Borrowing from Jesus
By Pam Hardenbrook Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14 When my daughter was a teenager, she would often borrow clothes from me – and sweaters from her dad. She had many nice outfits of her own, but access to her parents’ closets greatly expanded her wardrobe! And we were glad to share – it pleased us that she wanted to wear our things and, in a way, resemble us. My friend, Karen, has been wearing clothes from her mother’s closet. Just after her mother died, she and her sister sorted through their mother’s clothing and decided to keep some of her things to wear. “Wearing her clothes is comforting,” Karen said, “because the scent of Mama’s perfume lingers in the fabric.” Scripture admonishes us to be holy – to be like God (Lev. 11:44; 1 Peter 1:15-16). But as I try to resemble my Heavenly Father, I find that my own spiritual wardrobe is sadly lacking. Clothed in my own virtues, my apparel is tattered and soiled. However, Jesus offers me a whole closetful of clean, freshly pressed, holy garments and when I am dressed in his righteousness, I catch a whiff of his gracious aroma. Maybe those around me will sense it, too. I am so glad that Jesus lets me borrow from his closet. Lord Jesus, forgive me when I try to be righteous on my own. Teach me to rely on your holiness. Help me to grow to resemble you and to share the aroma of your grace. Amen.
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Fruitland United Methodist Church
March 13, 2022 Second Sunday of Lent Prelude “Be Thou My Vision” An ancient Irish melody, arranged by Ellen Foncannon Welcome The lighting of the candles and welcoming the neighborhood to worship. Interlude “Holy Ground” By Geron Davis, arranged by Phillip Keveren *Call to Worship Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Calling Song “We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise” TFWS #2031 We bring the sacrifice of praise Into the house of the Lord. We bring the sacrifice of praise Into the house of the Lord. And we offer up to You The sacrifices of thanksgiving; And we offer up to You The sacrifices of joy Responsive Reading from Psalm 27 Leader: The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? People: I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. All: Wait for the Lord: be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Unison Invocation We praise you with joyful music, O God, because you are the source of life itself and of every “good and perfect gift.” Accept our praise this day and teach us how to love one another just as you love us. We pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen Hymn of Praise “Hymn of Promise” UMH #707 In the bulb, there is a flower In the seed, an apple tree In cocoons, a hidden promise Butterflies will soon be free In the cold and snow of winter There's a spring that waits to be Unrevealed until its season Something God alone can see There's a song in every silence Seeking word and melody There's a dawn in every darkness Bringing hope to you and me From the past will come the future What it holds, a mystery Unrevealed until its season Something God alone can see In our end is our beginning In our time, infinity In our doubt, there is believing In our life, eternity In our death, a resurrection At the last, a victory Unrevealed until its season Something God alone can see New Testament Reading - Philippians 4: 4-9 Gospel Reading - Luke 13: 31-35 God’s Word for God’s People. Thanks Be To God Offering and Response Doxology UMH#95 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. Choir “On The Sunny Banks” Children’s Moment Prayers of the People Message “The Crown of Life” Revelation 2: 8-11 Commitment Song “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” UMH #703 Swing low, sweet chariot Coming for to carry me home Swing low, sweet chariot Coming for to carry he home I looked over Jordan and what did I see Coming for to carry he home A band of angels coming after me Coming for to carry me home Swing low, sweet chariot Coming for to carry me home Swing low, sweet chariot Coming for to carry me home If you get there before I do Coming for to carry me home Tell all my friends I'm coming too Coming for to carry me home Swing low, sweet chariot Coming for to carry me home Swing low, sweet chariot Coming for to carry me home Unison Benediction* May the peace of the Lord Jesus go with you wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. *from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals Postlude “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” By William Runyon, arranged by Lani Smith Postlude Thank you for Worshiping with us today! (CCLI License #1552544) How much God do you want?
