May 8, 2022 Worship Services "When the Shepherd Calls"
by Pastor Joyce Chamberlain
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May 8, 2022
Mothers Day
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 ,Jake Pinkston and Karla Singer (Rich Lewis Niece)
PRELUDE
*CALL TO WORSHIP Adapted from Revelations 7:11, 12
L: With the angels and elders, heavenly beings and a multitude of saints let us sing our praise.
Men: Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Women: Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
ALL: Be to our God forever and ever! Amen
*GATHERING PRAYER
We come to worship this morning, Lord, asking the question that so many have pondered. Who are you in our lives? Help us, this day to hear your voice calling to us. Allow us to catch glimpses of your claim upon our hearts. Give us the words to sing praises to your glory. Amen.
*HYMN Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee # 464
Call to Confession
“I am the Good Shepherd,” Jesus proclaimed. He invites us to bring our true selves into his care, to confess our failings that he might lead us into new life. Let us consider our lives against the Psalmist’s words and confess our shortcomings before our Savior.
Prayer of Confession
L: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
P: But Lord, we do want. We want more and more. Forgive our constant striving and our ever present hunger for things which do not enrich our lives.
L: He makes me lie down in green pastures.
P: But we don’t have time to lie down. We are constantly moving and working. Forgive our failure, O Lord, to heed your command for Sabbath rest.
L: He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
P: Drama seems to be forever at our door, and our souls feel bruised and worn. Forgive us, Lord for engaging in petty disputes.
L: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.
P: In the darkness of the valley we are so terribly afraid. Forgive us for doubting your presence and your care for us.
L: Lord we seek your table of abundance. We want to dwell in your house our whole lives long.
P: Help us, Lord. Amen
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
All along the way our Good Shepherd seeks to guide us. When we are lost and bewildered, we need only listen for the voice that calls us home. Let us lie down in green pastures and walk beside the still waters. Christ’s gift upon the cross has washed away our sins, opening paths of abundant new life. I declare to you, in Jesus our Lord, you are forgiven.
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
Prayer of Illumination
God of Love and Life, we want to be the sheep of your fold, the lambs of your keeping. Help us to listen for your voice as scripture is read and proclaimed. Allow us to hear that which will settle our hearts and our souls into your keeping
Word
SCRIPTURES
Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
John 10: 22-30
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
SERMON When the Shepherd Calls
Sheep, I believe, are one of the most vulnerable of God’s creatures. A sheep has this heavy coat of wool which one might imagine protects it, and I guess it does offer protection from cold and certain insects. But that wool also weighs them down so they can’t run from predators like wolves or coyote. If the wool gets wet—as in they fall into a river or lake, it will drag them down. Swimming is not a sheep skill! In addition, sheep panic easily, probably because they are so vulnerable and then they and run—OK, not fast enough to evade most predators, but enough so they can get lost serious very fast!
On the farm where I grew up, we had a few sheep at different times. They did a good job of keeping a pasture trimmed down easily. Sheep often stray away from the flock, AND when a sheep gets sick or injured, that injury needs to be addressed quickly because sheep don’t have very good immune systems. A minor illness or injury can get very
. But it was essential that they be brought into the barn at night. We accomplished that with a bucket of oats –lamb candy, if you will. As the sun started to dip to the, the sheep would cluster at the gate because they knew oats were waiting for them. There might be some stragglers who had found a patch of especially sweet grass, but they came running when they heard us call. My call was usually “Come and get it!” Then just open the gate—get out of the way, and down the lane and into the barn they would fly—each racing the others to get to those oats first. Then we would close the gate, shut and latch the barn door, and that chore was accomplished for the day. The next morning they were happy to find grass again.
I think of those sheep when I read our passages for today. We weren’t shepherds like Biblical times. We didn’t stay out in the pasture with our sheep. That’s what fences were good for. But just like our sheep on the farm, those ancient wooly creatures listened for the voice calling them, and in the process they were kept safe.
Our passage for today uses the metaphor of sheep and Shepherd to teach us something about God, and most especially about Jesus.
It was so effective because the people of ancient Israel were very familiar with sheep and shepherds. The 23rd Psalm, still one of our favorites today, was used to both instruct and to offer praise to God. God’s people were the sheep—led to sweet grass and a safe place to lie down, protected from predators. They were led by still waters where they could get a good, long, refreshing drink of water where they weren’t at risk of being caught up in a fast current. They were led through valleys where the light of day couldn’t penetrate, and they were kept safe even in those moments of danger. Comforted and guided and accompanied. The sheep knew who to trust and who to obey.
But it seems the Shepherd metaphor wasn’t quite sufficient because in the next verses of the Psalm, God becomes a generous host who offers a banquet to that person who sits below him on the social ladder, and he does it in full view of that person’s adversary as a way of saying, “This individual has my protection—hands off!’
The gratitude of the psalmist is clear as he speaks of this host anointing him with oil, “My cup overflows,” he proclaims. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”
It’s a song that speaks of our rightful place as the sheep who rely upon the Shepherd-- of the lowly serf who is the loyal servant of an incredibly generous and powerful land owner. It resonates with us, showing a God who cares for us, provides for us, protects us and guides us along life’s ways.
In the early church people sang this psalm as they emerged from the waters of baptism and went into receive the Lord’s Supper for the first time. It lifted the perfect note of devotion, dependence, gratitude and pledge of obedience.
