AN AFFIRMATION FOR THE SEASON OF 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 the Creator
as refreshment for our souls.
The Spirit leads us into the new day, ever-birthing believers, and transforming the church, 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 faith in the promises we are reborn, refreshed and renewed.
Thanks be to God! Amen. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Wondrous God, our most gracious creator and sovereign of the universe, we thank you for this day, this sanctuary, and this opportunity to attend to your word. With eager hearts and minds we anticipate moments of discovery when we will discern your will for us. Remind us when we awake each morning and when we drift off to sleep at night that you are ever at work prodding our spirits onward toward your kingdom come upon the earth. Fill us with your truth, and teach us how to be merciful to one another. In a world nourished on anxiety and resentment we seek only to be filled with reverence and forgiveness. We pray in the name of the Christ. Amen.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.
Many of us love to read the Psalms, but perhaps haven’t thought about them as conversations with God. We know the ones we really like, because they sound like love letters to God. There are others we are not so fond of because they sound more akin to a rant than a rational conversation. For example, we like Psalm 84, because it soothing, assuring, comforting all the way through: “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” Now Psalm 35, on the other hand, is not particularly inviting to ponder for its vengeful tenor: “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! ...Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life.” But the Psalms are conversations, songs, and pleadings addressed to God that reflect every human mood and attitude. They are sometimes thoughtful, sometimes spontaneous, and each and every one of them is a permission slip and prescription for us to converse with God no matter what mood we happen to be in.
Last Sunday I mentioned I had spoken to an individual who asked me to pray for her, which could mean she was asking that I offer a prayer on her behalf. There are those who may think that the prayers of the ordained carry more weight than everyone else. There are those who think that the ordained know the right words, or the right formula, that promises to get the prayer job done most effectively. I asked the young woman if she, herself, prayed. Her immediate response was to bow her head turning her face downward and her head away from me as if embarrassed by the question. She said: “Well I ask God to forgive me.” I encouraged her not to be afraid to have regular conversations with God, and not to worry too much about the content, because God is able to discern the intent.
We started our Gratitude Campaign on January 10th and I thought to share with you my fill-in-the-blank Gratitude Template one more time, but I have decided, instead to share a fill-in-the-blank “Talking to God Template.” Let this serve as a helpful guide for conversing with God.
Blessings,
AN AFFIRMATION FOR THE SEASON OF 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 the Creator
as refreshment for our souls.
The Spirit leads us into the new day, ever-birthing believers, and transforming the church, 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 faith in the promises we are reborn, refreshed and renewed.
Thanks be to God! Amen. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
O, Most loving and merciful God, Creator of the Universe, on this Human Relations Sunday, we are called to open our eyes and see that we are not a one-size-fits-most world made up of homogenized people. We are neither the same type, size, color or shape. English is not the first language of everyone. Rather we are diverse, in all our attributes and aspects, likes and dislikes, gifts and frailties. What we share, in common is our devotion to you and our desire to live out the commandment to love one another as you love us. As this year unfolds, give us the will and the courage to be open to diversity, new experiences, and the gifts that will be shared by the hands, hearts and souls belonging to unfamiliar faces. All this we pray in the name of the Christ who shows us the way of welcome. Amen. GRATITUDE CAMPAIGN INVITATION TWO UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ, to do your work and will. Amen.
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 form the Creator as refreshment for our souls.
The Spirit leads us into the new day, ever-birthing believers and transforming 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 faith in the promises we are reborn, refreshed and renewed.
Thanks be to God! Amen. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Wondrous and Mysterious Creator, we have come to glorify your name. Accept our best efforts to give you thanks and praise. We realize that we can praise your name and thank you every day at home, at work, at school, even in the bathtub, but there is something awe-inspiring about offering praise in the company of those with like-hearts. We confess a kind of longing to get back to a routine when the holidays are over. In so doing we may leave the message of Emmanuel behind with the discarded boxes, wrapping paper and bows. But you, O God, are ever with us, in ways we cannot begin to comprehend. And so, we embrace that truth, trusting that each of our days will begin and end in you. O Lord, hear our prayer, in the name of the Christ. Amen.
THE INVITATION TO BE A PART OF OUR GRATITUDE CAMPAIGN
Today we begin our annual Stewardship Campaign. We are calling it the Gratitude Campaign. A few months ago I asked members of the church to play with a fill-in-the-blank form which I called the Gratitude Template. I asked folks to fill in the blanks with their responses. What fills you with a sense of gratefulness? Are you grateful to God for anything and how do you show your gratitude? Today I begin our campaign sharing what makes my heart grateful.
I confess I have spent some time lately pondering my future as an individual, no longer active in the workforce, e.g. my life as an unemployed pastor. Don’t looked so shocked, many of you have found yourselves in the same position thinking about who you will be and what you will do when facing -- that word that shall remain unspoken, but which defines the time in one’s life when one is no longer working a full time job, whether it is saying good-bye to one’s own business, chosen career, vocation, or to the company that has been loyal and offered great benefits.
You can ask just about anyone who knows me and they will tell you that the 10 years I have spent with you – so far-- have been the best years of my ministerial career. I am so very grateful to God and Kathy Middle for helping us find each other back in 2005, over 10 years ago, now.
I have heard our winter folks, some of whom are life-long United Methodists, say: “Gee, I can’t believe you are still here. Don’t the Methodists have a practice of moving pastors around every three years, or so? You’ve been pastoring this church longer than most.” Mind you, the folks who make this observation aren’t upset; they are just surprised. For the most part they are glad, and in some cases relieved, to see me, because my presence here completes their vision of their church-home away from home.
We were apart from 2006 to 2007, but reunited in 2007. We were nearly parted again in 2011, but God who is good all the time, kept that from happening. We have triumphed together working to revitalize our mission, purpose and presence in this community.
What was for a time viewed as little remote church in the desert, is now known far and wide to be a place of spiritual significance and welcome where anyone is invited to come in and Experience God’s wondrous and powerful YES.
Last Sunday I shared with you the weekly bottom line. This week I have shared how grateful I am for you. Over the next four weeks please think about how you will express your gratitude for all that God has done for us. And keep in mind that our spirits are never to be undone by anything; the work of the body is to keep the mission of the church vital and alive until Christ comes at last.
Amen. UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Wondrous and Eternal God, pour out your blessing upon the gifts we bring. We offer them with full and grateful hearts, trusting that you will guide us in our use of them. Proclaiming our belief that all things are possible with you, we offer ourselves in service, seeking always, in the name of the Christ to do your work and will. Amen.
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.
