On the Way to Wonder

Prelude: We Have Come into His House and Gathered in His Name, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiJ0AdA05Ow

Call to Worship:

Blessed be the holy Trinity, +one God,  whose steadfast love is everlasting,                       whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation. Amen

Confession and Forgiveness:

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, whose steadfast love is everlasting, whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation. Amen.

 Trusting in the mercy of God, let us confess our sin.

Reconciling God, we confess that we do not trust your abundance, and we deny your presence in our lives. We place our hope in ourselves and rely on our own efforts. We fail to believe that you provide enough for all. We abuse your good creation for our own benefit. We fear difference and do not welcome others as you have welcomed us. We sin in thought, word, and deed. By your grace, forgive us; through your love, renew us; and in your Spirit, lead us; so that we may live and serve you in newness of life. Amen.

Absolution:  Beloved of God, by the radical abundance of divine mercy we have peace with God through ☩ Christ Jesus, through whom we have obtained grace upon grace. Our sins are forgiven. Let us live now in hope. For hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gathering Hymn: Baptized and Set Free, ELW 453,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts8A1t6p2nc

Greetings: The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.

 Kyrie:

Have mercy on us, Lord, and hear our solemn prayer. We come to hear your living word; it saves us from despair.

Have mercy on us, Christ, and wash away our sin. Pour out your grace and make us whole that new life may begin.

Have mercy on us, Lord, make sun and shame depart. Renew us with your saving pow’r, create in us new hearts!

Prayer of the Day:

O God, you direct our lives by your grace, and your words of justice and mercy reshape the world. Mold us into a people who welcome your word and serve one another, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.

 Selection of the Faithful: Take My Life That I May Be, ELW 685,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHnIsuyeXMw

HEARING GOD’S WORD

First Reading: Jeremiah 28:5-9

⁵The prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord; ⁶and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfill the words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. ⁷But listen now to this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. ⁸The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. ⁹As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”

Psalm: Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18

¹Your love, O Lord, forever will I sing;
from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
²For I am persuaded that your steadfast love is established forever;
you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
³“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
⁴‘I will establish your line forever,
and preserve your throne for all generations.’ ” 
¹⁵Happy are the people who know the festal shout!
They walk, O Lord, in the light of your presence.
¹⁶They rejoice daily in your name;
they are jubilant In your righteousness.
¹⁷For you are the glory of their strength,
and by your favor our might is exalted.
¹⁸Truly, our shield belongs to the Lord;
our king to the Holy One of Israel. 

Second Reading: Romans 6:12-23

¹²Do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. ¹³No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. ¹⁴For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

¹⁵What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! ¹⁶Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, ¹⁸and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
²⁰When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. ²²But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Alleluia. (1 Peter 2:9)

Gospel: Matthew 10:40-42

[Jesus said to the twelve:] ⁴⁰“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; ⁴²and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Children’s Sermon: Zacchaeus Song from his story in Luke 19:1-10. (Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the savior passed him by, he looked up in the tree. And he said, Zacchaeus you come down for I’m going to your house today.)

SERMON

         Discipleship Part 3! Two weeks ago. Jesus, moved by compassion sends out his disciples and us, two by two. We are his method, the messengers of the news that the kingdom of heaven is near. God is not sitting up in heaven, waiting for us to earn our way to him. We do not go to Him, He came to us in Jesus Christ and has opened the door to relationship. Now as his messengers, you and I extend that invitation of relationship to all people. This is revolutionary to all religions! Last week, we reflected on the implications of being sent. The reality is the kingdom of heaven will clash with the kingdom of this world and we will be caught in the battle. People were created with free will and have choice. As messengers, our responsibility is not to save them, that was done by Christ on the cross, but to faithfully proclaim the truth. God wants to be in relationship with people like you and me. God cares and shares the rules of the game that are different than the rules of this world. Loving the enemy, turning the other cheek, forgiving are just not the answer in the news today. The right thing to do is to pick up our cross, the hard thing, and refuse our inborn self centeredness. WHEW. What more is there to say? The last three verses of this talk are our text for today and talk about the rewards of being a disciple of Jesus.