But then arrives our gospel lesson. Jesus is in conflict with the Jewish authorities. In one form or another they are asking, “WHO ARE YOU?” Some are saying he is the Messiah, that one who was sent by God to address the problems of the world. But the authorities have a problem with him. He has no formal education. He teaches some rather unorthodox ideas. He doesn’t seek out their endorsement. They know from where he originated and they know his family. (Surely one with such average, earthly upbringing could not possibly be the Anointed of God!) And the final straw that breaks the camel’s back for them is that he does his works, healings and exorcisms, on the Sabbath in clear disobedience to God’s law. How can he possibly be the Exalted One whom God sends?
It’s kind of like saying that the pimply teen who grew up next door and who used to play his music too loud and steal apples from your tree is the Messiah—NO Way!
But Jesus has a following. People flock to him. They hang on his every word. They seek out his healings. They give up their day jobs to follow him, to help provide for him and his disciples. These authorities are in a pickle. They have to be careful not to antagonize the crowds of followers. They need to challenge Jesus in a way that makes clear to all that he is a charlatan.
But so far it’s not worked. He keeps doing these amazing healings! And now. Now he’s using the ancient imagery of the 23rd Psalm to make a claim about his identity, and he’s doing it in a way that amplifies that claim many times over. I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD! If we say it in English, it doesn’t raise any flags, but in Hebrew, suddenly, it does. “Ego Ami.”……. “ I AM” the Hebrew says.
“So what?” we might ask. But look at the story of Moses at the burning bush. Do you remember one of Moses objections when God told him that he was to lead his people out of slavery? “I don’t even know your name,” Moses said, “What will I tell the Hebrew people when they ask who sent me?” And God responds, “Ego Ami. I AM. Tell them that I AM sent you.”
And now here is Jesus using the exact name of God to tell the people who he is and what he’s all about. “I AM the Good Shepherd.” Same words. I AM—the name of God. And in case you miss it—Good Shepherd like in the 23rd Psalm!
Jesus is making a claim about who he is. It’s a bold claim. It’s a claim that is thinly veiled but which his followers fully get. But not those who are so skeptical. They want to know, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” They might also add, “tell us, so we can arrest you.”
Jesus responds that he HAS told them, but they can’t believe. They can’t believe because they are not among those to whom God has given the ability to hear and understand. Jesus’ followers—they get it. They hear his voice and they follow, and in the process Jesus will give them eternal life such that they will never perish. “I and the Father are One.” Jesus says.
I and the Father are One. That could mean several things. They are of the same mind. They have the same plans. They are made of the same spiritual substance or as we have come to proclaim, The Father IS the Son in human form. The Son and the Father share the same identity.
This passage brings us to the question—Do we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling? Do we offer our allegiance and devotion to Jesus? Do we trust and rely upon him, allowing him to lead us where we need to go? Do we know who he is in our hearts and in our lives?
And how do we open our ears so we CAN hear his voice calling us? How do we discern that the voice we think we hear belongs to Jesus, and not merely to our own wishes or wants or hopes? It’s a question of calling, of being open and available to being called, of discerning the identity of the voice that is rattling in our heads.
Here’s where I’m suppose to say something profound. Here’s where you’re waiting for a formula or a litmus test or a recipe to claim this amazing faith.-----I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t really have a lots of answers. But here is what I do believe.
To ask the question—sincerely, deeply. To seek the answer is a really good start. To pray it is an even better start. Because to ask means we’re open to the answer. To ask means we have a deep desire to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling to us. We desire the guidance, accompaniment and support that only God can offer. Do you remember that verse that says “Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.”?
Those who feel like they have everything under control don’t ask those questions. Those who believe they are fully capable of handling anything that comes their way don’t seek assistance. Those who are fully confident that their avenue is the right one, their goals, the appropriate ones, their answers to the problems they face, sufficient—they don’t bother to ask for ears that can hear the Shepherd’s voice.
God gives to those who seek. God bends low to touch the hearts and the minds of those who reach up to feel his touch. God offers his gifts to those willing to receive them. These are the things I believe.
The Authorities in Jesus’ day didn’t want Jesus to proclaim himself Messiah so they could bow down and worship him. They had no intention of following where that voice directed them. They believed they had the answers, and that was good enough.
Do we have the answers? Are we so arrogant as to believe that we can navigate without the guidance of a wise and loving Shepherd? If we think that, then of course we won’t bother to ask for ears to hear and the ability to discern. If we think that we’re like those very vulnerable sheep who are the latest snack for wolves and coyotes.
The Good Shepherd comes for those who recognize their own vulnerability and who have the courage to seek God. In other words, the Good Shepherd finds us when we know we need him. Isn’t that why we’re here this morning—to seek and to listen, to find pathways of life and to let go of our sins. The Good Shepherd offers all of that, but only to those who recognize that they need it—and to those lucky souls, he gives eternal life which is defined as knowing Jesus in a deep and abiding way, walking in his ways for life and for joy and for meaning and hope—now and forever.
When the Shepherd calls, listen, come, obey, be guided and know the goodness of our God. For the Lord is our Shepherd. We shall not want. He makes us to lie down in green pastures and leads us beside the still waters. He restores our souls and leads us in right paths for his name sake. Even though we walk through the darkest valley, we fear no evil for God is with us. His rod and his staff comforts us.
