October 13, 2024

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

10:00am

 

CHIMING OF THE HOUR

 

WELCOME

 

OPENING PRAYER

Everlasting God,

in whom we live and move and have our being:

You have made us for yourself,

so that our hearts are restless

until they rest in you.

Give us purity of heart and strength of purpose,

that no selfish passion may hinder us from knowing your will,

no weakness keep us from doing it;

that in your light we may see light clearly,

and in your service find perfect freedom;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

PRELUDE                 “Triumph and Thanksgiving”                 Franklin Ritter

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good,

for God’s steadfast love endures forever.

O give thanks to the God of gods,
for God’s steadfast love endures forever.

O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for God’s steadfast love endures forever.

Let us worship God!

 

*HYMN No. 372                    “O for a World”

1 O for a world where everyone
respects each other’s ways,
where love is lived and all is done
with justice and with praise.

2 O for a world where goods are shared
and misery relieved,
where truth is spoken, children spared,
equality achieved.

3 We welcome one world family
and struggle with each choice
that opens us to unity
and gives our vision voice.

4 The poor are rich; the weak are strong;
the foolish ones are wise.
Tell all who mourn: outcasts belong,
who perishes will rise.

5 O for a world preparing for
God’s glorious reign of peace,
where time and tears will be no more,
and all but love will cease.

 

*CALL TO CONFESSION

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Trusting in God’s gracious mercy through Jesus Christ, let us confess the sin that separates us from God and our neighbors. Let us pray.

 

*PRAYER FOR CONFESSION

Gracious and merciful God, we often wonder what we must do to be right with you. The gospel tells us what you have done for us in Jesus Christ to make us right with you. We establish rules and try to follow them to win your love. You call us to trust in your grace and promises in Jesus Christ. We strive for security by piling up the things of this life. Jesus says, “Come, follow me.” Lord, forgive our self-centeredness that seeks our well-being while we ignore the needs of others. Forgive our relying on ourselves rather than accepting fully Jesus’s call to discipleship. Help us to seek your kingdom and righteousness first in our lives. Through Jesus Christ, amen.

 

*SILENT PRAYER FOR CONFESSION

 

*ASSURANCE OF PARDON

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance,

that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Children of God, hear and believe the good news:

In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

 

*RESPONSE No. 1                “Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!”

4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

 

*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.

 

ANTHEM                  “What the Lord Has done in Me”                       Lloyd Larson

 

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

 

UNISON PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

Please join me in the unison prayer…

Almighty God, we join the psalmist as we say, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my paths.”  We hear your Word read and proclaimed today, may our hearts be illumined by your Holy Spirit. May our lives and actions reflect the light of your Word that others may follow your path, also. Amen.

 

SCRIPTURE              Mark 10:17-31

¹⁷As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”¹⁸Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” ²⁰He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” ²¹Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” ²²When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

 

²³Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

 

²⁸Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, ³⁰who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

 

Pause…

 

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!!

 

SERMON                  “What must I do?”

“Do you want to be something or do you want to do something?” That’s the question a friend of mine was asked by his spiritual director many years ago.

I wonder what that question brings up for you in your life today. How would you answer it? What matters more to you – being something or doing something?

I think that question is the unspoken question at the heart of Jesus’ conversation with the man in today’s gospel.  It holds before us the tension between being and doing, between meaning and purpose. It’s probably one of the unspoken questions in each of our lives that needs to be spoken more directly and more often. If we don’t ask it for ourselves at some point the circumstances of our lives will.

I believe that we have all had those moments in life when: I was doing something, and I was doing it really really well. But then there was that moment. I sat down, took a deep breath and realized I wanted to be something. I had purpose in my life, but I wanted meaning. I wanted that “one thing” that Jesus is talking about.

I’m betting that you too have had that kind of moment. What’s your version of that story? How did it come about for you? What happened?

It’s the story of the man in today’s gospel. He’s done all the right things. He’s been obedient and faithful. He’s kept all the commandments since he was a kid. He’s been successful in life, and he has “many possessions.” Luke says the man was “a ruler (Luke 18:18) and “very rich” (Luke 18:23).