Verse 40 shares, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” Let me hand you a personal letter from “the boss.” I think we use the phrase, “Don’t kill the messenger.”   The person’s response to the content of the letter is really a reflection of the person’s response to the sender, not to me the carrier. God steps between me and that other person because the message is from God and I am only the messenger. The need to ask for forgiveness is not my words but God’s. I do not think that erases my responsibility as the mail person. Friendly, approachable mail people are far more attractive than grumpy mail people that throw the letter at a person. The truth is we are the messengers. So perhaps the first question facing us today is to ask how our “approach” is working? Are we focusing on getting the message across or are we focused on being liked? Are we focused on ourselves?

Let’s put some flesh on this. The Zacchaeus song we sang is built on Luke 19:1-10 What do we know about Zacchaeus? He was short, the chief tax collector and wealthy. He had little reason to need Jesus and good reason to believe that Jesus would never visit him. Too much past, too much baggage. But he was curious so he climbed a tree just to get a glimpse from afar, from a safe social distance. Zacchaeus is confronted by a moment of truth. Jesus wants to visit him. Zacchaeus has to make a decision about whether he is going to welcome Jesus into his life. The Bible says he “welcomed him gladly.”

As Jesus’ messengers, we represent Jesus and people must decide if they want to welcome us and we have to decide if we are going to share the good news. A moment of truth. My imperfections and the imperfections of the other are not important. Our excuses of being too short, too wealthy, or an outcast don’t matter. The question is the openness of the heart to receive the message of Jesus or share it.

The first part of verse 41 shares, ¹Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.” This is a little complicated. The prophets often seem to get a questionable welcome, especially when speaking truth to power. The prophet by definition is “prophesizing,” speaking God’s words and if what they say does not come true, they are killed. Like the disciples they were representatives for God.

I think of the story of the widow of Zarephath. There was drought and she went out to collect wood for her last meal with her son before they would starve to death. She was expecting death. Instead she met Elijah, a prophet from “the other tribe” (for she was Sidonian, living in the Phonecian coast and Elijah was from Israel.) who requested a drink of water and a piece of bread. 1 Kings 17:7-16. This was a moment of truth for the poor widow. How would she welcome the visitor? She had nothing the world would feel is necessary for a proper welcome. She had no husband to entertain him. She lived in poverty and probably had social rules about welcoming strangers. But she did. She shared her little and was rewarded with food to the end of the famine.

The prophets often found themselves in difficult situations but people who helped the prophets were rewarded. Perhaps we can read into this that as hard as it is to be the messenger of God’s words, the outcome for the person who receives the message is blessing.

The second half of verse 41 shares, “and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous”. This verse makes me think of Acts 10, Peter and Cornelius. Let me start by saying that we are only righteous because of Christ. None of us are righteous in and of ourselves, Rom 3:16 All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As we become part of the body of Christ, his righteousness is credited to us. This a bit of a theological debate about baptism but the base line is that we are not righteous ourselves. We are the recipient, the messenger of righteousness.

Peter and Cornelius are found in Acts 10. Cornelius is a Roman centurion, a god-fearing man living in Caesarea, praying and an angel comes and tells him to invite Peter who is visiting in Joppa. Meanwhile Peter is in Joppa, resting on a housetop, dreaming of a sheet being lowered from heaven full of animals and being commanded to eat. As he ponders the implications of the dream, Cornelius’ messengers arrive and invite Peter to meet with Cornelius. What a beautiful picture of the moment of truth involved in welcoming. Despite racial differences, despite social differences, despite the religious difference, Cornelius opens his house to Peter. He even invites all his own relatives, believing Peter is the true representative of God. Peter, on the other hand, must open his heart and break the social norms of his faith to meet with “a gentile.” This welcoming moment is pivotal in the story of Christianity. Cornelius and his household open their hearts to faith, experience the Holy Spirit, believe and are baptized. Peter returns to Jerusalem and is confronted for his actions. The young church struggles to understand but opens its door to the Gentiles. We are the inheritors, perhaps the reward of this welcome.