Thank you, Good Shepherd Lord. Amen.
*HYMN Like a Shepherd Lead Us #387
PASTORAL PRAYER AND 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.
*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.
*Prayer of Dedication:
Thank you, Good Shepherd, that in the quiet of our hearts we can hear your call and feel your grace. It compels us to generosity and sharing. It lifts in us a compassionate caring for others. May the gifts that we dedicate today offer your love and grace to those in need. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
*Hymn: Be Thou My Vision #339
*CHARGE & BLESSING
Let us go forth from this place listening, calming our hearts to hear the voice of our Good Shepherd. May we be led to lie down in green pastures, to drink deeply of still waters, knowing that when darkness does descend, we will be accompanied and loved. Let us dwell in the house of the Lord our whole lives long. Alleluia! Amen.
*POSTLUDE
* 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.
Mothers Day
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 ,Jake Pinkston and Karla Singer (Rich Lewis Niece)
PRELUDE
*CALL TO WORSHIP Adapted from Revelations 7:11, 12
L: With the angels and elders, heavenly beings and a multitude of saints let us sing our praise.
Men: Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Women: Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
ALL: Be to our God forever and ever! Amen
*GATHERING PRAYER
We come to worship this morning, Lord, asking the question that so many have pondered. Who are you in our lives? Help us, this day to hear your voice calling to us. Allow us to catch glimpses of your claim upon our hearts. Give us the words to sing praises to your glory. Amen.
*HYMN Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee # 464
Call to Confession
“I am the Good Shepherd,” Jesus proclaimed. He invites us to bring our true selves into his care, to confess our failings that he might lead us into new life. Let us consider our lives against the Psalmist’s words and confess our shortcomings before our Savior.
Prayer of Confession
L: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
P: But Lord, we do want. We want more and more. Forgive our constant striving and our ever present hunger for things which do not enrich our lives.
L: He makes me lie down in green pastures.
P: But we don’t have time to lie down. We are constantly moving and working. Forgive our failure, O Lord, to heed your command for Sabbath rest.
L: He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
P: Drama seems to be forever at our door, and our souls feel bruised and worn. Forgive us, Lord for engaging in petty disputes.
L: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.
P: In the darkness of the valley we are so terribly afraid. Forgive us for doubting your presence and your care for us.
L: Lord we seek your table of abundance. We want to dwell in your house our whole lives long.
P: Help us, Lord. Amen
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
All along the way our Good Shepherd seeks to guide us. When we are lost and bewildered, we need only listen for the voice that calls us home. Let us lie down in green pastures and walk beside the still waters. Christ’s gift upon the cross has washed away our sins, opening paths of abundant new life. I declare to you, in Jesus our Lord, you are forgiven.
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
Prayer of Illumination
God of Love and Life, we want to be the sheep of your fold, the lambs of your keeping. Help us to listen for your voice as scripture is read and proclaimed. Allow us to hear that which will settle our hearts and our souls into your keeping
Word
SCRIPTURES
Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
John 10: 22-30
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
SERMON When the Shepherd Calls
Sheep, I believe, are one of the most vulnerable of God’s creatures. A sheep has this heavy coat of wool which one might imagine protects it, and I guess it does offer protection from cold and certain insects. But that wool also weighs them down so they can’t run from predators like wolves or coyote. If the wool gets wet—as in they fall into a river or lake, it will drag them down. Swimming is not a sheep skill! In addition, sheep panic easily, probably because they are so vulnerable and then they and run—OK, not fast enough to evade most predators, but enough so they can get lost serious very fast!
On the farm where I grew up, we had a few sheep at different times. They did a good job of keeping a pasture trimmed down easily. Sheep often stray away from the flock, AND when a sheep gets sick or injured, that injury needs to be addressed quickly because sheep don’t have very good immune systems. A minor illness or injury can get very
. But it was essential that they be brought into the barn at night. We accomplished that with a bucket of oats –lamb candy, if you will. As the sun started to dip to the, the sheep would cluster at the gate because they knew oats were waiting for them. There might be some stragglers who had found a patch of especially sweet grass, but they came running when they heard us call. My call was usually “Come and get it!” Then just open the gate—get out of the way, and down the lane and into the barn they would fly—each racing the others to get to those oats first. Then we would close the gate, shut and latch the barn door, and that chore was accomplished for the day. The next morning they were happy to find grass again.
I think of those sheep when I read our passages for today. We weren’t shepherds like Biblical times. We didn’t stay out in the pasture with our sheep. That’s what fences were good for. But just like our sheep on the farm, those ancient wooly creatures listened for the voice calling them, and in the process they were kept safe.
Our passage for today uses the metaphor of sheep and Shepherd to teach us something about God, and most especially about Jesus.
It was so effective because the people of ancient Israel were very familiar with sheep and shepherds. The 23rd Psalm, still one of our favorites today, was used to both instruct and to offer praise to God. God’s people were the sheep—led to sweet grass and a safe place to lie down, protected from predators. They were led by still waters where they could get a good, long, refreshing drink of water where they weren’t at risk of being caught up in a fast current. They were led through valleys where the light of day couldn’t penetrate, and they were kept safe even in those moments of danger. Comforted and guided and accompanied. The sheep knew who to trust and who to obey.
