AN AFFIRMATION FOR EPIPHANY
We believe in God, the creator of all things, the giver of life and breath.
We believe in Jesus Christ, born Emmanuel, God with us, baptized and revealed
the most beloved Son of God. He sought to heal humanity by taking our brokenness
upon himself, suffering for us, and ultimately dying for us.
God raised Jesus from the dead for our sake, and for the sake of all the world.
We believe that he will come again.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, continually poured forth from our Creator as true
refreshment for the soul.
The Spirit leads us into the new day, ever-birthing believers and transforming the church,
to serve as the body of Christ for the healing of the world.
This Spirit is our soul companion and counselor of truth reminding us of the gift of faith,
the ever-presence of God and the promise of eternal life.
By this faith we are reborn, refreshed and renewed.
Thanks be to God! Amen. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Dearest Lord, we enter into this New Year, asking for your help to be people of hopeful hearts. Already in the midst of the holidays we have been struck by the tragic and traumatic loss of friends and loved ones, news of serious illness, and compounding health challenges. However, we are also reminded, on this first Sunday of the New Year, to give thanks for each occasion, each moment of joy and laughter spent on this earth, knowing that your greatest desire for us is to know joy. These moments are gifts from you leading us from darkness into light, and from mourning into gladness. Embrace us in your loving arms, O God, and give us the will to build a strong faith. In the name of the Christ, we pray. Amen. OFFERING INVITATION
Many of us start the New Year in a financial sweat, because of the money we spent on Christmas gifts. In an effort to get some relief from the compounding interest on unpaid credit card balances, some folks will accept the offers from credit card companies to transfer those balances onto a spanking new credit card with no interest for 6 months. That usually turns into another black hole of debt. Generally we won’t skip mortgage, utility, cell phone or car payments. However, unless it is an automatic payment made by our bank, we may well put off the weekly, bi-weekly or monthly offering to the church, with a plan to make it up at the end of the year. So it is time for me to share with you the church’s bottom line for the coming year. To pay the staff and current bills (by the way we don’t have credit cards) the church needs an income of $7873.61 per week. That works out to be about the same amount as my annual pledge to the church. So, just 51 more like that and we’re covered. Whose ready? UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
O Most Love God, accept our gifts and empower them to do great things in your name. They are offered with grateful thanks from the depths of our soul. We are awed by the blessings you bestow and long only to put them to use for the healing of your world. Amen.
I wonder, does anyone take making New Year’s resolutions, seriously anymore? Were they ever meant to be taken seriously? My accountant made me resolve two years ago to get a Living Trust. I still haven’t done it, but I am resolving to get it done before my March 14th appointment with him. I think resolving to do something, and being resolute in ones resolve to accomplish it is a bit like embracing a mission. New Year’s resolutions shouldn’t be impossible, to accomplish; neither should missions be impossible to accomplish. (Except of course for Tom Cruise and Armie Hammer- without which impossible missions we wouldn’t have their fun movies to go see).
Moving on.
I believe today’s churches need mission statements that are understandable and easy to remember, embraceable by every member of the body, and possible to accomplish.
The mission statement of the UMC revised and placed in the 2008 Book of Discipline read: “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” It was concise, repeatable and understandable. You can read about this particular mission statement and what it meant to the crafters at: http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/section-1-the-churches
The more I lived with that mission statement the more I concluded that it assumed a great deal: 1. that the churches were actually equipping members to “make disciples of Jesus Christ,” and 2. that the United Methodist Church was singularly suited to transform the world – I presume for the better – but that was not clear.
At the 2104 Annual Conference Cal-Pac adopted another mission statement, which I put on the front of our bulletins for a little while. It read: “Inspiring the world as passionate followers of Jesus Christ so all may experience God’s life-giving love.” It is not concise, repeatable or understandable. You can read more about it at: http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/2014-california-pacific-annual-conference
The more I lived with that mission statement, and as much as I like the word passionate, I felt I knew only a few followers who could be called passionate and too many of those were not inclined to let all people experience God’s life-giving love. (I also think the term “life-giving love” is pretty lame. Life-transforming love, now that says something!)
Moving On.
