11/1/2020

I haven't found a Bible. I've been able to grab that. I've liked this version of scripture. I have a feeling though. I have a feeling.

There it is.

This is a newer Pulpit Bible. Am I correct? Anybody got a rough idea of how old this one is? Okay, I'm going to guess it's probably purchased since the new building maybe at the new building since like the 1990s Aetna's is Sun Warren. It's been open to the scripture verse for so long. I couldn't even pick it up or move it it was. Was too fragile, but it was open to this verse. This verse that is one of the verses that help solidify our faith and we find comfort in we hear it. Almost guaranteed it every funeral service. Maybe not in the service, but definitely at the committal of the body to the ground.

Give me the scripture. from the 23rd song

the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want he maketh me lie down in Green Pastures. He leadeth me beside Still Waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Yay, 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 that prepares the table before me in the presence of mine enemies that would annoy his 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 forever.

when we look for comfort in Los we can find it in Scripture. and specifically in the scripture Let us pray. Lord May the meditations of our hearts in the words of my lips be pleasing in your sight our Rock and Our Redeemer. amen

I was riding with a gentleman to a ball game. Kind of one of those tough situations in life where someone offers you a free ticket. You have to go. I didn't know the gentleman very well. It was a congregants brother. We are riding together and his brother and another gentleman. We're in the back.

And I started a conversation with him. He's probably in his early 70s. And so do you have any children?

He said yeah.

We have four but really five. but really for

there's that but really

There's a whole lot of life in that little hesitancy, right? There's a whole lot of life when they don't know how to respond to how many kids they have. the reason is

there's a simple answer.

It's a little bit easier on them. And then there's the complex answer. Which may be true Morton number?

But involves the sharing of story to another person.

It has been almost 50 years since he lost his daughter.

instill he hadn't quite figured out the response to that question.

Greece

doesn't have a timetable that makes sense to us.

Some of us here going to be above the age of a 50 or 60 and still be missing your grandparent. Are your parents? would like favorite aunt let favorite uncle.

There's no.

type of timetable for grief

Are others must understand?

and when we share our story with others we offer them to know us a little bit better.

We are here because of the Saints who have went before us investing in us and sharing their stories with us. Sometimes we know them by name and sometimes we don't.

My sister lived on a corner of the small town of 500 people and it's not like the first Farmhouse you go on the way out of town. So it's kind of like town but kind of like not you guys are familiar. And so you'd go to the turn and then she was just one block away from one of my favorite uncles Uncle Rodger House and it had a fair amount of free soda, and so during the summer I would find my way down that road at least once a week to go raid the soda fridge at Uncle Rogers. And between there and their when I was 8 years old. It was a lady. with the elderly and she was kind of a crazy old lady I don't mean that to be like she was really really Beyond in her years. And I don't mean to be like she was really really out of her mind. She was like the perfect combination of both. An end and she sat there in her yard and on the driveway and she would watch the grass grow up around her house and after the grass probably got about this tall. The city was very kindly come in with some kind of tickets and mow the grass for her. She's the type of of lady you would go to visit if you were older and smart enough you knew not to eat the cookies that were sitting on the table. But if you're like 8 you risked it cuz she was really nice and friendly, right? Don't know who I'm talking about. You might have these type of people in yoga, maybe not. Okay, that's good. I was 8 years old spending the week with my sister to help her with VBS and and I would go down or walk down. The garage is one time. She was sitting out there and she hollered at me. I don't come over here and I was I just applied and so I was friendly and so I was talking to her and she asked me this question. She said have you ever accepted Jesus as your lord and savior? I didn't go into church for 8 years. I had no idea what this lady was talking about. I want to a Methodist Church. Okay, like I had no idea what this lady was talking about and I went back and asked my mom and sister who were there at my sister's house. And I remember that you said don't go to that crazy lady's house anymore. I said, okay. I didn't stop thinking about that question. I wonder if she knew she was putting that question in the mind of a young man that would study history and eventually go to Seminary and get out of Seminary and start working at the church and still trying to figure out that question wrapped all up together. What All Saints Day? we recognize the Saints we know and the Saints we may not even know the name of but share their story with others does the kingdom of God not grow.

the story that I just shared

didn't happen in church.

a lot of the ways that we engage one another doesn't just happen in the church. I was riding in a car to a Cardinals game. walking down the street to my uncle's house

know our stories Hazard be insured with one another

may only makes sense in retrospect.

