October 10, 2021 Worship

 

PIONEER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Worship via Blog            20^th Sunday after Pentecost       October 10, 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.

 

-         M&M meets following worship

-         Session meeting Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

-         Choir meets for practices at 5:30 on Wednesday

-         Men’s Prayer Group meets Thursday at 8:30 a.m.

-         Worship & Music meets next Sunday following worship

-         Prayer Shawl Ministry meets at 1:00 p.m. next Sunday

 

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

Come, all who look for God with unseeing eyes.

Come, all who listen for God but hear nothing.

Oh, that we knew where to find God!

We want to hear and understand God’s Word.

The word of God is living and active.

It pierces and judges and opens us to God’s grace.

We cannot hide from God who knows us.

God understands our thoughts and intentions.

Leave everything to follow Jesus in this hour.

This is the time to embrace new ways.

Here we set the patterns for everyday life.

Here we are strengthened for every day’s challenges.

 

PRAYER OF THE DAY

We seek to gather as children of your realm, reigning God. This is the time and place of your dominion. We recognize that you, not we, prescribe the rules under which life can be rich and full and free. Help us in this hour to embrace the best we know. Open our thoughts and feelings so we may learn better ways. We approach you with boldness, daring to question and make requests, knowing that your grace and mercy exceed our wildest imagining, and your guidance is ever available to those who ask. Amen.

 

OPENING HYMN:        “Justified Freely”                                    LU#77

                                           

CALL TO CONFESSION

Come, all who are weak and tempted, for Christ knows the trials you face and has triumphed over them. Bring your sin before God, that a right relationship may be restored.

 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Eternal God, we confess that we have yielded to temptation and violated your intentions for us. By our actions we have invited some of the calamities that befall us. By our inaction for good we have allowed evil to intrude. Some people are wrongfully our foes; some are victims of our deceit or prejudice. Rescue us, O God, from all that breaks right relationships with another, with you, and with our own best selves.  (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: Mark10:17-31

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: `Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."

Peter began to say to him, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first."

 

SCRIPTURE 2:  Hebrews 4:12-16 (NRSV)

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

SERMON           “Approach Grace with Boldness”           Rev. Jean Hurst

 

What is the Bible to you? Some of us grew up with it. Its stories and teachings are something we’ve always known. Perhaps in that sense, we may too often take it for granted or become complacent about its power. For many people, it’s too thick, too confusing, too much out of context with today’s life and while they know they should read it, somehow the time never comes. Instead, they rely on little snippets of it in worship services and devotionals.

To some people, it is the very word of God, literal in every verse, infallible and inarguable, sometimes a weapon to wield like the two-edged sword which today’s passage references. To some it is simply an ancient text, history that is interesting to read but isn’t really about life today. It is a collection of stories about people long ago. To others it is a book of laws and rules that govern our lives and tells us how we must live in order to achieve eternal life.

I’ve previously described the Bible as the story of God’s relationship with humankind. And indeed it is. For the stories it tells are stories of relationships--both the successful and the failed. The laws or rules or commandments we find are about relationship—relationship with God and relationship with each other; even relationship with ourselves.

The book of Genesis is very much about family relationships and how those relationships can go wrong and the pain those damaged relationships can create. The book of Exodus shows us how quickly we can turn into whining, complaining, rebellious people even after God has done great things in our lives. The book of Psalms is much about our need for God and how we crave God’s love and protection and direction, how we cry out to God in our pain and as we face obstacles, our praise and gratitude to God—our relationship with God. In the prophets, the last half of the Old Testament we learn how no matter how rebellious a people, no matter how hopeless a situation, no matter the magnitude of the obstacles, God was still there acting in their lives and doing the impossible. And through it all we see how God brings good out of the bad things that happen .

When we come to the New Testament we find the Good News—the story of God’s love for us lived out in the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, carried out by God through Jesus for our salvation, to ensure that eternal relationship with God. In the letters that follow, we are taught how to live in relationship with God and with each other. All those rules and commandments we find guide us in maintaining those relationships. Indeed, the Bible is the story of God’s relationship with humanity. I challenge you to read the Bible with that in mind and see if you agree.

According to the doctrine of the church, the Bible is the living word of God, inspired and brought to life by the Holy Spirit. It is that work of the Holy Spirit that allows us to see within scripture our own story. The Spirit brings to life the stories and teachings of scripture so that they are meaningful for us and guide us in our faith and salvation. It is the living, stirring action of the Spirit that allows us to see more in scripture than just the words of an ancient text and an ancient people. The Spirit turns the words of scripture into a mirror that shows us ourselves, our lives, our individual relationship with the living God, our own relationship with and salvation through Jesus the Christ.

