Debby Madden’s sermon for 3/29/2020.
St. James Presbyterian Church
March 29, 2020
Online Service
GATHERING
Welcome
Introit: Here I Am To Worship
Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came to the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor
Here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
God Gather Us In
For a new day that follows each night; for the seasons of life, their coming and going,
We give thanks to God, who guides us.
For the hope of life renewed; for the gift of God’s compassion,
We praise God, who sends a healing stream.
For God’s presence among us, revealed in Jesus Christ, our strength and shield,
We offer our gratitude and sing our songs of praise.
Hymn # 482 Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty
1: Praise ye the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration!
2: Praise ye the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
3: Praise ye the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
Call to Confession
Prayer of Confession based on Psalm 130
Out of the depths we cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear our cry!
If you should mark iniquities, who could stand?
Our sins have crippled us, bound us, buried us. They cut us off from you and from life itself.
But there is forgiveness with you. With you is great power to redeem.
Breathe into us your breath, O God. Breathe into us your Spirit.
Open our graves and call us to you,
That we may live in full knowledge of your power and steadfast love.
(silent confession of sin)
Lord, hear our prayers.
Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Passing of Peace:
Peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
Chat with Theo
Prayer of Illumination
Holy God, our hope and strength, by the power of your Spirit prepare the way in our hearts for the coming of your Word, so that we may see the glorious signs of your promise fulfilled; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Old Testament Psalm 22
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
New Testament Reading First Peter 1:3-4 & 5:6-11
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon “Fresh Eyes”
Debby Madden
HYMN # 324 Open My Eyes, That I May See
1: Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Refrain:
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready, my God, Thy will to see;
Open my eyes (ears, heart), illumine me,
Spirit divine!
2: Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.
(Refrain)
3: Open my mouth, and let me bear,
Gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.
(Refrain)
RESPONSE TO GOD’S GRACE
Affirmation on Faith Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers of People & Lord’s Prayer
Offering
Doxology # 592
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
O God, who brings life out of death, we thank you for your faithfulness. Breathe your life giving Spirit through the gifts we offer today, that they may be used to raise up whatever is good, and just, and full of life. To you be all glory and honor, through Christ, the Resurrection and the Life. Amen.
HYMN # 540 God Be with You Till We Meet Again
1: God be with you till we meet again;
Loving counsels guide, uphold you,
With a Shepherd’s care enfold you:
God be with you till we meet again.
2: God be with you till we meet again;
Unseen wings protecting hide you,
Daily manna still provide you:
God be with you till we meet again.
3: God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you;
Put unfailing arms around you:
God be with you till we meet again.
4: God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you,
Strike death’s threatening wave before you:
God be with you till we meet again.
Charge & Benediction
Youth Director Theo Camara’s homily for 3/22/2020.
Rev. Katy Brungraber I Will Be Standing There. 3/15/2020
Meg Shoeman Into the Wildnerness. 3/1/2020
Don Potter New Testament Fear 2/23/2020
Don Potter Laying it on the Line 2/16/2020
Theo Camara Come Hang Out 2/9/2020
Meg Shoeman Sermon 2/2/2020 See God
Don Potter Sermon 1/26/2020 Keep It Simple
Don Potter Sermon 1/19/2020 You Are Not Lacking
Meg Shoeman Sermon 1/12/2020 Righteousness and Delight
Katy Yates Brungraber Sermon 1/5/2020
Debby Madden God’s Magnificent Plan
Rev Don Potter Sermon: Thunder In The Wilderness
Rev Don Potter Sermon 11/24
Rev Katy Brungraber Sermon 11/17 “Do Not be weary in doing right”
Don Opitz Sermon 11/3 Taste and See
Theo Camara Sermon 10/13
Dan Potter Sermon 10/6
Bill Beck Sermon 9/29/19 Get Real
Bill Beck Sermon 9/8/19 Speaking Christianese
http:/https://youtu.be/M_lPlibcizE
THEY ALL COME HOME AT LAST Sermon By Charlie Best
Mark 4: 35-41 Luke 13:29 Luke 15: 31
September 1, 2019
Credit to F. Morgan Roberts for ideas relevant to the sermon
I want you to notice something different about the familiar Mark passage on Jesus stilling the storm. Notice at the beginning of the story, in verse 36, Mark says, “And other boats went with him.” Do you think thosesailors noticed the storm blowing in around them about to swamp their boats? I bet they did. But, it isn’t clear if they know who calmed the storm, is it? They were no doubt praying to their gods for help. Or, maybe they didn’t believe in any gods or God? But, nevertheless, Jesus saved them all.
Karl Barth, a Protestant theologian, was commenting on this passage and said: “Christ even saves those who have no idea they are being saved. God brings calm and peace into the lives of people who don’t even consider that there is a God. God often blesses people who have no faith at all.”
As people of faith, we know who calmed the storm.
Now, in the first Luke verse read this morning, Luke quotes Jesus envisioning a great banquet in some sooner or later future, saying: “People will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God.” Some people call this the “heavenly banquet” or “the great banquet of the kingdom.” Whatever, we are moving toward a glorious day when God will welcome all of the sheep home, even the ones Jesus called the “other” sheep.
The problem for us, though, is the inclusion of those “other” sheep. Some will stand outside the banquet hall, checking their invitation to see if they’ve arrived at the right hall. They’ll wonder if those in charge reviewed the guest list because of the shabby people who don’t appear to be part of “our crowd.” “Look at her!” they’ll exclaim, “She’s got some nerve showing up after the life she’s lived.” Looking in another direction, some will say, “I can’t believe that he’s here; he’s one of them.” And then there’ll be lots of “different” people, leading some to say, “How did these people get invited? Why can’t they have their own banquet in some other hall with their own kind?”
