St John United Church of Christ - Worship 25 Oct 2020

St John United Church of Christ             

Melbourne, IA             

Welcome to worship with us!      

******************************************************

“No Matter Who You are or Where You are on Life’s Journey, You are Always Welcome Here!”

October 25, 2020 | 9:30 AM | Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Invitation to Prepare: Happy Reformation Sunday!

Helen Keller wrote, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt in the heart.”

 

Matthew 22:36-39

³⁶ “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” ³⁷ He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

 

Call to Worship: (Psalm 1)          

Together:  

¹ Happy are those
    who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
    or sit in the seat of scoffers;
² but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law they meditate day and night.
³ They are like trees
    planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
    and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

⁴ The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶ for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

 

Hymn 386 (NCH): The Church’s One Foundation

Gathering Prayer

Happy are we, O God, when our hearts are full,
our ways are yours, our spirits enlivened by your call. 
Happy are we, O God, when our lives are guided by delight.
We gather here today for just that, holy God. 
We gather to draw on all you would give us
to be more fully yours.  In Jesus’ name.

 

Scripture Reading:      Leviticus 19: 1-2, 15-18 (NRSV)                                   

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ² Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. ¹⁵ You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. ¹⁶ You shall not go around as a slanderer  among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

¹⁷ You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. ¹⁸ You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Sermon:  How Do You Love?

Posted online at:

https://tonyswebstudios.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-do-you-love-leviticus-19.html

 

Moment of Silence & Reflection:

Invitation to Offering:

Anyone who has ever loved knows that to love is to give –
to give from the place we feel it most. 
This giving may be sacrificial,
but the sacrifice is compromised if it cannot be done joyfully. 
May we join together in the delight of giving? 

 

Let us remember the gifts you have been given.

Remember to share them with the community, your church.

(They can be sent to the church office.)

Sharing your gifts, the fruits of your labor, is great

because

God is good!                All the time!

All the time!*              God is good!*

Let us share in the goodness of our God!!

 

Doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;                               

 Praise God all creatures here below;

 Praise God for all that love has done;

 Creator, Christ, and Spirit, One. Amen

 

Prayer of Dedication:

We give thanks, O God, for all that you have given us.  With what you see before us, God, we demonstrate our deepest love. Receive our gifts as sweet offering before you. May they be the blessing to others that they have been for us. We offer this prayer in the name of the Creator, the Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Pastoral Meditation & Prayer:   

The Lord is with you 

Let us be in quiet meditations of our own hearts and minds.

…

Lord's Prayer: (ALL)

 

Hymn 4 (NCH): Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.

 

Closing Announcements:

Benediction:

Remember, as you go forth, the words our commandment to love,

Walk well in the way of love with speech, thoughts and action.

Let the warmth of God’s love be with you and guide you.

 

May the LORD bless you and keep you,

May holiness shine upon you, with you and be gracious to you,

May the Creator turn to you and give you peace, now and always.

 

******************************************************

 

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

Portions of Gathering and Offertory Copyright 2020 Local Church Ministries, Faith INFO Ministry Team, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44115-1100.  Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education.  All publishing rights reserved. 

Whats Fair - Matthew 20

 Getting What’s Deserved/ What’s Fair

Tony E Dillon Hansen

20 Sep 2020

Sermon based upon Matthew 20:1-16, Jonah 4, Psalm 145, and Philippians 1:21-30

Opening Prayer:

There is something peculiar and difficult about this parable because there is so much to unpack beginning with how people construct arguments over what is fair and what is not.  Jesus, with this parable, upends order and social norms, and that can make people jittery, nervous and even angry. This parable speaks to our expectations and getting what we think we deserve.  Underlying, the parable reveals a glimpse into the kingdom of God. 

Our opening quote from Charles Dickens reminds us via the character, Pip, that having social status and money or “expectations” of those do not make us great people.  

This idea of “fair” inevitably has me thinking about our Covid-19 situation that cancelled the Iowa State Fair and county fairs.  I agree with many that it was a sad day when they announced the decision, and it did not feel “fair.”

Yet, if we look at this story, we might ask ourselves “where do you find yourself in the story?” Are you the ones toiling long hours, or those who had to wait even though you are capable and willing to do good work?  Are you the ones who just found a job?

Are you the landowner trying to find help? Would you have done something different? Why?

Those who are troubled and see themselves as those toiling, looking onward at the line of payments, and wondering something along the lines of “I should get more” because obviously, I deserve more. 

Yet, the landowner promised “whatever is right,” and each group agreed to this. Now the same is being given to each group. If you are among those longer workers, why would you expect more like they did? From where do you base that expectation?

In fact, what is so important that one receive more than the other?

Then we must consider what was the “whatever is right”?  As I said in the outset, this is a glimpse into the kingdom of God because we see this gift of grace freely given.  

That this falls in Matthew reminds us of the Beatitudes again where the blessings are given not to those with seniority, status or wealth, but those poor in spirit, those pure in heart, and those thirsting for spirit and righteousness. Those willing to seek the Truth in humility. Those willing to share light for all and to lift up others.

