June 11 2023

Asteroids are Jean going to leave. You remain miles and heart was busy morning required by fierros dance. Death was arrested in My Life, Begin. OVO Grey,

UND hockey game.

Is there any chance of my dad and he called me his friend's death was arrested on live PD. O'Neil Gray.

It's June.

Crimson, Middle School.

But then Jesus arose with freedom.

Only hope you have me. I'm pretty

Bring down your 3DS with. Every man death was arrested Johnstone, death was arrested and happy.

That was just beautiful. But I am awake.

Greetings everyone, grace and mercy to you. Today. We are short on the New Testament. We have our normal spiritual formation next Monday. So, if you would like to join us, please do we have just started a new book. We were doing that at Bentley Chapel at 6 p.m. on next Monday.

We will serve Wednesday night meals if you know of anyone that might be needing a meal or can't fix it for themselves for any reason. Just let us know. Give me a buzz and we'll get them on that list.

I don't think I have any more announcements if anyone else does speak up. No. Okay. That is prey. this is a, this is a prayer written by Schumann. Tom Schumann. We would sing glad songs to you the mission in God, as we enter your heart with Thanksgiving on our lips. for you, are that love which never ends that Joy, which overflows that Faith, which is always full We would Proclaim our praise to you words of the voice of compassion, as you would send us into the world in which we live.

For you are the word. that we can speak to power with the healing that

we can offer to the broken the Justice, which can replace Oppression, we would offer our hands and hearts to you imaginative Spirit, as you teach us new steps in this dance that we call life for you. All are the cleanser of our messy Parts, the breath of Hope.

Sorry. The breath of Hope for shallow things, the password for access to our Grace. To your grace.

We pray all this God, that you would touch our hearts and open them up, break them so that we can receive your spirit and your word. That will place a call on our lives. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

I sure had trouble talking today. Join with me or call to worship, now is the time to worship. Come now is the time to worship. We Gather today is people God calls to go and share the good news. We gather as God sent out people. We Gather to listen and share God's work in our lives, our families and our neighborhoods, we proclaim the goodness of God's love Together. We Gather to respond to God's grace as we continue on the path of discipleship. We hear God's call Martin and got to get my God, Heather. We got there at 2 again. Hear God's call to go as God commission's us to love God and neighbor and everything that we do. We go and knowing as God calls gather and send out people, we are not alone as we carry the way of God's tall into the world together on min.

Let's all stand and worship together and think he leadeth me. He leadeth me.

He leadeth Me by Dua LIPA.

Edinburg water and it is me.

Fancy Pants Desmond on hand.

His baby. Goodbye.

And where might I ask?

Lift up our trichel Creed, I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and Earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only son our Lord, who is conceived by the Holy Spirit. Born of the Virgin Mary softener to Pontius. Pilate was crucified dead and buried. The third day, he rose from the dead. He is sitting to heaven and sit at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty from dance. Teacher comes to judge the quick and the day, I believe the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church. The communion of saints, the Forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life Everlasting. I'm in

for those who,

Right there with you. So, for those who are watching us online, we're glad to hear with us for those who are here in person. We're glad you're here with us. It's a beautiful day outside the rain, and hopefully, it'll bring a productive game later on. So, I've got to their appropriate liturgical colors colors for the, for the game later today, for the the season. But for those who follow along and like to read the scripture readings that are plotted out for for the lectionary, throughout the many churches follow, you'll notice starting this Sunday and for the next five Sundays, it goes to the Book of Romans and Romans can be a tricky one because Paul packs a whole lot in it. So, I'm glad that it breaks it down in the small little nuggets and if you catch each of the nuggets, the next five weeks that you will see, Superior this week actually it's Roman one, but I didn't have enough to go with, or for Paul's traditional announcement, which is hello. I'm Paul, you remember me? You know, and in some part of your church socks so you need to do better. That's basically Paul's writing. So hold the letters except for one and one he goes, I don't know you yet, but I've heard you suck. So please get better. You know, that's my interpretation. That you need to get your act together. So but in Romans Paul, lays out his Theology of, how do we live out faith? If you would. And so, this is actually the reading for next Sunday, it's Romans 5 verses 1 through 5 and it, give you a little pre-op of what's going on here. For romance 1, 2, 3 and 4. Paul basically sets up what his life has been like living in Christ and just to let you know, it goes all the way back to Sunday school and even then to Vacation Bible School, you know, when the teacher asked you a question, all the hands went up and every answer was what Jesus, right, so that's Paul Paul from chapters, 1, 2 and 3 is all about our focus should be on Jesus. Beginning of chapter 4, he then moves into a little bit of, here's my life. Here's what's going on with me and how we should reflect that. And so I love and I could really, we can really sit down and and really discuss chapter 5 is just so rich, but this gives you a preamble to maybe related to your life. So here, if you would hear the words from Romans chapter 5 verses 1 through 5, therefore since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ Our Lord has done for us

