Worship. . . It Does A Body Good

August 18, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 6 of Summer Series

John 4:19-24 the Message Bible

Luke 4:5-8 the Message Bible

Matthew 22:34-37 New Living Translation

A reading from the Gospel of Matthew 22:34-37. I will be reading from the New Living Translation this morning. . .

Matthew 22:34-37 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Most Important Commandment

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

Let us pray. . .  (Pray for illumination, a willing heart, and God’s will be done)

I love Sunday mornings. I love to be here in church where my Spirit can join together with other peoples’ Spirits and worship God and join with one voice. There is nowhere else I would want to be. It is such a good feeling for me. I can feel the Spirit of God within me almost leaping for joy! I don’t know about you but there is nowhere else on earth that I would want to be. It is a place where the divine in us reaches and touches the divine in others. When they meet. . . they worship God together in one voice.

Today we are starting our cruise. We are leaving port to start our cruising “Sacred Waters with Jesus.” The first stop we will be making is in the port of Worship. Now I know that we touched on the word worship when we were looking at the resume of our Captain but today we are going to look at it a little differently. This is one of the ports where our Risen Lord Jesus Christ is found. He is the captain of our boat. . . of our journey of faith with him. . . and this is a very important port of His. It what makes us who we are. . . God worshipers. . . we are thankful for all He has done. . . we are thankful for all He is doing. . . and we are thankful for all that is yet to be. Let’s hear a little more about this port we have docked at and why it is so important.

Now I have heard people use the word “worship” in many different ways. I hear people say of their partner that “they worship the ground they walk on”. . . I have heard of people worshiping things like their car or their homes. I have even heard of people worshiping “idols” such as celebrities and money and all sorts of different things and places. I think if I came from another country I would be very confused. We, as a country, have so many different meanings for one word that it can get confusing at time. The word “bad” now means “good”. . . the word sick means something cool. . . the word wicked is good now too. . .  That’s messed up! . . . So, what is worship anyway and why do we worship? (By the way. . . in looking up the definition, I found that worship is also a noun. . . but we’ll stick with the verb today.)

The Bing on-line Dictionary states:

wor·ship [ wúrship ]   is to

1.      treat somebody or something as deity: to treat somebody or something as divine and show respect by engaging in acts of prayer and devotion

2.    take part in religious service: to take part in a religious service

3.    love somebody deeply: to love, admire, or respect somebody or something greatly and perhaps excessively or unquestioningly.

As I said, there are even definitions of worship a noun but for now let’s look at the action verb part. . .

Now. . . how do we really worship God? Well. . . Jesus came to not only free us from sin but to teach humankind how to act towards others. . . how to worship God. . . how to live a life pleasing to God. The scripture from Matthew I just read, gives us the foundation of worship. . . it shows us where worship begins. God is not impressed by the many words we may recite about or to Him. God isn’t impressed by long prayers and skilled words we may use. When we worship God. . . it is not just in words but it is also in action. We give honor to God in our actions towards each other. . . towards the gift of the earth that he has given to us. . . towards the grace we have received through Jesus Christ. When we worship God. . . He is the utmost thing on our minds. . . we want to please and honor Him in all we say. . . all we do. . . with all we are. Worship begins within the heart of those who believe.

From the John scripture this morning. . . we heard what Jesus tell the Samaritan woman what true worship is. It comes from the heart. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from. All that matters is the condition of the heart. God doesn’t want us to come before Him with some kind of phony or fakeness about us. God wants us to be our true selves. . . flaws and all. . .  When we worship from the heart. . . we do it not out of obligation but out of thankfulness and joy for the life we are given through Jesus. . . it is out of the wonder of grace that has shown towards us.

Now you may be saying to yourself (I’m just assuming this), “It is so hard to live the way God wants us to live in the world that we live in. It really is hard. I don’t want to make waves with those around me. Can I have God and the world. . . you know, “Have my cake and eat it too”?” Can I have both? Well. . . I did say that Jesus came to show us the way so let’s see how Jesus answered the when faced with temptation himself. The conversation is found in Luke 4:5-8. I will be reading the scripture from the Message Bible. . .

 (Read Scripture)

Satan tried to coerce Jesus into worshipping him. He promised to give Jesus the whole world (as if he really could do that) if He would only just worship him. Jesus knew the answer. . . the right answer. . . to that “gift” Satan was offering Him. “No thanks. . . I’m all set.” Jesus shows us that God wants us to worship and serve only Him. Not our homes, our jobs, our friends. . . even our pastors. . . only Him. The world in which we live offers us many “idols” to worship perhaps we need to reassess. . . re-examine. . .  re-evaluate what we choose to worship. . .

