Finishing Well

Welcome and Announcements

"Good morning, everyone, and what a glorious morning it is! Welcome. Welcome to this special combined service for Amboy and Ashtabula First United Methodist Churches. It is such a joy to see all of you here, gathered together as one body in this beautiful pavilion.

"Whether you drove just down the road or a few miles from town, we are so glad you are here. Today is a gift—a chance to worship, to sing, and to celebrate the goodness of God together.

"Just a couple of quick announcements before we begin our worship:

"First, and most importantly, please plan to stay after the service for our potluck picnic! We'll have plenty of food and fellowship, and it’s a wonderful chance to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.

"Second, you may have noticed the offering baskets located near the back. As we do at our combined services, there is a clearly marked basket for Amboy and one for Ashtabula First. We won't be passing plates today, but we invite you to place your offering in the appropriate basket as you feel led at any time during our gathering. Thank you for your continued generosity, which makes all of our ministries possible.

"Finally, you should have received a bulletin on your way in. It has the full order of worship, including the words to our hymns, so you can follow along.

"And with that, let us prepare our hearts for worship as we rise in body or in spirit and join our voices together, singing our opening hymn..."

Opening Hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth" (UMH 92)

Call To Worship

Leader: Let us gather in the presence of the God who is our refuge and strength.

People: God has been our dwelling place in all generations.

Leader: We come with gratitude for the heritage of faith we have received.

People: We come with hope for the future God is preparing for us.

Leader: Let us lift our voices in praise and open our hearts to God’s word.

All: Let us worship God together in spirit and in truth!

Opening Prayer

Please be seated, and join me in our opening prayer.

Faithful and loving God, we thank you for your constant care and for the gift of this day. We are grateful for the long history of these churches, for the generations of saints who have worshiped you and served you in this community. Pour out your Spirit upon us now. Give us strength for our journey of faith and fill our hearts with a joy that endures. May our worship honor you and prepare us to be your faithful servants in the world. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our guide and our hope. Amen.

An Order for Commitment to Christian Service

At this time, could Kevin and Darlene please come and join me? Friends, some of you know this already, but Kevin and Darlene are about to embark on an incredible new chapter. Following their 'Walkabout' journey of renewal—a journey they have intentionally set for 40 days, a time of preparation and listening, just as we see so often in scripture—they are answering a call to a special and demanding ministry, and we want to send them out wrapped in the love and prayers of their entire church family.

Dear friends, today we recognize the ministry of Kevin and Darlene and consecrate them to a special task in the service of Jesus Christ.

We are sending them to Hershey, Pennsylvania, where they will become houseparents at the Milton Hershey School. This isn't just a new job; it's a calling to be family. Their service will be the holy work of creating a home filled with love, safety, and faith for children who need it. They will be the ones making breakfast, helping with homework, listening to stories, and offering hugs. They will be mentors, role models, and a constant, living presence of Christ's love, extending the care of this church family to a new generation.

Kevin and Darlene, in the name of this congregation I commend you to this work and pledge to you our prayers, encouragement, and support. May the Holy Spirit guide and strengthen you, that in this and in all things you may do God’s will in the service of Jesus Christ.

And now, to wrap them in the physical sign of our love and support, I invite any who are willing to come and lay hands on Kevin and Darlene. Or, if you would remain in your seat, you can simply extend a hand of blessing toward them from where you are.

Let us pray. Almighty God, look with favor upon Kevin and Darlene as they reaffirm their commitment to follow Christ and to serve in his name. Give them courage, patience, and vision; and strengthen us all in our own Christian vocation of witness to the world and service to others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Praises and Concerns followed by Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer, Lord’s Prayer

(Leader: We come now to a time of prayer, to lift up the joys and concerns that are on our hearts. As a church family, we carry one another's burdens and celebrate one another's blessings. I invite you now, as you feel led, to share aloud a joy or a concern that you are carrying today...)

(Allow time for people to share.)

(Leader: Let us hold these prayers, both spoken and those that remain silent in our hearts, in a moment of quiet reflection before God.)

(Allow for a period of silent prayer.)

Pastoral Prayer

(Leader: Let us pray.)Gracious God, our help in ages past and our hope for years to come, we thank you for gathering us as one family today. We thank you for hearing the prayers of our hearts—the joys we celebrate and the burdens we carry. We lift them all to you, trusting in your loving care.