So let’s step back and try to get the big picture. As we are sent forth as disciples, representative of God, given a message to deliver to people we encounter, the “welcoming moment” is crucial. I must choose if I will be transparent and represent all God has helped me to be or will I put on my mask to protect me from the potential rejection I anticipate might happen? Likewise the other person must decide his or her welcome, can the person meet me with an open heart? Does welcome depend on my ability to impress you with who I am or is it an openness to heart to truth. I may be too short, have a shoddy past, be poor on the verge of starvation with no resources or I may be endowed with the status and wealth of this world but regardless of my “baggage”, will I open my heart to the message brought by a disciple, a sent one. Good news is like a glass of cold water on a hot summer day.

The reward: the other is blessed and their lives are turned around. Zacchaeus shared his wealth. The widow of Zaraphath and son were saved in the drought. Cornelius and his household believed, were baptized and the Christian church opened its doors to the Gentiles. It is possible we will be rejected, even killed but they do not reject us but He who sent us. They can kill the body but they cannot kill the soul. And ultimately I long to hear when I meet my Lord, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter in to your Father’s delight.” Amen!

Hymn of Day: All Are Welcome, ELW 641, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbyZQnPw-wk

 The Apostle’s Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;  he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended  into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will  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 s ins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Or you can listen to the Creed in vocal form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuDI-sk2nJU

Prayers of Intercession

Called into unity with one another and the whole creation, let us pray for our shared world.

God of companionship, encourage our relationships with our siblings in Christ. Bless our conversations. Shape our shared future and give us hearts eager to join in a festal shout of praise. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

God of abundance, you make your creation thrive and grow to provide all that we need. Inspire us to care for our environment and be attuned to where the earth is crying out. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

God of mercy, your grace is poured out for all. Inspire authorities, judges, and politicians to act with compassion. Teach us to overcome fear with hope, meet hate with love, and welcome one another as we would welcome you. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

God of care, accompany all who are in deepest need. Comfort those who are sick, lonely, or abandoned. Strengthen those who are in prison or awaiting trial. Renew the spirits of all who call upon you. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

God of community, we give thanks for this congregation. Give us passion to embrace your mission and the vision to recognize where you are leading us. Teach us how to live more faithfully with each other. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

 God of love, you gather in your embrace all who have died. Keep us steadfast in our faith and renew our trust in your promise. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Receive these prayers, O God, and those too deep for words; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Peace: If you are worship with someone else, turn and share, “The peace of Christ be with you always.” Response, “And also with you.” You might use your finger to mark you children or loved one with a cross on their forehead. If you are practicing social distancing, put your palms together blessing of them. Peace!

SHARING GOD’S MEAL

Offering Prayer:  God of goodness and growth, all creation is yours, and your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. Water and word, wine and bread: these are signs of your abundant grace. Nourish us through these gifts, that we might proclaim your steadfast love in our communities and in the world, through Jesus Christ, our strength and our song. Amen.

 The Great Thanksgiving:

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. We left them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 The 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 trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Communion: I invite you to talk a little piece of bread and eat it. Christ is as close to you as the bread in your mouth and stomach. Always remember. Now take a sip of your drink. Christ is as close to you as the blood in your body, strengthening you. Always remember.

Prayer after Communion:

God of the welcome table, in this meal we have feasted on your goodness and have been united by your presence among us. Empower us to go forth sustained by these gifts so that we may share your neighborly love with all, through Jesus Christ, the giver of abundant life. Amen.

THE SENDING

Blessing:  Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. God, the creator, ☩ Jesus, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the comforter, bless you and keep you in eternal love. Amen.

Sending Hymn: Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life, ELW 719 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myAMX7XFjnY&t

Dismissal:  Go in peace. Christ is with you.  Thanks be to God.

Prelude: Spirit of God Descend Upon My Soul, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymKxTkrRNBA

(Or “ Be Not Afraid by Catholic Artists at Home” copy into address line and YouTube will pull it up.)
Call to Worship

Blessed be the holy Trinity, +one God, whose steadfast love is everlasting,                                               whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation. Amen

Confession and Forgiveness

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, whose steadfast love is everlasting, whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation. Amen.

Trusting in the mercy of God, let us confess our sin.

