Worship Service, October 3, 2021

Integrated Order of Worship for the Lord's Day, Sunday, October 3, 2021

 

First Presbyterian Church

October 3, 2021

10:00 AM

Order of Worship

 

                                             CALL TO WORSHIP

How does Jesus’ resurrection benefit us?

He has overcome death and His resurrection is the pledge to our glorious resurrection.

So then we are raised up to new life in Him.

And we will join Jesus in the righteousness He has obtained for us.

Let us worship the Living God.

 

*Hymn of Praise: “Break Thou The Bread of Life”

1. Break thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me, as thou didst break the loaves beside the sea; beyond the sacred page I seek thee, Lord; my spirit pants for thee, O Living Word!

2. Bless thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me, as thou didst bless the bread by Galilee; then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall; and I shall find my peace, my all in all.

      PRAYER OF CONFESSION (In Unison)

God of mercy, in Jesus you modeled power through vulnerability, and victory through sacrifice. But we live in a world that celebrates abundance and might. God of grace, in Christ we find unhesitating welcome as siblings — all children of One loving parent. But, if we’re honest with ourselves, there are members of our human family we would rather avoid. God of love, reshape us that we might be brave enough to show strength by sharing power, encourage us that we might admit to ourselves our reluctance to acknowledge those across the ocean, over the border, or just around the corner as our family. And reorient us to the trailblazing example of Jesus, whose gift to us was sacrifice and whose gracious embrace knows no bounds. Amen.

*SILENT PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Siblings in Christ, Our savior abandoned the company of angels for this marvelous and messy world, and in his sacrifice we find a fresh start for our relationship with God and with one another. May we live into this new day; in Jesus Christ, we are all forgiven. Amen.

*THE GLORIA PATRI

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

INVITATION: “Dear Lord, I need You, please come into my life today.  Amen”

INDRODUCTION TO THE TEXT

John 11: 1-27

            The story of the raising of Lazarus is the lead-in to “Holy Week” as laid out in the gospel of John.  In the next chapter, we have Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem recorded.  It seems that this miracle serves two purposes in the text.  The first is to record the pinnacle of Jesus’ miraculous powers.  The second is to foreshadow Jesus’ own death and resurrection as the ultimate demonstration of God’s powers, not simply to restore one man’s life, but to offer the potential to restore the lives of all God’s children condemned by sin.

            Our passage today does not extend to the actual raising of Lazarus.  Rather, the focus is on Jesus’ approach and his conversation, especially with Martha.  He makes one of the most powerful declarative statements in his time on earth to her.  “I am the resurrection and the life.”  In the context of the conversation, Martha believes that her brother will rise at the end of time.  But she also expressed her wish that Jesus had come before his death to have healed Lazarus.

            In Jesus’ reply, he is weaving together the expectations of God’s power and ministry expressed in him.  On the one hand, there is the promise of resurrection for all humanity, but on the other, there is the immediate expression of God’s power to return Lazarus from the grave. 

            One particular expression of God’s wonder in this passage is that, even in the power of resurrection, the feelings of humanity are not discounted.  In the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept”, his own grief is expressed along with that of Mary and Martha, despite his knowledge of the coming miracle.  This is tension that we have in our funeral services to this day.  On the one hand, we have faith in the power of God.  On the other, we have in our Lord Jesus, our master and friend, who will walk with us in our pain and tears. 

            In the story arc of the gospel, this event is going to be a trigger event for the Jewish leadership to accelerate their plans to get rid of Jesus.  This miracle, accentuating the power of God, is seen as a real threat to their own hold on power.  As Lazarus is a living example of the power that Jesus wields, their plans are going to include getting rid of him as well, plans, as far as we know, that were never carried out.

 

 

LESSON: John 11: 1-27
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ²Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. ³So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ ⁴But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ ⁵Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, ⁶after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

7 Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ ⁸The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?’ ⁹Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. ¹⁰But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ ¹¹After saying this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ ¹²The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.’ ¹³Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. ¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ ¹⁶Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, ¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. ²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. ²¹Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ ²³Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ ²⁴Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ ²⁵Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ²⁷She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’

SERMON:                              “Defining a Resurrection Moment”                             Rev. Peter Hofstra

            I was in the middle of a busy day.  All the usual details of life were milling around.  Keeping ahead of things for church, anticipating my son’s driving test for the coming week, some friends of ours suddenly impacted by multiple Covid cases in the family, thinking about the people on my ‘preventative prayer list’.  Got one of those?  Family and friends and acquaintances that are routinely lifted to the Lord to protect them?

