 21:10, 22-27; 22:1-5, CEB
10 He took me in a Spirit-inspired trance to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…
22 I didn’t see a temple in the city, because its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. 23 The city doesn’t need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 27 Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is vile and deceitful, but only those who are registered in the Lamb’s scroll of life.
22 Then the angel showed me the river of life-giving water, shining like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb 2 through the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life, which produces twelve crops of fruit, bearing its fruit each month. The tree’s leaves are for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 Night will be no more. They won’t need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will shine on them, and they will rule forever and always.
SERMON A Life Of Faith
What does it mean to live a life of faith? As I look at these scriptures I see some of the answers. From Paul’s story I might say it is to openly listen for God’s call and go where we are sent. I can certainly relate to that as someone who has been an itinerant preacher in the United Methodist Church, but it wasn’t all that different in the years I served here or in my retirement since. I try to live my faith by openly listening for God’s call and going where I am sent. How about you?
From Lydia’s perspective, a life of faith is worshipping and serving God regardless of the biases of gender, ethnicity, or location. She was a woman in a non-Jewish community who held prayer meetings with her friends outdoors, because there wasn’t yet a synagogue, and she didn’t hesitate to take seriously the sincerity of a traveling preacher and offer him hospitality. She was also open to God’s Spirit, and followed through.For Jesus, of course, it was doing his Father’s will, but as he explained this to his disciples at the last supper, he also taught them that a life of faith means loving God and obeying God’s Word. The added benefit of that faith is that it leaves you with a peace far beyond what the world offers.
For John of Patmos as he wrote out the Revelation he received from God, a life of faith lived on this side of the grave leads to living in God’s eternal light, where peace and healing are possible.
A life of faith has obligations or at least expectations, but it also has benefits and rewards. As for the expectations there are many scriptures you might refer to if I asked this question in say a Bible Study group. I’m sure someone would suggest the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20 and someone else would come up with the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12). I like the simplified version, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” (variation of CEV) If I asked anyone from the Church of the Brethren they would quote Micah 6:8, “Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.” If I wanted the more extensive list from Paul, I would turn to the second half of Romans 12 beginning at verse 9. This passage is sometimes called the marks of a Christian. You could turn to the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 or the love passage in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 or the full armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18. All of these give you some facet of what a life of faith looks like. So do the parables and many other passages. Jesus’ summary statement was his answer to the greatest commandments, to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39) You’ll find this list of scriptures in your bulletin at the end of the service. Take them home for personal reflection.
If you think through your day, how do you live out your faith? It may be an act of faith just to get out of bed in the morning. Your day might begin with prayer. You might include a devotional reading or scripture reading. But there are other basics you might not think about that could be part of living out your faith. The things you do for your health fulfil some of your faith obligations, because God expects you to be a good steward of the body God has given you for this earthly life, so brushing your teeth, taking your meds, the choices you make about breakfast or exercise relate to faithful living. Other choices you make might relate to environmental stewardship like choosing to buy products that avoid plastic packaging or finding a use for the water from the dehumidifier or reducing your reliance on your car when possible. I’m sure you have many ways you practice environmental stewardship, and I invite you to recognize that this too is part of your faith practice. It is faithful living when you reach out to help a neighbor or a stranger, when you are kind to the people serving you, and when you forgive the person who just cut you off. How we treat others is a major way we live out our faith, so choosing to be kind, choosing to forgive, choosing to accept the interruptions are all expressions of a life of faith though sometimes we find it difficult.
I never want to give the false impression that living out our faith is easy. If it were easy we wouldn’t have needed the forgiveness Christ offered us. As humans we do the best we can on any given day, but none of us follow Jesus, obey, or serve God perfectly. We fall short, just as Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans. Part of our life of faith is accepting this reality, confessing our short comings, and asking God to help us. The Bible passages I suggested earlier could become for you prayers of confession if you choose to use the Bible as a mirror and take an honest look at your days reflected there. Such self-examination belongs in a life of faith, but the next step is also important – accepting God’s forgiveness and asking the Holy Spirit to work within you to help you change. A simple prayer from Psalm 51:10 comes to mind, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.”