Two years ago at 4:00 AM on Labor Day morning 2014 the Spirit of God woke me up out of a sound sleep to give me a mission statement which I shared with everyone at the retreat I was attending. All throughout the retreat I kept hearing stories from the presenters about brokenness, and about people throughout the world who are hurting, victimized and oppressed. Clearly, I thought, the church, like Jesus, needs to work to heal the world’s brokenness, and that will transform us all. I truly believe God gave me the words. As soon as I returned to Palm Springs I removed the lame Cal-Pac Mission statement from the front of our bulletins and put in its place the one I was given: “Transforming the church for the healing of the world.”
God’s Life-transforming love, empowers us to mature as Christians. As each of us is transformed, so too is the church transformed, to be what it was called to be. Congregations are dwindling all over Southern California, and I imagine other conferences perhaps because they have lost the will to be transformed, by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Maybe dying congregations will blame a not-up-to-par-pastor who just doesn’t inspire, or who is too burned out to light a fire under anyone, but the truth is we carry the Christ within us. We don’t really need the preacher to light the fire of faith within; the word is capable of doing that.
You are right to think that working to heal the world is a huge job, but I believe it can be accomplished one soul, one heart, one person at a time, if each one of us opens ourselves, our hearts, our minds and the church’s doors to serve, to listen and to be present to everyone we meet. Please resolve with me this year and every year to live into this mission, in the name of the Christ. Amen.
A TIMELY AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in the one God, the creator of the universe, redeemer of humanity,
bestower of grace, mercy and love.
We believe in Jesus Christ who came into the world that we might see the face of God,
in whose image we are created. Bringing the Beloved One of God into our hearts,
we are re-created, and become new beings in his name.
We believe that Jesus holds all things together, binding the hearts and minds of those whose faith is in him.
Jesus gave his life for ALL, and through his sacrifice we are reconnected with God.
True to his promise, we believe God raised Jesus from the dead.
We believe in the gift of the Holy Spirit,
who walks with us through this earthly life until the day when Jesus will present us holy, blameless,
and irreproachable before God.
Steadfast in faith, we cling to the gospel hope, pleased to serve our Lord,
offering ourselves, our prayers, our gifts and our witness for the sake of the gospel.
Thanks be to God! Amen. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
O, Most Wondrous and Mysterious Creator, we come before you in glad celebration, still rejoicing in the birth of the Christ–child. We are awed by your interest in us and your affection for us deciding as you did to dwell among us. You came not only to be and bring Good News, but to challenge us to love you, and each other as your gospel people. As the new year unfolds, inspire our decisions, and guide us in our work for good. Cleanse us of all fear and worry over what is to come and make us instruments of your peace. Amen. OFFERING INVITATION
Christmas Day is over and the shredded wrapping paper has been stuffed into the recycle bin ready for pick-up. Folks are sorting through what to keep and what to return, debating whether to do the decoration take-down this afternoon or wait a week. Maybe you will take a few moments to practice writing 2016 in order to be ready by Friday. After bidding farewell to family, maybe you just want to curl up with some Cocoa and sweet TV. Hallmark Channel is still showing their best movies of Christmas all week. I encourage you not to leave the manger-side just yet. Let us keep Mary, Joseph and the Christ-child company a little while longer pondering what the shepherds told them in our own hearts, as well.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your good blessing upon the gifts we offer on this First Sunday after Christmas Day. Our hearts are still quite full of Christmas. Keep renewing our trust in you and in all things possible as we offer ourselves again in service to you seeking always to do your work and will. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Loving God, we, like the shepherds of the night watch, have come to give thanks for the
good-tidings-of-great-joy-child, the child born in the city of David, the messiah, the Lord. We have come to embrace him anew as we commemorate the night of his birth. In anticipation of his birth we cant’ wait to adorn our homes and our evergreens with bright lights that shine out into the night. We are eager to see how people dress up their homes and yards welcoming the Christ child. Remind us too, most gracious God, that the lights not only welcome Jesus, they are symbols of his everlasting light, for Jesus came to be the light that shines in the darkness, the light that cannot be overcome by the darkness. We embrace your light and humbly repeat the prayer Jesus taught us. Dearest Abba Father, in heaven, we hallow your name offering our thanks and praise. May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We ask no more than our daily bread and that you forgive our faults and trespasses, empowering us to forgive the faults and trespasses of others. Let us not be overcome by the temptations of the world, and deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. BRINGING OUR GIFTS
As God has given us the gift of the Christ Child, so too we honor him by offering our treasures to help the helpless and to shine Christ’s light in their darkness as we work to heal our broken world. Our Christmas offering is designated to help save children from death by malaria and to insure the strong faith foundation of our children. Let our generosity proclaim Gods profound message of goodwill to all throughout the earth born in us tonight. UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous God, giver of the greatest, most wonderful gift of all; bless the treasures we have brought to your service. May they help to transform lives and brighten the hearts of all the people we seek to serve throughout the world. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.
