PIONEER
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Worship
via Blog 2nd
Sunday in Lent February 28, 2021
~~~~~~~~~~
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)
Live
worship with masks and social distancing has plenty of room for additional
worshipers.
-
Deacons
meet following worship
-
Tuesday
at 10:30 Women’s Spirituality meets
-
Lenten
Soup Supper Thursday at 5:30
Now allow yourself a brief time of silence
as you open your hearts and feel God’s presence with you, right where you are.
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BAPTISM: Friends, remember your baptism … and be thankful.
CALL TO WORSHIP
We are invited to walk with God.
We are welcomed by God as people of the covenant.
How
awesome to stand in the presence of our creator!
We
bring our praise to glorify God.
God calls us by name and gives us new
names.
We are summoned to faithfulness and
fruitfulness.
God
not only speaks to us but also listens.
God
hears our cries and meets our need.
Let the ends of the earth remember and
turn to God.
Let the families of all nations worship
the Creator.
We
will pay our vows to the One who calls us.
We
praise the God of all nations and all peoples.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
In trust and confidence, we call on your
name, almighty God, eager to know you more fully and serve you more faithfully.
We have heard your amazing promises given to our ancestors in the faith. We
seek your word for us in our day, for we want to grow strong in our faith as
our ancestors did in theirs. As they gave you glory and praise, we gather to do
the same. As they passed on their faith to new generations, we seek to teach
and live in such a way that our children and their children will be drawn to
minister in your name. Amen.
OPENING SONG: “Take Up Your Cross” LU#117
CALL TO CONFESSION
In this season, when we re-examine our
lives and find our faith tested, we often discover a barrenness within. Our
relationship with God is weak, not because God has turned away, but because we
have failed to trust the Almighty or spend time in prayer. We have not sought
God’s answers to our daily problems. Let us be honest with our Creator in this
time of prayer.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of our ancestors, we come to you,
confessing that we have set our minds on human things. We have sought to gain
the world—so many things to buy, so many things to do. Yet we are not
satisfied. Life’s meaning eludes us. Your ways seem out of date; your promises
appear as the hopes and dreams of a past generation. But in our hearts we sense
an eternal design which is for all generations, a way of life more satisfying
than we have allowed ourselves to explore. O God, we confess our need for you. (continue with
personal prayers …..) 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
SCRIPTURE 1: Romans
4:13-25
The promise to
Abraham and his descendants, that they should inherit the world, did not come
through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents
of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For
the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That
is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be
guaranteed to all his descendants -- not only to the adherents of the law but
also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all,
as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations" -- in
the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and
calls into existence the things that do not exist.
In hope he believed against hope, that
he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, "So
shall your descendants be." He did not weaken in faith when he considered
his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years
old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him
waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave
glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
That is why his faith was
"reckoned to him as righteousness." But the words, "it was
reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also.
It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus
our Lord, who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our
justification.
SCRIPTURE 2: Mark
8:31-38
And he began to teach
them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders
and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise
again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, "Get
behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men." And he
called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any
man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow
me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life
for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to
gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return
for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous
and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he
comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
SERMON: “Taking
Sides” Rev. Jean
Hurst
How does it make you feel when you’re forced to take sides? For
example, have you ever had a friendship with a couple whose marriage fell
apart? You were friends with both people, but now each expects you to take
their side. The issue repeats itself in so many situations.
Sometimes it’s the issue itself that pulls you to one side or
another. We’ve all had that experience in the recent political climate as well
as with the issues surrounding Covid. It’s hard to simply sit on the sidelines
or ride the fence. So imagine how Peter felt.
He had just proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah and now when he hears
from Jesus’ own lips what that means, he refutes it. Peter had, in his own
mind, a vision of what it meant to be the Messiah. It was a position of power
and privilege. Given, then, his close association to that power and privilege,
he, too, would benefit.
But Jesus was contradicting that understanding, telling them that
he would be rejected, suffer, and die. Peter stopped listening at “suffer and
die”. He didn’t even hear the part about rising again on the third day.
I suspect Peter was processing this on a dual level. First, this
was his friend and Lord, who was predicted to suffer and die. Second, if that
happened to Jesus, then there went Peter’s dreams of riding the coat tails of
glory.
I talked last Sunday about the human condition. Peter was as human
as the rest of us. I believe he did love Jesus. He was a man of passion.
Remember at the end that he swore he would die with Jesus—very shortly before
he denied even knowing Jesus. Like many of us, he was a person of
contradictions.