We pray for these two churches, Amboy and Ashtabula First. We thank you for the generations who have built this legacy of faith. Grant us wisdom and strength for our own time, that we might be faithful stewards of the ministry you have given us. When we feel weary, renew our spirits. When we feel uncertain, be our constant guide.

We especially lift up to you Kevin and Darlene. As you have called them to the holy work of being family to children in need, equip them with endless patience, deep compassion, and joyful hearts. Bless their journey, protect them, and use them mightily for your kingdom. May they feel the support of our prayers every step of the way.

We pray for our world. For all who suffer, for all who lead, and for all who seek peace. Turn our hearts toward our neighbors and move our hands to serve, that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Now, together with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we are bold to pray the prayer our Savior taught us...

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. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Doxology

Let us now prepare to offer our praise to God. As you are able, please rise in body or in spirit. And as we stand, a final reminder that the offering baskets are at the back for you to give as you feel led. Let us now sing our praise to God.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7

Please be seated.

Our first scripture reading this morning comes from the prophet Isaiah. It begins as a love song, a beautiful poem about a gardener who pours all his care and affection into a vineyard he loves dearly. But as we listen, we'll hear the song take a sharp, sorrowful turn. Let us listen for the Word of God.

Isaiah 5:1–7 NIV

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.” The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

In response to God's word, let our prayer be the words of this hymn.

Hymn of the Month: "Make Me a Servant" (TFWS 2176)

New Testament Reading: Hebrews 11:29-12:2

We have just sung a prayer, asking God to make us servants. But how do we live out that servanthood day after day, especially when the journey is long? Our second reading, from the book of Hebrews, gives us the answer. It reminds us that we are not alone, and it points us to our ultimate source of strength and inspiration. Let us listen for the Word of God.

Hebrews 11:29–12:2 NIV

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Sermon Title: Finishing Well

Let us pray. Lord, open now our hearts to hear, and our minds to understand your Word. As we prepare to reflect on the race of faith, may your Holy Spirit be our guide, that we might be strengthened and encouraged for the journey ahead. Amen.

Have you ever planted something? It doesn’t have to be a whole farm. Maybe it was just a single tomato plant in a pot on your back porch, or a small flower bed by the mailbox.

If you have, you know the feeling. You don’t just throw seeds on the ground and walk away. You choose the spot with the best sun. You turn over the soil, maybe mix in some compost to make it rich. You clear out the rocks and the weeds. You have a vision, a hope, for what will grow. You can almost taste the tomato or see the beautiful bloom before it even sprouts. It’s an act of love and expectation.

In our first scripture reading today, the prophet Isaiah sings a song about a gardener. But this isn't just any gardener; it's God. And it isn't just any garden; it's a vineyard, planted for God's beloved people, Israel. And God doesn't just plant it; God pours out love upon it.

The song tells us God chose the perfect spot, a fertile hillside. God dug up the ground and cleared every single stone. God planted the very best vines, the choicest variety. God built a watchtower to protect it and even carved a winepress out of the rock, ready for a joyful and abundant harvest.

God did everything right. Everything. It was a project of deep love and careful preparation.

And then God waited, with the hopeful heart of a gardener, expecting a harvest of sweet, beautiful grapes. But instead, the vineyard produced… wild grapes. Sour, bitter, useless little things.

You can hear the heartbreak in God's voice as Isaiah sings the question: "What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield good grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?"

It's a warning to every generation, including our own. It's possible to be given every advantage, every blessing, every bit of loving care, and still fail to produce the fruit God desires. It's possible to not finish well.

And what was the fruit God was looking for? Isaiah tells us with a powerful play on words. God looked for justice—mishpat—but found only bloodshed—mispakh. God looked for righteousness—tsedaqah—but heard only the cry of the oppressed—tse‘aqah.

Finishing well, for a church, isn't just about keeping the lights on or having a long history. It's about producing the specific, tangible fruit of God's kingdom: justice for the wronged and righteousness that answers the cries of those in need.

It’s a sobering thought. And if the story ended there... well, we might all go home discouraged. But thank God, it doesn't.

Our reading from the book of Hebrews gives us the good news. It shows us the path forward. How do we avoid becoming that failed vineyard? How do we, as the people of Amboy UMC and Ashtabula First UMC, run our race in a way that truly finishes well?