We believe in God, the giver of life and grace, whose wondrous deeds bring hope and healing to people of all nations
We believe that God’s decision to be with us, in the person of Jesus, manifested God’s immeasurable love for humankind.
We abide in Jesus, the Beloved One,
whose name is written upon our hearts.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is at work whispering words of hope, peace, joy and love to ALL people.
We believe in the church, the living body of Christ in the world, to which we belong.
As members of the body, we are called to minister to all people in Jesus’ name
seeking transformation for ourselves, the church, and the world.
And so it begins. Amen
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Dear Lord, we have come into this sanctuary to worship you, to give thanks for your gift of love, and redemption remembered and cherished throughout the Advent and Christmas Season. Let us not be cowed by those who seek to paint our days with the paint brush of darkness and fill our hearts with fear and trepidation. Empower us to fill the air around us with joyful songs full of triumph and hope. Let our prayers resound through the ether like the voices of the angels, full of light, and glory, hope and goodwill, magnificent, majestic and clear. We confessed our faith in you O Lord, proclaiming Jesus as the priceless treasure residing in our hearts. Keep us ever mindful that his love is a treasure to be shared, offered, given away, openly and freely for the maximum benefit of all. Make us confident messengers of your kingdom come today! In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen. OFFERING INVITATION
When you hear the words “Christmas gift(s)” what comes to mind, the tangible or the intangible? When you hear the word “gift” does your mind’s eye picture: a cherished object, a much beloved person, or maybe even a treasured talent? Do you think of sugar plums or packages swaddled in brightly colored wrapping paper topped with a crisp bow? Are your visuals big ticket items, like jewelry or vehicles? Does Christmas conjure Tiffany, Shreve’s, or Cartier; Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, or Saks; Home Depot, Lowe’s or Sears? Let us cherish the intangible gifts, delivered anywhere, any time, always on time, free of charge, whether we have been bad or good, naughty or nice — they are God’s gifts of grace, mercy, love and goodwill brought to life, made tangible for a time in the Christ child. UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your good blessing upon the gifts we offer on this Christmas Sunday. Singing and listening to the music that heralds the birth of the Christ-child, our we realize the true joy of Christmas. Our hearts are full and our spirits renewed. We offer ourselves once again in service to you seeking always to do your work and will. Amen.
AN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR ADVENT
We believe in God, the giver of life and grace, whose wondrous deeds bring hope and healing to people of all nations
We believe that God’s decision to be with us, in the person of Jesus, manifested God’s immeasurable love for humankind.
We abide in Jesus, the Beloved One, whose name is written upon our hearts.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is at work whispering words of hope, peace, joy and love to ALL people.
We believe in the church, the living body of Christ in the world, to which we belong.
As members of the body, we are called to minister to all people in Jesus’ name
seeking transformation for ourselves, the church, and the world.
And so it begins. Amen CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Joyful, Joyful we adore thee, God of Glory, Lord of Love; we unfold our hearts before you, welcoming your presence within. As we embrace the remaining days of this Advent season, let us be courageous and prayerful at work and at play, at home and in the company of strangers. Let the light of our faith shine through our stress, fatigue, pain and fear. Help us to fill the atmosphere around us with true feelings of hope and gratitude, peace and positivity, joy and gentleness. When we are moving ever-so-quickly through the countdown of days, threatening to outpace ourselves, cause us to pause for a moment and search for a memory that adorns our face with a smile. This we pray in the name of the Christ. Amen. OFFERING INVITATION
There are 206 verses in the Bible that contain the word JOY. 119 verses contain the word mourning, 26 have the word grief, 13 verses sadness, and 46 sorrow, totaling 204 “unjoyful” verses. “Joy,” even though it’s only 3 letters long, seems to be able to carry it’s own weight. If one has experienced it, they know it refers to mirth, gladness and pleasure, all of which have more letters. “Joy” has the power to enliven prefixes, adverbs, suffixes, and nouns: overjoyed, joyful, joyous, joyride, joystick, and of course, the ever popular “enjoy.” Joyride and joystick, are more recent additions to the short list of joy-combos adding a sense of playfulness, to the word. Yup, I kinda think God would like playfulness to join mirth, gladness and pleasure in defining human joy.