Think back to when Jesus first called Peter. He was named Simon
then. He was fishing along the Sea of Galilee with his brother Andrew. Jesus
called and he followed immediately--typical for the impetuous Peter. We don’t
know if Peter knew anything about Jesus at that point. He didn’t know Jesus as
Messiah or Son of God or God incarnate, but he followed nevertheless. There was
something compelling about Jesus. Peter had no idea where this would lead.
From Mark’s gospel narration, here is
what Peter witnessed and experienced at Jesus’ side up to today’s passage:
o
Jesus
had the power to heal: lepers, paralytics, and people with other physical
ailments including blindness, deafness, and muteness and could even heal from a
distance.
o
Jesus
welcomed, accepted and loved those he encountered, even outcasts and sinners
and those of different religions and beliefs.
o
Jesus
had the power to forgive sins and extended grace and mercy.
o
Jesus
taught new ways to live and be, ways that turned traditional understandings
topsy-turvy, ways that brought hope and generated love.
o
Jesus
reinterpreted the laws of their religion in life-giving ways.
o
Jesus
stood toe-to-toe with the Pharisees, challenging the systems that oppressed
people.
o
Jesus’
own family didn’t understand him or his mission; his hometown people rejected
him yet Jesus wouldn’t turn aside from his calling.
o
Jesus
multiplied fish and loaves to feed first 5,000 then again with 4,000.
o
Jesus
demonstrated power over the elements, calming the storm and walking on water.
o
Jesus
was able to restore to life someone who had died.
All of these things were revealed to Peter one incident at a time.
He never had a clue that this is what would unfold when Jesus said, “Come and
follow me.” Certainly his awe of Jesus and his insight into who Jesus really
was had to have increased during the time he walked alongside Jesus.
Immediately before today’s passage, Jesus had been traveling with
his disciples when he asks them who people say he is. After naming off John the
Baptist, Elijah, and other prophets, Jesus asks that pointed question each of
us must face, “But who do you say I
am?” Peter is the first to blurt out, “You are the Messiah.” Rather than the
praise that Peter receives in other gospels, he’s told not to tell anyone.
It is then that Jesus tells his followers about his pending
suffering and death. He says it openly for all of them to hear. Peter is
horrified at the very thought. Peter also seems to think he knows better than
Jesus. He takes Jesus aside and actually rebukes Jesus for what Jesus is
telling them.
We talked of temptation last week. Here was Peter dangling
temptation before Jesus: you don’t have to do this, there’s a better way, an easier
way. Apparently, Jesus’ temptations didn’t end with that 40-day stint in the
wilderness. He keeps having to face it down. Jesus won’t even look at Peter.
Instead, he looks at the other disciples and declares, “Get behind me Satan!
For you are setting your mind, not on divine things, but on human things.”
Jesus is essentially telling Peter and the rest of his followers
that they have to take sides. Are they on Jesus’ side, the divine side, the
side of the cross, or are they on the side of the world, the human side, the
side of power and privilege? Jesus used the term ‘satan’ against Peter. The
word, satan comes from the Hebrew ‘hasatan’
which means ‘adversary’. In trying to dissuade Jesus from his mission and
purpose or have Jesus fulfill it in a less demanding way, in taking the side of
the world’s ways, Peter made himself an adversary to Jesus.
Where do we stand? Which
side do we take? Are we with Jesus or
are we hasatan? Are we disciples and followers or are we adversaries? Do we
want Jesus to do things our way, stand for things that benefit us, seek power
and privilege? Or do we follow Jesus no matter where it leads us, no matter
what we give up, despite what it may cost us?
After
Jesus chastised Peter, he called the crowds to join them saying, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up
their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it,
and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will
save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their
life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?”
What is your life worth? If you see it simply as the time you have on this
earth, then I suppose many would choose to go the path that leads to as much
personal gratification as possible, whether or not it is in line with God’s
purpose for you and for the world. If you see life as an eternal prospect, then
I expect you would view it differently, choosing instead to follow the way of
Jesus, taking the side of the divine.
Our relationship with Jesus is many things. It is that personal encounter
where we recognize our own sinfulness and our need for redemption. In Jesus we are freed from the burdens of our sinfulness and failings.
That personal relationship with Jesus offers us strength for today and hope
for tomorrow. We receive comfort in our grief, light for our path, guidance
when lost, companionship when lonely. In him we find a sense of belonging and
purpose. In him we find unconditional love.
But being a follower of Jesus is so much more than what we get out of it
personally. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean just tagging along. Jesus
said take up your cross and follow
me. Invest in this. Go the distance. I suffered for this path. You will, too.
My ministry is your ministry.
This cross is the symbol of Christianity. This cross represents what we
believe. It is the symbol of Jesus death and resurrection. It is the symbol of
our salvation. It is why we are here today. It is the symbol of new life. It is
also the symbol of suffering in order to secure that life. It represents what
it means to be the heart and hands of Jesus in the world.