Reconciling God,

we confess that we do not trust your abundance, and we deny your presence in our lives. We place our hope in ourselves and rely on our own efforts. We fail to believe that you provide enough for all. We abuse your good creation for our own benefit. We fear difference and do not welcome others as you have welcomed us. We sin in thought, word, and deed. By your grace, forgive us; through your love, renew us; and in your Spirit, lead us; so that we may live and serve you in newness of life. Amen.

Absolution:

Beloved of God, by the radical abundance of divine mercy we have peace with God through ☩ Christ Jesus, through whom we have obtained grace upon grace. Our sins are forgiven. Let us live now in hope. For hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 Gathering Hymn: Lift High the Cross, ELW 660 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C59j6p6iOZ4

 Greetings: The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.

 Kyrie:

Have mercy on us, Lord, and hear our solemn prayer. We come to hear your living word; it saves us from despair.

Have mercy on us, Christ, and wash away our sin. Pour out your grace and make us whole that new life may begin.

Have mercy on us, Lord, make sun and shame depart. Renew us with your saving pow’r, create in us new hearts!

Prayer of the Day:

Teach us, good Lord God, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that we do your will, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.

 Selection of the Faithful: I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry, ELW 732. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj2KClYMD2w

 HEARING GOD’S WORD

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-13

⁷O Lord, you have enticed me, and I was enticed; you have   overpowered me, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. ⁸For whenever I speak, I must cry out, I must shout, “Violence and destruction!”
For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. ⁹If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up   in my bones; I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. ⁰For I hear many whispering:
“Terror is all around! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
All my close friends are watching for me to stumble. “Perhaps he can be enticed, and we can prevail against him, and take our revenge on him.”
¹¹But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they will not prevail. They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. ¹²O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous, you see the heart and the mind; let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.  ¹³Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.

Psalm: Psalm 69:7-10 [11-15] 16-18

 ⁷Surely, for your sake I have suffered reproach,
and shame has covered my face.
⁸I have become a stranger to my own kindred,
an alien to my mother’s children.
⁹Zeal for your house has eaten me up;
the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me.
¹⁰I humbled myself with fasting,
but that was turned to my reproach. 
¹¹I put on sackcloth also,
and became a byword among them.
¹²Those who sit at the gate murmur against me,
and the drunkards make songs about me.
¹³But as for me, this is my prayer to you, at the time you have set, O Lord: “In your great mercy, O God, answer me with your unfailing help.
¹⁴Save me from the mire; do not let me sink; let me be rescued from those who hate me and out of the deep waters. 
¹⁵Let not the torrent of waters wash over me, neither let the deep swallow me up; do not let the pit shut its mouth upon me.
¹⁶Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind; in your great compassion, turn to me.
¹⁷Hide not your face from your servant; be swift and answer me, for I am in distress.
¹⁸Draw near to me and redeem me; because of my enemies deliver me. 

Second Reading: Romans 6:1b-11

^1bShould we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? ²By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? ³Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
⁵For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷For whoever has died is freed from sin. ⁸But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. Jesus says,

The Spirit of the Lord will testify on my behalf,* and you also are to testify.

Alleluia. (John 15:26, 27)

Gospel: Matthew 10:24-39

[Jesus said to the twelve:] ²⁴“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; ²⁵it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they malign those of his household!
²⁶“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. ²⁷What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. ²⁸Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰And even the hairs of your head are all counted. ³¹So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
³²“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; ³³but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
³⁴“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
³⁵For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
³⁶and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
³⁷Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

 Children’s Sermon: Following in the footsteps of the master.

 Shawn and Greg hair cut – I want to look just like….

Nicole wanting a marriage like parents. – I want a marriage just like….

“He’s just like his father!” people used to say as they saw our son walking around school. Our first son attended the same boarding school his father had attended and my husband’s cousins were now on staff plus some oldies-but-goodies staff. Shawn was tall, lanky, gentle of spirit, a nice guy if I do say so myself. “Just like his father!”

Let’s pray: Lord may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you.

SERMON

         Last week Jesus commissioned the apostles as he compassionately looked at people and saw they were like sheep without a shepherd. He sent them as laborers for the harvest was ripe and gave instructions. He ended talking about the misunderstandings and persecution they would probably encounter. Today’s text continues and Jesus starts talking about how his followers will be expected to be “just like” their master.

