May 7, 2017 "LONGING"

AN EASTER AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe we are created in the image of God, male and female.
Believing that God’s will for us is goodwill, we follow in the footsteps of God’s beloved Son,
Jesus the Christ.
We believe Jesus lived to forgive, and showed us how, by serving one another, we connect to the heart of God.
Jesus’ mission to bind up and heal the broken hearted is our mission also.
We believe and trust Jesus’ saving act of taking all our sin, regret and sorrow
upon his own shoulders.
He bore them to the cross where they died with him.
Jesus was buried in a tomb, but on the third day God raised him from the dead,
as promised.
Not long after his resurrection, also as promised, God sent the Holy Spirit into our midst
speaking truth in every language to all who have ears to hear.
We believe The Spirit is our ever-present advocate, counselor,
and friend teaching us to love God and one another as the Christ loved us.
Praise God! Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
When I was in Nursing school doing my pediatric rotation, we learned all of reflexes that infants are born with: a rooting reflex, sucking reflex, moro reflex, the tonic neck reflex, grasp reflex, Babinski reflex and the step reflex. These inborn reflexes are essential for an infant’s survival. Crying isn’t included the list, nevertheless it is instinctive and the only way a baby can communicate his or her need for food, a cuddle or a diaper change. If these needs are not met the child will fail to thrive. The same is true for Christians, particularly those who are new to the faith. If they don’t receive the spiritual essentials, they can’t thrive and grow into salvation. You may think people choose to be spiritually undernourished, but I think they just haven’t tasted that the Lord is good and I believe the church is still a place where people can discover the good taste of God.

April 30, 2017 TRUST

AN EASTER AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe we are created in the image of God, male and female.
Believing that God’s will for us is goodwill, we follow in the footsteps of God’s beloved Son,
Jesus the Christ.
We believe Jesus lived to forgive, and showed us how, by serving one another, we connect to the heart of God.
Jesus’ mission to bind up and heal the broken hearted is our mission also.
We believe and trust Jesus’ saving act of taking all our sin, regret and sorrow
upon his own shoulders.
He bore them to the cross where they died with him.
Jesus was buried in a tomb, but on the third day God raised him from the dead,
as promised.
Not long after his resurrection, also as promised, God sent the Holy Spirit into our midst
speaking truth in every language to all who have ears to hear.
We believe The Spirit is our ever-present advocate, counselor,
and friend teaching us to love God and one another as the Christ loved us.
Praise God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Wondrous and unfathomable God, we are awed by your unrelenting grace, mercy and love for humankind. Just when we think everything is about to fall apart, when we are anxious and panicky, you surprise us, placing solutions smack-dab in our path. In moments of such inspiration, we become acutely aware that we have been privy to your timely intervention, and only that helped get us back on track. In such moments, we also realize how often we fail to call out your name, and ask for your very present help in times of trouble. O Lord, may your name be ever on our lips as we offer thanks and praise in the name of the risen Christ. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
In our senior years, we are advised by the wise to put our accumulated assets in trusts, in order to protect them from the long arm of the probate court. So we place our trust in fiduciary institutions or lawyers who specialize in estate planning. I often wonder if, in truth, we trust God over money, banks, blue-chips, and legalese. How and when do you trust in God? I mean, on which occasions? Under what circumstances? In what situations? It’s an important question to ponder one pondered by a Pennsylvania Pastor who in 1861, pleaded with the Secretary of the Treasury to recognize God on our coinage, so if we managed to destroy ourselves during the Civil War, future generations would not regard us as heathens. His plea was honored by Secretary Chase. In 1956, nearly 100 years later, a law was passed by the 84th Congress and approved by the President declaring IN GOD WE TRUST to be the national motto of the United States. Every denomination of coin or bill reminds us to put our trust in God. Like those fiduciary institutions and lawyers, may Christ’s church be worthy of your trust.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, bless these tithes and offerings. We offer them with grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us to use them wisely, for the edification of Christ’s church and the good of humanity. Jesus taught us that all things are possible with you. May all our work and all of efforts serve your will. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.

