August 25, 2024
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
10:00am
WELCOME
OPENING PRAYER
Ancient of Days,
Holy Mystery,
El Shaddai…
God, we call on You
by the names we have,
taking on our lips
words that cannot contain You.
You are always more
and as we turn to You,
You have already turned to us
and called on us:
My people!
My beloved!
To wait before You
and meditate on You –
this is what restores us.
To know again
that You are the Living God –
this is what reawakens our hope.
So we gather in Your presence
and offer You our love and thanks
for keeping the world turning,
for infusing all that exists with the breath of Your Spirit,
for looking on us with warmth and pride
because we are Yours.
We pray in the names
of Your Community of Love –
Source, Savior, Sustainer.
Amen
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
Christ abides in us,
And we abide in him.
Christ has the words of eternal life:
We believe and trust that he is the Holy One of God.
As we hear the gospel of peace today,
Let us choose again whom we will serve.
We will serve the God of liberation and new life,
the God who hears and answers when we call.
We bring our praises and our prayers to God,
Trusting God to meet us as we gather.
Let us worship our God together!
*HYMN No. 667 “When Morning Gilds the Sky”
1 When morning gilds the skies,
my heart awaking cries:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer
to Jesus I repair:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
2 Does sadness fill my mind?
A solace here I find:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss?
My comfort still is this:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
3 Let earth’s wide circle round
in joyful notes resound:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Let air and sea and sky
from depth to height reply:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
4 Be this, while life is mine,
my canticle divine:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this the eternal song
through all the ages long:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
*CALL TO CONFESSION
Our psalm for today reminds us: “The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in God will be condemned” (Psalm 34:22). Trusting that God is always more ready to forgive than we are to con- fess, let us turn to God in prayer, seeking forgiveness and new life.
*PRAYER FOR CONFESSION
Loving God, through Christ you abide in us, and you invite us to abide in you. But so often we are restless and unsatisfied. Instead of resting in the fullness of life Christ offers to us, we chase after money and fame, recognition and power, status and control. Instead of honoring the image of God in all our neighbors, we push others down in the pursuit of our own desires. Forgive us for forgetting that you call us to a different way of being in the world, to lives grounded in the self-giving love of Christ. Lead us out of self-interest and into communal care for one another and the world you have made. In Christ’s name we pray; Amen.
*SILENT PRAYER FOR CONFESSION
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
John’s Gospel tells us: “God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). Christ forgives us and makes us whole. Christ fills us with life and sets us free for love. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace.
*RESPONSE No. 581 “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, amen.
*PASSING OF THE PEACE OF CHRIST
Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another.
May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
SPECIAL MUSIC
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
UNISON PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Please join me in the unison prayer…
Eternal God, quiet our hearts and minds amid the clattering chaos of the world and all the voices vying for our attention. May we clearly hear your word of life spoken to us today. As we hear, help us to understand; as we understand, move us to respond in love, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ; Amen.
SCRIPTURE John 6:56-69
56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which the ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 He said these things while he was teaching in a synagogue at Capernaum.
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61 But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who were the ones who did not believe and who was the one who would betray him. 65 And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”
66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67 So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”[a]
Pause…
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!!
SERMON “Turned Back”
In the New Testament we see many pictures of Jesus. We see him as the Good Shepherd, the bread from heaven, the Word, and the vine. We learn about him in parables, and we puzzle over what those parables might mean. And, we’re in good company with our questions and wonderings. Even the disciples – Jesus’ closest followers – had questions, too. After Jesus told them the parable of the sower, Mark 4 tells us that the disciples asked Jesus about his parables. They were confusing, hard to understand, and highlighted the profound disconnect between the ways of God and the ways of people.
In Mark 4, after telling the parable of the sower to the crowd beside the sea, the twelve disciples began to ask Jesus about the parables. His response was a strange one:
He said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those on the outside, everything comes in parables; in order that ‘they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’”
Jesus spoke profound truth through parables, and those who listened to him did not understand his teachings. I always found that strange. Why would Jesus teach in a way that most could not understand? Why didn’t he put it out there plainly so that everyone could see who he was? Why did Jesus come in mystery and as a servant, rather than in clarity and majesty?
Jesus tells the parable of the Sower in the three Synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke – but the parable is absent from John, which isn’t surprising since the Gospel of John contains no narrative parables. Instead, John is filled with Jesus’ direct teaching and allegory. Jesus calls himself the bread coming down from heaven, the Good Shepherd, the light of the world, and the vine. In John, we get a startlingly clear look at who Jesus is, which is one reason why John is my favorite Gospel to read. But, for all its beauty and imagery, John 6 is also one of the most disturbing passages in the Bible. So disturbing, in fact, that it causes many of Jesus’ disciples – though not the twelve – to turn back from following him.
