PIONEER
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Worship
via Blog 2nd Sunday of Pentecost June 6, 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.
We will share the
Lord’s Supper as part of this worship service. So please pause
and gather your choice of bread and beverage. While the bread and grape juice
served in community and led by the pastor in person is our tradition, we are
facing times that call for us to do worship in new ways rather than being tied
to rigid tradition—much like the early church.
-
Session
meets Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
-
Men’s
Prayer Group meets Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
-
Highway
Cleanup Saturday, meet at church 9:30 a.m.
-
M&M
meets next Sunday following worship
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
Gather to give thanks with your whole
heart.
Rejoice in God’s love and faithfulness.
We
bow down, for this is God’s holy temple.
We
pour out our thanks in songs of praise.
God answers us when we call.
Our Creator increases our strength of
soul.
Great
is the glory of our God!
We
rejoice in God’s steadfast love.
Wait for God, and hope in God’s Word.
Open your hearts to the holy presence in
our midst.
Our
ears are attentive to the voice of God.
We
open our lives to God’s direction.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Our souls wait for you, O God. Our ears
are attentive to your word. We hope for a clear understanding of your will for
us. Let this time of meeting draw us together in unity, with a sense of
direction and purpose for our church and our individual lives. Renew us within
so that nothing we face around us can undermine our faith or cause us to
despair. Claim us all as sisters and brothers of Jesus Christ, and help us to
reflect this kinship in all we do or say. Amen.
OPENING
SONG: “Resting in You” LU#93
CALL TO CONFESSION
God does not forsake us, but we often
choose other rulers. We abdicate responsibility for our own lives, in relation
to our Creator, turning instead to entertainers, politicians, and financial
wizards as our hope. In worship, we are recalled to our primary accountability
to God.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
We
confess, O God, that we often act as if we know better than you what is right
for us. We make decisions without considering your larger purposes. Our own
convenience and desires are more important to us than your commands. We go our
own way and then blame others for our mistakes. Our inner confusion creates
division and brokenness. We hide from you rather than admitting our needs. O
God, we want to face our sin and find forgiveness. Help us!
(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: Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my
voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! If you, O Lord,
should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with
you, so that you may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his
word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the
morning, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to
redeem. It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
SCRIPTURE 2: 2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1
Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who
wrote, "I believed, and so I spoke," we, too, believe, and so we
speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus
and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that
as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the
glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away,
our inner nature is being renewed every day. For this slight momentary
affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all
comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things
that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things
that are unseen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is
destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens.
SERMON: “Doldrums Time” Rev. Jean Hurst
What are you waiting for? How long
have you been waiting? What does the waiting do to your faith? Life is a lot
about waiting—some of it good and some of it not at all good.
From a child’s perspective, waiting is
one of the hardest things to face. Waiting for mom or dad to come home from a
trip. Waiting for a birthday or Christmas. Waiting for summer break from
school. Waiting for a sibling to leave the nest so you get the bedroom to
yourself. Waiting for school to start. Waiting to grow up.
Adults have their challenges with
waiting as well. Waiting to hear whether you got the job. Waiting to hear if
she’ll say yes. Waiting for the wedding day. Waiting for the birth of a child.
Waiting for your kid to get a job or to get their life together. Waiting for the
diagnosis. Waiting through your own or someone else’s illness. Waiting for
retirement. Waiting for death.
There are more benign waitings: in
line at the grocery store or bank, waiting in traffic, waiting for the
political season to get over. There’s waiting for the football season—or
fishing season or hunting season. Waiting for Covid to end. Much of our lives
are spent waiting for one thing or another.
Sometimes that waiting is a
desperation. The psalmist speaks from the heart. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Hear my voice!” The psalmist is pleading from the depths of his
soul, pleading for God to listen, pleading for God to respond. He acknowledges
his own sinful condition, admitting that if God should count those against him,
he would not be able to stand before God, would not be able to expect God to
act in his favor.
The psalmist acknowledges the nature
of God, that he can find forgiveness in God; that what he has done amiss in his
life doesn’t become a barrier between him and God because God is a forgiving
God. God isn’t going to withhold help because of his sins. And so he waits.
Sometimes
that’s all we can do—wait. Given that truth, what do you do with the waiting
time? Over the years, with keen and perceptive observation, I’ve noticed something
about people. We are impatient. Yes? Yes. The mirror is always a good starting
point for learning about human nature.
When
we can—and as we prefer—we blame our impatience on someone else—the slow
checker at the store, the limited hours at the bank, the idiot’s inability to
drive properly in traffic, the doctor’s negligence in getting back to you
quickly. Other things are just what life is and all our impatience isn’t going
to change it. Babies come when they’re ready. Sports seasons and politics
persist in following the prescribed schedules. The clock doesn’t move any
faster just because you’re eager for a special event.
