March 22, 2020 Worship Service

PIONEER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Worship via Blog                           Fifth Sunday in Lent                                         March 29, 2020             This is the day the Lord has made! (Let us rejoice and be glad in it.) WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Welcome to Pioneer’s blog worship service. Though we are accessing this remotely and unable to look each other in the eye, we are still the Pioneer faith community, gathered as children of God to worship, to be spiritually fed, and to be equipped to serve in Christ’s name—from home and safely. We rejoice in this day even in the midst of the crisis of this virus because we know we are not alone. God’s grace will see us through. Announcements: Continue to watch the blog for new postings including the Soup Supper Devotionals (consider planning a simple meal of soup and bread along with the reading of it), abbreviated worship with sermon, and other communications. This is a work in progress and is continues to change over time. Demolition work for replacement of the sidewalks on the north and east side of the church and replacement of the asphalt parking there with concrete is beginning. If you come to the church, please use the back parking lot and come in those doors. This will take several weeks and while the church services and activities are on hold is a good time to get it done. One Great Hour of Sharing is a special offering we receive each Easter. It generally encompasses three categories: disaster assistance, hunger relief, and helping people build new lives. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance works alongside communities as they recover and find hope after the devastation of natural or human-caused disasters. Presbyterian Hunger Program takes action to alleviate hunger and the systemic causes of poverty so all may be fed. Self-Development of People invests in communities responding to their experiences of racism, oppression, poverty and injustice, and educates Presbyterians about the impact of these society ills. Our generosity makes a difference in the lives of those Jesus called ‘the least of these’. Jesus said doing for them is like doing for Jesus himself. Our collection of food for the Food Bank is suspended for the time being. I talked with the Senior Center and they feel they have sufficient food for now as they have reduced hours for distribution. If they run short, Angie will let me know and I will put the word out to you for financial donations for them to replenish stock. Now allow yourself a brief time of silence as you open your hearts and feel God’s presence with you, right where you are. BAPTISM: Friends, remember your baptism … and be thankful. CALL TO WORSHIP                                                              Psalm 100:1, 2, 5 Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come into God’s presence with singing. For the Lord is a gracious God, Whose mercy is everlasting; And whose faithfulness endures to all generations. PRAYER OF THE DAY Holy God, we yearn to gather in your sanctuary, to be your people of faith who find strength and encouragement within our church family. We long to lift our voices together to sing your praises and to bear witness to your faithfulness. Instead, from our homes we seek connection in unfamiliar ways. Yet we trust in your promises, that wherever we are, you are present with us. You are not confined to the walls of a church. Let your blessings rest upon us, Tender God, just where we are and as we are. Open our hearts and minds to your word and guidance. Amen. CALL TO CONFESSION Even when we have been too busy to notice, God has been constantly loving us and encouraging us to grow in the light of God’s love.  We can trust God with our deepest confession. PRAYER OF CONFESSION Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings, and our offenses against you. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we are ashamed and sorry for all we have done to displease you. Forgive our sins, and help us to live in your light, and walk in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior.* (personal confessions … ) Amen.* ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.           The old life has gone; the new life has begun. Friends, believe the Good News!           In Jesus Christ we are forgiven and restored to new life! PASSING THE PEACE           May the peace of Christ be with you.                    And also with you.           Let us extend the peace of Christ in heart and prayer to           God’s children everywhere. TIME WITH CHILDREN Hey, Zoey and Fiona, we still have to talk with you through the computer. We’re still trying to keep people from getting sick so we’re doing church from home. God is in our homes, too. I bet you’re hearing a lot about this sickness. That can be scary when all this is happening and we have to stay at home. Even adults get scared about it. People in the Bible got scared about things, too. You know what they did? They talked to God about it. They told God that they were scared and what they were scared about. They knew that God listened to them and helped them to not be so scared. When we’re scared or worried, we can talk to God, too. Let’s do that now. Jesus, thank you for loving us. We know you don’t want us to be sick or scared. Help us to remember that you are always there and when we talk to you, you hear us. Please keep us well and Mommy and Daddy and others we love. Help those who are sick to not be scared. Thank you for watching over us. Amen.           