Saturday, November 6, 2021

November 7, 2021 Integrated Order of Worship

 

First Presbyterian Church

November 7, 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”

LESSON: 1 Corinthians 15: 42-58
42So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven. 50What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

51Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

SERMON:                           “Resurrection: Jesus Versus Halloween”                        Rev. Peter Hofstra

                As we pack up after Halloween, as we gather today to partake of the Lord’s Supper, the body of Christ broken for us, his blood spilled for our redemption, consider how these two intersect.  That point of intersection is around the resurrection of the body.  We believe, in Jesus, in the resurrection of the body.  But consider how much of the horror genre finds its fear in the question of what happens to a person after they die.  It makes for popular media, books to movies to television, but why is that?  What is it about these popular images that speak to the deeper fears that horror can tap into?

                Because that is what good horror is.  It taps into something that we fear.  Orson Welles, remember him?  Known for Citizen Kane more than anything else, but he is also responsible for the radio show “War of the Worlds” which, while identified at the beginning as a fictional radio show, went on to terrorize the US when it was broadcast in the 1938.  That kind of horror was from a specific place and time, in the lead up to the Second World War.  The horror that surrounds popular ideas of what happens to us after we die, that continues to be integral to what scares us.

                What is it about ghosts?  The spectral image of those who have died, some kind of spirit left over here on the earth when the body had passed on?  First, consider these most powerful words of Paul, “When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?””

                What is a ghost?  Somebody left behind?  Somebody stained with evil, cursed to walk the earth?  Sounds like Jacob Marley.  Somebody with unfinished business?  Sounds like Patrick Swayze’s character in “Ghost”.  Our popular imagination conceives of them as vengeful spirits, as spiritual creatures with unfinished business, or sometimes as a ‘spiritual impression’ of a terrible happening from the past.

                This is the perishable body that has been destroyed and there is nothing to replace it.  Paul asks, “Where, O death, is your sting?”  In the popular imagination, it really sounds to me that the sting of death lives on in the creature of a ghost.  What does that say about us?  I think it is a fundamental lack of belief in what Paul is triumphant about here.  The perishable body puts on the imperishable body, mortal puts on immortality, death is swallowed up in victory.  Not simply to have faith in Jesus, but to grasp what that means from this life into the next, to understand that Jesus died, descended into hell according to the creed, and came back triumphant. 

                To believe in ghosts, does that tap into something in our human consciousness, even as people of faith, that we do not have the assurance of the victory Jesus brings over death? 

                There is a whole other set of creatures that humans morph into after death, depending on virus or curse or whatever.  They are generally referred to as the ‘undead’ because we do not have a category between life and death otherwise.  These are things like zombies and vampires and the like.  In general, they are humans who have died (usually killed), who return as predators upon their fellow human beings. 

                Dracula is probably the quintessential ‘undead’ creature, but we have the night, the dawn, and the day of the living dead, the walking dead-all in the zombie genre, as well as dozens of other examples.  What usually happens is that the humans have to band together in a desperate attempt to overcome these destroyers of humanity. 

                What is that?  What is that tapping into in the human psyche and imagination?  The notion of evil and greed and destruction following the sinful human being after death itself?  The historic character known to us as Vladimir Dracula was a bloodthirsty character, from a very bloodthirsty time and place in human history.

                Is there a conviction behind these images of hopelessness?  That’s where we will end up?  Is this all, is there nothing more?  Consider what Paul tells us, 42So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

                The last Adam, that is Jesus.  Perishable to imperishable, we talked about that in relation to ghosts, sown in dishonor, raised in glory.  Born into sin, dying in sin, raised in the glory of eternal life.  What was weak is raised into power.  Physical body to spiritual body.  Adam was a living being, Jesus is a life-giving spirit.  In the popular media, the living being becomes the epitome of evil as an unliving being.  Hope is lost.  There is a denial of the hope that comes to us in Jesus as the life-giving spirit.  Paul leads into this passage about the resurrection of the dead by establishing this contrast of what came before and what comes after.