What is really important then is a question of what value do we place upon time, work, or people. When I say valuing people, that is not how many “likes” you get on Facebook  or talking to hear yourself talk, but truly listening with compassionate and open heart. 

When we look at the later groups in the parable we see many examples in our lives. Should youth be treated differently than people who lived a few decades? (Reminds me of the Pink Floyd lyric, “Remember when you were young… Shine on you crazy diamonds.”) Should immigrants be treated less because our immigrant fore-bearers came here first? Should homeless be treated differently because they fell onto hard times? Why does any person deserve less than anyone else?

This is why recent protests for equality and fairness confuse those who already have privilege.  Think, from where does righteousness and justice come? It is not governments and corporations. It is the presence of divine grace lived out and shared with all. 

Yes this is why some react to this parable with some jealousy and mistrust because it may feel like someone is getting more than they deserve. Who decided that? Government, commercials,  you, or God? Even churches get comfortable; comfortable enjoying gifts while foregoing a “hunger and thirst for righteousness” or mercy instead because what’s familiar. However, are we leaving others out that deserve God’s grace? 

We go to church to experience God and to share that experience.

So, Jesus pushes us to go beyond social and political constructs and look into our hearts. That is not always easy, but Jesus works hearts better than exercise. We can see around us how this shows up in many areas of life where we have built expectations, privilege and prejudice. The underlying lesson is that God’s kingdom doesn’t work that way. 

Doing the right thing doesn’t always feel comfortable. Yet, it does not have to be difficult when we see true value of others, even when they are new, different or even our enemy. We welcome these voices, and when we do, we welcome God’s Truth, God’s grace, into our lives, our churches, our society, and our heart – all because we deserve the gift instead of exclude.

R. Jacobsen, commentator from Working Preacher, says truly understanding our “incredible gift of grace” becomes even more powerful when we recognize that others also have this. Still, there may be those that challenge this because this belief “that’s not the way the world works,” and you might be correct.  

Fortunately, that is not how God works and in that kingdom,  all are entitled and gifted with grace, love and justice. In fact, God’s grace is given to anyone who comes, who prays. 

It is kind of like the state fair. Whether you go for the whole 10 days or the last day, like I do, and whether you have turkey leg, corn dog, or deep-fried something, you get the experience.  Unlike the state fair though, God’s grace and welcome does not close, does not get cancelled, and does not exclude. 

All are welcome to this gift, the holy promise – no matter where you are or when you arrived.  All, the immigrants, the forgotten, the humble, the mourning, seeking mercy.. all are given sanctuary and freedom to live in that grace. You and I can enjoy and be free in our gifts. We can witness that gifts in others.  Justice, righteousness, and love are God’s gifts to be shared not simply taken. Lift others, free each other and make way for real grace.  That, my friends, is “whatever is right.” 

Thanks be to God.

Worship Bulletin for Aug 30, 2020 - St John UCC

 St John United Church of Christ                   

Melbourne, IA                     

Welcome! to worship with us 

August 30, 2020 | 9:30 AM

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost     

              ******************************************************

“No Matter Who You are or Where You are on Life’s Journey, 

You are Always Welcome Here!”

Invitation to Prepare:

“Touched by an Angel” Maya Angelou

Retrieved from https://allpoetry.com/Touched-By-An-Angel

 

Call to Praise and Prayer:    (from Psalm 105)                

Together:  

O give thanks to the LORD, call upon the divine name, make known divine deeds.

Sing to the LORD, sing praises; tell of all the wonderful works.
Glory in the holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Seek the LORD and divine strength; seek the divine presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works the LORD has done, the miracles, and divine judgments,
We praise the LORD!

 

Hymn: Spirit of the Living God

Invocation:

God’s mercy extends beyond the bounds of even our collective imagination.
God’s love seeps through any wall we could ever put up. 
God’s goodness holds more power than the sum of all. 

It is because of that extensive, seeping, powerful and bold love
in the name of the blessed, God is with us

In genuine love.

 

Scripture Reading:      Romans 12: 9-21 (NRSV)                                   

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰ Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." ²⁰ No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

Sermon:  Genuine.

Posted online as well at:

https://tonyswebstudios.blogspot.com/2020/08/genuine-romans-12.html

 

 

Pastoral Meditation & Prayer:   

The Lord is with you 

Let us be in quiet meditations of our own hearts and minds.

…

Lord's Prayer: (ALL)

 

Hymn: Make Me a Channel of Your Peace

 

Closing Announcements:

Benediction:

Let love be you genuinely.

Rejoice in hope, live in harmony, and persevere in prayer.

⁵ May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another… ⁶ so that together you may with one voice glorify our Creator.

 

May the LORD bless you and keep you,

May the LORD shine upon you and be gracious to you,

May the LORD turn to you and give you peace, now and always..

 

******************************************************

 

Genuine - Romans 12

Genuine.