         

You see...worship is the human response to God’s goodness and mercy. It is something that we can be thankful for with each and every breath we take. It is our response to the overture...the music...the symphony...the dance...of love God has given us that that comes from the heart of God for you and for me.      We can use all the right words, all the right phrases, the right music but still miss the mark. Singing, praying and praising may lead us to worship but true worship comes from the heart...its our spirit ignited by the divine fire of God.

We have talked about “living our worship out loud,” as we live out our worship in our daily lives we do so not only because of who God is but also what God has done for us and well as what God has done in the lives of others. Have you ever heard someone’s story of their faith and just praised God for His goodness? Not because of what God has done in your life but for what was done for someone else. . . for humanity. This type of worship and it does a body. . . and soul. . . good! Not just our own body but the body of God.

Worship is also not contained in only one form. There are many forms of worship but they all produce the same product. . . being thankfully in awe as we worship our Creator God. There are many roads to one place but the destination is the same. When we exclude others from our worship because they worship differently there is a riff in the fabric of our worship. We somehow have missed the mark.

I have read some of Brother Lawrence’s writings and they are wonderful and make me stop and think of my own faith journey. He was a monk who practiced living in the presence of God and wrote about his experience in doing so. He wrote:”I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the Presence of God.” He cannot imagine living a life that doesn’t live in the presence of God worshiping and thanking him with every action. . . with every breath.

We as Christians need to enter our worship time, on Sundays as well as living out worship every day of our lives, expecting to meet God. God is there, waiting for us to only expect him to show up. We as Christians have a choice. Maybe we need to live our lives not only expectantly waiting for the presence of God who by the way ALWAYS shows up, but also waiting expectantly, with excitement and awe. 

Maybe. . . just maybe. . . if we live our lives in the presence of God our lives and our worship would be transformed into something that not only honors God but honors each other. Perhaps we need to reassess our worship to see where the heart of it lies. Is the heart of our worship in the world or is it reaching for the heart of God? Is the heart our worship in the gifts of the world or is it in the ultimate gift that was given humanity through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ? Where is your heart? Where is it? Maybe there are things that need to be put back into perspective. . . into God’s perspective. Only you can change how you worship. You have to want to change it. Maybe. . . just maybe. . . as we refocus our worship, there will be a shift in the way others worship by our example. Maybe. . . just maybe. . . we, as humanity, can get back to the true heart of worship. . . back to what our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ modeled for us; but it is a choice. . . maybe. . . just maybe. . .

Amen!

Make Room for Yahweh

August 18, 2013

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

“Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”

Sermon 5 of Summer Series

Ephesians 2:11-22 (Common English Bible)

2 Samuel 7:1-7 (New Living Translation)

Let us pray…

Loving and gracious, ever present God. We thank you for your word that is the guidebook for our journey of life. We ask that you would open your word to us so that we may read the road map of our lives more clearly. May we hear the word you have for us this day and have willing hearts to accept and follow your direction in our life. We are here Lord…illuminate our path…

I love the saying “out with the old, in with the new”. The only problem is…I have a hard time getting rid of the old. How many of you can relate to this? The old is so comfortable. It is still good so why get rid of it. I have had the old so long that I have built ties with it and just can’t bear to get rid of it. I have both old and new which eventually leaves me no room for new. Why is it so hard to get rid of stuff that we really don’t need any more? It is either out dated or just doesn’t work as well as it used to but we still hang on to it. Why is it that we, at times, have such a hard time getting rid of the things that bind us…the things that weigh us down?

Now, at the beginning of the service you were given a rock. You were asked to think about things that hinder your relationship with God and others, those things that weigh us down so much that at times we may not even be able to breathe, and to put those hindrances into the rock. At the end of my sermon we will do something with those rocks that we hold.

We are getting ready, as a church family, to embark on a cruise this summer. We will be “Cruising Sacred Waters with Jesus”. But before we set sail, we are taking some time to learn about our Captain, our Lord Jesus. We have decided that He is our Risen Lord and King…that Jesus can be trusted to be there helping us in the “stormy season” of our faith journey. As we have been looking at the “resume” of our Captain, we know that we never walk alone. We have looked into our hearts and realized that we are precious pearls to God and that Jesus is worth all the gold in the world. We receive new eye sight from God. Is it for everyone? Do we all get to do this.