April 23, 2017 "MISDIRECTION"

AN EASTER AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe we are created in the image of God, male and female.
Believing that God’s will for us is goodwill, we follow in the footsteps of God’s beloved Son,
Jesus the Christ.
We believe Jesus lived to forgive, and showed us how, by serving one another, we connect to the heart of God.
Jesus’ mission to bind up and heal the broken hearted is our mission also.
We believe and trust Jesus’ saving act of taking all our sin, regret and sorrow
upon his own shoulders.
He bore them to the cross where they died with him.
Jesus was buried in a tomb, but on the third day God raised him from the dead,
as promised.
Not long after his resurrection, also as promised, God sent the Holy Spirit into our midst
speaking truth in every language to all who have ears to hear.
We believe The Spirit is our ever-present advocate, counselor,
and friend teaching us to love God and one another as the Christ loved us.
Praise God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
O, most Compassionate and Loving God, we continue to celebrate the resurrection event for seven more Sundays. By your great mercy you have given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection. May we learn to manifest this living hope in all of our work, in our prayers, our ministries, and in every effort put forward to bring about a renewed and adventurous vitality in the life of the church. Make us more than ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Make us visionaries for Christ, receptive to the needs and ideas of all whom we encounter. Help us switch on the high beams of our imagination and creativity to light our path to the future. Ignite in us a willingness to be transformed by the challenges you put before us, and the gifts of those you send into our midst. All this we pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
There are all sorts of ways we humans can misremember, misapprehend, misappropriate, misquote, misspeak, and even misarticulate what we think are universal, and even biblical truths. For example all sorts of folks have misapprehended this phrase: “God helps those who help themselves.” They think its from the Bible because it mentions God. NOT! Ben Franklin popularized the phrase, for Americans, in Poor Richard’s Almanac, back in 1736, a publication which my father read religiously. Granted it’s true that disciplined Christians don’t wait for God to put food on their table; they work to sustain themselves and their families. But because we apprehend the teachings of our savior we also work to help those who cannot help themselves. According to Acts 4:32, the earliest Christians did not claim private ownership of possessions; everything they owned they held in common.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, bless these tithes and offerings. We offer them with grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us to use them wisely, for the edification of Christ’s church and the good of humanity. Jesus taught us that all things are possible with you. May all our work and all of efforts serve your will. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.

April 16, 2017 EASTER SUNDAY "THIS MORNING WITH THE MARYS"

AN EASTER AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe we are created in the image of God, male and female.
Believing that God’s will for us is goodwill, we follow in the footsteps of God’s beloved Son,
Jesus the Christ.
We believe Jesus lived to forgive, and showed us how, by serving one another, we connect to the heart of God.
Jesus’ mission to bind up and heal the broken hearted is our mission also.
We believe and trust Jesus’ saving act of taking all our sin, regret and sorrow
upon his own shoulders.
He bore them to the cross where they died with him.
Jesus was buried in a tomb, but on the third day God raised him from the dead,
as promised.
Not long after his resurrection, also as promised, God sent the Holy Spirit into our midst
speaking truth in every language to all who have ears to hear.
We believe The Spirit is our ever-present advocate, counselor,
and friend teaching us to love God and one another as the Christ loved us.
Praise God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
O most wondrous and surprising God, we have been holding our breath waiting, waiting for something to happen and here it is! What a stroke of genius is THE RESURRECTION! You did it, you really did it! Why are we surprised? You’re God, after all; you made a promise and followed through on your promise. We are gladder than glad, rejoicing with you in the triumph of your son Jesus Christ. We now understand that he weathered the storm of his ordeal in order so we could witness your final intention for all. Jesus’ resurrection is your most wondrous, mysterious and wholly unchangeable gift of love. We confess we were afraid, trembling in the secret darkness with his forlorn disciples. But today, you have revealed what lies beyond all grief and mourning. The tomb is empty, and life, with all of its ups and downs, has been touched by the promise of eternity. We can breathe again, no longer afraid. Our faith is renewed, our spirits are ignited and we shall shout it from the mountain tops. “Praise God! Today all things are made new! Christ is Risen. Christ is Risen indeed.” Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
Paul writes, “Listen I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised imperishable and we will be changed.” This promising vision is one many of us readily embrace and accept, but when it comes to the need to embrace necessary change in the earthly realms, we must confess our discomfiture and some suspicion. When was it that so many Christians stopped looking at life as an adventure— as an invitation to explore new ideas, or new ways to worship God, and experience personal and communal spirituality? During the past 10 years we have been a congregation experiencing growth through change. Let’s not put the brakes on now. Support our Messy Church adventure with your gifts, your prayers, your participation, your service and your witness.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God we are so very grateful for this day of resurrection. There is no clearer message of goodwill; no more graphic demonstration of your love; no greater assurance of your hope for humanity. The gifts we offer on the Easter Sunday cannot compare to the gift you have given us, but we hope they will, in some small measure, bring the message of your love and goodwill to those who have never known it. In the name of the risen Christ we pray. Amen.