            The back door was open and there is a hanging basket back there with one of the hardiest and prettiest flowers that we have ever purchased.  And there was something I had never seen before in our backyard.  It was a hummingbird, feeding at the flower.  Now, I know we have hummingbirds in the area.  Our house is a few blocks from where Joe and Ida Mae Rakos used to live, on a dead end that’s a little more wooded, so they got them routinely.  But I’d never seen one in our yard.

            It was a moment.  My biggest concern in that moment was trying to open the back screen door quietly enough to take a picture of it, something that would be far clearer than the shots I got through the screen.  Once that was done, taking those moments to enjoy this part of nature that I have only seen on television.  There was something magical about it.

            It was a throwback to my days in grade school when recess came at just the right time during a crazy day.  It struck me, in my preparations for the sermon this morning, as a Resurrection moment.

            What’s a Resurrection moment?  Well, its based on Easter morning.  Jesus rose from the dead and everything was new and different and wonderful, the plan of God accomplished.  It is a moment we celebrate in the church calendar once a year, but it is so much more than that.  It changes everything.  And God has set us into a world where we will have those moments, often times right when we did not know we needed them, to remind us of just how amazing God is.

            In our passage today, we find Jesus on the cusp of providing a live action resurrection moment.  Jesus is about to raise Lazarus from the dead.  His friend has been gone these four days and Jesus has just come down.  Moved to tears by the grief that has struck Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, before the miracle takes place, there is some push back.  Had Jesus come sooner, he could have healed Lazarus.  But now…

            Even now, when Jesus assures Martha that Lazarus will rise again, she knows the long game that Jesus is speaking of.  She believes that he will arise on the last day.  But Jesus focuses his response.  “I am the resurrection and the life,” he tells her, “Those who believe in me, though they die, will live.”  In the transcendent power of God, two things are happening here.  On the one hand, Jesus confirms what Martha has already confessed.  On the last day, the dead will rise.  She believes in Jesus as the Messiah.  But this passage also foreshadows what is going to happen in only a few chapters.  The death and miraculous resurrection of Lazarus foreshadows Jesus’ own death and resurrection.  And that is not something we simply recognize now.  The authorities also saw the tremendous power, both of God and of advertising, that came in the resurrection of Lazarus.  In the very next chapter, they will plot to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus.

            Notice what Jesus tells Martha.  It is a two-fold declaration.  “I am the resurrection AND the life.”  A couple of weeks ago, our bible passage was from the Prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament, the Song of the Suffering Servant.  That prophecy was fulfilled in the time of its declaration.  Remember, Israel was in Exile in Babylon, convinced that the final judgement of God, their destruction as a nation, had been carried out.  But God gave them a way forward.  That prophecy was also for us, for the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan.  In this case, it was in reference to Jesus’ suffering and death for our sins. 

            We can hear this prophetic voice in Jesus’ words too.  Jesus is the resurrection and the life, her understanding of that truth is in the ultimate fulfillment, of the rising of her brother at the end.  But it is about to come true in the immediate as well.  Jesus is going to the tomb and Lazarus is going to be raised from the dead and restored to his family. 

            Now it is interesting how the media can shadow our own conception of a biblical story.  For me, this story is shaded from the movie “The Last Temptation of Christ”.  Willem Defoe played Jesus in this controversial portrayal of Jesus.  I watched it because I knew people who took away their understanding of Jesus in the gospel from what they saw in that film.  I took away a bit of that myself.  The raising of Lazarus is portrayed in that film, but when Jesus brings him back, he is different.  He is pale, withdrawn, sickly, a subtext that restoring his life was not to who he was but to a shadow of his formal self.  He’s not a zombie exactly, but his rising only fulfilled half of Jesus’ words.  “I am the resurrection.”  That power came to Lazarus.  “And the life…”, well, that part was subtly undercut. 

            It has informed my vision of Lazarus as someone who came back from an invasive medical procedure.  He’s alive, but never quite the same again.  Except that is not how Jesus does things.  If divine power comes down to overcome death, how vibrant and lustrous would the life of Lazarus become in that moment?

            Because that is the other part of a Resurrection moment.  It is just too unwieldy to call it a ‘resurrection and life moment’.  The sun comes out after a storm, the day dawns crisp and bright, we watch proudly as our child graduates from college, our child is born, or our grandchild?  Or a moment of relief, picking up your young one after they have passed their driving test?  Life itself may not suddenly turn into all good, all the time, but there is the reminder, that resurrection moment, where life is good and, if we are on point, we will know that this is the gift of God.