Because of our faith Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. We can Rejoice too. When we run into problems and trials for, we know that they help us develop endurance.

And endurance, develops, strength of character and character. Strengthens our confident hope of Salvation. And this hope will not lead us to this appointment for. We know how dearly God loves us because he is giving us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts. With his love is the reading for the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. I'll see y'all. So this is this is a fun one to look up and different translations cuz each translation for Romans 5, I looked up I stopped at 10 because they're, they're really each one gives a little more influence of what Paul is trying to say here if you will. Here's another translation. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace, which we now stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory and our sufferings because we know that suffering, produces perseverance, perseverance character character, hope and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts to the Holy Spirit has been given to us. I know a lot of these readings, you're here this word justification that Paul uses justification is one of Wesley's, Central figures of Grace justifying. Grace means this is when we are finally able to receive God's love for us on her own. Our own decision, we may have grown up in one Church tradition and, you know, that's when you're saved, so per say, or that's when you finally accept Jesus into your heart, that's what John Wesley meant by justifying Grace. It's that moment when finally recognized Which I'll say this, I am one of those who believes, it's not just one moment. It's several moments throughout our lives. Because I'll be honest, the moment when I finally began that journey in my teens was nothing like when I admitted it in my twenties or thirties or forties. And now when I finally hit that early 50 market and realize, you know Jesus I want you even more than I can ever imagine then and the depths that I've known you then we're nothing to wear I compared to when I was young. I think as we grow in that Grace were always kind of grasping for that justifying presents, the Paul speaks about and especially this one, this one Paul talks about justifying Grace, to help us in our time of trial, was with the other translations. Yet our problems, are our suffering. What happens when you suffer? And I'll be honest, I, I confront people all the time who immediately confront a little suffering in their life, and then immediately, upset that, why isn't god making everything correct? And yet, and yet I cannot find anywhere in scripture that says, we turn our loyal to the God, and God will make our life into like the fairy tales. I wish that was true. I wish that's all it. Say God, I love you and God with a great big. Here's the rest of your life. I wish, but even Jesus said the rain falls on the just and the unjust so Paul speaks to this even as a Christian, you will find moments of suffering and heartache and pain and trouble and grief What are we doing? What are we do with it? I do for one. One thing I know that we do that before I ever get into breaking down, this passage is we sing. Because as I was kind of trying to piece together the sermon in each time I piece a little together thing for this is going to be the one the worst servant ever preached. But I kept thinking of that old spiritual, Nobody Knows the Trouble. I've seen, nobody knows the trouble. I've seen nobody knows, but Jesus.

And so on. Set times when we approach scripture, all that we can do when scripture is and here's the caution here, I want to have heard people say and then tell people how they should suffer. So let me say this for the starting back up and say, everybody suffers a little bit differently and that's okay. The words that we're bringing up is how Paul has suffered the words? Are we from Oma's of those? The Apostle Paul, and more than once, he was beaten more than once he was put in public, I'll pursue me put in prison because his public proclamation of Jay-Z's Jesus, he was Shipwrecked three-faced, many other dangers. Call earned the right to speak about suffering. The offer the testimony of someone who's been there. He writes the people short on hope. This is the time when the Jews and Jewish Christians had been expelled once already from Rome and under the new emperor Nero they had been allowed to return, but the empire was an increasingly hostile and threatening Place, eventually you would even execute Paul the very person who is writing to them about suffering, endurance and character, and even hope. And it's Paul's testimony not based solely on his own suffering. His testimony, His Ho is based on his faith. In Jesus. The one who suffered and died to bring about reconciliation with God. Paul says that we have access to Grace through Jesus. Love with the translation earlier. If you notice it, it it, it brings us into a privilege that was not our own.