He’s got power, position, prestige, possessions and wealth. He’s done something with his life. And yet, he knows something is missing. He wants to know, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” It’s not a question about getting to heaven. It’s about meaning. It’s about being something. It’s about a quality of life.

He’s right in asking the question but he’s asking the wrong question. He wants to know what he must do, as if the life he wants is something to be acquired, possessed, and gained by expenditure. I get it. He’s seeking the missing piece of his life by the only means he knows. But the life he wants, the life I wanted that night in my office, the life I think you want, is not about doing and purpose, it’s about being and meaning. It’s not outside us, it’s already within us.

Please do not hear that as me opposing meaning and purpose, as if it is one or the other. It’s not. It has to be both. But I wonder if we’ve become so preoccupied with purpose and doing something that we’ve lost or forgotten about meaning and being something.

I wonder if we’ve confused meaning and purpose. Is the meaning of your life and my life only what we’ve accomplished? Most obituaries would say yes. We tend to mark and measure our lives by what we’ve done, but is that really the sum of who you and I are? Don’t you want to be more than what you’ve done? I do. I want my life to matter not because of what I do but because of who I am. And I wonder if that’s why the man in today’s gospel goes to Jesus with his question.

 

It’s ironic that Jesus says to this “very rich” man who has “many possessions,” “You lack one thing.”  I can easily imagine the man saying to himself, “One thing? One thing? What’s the one thing I don’t have?” I imagine him taking a mental inventory of his life, accomplishments, and possessions trying to figure out what one thing he still lacks. I imagine him picturing in his mind every item he owns, recalling everything he has done, and then wondering what he should do or get next.

You know why I can imagine that so easily, right? I’ve done it. I’ve lived that way, and I wouldn’t if you have too. But Jesus is talking about “one thing” not one more thing.

Holy scripture speaks of the “one thing” in several places:

• Jesus tells Martha, “There is need of only one thing” (Luke 10:42). Martha was “worried and distracted by many things” (Luke 10:41). Her life was divided. She was here and there but not really anywhere.

Maybe the “one thing” is about learning and paying attention to what really matters, being present and showing up to life, and becoming whole.

• When the religious authorities questioned the man blind from birth whom Jesus had healed, he said, “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9: 25).

Maybe the “one thing” is about seeing with new eyes, gaining a deeper insight, living with a new level of consciousness, and awakening to the life that is before us.

• Paul says that when he and Barnabas and Titus met the leadership in Jerusalem, “[The leadership] asked only one thing, that we remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10). Maybe the “one thing” is compassion, caring for each other, and recognizing that our lives are one body in Christ.
• In his letter to the Philippians St Paul writes, “This one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13).

Maybe the “one thing” is staying open to the future, listening for the call on our life, remembering that our lives are always in process, and trusting that no one moment, story, or event defines us.

Maybe the one thing common in all these one things is meaning: finding and living from a place of deep meaning.

I am talking about those “peak experiences” when something touches, resonates with, or speaks to us; when we say, “Yes, this is it;” when it feels like we’ve come home; when we have an insight and it forever changes our life; when we feel alive and connected to ourselves, others, and the world; when we wholeheartedly give ourselves to another or to what we are doing, when we lose ourselves in the moment; when we never want the moment to end.

They are those moments you can’t let go of because they won’t let go of you. And the thing about the “one thing” is that your “one thing” and my “one thing” are probably two different things. They are unique to each of us.

What if you were the man in today’s gospel?

What if Jesus said to you, “You lack one thing?”

How would you respond?

 

Let’s try this. Take a mental inventory of your life, accomplishments, and possessions. What’s on the list? Be careful here. Just because the things on your list may not be the “one thing” doesn’t mean they are the wrong thing. They’re just not the “one thing.”

 

Picture in your mind each item you own, all the stuff. Recall all that you’ve done and everywhere you’ve been. What do you see? What comes to mind?

 

What is the “one thing” you lack?

 

What would offer you more meaning in your life today? In what ways might you make a difference in the life of another, not so much by what you do but by who you are? What would you need to let go of in order to become more fully and authentically yourself?

What is the trace of yourself that you want to leave behind in this world when you are no longer here? My hunch is that whatever that trace is, it just might be or point to the “one thing” for you while you are in this world.