First, the writer tells us to look around. We are surrounded by "so great a cloud of witnesses." Think of it like being in a stadium. In the stands are the saints who have gone before us.

For over two hundred years, people have gathered under the banner of these two churches. Think for a moment who is in that cloud. Farmers who prayed for rain and praised God for the harvest. Teachers who shaped generations in one-room schoolhouses. Merchants who ran stores on Main Street. Soldiers who prayed for peace in the midst of war, and mothers and fathers who rocked their babies in the very pews where you have sat. They ran their race. They faced trials we can only imagine. They built and sustained what we now steward. They are not just a vague idea; they are our spiritual ancestors. And they are cheering us on.

But it's more than that. The writer also says that their story isn't complete without us. We're in a great relay race. They've run their leg with faith, and now they've passed the baton to us. The baton you hold is heavy with the prayers and hopes of all those generations. The faithfulness you show today gives meaning to their legacy. Their race isn't made perfect until we run our leg well.

Second, we're told to look inward. To "lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely." What are the weights that slow us down as we run this leg of the race?

For some, that weight is grief. For others, it’s a worry about the future that gnaws at you. For many of us, as the years go on, the weights can be physical—the aches and pains that make each step a little harder than the last. Sometimes the weight is simply a feeling of weariness, the sense that you’ve run for so long and the finish line seems so far away. These things are real. They are heavy. And they can make us want to just stop running.

But the Good News is that we don’t have to carry these weights alone. The invitation of Christ is to let him shoulder the burden with us. It’s an invitation to admit our weariness and find our strength not in our own abilities, but in his. To run well, we have to travel light, and that means handing our heaviest burdens over to the one who is strong enough to carry them.

And finally, and most importantly, we are told to look forward. The witnesses in the stands are encouraging, but they are not the finish line. Our goal, our focus, our everything, is Jesus.

We are to fix our eyes on "Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith." Let's think about those two words.

A pioneer is someone who goes first, who blazes the trail through the wilderness so others can follow. Jesus has run this race before us. He knows every twist, every turn, every steep hill, every treacherous valley. He faced the hostility, he endured the pain, and he conquered the final enemy, death itself. He cleared the path for us. We are never running on an unknown track.

And he is our perfecter. That means he doesn't just point us to the starting line and wish us luck. He is the one who brings our faith to its completion. He is the coach who runs alongside us, the one who gives strength to our weary legs and breath to our tired lungs. He is the one who guarantees that if we keep our eyes on him, we will cross the finish line.

And why did he do it? "For the sake of the joy that was set before him." This wasn't a fleeting happiness. This was a deep, profound, unshakable joy. The joy of fulfilling God's ultimate purpose. The joy of seeing a broken world made whole. The joy of a family, scattered and broken, being brought back together around God's table.

That, my friends, is how we finish well.

We are not that failed vineyard of Isaiah. Through Christ, we have been grafted into the one True Vine. His life, his strength, flows in and through us, enabling us to produce the good fruit of justice and righteousness that God has always desired.

And the joy that Jesus ran toward? It looks a lot like this. It looks like the faithfulness etched on the faces I see here today. It looks like two churches coming together as one family to worship in God's creation. It looks like the fellowship we'll share in just a few minutes around picnic tables. It is the joy of a community being restored.

So let us run. Let's run with the perseverance that honors that great cloud of witnesses. And let's do it with our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus, the one who not only shows us the finish line, but who runs alongside us every step of the way, leading us toward a joy that will never end.

Amen.

And so, with the voices of that great cloud of witnesses in our ears, and with our hearts fixed on the joy set before us, let us rise together in body or in spirit and sing of our hope, our heritage, and our home. Let us sing, "For All the Saints."

Closing Hymn "For All the Saints" (UMH 711)

Closing Prayer and Blessing

Go now, to run the race God has set before you with perseverance and hope. Go, to bear the good fruit of justice and righteousness in a world hungry for both. Go, with your eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of your faith. And may the joy of Christ fill your hearts, may the peace of Christ guard your minds, and may the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you always. Amen.

And now, as we prepare to continue our worship through the joy of fellowship and a shared meal, let us bless the food before us.

Let us pray. Gracious God, we thank you for these gifts of food and for the hands that have prepared them. Bless this meal to the nourishment of our bodies, and bless our time together to the strengthening of our community. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.