But it seems the Shepherd metaphor wasn’t quite sufficient because in the next verses of the Psalm, God becomes a generous host who offers a banquet to that person who sits below him on the social ladder, and he does it in full view of that person’s adversary as a way of saying, “This individual has my protection—hands off!’
The gratitude of the psalmist is clear as he speaks of this host anointing him with oil, “My cup overflows,” he proclaims. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”
It’s a song that speaks of our rightful place as the sheep who rely upon the Shepherd-- of the lowly serf who is the loyal servant of an incredibly generous and powerful land owner. It resonates with us, showing a God who cares for us, provides for us, protects us and guides us along life’s ways.
In the early church people sang this psalm as they emerged from the waters of baptism and went into receive the Lord’s Supper for the first time. It lifted the perfect note of devotion, dependence, gratitude and pledge of obedience.
But then arrives our gospel lesson. Jesus is in conflict with the Jewish authorities. In one form or another they are asking, “WHO ARE YOU?” Some are saying he is the Messiah, that one who was sent by God to address the problems of the world. But the authorities have a problem with him. He has no formal education. He teaches some rather unorthodox ideas. He doesn’t seek out their endorsement. They know from where he originated and they know his family. (Surely one with such average, earthly upbringing could not possibly be the Anointed of God!) And the final straw that breaks the camel’s back for them is that he does his works, healings and exorcisms, on the Sabbath in clear disobedience to God’s law. How can he possibly be the Exalted One whom God sends?
It’s kind of like saying that the pimply teen who grew up next door and who used to play his music too loud and steal apples from your tree is the Messiah—NO Way!
But Jesus has a following. People flock to him. They hang on his every word. They seek out his healings. They give up their day jobs to follow him, to help provide for him and his disciples. These authorities are in a pickle. They have to be careful not to antagonize the crowds of followers. They need to challenge Jesus in a way that makes clear to all that he is a charlatan.
But so far it’s not worked. He keeps doing these amazing healings! And now. Now he’s using the ancient imagery of the 23rd Psalm to make a claim about his identity, and he’s doing it in a way that amplifies that claim many times over. I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD! If we say it in English, it doesn’t raise any flags, but in Hebrew, suddenly, it does. “Ego Ami.”……. “ I AM” the Hebrew says.
“So what?” we might ask. But look at the story of Moses at the burning bush. Do you remember one of Moses objections when God told him that he was to lead his people out of slavery? “I don’t even know your name,” Moses said, “What will I tell the Hebrew people when they ask who sent me?” And God responds, “Ego Ami. I AM. Tell them that I AM sent you.”
And now here is Jesus using the exact name of God to tell the people who he is and what he’s all about. “I AM the Good Shepherd.” Same words. I AM—the name of God. And in case you miss it—Good Shepherd like in the 23rd Psalm!
Jesus is making a claim about who he is. It’s a bold claim. It’s a claim that is thinly veiled but which his followers fully get. But not those who are so skeptical. They want to know, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” They might also add, “tell us, so we can arrest you.”
Jesus responds that he HAS told them, but they can’t believe. They can’t believe because they are not among those to whom God has given the ability to hear and understand. Jesus’ followers—they get it. They hear his voice and they follow, and in the process Jesus will give them eternal life such that they will never perish. “I and the Father are One.” Jesus says.
I and the Father are One. That could mean several things. They are of the same mind. They have the same plans. They are made of the same spiritual substance or as we have come to proclaim, The Father IS the Son in human form. The Son and the Father share the same identity.
This passage brings us to the question—Do we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling? Do we offer our allegiance and devotion to Jesus? Do we trust and rely upon him, allowing him to lead us where we need to go? Do we know who he is in our hearts and in our lives?
And how do we open our ears so we CAN hear his voice calling us? How do we discern that the voice we think we hear belongs to Jesus, and not merely to our own wishes or wants or hopes? It’s a question of calling, of being open and available to being called, of discerning the identity of the voice that is rattling in our heads.
Here’s where I’m suppose to say something profound. Here’s where you’re waiting for a formula or a litmus test or a recipe to claim this amazing faith.-----I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t really have a lots of answers. But here is what I do believe.
To ask the question—sincerely, deeply. To seek the answer is a really good start. To pray it is an even better start. Because to ask means we’re open to the answer. To ask means we have a deep desire to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling to us. We desire the guidance, accompaniment and support that only God can offer. Do you remember that verse that says “Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.”?
Those who feel like they have everything under control don’t ask those questions. Those who believe they are fully capable of handling anything that comes their way don’t seek assistance. Those who are fully confident that their avenue is the right one, their goals, the appropriate ones, their answers to the problems they face, sufficient—they don’t bother to ask for ears that can hear the Shepherd’s voice.
God gives to those who seek. God bends low to touch the hearts and the minds of those who reach up to feel his touch. God offers his gifts to those willing to receive them. These are the things I believe.
The Authorities in Jesus’ day didn’t want Jesus to proclaim himself Messiah so they could bow down and worship him. They had no intention of following where that voice directed them. They believed they had the answers, and that was good enough.
Do we have the answers? Are we so arrogant as to believe that we can navigate without the guidance of a wise and loving Shepherd? If we think that, then of course we won’t bother to ask for ears to hear and the ability to discern. If we think that we’re like those very vulnerable sheep who are the latest snack for wolves and coyotes.