The parable of the Sower may not be in the Gospel of John, but we get to see the parable in action. In the parable of the Sower, Jesus talks about the seed (or the Word) being scattered everywhere, and about the variety of ways the seeds respond based on the type of soil they were planted in. Some receive the Word with joy, but fall away when trouble comes. Others are lured away by things of the world. Others grow and bear fruit, and the harvest is great. Here in John 6, as Jesus tells a larger group of disciples that they need to feast on his flesh and blood, we see many turn back and fall away. Like the seeds that first came up, but left when difficulties arose, many in this wider group of disciples simply couldn’t deal with Jesus’ teaching. It was hard. It was disturbing. And, it sounded a lot like blasphemy.
If you remember anything about the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, you will remember that a lot was said about blood. Leviticus 17 goes into great detail about consuming blood when it says:
If anyone of the house of Israel or of the aliens who reside among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood, and will cut that person off from the people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar; for, as life, it is the blood that makes atonement.
God is the Creator of all life, and the life was seen as being in the blood. To consume anything with blood in it was to disregard the God who created that life. It was taking into the body something that was never intended to be there in the first place.
The prohibition against consuming anything with blood in it was taken so seriously by the early church, that even when the apostles decided at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 not to require Gentile converts to Christianity to keep the whole law, they still added in the prohibition of eating anything with the blood still in it. But Jesus speaks to the crowd and tells them that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood will have eternal life. They will be raised on the last day. Jesus not only grosses them out with talk of consuming flesh and blood, but he also connects himself to Leviticus 17 and the blood that saves. Jesus tells the disciples that he is the sacrifice that leads to life.
John tells us in verse 61 that the disciples complained about Jesus’ teaching. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, they complained and grumbled. Jesus knows they are finding this teaching to be especially difficult, and he calls them out. He asks them the question, “Does this offend you?” I like the way the Greek says this. The word “offend” is the Greek word σκανδαλίζει, which is where we get our word “scandalize.” The NRSV translates this word here as “offend,” which is a decent translation. The disciples are offended by Jesus’ teaching. They are scandalized by it. How often, if we’re honest, does the hard truth Jesus speaks scandalize and offend us?
Interestingly enough, Jesus uses a very similar word in the parable of the Sower to describe the seeds that first sprang up and received the word with joy, but fell away when trouble came. In the NRSV, it says, “when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:17b) The part translated “fall away” is actually the Greek word σκανδαλίζονται. Strangely enough, I like the way the King James translates this verse. It says, “afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the words’ sake, immediately they are offended.”
Jesus teaches the difficult truth that we must rely on him for our life, and about our need to feast on who he is in order to live. The disciples were offended. John tells us in verse 66, “Because of this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.”
The truth he spoke was offensive. It was scandalous. And they simply couldn’t accept it. Jesus then asks the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?”
How might we have answered that question? Karoline Lewis, Preaching professor at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, reflected on Jesus’ question with these pointed words: “And when Jesus asks, ‘Do you wish to go away?’ don’t you secretly wish you could say, ‘Yes. Yes, Jesus, in fact I do, if I am totally honest.’”
Soren Kierkegaard spent considerable time thinking about the scandal and offensiveness of the love of God. He thought that if we truly understood that we did not deserve God’s love, we would be offended by the amount of love God lavished upon us. Perhaps the scandal of God’s love for us is why Jesus said in Matthew 11, “And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
Kierkegaard contends that there comes a point in our lives where we have to make a choice: to believe or be offended. But, before the choice can be made, there is tension. We are confronted by God with the scandal of God’s amazing and self-giving love, and we face a profound tension that will lead either to offense or belief. It is this tension that holds within it the beautiful possibility of faith.
C.S. Lewis once wrote, “The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and his compulsion is our liberation.” And this is true. But even though God’s hardness is still kinder than any kindness we can offer, we can’t get past the fact that it is hard. Even though God promises liberation and freedom, we can’t get past the fact that we are compelled into that freedom.
All of the disciples – the wider group following Jesus and the twelve – face the difficult teaching of Jesus. They also face the choice of offense or belief, and we watch many of Jesus’ followers turn back and walk away. Jesus asks the twelve if they want to leave also. In the midst of the tension, Jesus sits with them and allows them to take it all in. Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
For Peter, profound tension was the beginning point of deep faith. Faced with the scandal of reliance on the very body and blood of Jesus, Peter found himself abiding in Christ. John 6 makes it clear that the Gospel is hard. It’s offensive. The love of Christ is far more than we could ever believe or imagine. And confronted with that reality, we are shaken to the core. But Jesus not only speaks out and challenges us in the tension, he allows us to sit with it, too.
Are we offended? Are we scandalized? In this day and age, we are no strangers to scandal. We hear, nearly daily, about the fall of celebrities or politicians or religious leaders. We read about people who have climbed to the top, only to have their deepest, darkest secrets exposed as they fall from lofty heights. Scandal after scandal is featured on magazine covers and as clickbait online. Oh, for the day when we are scandalized by the Gospel rather than by our own disgraceful actions!
