The Hard Work of Love

First Sunday in Lent & Undie Sunday 11am, February 21, 2021 In the Sanctuary. Online at Zoom & https://www.facebook.com/centrechurchpa/ Courtesy of Miles, Claire, Meredith, & Eric Wilson 83 New Park Road, New Park, PA 17352 https://centrechurchpa.org 1 First Sunday in Lent & Undie Sunday Dedication Announcements Don Wilson Prelude Hymn # 69 Crown Him with Many Crowns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuMh_ept-Js Call to Worship (Ephesians 4:4-6, the Message) You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. We have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything we are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. Gracious God, unite our hearts and minds to Yours. Bind us to each other in Christ. Praise be to God who does more than we can ask or imagine! Prayer of Confession & the Lord’s Prayer https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Repentance.htm Let us pray, first in silence. (Time for silent reflection and confession). God of healing, God of wholeness, we bring our brokenness, our sinfulness, our fears and despair, and lay them at your feet. God of healing, God of wholeness, we hold out hearts and hands, minds and souls to feel your touch and know the peace that only you can bring. God of healing, God of wholeness, in this precious moment, in your presence and power, grant us faith and confidence that in Christ broken lives are made whole. Amen We pray this humbly in Christ's name, who taught us to pray: 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Hymn #182 Spirit of God Descend Upon My Heart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymKxTkrRNBA 2 Sharing of Prayer Requests - Connie Anderson Prayers of the People https://www.faithandworship.com/Lent_intercessions.htm#gsc.tab=0 God of love, hear the cry of those who yearn for love; fractured families, broken homes neglected, unwanted, alone. God of love ALL: hear our prayer God of justice, hear the cry of those who yearn for justice; persecuted and oppressed, exploited, ill-treated, broken. God of justice ALL: hear our prayer God of peace, hear the cry of those who yearn for peace; in battle zones and broken states, frightened, fearful, anxious God of peace ALL: hear our prayer God of healing, hear the cry of those who yearn for healing; physical and spiritual hurting, weakened, depressed God of healing ALL: hear our prayer God of mercy, Hear the cry of those who yearn for mercy; convicted, in need of your Grace, contrite, humble, bowed down, God of mercy ALL: hear our prayer, In Christ, Amen. The Offering (online donations at https://centrechurchpa.org/) - Dedication of Undie Sunday Offering Offertory Scripture - Ephesians 4:11-16 (New International Version) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. 3 Sermon “The Walk of Love” Rev. Don Hackett New jeans Did you ever buy a pair of jeans that were stiff when you first purchased them? What did you have to do to make it more comfortable? You had to wear those jeans, wash them, and wear them some more. You had to walk around in them. Bend, kneel, and stretch in them. You needed to live in them. If you did that hard work, then eventually you had a pair of jeans that truly fit. You were at home in them. They became a part of you. This is what we do in the Christ life. In Ephesians 4:1 Paul tells us to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” The word used here in the Greek text is the word for “walk, tread around.” https://biblehub.com/greek/peripate_sai_4043.htm The Message Translation does a great job of picking this idea up and expanding on it. It reads: While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. Practice love When we follow Christ, it can feel stiff. We try to listen, and someone talks on and on. We become impatient. We do something nice for someone and they don’t notice or thank us. We get upset. We pray to God, but the person or situation continue to be difficult. Take a breath. Love is hard work. It takes time and practice. Like living in those new jeans, we need to practice love. This is Paul’s point. You and I were saved by Christ to live a life of love, so get moving in love. Every day focus on ways you can love the people God brings your way. Keep at all through the day. Each place you find yourself ask, “Lord, how do you want me to act in love in this situation.” What will happen is slowly love will be your habit. You will do things without thinking because love has taught you how to respond. Your focus will shift from what you want to what will bless someone else. Work of love What this tell us is love is a skill we develop. In February we hear about people “falling in love." There must be a better way to describe what people feel when they are romantically infatuated with each other. The truth is you do not 4 fall in love. Love is a decision to keep working your relationships. Love is a series of intentional actions. The goal is we help each other more than hurt each other. There is no perfect person out there, except for Jesus Christ. We all are imperfect. We will date, marry, live, and work with imperfect people. The key is to find people who share our faith and values so we can work on maturing in love together. Welcome to the church of Jesus, the body of Christ. It is here we work on perfecting the art of love. Lessons in love Paul gives us some key concepts on how to sharpen our practice of love. Love needs to be vigilant, needs to speak up, and needs to keep growing. Vigilant Love is vigilant. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. Ephesians 4:2,3 The Message Love is attentive. If we want to love the people around us, need to be paying attention to their needs. We need to be on the look out for people who are slipping through the cracks. I appreciate how many of you call and check on others. Especially those who live alone, have health issues, or have difficulty connecting on the internet. I know those phone call and visit mean a lot! This vigilance is most important in the places where you live. We can take our family and neighbors for granted and not serve them in ways that they need. Ask God to give you fresh eyes and energy to love the people right next to you. Speaks Love speaks up. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV Love can speak up in several ways. Love can be a word or note of thanks. Love can be pointing out the gifts other people have. We did this in our First Look Bible study. We took time to affirm the gifts and abilities of each other and 5 how that was such a blessing. In our group we have peacemakers, teachers, helpers, encourages, kind listeners, and amazing cooks who share with others. Take time today to affirm the gifts of the people in your life. When we give loving feedback of this kind, people are empowered to serve more! Sometime love speaks up to heal a situation. You might notice that something is not right in one your relationships. Love speaks up with truth and kindness. If you have been hurt, it is tempting to lash back with harsh words. I like the phase, “be quick at mending fences”. Relationships like fences can fall into disrepair. Something happens and they get damaged. If we do not speak up, seek to understand what happen, apologize and forgive where needed, the relationship remains broken. Now is the time to mend fences. Your relationships are too important to leave broken down. Learns Love keeps learning. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV There are lots of ways to love. Each day we can learn and grow in love. This past week I received a text from a dear friend. She sent me a recording of her playing a classical guitar. She played the song, “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.” That simple gesture of love and friendship blessed me for the rest of the day. The word “maturity” comes us a few times in this passage. Being mature in Christ is not something we grade ourselves each day on how we are doing. Maturity in Christ is something we do together. As we learn to be attentive to each other, speaking in love to each, and learning from God and each other, we all grow in the fullness of God. As we each do our parts in this body deepens in the love of God and world is blessed. Thanks be to God! 6 Confession of Faith (The Apostles’ Creed, AD390) I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. Hymn #558 Gloria Patri https://youtu.be/QUBxpypSblw Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen. Benediction Let the majesty of the Father be the light by which we walk, the compassion of the Son be the love by which we live, the presence of the Spirit be the power by which we serve. Amen. 7 Hymn # 69 Crown Him with Many Crowns 1 Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne. Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own. Awake, my soul, and sing of him who died for thee, and hail him as thy matchless king through all eternity. 2 Crown him the Lord of life, who triumphed o'er the grave, and rose victorious in the strife for those he came to save; his glories now we sing who died and rose on high, who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die. 3 Crown him the Lord of love; behold his hands and side, rich wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified; no angels in the sky can fully bear that sight, but downward bends their burning eye at mysteries so bright. 4 Crown him the Lord of years, the potentate of time, creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime. All hail, Redeemer, hail! for thou hast died for me; thy praise shall never, never fail throughout eternity. Hymn #182 Spirit of God Descend Upon My Heart 1 Spirit of God, who dwells within my heart, wean it from sin, through all its pulses move. Stoop to my weakness, mighty as you are, and make me love you as I ought to love. 2 I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies, no sudden rending of the veil of clay, no angel visitant, no opening skies; but take the dimness of my soul away. 3 Did you not bid us love you, God and King, love you with all our heart and strength and mind? I see the cross there teach my heart to cling. O let me seek you and O let me find! 4 Teach me to feel that you are always nigh; teach me the struggles of the soul to bear, to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh; teach me the patience of unceasing prayer. 5 Teach me to love you as your angels love, one holy passion filling all my frame: the fullness of the heaven-descended Dove; my heart an altar, and your love the flame. 8