The Good Shepherd comes for those who recognize their own vulnerability and who have the courage to seek God. In other words, the Good Shepherd finds us when we know we need him. Isn’t that why we’re here this morning—to seek and to listen, to find pathways of life and to let go of our sins. The Good Shepherd offers all of that, but only to those who recognize that they need it—and to those lucky souls, he gives eternal life which is defined as knowing Jesus in a deep and abiding way, walking in his ways for life and for joy and for meaning and hope—now and forever.
When the Shepherd calls, listen, come, obey, be guided and know the goodness of our God. For the Lord is our Shepherd. We shall not want. He makes us to lie down in green pastures and leads us beside the still waters. He restores our souls and leads us in right paths for his name sake. Even though we walk through the darkest valley, we fear no evil for God is with us. His rod and his staff comforts us.
Thank you, Good Shepherd Lord. Amen.
*HYMN Like a Shepherd Lead Us #387
PASTORAL PRAYER AND 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.
*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.
*Prayer of Dedication:
Thank you, Good Shepherd, that in the quiet of our hearts we can hear your call and feel your grace. It compels us to generosity and sharing. It lifts in us a compassionate caring for others. May the gifts that we dedicate today offer your love and grace to those in need. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
*Hymn: Be Thou My Vision #339
*CHARGE & BLESSING
Let us go forth from this place listening, calming our hearts to hear the voice of our Good Shepherd. May we be led to lie down in green pastures, to drink deeply of still waters, knowing that when darkness does descend, we will be accompanied and loved. Let us dwell in the house of the Lord our whole lives long. Alleluia! Amen.
*POSTLUDE
* 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.
SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY
March 20, 2022
Third Sunday in Lent
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
bulletins are placed in the pews to help with 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 will be continuing with beverages only, 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, Kay Werner, Ukraine, Doug Nelson, and Arlene Pawlik
PRELUDE
*CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 63:1 and Isaiah 55:1
O God, you are my God. At dawn I search for you. My soul thirsts for you.
My body longs for you in a dry, parched land where there is no water.
Let all who thirst come to the waters;
let all who are hungry come and eat.
*GATHERING PRAYER
Lord, there are times we feel an emptiness inside, as if we are hungry or thirsty, but food and drink do not satisfy. Help us to understand when our soul is seeking spiritual food, and remind us each day to find that nourishment in you. May this time of worship be a feast for our souls. Amen.
*Hymn Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah #282
*CONFESSION AND PARDON (From the Book of Common Worship)
Let us make our confession to God:
God of mercy, you sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost.
We confess that we have strayed from you and turned aside from your way.
We are misled by pride, for we see ourselves pure when we are stained,
and great when we are small.
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON Isaiah 55:3
“Listen, so that you may live: the steadfast love of the Lord never fails.”
Because God’s steadfast love was shared with us through Jesus, we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.
*Passing of 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.
(You may be seated.)
Interlude
Word
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 55:1-9, NLT
1 “Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink--
even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk--
it’s all free!
2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the finest food.
3 “Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
I made him a leader among the nations.
5 You also will command nations you do not know,
and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”
6 Seek the Lord while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
7 Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your
NEW TESTAMENT LESSON 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, NLT
1 I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7 or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” 8 And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day. 9 Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 13:1-9, NLT
About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.
9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”
Sermon “A Thirst for God ”
Word
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 55:1-9, NLT
1 “Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink— even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free!
2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the finest food.
3 “Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
I made him a leader among the nations.
5 You also will command nations you do not know,
and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”
6 Seek the Lord while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
7 Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
SERMON Thirst for God
I’ve long been fascinated with the opening verses of this poem in Isaiah. I like the invitation to the feast, but I find it odd that we are asked to buy what we need without price. I picture going to an open market and being told everything is free. If I have come very hungry and thirsty but without the means to buy anything, that would be the ultimate gift in that moment.
Have you had times when you got so hungry or thirsty you could barely function? I get that way sometimes. Thursday my stew was in the crock pot not destined to come out until 7:30. I went in the kitchen to start making the soda bread about 5:30, but I was so hungry I had to set out a snack first. I nibbled a couple bites of cheese and sausage, then struggled to make the soda bread. When it was finally in the oven I ate more cheese and sausage until I thought I could make it to 7:30. The evening before I had a moment when I was so thirsty I couldn’t stand it. I tried putting it off, because I was in the middle of something I wanted to finish, but that didn’t last long. I was so thirsty I couldn’t concentrate. I had to get up for some water before I could continue.Most of us are attuned enough to our bodies that we know when we are hungry or thirsty. Then it’s up to us to do something about it within whatever means are available to us. In terms of our physical hunger and thirst, those of us who have enough food and water or other beverage and the means to restock our shelves are truly blessed, and being blessed we hopefully share what we can with those less fortunate.
But what about our souls? Do you recognize the signs when you are spiritually hungry and thirsty? When the empty space within you is craving spiritual nourishment, nothing in the refrigerator is going to quench that thirst or assuage that hunger. When we are spiritually starving we must turn to God who invites us, come and drink! Come and buy food without price. God provided manna and quail and even water in the desert for Moses and all the Hebrew pilgrims in the wilderness, forty years’ worth, one day at a time. God also provides the bread of heaven and living water when we are in a spiritual wasteland.