“You lack one thing.” It’s not a criticism. It’s not a judgment. It’s not a deficiency. It’s a door opening to new life. It’s an opportunity with the God for whom nothing is impossible.

 

 

Commentary and Liturgy from the Book of Common Worship (PCUSA), “Call to Worship” Website, PCUSA Book of Confession, The New Interpreter’s Commentary, David Lose and Scott Hoezee.

 

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH          The Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;

 

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose 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. 341                    “O God, Show Mercy to Us”

1 O God, show mercy to us, and bless us with your grace;
and cause to shine upon us the brightness of your face,
so that your way most holy on earth may soon be known,
and unto every people your saving grace be shown.
Let all the peoples praise you; let all the nations sing;
in every land let praises and songs of gladness ring.

2 For you will judge the peoples in truth and righteousness,
and on the earth all nations will your just rule confess.
Let all the peoples praise you; let all the nations sing.
Then earth in rich abundance to us its fruit will bring.
The Lord our God will bless us; our God will blessing send,
and all the earth will worship to its remotest end.

 

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER

Good and gracious God, thank you for the many blessings and gifts you have given us, especially the gift of grace in Jesus Christ. Forgive us when we hoard what you have given us because we are worried, we won’t have enough. Help us trust in your promise of eternal life here and now, that we may live obedient, joyful, and faithful lives as your children in your kingdom.

 

Heavenly Father, we are grateful that Jesus looks at us in love as he calls us to follow him. Give us the courage to heed his call and to go where he leads us. Help us embrace the new life he offers, where the last shall be first and the greatest will be a servant to all, even as Christ came to serve us in love.

 

Almighty God, in a world where there is great need, free us from our attachment to the many things that occupy us and demand our loyalties. Give us grateful hearts and willing spirits so that our lives and actions reflect the self-giving love of our Savior Jesus Christ. May we trust Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life, enough to follow him in your kingdom.

 

Divine Creator, we pray for our community. [Insert specific prayer requests here from congregation members and regarding the surrounding community.]

 

We offer these and all of our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ our Sav- ior, who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”.

 

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. 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

 

STEWARDSHIP MINUTE FOR MISSION                      Russ Pine

 

OFFERING OF TITHES & OFFERINGS

When the Apostle Paul called for Gentile Christians to contribute to the offering for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, he reminded them, “for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.” Mindful of and grateful for the many blessings we have received from God, let us give generously that we may supply the needs of the saints and overflow with thanksgivings to God.

 

OFFERTORY ANTHEM

 

*RESPONSE N0. 609                      “Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow”

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.
Praise God, all creatures high and low.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise God, in Jesus fully known:
Creator, Word, and Spirit one.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

 

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

Generous and merciful God, we thank you for your indescribable gift of Jesus Christ. As we present our offerings today, give us grateful and generous hearts, that we may always follow Jesus in what we say and do. Help us to remember that every generous act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, from you, our heavenly Father. Amen.

 

*HYMN No. 378                   “We Wait the Peaceable Kingdom”
1 We wait the peaceful kingdom,
when wolf and lamb shall lie
in gentleness and friendship
without a fear or sigh,
when lion shall be grazing,
when snake shall never strike;
a little child shall lead us
both strong and weak alike.

2 Where is the peaceful kingdom?
When will this new day start?
We long for peace and comfort
to reign within each heart.
Yet not in our lives only,
nor simply in our home:
we pray that all creation
will one day find shalom.

3 When wars of desolation
and hate come to an end,
when nation meets with nation
and calls the other “friend,”
still peace in all its fullness
will only have begun:
shalom for all creation
begins with justice done.

4 That little child shall lead us
to walk the chosen way,
to share the peaceful kingdom,
to greet God’s newborn day.
The child born in a stable
is sent to break our chains,
to bring through word and table
the day when justice reigns.

 

*BENEDICTION

Christ calls each of us to a life appropriate to that kingdom: to serve as he has served us; to take up our cross, risking the consequences of faithful discipleship; to walk by faith, not by sight, to hope for what we have not seen.

 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. Amen.