HYMN:      “Jesus Loves Me” Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so. Recollect how, following each children’s time, they return to their pews or class as the congregation links hands in an arch over the aisle and over their heads. They go down the aisle knowing that they are part of our worship, that they count, that they are important. As we sing, we remember that this song is for us as well. Jesus loves us. The Bible tells us this truth over and over again. We tell each other. Our hearts tell us as well. GLORY BE TO THE FATHER All glory and honor be to our triune God. Always. No matter what. God is faithful. SCRIPTURE 1:    Ezekiel 37:1-14 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones.  And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and lo, they were very dry.  And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, thou knowest." Again he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.  Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And as I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host. Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, `Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done it, says the Lord." SCRIPTURE 2:    Psalm 130 Out of the depths I cry to thee, O Lord!  Lord, hear my voice! Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!  If thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?  But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.  I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.  O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plenteous redemption.  And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. SERMON:  “Out of the Depths”                                              Rev. Jean Hurst           “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” This is the opening line of Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities. It could be retitled “A Tale of Today.” The worst of times is evident in the pandemic of the coronavirus and the terrible toll it has taken on human life, the health care system, and businesses struggling to survive which then  carries down to employees and their families.           From that pandemic, some of the worst of human nature has also been exposed—the inclination to put profit and economics over human life, those who would exploit and profit from people’s fears and vulnerability, those who see this as an opportunity for theft and violence, and those who are indifferent to the impact on or needs of their fellow human beings.           And despite all of that, in the midst of this atrocious virus, we can also see the best of times. One of the blessings is that overall, we have a scenario that focuses on people. Our lives are pulled back to relationship, who we are to each other, the concern for another human being.           Families are (unwillingly perhaps) drawn back into closer units. Within the family we are seeing each other and interacting with each other much more; being creative in how we spend that time together. People are reaching out to check on the well-being of their neighbors and church families. We are realizing the importance of friendship and family relationships when we are forced to be away from them. We are valuing our emergency responders and health care providers in ways we've not done before.           Today’s psalm echoes the words, ‘the best of times and the worst of times’. What do we do when those times come? For the psalmist, it was to turn to God. Out of the depths. We don’t know what those depths were for the author of this psalm.           We do know that for each of us, those depths can be wide-ranging. The coronavirus becomes an obvious one that creates a depth of fear for ourselves, our families and friends, our businesses, our world. There is the fear of the unknown, as we wonder how big this thing will get, what the overall impact will be, how it will change our lives, how we will survive it.           There is loss in those depths. Lost opportunities, missed family reunions or trips, missed milestones like graduations and birthdays. There are lost events such as having to hold Bob’s funeral service at graveside with just a few in attendance, lost celebrations like the 100th birthday celebration for Jack’s mom Phyllis, lost witness to birth as with Brenda’s newest grandchild. There is the loss of the faith community being able to gather and support and encourage each other and lost social/community gathering for food and games and laughter. I feel that loss of gathering in the sanctuary and as a people of faith raising our voices together in song and prayer.           The corona virus along with its impact on our lives is huge. But it also creates a smokescreen for the rest of our lives. We are more than a virus. All of our everyday struggles get kind of lost in the focus on the virus. Think about your own life. What creates ‘the depths’ for you? Where do you need God’s help in your own struggles?           Those struggles might be in relationships, in finances, in a sense of direction, in decisions that need to be made, in health, in the future and where it leads. The struggle might be with our own demons—what’s inside of us that lead us to bouts of darkness and depression, to dependence on substances, to times of doubt in our faith and in our relationships and about ourselves. We may struggle with forgiving ourselves or others. With more ‘thinking time’ right now, we may have much on our minds and hearts—negative things we keep replaying like tapes in our minds. These are all very real depths.           The psalmist speaks as though his depths are attributed to something sinful that he’s done. It was the common belief in that time that if bad things happened in your life it was because you had sinned and God was punishing you. While that’s bad theology, it did also leads them to turn to God in their pain, to be attentive to how they’ve lived their lives, regret the wrong they’ve done and seek forgiveness--and that’s good theology.           Like I explained to Fiona and Zoey, when people in the Bible were scared—or hurting or worried or in trouble—they would talk to God about it. And God would listen to them and give them the courage and strength they needed to get through the crisis. You know how it helps to talk to someone when you’re troubled. That’s what prayer is, talking with God.           God hears our cries for mercy, for forgiveness, for comfort and strength and help. However, God doesn’t always respond according to our timetable or in exactly the way we ask. The psalmist says he waits and he hopes. That is our challenge as well.           Waiting is one of the hardest things we have to do. And we’re not always so good at it. We can make good use of that waiting time. We can spend more time in scripture and prayer. We can try to discern God’s will for our lives. We can change our focus and reach out to other people in their need and in their waiting. Because the way God works in the world is most often through other people. You can become one of Fred Roger’s helpers.           Fred Rogers once told of his childhood experience when he would worry about the scary news he was hearing. His mother comforted him by telling him to look for the helpers, that whenever something bad happens there are also good things happening. That’s often through the people who become the helpers in a cris or need. During the waiting, you can watch for those helpers and be encouraged and uplifted by the good that is in people. Or you can be one of those helpers and be an inspiration to others to also be helpers.           Through those actions, big and small, we find hope. As the psalmist says, “With the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” We wait and we hope and God waits with us and grants us the courage to see this crisis through. Out of the depths, God will answer us. Wait and hope. Thanks be to God. HYMN:      “I Will Come to You”                                 Glory to God Hymnal I will come to you in the silence; I will lift you from all your fear. You will hear my voice; I claim you as my choice. Be still and know I am here. Do not be afraid, I am with you. I have called you each by name. Come and follow me, I will bring you home; I love you and you are mine. I am hope for all who are hopeless; I am eyes for all who long to see. In the shadows of the night, I will be your light. Come and rest in me. Do not be afraid, I am with you. I have called you each by name. Come and follow me, I will bring you home; I love you and you are mine. I am strength for all the despairing; healing for the ones who dwell in shame. All the blind will see; the lame will all run free, and all will know my name. Do not be afraid, I am with you. I have called you each by name. Come and follow me, I will bring you home; I love you and you are mine. I am the Word that leads all to freedom; I am the peace the world cannot give. I will call your name, embracing all your pain. Stand up, now walk and live! Do not be afraid, I am with you. I have called you each by name. Come and follow me, I will bring you home; I love you and you are mine. What a marvelous hymn of assurance during this time of not knowing what might come next. Through the voice of Jesus, the hymn says that he will come to us. We come to church, feeling like we are coming to the Lord. Now, as we stay at home and worship, we hear Jesus saying that he comes to us, right where we are--in the silence, in our fears, in our despair, in the shadows, in our sense of hopelessness, in our waiting. He says not to be afraid, that he has called each of us by name. He is light and hope and peace and healing and strength. Awesome, awesome God! PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER           Almighty God, in whom we live and move and have our being, we give you praise for all you are, for all you have done, for the grace and love you give to us, for our salvation through Jesus the Christ. Open our eyes to your presence, open our ears to your call, open our hearts to your purpose. Be our hope and light each day. Show us how to share that hope with others, that they, too, might know the Good News.           Tender God, we lift up to you our community, those who are frail, those for whom the burdens and struggles of life are becoming more than they can shoulder, those who are recovering from surgeries or who struggle with medical problems. Lord, keep them safe during this pandemic. We lift up to you the family of Bob Wark as they grieve his passing, for Sandy Cargill and Linda Kaesemeyer as they recover from surgery, for Sandi Posz as she continues her cancer treatment. We pray for Paul M. … Trisha … Dave … Jacob … Linda … Joyce … Jennifer … Chuck … Courtney … Bob … Ethel … Helen.           We pray for those who are impacted by the coronavirus—those who grieve, the ill, businesses that are taking a financial blow, employees who are losing pay, those who live in fear of what might be coming next, for those who are most vulnerable, for the homeless community. We pray for medical providers and social service providers as they try to respond with very limited resources in untenable circumstances. Stem the spread of this virus, we pray. Help our leaders to make wise decisions for the good of the people. We pray that the stimulus package will be effective as our economy struggles to survive this pandemic.           Tender God, we pray for ourselves. Lord, you know our struggles go far beyond concerns about this virus. You know where we hurt. You know the relationships that are on shaky ground. You know our anxiousness about our futures. You know the family members we worry about. And we know that Jesus said not to worry. Help us to turn those worries over to you, to trust you through all the trials of our lives.           We pray in the name of Jesus 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. OFFERING We bring before God the gifts of our hearts and labors. (The financial gifts you can mail to the church.) As we approach Easter, we also consider our gifts for One Great Hour of Sharing. This is an offering of compassion providing relief from natural disasters, food for the hungry, and support for the poor and oppressed. Your generosity provides help and hope to change the lives of God’s children. The gifts of our hearts, of our time, our energy, our talents is something we commit to God, then live out each day in our interactions with one another. Take a moment to make those heart offerings to the Lord. Prayer:  Generous and compassionate God, we bring these gifts before you, the gifts of our money for your kingdom work and the gifts of our hearts and lives … also for your kingdom work. Grant that we might be as generous as you. Bless these gifts we pray. Amen. CLOSING HYMN:        “What Wondrous Love Is This” What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul, What wondrous love is this, O my soul. What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss To bear the heavy cross for my soul, for my soul, To bear the heavy cross for my soul! To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing, To God and to the Lamb, I will sing; To God and to the Lamb who is the great I Am, While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing; While millions join the theme, I will sing! And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on; And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be, And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, And through eternity I’ll sing on! Though it feels the train has been derailed by this dreadful pandemic, we are still in Lent and Easter is approaching. We know the story, we hear it every year, yet we need to be reminded of the incredible love extended to us in the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. This hymn reminds us that Jesus set aside his divinity in order to come to us to find us in our lostness, to teach us and show us what love is and to reconcile us to God and to each other. Indeed, what wondrous love this is! For now and for all eternity. CHARGE AND BENEDICTION Your charge for the week: Every time the worry or anxiousness comes into your mind, turn it over to God who will carry it for you and give you a break. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. CHORAL RESPONSE May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and keep you forever. Grant you peace, perfect peace, courage in every endeavor. Lift up your eyes and see his face and his grace forever. May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and keep you forever. *Reprinted by permission from Book of Common Worship, 1993, Westminster/John Knox Press. ~~~~~~~~~~ LOOKING AHEAD Worship and church activities are suspended until this pandemic is contained and it is safe for us to once more gather in Christ’s name. Use the church blog to access worship and spiritual support articles and to keep up with what’s going on. Pastor Jean is now in the office Monday through Friday. You may stop in for short visits (six feet apart) or call for a phone chat. Once we are well established on our blog, we’ll be testing out Zoom—in addition to not instead of the blog. PRAYER CARE: PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE IN YOUR PRAYERS: The Wark family as they grieve Bob’s passing, Sandy Cargill (aortic valve replacement), Sandi Posz (lymphoma), Sandi’s friend Paul M, Trisha Cagley (health problems), Dave Clark (kidney cancer), Jacob Cunningham, Linda Kaesemeyer (knee surgery), Joyce Sahlberg (health issues), Jennifer Schirm (Parkinson’s), Chuck VanHise (leg/walking rehab), and Courtney Ziegler (Huntington’s). LECTIONARY FOR 4/5/20             Palms:         Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29           Passion:       Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11,                              Matthew 26:14 -- 27:66  or Matthew 27:11-54 PIONEER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Worship via Blog                           Fourth Sunday in Lent                                       March 22, 2020