As our Hebrews text tells us, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are convicted by what we read, shown where our own failings are. It opens our hearts to what we need to know and learn and how we need to change. Like a sword, it can cut deeply, cutting away our pretensions and excuses, revealing the truth of our thoughts and emotions, making it impossible for us to hide from the truths about ourselves that we need to see and correct.

And … this passage is not just about a book filled with words. The word ‘scripture’ or ‘reading’ is generally given as feminine. Here, following that first verse of today’s passage, it says, “And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.” The Gospel of John begins by attesting to Jesus as the Word of God. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Today’s passage carries on that description of the Word of God as it speaks of Jesus the Christ and how Jesus is the high priest who intercedes for us, Jesus who delivers both judgement and mercy.

That judgement aspect of Jesus is an uncomfortable one. We prefer gentle Jesus meek and mild, loving, redeeming, comforting friend. That is part of who Jesus is, yes. But scripture tells us that Jesus is also our judge and we acknowledge that in the historic Apostle’s Creed: On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

          That’s a bit disconcerting when we consider the early words of this passage—that he is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, that nothing of us is hidden, that all of who we are, what we think, what we feel, what our motives are, all of that is open to his searching judgment. And we have to account to him for all of it. It is enough to make us despair if we did not also have the following verses. In Jesus we have a judge who knows and can sympathize with our weaknesses. In every respect he has been tested, been tempted as we are. He has not given in to the temptations.

We feel him exceptional in that regard. And, indeed, he is. But because of what Jesus has gone through, because we can claim relationship with him, he becomes our strength and resource. Temptations are common. We all face them. Many will believe that it is God’s way of testing us, to see if we are worthy of salvation.

Scripture tells us otherwise. The first chapter of James says, Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God” for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one, but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. I guess that is the nature of us humans. We want something and so we think about it and how we want it and we rationalize that we should have it. The danger is then to act on it.

And ‘it’ could be any number of things. Temptation is not just about inappropriate sexual behavior. It’s not just about taking something that isn’t ours or that is gained at the expense of another person. It could be saying or acting in a way that curries favor or approval at the expense of what is right. It could be failing to speak or act when we should. It could be giving in putting someone down to make ourselves look better. It could even be in doing the right thing for self-serving reasons rather than because it is what God expects of us. Temptations come in all forms, but we don’t have to give in to them.

The Apostle Paul speaks to the issue in 1 Corinthians 10. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1Co 10:13 RSV) What an amazing promise that is! No matter what we’re faced with, even if it is of our own creation, Jesus knows exactly what it’s like and provides us a way to avoid that temptation, helps us so we don’t give in to what is hurtful to ourselves or to others or to our relationship with God.

There is no sin in temptation. Even Jesus was tempted. That’s why he understands. That’s why, as this scripture points out, Jesus is able to sympathize with us. The problem is when we give in to it. But we don’t have to. When we are tempted, we need to open our eyes and look around for that ‘way out’ that is promised to us. If you don’t see it readily, ask. Talk to Jesus. Tell him exactly what that temptation is. Name it. And name it honestly. Then ask him for that way out that will keep you from betraying who you are as a follower of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul tells us that the strength we get from God is enough: God’s grace is sufficient for you, for God’s power is made perfect in weakness

Yet, sadly, sometimes we fail. We give up too soon on looking for that way out. We rely on our own strength instead of God’s. We give in to the desires that lured us down a particular path. We want what we want more than we want what God wants for us. Giving in to our temptations leads us to sin. Still, all is not lost. Jesus is our judge. He is also our hope. We are to approach the throne of grace—not timidly, not fearfully, not hesitantly, but boldly. For it is there that we find the Jesus who not only wields judgment, but also wields mercy and grace.

Commentator George Hunsberger relates the throne of grace with the popular book and mini-series Game of Thrones as he talks about how Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses. He says, “He leads us to pray in boldness at a throne unlike any we have ever known—not a throne of ‘Games,’ of power and revenge, of vindictive violence. It is that most unusual of thrones: a throne of grace. A throne you run to when overcome by disappointment, failure, shame, or guilt. A throne where you find mercy and help.”¹

At that throne of grace we encounter Jesus, our judge. Yet the one who judges us is also the one who died for us that we might be redeemed. And so, it is at that throne of grace that we find forgiveness. It is there that we find hope and a fresh start.

It is what we believe, what we confess is true. And so we are also reminded to hold fast to our confession. That’s not just confession in the sense of our Unison Prayer of Confession which is part of the liturgy of the church or of the silent, personal confessions we offer up as part of that. Confession also means our beliefs. We have a Book of Confessions, compiled down through the ages, that gives voice to what we believe as Presbyterians and as Christians.