Or
we blame ourselves. Remember those old songs we talked about a few weeks ago
that loop repeatedly in our brains? We might fear that God is withholding
favorable response because of what we’ve done. Our own sense of unworthiness or
guilt may come into play.
Over
the years we’ve talked a lot about the tragedies of our lives—the illnesses,
the relationships, the job woes, the losses. And yes, those are things in our
lives where we are often caught in limbo, waiting, waiting just to get through
the crisis, past the pain, for life to normalize.
But
let’s focus on a different type of waiting. Have you ever been caught in the
doldrums? Today it’s known as the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone. It’s caused
by trade winds from the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere
colliding with each other. The resulting air mass goes up, leaving the area
below it calm.1
The
name ‘doldrums’ is an old nautical term. During the time of the old sailing
ships, those unlucky enough to sail into those waters could be stuck there for
weeks, waiting for the wind to change. Have you ever been stuck in the
doldrums?
You
are in a place in your life where you feel you’re not going anywhere. There’s
no wind. No life. No movement. Often there’s not any interest in doing
anything. At other times it’s a restless frustration. It’s like you’re stalled
out. And there’s often no good explanation for it. Sometimes there’s no feeling
or emotion. I suppose it could be a lot like depression.
Yet,
though it sounds much like depression, I don’t think it’s really the same. It’s
more like being in limbo and feeling like there’s nothing to move you out of
it. You’re waiting. But you don’t even know what you’re waiting for. You seem
to lack direction and any sort of purpose that engages you in a positive way.
What
draws you into that place of nothingness? Like those old sailing ships, you
could have been blown off course or simply weren’t paying attention. It could
be a let-down or disappointment. You thought something was going to happen and
it fell through. Then you feel there’s not a satisfactory alternative or by
comparison there isn’t something else that draws your interest and energy. Or
something you anticipated did happen
but it didn’t give you the satisfaction or excitement you expected. The question
pops up, “Is that all there is?” If it is, it’s not enough.
You
might ask how it is that you get out of the doldrums. You could try engaging
yourself in something new and challenging. You could focus on activities or
volunteering that are about other people and take the focus off yourself and
your own dissatisfactions.
But
perhaps the better question is to ask what you do with yourself while you’re in the doldrums. This is your life. Like
those sailors of old; you could be there for weeks. What do you do with the
time? What do you do while you wait for the winds to change?
The
psalmist offers a solution. Wait. Wait for the Lord. Let your soul wait. This
isn’t just a matter of sitting down and twiddling your thumbs until life starts
moving again. This is an opportunity to see what God might have in mind for
your life. Where might the winds of the Spirit move you? What purpose or
meaning might God have planned for your life?
You
may be exactly where you are supposed to be. This could be a time of preparation,
of readying you for the next phase of your life. When we’re so busy and
focused, it can be hard for God to get our attention. When we ease up a bit on
the intensity of our lives we may find the truth of what the Apostle Paul was
writing to the church in Corinth, “So we do not lose
heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being
renewed every day.”
It’s easy to settle into a rut. The old path is
comfortable and safe. We know what to expect. It’s not hard and we can pretty
much continue blindfolded. Is that what we want to say about our lives when
we’re at age 98—it was safe, it was comfortable, it was predictable. The
doldrums can be our time of renewal. While it can seem like a dead time, the
doldrums may be what prepare to move us to new challenges, new opportunities,
new contributions.
The
psalmist cries from those depths with hope. Hope in the Lord who acts with
steadfast love and with the power to redeem. The Apostle Paul says what we are
going through is temporary and God is preparing us for the eternal. Thanks be
to God.
1https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/doldrums.html
HYMN: “God
of Our Life” Glory #686
PRAYERS OF THE
PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
Holy
God, we bring before you the prayers and realities of our struggles, believing
that you hear, confident that you care, trusting that you act in our lives. And
so we pray:
-
For
all of us who grieve losses of family or relationships or dreams
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For
all of us who live on the financial edge
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For
all of us whose future is uncertain
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For
all of us who struggle with issues of aging and failing health
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For
all of us caught in the bonds of addiction
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For
all of us for whom violence is part of our lives—whether as victim or
perpetrator
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For
those who hunger, who go without while we enjoy abundance
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For
all of us who make wrong decisions
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For
all of us who struggle to love the unlovable
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For
all of us who have allowed issues and ideologies to define our relationships
with others and to build walls between us
-
For
all of us whose faith is fragile and who struggle with doubts
-
For
our family, friends, and community, and especially for family of Sharon Bailey ... Kris Mangold's father recovering from Covid ... Jan Oswald and family in
the death of her sister … Ralph Hook recovering from knee replacement surgery …
Sandy Cargill … Elaine LaChapelle … Larry Koskela … Linda and Bill Kaesemeyer …
Lari Higgins … Somer Bauer … Tasha Sizemore … Beverly Patterson … Lois White
… Virginia … John Matthews … Margaret
Dunbar … Darlene … Trisha … Dave … Jacob … George and Joyce … Jennifer … Chuck
… Courtney … Ethel. (Additional prayers …………)
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.
