 Fruitland United Methodist Church September 20, 2026 *(Please stand if you are comfortably able.) Prelude: “Down by the Riverside” a traditional African-American spiritual. Welcoming the Light of Christ and inviting the neighborhood to worship. Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Leader: We come to remember the wonderful works of God. People: We will tell the coming generations of God’s faithfulness. Leader: We come with different stories, experiences, and perspectives. People: Yet, we are one in Christ, called to love and serve together. Leader: Let us open our hearts and set our minds on Christ. People: May the mind of Christ shape the way we love, serve, and live. All: Let us worship God! *Passing of The Peace *Opening Hymn: “Wonderful Words of Life” UMH 600 Pastoral Prayer: Gracious God, you have gathered us as one people, even in all our differences. Quiet the voices that distract us and turn our hearts toward you. Give us the humility of Christ, teach us to love one another, and shape our lives so that others may see Jesus in us. Amen First Scripture :Psalm78:1-4,9-20,32B-38 Liturgist UMH 799 Time With Young Christians Community Expressions Pastor Jorge & Liturgist *Hymn: “Holy, Holy, Holy/ Santo, Santo, Santo” TFWS 2007 Thanksgiving and Celebration. Prayers for healing and wholeness. Prayers for our community and the world. Let us pray. The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven...” Invitation to Generosity Pastor Jorge As Christ gave himself in love, we are invited to live generously. Through our gifts, our service, and our lives, we participate in what God is doing in our community and in the world. Offertory: “Day by Day,” by Oscar Ahnfelt *Doxology: “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow . . .” UMH 95 *Prayer of Dedication: Pastor Jorge Generous God, receive these gifts and receive our lives. Use them to bring hope, compassion, healing, and love to our neighbors. May all that we give and all that we do reflect the mind of Christ. Amen. Second Scripture Reading: Philippians 2: 1-13 Liturgist The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Hymn: “Jesu, Jesu” UMH 432 Sermon: WITH OUR MINDS SET ON CHRIST Rev. Jorge Rodgriguez Philippians 2:1–13; Psalm 78 Some time ago, I heard the story of a father who drove his young daughter to school every morning. It was one of those routines we do almost without thinking. They got up, had breakfast, found the backpack, rushed around because they were almost always running late, and got into the car. Just before the little girl opened the door to go into school, her father always said the same words: “Remember who you are.” At first, the girl did not really understand. “What do you mean, remember who I am? I know who I am!” But her father kept saying it every morning: “Remember who you are.” One day she finally asked him, “Dad, why do you always tell me that?” And he answered, “Because out there, there will be people who will try to tell you who you are. There will be people who will tell you how much you are worth. There will be people who will try to decide whether you are good enough. There will be moments when you will have to choose between following everyone else and doing what is right. So before you listen to all those voices, I want you to remember who you are.” I think all of us need to hear something like that every morning. Because from the moment we open our eyes, there are voices trying to occupy our minds: our phones, the news, our worries, the bills, family problems, work, the things someone said about us, and the things we wish we could say to someone else. And some mornings, before our feet even touch the floor, we are already arguing with somebody in our heads. That is why I love that old spiritual: “Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus.” What a different way to begin the day. Not with my mind focused on my problems. Not with my mind focused on the person who hurt me. Not with my mind focused on proving that I am right. Not with my mind focused on my fears. With my mind stayed on Jesus. And that is exactly what Paul is saying in Philippians. What is interesting is that Paul writes these words from prison. He is not sitting comfortably somewhere, drinking coffee and writing inspirational thoughts. He is imprisoned. His future is uncertain. And yet, in the middle of his own struggle, he is thinking about the church. He is thinking about the community. He is thinking about us. And he says: “Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” But we need to understand something. Paul is not saying, “Everybody has to think exactly the same way.” Thank God, because that would be impossible. We are different. We have different stories. We come from different families. We have different experiences. We see some things differently. And those differences do not necessarily destroy the church. Many times, they enrich it. Christian unity does not mean uniformity. Paul is talking about something much deeper. He is saying: Even when we think differently, we can love in the same way. Even when we have different opinions, we can walk toward the same Christ. Even when we do not agree about everything, we can decide that our relationship is more important than our need to win. Then Paul shows us the way: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” That is the heart of this passage. The question is not simply, “What do I think?” The question is, “Am I learning to think like Christ?” Paul tells us that the mind of Christ begins with something our culture does not always celebrate: humility. Christ had power, but he did not use his power to make himself greater. Christ had authority, but he did not use his authority to dominate. Christ could have demanded, but he chose to serve. Christ could have placed himself above everyone else, but instead, he came down. He became a servant. He