         Remember, this is before the cross, before the crowds turned on Jesus. To this point, the disciples were workers for the Messiah, arguing who would sit at his right and left hand in the new kingdom, when everything was made right. It’s kinda like before your first baby and the Lamaze teacher tries to convince you that you will experience labor, not pain, just breathe right. It all sounds so easy. The disciples are at the top of the wave expecting power, not persecution. Their candidate is going to win the election and they will all be on his cabinet! Work yes but the glory is worth it.

“So have no fear of them..”. How did fear enter this conversation? Who is them, the crowds are cheering? Jesus is asking us to stop sitting in the audience, cheering for the next American Idol, but to walk up on the stage and face the audience! We are no longer taking a class in college about teaching but entering the classroom, not to observe but to be responsible for lives. We are no longer dreaming about being in-love and getting married but saying, I do. Going from being an encourager to being responsible is a big step and I would suspect if we admitted it, nerve challenging, yes – fearful. Fear full. How do we manage that fear?

My first “real” job was as a probation officer at Los Palmas School for Girls in Los Angeles, CA. It was a closed setting where they put girls they thought they could save in cottages, did family therapy, daily group therapy, and I was the cottage supervisor. Me and my chain of keys with a can opener on it was all I had. Me, fresh out of college with one course in Deviant Behavior, green around the gills facing perhaps 20 teenage girls who had been around the block more than once. We worked with Glaser’s Reality Therapy: Realism, Responsibility, and Right and Wrong. I think Jesus gave similar words of advise.

First, Jesus challenges his disciples to be realistic. There is going to be opposition. Jesus cuts straight to the core. Do not fear those who can kill the body, the opposition, but fear those who can destroy the body and soul in hell. Ultimately our lives are in God’s hands and it is the Evil One we fear.

“For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph 6:12)

I know poverty is no fun. I lived in a famine relief camp and watched people starving but I also know that those people shared their nothing with me, laughed with me, prayed with me, and remembered me when sugar came to the shops. The real enemy was that little voice whispering in my ear – God doesn’t love you, your family in the US has forgotten you, you are incompetent, run, run, run. Our battle today may be with laws we disagree about but changing laws only moves the line in the sand, I think the bigger battle is with the ignorance and selfishness of my own heart. Jesus reminds us that we need only fear for our souls but then reassures us. ³¹So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. The reality is you are valued by God and He is in control.

Let’s put a positive spin on this. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Fear functioning negatively drives us from God but fear functioning in a healthy way drives us to God and motivates us. We are afraid of Covid and so we shelter and find new ways to feed ourselves spiritually. We fear downing and so we teach our children to swim. We fear hunger in the winter so plant crops in the spring. Fear itself is not bad but the agent of fear is to be recognized. Others can kill our bodies but they cannot kill our faith, cannot steal our souls. We are valued.

Secondly, Jesus asks us to be clear about our RESPONSIBILITY. The kingdom of heaven works differently than the kingdom of this world. These two kingdoms will clash because they have different values. Satan is the father of lies and God is the way, the truth and the light. Conflict and divisions are inevitable, not because we have done something wrong. In our “I’m ok – you’re ok” world, conflict and lack of tolerance is really frowned on. This is a hard saying. I read the words in today’s text, “I have not come to bring peace but the sword” and I cringe. I want to be liked and I am a #1 conflict avoider. Anger and disagreement are “ugly” and potentially dangerous – FEAR!   Not only is faith, potentially dangerous to our bodies, death, but it is also emotionally compromising. He reminds the disciples that their responsibility is not to convert others but as disciples they and we are called to be honest about the hope that is within us. We are representatives, not saviors.

The truth spoken in love can produce conflict and tension. As parents, as teachers, as citizens we know this. It is no fun to not allow vulgarity in our homes, allow stealing in our streets, or allow abuse in its many forms. Stands for God’s truth bring conflict and tension. Jesus affirms this and in so saying acknowledges that our responsibility is to faithfully represent him, not save the world. That is God’s job to do His way. He is working in the other person, unseen to us. We are not God, only His representative. Our responsibility is to represent him.