CALL TO OFFERING
Many of our resources are committed to
other things. Often we confuse wants with needs. Where is our thanksgiving to
God in all this? And where does our commitment to love God and neighbor fit in?
We give in proportion to our faith.
DOXOLOGY
PRAYER
OF DEDICATION
Thank
you, God, for your faithfulness. We bring ourselves and some of what we have accumulated
to praise you and do the work you call us to do. Fulfill your purpose for this
church as you enlist our offerings and our lives. In amazement at the work of
your hands, we reach out our hands to help others and invite them to join us.
In our labors for you, we will not lose heart. Help us to do your will. Amen.
THE LORD’S SUPPER
Song of
Preparation: “Let Us Break Bread Together” Glory #525
Invitation to the Table
The
Lord’s table is not a piece of wood with clay dishes, but a place in our hearts
that connects us to our Lord Jesus. It is a place to which we come as we
remember his sacrifice, as we seek to experience his presence, as we are
nourished to continue his work, as we recognize our community in him despite
whatever distance or disease or obstacle that might separate us. It is the
place we come to renew our commitment to continue his ministry and mission. Our
Lord invites us to the table without condition, simply because we are loved.
Come with grateful hearts. Come with joyful hearts.
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our
God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right, O Holy God, to
give thanks for your amazing grace, to praise you for who you are, for who you
created us to be. We marvel at the truth that you are with us wherever we may
be. Though we worship from home, separated and for some, isolated, it is still
in you that we find life and purpose. We are children of grace and nothing can
separate us from your love.
You have given us the gift of your
Holy Spirit who unites us, binding us together as one body across the miles. By
your Spirit of grace transform our social isolation and distance into a holy
community, connecting us to each other by your sacred presence.
Bless the elements we each have
gathered, elements common to our ordinary lives. Let them represent for us the
body and blood of our Savior who gave himself for us. Amen.
Words of Institution
As we share these symbols of bread and
cup across the distance, we remember the story of Jesus with the disciples that
last night before he was arrested. He took the bread and blessed it and broke
it and gave it to them saying “Take, eat, this is my body, given for you.” And
with the cup he said, “This cup is the new covenant, my blood poured out for
you for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink of it, remember me.”
And so we do. As we lift up many
pieces in scattered places rather than sharing the same loaf and as we drink
from separate cups instead of one, we do so remembering that throughout history
God’s people have often been scattered and in exile. Through the power and
mystery of the Holy Spirit, we are made one in Christ Jesus. These are the
gifts of God for us the children of God.*
The Bread of Life……………..
The Cup of Salvation …………….
*portions of
prayer adapted from prayer by Rev. Steve Kliewer, Interim General Presbyter,
EOP
Unison Prayer of Thanks
Gracious God, you have made us one with all
your people in heaven and on earth. You have fed us with the bread of life, and
renewed us for your service. Help us who have shared Christ’s body and received
his cup, to be his faithful disciples so that our daily living may be part of
the life of your kingdom, and our love be your love reaching out into the life
of the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “How
Can I Keep from Singing” Glory #821
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
Wait and watch for all that God is
doing in your life, even when you don’t understand what is happening or why.
Wait on the Lord and trust that God is faithful.
As you do 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.
~~~~~~~~~~
LOOKING
AHEAD
June 8 6:00 p.m. Session
June 10 8:30 a.m. Men’s Prayer Group
June 12 9:30 @ church Highway Cleanup
June 13 following worship M&M
June 15 10:30 a.m. Women’s Spirituality
June 20 following worship Worship & Music
June 20 1:00 p.m. Prayer Shawl Ministry
June 22 noon PPW
June 24 8:30 a.m. Men’s Prayer Group
PRAYER
CARE:
family of Sharon Bailey ... Kris Mangold's father (recovering from Covid), Jan Oswald and
family (death of Jan’s sister), Ralph Hook (knee replacement), Sandy Cargill (breast
cancer), Elaine LaChapelle (broken arm, anemia), Larry Koskela (stomach and
joint issues), Linda and Bill Kaesemeyer (Bill’s heart/breathing issues), Somer
Bauer (breast cancer), Tasha Sizemore (Krohn’s?), Lois White (lymphoma, tear in
artery), John Matthews (cancer), Jacob Cunningham, Trisha Cagley (health
problems), Dave Clark (kidney cancer), Virginia DesIlets (age 99!), Margaret
Dunbar (aging issues), George and Joyce Sahlberg (health issues), Jennifer
Schirm (Parkinson’s), Chuck VanHise (leg/walking rehab), Darlene Wingfield (pulmonary
fibrosis, breast cancer), and Courtney Ziegler (Huntington’s).
LECTIONARY
FOR 6/13/21
Ezekiel 17:22-24;
Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15;
2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17; Mark 4:26-34
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