I hope that we have four sisters are suffering because its foundation is literally Jesus's suffering that we stand on. Jesus enter into our life, in order to share our fear and longing and pain and weakness. Paul says that this hope does not disappoint, which means this hope will not let us down. It will be fulfilled. But also means that living and hope is not something to be ashamed. On, we can hold our heads up in the midst of pain, we can trust it. Tomorrow can be different from today because the spirit fills us with love

No, also want to be careful. As I said earlier, not to take Paul's testimony and make it into a formula, too often. I've read books and they put the Christian Life in this little formula and it, and it fits, sometimes it does fit that formula fits. But what happens in the moments in our lives, when that formula doesn't fit.

Suffering plus endurance plus character equals hope. At times in my life that is fit when I've gone through and suffering. And it is produced, endurance is produced a character and I have had hope. But there are other times when I've gone through suffering is produced endurance, their endurance after. I don't know why I'm still trying to figure out if he can produce character, but it didn't produce. Set alarm and if it were a formula, then we would tell everyone who is suffering to endure long enough to get character. Then cut off, it would magically appear but this is not a formal. This is Paul's testimony testimony. Other words his experience. So I caution you that you and I don't have the right to take these words from Paul, to use them to prod others, into accepting their own suffering on. Paul's terms, are you in our terms? That's rarely both helpful are loving. All we can do is to remember the grace that we have access because of Jesus. What we can do is interpret our suffering, our adversity, in light of Paul's testimony, Here's what we do. We want to see white Grace, what blessing, what hope might emerge if we try to apply his ideas from Romans about suffering, endurance and character. Not as a prescription for others, but a spiritual practice for ourselves in Barbara Brown's. Taylor's book learning to walk in the dark. It's all about learning to embrace the unknown. And if you're ever experiencing a moment, your life of unknown, highly recommended learning to walk in the dark and it, she's tells the story of James Brown, James grew up in a small, Scottish village where there were no wild animals are known criminals, but there was also no streetlights or porch lights, and it got really, really dark. Every night after supper and it was James's job to take the empty milk bottles down to the bottom of the driveway. So the Milkman would get there in the next morning. The driveway was only about a hundred yards long or from the house, he said, as a little boy, it turn into complete Blackness. So, imagine that scene. Everything's completely dark and your little boy and especially in the Scottish Highlands, you're Conjuring up every Holt and Hank that you can think of, right?

We had to walk into that Darkness, he couldn't run because he might break the bottles. But as soon as he said the bottles down, he would Trace Run straight fast as he could back to safety on the porch every single night. He said it took all the cruise she had to do this simple chore. He says as an adult, he said that bravery that Drew out of him stayed with him for the rest of his life. He describes it this way courage, which is no more than the management of fear must be practiced. Courage. No more than the management of fear must be practiced.

That makes it sound easy, I'll be honest, but have you ever tried practicing being afraid so that you can print manage it? No, it's only in that moment. That fear takes hold of us. And when fear takes hold of us, it causes to be so anxious.

In each stage, they tried to describe and somebody pinned it. I'm not sure who it is or else, I would give them credit that we right now we're in an Age of Anxiety. From mental illness to political conditions, weather conditions, you name it. We're in a constant state of anxiety and what is anxiety but giving into those little moments of fear. And suddenly we're not sure the fearfulness which pervades the Airways and social media and our relationships, even get into our dreams and our nightmares. And yet, what if we turn that around? To give us an opportunity to practice courage. I don't know about you, but if there's a choice between telling myself, I'm afraid and I'm practicing courage. I'm going to find practicing Courage, the more helpful, internal monologue. Islander longer and better. If I understand that I am practicing courage. Perhaps one blessing that may result from the current trouble, be a stronger bravery muscle for next time. Paul describes it this way endurance or as I'm calling it practicing courage leads to character, another Greek word for character that they take. Within many of you may not know is actually means a tool for etching, making a mark stamping in Insignia. So, if you ever seen the letters with a wax in the official seal, That's the Greek word for character is to make that Insignia to seal it. Something that if you have character, people can see you, they know it. If we think about people who've endured suffering, we often see it on their faces, hear it in their voices, the mark left on their lives. May draw was to it, or they may begin to speak their story and we leaned in, cuz maybe part of their story is part of our story as well. Last night I had a chance at Pine Grove. We do a thing, they're called days of hope we invite people alumni have been through in treatment program, so once a quarter to come back and share with the patients that are still there, and then we invite a speaker. Many different speakers for many different calibers. You want to last night was John mcandrew, wonderful Nashville, singer, who stoled his story about recovery and any particular focus on that one moment where everything finally seemed real for it. And you can look around the room when he said. Now here's the moment was soon as he said that everybody leaned in because everybody there at that moment as well. Some point in our lives, we recognized we had enough and this needed to Mark some sort of transition.