When it is my spirit that has run dry, I don’t have the means to refill it myself. I have to come to God to quench my spiritual thirst. I come through what John Wesley called the means of grace; it’s basically the same list as spiritual disciplines. Our spiritual practices are the means of receiving God’s grace, as if going to particular stalls in a spiritual open market. God is the host of the market and invites you to come and get your fill at the stall of your choice, whether prayer, music, reading, giving, serving, or others, they all offer you spiritual nourishment by connecting you more closely with the creator and lover of your soul.
I felt some of that wasteland many times in the two weeks since I last worshipped with you; I came up against multiple challenges. I hit my emotional brick wall more than once as layers of stress stacked up. Perhaps you experience that sometimes, too. But when I backed off and waited for God to replenish me in body, mind, and spirit, then I could go back and tackle the problem again a few hours later or a few days later. When it comes to other things in the world around us over which I have no control, I could lift them to God in prayer, and then I have to leave them in God’s hands and go back to the things that God has set within my reach. Perhaps you need to do that sometimes as well.
As Isaiah wrote long ago. God still makes covenant with us to be our God if we will be God’s people. Living in that covenant, we are still encouraged to seek God while our God can be found. Turn to God in every moment of need; then trust God to provide what is needed, and patiently wait on God’s timing. I’m not saying patience is easy; I just know it is needed. God’s ways are indeed beyond our imagination. God’s ways are not our ways, but they are better from God’s greater perspective. To live as God’s child, I choose to trust that. So, when my soul is parched because of my personal challenges or my concern for the world, I must turn to God.
As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he referred back to that hunger and thirst the
Hebrews experienced in the wilderness.
NEW TESTAMENT LESSON 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, NLT
1 I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7 or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” 8 And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.
9 Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
SERMON Thirst for God
Paul reminded the Corinthians and reminds us too that God still guides and provides as he did for Moses and others so very long ago. The question now as then was not whether God would provide, but whether people would live within the boundaries God set. Just as God gave laws to the Hebrews through the commandments, so God has set some basic dos and don’ts for people throughout time. Jesus summarized all the commandments in this way, 37 “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NLT)
Not everyone in the wilderness was allowed to enter the Promised Land. In fact, of those who set out from Egypt only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter because of their trust in God’s providence. Even Moses, Aaron, and Miriam disappointed God at some point along the way and suffered for it. Those who chose to complain, to test God, to set up a false God, to disrespect God, they all died along the way by God’s hand. It was the new generation who entered Canaan under Joshua’s leadership. But they in turn would also have to choose whether or not to live by God’s intentions or by their own agendas.
What Paul told the Corinthians holds true for us today. We will be tempted by many things in this life, Christians no less than anyone else. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam were not immune and neither are we. But God will also provide the means to endure if we hold fast to our faith and to our God. Whatever emptiness we want to fill, whatever challenge we must face, whatever frustration comes our way, God will guide and provide if we turn to God rather than rely on our own thinking or the ways of the world. As it says in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Paul’s message is the same; we have to trust God.
You’re going to need that level of trust as you consider today’s Gospel lesson.
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 13:1-9, NLT
About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. 9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”
SERMON A Thirst for God
The opening paragraph of this passage is not one we hear often. You may find it jarring as I did. Is Jesus nonchalant about the death of those killed while at worship. We expect Jesus to be as shocked as we are when we hear of tragic incidents at Temple or Church or Mosque. Were these tragedies? Yes, every bit as much as the deaths we hear about on the news today! Did they die because of their own sin? In these cases and in most others, no! The tragedy of an untimely death caused by other humans or by natural disaster is unsettling. Yet whether believer or non-believer, all humans will die at some point by some means. Jesus took this opportunity to remind his audience of that simple truth.
Paul also wrote about this in his letter to the Romans, First that “everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23) Second, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” No matter how deep our faith and faithfulness to God, somewhere along the way we are still sinners, just as Moses and Aaron and Miriam were. But the Good News is that even though we will die because of sin, we will have new life beyond the grave because of Jesus the Christ. This is the hope of our faith, and it is the message of Good Friday and Easter as we live through the season of Lent each year.
I find that hope symbolized in Jesus’ story of the gardener. Like the man who planted the fig tree that continually failed to bear fruit, so God is disappointed in humanity each time we fail to live up to those Greatest Commandments of love and respect for God, love and respect for others and for ourselves. I can imagine God sighing at each missed opportunity, each time we cross a line we should not cross, each failure to protect the vulnerable around us, each time we let something else take God’s place in our lives, etc., etc., etc. And yet? And yet, the gardener, who to me seems to be Jesus himself, says Wait a bit. Give them another chance. Let me see if the Holy Spirit and I can help them change, help them do better next time. Then Jesus continues to work in our lives (if we let him) toward that goal, that we will pay more attention to God and live as God intended. The potential consequences for the failure to do so are still there, but Jesus gives us another chance to start fresh with help from the Holy Spirit.
As you continue through this season of Lent, be honest with yourself and with God about the ways in which you struggle and about the struggle we are going through as the human species on this planet. Ask God to help you change what you are able to change about your self and how you interact with others, with God, and with the world. Hold fast to what you believe is right in God’s eyes and help where you can. There will still be things you cannot change because the choices are not yours to make. But you can lift these often to God in prayer, asking the Spirit to work on the hearts of those who do make those choices.