Thirdly, RIGHT AND WRONG. After I have clarified that I am fighting evil, not my friend, when I have clarified that I am faithfully owning what is my responsibility, then I also must ask the question of what is the right and wrong thing to do. I think we see that in the challenge to pick up our cross. I’m not sure he is referring to crucifixion as much as it is doing the hard thing that is ours to do. Learning to walk involves many stumbles and scrapped knees. Becoming proficient does not come from watching TV, but from hours of practice and mistakes.   What is the right thing to do in a given situation? Do that which is right at the moment. Practice the piano! Make the dinner! Don’t gossip. Forgive. As I do what I know is right for me to do, I gradually begin to develop talent, spiritual muscles, well at least competency, dare I say life opens up. Few of us are born saints. The school of hard knocks molds us as we submit to our master, our teacher. Perhaps this is found in Jesus reminder that, ³⁹Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it,” as we take up our cross. As I choose to submit my will, my desires, my days to God’s way, it may feel like I am loosing my life but in that process I discover real life.

So how can I summarize this difficult passage? As followers of Christ, we are called to become more and more like Christ. We will make mistakes and be misunderstood and experience tension and rejection, even in our homes. As we stand for God’s kingdom though we will find life and life more abundant begins to open up. God is active and working in ways we cannot see or anticipate. He will acknowledge us to God. Our responsibility is to be faithful to the truth that has been revealed in Christ. It is not easy but it is life giving. Thank you Lord!

Hymn of the Day: Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus, ELW 802 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMsXV_3vujg

 The Apostle’s Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered  under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;  he     descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended  into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will  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 s ins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Or you can listen to the Creed in vocal form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuDI-sk2nJU

Prayers of Intercession:

Called into unity with one another and the whole creation, let us pray for our shared world.

Expansive God, you bring diverse voices together to form your church. Open our hearts and unstop our ears to learn from one another, that differences might not overshadow our baptismal unity. Hear us, O God.  Your mercy is great.

Providing God, your creation shows us that life comes from death. Renew the places where our land, air, and waterways have been ill for too long. Direct the work of all who care for birds and their habitats. Hear us, O God.  Your mercy is great.

Protecting God, sustain and keep safe all who work to defend others across the world. Revive and strengthen organizations dedicated to caring for refugees and migrants while their homelands struggle for peace. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Loving God, you promise to be with all who are persecuted for your sake. Guide all who speak your word of justice and console any who are tormented or targeted for being who they are. Hear us, O God.Your mercy  is great.

Compassionate God, you are with us and we are never alone. Bless all fathers and father figures who strive to love and nurture as you do. Comfort all who long to be fathers and all for whom this day is difficult. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

 Reigning God, you bless us with guides and caretakers in the faith. As we give thanks for those who have died increase our care for one another until we walk with them in newness of life. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Receive these prayers, O God, and those too deep for words; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Peace: If you are worship with someone else, turn and share, “The peace of Christ be with you always.” Response, “And also with you.” You might use your finger to mark you children or loved one with a cross on their forehead. If you are practicing social distancing, put your palms together blessing of them. Peace!

SHARING GOD’S MEAL

Offering Prayer: God of goodness and growth, all creation is yours, and your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. Water and word, wine and bread: these are signs of your abundant grace. Nourish us through these gifts, that we might proclaim your steadfast love in our communities and in the world, through Jesus Christ, our strength and our song. Amen.

 The Great Thanksgiving:

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. We left them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 The 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 trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Communion: I invite you to talk a little piece of bread and eat it. Christ is as close to you as the bread in your mouth and stomach. Always remember. Now take a sip of your drink. Christ is as close to you as the blood in your body, strengthening you. Always remember.

Prayer after Communion:  God of the welcome table, in this meal we have feasted on your goodness and have been united by your presence among us. Empower us to go forth sustained by these gifts so that we may share your neighborly love with all, through Jesus Christ, the giver of abundant life. Amen.

Blessing:  Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.  God, the creator, ☩ Jesus, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the comforter, bless you and keep you in eternal love. Amen.

Sending Hymn: I Love to Tell the Story, ELW 661 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onJLwQS8dR0

Dismissal:  Go in peace. Christ is with you. Thanks be to God.