AN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR ADVENT
We believe in God, the giver of life and grace, whose wondrous deeds bring hope and healing to people of all nations
We believe that God’s decision to be with us, in the person of Jesus, manifested God’s immeasurable love for humankind.
We abide in Jesus, the Beloved One, whose name is written upon our hearts.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is at work whispering words of hope, peace, joy and love to ALL people.
We believe in the church, the living body of Christ in the world, to which we belong.
As members of the body, we are called to minister to all people in Jesus’ name
seeking transformation for ourselves, the church, and the world.
And so it begins. Amen. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Our most gracious Creator and Sovereign of the Universe, we thank you for being true to your covenants with humankind even when we were not. Oh, how many times we have wandered from the trail you are blazing for us, forgetting that it will lead to your kingdom come upon the earth. When we get lost, determined to find our own way in the dark, help us to look for and see the light you are shining in our direction. It is your light that promises to guide us in the way of peace, your peace; the peace that surpasses all understanding. May the smiling eyes and image of your beloved Son, linger in our minds eye, leading us ever onward to your light. In the name of our redeeming Lord, Jesus we pray. Amen. OFFERING INVITATION
The idiom “putting on one’s game face” has come to mean a lot of different things to all sorts of people. I think of the game face as something akin to a poker face, a face that reveals nothing of our inner thoughts and feelings —nervous or confident. Others believe that your game face is your fearless, determined, fighting face signaling that you are ready to tackle any challenge. Some people’s game face is a perpetual smile, others show no expression. Because, “Tis the season to be jolly,” I think people feel pressured to put on a holiday game face, so as not to put a damper on everyone else’s joy. Let’s do ourselves a favor and tap into God’s excitement over what is coming. I have it on good authority that God is dancing gleefully just waiting to see our faces on the day we receive God’s most precious gift to us. UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Glorious God, grateful for all of your blessings, these gifts assert our longing to be effective as Christ’s body at work in the world. Together we are transforming ourselves and the church as the world around us longs for healing. Guide our vision, our hearts and our efforts, in service to you, we pray in the name of the Christ. Amen. SERMON VIDEO
SERMON SCRIPTURE Ecclesiastes 2:15-3:8
Then I said to myself, ‘What happens to the fool will happen to me also; why then have I been so very wise?’ And I said to myself that this also is vanity. For there is no enduring remembrance of the wise or of fools, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How can the wise die just like fools? So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me —and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.
There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God; for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
We might call Koheleth a fatalist, because he believed that there is nothing for humankind to look forward to after death. To his way of thinking Dead is dead. I guess I would have to say that Jesus Christ was God’s cure to prevent human beings from adopting and dwelling in the fatalism of Ecclesiastes. For it was Jesus who taught us that eternal life is a promise of God; it is impossible for mortals to accomplish, because it is the stuff of God. Thankfully, all things are possible with God.
I want to speak to those cynics and naysayers who lambasted those who were in prayer last Wednesday and through the week asking God to comfort the families and friends of those who were murdered and wounded in San Bernardino. The cynics seem to be those who continually ask where God was in the midst of that tragedy and want to know why God didn’t reach out a hand to stop Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik before they murdered 14 people and wounded 21 others. What those cynics fail to see, I think, and forgive me if I am naïve, but they fail to see God’s hand in helping others survive.
If people were so inured to the sound of gunfire and gang warfare in San Bernardino that they didn’t bother to call the police, then many more people would have been injured and killed. If people felt it wasn’t their responsibility to report out-of-the-ordinary-sounds and circumstances to the police, then many more people would have been injured and killed. If the police had been spread far and wide, out on multiple calls -- if they had been one second later in their response, more people would have been injured and killed. But they weren’t, and they came, and they stopped the killers.
I guess there are people out there who expect God to prevent our enemies from seeking to do us harm. So I guess that means we are hoping that God will spray all the bad people in the face with some kind of soul-tranquilizing agent to subdue them and stop them from picking on the good people.