You are now healers and light bearers and forgivers and justice workers and
challengers of oppression. You are inclusiveness where others would exclude.
You are forgiveness where others are merciless. You are truth in the midst of
lies. You are kind where others are hurtful. You offer human dignity where
others would degrade. You seek to understand rather than to judge, to serve
rather than be self-serving. You bring hope in the midst of despair. You are
generosity in the face of greed, peace in the face of violence, love in the face
of hate.
And there is a price for that. The ways of Jesus are not always the favored
ways. You will face opposition, derision, criticism. Jesus’ ways go against the
ways of the world that tell you to look out for number one, destroy your
enemies, win at all costs, accumulate things and power and status, that some
people are better than others, that people bring misfortune on themselves, they
deserve what they get, that power and wealth are what’s important.
Jesus said you’ll lose your life in those things. Even if it feels like
you’ve gained everything, you’ll lose your very soul. There is a better way, he
says. It’s the way of the cross. You have to choose. You have to take sides.
Amen.
HYMN: “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me” Glory #775
PRAYERS OF THE
PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
When life is too much for us to bear
and we feel the world is against us, then where, O God, can we turn? You, O
Lord, are our ever-present help in times of trouble and heartache. For you are
the God who was broken that we may be mended. You are the God who was crucified
in order for the powers of darkness to be destroyed. Help us to remember you in
our suffering. For in remembering your grief, we know we have a friend in our
sorrows; in remembering your death, we know we are not alone in our dying; in
remembering your resurrection, we know that you can create victory out of
disaster. Let not the concerns of the present overshadow the promise of past
joy and future hope.
We pray that hope and your healing for Lari Higgins ... Summer Bauer ... Bill Kaesemeyer … Tasha Sizemore … Stephen Meinzinger … Phyllis Bauer … Beverly
Patterson … Lois White … John Matthews …
Jacob Cunningham … Virginia … Cherry … Darlene … Margaret … Trisha … Dave … George
… Joyce … Jennifer … Chuck … Courtney … Ethel … Helen. (Additional prayers
…………)
Even
as we pray for those close to us, we lift up your children everywhere. Bring
light into their darkness, hope into their despair, sufficiency in their need,
and love into their wounded lives. We entrust to you these prayers and those
that remain in our hearts as we pray as Jesus taught:
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 all we have and all
we are to the realization of God’s will among us. A portion of that we bring
today as our offerings. Take a moment to consider what you offer to God of your
life, your abilities, your resources, and your dreams.
DOXOLOGY
PRAYER
OF DEDICATION
Holy God, as an expression of our faith, we dedicate
these gifts we have brought before you—gifts of our resources and gifts of our
lives. May this act of giving draw us closer to you and extend a blessing to
all who are helped through our sharing. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Lift
High the Cross” Glory #826
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
I
offer you a two-fold challenge this week. The first part is to watch your words
and actions to see whether, in some way, you deny the purpose of Jesus. The
second part is to look for ways to be intentional in taking up your cross and
following Jesus.
As you
do, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit is with you now and always. 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.
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LOOKING
AHEAD
February 28 following worship Deacons meet
March 2 10:30 a.m. Women’s Spirituality
March 4 5:30 p.m. Lenten Soup Supper
March 9 6:00 p.m. Session
March 11 8:30 a.m. Men’s Prayer Group
March 11 5:30 p.m. Lenten Soup Supper
March 14 following worship M&M
March 16 10:30 a.m. Women’s Spirituality
March 18 5:30 p.m. Lenten Soup Supper
March 21 following worship Worship & Music
March 21 1:00 p.m. Prayer Shawl Ministry
March 23 noon PPW lunch meeting
March 25 8:30 a.m. Men’s Prayer Group
March 25 5:30 p.m. Lenten Soup Supper
March 28 following worship Deacons
PRAYER
CARE:
Lari Higgins (breast cancer), Summer Bauer (breast cancer), Bill
Kaesemeyer (pulmonary problems), Tasha Sizemore (Crohn’s), Stephen Meinzinger (Covid-19), Lois White
(lymphoma), John Matthews (cancer), Jacob Cunningham, Trisha Cagley (health
problems), Dave Clark (kidney cancer), Virginia DesIlets (age 99!), Margaret
Dunbar (aging issues), George Sahlberg (infection in knee), Joyce Sahlberg
(health issues), Jennifer Schirm (Parkinson’s), Chuck VanHise (leg/walking
rehab), Darlene Wingfield (heart valve, pulmonary fibrosis, breast cancer), and
Courtney Ziegler (Huntington’s).
LECTIONARY
FOR 3/7/21
Exodus 20:1-17;
Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22