            The proof of the power comes in the sinful, almost desperate imitation of seeking these high points in life.  Drugs, alcohol, gambling, adrenalin spikes, all of those are attempts to reach for something beyond ourselves or something to tamp down the effects of life to reach some place of peace, if not joy.  I am not so naïve as to spout some nonsense like “just get high on life”.  Addiction may begin as a choice, but it turns into an illness.  Resurrection moments can happen for the alcoholic or junkie or other addict, not to cure them because that is not how it works.  But those moments become the proof that God is still with them even in the depths of their addiction.

            And it is true that moments of joy, whether high moments of pleasure or low moments of tranquility, can be achieved by other means, they come at a cost, and they do not last.  And all too often, a bigger “hit” is needed to get to that joyful or tranquil place again.  What I see as resurrection moments, what I see feeding us the joy of life in Christ, we need to keep eyes open to be ready to receive them when they come, because they do.  And we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, so that we can be grateful to the Creator and Redeemer of our lives, or we might just let those moments go as ‘happy accidents’.  Or miss them altogether.

            You can be in the middle of a busy day.  If you are into making ‘to do’ lists to manage the busyness, it is not too hard to come up with enough to do through next weekend.  And the Lord does not forget us ‘out there’ in the busy world.  We might be off our own schedule of reaching out in prayer, of spending time in the word.  But then a moment comes.  Maybe you see a hummingbird for the first time where you have never seen a hummingbird before.  And it is a reminder of the wonder of God’s creation, something so delicate, so…I don’t even know the words.  It’s a resurrection moment, a reminder of life, a pause that can refresh us in the grace of knowing the power and wonder of our Creator God.  A simple reminder of the power that drew Lazarus from the tomb.  That brought Jesus back to us on Easter morning.  That God is always there, reminding us when we are distracted.  Praise God’s Holy Name.  Amen.

 

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

PASSING OF THE PEACE

THE OFFERING OF OUR TITHES & GIFTS
God has told us what is good; and what does the Lord require? To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. In gratitude, humility, and sacrifice, let us return to God a portion of God’s gifts to us

*DOXOLOGY

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 DEDICATION

Holy God, thank you for entrusting us to participate in your worldwide circle of caring. May the offering of the time, talent and treasure that you have sewn in us bring you joy and bring our neighbors comfort and hope. Show us how to use these gifts entrusted to us for your glory and your dreams. Amen.

 

INVITATION

All are welcome at God's table - at Christ's table - at this table. People from near and far. Neighbors and strangers. Young and old. Rich and poor. In whatever way you know the Christ, know you are invited to eat and drink with him... and with us. Alleluia!

 

God be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to God.

Let us give thanks to God, our God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

 

We do say thank you, loving God. We thank you for creating the heavens and the earth. We thank you for being the source of all life and all creation - for sharing with us the tiniest seed and the grandest stars... for creating us - with our tears and our laughter, with our joy and our sorrow, with our curiosity and our thinking... with our life. We thank you for Jesus, the Christ - for all that he learned from you and in you, for all that he taught, for all that he shared with the disciples, and all that he shares with us. Thank you, loving God!

Therefore, we praise you, wonderful God, joining our voices to sing out the glory of your name!

 

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Power, God of Might. 

Heaven and Earth are full of your Glory!

Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest!  Hosanna in the highest!

 

 

 

 

THANKSGIVING

We rejoice that, through Eve and Adam and all of their children, You entered into relationship with us. We rejoice that, through Sarah and Abraham and all of their children, You entered into covenant with us.   But we also remember that the covenant and relationship with You has been broken, many times by our ancestors - and by us.

Each time the covenant was broken, You invited us back! Through prophets and pastors and wise ones, You invited us back! And still we broke faith with You. But, at the right time, You sent Jesus to live with us.

Given life by the Holy Spirit, given life by the decision and action of your favored one, Mary, He came to share our life - to bring us back to each other and to our covenant with you! At the Jordan River Your Spirit came upon him, calling Him to tell the world the good news of your love. He healed people who were sick and fed people who were hungry. He cried with those who mourned and danced with those who celebrated. He looked for people who were lost and alone... and helped them to understand that they were welcome at your table! He lived out the fullness of your grace. We saw his holy love.