April 14, 2017 Good Friday "Voices for Good Friday" ON THE MARGINS

AN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR LENT
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, the giver of life and breath.
We believe that nothing can separate us from the grace, love, and mercy of God
who never hesitates to forgive the repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who sought to love us into new life.
We believe he took our sin and regret upon himself carrying these to the cross, where he gave his own life our sakes.
This was his ultimate gift to us.
We believe that his death was not the end and that he will come again one day to take us to himself.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who speaks God’s truth to all people, in every language.
Listening to the Spirit our hearts are warmed and we become living proof of God’s
transforming presence.
We believe in the church, the body of Christ in the world.
As members of that body we are called to seek justice and reconciliation and to make a difference in this world.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Loving and Merciful God, we enter this sanctuary, a bit anxious and timid, to remember Jesus ordeal on the cross. We confess feeling undone by the scattering of his followers in the Garden of Gethsemane, and we wonder if we had been there, wouldn’t we have done the same. felt lost, bereft and ashamed, not knowing what to do or where to turn. We have been taught by the lamb to trust in you. We are humbled by his faith and will believe that, through it all, you did not abandon your child of promise, the beloved One. Our Abba, Father, in heaven, holy, holy, holy is your name. May your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as surely as it is in heaven. Give us this day the food we need. Forgive us our sins, empowering us, by your gracious forgiveness, to forgive those who have sinned against us. Guide us in right paths. Lead us away from temptation and keep us from evil, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
Matthew offers the only account of Judas Iscariot publicly repenting of his betrayal of Jesus. Unfortunately, Judas reports his regrets and his desire to give back the money he was paid, to those who have no interest in his repentant heart. In an effort to wash his hands of it all, he throws the thirty pieces of silver clattering onto the stone floor of the temple. The chief priests took the “blood money” and purchased the potter’s field, the place where clay was extracted from the ground for making pots. Not useful for farming or agriculture, it became a common grave for those people who existed on the margins of Judaism, who could not be buried in an orthodox cemetery. Those who are marginalized by our society have much to teach us. Our goal, as the body of Christ must be to include, in the life of the church, all the whom society has relegated to the margins.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God, we offer these gifts to your church with humble hearts. Pour out your blessing upon them. Make them a powerful witness to Christ’s love of all people in every corner of the world. Show us the better way to carry on the work of your Christ today to your honor and glory. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.

April 13, 2017 Holy Thursday "THE SUPPER PROMISE"