By Jim Hardenbrook "I hate, I despise your religious feasts: I cannot stand your assemblies. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" Amos 5:21 and 24 This passage is about repentance not justice. Read all of it (5:21-24) and you will see what I mean. The people who received this message were religious. They obeyed the prescribed tenets of their faith. Their worship services and prayer meetings were right in line with the tradition they inherited. Everything seemed just fine. Everything, that is, except God. God was not fine. He hated their worship experiences and their prayers. That’s what it says! A lack of holiness and fair play provoked God’s angry response to these people’s religious traditions. With penetrating sarcasm Wilbur E. Rees writes: "I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of Him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please." How much of God would you like? Be careful with your answer. God does not take our commitments, or His, lightly. Prayer: Lord, I repent of my desire for a comfortable, unchallenging, self-serving faith. Open my eyes to opportunities you place before me. Transform my life so that I will act justly, seek mercy, and walk humbly with you, my God. Amen. Here I am, Lord
By Sharon Wada Scripture: That I may know Him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. Philippians 3:10 When I hear the hymn: “Here I am Lord” (United Methodist Hymnal, #593), I can’t get through the song without crying because I have heard You, Lord calling me in the night. Faith, belief, and trust all are interchangeable but although I hear You I don’t know what to do. It is my hope that from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday during this time of reflection and repentance I will have an epiphany. I have heard You more than once and yet I do not hear; open my ears and my eyes and heart that I may be awakened. Although I try to be more pleasing to You, I stay conflicted and unmotivated. I think of many things I could do to be of service but I am paralyzed. I have experienced the power of prayer during these past months while I recuperated from my accident. Even my surgeon was surprised that the operation was as uncomplicated – after putting my jaw together – since the fracture was in two places. He said, after setting the first break, that it’s unusual for the second break to slide into place. I told him of my faith and all the people praying for me. Maybe just maybe, I heard you calling me onward, “holding your people in my heart.” Prayer: Lord I know I have your wisdom to guide me and I will go where you lead me. Through your death I know I will have eternal life. Amen Listen now to "Here I Am Lord" God’s Unfathomable Peace
By Pam Hardenbrook Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray, and give thanks to him. Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds. He will do this because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood. Philippians 4:6-7 A few years ago I became friends with a woman I quickly grew to love and appreciate. Her story has had a profound influence on my life. In the 1960s, she and her husband started a manufacturing business that involved using hazardous materials. In the late 90s, the Environmental Protection Agency filed suit against them, which led to their home and business being condemned and their eventual bankruptcy. Then, her husband developed terminal cancer and died shortly before we met her. Despite all this, I never met a more joyful person. Her attitude didn’t make sense according to the way the world views such tragedies. The key to her joy was her commitment to prayer and her faith in God. She told us that while her husband was dying, many of her friends prayed for his healing. She said she appreciated their prayers, but that her requests were different. Instead, she prayed for three things: that she and her husband would have good conversation (about what was happening and what her future would be), that their love would grow, and that she would have no bitterness. My friend was quick to say that her prayers had been answered, and that as a bonus, God gave her unfathomable peace and joy. When I grow up, I want to be like this faithful follower of Jesus. Prayer: Gracious and loving God, thank you for the examples of your servants and for their testimonies of your faithfulness. Protect my spirit from anxiety as I bring my needs to you with a grateful heart, and may your unfathomable peace and joy flood my soul. To the praise of your glory, Amen. Off Track
By Larry Haley For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10 NIV I used to teach Idaho Hunter Education to youth. I also went hunting each year with a small group of friends. One lesson I taught was what to do if you became lost. This included a discussion about how being lost would feel – panic, fear, anxiety. If left unchecked one could make bad decisions and possibly make the problem worse. To counter this I taught them a process to “chill” out. The process: Sit down, build a little campfire, eat and drink something. This would give them time to relax and be able to think and plan what the next step would be. One hunting trip my friends and I split up with a plan to meet at a certain point in the late afternoon and be picked up by another to drive back to camp. About mid afternoon I realized I wasn’t where I thought I was. Immediately those feelings I had taught about were happening to me! But I knew what to do. This calmed me down and I was able to get back on track and reach the meeting point on time. We’re always getting off track, lost, even with the best-laid plans. There are many things in life we don’t control. But there is one who is in control, our God, who has laid out a path for us and provided a spiritual guide and a written guide for us. When that “off track” feeling hits us we can immediately go to our spiritual leader and our written guide for help. Prayer: Lord, we your sheep are always getting lost. Watch over us and give us that push and prod that we need to get back on track. Amen
Be a Light