It is evident that the most powerful government in the world has not succeeded in controlling the behavior of our enemies even with the placement of all sorts of sophisticated monitoring equipment, video surveillance cameras on every street corner, and metal detectors in schools and just about every public building. Having the NSA and the FBI and probably a myriad of covert agencies tapping our phones and our emails, watching all that we say and do, has not prevented our enemies from doing us harm. So shall we conclude then, that God should just wipe the slate clean, kick start the world all over again, give it a fresh start, and then maybe human beings would get it right this time?
My dearest ones, we are sentient beings, we feel the vibes from the people around us. From early childhood most of us have been able to tell if someone liked us or didn’t. If they were bullies we avoided them, if they were loners, and indeed seemed to be afraid of us, and if we weren’t the bullies, maybe we thought to befriend them. When you are out walking the dog and he or she encounters another dog or the mailman, the fur on its back raises instinctively and you know the dog is in fight or flight mode, trying to determine if the four legged creature or two legged creature in their path is a friend or an enemy.
We have similar instinctive responses. I know you have said stuff like, “that person gives me the creeps.” Look at the way she is looking at us, that gives me the heebie-jeebies; then you shiver, just to shake off the feeling. I think heebie-jeebies is short for, “the hair on the back of my neck is standing on end.”
I believe fear breeds more fear. Maybe love can breed more love. If we want peace in this world, we must be partners with God and become peace makers. If our hearts are full of hate and resentment, I believe that energy goes out into the cosmos. If our hearts are full of fear, I think that energy goes out into the cosmos as well. If our hearts are full of faith, trust and hope in God, clinging to the spirit of all things being possible with God, I think that goes out into the cosmos too.
Ecclesiastes was a Hebrew philosopher, who believed that God was always present and at work in our lives. He found his own way of saying we aren’t really in control of much of anything when he wrote: Ecclesiastes 3:9-15
What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. God has made everything suitable for its time; putting a sense of past and future into our minds, yet none of us can find out what God has done from the beginning of time to the end. I know that there is nothing better for humanity than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all our toil. I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before God. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by.
Do not be afraid to turn your eyes upon God. Let no one discount your prayers or diminish your sense of the presence of the Holy. God is always working for good, humankind is its only opponent.
Amen.
Rev. Dr. Amanda J. Burr
December 6, 2015
AN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR ADVENT
We believe in God, the giver of life and grace, whose wondrous deeds bring hope and healing to people of all nations
We believe that God’s decision to be with us, in the person of Jesus, manifested God’s immeasurable love for humankind.
We abide in Jesus, the Beloved One, whose name is written upon our hearts.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is at work whispering words of hope, peace, joy and love to ALL people.
We believe in the church, the living body of Christ in the world, to which we belong.
As members of the body, we are called to minister to all people in Jesus’ name
seeking transformation for ourselves, the church, and the world.
And so it begins. Amen. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
O, most gracious Creator, as this Advent season launches us into a new church year, we open our hearts to your leading. We shall be as expectant as parents anticipating the birth of a child. We shall be HOPEfull, believing that your church will flourish, grow and be transformed as more and more people are drawn to your promised “YES.” Our minds shall be at PEACE, knowing that you are awake and watchful; always with us in times of trial and triumph. In the days ahead we shall not be misers of our JOY. We shall look forward to singing favorite songs and carols as we glide along the aisles of the grocery store. We will stop, and watch old movies that remind us of our childhood. We will make time to LOVE our friends and family, and above all, we will cherish the miracle of the season. We make these promises, O God, as our thanks for remembering us. Amen. OFFERING INVITATION
Advent is the liturgical season of waiting, anticipating, believing that God is about to accomplish something wonderful and completely different, intended to affect our lives in a whole new way. We have a tendency to think of the Jesus event as “Old News,” but Good News should never be old news. During these holydays North Americans are confronted by what I call commercial ambivalence, perhaps because we are haunted by the countdown of days fraught with angst and pressure to buy stuff for whoever, in order to meet myriad gift-giving requirements. Why not decide to receive God’s gift of HOPE this week and let your heart be filled and your spirit be uplifted.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Glorious God, grateful for all of your blessings, these gifts assert our longing to be effective as Christ’s body at work in the world. Together we are transforming ourselves and the church as the world around us longs for healing. Guide our vision, our hearts and our efforts, in service to you, we pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.