CONFESSION AND PARDON
L: My Sisters and brothers, Christ shows us his love by becoming a humble servant. Let us draw near to God and confess our sin in the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.
P: On this night of nights, the Israelites waited with bated breath the sing of God’s redemption. They readied themselves to escape from Egypt at a moment’s notice. We have been readying ourselves for this night as well during the past 40 days. We anticipation the presence of Christ and confess our trepidation. Like those gathered with him at the table we are not confident in our ability to carry out the work of discipleship and yet, we have pledged our faith. We confess that we have fallen short in our efforts to witness to the way Christ is at work in our lives. And we confess that we have not counted these shortcomings as our failure to keep our end of the bargain.
L: Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ. But Jesus does not condemn. No, it is he who deems us worthy, and invites us to dine with him at the Passover table. In his presence we shall give thanks and praise to Almighty God who gives us life and breath, love and eternal grace. Jesus will remind us that God has never abandoned humanity, remaining steadfast even when we turned away. At the table the “Beloved One” of God will call upon us to the remember God’s covenants of old, while embracing a new covenant. At the table to be called the table of remembrance from this day forward, Jesus gives us the bread of life and the cup of redemption. Jesus dines tonight in the company of those who betrayed, denied and deserted him, and still he offers grace to all. Time after time we have not understood what God has done for us, and time after time the bread and cup remind us that in the name of Christ you are forgiven!
P: In the name of the Christ, you are forgiven! Glory be to God. Amen. Our ABBA Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours forever Amen.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
The question was asked at the time of his birth “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? That child grew to manhood and on the day of his baptism heard the voice from heaven saying: “This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” The devil knew him as the Son of God, yet this king, this beloved, this son, aspired to no grand and glorious throne; rather he sought to gather us in, to change our lives showing us the way to be sturdy salt and a hopeful light for the world. During the 40 days of Lent you have walked to Jerusalem with Jesus. When he entered the Holy City, how did you react seeing the king of kings, humble and mounted on a donkey? Your response to the sight should be a telling moment, as well as, a moment of decision.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Merciful God, this evening we remember how Jesus, knowing that his end was near kept faith with you and with his disciples celebrating the Passover with all of his disciples, the deserters, the betrayers and those who awaited. Bless the gifts we offer this evening which are not offered to curry your favor or goodwill. Our gifts show that we gladly and gratefully embrace our covenant with you. Guide us to carry out the mission of your church. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.

APRIL 9, 2017

April 9, 2017 PASSION SUNDAY "COME TO THE CROSS AND REMEMBER"

A LENTEN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, who grants us grace and life.
We believe that nothing in all the world can separate us from the love of God,
who willingly forgives the repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who came to live with us and taught us to choose life in his name.
We believe that Jesus took the burden of our sins upon himself and carried them to the cross,
where he gave up his own life for our sakes. This was his ultimate gift to humanity.
We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that he will come again one day
to take us to himself.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is present with us,
offering good counsel and truth in every language.
When we willingly embrace the Spirit’s presence, our hearts are warmed,
and we are transformed.
As the church, Christ’s body in the world, we are called to a ministry of service,
working for justice and reconciliation.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Glorious and most compassionate God, we have arrived in Jerusalem with Jesus and his disciples, having journeyed with them during these forty days of Lent. We have heard Jesus’ commands, witnessed his healings, and pondered his parables. The good seeds of the kingdom have been sown in the soil of our hearts. May our hearts be worthy to bring forth the best grain, thirty, sixty, and even one-hundred fold. Let us not hurry through the days of this Holy Week, as if to leap without a thought from this Sunday to next. As Jesus bears our griefs and carries our sorrows to the cross, give us the strength dearest Lord, not to runway, but to stand by him, and dare, one day, to carry on in his name. All this we pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
Keep the Palm Crosses you receive today close at hand. They are given to remind you of the decision Jesus made on your behalf. If he said it once, he said it three times, that coming to Jerusalem would seal his fate, which was to suffer at the hands of those who beheaded John the Baptist. With his stripes our brokenness is healed. Help us continue to build a church that spreads this wondrous and redeeming news.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, bless these gifts and tithes. We offer them with grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us to use them wisely, for the edification of Christ’s church, and for the good of humanity. Jesus taught us that all things are possible with you. May the work we do in Jesus’ name serve your will. Amen.

April 2, 2016 "WHAT WEEDS WOULD AN ENEMY SOW IF AN ENEMY WOULD SOW WEEDS?"