Brothers and sisters, the good news of Jesus Christ is that the scandal of our sin is no match for the scandal of God’s self-giving love. The most amazing news of all is that the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us. The good news of the Gospel is that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus – nothing. Will we be offended, or will we believe?
Liturgy and Commentary provided by Ellen Williams Hensle, The PC(USA) Book of Common Worship, the Presbyterian Outlook, Soren Kierkegaard, April Fiet, and CS Lewis.
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH “The Apostles’ 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 again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on 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 Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN No. 658 “God Is So Good”
1 God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
he’s so good to me.
2 God cares for me,
God cares for me,
God cares for me,
God’s so good to me.
3 God loves me so;
God loves me so;
God loves me so;
God’s so good to me.
4 God is so good;
God is so good;
God is so good;
God’s so good to me.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
Holy Three-in-One and One-in-Three, we give thanks that you draw
us into community with you, just as your three persons live in perpetual community, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Thank you for the many gifts of grace that flow into our lives when we enter the embrace of your love: for your nearness in times of trouble, for your guidance in times of uncertainty, for the promise of hope.
We thank you, too, that you draw us into community with our fellow hu- man beings. We thank you for the gifts of this faith community… [specific gifts may be listed here]. In this time of conflict in the world, bind us to one another and to you, that we may bear faithful witness to your love. Help us to care for others as you care for us. May the work we do in your name show those around us what is possible when people commit to working together for the common good.
Loving Lord, we pray for our world marred by violence, arrogance, greed and injustice. We grieve the ways the “spiritual forces of evil” which the Apostle Paul wrote about still wreak havoc in our world today. As we fight against racism, sexism, poverty and every form of oppression, remind us that the fight is not against our neighbors who think or believe differently from us, but against the powers and principalities that oppose your reign of justice and peace. Ground us in your love and fill us with your Spirit that we may see Christ’s face in the face of every person we meet. When we are tempted to treat our neighbors as enemies, soften our hearts and move us to offer your transformative grace. Give us patience, perseverance and hope as we join you in the work of building the kingdom of God.
God of grace, you promise to be near to the brokenhearted and save the crushed in spirit. We bring before you those in our community who are sick or recovering, grieving or in pain. Comfort their spirits by your Spirit and ease their sufferings with your healing mercies. Make us attentive to their needs and bearers of your loving presence. Especially we pray for… [insert specific prayer requests here].
Lord of all, we thank you that through Christ’s life, death and resurrection, you have already won victory over sin and death. Help us to live in ways that reflect and respond to your overflowing love. Make us ready with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and even the sword of the Spirit, that we may stand firm in your grace and be your faithful people, bearing the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. We pray in Christ’s name and as he taught us: “Our Father…”
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. Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFERING OF TITHES & OFFERINGS
When Christ abides in us and we abide in him, we can see that everything we have is a gift from God. The gifts of time, talent and treasure God has entrusted us with are not to be hoarded, but to be shared, to give life to others as Christ gives life to us. Let us now return to God a portion of what God has so generously given to us.
OFFERTORY
*RESPONSE N0. 607 “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise Christ, all people here below;
praise Holy Spirit evermore;
praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen.
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Holy God, we thank you that we have heard your words of eternal life today. As a sign of our gratitude, we offer you these gifts. Take what we have given and multiply it for the good: the good of our faith community, the good of our neighbors, and the good of the world you so love. Shape and mold us so that our whole lives become a loving response to your goodness. In the name of the one whose life gives life to the world, Jesus Christ, Amen.
*HYMN No. 761 “Called as Partners In Christ’s Service”
1 Called as partners in Christ’s service,
called to ministries of grace,
we respond with deep commitment
fresh new lines of faith to trace.
May we learn the art of sharing,
side by side and friend with friend,
equal partners in our caring
to fulfill God’s chosen end.
2 Christ’s example, Christ’s inspiring,
Christ’s clear call to work and worth,
let us follow, never faltering,
reconciling folk on earth.
Men and women, richer, poorer,
all God’s people, young and old,
blending human skills together
gracious gifts from God unfold.
3 Thus new patterns for Christ’s mission,
in a small or global sense,
help us bear each other’s burdens,
breaking down each wall or fence.
Words of comfort, words of vision,
words of challenge, said with care,
bring new power and strength for action,
make us colleagues, free and fair.
4 So God grant us for tomorrow
ways to order human life
that surround each person’s sorrow
with a calm that conquers strife.
Make us partners in our living,
our compassion to increase,
messengers of faith, thus giving
hope and confidence and peace.
*BENEDICTION
“Go out into the world in peace;
have courage;
hold on to what is good;
return no one evil for evil;
strengthen the fainthearted;
support the weak, and help the suffering; honor all people;
love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
And remember that wherever you go, whatever evils God calls you to fight, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellow- ship of the Holy Spirit will be with you always. Amen.
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