At the same time notice what the gardener planned to do, to fertilize and nourish that unproductive fig tree. Don’t remain in a spiritual desert. The Living Waters and Bread of Heaven are phrases the Gospel writer John used to describe Christ Jesus. Come to those living waters. Eat and drink; be nourished and filled with Christ on a regular basis, so that you can flourish and bear fruit in this world.
*Hymn: Alas and Did My Savior Bleed #78
PASTORAL PRAYER AND 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 LIVES
Lord we give you thanks for filling our lives with good things that nourish and sustain us. We offer back to you our lives in service to your kingdom. Amen
*DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH 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 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.
Sending
*HYMN How Great Thou Art #467
*CHARGE & BLESSING
POSTLUDE
* 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.
March 20, 2022
Third Sunday in Lent
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
bulletins are placed in the pews to help with 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 will be continuing with beverages only, 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, Kay Werner, Ukraine, Doug Nelson, and Arlene Pawlik
PRELUDE
*CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 63:1 and Isaiah 55:1
O God, you are my God. At dawn I search for you. My soul thirsts for you.
My body longs for you in a dry, parched land where there is no water.
Let all who thirst come to the waters;
let all who are hungry come and eat.
*GATHERING PRAYER
Lord, there are times we feel an emptiness inside, as if we are hungry or thirsty, but food and drink do not satisfy. Help us to understand when our soul is seeking spiritual food, and remind us each day to find that nourishment in you. May this time of worship be a feast for our souls. Amen.
*Hymn Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah #282
*CONFESSION AND PARDON (From the Book of Common Worship)
Let us make our confession to God:
God of mercy, you sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost.
We confess that we have strayed from you and turned aside from your way.
We are misled by pride, for we see ourselves pure when we are stained,
and great when we are small.
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON Isaiah 55:3
“Listen, so that you may live: the steadfast love of the Lord never fails.”
Because God’s steadfast love was shared with us through Jesus, we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.
*Passing of 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.
(You may be seated.)
Interlude
Word
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 55:1-9, NLT
1 “Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink--
even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk--
it’s all free!
2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the finest food.
3 “Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
I made him a leader among the nations.
5 You also will command nations you do not know,
and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”
6 Seek the Lord while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
7 Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your
NEW TESTAMENT LESSON 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, NLT
1 I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7 or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” 8 And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day. 9 Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 13:1-9, NLT
About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.
9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”
Sermon “A Thirst for God ”
Word
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 55:1-9, NLT
1 “Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink— even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free!
2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the finest food.
3 “Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
I made him a leader among the nations.
5 You also will command nations you do not know,
and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”
6 Seek the Lord while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
7 Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
SERMON Thirst for God
I’ve long been fascinated with the opening verses of this poem in Isaiah. I like the invitation to the feast, but I find it odd that we are asked to buy what we need without price. I picture going to an open market and being told everything is free. If I have come very hungry and thirsty but without the means to buy anything, that would be the ultimate gift in that moment.
Have you had times when you got so hungry or thirsty you could barely function? I get that way sometimes. Thursday my stew was in the crock pot not destined to come out until 7:30. I went in the kitchen to start making the soda bread about 5:30, but I was so hungry I had to set out a snack first. I nibbled a couple bites of cheese and sausage, then struggled to make the soda bread. When it was finally in the oven I ate more cheese and sausage until I thought I could make it to 7:30. The evening before I had a moment when I was so thirsty I couldn’t stand it. I tried putting it off, because I was in the middle of something I wanted to finish, but that didn’t last long. I was so thirsty I couldn’t concentrate. I had to get up for some water before I could continue.Most of us are attuned enough to our bodies that we know when we are hungry or thirsty. Then it’s up to us to do something about it within whatever means are available to us. In terms of our physical hunger and thirst, those of us who have enough food and water or other beverage and the means to restock our shelves are truly blessed, and being blessed we hopefully share what we can with those less fortunate.
But what about our souls? Do you recognize the signs when you are spiritually hungry and thirsty? When the empty space within you is craving spiritual nourishment, nothing in the refrigerator is going to quench that thirst or assuage that hunger. When we are spiritually starving we must turn to God who invites us, come and drink! Come and buy food without price. God provided manna and quail and even water in the desert for Moses and all the Hebrew pilgrims in the wilderness, forty years’ worth, one day at a time. God also provides the bread of heaven and living water when we are in a spiritual wasteland.
When it is my spirit that has run dry, I don’t have the means to refill it myself. I have to come to God to quench my spiritual thirst. I come through what John Wesley called the means of grace; it’s basically the same list as spiritual disciplines. Our spiritual practices are the means of receiving God’s grace, as if going to particular stalls in a spiritual open market. God is the host of the market and invites you to come and get your fill at the stall of your choice, whether prayer, music, reading, giving, serving, or others, they all offer you spiritual nourishment by connecting you more closely with the creator and lover of your soul.
I felt some of that wasteland many times in the two weeks since I last worshipped with you; I came up against multiple challenges. I hit my emotional brick wall more than once as layers of stress stacked up. Perhaps you experience that sometimes, too. But when I backed off and waited for God to replenish me in body, mind, and spirit, then I could go back and tackle the problem again a few hours later or a few days later. When it comes to other things in the world around us over which I have no control, I could lift them to God in prayer, and then I have to leave them in God’s hands and go back to the things that God has set within my reach. Perhaps you need to do that sometimes as well.