 

INSTITUTION

On the night before he was put to death, Jesus gathered with his friends for a special meal. He took bread and gave thanks to you, O Lord. He broke the bread and offered it to those gathered around him, saying, "Take this and eat; this is my body which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me."

Taking a cup, he once again gave thanks to you, and shared the cup with those gathered, saying: "This is the cup of the new covenant in my blood. Drink from this, all of you. This is poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins."

After the meal, Jesus was arrested. His disciples and friends ran away. He was beaten for what people thought he had said. He stood trial... and was put to death on a cross. He gave all of himself to your people, O God. His life and his death. Then you raised him from that death, holy God - that he might be one with you, now and forevermore!

As we remember his death, proclaim his resurrection, and look for His coming again, we offer to you, O God, this bread and this cup. Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, so that everyone who eats and drinks at this table might be one in Christ's body... your holy people.

Through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, God most holy, now and forever more!

 

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

 Jesus Christ, the bread of life. Jesus Christ, the true vine. The gifts of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God! Come, for the table is prepared and our cup is overflowing.

 

SHARING THE BREAD AND THE CUP

 

 

*CLOSING HYMN #513        “Let Us Break Bread Together”

1. Let us break bread together on our knees; Let us break bread together on our knees. When I fall on my knees, With my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.

 

2. Let us drink wine together on our knees; Let us drink wine together on our knees. When I fall on my knees, With my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.

 

3. Let us praise God together on our knees; Let us praise God together on our knees. When I fall on my knees, With my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.

 

*BENEDICTION

 

*THREE FOLD AMEN

 

Worship for the Lord's Day: Sept. 26, 2021

Integrated Order of Worship for September 26, 2021

 

First Presbyterian Church

September 26, 2021

10:00 AM

Order of Worship

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

Let us be made confident in the Lord.

Let us dare to speak the Word with greater boldness and without fear.

Let us proclaim Christ out of love.

May we be the tool of God’s deliverance and blessings to our community.

 Let us worship the Living God.

 

*Hymn of Praise: “Breathe on me, Breath of God”

1. Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do.

2. Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with thee I will one will, to do and to endure.

3. Breathe on me, Breath of God, till I am wholly thine, till all this earthly part of me glows with thy fire divine.

4. Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with thee the perfect life of thine eternity.

Words by: Edwin Hatch              Music by: Robert Jackson

      PRAYER OF CONFESSION (In Unison)

Father in heaven, we come to You this day, opening our hearts to confess all that we have done and all that we have left undone that encompass our sins against You and our neighbor and our world.  We come to You in the sure and certain hope of the forgiveness You have promised through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Forgive us, heal us, cleanse us, lead us to be ever more worthy servants to Your glorious purpose.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

*SILENT PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

God lifts the weary, lightens the load of those overly burdened, supports and strengthens those who have been knocked down. Claim the forgiveness God so graciously offers. Know the new life Christ has given us. Amen

 

 

*THE GLORIA PATRI

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

INVITATION: “Dear Lord, I need You, please come into my life today.  Amen”

SCRIPTURAL INTRODUCTION

Philippians 1: 12-23

          The port of Philippi is in northeastern Greece, on the edge of Greece to the south and Macedonia to north and west.  According to the book of Acts, it was a part of Paul’s second missionary journey.  To follow Paul in the book of Acts is to follow him through 3 missionary journeys that took him through the territories between Rome and the Promised Land.

          It seems the letter was written some time after his direct visit to Philippi because Paul reports that he is in prison.  Because of certain internal references, including to the Imperial Guard in our passage today, the general assumption is that this was while he was imprisoned in Rome.  Paul was born in the city of Tarsis, by virtue of which he was a Roman citizen.  In Acts 25, under arrest in the Promised Land, he exercised his right to appear before Caesar and thus, was sent on to Rome, where it seems he is now.  His ministry, and his life, came to an end in Rome.

          In the letter, he addresses his imprisonment and his hopes for release.  He also speaks against dissension happening in Philippi, as well as against false teachers that have arisen.  Part of the letter is also to commend Timothy (to which he wrote two letters) as Paul’s “eyes and ears” to see what is happening there, as well as introducing the next generation of leadership. 

          Paul’s tone in the letter is pastoral, there is a personal connection between himself and the church in Philippi.  He shares personal feelings about his faith and ministry as well.  This includes his looking forward to the time when he will be united with Christ, as Paul has written elsewhere, “in a life like his”.  But he is honest as he is of two minds.  On the one hand, there is the delight of Paradise that awaits him.  On the other, there are those still in the world to whom he can be a teacher, a supporter, and a helper in Christ.

