October 12, 2014 "SAYING NO TO GOD" Matthew 22:1-14

A NEW LIFE AFFIRMATION
It is God who lovingly gave us the breath of life. May all our days be occasions of thanksgiving for the gifts of life and grace.
It is Jesus who, though he was equal with God, would not exploit his divinity.
Instead he emptied himself, for our sakes, becoming one like us. Because he first loved us, his name shall be on our lips at dawn and dusk. He is our Good News forever.
When Jesus was crucified, and died with forgiveness on his lips, it was God who raised him from the dead so we would know God’s kingdom has no end. Not only do we receive new life in Jesus Christ, but eternal life, as well.
It is Jesus who promised us a constant companion and helper, even the Holy Spirit. Present at Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit is a witness to the truth of Christ. That same Spirit is a witness in the moment of our baptism. We listen for the voice of the Spirit speaking the language of redemption to our souls.
The Church is peopled with disciples of Jesus seeking to love one another. We gather spiritual strength from our unfettered worship of God the three-in-one. Refreshed and renewed we work out our salvation, side by side, united heart, body and mind in ministry to all the world.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Holy and Wondrous Lord, God of Power and God of Love, we have accepted your very special invitation by entering this sanctuary. You have consecrated this space to be a place of spiritual rest, where peace of mind is freely offered and can be gained. We have come to understand that with your wondrous blessings come invitations that challenge us and call us to engage in hands on ministry to one another and the world beyond these doors. Even with the overcrowded schedules we keep, help us create discipleship moments. It may be something as simple as deciding to stop talking about ourselves and our woes, and listen to someone else’s story over enchiladas and lemonade. Wondrous God we thank you for bringing people into our lives whose courage and stamina gives us a whole new outlook on our own good fortune. Continue to invite and challenge us so that we may grow and mature spiritually. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
THE OFFERING INVITATION
How many of you receive invitations to parties, weddings, charity balls and fancy events? How many of those invitations ask you to RSVP? I think most folks know that those 4 capitalized letters are some kind of code asking for a yea or nay to the invite or E-vite. I don’t think we put much thought into what they stand for unless we are fans of Emily Post. For all we know they could stand for: reply special vegetarian preference or reply selection veal or prime rib or respond soon verbally by phone? Actually the letters abbreviate a French phrase: Répondez s'il vous plait, translated Respond, if you please. The act of RSVP-ing is simply an act of courtesy. These days our calendars get so full, half of the time we forget we RSVP’d, “Yes,” and fail to show up to the event. Many more folks ignore the invitation altogether. If we understand invitations to be a nice gesture, we should understand that to respond is the appropriate courtesy. I invite you to this time of offering. As the plate is passed, Répondez s'il vous plait.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God, we have come to understand that offering our gifts is an act of worship just as important as praying, singing and attending to your word in scripture. We believe that what Christ’s Church is able to accomplish through the gifts we offer, glorifies your name. Ever seeking to discern your will and way for us, our hearts are full as we labor side by side with our brother and sister Christians. As you have entrusted us with much we respond in kind lending our hearts and hands to heal a broken and hurting world. Empower us to serve wholeheartedly in Christ’s name. Amen.

OCTOBER 5, 2014 "FORGETTING WHAT LIES BEHIND"

A NEW LIFE AFFIRMATION by Rev. Dr. Amanda Burr
It is God who lovingly gave us the breath of life. May all our days be occasions of thanksgiving for the gifts of life and grace.
It is Jesus who, though he was equal with God, would not exploit his divinity.
Instead he emptied himself, for our sakes, becoming one like us. Because he first loved us, his name shall be on our lips at dawn and dusk. He is our Good News forever.
When Jesus was crucified, and died with forgiveness on his lips, it was God who raised him from the dead so we would know God’s kingdom has no end.
Not only do we receive new life in Jesus Christ, but eternal life, as well.
It is Jesus who promised us a constant companion and helper, even the Holy Spirit.
Present at Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit is a witness to the truth of Christ. That same Spirit is a witness in the moment of our baptism.
We listen for the voice of the Spirit speaking the language of redemption to our souls.
The Church is peopled with disciples of Jesus seeking to love one another.
We gather spiritual strength from our unfettered worship of God the three-in-one.
Refreshed and renewed we work out our salvation, side by side, united heart, body and mind in ministry to all the world.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Glorious God, this is a day of new beginnings for all of us as we witness baptisms and new member commitments. We are all renewed in our commitment today as we celebrate the strengthening and growth of the Body of Christ. Oh how wonderful it is, when people who love Jesus, find a place and a way to invest their time, talents and energy in ministry to one another and the world. Teach us how to care for each other, to uphold and support one another as we journey together on the path of discipleship. Ever grateful for your blessings, we accept the challenges life brings. Guide us in the ways of kindness and understanding. Cleanse our souls of impatience, and the clutter of things past that cannot be changed. Remind us, that in Jesus we can be new beings every morning. In his name we pray. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
Some of my clergy colleagues place the time of the offering in a different location in the worship service; specifically, they put it after the sermon. I understand their thinking. If the preacher succeeds in giving a rip-roaring sermon, come might conclude that what comes in the offering plate reflects the prowess of the preacher or the merit of the sermon’s content. To me, placing the offering after the sermon has the potential for reducing the offering to a kind of spiritual applause-meter. If the preacher did a good job, those in attendance at the service might be more generous. Then again, my colleagues might be thinking that placing the offering after the sermon gives the folks twenty more minutes to decide what they will give and write the check. To me, it doesn’t matter where the offering is in the service. It could be right after the prelude because it is an act of worship, an expression of our love for God, not a tip, a token or monetary kudos for a job well done.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God, offering our gifts is an act of worship, just as important as our praying, singing and attending to your word for us. We are happy to place our trust in you, seeking to discern your will and way for us. Our hearts are full as we labor in your vineyard, sharing the work with our brother and sister Christians. As we reach out to those in need, lending our hearts and hands to heal a broken and