A LENTEN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, who grants us grace and life.
We believe that nothing in all the world can separate us from the love of God,
who willingly forgives the repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture,
who came lived with us and taught us to choose life in his name.
We believe that Jesus took the burden of our sins upon himself and carried them to the cross,
where he gave up his own life for our sakes. This was his ultimate gift to humanity.
We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and Jesus will come again one day
to take us to himself.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is present with us,
offering good counsel and truth in every language.
When we willingly embrace the Spirit’s presence, our hearts are warmed,
and we are transformed.
As the church, Christ’s body in the world, we are called to a ministry of service,
working for justice and reconciliation.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious God, we seek a moment or two of peace in this sacred space, confronted, as we seem to be everyday with contentiousness, and people whose first response to any request is NO!. Some days it feels as if folks have been infected with some kind of negativity fever. It’s probably just stress, but we are wont to pray this morning for you to rescue us from our stress. Let us sense your ready willing, and able presence with us. Let us not be put off by the nay-sayers, and can’t-doers. Keep us from ruminating over what we have not accomplished, and help us celebrate the good fruit we will help us bear. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
Anita Sanchez writes: “Dandelions are one species of flowering plant that just about anyone can identify at a glance, as familiar to humans as the dog.” I loved seeing the bright yellow flowers springing up in our yard in Massachusetts. As a little girl I didn’t know why folks were bent on killing them. To me it was a pretty flower that magically turned into a puff ball, which, when I blew on it, scattered to the four winds. According to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association it was only in the 20th century that humans decided the dandelion was a weed. “Before the invention of lawns, the golden blossoms and lion-toothed leaves were more likely to be praised as a bounty of food, medicine and magic. Gardeners used to weed out the grass to make room for the dandelions.” It’s kind of similar to the way people view paper money and coins in the 21st century. Why carry money when a mobile phone app or a plastic card will suffice? The ushers will now come forward to receive your cell phones and plastic cards.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, bless these tithes and offerings. We offer them with grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us to use them wisely, for the edification of Christ’s church and the good of humanity. Jesus taught us that all things are possible with you. May our work serve your will. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen.

March 26, 2017 "WHAT SEEDS WOULD A SOWER SOW IF A SOWER WOULD SO SEEDS?"

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH FOR LENT
We believe in God the creator of heaven and earth, who grants us grace and life.
We believe that nothing in all the world can separate us from the love of God,
who willingly forgives the repentant heart.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God in human vesture, who came to live with us and taught us to choose life in his name.
We believe that Jesus took the burden of our sins upon himself and carried them to the cross,
where he gave up his own life for our sakes. This was his ultimate gift to humanity.
We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that he will come again one day
to take us to himself.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is present with us, offering
good counsel and truth in every language.
When we willingly embrace the Spirit’s presence, our hearts are warmed,
and we are transformed.
As the church, Christ’s body in the world, we are called to a ministry of service,
working for justice and reconciliation.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Dearest Lord, this morning the story of Johnny Appleseed comes to mind, the kindly nurseryman and missionary who planted apple orchards from east to west, read the gospel for a place to lay his head, and sang his song of praise for all of us to embrace. “OOOOOOh, The Lord is good to me, and so I thank the Lord, for giving me the things I need, the sun, the rain, and the apple seed. The Lord is good to me.” With his tin-pot chapeau, and discalced feet, he reminded us to seek simplicity as did the Shakers with these words written 3 years after Johnny Appleseed’s death. When true simplicity is gained to bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed, to turn, turn, will be our delight till by turning, turning we come round right. May our turning always be in your direction O, most gracious God. In the name of, Jesus, the master of simplicity, we pray. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
In the film the Long Hot Summer, Ben Quick conned Jody Varner into buying the Old Frenchman’s place by seeding the ground around the old house with some fake gold doubloons. When clouds are seeded with silver iodide it changes the amount or type of precipitation that falls to earth from the clouds. New start ups, be they businesses or even churches, need seed money sown by investors, friends or family members to get the project started. You may not have given this notion much thought, but your gifts don’t just sustain or maintain the church; they are often the seeds that help us initiate new programs for growth and outreach. Well done!
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, bless these gifts and tithes. We offer them with grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us to use them wisely, for the edification of Christ’s church, and for the good of humanity. Jesus taught us that all things are possible with you. May the work we do in Jesus’ name serve your will. Amen.