November 21, 2021 Worship

 PIONEER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Worship via Blog             Christ the King Sunday         November 21, 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.

 

-         Worship & Music meets following worship

-         Prayer shawl Ministry meets at 1:00 p.m.

-         NO Deacons next Sunday (Thanksgiving Weekend)

 

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

God reigns; let the earth be glad.

God’s word is truth; let all people rejoice.

We bow before God’s strength and majesty;

We come in awe before God most high.

Grace to you and peace from the One who is

and was and is to come.

God’s rule is from everlasting and forevermore;

All creation bows before God’s holiness.

Be gathered, then, by God’s love and truth,

to worship and make faithful witness.

God is our righteousness and our peace.

We come to be renewed in God’s truth.

 

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Ruler of the universe, Creator of all worlds, Giver of life, we gather as your own people to praise you and marvel at your goodness to us. Bring us back from our scattered lives and fragmented loyalties to the shelter of your fold. Assure us once more of your loving care, and teach us again that we may bear witness to your truth. Amen.

 

OPENING HYMN:                    “Majesty”                                      LU#46

                         

                  

CALL TO CONFESSION

Come from those scattered places where differences divide and inhumanity dismays. Bring the injustices of a troubled world and the prejudices and narrowness of your own vision to the only One who can heal. Let us recognize together that we are sinners in thought and deed, even as we try to be faithful.

 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Almighty God, whose reign we have denied and whose purposes we have opposed, we pray for forgiveness and healing. We confess that self-concern, rather than your will, has motivated us. We have claimed to follow Jesus, but our discipleship has been halfhearted, and our worship has been empty of passion and expectation. Turn us around and claim us for your own purposes. (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 93

The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength. Yea, the world is established; it shall never be moved; thy throne is established from of old; thou art from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their roaring. Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty! Thy decrees are very sure; holiness befits thy house, O Lord, forevermore.

 

SCRIPTURE 2:  Mark 12:38-44

And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living."

 

SERMON                               “Little Matters”                          Rev. Jean Hurst

          A penny. What difference will a penny make in the treasury that keeps the Temple running? That wouldn’t cover the cost of the matches to light the altar lamps. Now the scribes’ offerings, that’s a different story. Their contribution means something. And yes, they do make a show of it and yes, they’ve got lots more where that came from, but they give enough to make a difference and they can be counted on to give more in the future. You can tolerate a bit of arrogance and pomp for a steady income stream. But those two grubby copper coins—a penny? What does that little bit matter?

          Well, Jesus set us up for the answer to that one. He pointed out that the scribes had so much money that what they gave was no sacrifice. He also directed his disciples’ attention to the fact that the scribes were making quite a show of what they were giving. They loved the attention and the sense of self-importance. Jesus even made allusions to how they gained that wealth—devouring widows houses—foreclosing in other words.

          He had something to say, as well, about those two copper mites the widow discreetly dropped in the offering. She may have done it very quietly, not wanting to draw attention to herself, not wanting anyone to know how very little she had to give. I imagine she felt like her little offering didn’t matter at all, but she was still compelled to give what she could. Jesus said she gave all she had to live on.  So her offering was a true sacrifice compared to the wealthy who gave out of their abundance. Little matters.

          That’s true in other areas of our lives as well—including our relationships. Karyn Kedar learned that from her own experiences. Rabbi Kedar is author of the book, God Whispers, she writes about how little things do matter. I shared this story on Christmas Eve several years back, so it may sound familiar. She writes:

          “I believe that a sense of abundance is mostly based on belief and not reality. I know couples who have totally different perceptions of their assets. The husband believes that there is never enough, and the wife believes that there is more than plenty. I know parents who teach their children that they must always save money and things--even people's love--because we're always in danger of running short. I have heard stories from adult children who grew up poor, yet they'd always had a feeling of plenty: plenty of food, plenty of room for guests, plenty of love to go around. Abundance is a matter of worldview.”

Kedar then told a Hasidic tale about a young man who had been kidnapped by an evil tax collector. The young man's wedding day was quickly approaching, and the community did not know what to do. They decided to pay the ransom, but the only one who could afford it was the miser who lived on the edge of town. Despite the warnings that the rich man never gave away any of his fortune, the rabbi went with his students to his home to ask for money. He knocked on the miser's door and told him about the lad who had been kidnapped shortly before his wedding day. The miser was moved to tears and ran to get some money. When he returned, the rabbi saw that the miser's clenched fist was shaking. The miser slowly opened his fist. In it was one small, dirty old penny.

The rabbi took the penny and began to thank the man and bless him profusely: "May God grant you health and long life. May you live a life of joy worthy of heaven. May God increase the love in your life." The students of the rabbi looked at him as if he was crazy. After all, the miser had given him only a penny.

          Just as the rabbi was about to leave, the miser said, "Wait. You have touched me so deeply that I want to give you more money." He disappeared into his house and came back with another penny. The rabbi showered him with more blessings, and the miser soon gave another penny. And so it continued until the rabbi received all the money for the ransom.

          During the wedding celebration, the students asked why the rabbi had put up with such behavior. He answered simply that he understood what others did not. Remember the first penny and how dirty it was? That was because for years the miser had held on to it because no one would accept it from him. A penny was all that he had the strength to give, and yet people believed that he was capable of giving more. The rabbi accepted his gifts as the miser was able to offer them, and he blessed his giving regardless of how much was being offered.