                Again, the gateway to this transition is Jesus.  Jesus was born perishable, and he perished, but was raised imperishable.  Such is the living example of our transition, in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the forgiveness of our sins, in the promise of new life.  This is the hope of the gospel. 

                And while there is a lot of the good humans triumphing over the evil undead, it is certainly not an absolute. 

                But it is not all so completely depressing in a lack of faith and a lack of hope.  Because I truly believe that love conquers all.  And that sentiment is in the popular imagination as well.  But when Christians claim that love conquers all, we are working from 1 John 4, where John develops the idea that God is love.  That is the ultimate power beyond the universe. 

                The notion of love has been twisted to triumph found in romantic love.  Love is considered to be greater than death, another Biblical truth found in the Song of Songs-which is, in itself, a tribute to romantic love, but in the power of God. 

                Rather, ghosts, vampires, and zombies, they have all been portrayed as transcending the boundary of death to reestablish their romantic connections to the humans ‘left behind’.  It is usually a tragic story, or one that ends in a very ugly way.  But not always.  Yet it ends at humanity.  It becomes a contradiction in terms, a love that lives forever in creatures that are not living.  Or, love restores the monster to their former humanity.

                There is a human desire to find victory, to find our happily ever after.  But it denies the transition, the transformation that comes in the resurrection of the dead in Jesus.  Again, consider Paul, “But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven. 50What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”

                Born of dust and to dust shall we return, that is the earthly, the creation cycle.  But in Christ, there is more than simply an earthly cycle to our lives.  From people of dust, we transform into people of heaven, as Jesus did.  It is in that nature, that imperishable nature, that we shall then inherit the kingdom of God, that the love of God for us, a love that is SO strong that God gave God’s only beloved Son so that we might not perish, but have everlasting life, such is the true nature of love that overcomes death.

                The preoccupation with humans as monsters after they die, it actively denies these first two.  It denies the faith we have in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  It denies the hope we have that in Jesus, we will know the love of God and enter into God’s kingdom.  But humanity still has a desperate need for redemption.  So the perfection of love in our God is taken, down-sized, and stuffed into the model of romantic love overcoming all, even death, as human and ghost or human and vampire or human and zombie come together.

                But it just isn’t so.  That’s not how any of this works.  Paul gives us the most succinct explanation of what happens at the resurrection of the dead.  It is not a curse, it is the blessing.  It is not being left behind, it is the fulfillment of God’s promises made to us, carried out for us by Jesus. 

                I will admit, Halloween is fun.  As a species, we like to scare ourselves.  There is something about the fear of losing something that makes it more precious to us, especially our lives.  But there comes a time to put away the Halloween decorations.  There comes a time to return to the reality of Jesus who loves us and will transform us when we enter our eternal home.  There comes a time to fact check the reality of who we are and what we believe.  There comes a time to return to the sure and certain knowledge of the love of God, of the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf.

                In a few moments, we are going to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  It is a physical reminder of Jesus’ death on the cross that was NOT the end in itself, but the new beginning.  For it was in death that resurrection followed.  It was in the resurrection of Jesus that life returned to us, from the physical body to the spiritual body.  In the resurrection that we shall follow Jesus through, our bodies of dust will become bodies of heaven.  We are not ghosts or zombies or vampires or anything else that goes bump in the night.  If Halloween has any place in our faith, it is to remind us that the popular tropes of the world in consideration of death and resurrection are NOT the promise we have received.    

                Faith is not misplaced, hope is not denied, love is not misguided in the promises we have in Jesus, the promises we remember in the sharing of the bread and the sharing of the cup.  This is so precious to us that is makes sense in a world of sin that there would be so many ways in which it is denied, made fun of, diverted, and kept from our full and undivided attention.

                What is the call?  Christ has died so that death has no victory over us.  Christ has risen so that the heavenly body, the imperishable body will replace the body of dust, the perishable body.  Christ will come again, and in that day, we will all be gathered unto him for eternity.  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

 

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