I would like to read now a passage from Ephesians, from Ephesians 2:11-22, from the Common English Bible.

In this Ephesians passage we hear about a temple of the Lord. Now this is not just any temple. It is not a temple for just a few. It is not a temple that is built by humankind by human standards. This temple in which God lives is within you and within me. It is with in all who believe and we all together form this temple of God. God wants all believers to be joined together through Christ…Jew and Gentile everyone alike. God wants to live with His people…for His people to be His dwelling place by the Spirit within each believer. Is there room in your dwelling place for God or are there other things that take His place? Do you need to make room for Yahweh, room for God?

But I think that the 2 Samuel from this morning really points to the essence of God’s dwelling place. David wanted to build a temple…a building…for God to live in. He was upset because he lived in such a grand palace and the Ark was just in a tent. He thought that that was not good enough for God. We too at times think that God lives in our buildings more than within us. But God told him that He had never lived in a building but with the people…able to move where ever the people went. God still wants to be on the move with us…going out into the world around us as we take Him to the least and the lost…to the poor and suffering people of the world. God had always been with David and still continues to be with us not just in a building. Is God confined to our church or is He living and breathing through us? Do you need to make room for Yahweh?

God wants to live in a place that He has designed not in a place where we have designed for Him. He wants to design our lives so that it fits His plan perfectly. Are we willing to let God have the grand design on our lives?

He wants to live in a place where He provides the protection. Not in a place where others decide what protection is needed…God has the ultimate protection plan for His children. Is God providing protection for us or are we still trying to do it on our own?

 God wants to live in a dynamic place. He’s not satisfied with staying in one place…in our “temples” that we make. Our God is a God on the move…Moving through us, within us and out of us onto the world around us. It’s like a large RV that is large enough for all for His children to come along for the ride. We’re going on a road trip! Are we willing to let God move us into places where we may be uncomfortable…out of our element…out of our temples?

God wants to live with his people. God, like us, wants to live in a neighborhood that is welcoming. He won’t move into a place where He is not welcome. He won’t force Himself on the neighborhood. Do you want God to move into your neighborhood?

God wants to live in a restful place. He gives us rest and in His presence we have peace and we have hope and we have rest. But to have that rest, we need to depend on Him…to believe, to have faith that He will provide for us. Do you believe God will give you rest? Do you believe it with you heart?

And God wants to live in a place He will provide. I read this beautiful description about how God builds that place. You see:

ü       He makes plans and the blueprints.

ü       He builds and remodels

ü       He builds a new site on top of the old site

ü       He builds it in the shadow of the old right next door

ü       He has the perfect model and building site, the perfect materials and builder.

Jesus is building a home in our hearts. But this site is just a temporary home, our true home is built in heaven. God sees the potential in us. He purchased the property with the blood of His Son. He immediately tears down what is there and begins building a new dwelling place for His Spirit. And the best part…the building is better than it was before. He builds His dream house in our hearts. Do you need to make room for Yahweh…a little more room for God to make these changes?

We have God living in us as His dwelling place. But…does God want to live in us and just stay there dormant? Well you tell me…Jesus and His disciples shared the God within them with the people around them. They cured the sick, cast out demons, taught about the kingdom of God. They shared God with the people around them which opened the door for others to receive the wonderful gift of God within their lives. The early church shared the God the people around them…and the church grew in numbers and continues to grow as we disciples continue to share God with others. People would come from miles around even to just touch the hem of His clothing. We become that “fringe of garment” for those around us…for those whose life we touch each and every day…we are the edge of Jesus’ garment that people can touch and be healed. Is there room enough in your life for God so that you and I can become a piece of that fringe on His robe? Do we need to make room for Yahweh?

We are now ready to set sail on the Sacred Waters with Jesus to visit some other ports. But…is our load to heavy for the trip? Are there things that we should leave behind as we sail with Jesus? Well there is one thing we still have to do…you know how I asked you to hold on to the rock given to you this morning and think about something that keeps you weighted down…something that inhibits your relationship with God or others. Well…we are now going to do something with those rocks.

You see, years ago, ships used rocks as ballast when the cargo hole was empty. The ballast was typically a solid in the form of rocks or sand. The rocks or sand would have to be moved out for the cargo to be loaded. Our ballast is those things that weigh us down.