          There is a ferocity in his faith that comes through in his words.  Perhaps this is why the Lord has included Philippians in the Canon of Scripture.  As God inspired Paul to write these words, God did so using the man, his mind, his passion, his emotions, his place in life.  Thus, Paul’s words spoke not only to the church in Philippi but continue to speak to us today.

 

 LESSONS: Philippians 1: 12-26

12 I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ; 14and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear.

15 Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. 16These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defense of the gospel; 17the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment. 18What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will result in my deliverance. 20It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. 23I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; 24but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. 25Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, 26so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

SERMON:                         “When We Come Into God’s Glory”                                  Rev. Peter Hofstra

          There comes a time in life when we begin to look back.  If we are not at that time, we probably have someone in our family who is, a parent or a grandparent.  The cliched expression is someone having more years behind them than in before them.  When someone is trying to share that kind of reflection with a younger person, oftentimes, the response includes something akin to an eye roll.  It isn’t simply out of disrespect, but because unless you are in that contemplative time of life, it is really hard to be looking back when everything still feels in front of you.

          This is where Paul seems to be in his letter to the Philippians.  Our passage this morning, falling after his greetings to that church, detail his current circumstances and reflection on life.  He is in prison but the work of Christ goes on.  The entire imperial guard knows about what he believes.  He was first imprisoned in Israel and, in Acts 25, appealed, as a Roman citizen, to have his case heard before Caesar.  So he is Rome, imprisoned under the jurisdiction of the imperial guard, somewhere in the Emperor’s complex.

          History has it that he will eventually be martyred in Rome, so this looks to be at the end of his ministry, a time for reflection and consideration.  This is especially strong toward the end of our passage.  Paul is thinking of heaven and earth, looking forward to the conclusion of a life of service and suffering with the peace that passes all understanding, but also remaining in the moment here as those to whom he reaches out need his wisdom and support.

          Such is a time of reflection that I have been privileged to witness with a number of folks, and I was reminded of it because I had this conversation on more than one occasion with Lois Edge in our final times together.  People ready for what is next, ready for heaven, life on earth no longer has the joy and wonder that it once had. 

          Unfortunately, it is not always a life lived large and in full measure.  How many people end up in care facilities, like they are warehoused, too many forgotten.  The big difference with Paul is that Paul is still active in life and ministry.  Look how he opens our passage.  He is commending those who are emboldened to speak of the gospel because of his imprisonment, and he is complimentary of those who do not like him and share the faith to spite him.  In either case, the work of the Lord is going forward. 

          The question of the end of life is the one that looms large and remains largely unasked.  Who wants to talk about death?  It is certainly not at the top of my list of topics for dinner conversation.  We recognize its importance in what Jesus did for us.  As it says in the creed, Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried.  He descended into hell.  On the third day he arose again from the dead…  In Jesus, death leads to life.

          The reality that this sacrifice that Jesus has made in our lives is that when we come to the end of this life, when we die, it opens the door to life eternal.  In Christ, we are called home to Paradise, where the best and happiest moments of our lives form the least of the joys that we shall enjoy forever.  It’s a good thing.  It’s a very good thing. 

          And it is something that the world of sin tries desperately to have us ignore, to make us forget, to distract us, to turn our heads and hearts away from the truth of the matter.  How does that happen?  Well, I think one powerful strategy is the shift in healthcare from a faith-based endeavor to a business and corporate based endeavor.

          For example, what is the largest Presbyterian institution in New York City?  It is not the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, nor any church for that matter.  It is New York Presbyterian Hospital.  It was founded by one James Lenox, who was a philanthropist who gave to the hospital, the Presbyterian Church, Princeton College and Seminary.  But it is certainly not the only denominationally aligned hospital.  I have seen Lutheran and Baptist, and just looked up to see that there is an Episcopal aligned hospital as well (but almost exclusively in name alone).  Around here, the only hospital that comes to my mind as religiously connected is St. Peter’s, and the Roman Catholic Church-but that is a healthcare facility with religious roots and connection, not a religious healthcare organization.  Then came, for me, the most blatant shift in thinking in healthcare.

          There was a Goldman Sachs business analysis called “The Genome Revolution”, tying gene based healthcare to business.  Their thesis question was “Is curing patients a sustainable business model?”  It was a consideration of a company that created a successful therapy to cure Hepatitis C, so successful in healing that the company went from 12 billion to 4 billion in profits in a short amount of time, so very unsuccessful in business.  The implication of the analysis is what gets done to the patients in order to assure the survival of the business. 