Maybe, maybe for you. There's that moment where we've had enough of anxiety had enough. I want to lean into that type of character that Paul calls us to Often, these people become a source of wisdom perspective, and even inspiration. I'll be honest. Practicing courage does not mean a stiff upper lip. It doesn't mean silence. Again, I'm not saying we should talk things out or minimize our own distress.

Theologian Walter Brueggemann, analyzes the testimony found in the Hebrew Bible, particularly those in Exile. He wrote that hope emerges among those who perfectly articulate and process their grief over suffering. I think that's what Paul is talking about those who acknowledge, here's my suffering and can state it. Maybe not all at first maybe till someone else is just a little bit. Hey, I'm checking in. Just want to know you do for a friend and then later is, well, that's me. Or here's what I'm going through. What do you think of this and other friend? Says? Well, maybe it's this, another friend says, maybe at this. And then, send me a dog was here. Here is the pain that I'm experiencing. I can finally put a name to it.

It offers us, I think this Paul is offering us peace. Relationship with God has been bought through Jesus Christ. Who is understood to be our lord? Jesus who gives us access

To this grace that is unearned unmerited, gift of God. Not something that we're supposed to, then put in more effort for him. But it's something that we surrender and allow God to fill us.

In which we stand that, we have more solid footing. We cannot win God's favor, we can only accept God's grace.

This is Paul's fruition of suffering. This hope will not lead us to this appointment for. We know how dearly God loves us. He is giving us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his life. So, I'm naming our distress. It offers a public lament? You would way of an acting. Hope we name. What is wrong? What we want to be different or what we wish to be different, but they were also able to let go. The fact that it isn't different at this time. And if we allow our circumstances to reduce us to silent surfing, we can't even articulate or pain. And will likely give in to despair. That is ironically, what is hopeful about the story I started with

Story of young people in their suffering, Paul in his suffering. They allow their process of grief to move them. Define fat place of hope once again. Final story. I'll leave you with. This is George. Matheson was a pastor in the Scottish Highlands in the 1800s. He began as a teenager, but he went to University and earned a bachelor's and master's degree by sitting near the window for the best light and his glasses. You know, he was kidding, they were so thick that they would set the papers on fire. He was engaged to be married but it's fine. It fiance ended their engagement she when she realize that he was going blind. His oldest sister was the strongest support for many years and she lived with with him, taking dictation and helping him to write out sermons. She even helped him to run the parish Ministry in his first couple of churches and shortly after he was ordained. The experience of crisis of Faith. He said, I believe nothing. Neither God nor immortality, any tendered, his resignation from the front of the church. Guess what? This church did Amazing Grace his church did his church would not let him go. They told him stay and preach. As much as Christ would allow you to believe in. So he stay. And gradually, his faith began to come back to me. He was able to deal with his doubts. His fears is pretty impression that he wrote these words, I have changed without hypocrisy. I preached, all the old doctrines but with deeper meaning, Deserve that church for 18 years. When he was 40, The Sisterhood have been such a support for him. Decades for decades was to be married. And he suddenly began to experience another crisis of faith. Began to think I'm going to be all alone. It was a night of my sister's marriage, and the rest of the family were staying overnight. In Glasgow, something happened to me, which was known only to myself, which caused me the most severe mental suffering. Now we don't know what that suffering was. He didn't describe it, some speculate that it was remembered green for the bait, broken relationship, or maybe it's the feeling of all alone. Other suggested maybe he was wondering how he'd manage life without his sister. We don't know the specifics. What we do know is the blessing that resulted afterwards that night, he wrote a famous hymn O love that Wilt not let me go. It reflects his own experience of that, steadfast, love of God, and his blessed generations of Christians in their own times of crisis.