By Leslie Ward In the same way let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 I grew up in a church with the most amazing, kind, loving, and graceful people. No matter what the circumstance was, someone was always there to help; to show the way. As a kid I didn't understand the time, effort, and sacrifice it took to be the “someone there.” My parents were incredible role models. Church on Sunday, helping with the work days at church, teaching Sunday School and writing devotions to share as a deacon or deaconess, arriving early to prepare communion, and helping with Church Camp in the summers. That took a sacrifice of time and resources to help improve the bigger picture. Jesus knew the sacrifice. HE KNEW! And yet, he still did it. Even to this day the thought of how much he loves me - how much he sacrifices for me – is overwhelming. As an adult, I get the time, energy, and resources it takes to be “the someone who is there.” Is it worth it? Yes, I believe so! We could never be the light that Jesus was but we can be a light. Listen to Thomas Rhett’s “Be a Light" and then go BE a Light. Dear God, Thank you for your Son, thank you for the Light! Help me to reflect it in any way I can. Amen
BE A LIGHT by Thomas Rhett In a time full of war, be peace In a time full of doubt, just believe Yeah, there ain't that much difference between you and me In a time full of war, be peace In a world full of hate, be a light When you do somebody wrong, make it right Don't hide in the dark, you were born to shine In a world full of hate, be a light (La-la-la, la, la, la, la) In a place that needs change, make a difference In a time full of noise, just listen 'Cause life is but a breeze, better live it In a place that needs a change, make a difference In a world full of hate, be a light When you do somebody wrong, make it right Oh, don't hide in the dark, you were born to shine In a world full of hate, be a light La-la-la, la, la, la, la La-la-la, la, la, la, la La-la-la, la, la, la, la La-la-la, la, la, la, la In a race that you can't win, slow it down Yeah, you only get one go around 'Cause the finish line is six feet in the ground In a race you can't win, just slow it down In a world full of hate, be a light (oh) When you do somebody wrong, make it right (make it right) Don't hide in the dark (don't hide in the dark), you were born to shine In a world full of hate, be a light Yeah, it's hard to live in color, when you just see black and white In a world full of hate, be a light Think About Excellent Things
By Pam Hardenbrook Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things. Philippians 4:8 Jim and I were serving our first full-time pastorate in Bellingham, Washington, and had completed our first year. It was time for the church board to review Jim’s salary package. I think they were paying us $600 a month and a motion was on the table to raise the salary by $50 a month. We really could use the raise. We were renting a dumpy little house with hot and cold running mice, and our first baby was on the way. I wasn’t at the meeting, but Jim told me all about it afterwards. One of the deacons on the board was a grouchy old miserly fellow. You could always count on this deacon to be negative and argumentative in most situations. Long story short, he convinced the board not to increase our salary. After that board meeting, Jim came home hurt and angry. He had a fomenting dislike of this man, and I could see that it could ruin his ministry. So we prayed about it and came up with a plan based on Philippians 4:8. We decided to apply that teaching to our attitudes about that deacon. We began to look for any true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy characteristics in him. It took some doing, but we came up with some. The deacon was faithful. He attended every worship service and event at the church. He was a hard worker and offered his muscle and expertise whenever something needed moving or fixing. We began to thank God for those attributes, but we also told him what we appreciated about him. I’d like to say that he became sweeter, kinder, and more generous, but that didn’t happen. What did happen was that WE became sweeter, kinder, and more generous toward him. His cantankerousness didn’t steal our joy. Do you have a cantankerous person in your life? This Lenten season is a good time to examine your thoughts and attitudes. Try applying this passage to that person; focus on things in that person that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, or worthy of praise. Maybe God can use that troublesome person to transform and purify you. Holy Lord, open my eyes to the true, noble, right and pure characteristics of people in my life. Instead of dwelling on negative things, help me to think about what is lovely and worthy of respect in the lives of others. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, give me the grace and boldness to speak of those things. To your eternal glory, amen. Thou art with Me
Written by Doris Homan The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. - Psalm 23 January 1, 2021 my sister, Mary Ann Crawley of Decaturville, Tennessee died. She was 88 years old and had been in poor health for the past couple of years. A few months ago she was taken to the hospital and tested positive for Covid. While hospitalized she was having trouble with her memory and was very confused. One day as I was trying to talk to her by phone, she began to recite the Twenty-third Psalm. It was word by word and from beginning to the end. When she got to verse 4 (Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…) she slowed and emphasized every word. I was shocked and pleased. Mary Ann recovered somewhat but eventually died. My relatives informed me she had recited the psalm to some of her children and grandchildren, as well. At the end of her graveside service, her pastor ended the service by having everyone recite the Twenty-third Psalm together. Since that time I have had a copy of the psalm in the front of my Bible so that when I do my devotion each night I can clearly recall her reciting it – especially verse 4. Loving heavenly Father, I will fear no evil for You are with me. Amen. Fruitland United Methodist Church