          How far has the culture gone from considering the questions of life and death that are at the very basis of our self-awareness as human being?  Life and illness become a business commodity.  How many times have we dealt with the health care system and felt like we were, at best a money-maker and, at worst, an inconvenience?  I have to tell you, I am not overly fond of conspiracy theories but there is an entire industry that caters to and profits from lives that are longer and longer that require more and more care to be sustained.

          Its like someone saying, “We don’t want you to die” while the subtext is “because you make money for us.” 

          But this is not intended to be a tirade against the healthcare system.  Rather, take a moment to reflect how helpless we, as individuals, feel, against such a huge and integral system to our life and livelihood?  From our Christian point of view, our presupposition is that God’s sovereignty is more powerful than any human creation.  But in the face of medical bills, do we really feel that way?  Are we truly as open in our lives as Paul is to the reality that death means eternal peace in Christ?  Or are we so invested in a system to keep us alive as long as possible, that our faith perspective slides into the background somewhere?

          It is, pun intended, a diabolical system.  Taking our eyes off Jesus and onto ourselves.  It may not be a threat to our salvation or to eternity in the joy of the Lord, but it can surely make the present life something miserable.  How then shall we respond?

          When it comes to healthcare, as it does with faith, it is not about the business, it is about the people.  When it comes to getting older, to reflecting on life, surely the system should not simply be the arbitrary lengthening of how long we will survive in this mortal coil.  Should it not also be about how we will thrive?  How we exist?  How dignity is still ours?  Paul’s view of the end of his own life was one that welcomed what was to come, but was still firmly engaged in the work that went on here.

          Such is the work of our Lord Jesus in our lives.  At the moment of death, we enter fully into the Kingdom of God, but until then, here, in this time and this place, we have a Kingdom to bring to the lost.  Because there are a lot of people who are lost and alone out there.  There are a lot of neighbors for whom there may be no love received unless we are there to provide it. 

          In so doing, we work toward a larger purpose, one that is more fulfilling at every age.  It is the work of our Lord Jesus, bringing the love of heaven to those who need it, in the sure and certain promise of what is to come.  It is the question of a life well lived, in the love of Jesus.  There are people we know who need some of that love right now.  And if they are okay, there are certainly people close by who could certainly use the hand of faith.  Because until the Lord sees fit to call us home, we have a calling here. 

          May we be blessed and be a blessing to others.  May we be renewed in our faith and stir the faith in others.  May we know that each day is a gift of the Lord, and that the Lord’s gifts are to be shared joyfully to a world in need.  May we see through the distractions brought by the world of sin and keep our eye on what is truly important.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (The Apostle’s 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 from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at 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 Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

PASSING OF THE PEACE

 

THE OFFERING OF OUR TITHES & GIFTS

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

*DOXOLOGY

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 DEDICATION

Holy God, these offerings are only a portion of all that you have given us. We gratefully present these gifts and entrust them to your work in this world. May our gifts share the Good News of the gospel to those who are in need. May these gifts help unburden those with the heaviest of loads. Amen.

JOYS AND CONCERNS

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Eternal God, we rejoice today in the gift of life, which we have received by your grace, and the new life you give in Jesus Christ. In this moment of prayer, we pause to give thanks for:

The love of our families …

The support of our friends …

Strength and abilities to serve your purpose …

This community in which we live …

Opportunities to give as we have received …

God of grace, we offer our prayers for the needs of others and commit ourselves to serve them even as we have been served in Jesus Christ. In this moment of prayer, we pause to remember:

Those who are overwhelmed by the burden of leadership …

Those who are exhausted from navigating uncertainty and change …

Those who are ill and their caregivers …

Those who are in need of courage to move forward …

Merciful God, you call us to journeys where we cannot see the destination, by paths untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us. Finally, hear us now, as we pray the prayer Christ taught us to pray by saying together,

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

*CLOSING HYMN: “God Be With You Till We Meet Again”

1. God be with you till we meet again; by his counsels guide, uphold you, with his sheep securely fold you; God be with you till we meet again.

2. God be with you till we meet again; neath his wings securely 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 his arms unfailing round 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, smite death's threatening wave before you; God be with you till we meet again.

*BENEDICTION

*THREE FOLD AMEN

Elements of Order of Worship Liturgy written by Teri McDowell Ott.