Sadly, that’s how some people will react to God’s ending of the story. For that matter, when they see those other folks who are arriving at the banquet, they may stand outside, refusing to come in. Understandably, they won’t want to join a party to which “whosoever will may come.”
But if they take time to notice those who are arriving, they’ll discover that these “other” people are there because some members of the church have always been issuing an invitation to them. There have been members of the congregation who have always been saying to all kinds of people, “Please come, because our banquet can’t be a real banquet, a real feast, without you.” By words and actions of compassion, they’ve been saying to these other people, “Heaven will never be heaven without you.” They’ve understood what Bonhoeffer wrote, that the church is only the Church when it exists for others.
Just take a look at those who will be arriving and you’ll see who they are.
Many of these strangers will be present for the simple reason that they were given food to eat.
There will be ex-convicts at the banquet table because some individuals believed Jesus’ words, “I was in prison, and you visited me.
There will be low-income folks who had a decent place to live.
There will be the poor, little children being tutored.
And that’s just a small part of the crowd. While some will come because they were invited by folks like you, others will come because the Lord has brought them. They may not have known Jesus exactly as you do; but they were known to him. They were those sheep of some other pasture that he promised to bring with him. They’ll be there for the same reason that we’re there, because God brought them. After all, we didn’t get here on our own. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Just as God, in God’s own time and way, awakened faith in ourhearts, our God of sovereign grace is working secretly in every human life. God, in kindness, love, and justice, is eternally pursuing every soul on the face of the earth. And, such unconditional, universal, and amazing grace is leading all of us home.
They all come home at last; even the ones we wish would stay away!! Jesus is bringing all of God’s sheep home. That’s why the Easter hymn verse says, “He closed the yawning gates of hell; the bars from heaven’s high portal fell: Let hymns of praise His triumphs tell. Alleluia!”
So if we all come home in the end, what is the role of the church today?
I suggest that we begin by realizing that we’re not the only show in town. In a world today in which religious, ideological, and political fundamentalism have become a deadly sickness and a cause of violence, we cannot afford to add fuel to the fire by continuing to talk about God in such exclusive terms. Christianity began as a faith in a Lord who would rather die than not love the outsider. It was a cheerful religion, inspired by the kindly vision of One who was such a friend of sinners that he even prayed for the forgiveness of his executioners. But somehow, sadly, our friendly faith became a cold creedal system about a God who would rather kill than tolerate the otherness of those who had a different vision of God. It became an unfriendly “turn or burn in hell” message that didn’t sound at all like good news. Instead of the good news about a relationship with a friendly God, preachers became salesmen of eternal fire insurance.
We’ve got to turn this around and become again a church that proclaims the unconditional kindness of God to everyone. We can’t follow Jesus faithfully and deny the reality of God’s presence in the life and faith of others.
But, the fact that God is bringing all of God’s children home does not relieve us of our responsibility to be evangelists — to be out there in a hurting world, helping bring folks home. After all, the great banquet has not yet begun. Those of us who have received our banquet invitation and have sent in our RSVP are not supposed to be in the banquet hall, enjoying the cash bar, nibbling on the appetizers. We’re supposed to be outside the hall, helping our host who is out in the dark, seeking the missing guests.
In one parable of Jesus we are given a picture in which the host has not yet arrived at the banquet. The host is still outside, trying to talk others in to coming in. What do I mean?
The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 was the Bible story that got my imagination as a teenager. Back then, of course, I was focused on the younger son who left home, blew his inheritance on riotous living, and then came home to his compassionate father. I saw myself in the younger son.
These days, however, I find myself fascinated with the unfinished ending of the story in which the old father is outside the banquet hall, pleading with the older brother to join the party. I think that this final scene is the real meaning of the parable, principally because it leaves us with the picture of a father who is endlessly, foolishly, and incredibly merciful and who will never join the banquet until everyone comes home!! In this parable’s final scene, we are hearing and seeing the gospel about a kindly Father who never forecloses.
That unfinished final scene is telling us where we’re supposed to be: outside the banquet hall with our host, spreading the good news of God’s ever-open invitation. Our message is to those who think that they’re too good to come in, as well as to those who think that they’ll never be good enough – but it is particularly for those who are worried whether there will be a next meal or fearful about finding their next overcrowded refugee shelter or freedom from human trafficking — that they can’t possibly begin to think about heavenly banquets. Our message to all of them is in the words of that gracious father, “My child, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”
What I have been seeking to learn all these years, through storm and stress, goes right back to the character of God as it is revealed to us by Jesus. It means that God, our Heavenly Parent, whose nature and character Christ came to teach us, is truly the Parent of all humankind and not of any single race or sect or creed or education level. God is no tribal God. God favors no denomination, is bound up with no race. God loves humanity. Mercy is over all creation. Even those who outwardly appear to deny Him are still God’s children, embraced in the arms of his love.
At the heart of myfaith is the assurance that we’ll all be together at the great banquet of the kingdom, because our gracious God will be bringing all of us home at last.
A congregation that is inspired by such a hope, and believes that the story ends with a grand victory banquet, celebrating God’s sovereign grace – such a congregation will always have a glorious future.
Live in reverence of God’s pursuing presence in the life of every person, walking cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one.