I said earlier that a life of faith also brings benefits and rewards. One of these is of course forgiveness and the opportunity to start fresh. Another is the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit as Jesus was telling his disciples the night of his Last Supper with them. At that time he also promised them his peace, a benefit we all need. To take a closer look at the peace Jesus gives, not as the world gives, we need to consider the Greek word eirene used in the New Testament for the Hebrew word shalom usually translated as peace. The NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary defines eirene with several synonyms, “peace, harmony, tranquility; safety, welfare, health” and in terms of relationships suggests reconciliation. Psalm 29:11 has a similar concept to what Jesus is saying. “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Peace here is shalom defined with similar words, “peace, safety, prosperity, well-being; intactness, wholeness; peace can have a focus of security, safety which can bring feelings of satisfaction, well-being, and contentment.” We can agree this is a major benefit to our life of faith.
That peace can sustain us in this earthly life. John of Patmos also showed us a glimpse of benefits beyond the grave in a life with God yet to come for us. But there is also a sense in which this can also be anticipated even here and now. We don’t have to wait until death to live in God’s light. It shines on us now if we choose to live in relationship with God. The light of God’s truth, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the fullness of Christ’s love and joy are available to us now as well as waiting for us in eternity. Much of the imagery from the final verses of Revelation 21 come from Isaiah 60 written after the exile welcoming God’s people home. Isaiah 60 begins, “Arise, shine, thy light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” We can choose to live in that light now as well as look forward to its fullness in the life to come.
I’m especially fond of the imagery in Revelation 22. One theological scholar subtitles it, “Eden Restored.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible) It mirrors the paradise where creation including humanity began in Genesis 1. These two chapters make beautiful bookends to our Bible, in spite of some painful realities acknowledged in between. But perhaps the best part is not only creation restored, but our relationship with God also restored in spite of all the mistakes humanity makes now. As that scholar put it, “The new Jerusalem represents a new and greater Eden, free of sin and curse, where God’s people will serve him forever.” In other words, it is our life of faith lived out as it was intended to be.
The imagery includes the “river of life-giving water, shining like crystal” hinting back not only to the rivers that flowed out of the first Eden, but also to rivers mentioned in the prophets Ezekiel and Zechariah, and to Jesus as the living water in John’s gospel, life giving water that sustains us. This contrasts the absence of water in the wilderness of the Exodus or the bitter waters over which the people then complained. In the wilderness God provided the only water they were able to drink.
The imagery also includes the “tree of life” that once again hints back to both Genesis and to Ezekiel. This tree bears fruits for each season, thus offering nourishment year-round, but notice that the leaves are for the “healing of the nations.” Our world is sorely in need of such healing grace. That healing comes when we no longer live under the curse of sin. It reverses the punishment incurred by eating the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3.
The final promise is full reconciliation with God. Whereas Moses and others were only allowed to glimpse God’s glory, when that curse of sin is removed, we will finally be able to see God face to face and know God more fully than we can now. We live our life of faith as best we can now in our days here on earth in anticipation and hope of that fuller life yet to come.
One more point I’d like to suggest. You are the only one who can live your life in faith. No other human can do it for you. By the same token, you cannot live anyone’s faith for them. Each of us must be responsible for our own choices, our attitudes, and our actions. But we are meant to encourage each other, to forgive each other, to teach one another, and to share our faith not only by words but especially by example. When we fall and when we fail, we should lift each other up to try again. We must each live our own faith, but we do so in a community of faith.
On the other hand, Jesus is always there to help us. Jesus shares with you the yoke of faith if you choose to partner with him in the tasks God assigns. So when life feels too heavy or too hard, remember that Jesus said, “28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Through the promised Holy Spirit, Jesus continues to share that yoke with us.
As I read my devotions earlier this week, Daily Prayers had this closing prayer for Tuesday morning. It is the prayer I want to offer for all of us as I close this message.
“God of our salvation, as the light of morning dawns, heaven and earth sing your praise. Cause us to live and grow in faith, so that we may bear good fruit for the glory of your holy realm, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
*HYMN Love Divine, All Loves Excelling #376
PASTORAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
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, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING OUR LIVES
Merciful God, as you have given so generously of yourself to us through creation, through Jesus your Son, and through the Holy Spirit, we offer our lives back to you. May we be faith filled and faithful to you always as we look forward to the blessings you will share in this life and in the next. Amen.
*DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
*AFFIRMATION Apostle’s Creed (Ecumenical) p. 14
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 into hell.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And He will come 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 life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN Lift High the Cross #371
*Sending Forth
*CHARGE & BLESSING
*POSTLUDE
Scriptures for Personal Reflection:
· Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:3-17
· Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)
· Brethren Motto Micah 6:8
· Marks of a Christian Romans 12:9-21
· Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23
· Love passage in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
· Full armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18
· Greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37-39)
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.