As Isaiah wrote long ago. God still makes covenant with us to be our God if we will be God’s people. Living in that covenant, we are still encouraged to seek God while our God can be found. Turn to God in every moment of need; then trust God to provide what is needed, and patiently wait on God’s timing. I’m not saying patience is easy; I just know it is needed. God’s ways are indeed beyond our imagination. God’s ways are not our ways, but they are better from God’s greater perspective. To live as God’s child, I choose to trust that. So, when my soul is parched because of my personal challenges or my concern for the world, I must turn to God.
As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he referred back to that hunger and thirst the
Hebrews experienced in the wilderness.
NEW TESTAMENT LESSON 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, NLT
1 I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7 or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” 8 And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.
9 Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
SERMON Thirst for God
Paul reminded the Corinthians and reminds us too that God still guides and provides as he did for Moses and others so very long ago. The question now as then was not whether God would provide, but whether people would live within the boundaries God set. Just as God gave laws to the Hebrews through the commandments, so God has set some basic dos and don’ts for people throughout time. Jesus summarized all the commandments in this way, 37 “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NLT)
Not everyone in the wilderness was allowed to enter the Promised Land. In fact, of those who set out from Egypt only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter because of their trust in God’s providence. Even Moses, Aaron, and Miriam disappointed God at some point along the way and suffered for it. Those who chose to complain, to test God, to set up a false God, to disrespect God, they all died along the way by God’s hand. It was the new generation who entered Canaan under Joshua’s leadership. But they in turn would also have to choose whether or not to live by God’s intentions or by their own agendas.
What Paul told the Corinthians holds true for us today. We will be tempted by many things in this life, Christians no less than anyone else. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam were not immune and neither are we. But God will also provide the means to endure if we hold fast to our faith and to our God. Whatever emptiness we want to fill, whatever challenge we must face, whatever frustration comes our way, God will guide and provide if we turn to God rather than rely on our own thinking or the ways of the world. As it says in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Paul’s message is the same; we have to trust God.
You’re going to need that level of trust as you consider today’s Gospel lesson.
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 13:1-9, NLT
About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. 9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”
SERMON A Thirst for God
The opening paragraph of this passage is not one we hear often. You may find it jarring as I did. Is Jesus nonchalant about the death of those killed while at worship. We expect Jesus to be as shocked as we are when we hear of tragic incidents at Temple or Church or Mosque. Were these tragedies? Yes, every bit as much as the deaths we hear about on the news today! Did they die because of their own sin? In these cases and in most others, no! The tragedy of an untimely death caused by other humans or by natural disaster is unsettling. Yet whether believer or non-believer, all humans will die at some point by some means. Jesus took this opportunity to remind his audience of that simple truth.
Paul also wrote about this in his letter to the Romans, First that “everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23) Second, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” No matter how deep our faith and faithfulness to God, somewhere along the way we are still sinners, just as Moses and Aaron and Miriam were. But the Good News is that even though we will die because of sin, we will have new life beyond the grave because of Jesus the Christ. This is the hope of our faith, and it is the message of Good Friday and Easter as we live through the season of Lent each year.
I find that hope symbolized in Jesus’ story of the gardener. Like the man who planted the fig tree that continually failed to bear fruit, so God is disappointed in humanity each time we fail to live up to those Greatest Commandments of love and respect for God, love and respect for others and for ourselves. I can imagine God sighing at each missed opportunity, each time we cross a line we should not cross, each failure to protect the vulnerable around us, each time we let something else take God’s place in our lives, etc., etc., etc. And yet? And yet, the gardener, who to me seems to be Jesus himself, says Wait a bit. Give them another chance. Let me see if the Holy Spirit and I can help them change, help them do better next time. Then Jesus continues to work in our lives (if we let him) toward that goal, that we will pay more attention to God and live as God intended. The potential consequences for the failure to do so are still there, but Jesus gives us another chance to start fresh with help from the Holy Spirit.
As you continue through this season of Lent, be honest with yourself and with God about the ways in which you struggle and about the struggle we are going through as the human species on this planet. Ask God to help you change what you are able to change about your self and how you interact with others, with God, and with the world. Hold fast to what you believe is right in God’s eyes and help where you can. There will still be things you cannot change because the choices are not yours to make. But you can lift these often to God in prayer, asking the Spirit to work on the hearts of those who do make those choices.
At the same time notice what the gardener planned to do, to fertilize and nourish that unproductive fig tree. Don’t remain in a spiritual desert. The Living Waters and Bread of Heaven are phrases the Gospel writer John used to describe Christ Jesus. Come to those living waters. Eat and drink; be nourished and filled with Christ on a regular basis, so that you can flourish and bear fruit in this world.
*Hymn: Alas and Did My Savior Bleed #78
PASTORAL PRAYER AND 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 LIVES
Lord we give you thanks for filling our lives with good things that nourish and sustain us. We offer back to you our lives in service to your kingdom. Amen
*DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH 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 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.
Sending
*HYMN How Great Thou Art #467
*CHARGE & BLESSING
POSTLUDE
* 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.