We have now taken on new cargo as we learned about our Captain of the ship so now it’s time to get rid of those rocks. I invite each and every one of us to come forward as we sing our last song and leave our ballast on the altar…To trust God with our ballast and sail the waters with Him as our guide. Let us sail the Sacred Waters with Jesus buoyed by the love and joy of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

There Is Hope In Community…

August 11, 2013

Worship in the Park

Patten Pioneer Days

Habakkuk 3:17-19 NIV

Let us pray... (Pray for the Spirits Guidance and God’s word to be heard)

Good morning Patten…! You know, ever since my family moved here from New Hampshire, I have had a feeling of being back home. This community has been so loving and welcoming that I feel we have been part of it for a long time.

During this past week I have felt even more as part of this community. You see…I grew up in a town that celebrates a homecoming week just as Patten does. It has been like turning back the clock to when I was young. A time when community came together to celebrate a time in its history…a time when community set aside it’s differences…it’s pain…it’s sorry…and finds one common bond to celebrate. There truly strength in community. In community we find hope.

You hear about communities coming together after a tragedy on the News. These communities have suffered some sort of disaster but they make the choice to bond together and help one another out. It is within this choice that they find hope for each new day…it is within this choice that you see God working…it is within this choice that you hear of peoples strength and resolve that can only be attributed to God who gives strength and courage in the face of diversity.

But, it is not an easy time as we go through trials. It may be difficult to see God when there is much despair in our lives…we may question God’s motives sometimes as we go through those times of trial. We may question God’s love during times of hopelessness. We may ask “God…where are you? Why have you allowed this to happen? How can we face such hopelessness and still remain faithful””

I am reminded of the Prophet Habakkuk. He too wrestled with these same questions. He saw the wicked prosper while the faithful suffered. He saw the pain and sorrow of the people and needed some answers. So the Prophet decided that he needed to have a dialog with God about this. I think that his vision he had from God is one that we too need to hear and experience. In his vision he discovers that these things were not of God that were happening but of the world in which they lived. God is always there wanting His people to turn to Him. Then…then they would feel the joy of the Lord again…if they would turn from their ways and back to the ways of the Lord…

Let me read for you the last part of Habakkuk’s prayer at the end of his vision. It gives us hope for each day…it gives us assurance even in the darkest times. It is found in Habakkuk 3:17-19. Here the words of hope…

17 Though the fig tree does not bud

    And there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

    and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

    and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

    he enables me to tread on the heights.”

And where can we find the strength to pray this prayer for ourselves? The strength is found in community. There are many cultures throughout the world that their strength is found in community. Without community their whole way of life would be destroyed. We find peace and we find hope in community.

When we reach out with love and hope to someone in need we give them strength for the journey. When we help our neighbor rebuild their life again we give them hope for the future. We find peace and we find hope in community.

When we come together as a community and set aside our differences and concentrate on our similarities we are a force to be reckoned with. We can conquer our trials and difficulties because we are strong when we bond together. We find peace and we find hope in community.

I have this analogy that I would like to share with you…why I feel that community is so vital and important to humanity. You see this is how I see it. Like any other artisan who puts a piece of themselves in their creation, God too does the same thing. He created humanity with a little piece of Himself in it. Now…as we come together in community that piece of the Divine in each of us connects with that piece of Divine in others. As we connect we are made stronger. Just think about it…the Divine in you reaching….touching…the Divine in another… Now you may not feel as if you have any bit of the Divine within you…you may feel that there is no way God lives within you…you may feel that you are worth nothing at all…but I am here to tell you that God doesn’t make junk and that all that God has made is of sacred worth...God did say when finished creating human kind that it was very good…it is within community that we find that piece of the creator within the created… We find peace and we find hope in community.

Beloved child of God…and yes, we are all beloved children of God, our adoption papers were signed by the blood of Jesus on that cross on a hill long ago…we were created to be in community…community with each other and community with God. We were created to ban together and share our lives with one another. We were created to share that piece of the Divine we have within us with the hurting world around us. We find peace and we find hope in community.

I would like to end my sermon with something that was written by one of my favorite poets…my husband Ray. When I shared the Habakkuk scripture with him he did something that is amazing to me. He rewrote the prayer…let me read it to you and you decide for yourself if it is one that you can pray for your own life…

17 Though the mills may be shuttered

and the forests are empty,

though the fields do not provide

their bounty, their harvest,

though the young are departing

for greener pastures,

18 yet I rejoice in my God

I will be joyful in Christ my Savior.

19 The Creator of the universe is my rock

I am like the deer, its hooves

steady on the Mountain.

Sure within thee

safe in thy arms

We find peace and we find hope in community.

Amen