September 28, 2014 "WORKING UP A SALVATION SWEAT"

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Glorious God, our maker, creator and redeemer, dare we call you friend? Too many people in this world have been taught that you are a power and a presence to be feared and yet we describe you as merciful and loving. As we work out the meaning of salvation, the question we must answer is this: Do we really believe what we confess? When we are confronted by the evil that permeates our daily lives, we wonder where you are in the midst of it all. We are praying you will intervene, like Superman and save human beings from themselves. We confess some resentment at your not being the divine fixer of all that is awful, evil, sick and twisted. We wonder why you allow us to do unto others what we would not do to ourselves. Maybe if you turn out the lights for just a little while, we would have to stop and fend for ourselves, groping to find our way in the darkness. We wouldn’t know if the hand we grasped in that darkness was friend or foe, only that both hands were asking for help. Hear our prayer, O Lord. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
We live in a world that offers miraculous panaceas for just about any condition: overweight, balding, joint pain, depression, dry eyes, anything that leaks, even a lackluster sex life. I remember laughing out loud when a friend asked if there wasn’t a pill to cure someone’s incessant babbling. “There must be a pill for that!” You can’t watch prime television these day without hearing about the latest pill to fix problems that aren’t topics of polite conversation. But there are no pills to improve spiritual growth, or enhance one’s prayer performance. There are no miraculous drops to clear spiritual blindness, or fizzy drinks to energize one’s serving and giving capabilities. We have to work at comprehending what it means to keep the Christ in the center of our lives. This is a heart, body and mind workout that will be worth everything, in the end.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God, offering our gifts is an act of worship just as important as our praying singing and attending to your word for us. We are happy to place our trust in you, seeking to discern your will and way for us. Our hearts are full as we labor in your vineyard sharing the work with our brother and sister Christians. As we reach out to those in heed, lending our hearts and hands to heal a broken and hurting world, let us bring glory to your name. All this we pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.

September 21, 2014 "PRIVILEGED TO BELIEVE AND SUFFER"

AFFIRMATION OF CREATION AND TRANSFORMATION
We believe in one creative God, righteous and patient, merciful and just. We believe that God created all that is and all that lives. God is perpetually creating. We believe that God’s
handiwork is well thought out, diverse, colorful, and inspiring. We accept that God
has entrusted the earth, and all that is in it, to our care.
We believe that Jesus was given unto the world in order that humankind could know the true heart of God. Jesus’ life revealed God’s willing presence in our lives. His death revealed God’s love and his resurrection from the dead revealed God’s power.
We believe that God’s Holy Spirit came to us in the nick of time, while we held our breath, wondering what to do next. Proof that God is perpetually creating, the Spirit whispers truth, love and justice, showing us how to walk humbly with God.
We believe in the church. It is the body of Christ called to continue his work in the world. Like God’s creation, the church is a living organism, evolving, responding and transforming itself when all of creation cries out for change.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
God of Grace and Mercy, we come into your presence to praise you, hoping in every hymn, or prayer uttered, to make a spiritual connection that will quicken us, invigorate us, warm our hearts and energize us for ministry. Like witnesses who are sworn in, in a court of law, prepare us, Lord, to give testimony to your promises fulfilled, your unyielding hope for humanity, your unfailing mercy, and your never ending love. We confess our timidity and fear, our hesitancy to step out in faith, trusting that you will uphold us in our efforts. With our every breath we seek to live in response to your leading. Even if we fail to comprehend or discern your purpose, we will follow after Jesus, living in the light of your commandment to love, endeavoring to do no harm and to do all the good we can. Guide us onward, we pray, in the name of the Christ. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
You’ve heard of the privileged class. In today’s world, the word privilege is understood as a restricted right or benefit not afforded to just anyone. We understand it as an advantage enjoyed only by the elite. But “privilege” comes from the Latin word Privilegium, which in Rome was a law made in-favor-of or against a singular individual. Only the Emperor could confer this anomalous or irregular right, obligation or punishment. If one received a special right or benefit, it was seen as favorable privilegium. In contrast, if obligations were imposed or punishments inflicted, these were seen as odious privilegium. Reserved only for the one chosen, whether benefit or obligation, favor or punishment, the privilegium was a private matter; not just anyone was privy to this Imperial conference. Paul, who was familiar with the laws of Rome, wrote to the church in Philippi regarding the privilege God conferred upon him — that is the privilegium of believing in the Jesus Christ, which comes with benefits and obligations.