gave himself. He loved. So having the mind of Christ means learning to say: I do not need to win every argument. I do not need to have the last word. I do not need everything to be done my way. I do not need to prove that I am more important than you. Because when Christ occupies my mind, my ego no longer needs to occupy the center. Imagine for a moment what would happen if we lived this way. Imagine our families, our marriages, our churches, our workplaces, our communities. Imagine a world where, before speaking, we asked: Does this look like Christ? Before responding: Does this look like Christ? Before judging someone: Does this look like Christ? Before using our power: Does this look like Christ? Maybe that is why we need to begin every morning saying: “Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus.” Because the mind of Christ changes the way we see other people. Where others see a stranger, Christ sees a neighbor. Where others see a burden, Christ sees a person. Where others see someone who does not belong, Christ opens the table. Where others build walls, Christ looks for paths toward reconciliation. Where the world asks, “What can I gain?” Christ asks, “Whom can I serve?” That is what it means to have the mind of Christ. It does not mean that we think the same about everything. It means that we love from the same place. It means that love has the final word over prejudice, that generosity has the final word over selfishness, that service has the final word over power, and that grace has the final word over condemnation. And here Psalm 78 reminds us of something beautiful. The psalmist says that we will tell the coming generations “the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” In other words, this way of living must be passed on. Our children, our grandchildren, the children of our church, the next generation—they are watching. Perhaps they will not remember all our sermons. Perhaps they will not remember all our meetings. Perhaps they will not remember all our decisions. But they will remember how we treated people. They will remember whether our church opened its doors or closed them. They will remember whether we showed compassion. They will remember whether we shared. They will remember whether we stood with the vulnerable. They will remember whether, when someone fell, we judged them or reached out a hand to lift them up. Because faith is not only taught with words. Faith is passed on through the way we live. And Paul ends this passage with extraordinary words: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” That means we are not alone, simply trying to turn ourselves into better people. God is working in us. When you want to forgive even though it still hurts, God is working. When you decide to listen instead of attacking, God is working. When you share with someone in need, God is working. When you welcome someone others reject, God is working. When you choose to serve instead of seeking recognition, God is working. Perhaps one day we will reach the point when we will no longer have to stop and ask, “What would Jesus do?” Because the answer will begin to rise naturally from within us: love, serve, forgive, share, listen, stand with the vulnerable, give hope. Not because someone forces us, but because the mind of Christ is becoming our way of life. So tomorrow morning, before the phone, before the news, before remembering the problem, before beginning that argument that still exists only in our head, perhaps we can stop for a few seconds, put our feet on the floor, take a breath, and say: “Lord, today I want to have your mind.” And then remember those words: “Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus.” Because when our minds are stayed on Christ, we may not all think alike, but we can love with the same love. We may not walk exactly the same way, but we can walk toward the same Kingdom. We may be different, but we can share the same purpose. And when that happens, the church becomes more than a place where we talk about Jesus. It becomes a community where people can see Jesus. Amen. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Jesus Christ.” –Phillippians 2:5 Prayer of Confession Pastor: Let us pray. People: Merciful God, we confess that too often our minds are fixed on ourselves, rather than on Christ. We want to be right. We want to have the last word. We hold tightly to our opinions, our pride, and our own way. Forgive us when we fail to listen, when we judge too quickly, when we place ourselves above others, and when we forget that Christ calls us to humility, compassion and service. Give us the mind of Christ. Teach us to love when it is difficult, to forgive when we have been hurt, to welcome those who feel rejected, and to serve without seeking recognition. May our lives reflect Jesus, so that others may see his love through us. Amen Assurance of Pardon Pastor: Hear the good news. God is at work within us, giving us both the desire and the strength to live according to God’s loving purpose. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven, renewed, and called again to walk in love. People: Thanks be to God. Amen. *Hymn of Response: “Give Thanks” TFWS 2036 Benediction: Go into this week with your mind on Jesus. When you disagree, choose love. When you have power, choose service. When someone is hurting, choose compassion. When you meet someone who feels they do not belong, make room at the table. And may the mind of Christ become more and more our way of living, so that the church may be more than a place where people hear about Jesus-- May we become a community where people can see Jesus. Go in the grace and peace of God. Amen. Song of Blessing: “We are Marching in the Light of God” TFWS 2235b Postlude: “To God be the Glory,” by William Doane Pastor Jorge Rodriguez [email protected]
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |