PIONEER
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Worship
via Blog 12th Sunday after
Pentecost August 23, 2020
~~~~~~~~~~
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 pandemic.
Pioneer offers worship in several modes:
a)
The
blog.
b)
The
blog service mailed through US Postal service.
c)
Sermons
only, mailed to those who so request.
d)
Zoom
services at 10:00 Sunday mornings.
e)
Zoom
services are being downloaded now to Facebook on the Tuesday following the
service. https://www.facebook.com/100050946663006/videos/163070122067876/?t=5
f)
We
can now allow up to 40 people in worship. A six-foot distancing will be
maintained. Masks are mandated. There can be congregational singing with masks,
but no passing the peace, hugs, handshakes, or coffee hour.
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 help is from God, who made heaven
and earth.
Come to worship the One who answers our
prayers.
If
God were not on our side, we could not live.
If
God were not for us, we would be swept away.
God has gifted each one of us in unique
ways.
In our variety, we complement one
another.
We
rejoice in God’s love and faithfulness.
Blessed
be our God, whose word is true.
In thankfulness, we bring our joyous
songs
We are here to pay attention to God’s
instructions.
We
are here, seeking to discern God’s will.
We
are open to God’s transforming Spirit.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God beyond our knowing, you have
protected your people when they were surrounded by trouble. You have provided a
way of escape in the midst of oppression. Your love never fails. Come, Holy
One, to transform us. Work within and among us to renew our minds and build
community. Nurse us into the health you intend for all your children. You are
our help and our hope. Amen.
OPENING
SONG: “Awesome God”
CALL TO CONFESSION
Like the Hebrews of old, we find
ourselves in the Wilderness of Sin—dry and empty, discouraged and angry,
doubting and demanding. We wander in and out of the desert, sometimes staying
so long that we are hollow corpses. Wherever we, personally, are today, we know
that some of us need desperately to find a way out of the wilderness.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Abiding and Eternal God, we confess our
desperation. We need water, but our own wells are dry. We are fearful of coming
to the living waters, lest they be a mirage. We are afraid to drink deeply from
your hand, lest more be asked of us than we are ready to give. We are content
so often to go through the motions of religion rather than confess a faith that
may be challenged. God, help us.
(Let
us continue our prayers in silence …….) Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
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 one another.
GLORY
BE TO THE FATHER
TIME
WITH CHILDREN
Good morning Zoey. Good morning Fiona.
Today we’re talking about ways that we do the things God wants us to do. When
God wants us to do something we say God is calling us. Does it sound funny to
think that God calls us? Your Mama and Daddy call you, don’t they? Maybe they
want you to get out of bed or come to dinner or come in from outside and wash
your hands or to pick up your toys. Maybe they call you because it’s time to go
to church or to visit someone on Zoom.
Sometimes God wants you to do things,
too. God doesn’t call us out loud, God speaks to our hearts. Even to children.
Sometimes we think children are too little to do things for God. But that’s not
true. There are stories in the Bible about children helping God.
One of them was a little boy who lived
with a priest in God’s house and during the night God called Samuel and wanted
Samuel to become a priest when he grew up and tell people about God. In another
story, there was a little girl who told about the prophet Elisha in Israel who
could heal the commander of the Syrian army of his leprosy. The commander,
Naaman went to Elisha and was healed. And then there is a story about Jesus
feeding thousands of people with the two little fish and five loaves that a
little boy offered to Jesus.
There are lots of ways today that God
calls us to do things—like to help someone or to be kind or to collect food for
the food bank or to pray for someone or to be friends with someone who needs a
friend. I think that God calls each of you, Fiona and Zoey. There are things
that God wants you to do, too. Let’s
pray.
Dear God, sometimes when we’re little
people think we can’t do much. But you have things everyone can do—like being
kind and loving others. Show us what you’d like us to do and help us to do it.
Thank you. 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.
SCRIPTURE 1: Matthew 16:13-20
When Jesus came
into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do
men say that the Son of man is?" And they said, "Some say John the
Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered
him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona! For flesh and blood has not revealed
this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and
on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail
against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall
be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no
one that he was the Christ.
SCRIPTURE 2: Romans 12:1-8
I appeal to you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not
be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that
you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself
more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each
according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him. For as in one
body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function,
so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of
another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us
use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving;
he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who
contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of
mercy, with cheerfulness.
SERMON: “In
Proportion to Our Faith” Rev.
Jean Hurst
“Present your bodies as a living
sacrifice” does not mean that we will burn you alive on the altar of the church
as a sacrifice. Sacrifice and martyrdom are not the same things. Breathe easy.
Our faith isn’t that hard. Well, … unless it is. Sacrifice can be hard. To sacrifice is to give up something that is of value
to you.
To give up something that doesn’t mean
anything to you is no sacrifice at all. If I offer you all the deer in my
yard--a three point, a forked horn, 2 spikes, a doe and two spotted fawns—I am
not making a sacrifice. Giving them up means nothing to me and, in fact, it
would benefit my yard. It costs me nothing. In the call to offering last week,
I quoted King David of Old Testament renown when he said he would not worship
God with that which cost him nothing.
The Apostle Paul, in entreating
followers of the faith to present their bodies as living sacrifices meant for
them to make their very lives an offering to God. Easy to say if you don’t
think about what that might mean. Often I’ve heard people talk about having
given their life to Jesus. What I wait for is to see the evidence of that. Too
often, it means giving a verbal and heart felt salute to the belief in Jesus as
Lord and Savior, accepting forgiveness of sins with a feeling of a great burden
being lifted from their shoulders, and then stopping there as if that is all it
means to be a follower of the Way.
Following Jesus has never meant simply
embracing the Lordship of Christ. To be a follower is to emulate Jesus, to try
to be like him, to do the things that he taught, however much it might go
against our lifestyle, our long-held desires, our ego or cultural ideologies.
If we find that what popular culture calls us to and what Jesus calls us to are
in conflict, then we have to make a decision. Who or what do we follow?
Paul says that, as Christians, there
is no debate. Do not be conformed to the world. Do not shape your lives and
your attitudes and your words and your actions around worldly ways. As
Christians we are called to a different standard. We are to be transformed, to
be changed from the ways the world has previously shaped us to a new ideal,
shaped by a renewal of the mind—a new way of thinking and being. Then our lives
will be a reflection of God’s will, following that which is good and acceptable—not
according to the world’s standards but according to God’s standards.
I guess that’s where the sacrifice
part comes in. If you’ve made that decision to truly be a follower of Jesus,
then give yourself credit. It ain’t easy when you consider what you sacrifice. To
turn away from the ways of the world and to embrace the ways of Jesus means
facing the potential derision of those for whom the worldly ways are more
important. We can be labeled in negative ways. But Christ’s call is to focus
less on self and more on others, to think and speak and act in the best interests
of the other person. We are called to forego ego, let go of having to be right,
of winning at all costs, to give up the idea of vengeance, of self-righteousness,
hatred, fear, materialism, exclusion, superiority, pride, and the like in favor
of compassion, forgiveness, grace, generosity, inclusion, humility, justice, love,
tolerance, and healing. Our very lives become a sacrifice to the God of grace
and love.
And Paul says that each of us is
empowered to do that by the gifts and grace of God. Our faith is not something
that comes from our own will, but is a gift of God. And with that gift of
faith, each one of us is gifted with abilities to perform certain functions
within God’s kingdom, through the work of the body of Christ in the world—the church.
Each of us is uniquely shaped by God through
our experiences, our learnings, and our faith. While it is easy to look on the
painful parts of life as a trauma we’d rather not have experienced, those very
things are part of who we are. God has that amazing ability to take those
hurtful things that have happened to us--and even the hurtful things we have
done to others--to form us into who we are today. By virtue of those things, we
know more, we feel more, we understand more, we have the capacity for more
empathy and compassion than we otherwise would.
When we’ve come through failed
relationships, we know much more about the condition of the human heart, of
what it feels like to love and to have love change or diminish, to be betrayed
or let down, to feel like we’ve failed, to be lonely. When we have gone through
times when our world has been dark and hopeless and yet we’ve come out into the
light again, then we have more ability to reassure others who walk in darkness
that it can get better, that there is hope for them for a better tomorrow. When
we’ve gone through times of financial crisis and not known how we would make
ends meet, we can empathize with those who fear tomorrow and how they will
support themselves. When we or loved ones have been through a medical crisis,
we can share with someone who faces similar circumstances how God walks with us
and gives us the strength to face it.
All of those experiences, those parts
of who we are have use in God’s kingdom. Here Paul gets down to the nitty
gritty of the kingdom work—serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, helping,
compassion. These are not things that require a professional degree or
training. They don’t even necessitate giving up your current life. These are
things that come out of us—things that come from our hearts. We know and can do
these things because we’ve felt them; we’ve lived them. In listing them, Paul
tells us the frame of mind to have in the process: with enthusiasm and
cheerfulness and abundance and authenticity.
It is in the doing, not simply the
feeling, that our lives become a pleasing sacrifice to God. And unlike
martyrdom, it’s not a once and done sort of thing. It becomes our life to the
degree we choose to make it. These things flow from our lives rather than
substituting for our lives. It may even mean that we do one thing for awhile
and then God pulls us in another direction where our particular abilities and
gifts are needed.
We have an example of that as we
ordain JoAnne VanHise to the office of elder on Session to complete the term of
Vicki Keeney, who has moved to California. JoAnne has been serving as a Deacon
where her gifts of cheerfulness, a compassionate heart, and a solid faith were
well used. Now God is stretching her in a new direction where she will continue
to use those particular gifts as well as growing in new areas of service.
[JoAnne VanHise will be ordained in
the live worship service on August 23 in the sanctuary at Pioneer. This portion
of the service includes an explanation of ordination, a renewal of baptismal
vows by the congregation followed a collective affirmation of faith in the unison
reading of the historic Apostle’s Creed. Then JoAnne gives affirmative response
to the vows of ordination including promising to serve with energy,
intelligence, imagination and love. The congregation present and on Zoom,
responding on behalf of the entire congregation, agree to accept her in this
role, and to pray for her, to encourage her, to respect her decisions, and to
follow as she guides us. Then some of the currently serving elders come forward
and lay hands on JoAnne (masked and gloved) while the pastor prays for her and
for the church. We welcome JoAnne to this new role of service in Christ’s
name.]
HYMN: “Here
I Am Lord”
PRAYERS OF THE
PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
Amazing God, we thank you for this
privilege of gathering in your name. We acknowledge your power and might, that
all that is good in our world is by your hand. It is in coming to you that we
are renewed and fed. It is in joining with this community of faithful yet
imperfect believers that we understand the truth of your teachings and the
power of your grace.
O God of grace and strength—be our
strength as we struggle with life’s issues. At times we feel so overwhelmed by
life that we cannot believe that we have it in us to respond to your call.
Believe in us when we can’t believe in ourselves. Help us to trust your grace,
to know that it is enough, to believe that you will take all that we see as
obstacles and imperfections in our lives and turn it into what is useful for
our growth in faith and your kingdom work.
Lord, we ask for that grace and
strength in special measure for those we carry in our hearts and prayers. We
lift up to you Joyce and George Sahlberg in the death of her son Lance, Lois
White with cancer, Leon Pielstick recovering from a fall … for Laura VanCleave … Cherry … Virginia … Judy’s
daughter Rosa … Darlene … John Matthews … Margaret Dunbar … Sandi …Trisha …
Dave … Jacob … Joyce … Jennifer … Chuck … Courtney … Ethel … Helen. (Additional
prayers …………)
We pray for your church in the world.
Help us to rise above the frailties of the people who serve you with strong
spirit but weak flesh. Bring healing and hope in the midst of current turmoil. As
an imperfect people who struggles to live into your call on our lives, we pray
together ... 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.
CALL TO OFFERING
We are invited to give with generosity,
to minister in caring ways, to lead with diligence, to teach with enthusiasm.
We cannot be all things to all people. But we can tithe the many gifts God
pours out on us and do our best to live up to God’s trust in us.
DOXOLOGY
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Receive our offering, gracious God, as an expression
of our thankfulness. In your church, we are privileged to cultivate the
dimensions of our lives that give meaning and purpose to all we do. May many be
blessed through our sharing of these offerings and our sharing of ourselves.
Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Praise
Ye the Lord, the Almighty”
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
As you ponder that, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit be with you. 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.
~~~~~~~~~~
LOOKING
AHEAD
Worship has resumed
under restricted conditions which include a 40-person limit, 6’ distancing,
masks, and no physical contact.
PRAYER
CARE:
Joyce and George
Sahlberg (death of Joyce’s son Lance), Lois White (cancer), Leon Pielstick (fall), Laura
VanCleave (medical issues), for John Meinzenger, Virginia DesIlets
(fall/injured ribs on 6/16), Margaret
Dunbar (fall/broken tailbone), Judy’s daughter Rosa Lester (retinal bleed), Darlene
Wingfield (pulmonary fibrosis), John Matthews (cancer), Sandi Posz (lymphoma),
Trisha Cagley (health problems), Dave Clark (kidney cancer), Jacob Cunningham,
Joyce Sahlberg (health issues), Jennifer Schirm (Parkinson’s), Chuck VanHise
(leg/walking rehab), and Courtney Ziegler (Huntington’s).
LECTIONARY
FOR 8/30/20
Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c; Romans 12:9-21;
Matthew 16:21-28
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