          As Kedar pondered the story, she looked at her own life and saw a correlation with her own expectations of giving and receiving. She says her mind drifted to a conflict she was having with someone she had trusted with her friendship and love, and how he had let her down. She says, “He hadn't even responded to me as I attempted to understand what had happened. A voice suddenly whispered to me, "He's doing the best he can." My anger began to fade. My sense of betrayal stepped back a few paces, and I began to observe his behavior. What if he wasn't mean, angry, or even dishonest? What if he was doing the best he could? I remembered his eyes that used to smile at me in friendship. I saw his stiffness as he now backed away from me.”

“I imagined his fist slowly opening to reveal a dirty penny he had coveted for years. I was asking for unlimited time and affection, and he was handing me what he was capable of giving. Expecting more, I got angry at him and decided he was not a true friend. The more I pushed, the more he retreated. He was doing his best to give me the most. I was the betrayer; I did not accept the gifts that he offered me. This incident taught me that in all the times I had been disappointed by others who fell short of my expectations, these people were actually doing and giving what they could. I had expected more than what they were capable of giving.”

          Kedar concluded, “The universe abounds with gifts. Receive. Open your heart and receive them. Have no expectations. Stay present as bits of grace fall your way. Be grateful for all you receive, expect little, and accept all that is given with good intention. Penny by penny, moment by moment, the universe provides, and we must learn to accept.”¹

          Kedar’s insights are useful as we approach the holiday season. The holidays are a time of gathering for family and friends. And we put great expectations on those people in our lives. If they don’t meet our expectations, we tend to feel let down, sometimes even as if they have betrayed us or as if they don’t value us. We each have different capacities for the time, energy, resources, and emotions that we offer others. Too often, we measure our own worth on the basis of what others give us.

          We might consider, instead, that the other person is giving what they are able to give. As we gratefully accept that, rather than leaving the impression that we reject what they offer because it’s not enough or not good enough, then the other person is freed to offer more.

          Jesus made it clear that what the widow offered was more than enough. She gave what she was able. If God is so gracious as to accept the little we sometimes are able to offer, then we, too, should be as gracious with each other. If we let go of expectations this holiday season, we may discover more blessings that we have seen before. As well, we may learn the lesson that little things matter a lot. Thanks be to God.

 

¹Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar, “The Penny” from God Whispers: stories of the soul, lessons of the heart, p. 40-43, 2013, Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, VT

 

 

HYMN:                         “Take My Life”                                           Glory #697

 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

          God whose compassion reaches out to all who walk in darkness, help us to recognize the blind spots in our lives. We want to walk as children of light, to be instruments of healing, to recognize your activity among us. Illuminate and enlighten us now, that we may express faith in Christ through all we say and do.

          Lord, we also recognize your tender mercies as your grace lifts us above all our failings and stumblings. In your house of prayer, we sense your calming Spirit, the comfort of your care, the goodness and mercy that you provide. And we thank you.

          We lift up to you, Loving God, those who struggle with health issues, with financial uncertainty, with relationships, and with fragile spirits. We pray for those who walk in darkness and despair. For those who live in loneliness and want. We pray for Pioneer, for its growth, for its children, for its work. Help us to understand the purpose you have for us and guide us in fulfilling that mission. Grant that this church—your church—may be a safe place, a place of community, of belonging where all who seek to know you are welcome.

          We thank you for all the ways you provide for us as a church and as individuals. We ask for your special grace for ….… for RaeJean Newman … Dave Clark … Tina Bossuot … Verna’s sisters … Mary and Ray Swarthout … Sandy Cargill … Elaine LaChapelle … Somer Bauer … Tasha Sizemore … Beverly Patterson … Margaret Dunbar …Virginia  … 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

God has multiplied the goodness we enjoy and has continued to bless us in every way. How shall we respond to the One who gathers the faithful remnant and entrusts us with the tasks of bringing justice and truth to a troubled world? Let us give account of our stewardship in this time of giving.

 

DOXOLOGY

 

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

No offering is complete unless we give ourselves with our substance. Take all that is yours and make us partners with Jesus Christ in your ministry of reconciliation. Use us as undershepherds, as instruments of Christ’s continuing revelation in the Spirit, as witnesses who live and speak your truth day by day. Amen.

CLOSING HYMN:  “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!”     Glory#263

 

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

          If we are to give more than empty words to the claim that Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, then we must allow Jesus to truly rule. This week challenge yourself that what you do and what you say gives truth to our claim that Christ is King.

          As you do, know that 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

-         November 21 following worship       Worship & Music

-         November 21 1:00 p.m.                      Prayer Shawl Ministry

-         November 23 noon                             PPW lunch meeting

-         November 25 all day                          Thanksgiving Holiday

-         November 28                                      NO Deacons meeting

 

PRAYER CARE:

Rae Jean Newman (Covid recovery), Tina Bossuot (Alzheimer’s), Verna’s sister (Covid recovery), Mary and Ray Swarthout, Sandy Cargill (breast cancer), Somer Bauer (breast cancer), Tasha Sizemore (Crohn’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 11/28/21

Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13;

Luke 21:25-36