This is the day the Lord has made! (Let us rejoice and be glad in it.)

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to Pioneer’s blog worship service. Though we are accessing this remotely and unable to look each other in the eye, we are still the Pioneer faith community, gathered as children of God to worship, to be spiritually fed, and to be equipped to go out to serve in Christ’s name—though we do it differently during this crisis.

Announcements: Continue to watch the blog for Soup Supper Devotionals (consider planning a simple meal of soup and bread along with the reading of it), abbreviated worship with sermon, and other communications. This is a work in progress and is likely to change over time.

Now allow yourself a brief time of silence as you open your hearts and feel God’s presence with you, right where you are.

BAPTISM:      Friends, remember your baptism … and be thankful.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Our faith and our worship are not confined within the walls of a church. Sacred ground is not found solely in a sanctuary. Wherever we are, God is present with us.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Holy God, in face of an international pandemic, in the absence of our physical gathering as a faith community, we come to you. We praise you for all that you are doing in the midst of this crisis. Open our eyes to see your blessings. Help us to live faithfully even as we are isolated from one another. Grant that this time of ‘electronic’ worship would strengthen our hearts, feed our souls, and empower us to serve in your name. Amen.

CALL TO CONFESSION

The amazing proof of God’s love is that no matter what we have done, God is ready to hear our admissions and to forgive our failings. God calls us into wholeness.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

In your mercy, forgive what we have been, help us amend what we are, and direct what we shall be, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.*

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.

The old life has gone; the new life has begun.

Friends, believe the Good News!

In Jesus Christ we are forgiven and restored to new life!

PASSING THE PEACE

May the peace of Christ be with you.

And also with you.

Let us extend the peace of Christ in heart and prayer to God’s children everywhere.

TIME WITH CHILDREN

Zoey and Fiona, we’re sad we can’t get together at church and talk with you. Some  people have been getting sick from a virus that spreads from one person to another. Some people get sick easier than others. So we are trying to keep our church family healthy. Even though we have to do church from home, we can still pray and you can have Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa read the Bible or Bible stories to you. We can pray for people who are sick and for medical people who are taking care of the sick. Let’s pray now:

Jesus, thank you that no matter where we are, you are still with us and love us. Please help the people who are sick and help those who are taking care of sick people. Help people find a cure for this so it will go away soon and we can come back to church. Thank you for Mama and Daddy who love us and do their best to keep us safe. Amen.

HYMN:           “Jesus Loves Me”

Recollect how, following each children’s time, they return to their pews or class as the congregation links hands in an arch over the aisle and over their heads. They go down the aisle knowing that they are part of our worship, that they count, that they are important. As we sing, we remember that this song is for us as well. Jesus loves us. The Bible tells us this truth over and over again. We tell each other. Our hearts tell us as well.

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

All glory and honor be to our triune God. Always. No matter what. God is faithful.

SCRIPTURE 1:          Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

SCRIPTURE 2:          Ephesians 5:8-14

For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.

SERMON:      “Children of Light”                                                                          Rev. Jean Hurst

What is it to be in the dark?  As an expression, it’s to be uninformed; you do not know what is going on; you lack information. To be literally in the dark is a lot the same. You become disoriented in the dark. Without a light to show what’s around you, you don’t know which way to go, where danger might lie, whether you’ll walk into something. Darkness tends to paralyze us because we don’t know whether it’s safe to move in any direction. There’s also that element that pulls you into childhood fears. You don’t know what else might be there. Fear stands with you in the darkness. We are afraid of the unknown.

Imagine that you are in a dark space. The darkness is so thick you can feel it. You reach your arms out in every direction and feel … nothing. No light seeps in from any angle. It’s as dark with your eyes open as it is with your eyes shut. And it is silent. It is a place of nothingness. The only sound you hear is your own heart beating and a white noise buzz in your ears. And wouldn’t you be straining your ears to hear any little sound at all?

What would happen, then, if someone shouted loudly in that darkness where you thought you were alone? You might jump out of your skin. Or wet your pants. This is a time when you really would prefer God to speak to you in a small still voice. In the dark you don’t need the earthquake or the hurricane. Just a whisper will do. You don’t need to be overwhelmed or scared more than you already are. You need comfort and to know that you’re not alone.

Let’s try another sense. In the darkness you see nothing. Your eyes, too, strain to sense something around you. You see nothing, no matter how hard you try or how many times you blink to clear your vision or how much you squint. Whether you realize it or not, your pupils have dilated to allow in whatever light might be available, but still to no avail. There is no light.

If a floodlight were suddenly turned on you, would that be helpful? No. You wouldn’t be able to see. It’s too much light. Your eyes need time to adjust. Without that adjustment time, you’re just as blind as you were in total darkness. On top of that, it might feel more threatening, more like an attack because you know something or someone has created that light and there might be just enough vision to detect indistinguishable shapes. You don’t know if there’s something there that might hurt you. Wouldn’t the comfort of a nightlight or the small glow of a candle be better for bringing you back into the reality of your surroundings?

Now consider today’s scripture reading from the letter to the Ephesians. Look what it says. Not, “for once you were in darkness” but “for once you were darkness.” When I noticed that, I was skeptical about the translation that I was using and looked at the others. They all said the same thing. But scripture talks repeatedly about people being in darkness. So I looked at the original Greek and sure enough, it says “you were darkness.”

I don’t know about you, but for me that’s a very sobering thought. As I walked us through the description of being in darkness, it was bad enough. It’s a frightening, lonely place to be. And coming out of that darkness invites a gentle approach so that we’re not further traumatized. Escaping the dark place and coming into God’s light is a gift of God’s grace. God, who has been with us in that darkness, though we might not feel God’s presence, opens us to his light in ways that we can experience love. God does not brutalize us. God doesn’t drive us into the light in fear. God knows what it takes to allow us to receive and embrace God’s love and grace and takes us by the hand and gently leads us out of the darkness.

But what does it mean to be the darkness? Think about being the very thing that holds people in fear, that keeps them from knowing what’s going on or that feeds false information, that confuses and disorients, that shuts down the senses?

What a terrible thing to think that we might be darkness, not just a victim, but the very thing that causes fear and confusion and isolation in others. As followers of Jesus, that is not who we are. As believers, we have come into the light. And then we join with the light. We become light. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says we are not just in the light, we are light. You are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14) And in the Ephesians passage we are reminded of who we are. But now you are light in the Lord. Not that you are light all of your own doing, but that you are light in the Lord--through Jesus, not by virtue of your own goodness.

If we look to the start of the chapter, we read “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us. (5:1-2) Hear the affirmation that we are beloved. Not just loved. Beloved holds a connotation of a special, tender love, the feeling that we are precious. As this precious child, we are to imitate God our father. You know how little children copy their parents. As a parent, you have to be careful what you say and what you do because your little one is going to mimic it—often at embarrassing times! As this precious child of God, we do the same. We look to God and learn from God and then live that out.

The author goes on to instruct us. Walk as children of light. Hmmmm. That takes any pompousness out of it right there. Children of light. Not masters of light. Not owners of light. Not gods. Children. We are children in the family of God, created in God’s own image, children of our heavenly Father. We don’t know it all. We don’t have all the answers. We are learners.

Walk as children of light. Live and interact as children of light. In doing that, draw from all that is good and right and true. That started in the beginning. In Genesis 1 we are told that God created all that is and that darkness was on the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters. And then God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light and it was good.

And the writer tells us that the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. There is much in the world that is not good and is not right and is not true. Those things feed the darkness. Violence, warmongering, hatred, oppression, exploitation, hostility, greed—none of these are good or right or true. Those are the voices of darkness.

We are children of light. Through empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we can do something to banish the darkness. Certainly, there are the political avenues—who we elect, how we vote on issues. And that is important.  But we can also do things on a more immediate scale, right here in Harney County.

How we talk is a major reflection of what we believe. Whether it is about the coronavirus or the political scene or the economy or the general state of the world, what we say determines whether we are darkness or light. If our talk is negative, if we are casting blame, if we are undermining the efforts of others, if we are feeding rumors, if we are judging and condemning, if we are predicting gloom and doom then we are darkness. We are part of what is causing fear in others, adding to the confusion, leaving them not knowing which way to turn.

If, instead, we offer words of encouragement and comfort, if we help them see the good in the world and the people who are making a positive difference, if we point them toward the assurance of God’s presence and action in the world, if we give them hope, then we are light.

Darkness is about stopping people, making them feel isolated and alone, keeping them in fear, keeping them from what is good and right and true. Darkness keeps people doubting, makes them suspicious, makes them believe there’s more bad out there intending them harm, leads them to believe that things will only get worse, promotes a mentality of scarcity, focuses on self,  discourages risk taking, creates feelings of judgement rather than compassion.

Light reveals truth. Light shows the way, guides people, creates the safety of seeing what is around. Light dispels fear as it banishes darkness. Light allows people to believe that things will get better, that goodness will prevail, that love will win. Light leads people to acts of kindness and compassion and generosity, allows them to see the good in other people, draws people into an inclusive community. This is the impact that we, as children of light, can have in the healing of the world—starting right here at home.

Today’s passage concludes with the words, “try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” That takes me to one of my favorite passages, Micah 6:8: What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with your Lord. Do that and you are light.

HYMN:           “Come! Live in the Light!”