Here. If you will add that, I got him a love, that will not. Let me go. I rest my weary soul and day I give them back the life. I owe that Ensign ocean depths its flow met, Richard Fuller, b. A i yield my flickering torch to the my heart restores. Its borrowed Ray that in my sunshine blaze. It today May brighter Bearer. Be sure that seekest me through pain. I cannot close my heart to the, I trace the rainbow go through the rain and feel the promise is not vain that mourn. Shelterless be across that lift us up my head. I dare not ask to fly from the ale and dust, life's Glory dead. And from the ground, their blossoms red live. That shall endless be. So I'm so may, we find the blessing in adversity are in spite of adversity, because the hope we know in Christ and the love poured into our hearts, by the holy spirit. Amen. Amen.

Since I said earlier, sweetie, I am When the things that we do in our suffering and hope as we turned the song and I hope this is actually new song that was supposed to me. And so if you would let this one be one for you as well.

I Wish You Would by now that you would have reached down. New wife Wars again. Amen.

It has emerged. The reason I breathe.

You are never.

I'm crazy.

now, I remember when Zumba.

Goodnight cry. You Raise Me Up Again. My strength is almost gone. I cannot carry his eye care.

Barely hear you whisper through the rain. With you.

Raise my hand.

now 3,

I will Praise You In This Storm.

Where does my help come from?

Omaha.

I will Praise You In This Storm.

Lord in prayer this time.

Gracious and loving God.

Through all the storms that may come our way.

Pray. Lord for the Feel the feet and neither of us, know that the foundation we stand a pond. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Not just died for us. Came to us. Rose for us. The Holy Spirit. Fills us with now and always We cry out to you for the pains, which still struggle within us. The ones that we hide from Still struggle to the man. Receive them Lord, and fill us with your love, your grace and peace. Ran us the insurance to stand strong Because of Who You Are. Where are your children? Guided by grace, that is so deep and never-ending that will never fully know. all that, we can stand all

the mini people that we see throughout this week that need to hear a word,

Or maybe if we don't know the words, just let them know that we are present because you were present to us. Grant us your strength.

You're the prayers of your people.

We looked up the prayer that you told your disciples to pray. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. By kingdom come thy will be done as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us. Our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but Deliver Us from Evil. Revise, the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever.

You'll find the words for our communion liturgy will be on the screen may also find them on page 12. So it begins with an invitation.

Through Christ, Our Lord invites to his table all who live in love him. Who turned us three app into their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore let us confess our sins before God and one another.

We have no compassion today died for us while we were yet. Sinners, that proves God's love toward us in the name of Jesus Christ. You are forgiven.

You are forgiven glory to God, I'm in the Lord, be with you and also with you lift up your hearts.

Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.

It is right in a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give, thanks to you, father, almighty creator of Heaven and Earth. And so with your people on Earth and all the company of Heaven, We Praise Your Name and join there, an ending him. And so, will lift up the song words for this and the holy Powers my Xanax in the highest blessed? Is he who comes in the name of the Lord?

Blessed, are you Lord? Are you and we lift up your Praises forever. So, the night and which you came. Speaks to disciples and liver them. He took Brad. He gave thanks to and broke. It said, take eat. This is my body, which is given for you do this in remembrance of me. The supper is over, he took the cup day. Thanks to you and gave it to his disciples saying, drink from this. All of you, this is my blood of the New Covenant poured out for you, and for many for the Forgiveness of sins. Do this is all cuz you drink it in remembrance of me and soda members of these your body acts in. Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves and praise, and thanksgiving as a holy and Living Sacrifice in Union with Christ offering for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit, are gathered here and only elements of Brad and cop. Make them be for us, the body and blood of Christ that we may be for the world, the body of Christ, redeem his name, make us one of your fellowship and one of your love until we finally Feast your heavenly bank with this, we asked the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

I just as we are gathered together into the one body Christ as broken of himself, but the cup of Salvation might be poor now

You would please stand and our closing hymn.

We're trying out something new one second.

Walk with the Lord, in the light of his word.

Okay, that's good. Well we are buying us and still trust trust and Obey trust and know how to be happy in Jesus but you trust and Shadow can but I would not trust and Obey. Trust and obey by the fellowship sweet we will see

that's why I will do Mary since we will go and do

Charleston rehab.

This benediction. So is we go forth practicing courage, in the face of our suffering and anxiety? We may do so with the love and peace, the fellowship and the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

But get it serviced. Well, all right.

Where is?

It was a celebration. I thought we have postponed it.

We have been cool to meet cuz I'm over red.

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