This is

the one thing when I remember my dad that's that I really missed the most and some of you may be able to relate to this was the way that he answered the phone. The way that he answered the phone. It was with first off pop didn't answer the phone. Okay, Mom did okay so immediately if you called mom answered the phone then you knew Mom wasn't home. Okay, that could be the question the answer to the question that you were looking for in the first place. Right? So you can mediately narrowed it down and he answered it like he had never seen a phone in his entire life. like

hello.

I made him sound 80. He died at 65 headed down. The hill was like hello. What I wouldn't give to hear that hello one more time. Just something in the way that he answered it. But it was new to him like like he was taking a break from what he was doing and intentionally answering the phone.

Sound familiar to anyone in the room.

I called Sarah on the way from Etna to hear. She's with the little Charlie's at it out of town this weekend Halloween with a friend and so I called.

Immediately was hung up on. I called back immediately was on the phone. I called back immediately was hung up on what was happening. My son was playing a game on the phone and his three-year-old brain knew who was calling and didn't want to talk.

The way we engage one another it is my hope when I am gone that my son still longs to hear my voice at the end of the phone.

Because we mean that much to one another.

How we share our story with one? Another is more about how we live it out. And just about what we believe. Jesus when he met with the disciples in the upper room

He didn't provide some long monologue of how to be a perfect Christian. He said whenever you do this, he took the bread and blessed it. Broke it and gave it to his disciples and this is what he said.

This is my body broken for you as often as you do it do this in remembrance of me. He's telling the disciples when you gather to eat. Every day when you gather to eat. as disciples as the church sharing this meal remember that this is my body and then and then he took the cop any blessed it.

And he gave it to his disciples and said this is the blood of the New Covenant poured out for you. This is my blood by the blood of the New Covenant poured out for you and for all who believe Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me? He was giving those two things those rituals that are deeper and more meaningful than just being rituals. That helped us to share our faith with one another.

We do this as an expression of our faith.

So that others might also be part of the body. Until the early church from the very beginning started out doing this meal.

sharing their story

We're going to take a moment. And we're going to remember. The Saints who have went before us. Remember those that we've lost over the last year.

Someone who may not have ever entered a church. But still lived out its mission.

butter spray

God word thankful.

for all the saints Who invested in all those people? invested in all those people generations and generations in order for us to be here Is a body of believers?

God we ask for you. To guide us as we grieve those who we have lost.

Help us. To study their lives as we reflect on our own.

So That Others May Come To Know Your Love your forgiveness

salvation through you

guide us As a church. and his people to reflect on what is important to you.

As we pray the prayer that your son taught his disciples. We saying our minds and I'll say out loud and she's 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 the power and the glory forever and ever. amen

want to invite you to take the cup and if you haven't had a chance already, too. Start with the bread in tip it over just pop that back part off.

Going to get out the bread there.

I can go ahead and hop the lid any other part?

2 free the body of Christ broken for you And the blood of Christ shed for you? Thanks be to God. I'm in.

this morning

because we continue to pray for Kurt atteberry who will have a shoulder aspiration Monday in St. Louis. I please pray for pain relief for Kurt and wisdom for his medical team.

We're also going to take a moment and pray for our country. I'm in our state in response to covid-19 coming elections.

We acknowledge.

It's just been a really rough year.

Pretty much everybody. Probably not even pretty much but everybody.

And we we pray. for continued lower numbers we pray for the hospital staff. For all those who are working on a vaccine.

Pray for those in our community who are out of work. Who will be more out of work? and for compassion and Hope and healing in body and in mind. You pray for those who were isolated?

Let us pray. Mighty God

we pray. for your healing you for your guidance?

It has been a long year.

We ask for your spirit. to move in and through us to strengthen us to help us to persevere. Help us. to be patient when we get short where to find hope when all we see is despair.

What is that limits on that which we let in our mind? They don't pay us enough rent to be there.

Guide us as we go from this place. knowing that the work that we do. Is not bound to this location?

But is found in our story.

amen