This hymn is so appropriate to our text as it summons us to live in the light of God’s love and grace. As kingdom workers, we are called to act with justice, to love tenderly, to be in service to one another, to walk humbly with God—echoes of Micah 6:8: What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with your God. The hymn reminds us to open our hearts, to show mercy to those who live in fear, to maintain hope no matter what is happening in the world, for hope will overpower hatred and violence. It offers the assurance that love wins, God will triumph, we will get it and see and claim our relationship as brothers & sisters in God’s kingdom.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

Still your hearts and minds as you feel God’s presence surrounding you and God’s love holding you. (silence …) Gracious Father, what a precious gift it is to know that you call us your beloved children. In your bountiful love you have provided blessing after blessing, grace upon grace. Thank you. Thank you for being with us in this global crisis.. Calm our fears. Help us to trust in you at the same time we do all we can to protect ourselves and others. Even as we are physically isolated from one another, help us to stay connected, to reach out to those who may be alone and feeling cut off and inspire us to help them as we are able. Show us how to be light in the darkness of this pandemic as well as the darkness of a violent and broken world.

As we try to stay connected with each other, we pray for those who are particularly vulnerable right now: Sandy … Sandi …Trisha … Dave … Jacob … Linda … Joyce … Jennifer … Chuck … Courtney … Ethel … Helen. We ask your comfort for the family of Bob Wark as they grieve Bob's passing. We pray for Jordan and others who may be in another country and unable to get home. We pray for those who are impacted by the coronavirus—those who grieve, the ill, businesses that are taking a financial blow, those who live in fear of what might be coming next, for those who are most vulnerable, for the homeless community. We pray for medical providers and social service providers as they try to respond with very limited resources in untenable circumstances. We pray for our leaders that they would make wise decisions for the good of the people.

Tender God, we pray for ourselves. Lord, you know the fears and uncertainties of our lives. You see the shadows of our hearts where resentments are harbored, where wounds refuse to heal, where angers simmer, where dreams lie shattered. Touch and heal us, we pray. Give us hope for the future and teach us to be better people.

We pray in the name of Jesus 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.

OFFERING

We bring before God the gifts of our hearts and labors. (The financial gifts you can mail to the church.) The gifts of our hearts, of our time, our energy, our talents is something we commit to God, then live out each day in our interactions with one another. Take a moment to make those heart offerings to the Lord.

CLOSING HYMN:    “Arise! Your Light Is Come!”

I love this hymn. I love the power of it as it is sung by the congregation. “Arise! Your light has come!” It says don’t just sit there, get up! Get in motion. It’s time. Your light, the light of Christ is here to show the way. The Spirit is calling you to believe, to act now. The Spirit is offering to guide the way. Your actions reflect God’s glory, the divine glory that is reflected back on you. That call is to emulate Jesus’ own call to bring good news to the poor, release for the captive, recovery of sight for those who don’t see, freedom for the oppressed. Though we, ourselves, may have been born or have lived with sorrow and suffering, we are called to bind up broken hearts and comfort those who mourn. When you do you will rise up as if on eagles’ wings as God’s power strengthens you.

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

Your charge for the week: Walk as children of light. Remember that you are light and the world needs you to shine in all the dark places, to be a beacon of hope in a dark and fearful  world.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

CHORAL RESPONSE

May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and keep you forever. Grant you peace, perfect peace, courage in every endeavor. Lift up your eyes and see his face and his grace forever. May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and keep you forever.

*Reprinted by permission from Book of Common Worship, 1993, Westminster/John Knox Press.

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LOOKING AHEAD

Worship and church activities are suspended until Easter. If the coronavirus is not contained by then, we will be extending that timeline. Use the church blog to access worship and spiritual support articles and to keep up with what’s going on.

PRAYER CARE: PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE IN YOUR PRAYERS:

Sandy Cargill (aortic valve replacement), Sandi Posz (lymphoma), Trisha Cagley (health problems), Dave Clark (kidney cancer), Jacob Cunningham, Linda Kaesemeyer (knee surgery), Joyce Sahlberg (health issues), Jennifer Schirm (Parkinson’s), Chuck VanHise (leg/walking rehab), and Courtney Ziegler (Huntington’s).

LECTIONARY FOR 3/29/20

Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45