Today we do that as a corporate body, as a community of faith, and as individual believers. Today we confess what we believe through the unison reading of the historic Apostle’s Creed. Please join in confessing what we believe.

¹ Connections ,Year B Volume 3, p. 384

 

 

The Apostles’ Creed

 

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

 

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. 

 

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.   

*catholic means ‘universal’

 

HYMN:               “Amazing Grace”                                         Glory #649

 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

          Great God of hope, we come to you when our lives are broken and torn, when our hope is vanquished and our faith is small. We come to you when once-cherished relationships are lost to death or dissipated by distance, time, misunderstanding or neglect. We come to you when our body and mind have become captives of a destructive addiction, when courage and will have been replaced by a bottle, a drug, or emotional dependency.

          We come to you when the promise of the ‘good life’ has been found lacking, when material things fail to satisfy. We come to you because we have nowhere else to go, because all of our attempts to create wholeness and health apart from you have been futile and trite.

          Save us from ourselves, O God: from self-absorption, self-indulgence, and self-idolization. Heal us from the sickness of the body but even more from sickness of the soul. May we get caught up in the current of your compassion, the flood of your forgiveness and so lose ourselves in the wide ocean of your love.

          We pray that healing of mind, body and spirit for your children everywhere. We live in a violent world, Lord, and pray for your peace. We live in a world of conflict and pray for your unity. We pray for wisdom and a desire for the good of all people in the world’s leaders. Heal our nations; heal our planet. Show us how and lead us in being a part of that healing.

We pray for those in our community who have lost loved ones to Covid, those family and friends who now struggle to survive Covid, for the medical community who continue to be overwhelmed by Covid patients. We pray for those who struggle in other ways, for Dave Clark … Tina Bossuot … Verna’s sister and family with Covid … Mary and Ray Swarthout … Sandy Cargill … Elaine LaChapelle … Larry Koskela … Linda and Bill Kaesemeyer … Somer Bauer … Tasha Sizemore … Beverly Patterson … Virginia … Margaret Dunbar … Darlene … Trisha … Jacob … George and Joyce … Jennifer … Chuck … Courtney … Ethel … and Pastor Jean. (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

Jesus said to the young questioner who asked about eternal life: “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” As long as our reliance is on things we have accumulated, our Christian discipleship is threatened. We give out of thanks to God and concern for our neighbors.

 

DOXOLOGY

 

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

Thank you God, for the wealth you have entrusted to us. As we share a portion of that wealth, keep our focus on people and relationships and lasting values, rather than on the possessions we can accumulate. We dedicate our time, money, and ourselves to the reign of God among us. Amen.

CLOSING HYMN:  “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”   Glory #435

 

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

          Each of us is a fallible human being. We have within us both good and bad, noble and base. We face temptations every day that would lead us in ways contrary to God’s will for us. Scripture assures us that Jesus knows temptation, knows what it’s like for us and will help us resist.

As we do the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is with us, 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

-         October 10     following worship       M&M

-         October 12     6:00 p.m.                      Session meeting

-         October 13     5:30 p.m.                      Choir practice

-         October 14     8:30 a.m.                       Men’s Prayer Group

-         October 17     following worship       Worship & Music

-         October 17     1:00 p.m.                      Prayer Shawl Ministry

-         October 19     10:30 a.m.                    Women’s Spirituality

-         October 20     5:30 p.m.                      Choir practice

-         October 24     following worship        Deacons

-         October 26     noon                              PPW lunch meeting

-         October 27     5:30 p.m.                      Choir practice

-         October 28     8:30 a.m.                       Men’s Prayer Group

 

PRAYER CARE:

Julia Milleson (cancer returned), Tina Bossuot (Alzheimer’s), Verna’s sister and family (Covid), Mary and Ray Swarthout, Sandy Cargill (breast cancer), Larry Koskela (stomach and joint issues), Linda and Bill Kaesemeyer (Bill’s heart/breathing issues), Somer Bauer (breast cancer), Tasha Sizemore (Krohn’s?), Jacob Cunningham, Trisha Cagley (health problems), Dave Clark (recovery from brain surgery, kidney cancer), Virginia DesIlets (age 99!), Margaret Dunbar (Ashley Manor), George and Joyce Sahlberg (health issues), Jennifer Schirm (Parkinson’s), Chuck VanHise (leg/walking rehab), Darlene Wingfield (pulmonary fibrosis, breast cancer), Courtney Ziegler (Huntington’s), and Pastor Jean Hurst (kidney cancer).

 

LECTIONARY FOR 10/17/21

Isaiah 53:4-12; Psalm 91:9-16; Hebrews 5:1-10 and 2:5-12;

Mark 10:35-45