March 6, 2022 First Sunday of Lent Communion Sunday Prelude “God So Loved the World” by John Stainer Welcome The lighting of the candles and welcoming the neighborhood to worship. Interlude “O Master Let Me Walk With Thee” by H. Percy Smith. *Call to Worship Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Calling Song “You Are My Hiding Place” TFWS #2055 You are my hiding place You always fill my heart With songs of deliverance Whenever I am afraid I will trust in You I will trust in You Let the weak say I am strong In the strength of the Lord Responsive Reading from Psalm 91 Leader: Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. People: They say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Leader: “Because they love me,” says the Lord, “I will protect them, for they acknowledge my name. They will call on me, and I will answer them” All: He will be with us when trouble comes. Unison Invocation “Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid…” Let us be honest with ourselves and you. Save us from believing we can live without you. Enable us to name our hopes and joys, guilt and fears. “That we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify your holy name.” Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen Hymn “Bring Forth The Kingdom” TFWS #2190 You are salt for the earth, O people: Salt for the Kingdom of God! Share the flavor of life, O people: Life in the Kingdom of God! Bring forth the Kingdom of mercy, Bring forth the Kingdom of peace; Bring forth the Kingdom of justice, Bring forth the City of God! Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Gospel Reading Luke 4:1-13 God’s Word for God’s People. Thanks Be To God Children’s Moment Offering Doxology “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” UMH#95 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. Message “First Love” Revelation 2: 1-7 Sermon notes: Toward the end of the First Century (AD) John the Apostle was imprisoned at the penal colony on Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea between Greece and what is now Turkey. It was there that John wrote the Book of Revelation (the last book in the Bible). At the time of his imprisonment and the writing of this book, John was probably in his late 90s and the only living original apostles that Jesus chose. When called to follow Jesus he and his brother James were commercial fishermen who fished the Sea of Galilee. He is the Spirit-inspired author of the Gospel of John, the letters of First, Second, and Third John, and the Revelation of John. One Sunday morning John was “in the Spirt” (Revelation1:10) and experienced a visit from “the First and the Last,” (Revelation 1:17) and was commanded to write down what he was to see. John did just that. His first assignment was to write letters to seven churches that were in seven cities in the western part of Turkey. Today’s sermon takes it shape from the first of those letters. It was written to the church which was in the city of Ephesus. You can read how the Ephesian church came to exist by reading Acts 19. It’s quite a story! Paul wrote a letter to this congregation. It was to become an important and influence church in the early history of Christianity. Now, toward the end of the First Century (AD) the congregation receives another letter. This one came from Patmos claiming to be dictated to John (their beloved Bishop) by none other than Jesus, the Resurrected Messiah. The Communion Service The Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his 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, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Communion Hymn “My Jesus, I Love Thee” UMH #172 My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine; for thee all the follies of sin I resign. My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou; if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. I love thee because thou hast first loved me, and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree; I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow; if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. In mansions of glory and endless delight, I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright; I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow; if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. Our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Let us confess our sin before God and one another. Prayer of Confession and Pardon Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart Our faith has been tested and we have stumbled. Forgive us, we pray. Our feet have strayed from the path of Christ and we have wandered from you. Forgive us, we pray. We have put our faith in the loud voices of this world, ignoring your whispers. Forgive us, we pray. We do want to follow Jesus, the Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Hear the good news; Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. That proves God’s love for us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Thanks be to God! Bread and Cup Please pray: Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Strengthen us in mind, body and soul for the days ahead. May your Spirit fill us as we live and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Closing Hymn “Freely, Freely” UMH #389 God forgave my sin in Jesus' name I've been born again in Jesus' name And in Jesus' name I come to you To share His love as He told me to He said, "Freely, freely you have received Freely, freely give Go in my name, and because you believe Others will know that I live" All power is givin' in Jesus' name In earth and Heaven in Jesus' name And in Jesus' name I come to you To share His power as He told me to He said, "Freely, freely you have received Freely, freely give Go in my name, and because you believe Others will know that I live" Unison Benediction* May the peace of the Lord Jesus go with you wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. *from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals Postlude “God Be With You Till We Meet Again” by William G. Tomer Thank you for Worshiping with us today! (CCLI License #1552544) |
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