Tony E Dillon-Hansen

 

A Meditation upon Romans 12: 9-18, Psalm 105, Exodus 3:14, and Matthew 16:

 

Intro Prayer:

 

Friends,

This passage is among my favorite from the epistles because it echoes much of Matthew 5. There is guidance and hopeful idealism - which is useful today amidst social unrest, storm recovery, racial injustice, political division, and this long-overdue visitor called a pandemic.

 

Lets start with a story

One day,

A contemptuous outlaw was thrashing about a small village.

This outlaw came upon a house of a master.

He had heard of stories about the master and wanted to test this legendary skill.

 

He came to the gate of the master's house. The master was tending his garden.

The outlaw called out to him boasting that he could beat him and crush him with a single strike.

He taunted the master and cried ignorance and bogus skill.

"Challenge me if you can, and show me your best technique."

 

At this, the master turned to the outlaw, bowed to him, and walked into the house.

 

The outlaw became furious at this and ranted the legends of the master were untrue and undeserving.

The outlaw raved the master knew nothing of great technique and worthy skills.

 

A short moment later, the master reappeared.

This time, he had with him a tray.

Upon the tray was a pot of tea and cups.

The master sat near a table and began to pour two cups.

He then gestured the outlaw to drink with him.

 

The outlaw, caught off guard, then bowed to the master and shared some tea.

 

Romans 12 is about hospitality and love – not just cute rhetorical words, but genuine love.  This, my friends, is the “sweet nectar” of faithful living. (KC commentator, Mitch Holtus, would say when Chiefs would score touchdowns.)

 

Amid struggles and questions of purpose, Romans reminds us to “rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering and persevere in prayer” where we must first let love be genuine.

 

Where does that start, you ask?

 

It starts with you. When we read, “Let Love be genuine” hear “let love be you.” Be present with love. When we peel off our own layers of social and personal pretense, we may uncover the vulnerable, broken child of God made with divine love within us – a child full of hope, potential, wonder, worry and yes love.   

 

Further, “love one another with mutual affection” means, we may recognize this in others. Then, we see each other as children of God, made with love, with their own vulnerability and brokenness.

 

For some people  “unaccustomed to courage

exiles in delight

… in shells of loneliness…”

For some people beaten down by the system, an abusive person or even themselves, this is difficult because we create walls or hide in substances from pain and suffering where unwinding that onion (of self) is more than tearful - but shattering and scary. Really, we were hiding the love within.

 

We don’t have to accept lies, deliberate distortions, or systemic chains. With God’s love in us, we can transform and tear down walls. When love arrives and when we recognize the love within us, along comes hope and courage - revealing beautiful and powerful results.

 

Thus, let love be you and share that love, as Paul says.

 

We share through contributing and extending hospitality. We recognize that we share gifts and learn from each other. Then, we find hope together because we let go of pretense, judgment and anger.  We are present together and paying attention to the moment. We find peace together because we find harmony through hospitality. 

 

With hospitality, we build a stronger community of love together. You won’t have time for negativity, lies or vengeance because we are a little busy doing Christ’s work building each other.

 

As well, hospitality extends to the lowly, the homeless, the forgotten and the immigrant because as Genesis reminds us, our people were once immigrants persecuted in exile.

 

We acknowledge and welcome people where they are, as Christ did, because they too are children of God. There is no need to “claim to be wiser” or more than we are. We know we are imperfectly, distinctly beautiful people. Thus, our genuine love helps to shape ourselves and to build a beautiful community with love, hope, peace and harmony. 

 

Be genuine and compassionate in speech, mind, hearing, and heart. Witness the potential and the love working within us and around us – even enemies. In fact, bless them too – not flippantly.

 

We have blessings with us, but the “sweet nectar” means we are good sports too.  Love is given to us and for us to give.

 

When we succeed with our blessings, we don’t put others down.  Besides, maybe authentic blessing is what opponents need as much as we need it - that space for forgiveness in ourselves. We let God work and share a drink.

 

When we let love and hospitality work, we acknowledge the homeless person asking for a meal, the black woman weeping over her child, the queer person’s struggle for identity, the native American praying to keep water clean, a good cop trying to do the right thing, or the veteran seeking peace from scars of war. In these moments, in our vulnerability, we can be bold because love and compassion is our strength.

 

Listen with compassion and understanding (rather than quickly conjuring responses) because we don’t have to agree.  Let go of negativity, judgment, anger, vice and vengeance and let God work. Give hospitality to people and their concerns. Let God work.

 

Paul says to “take thought for what is noble” and live peaceably as we can. When we do, we may expand to the possible – to our Creator.

 

Feed your enemies and offer drink. These are ways to “overcome evil with good.” This may be hard sometimes (I know), but with God’s help, things are possible.

 

Thus, we can return to the self.  We can focus upon our breath, our prayers, and our blessings. We listen for possible. Remember you too are a child of God - You are expressions of that divine love.

 

“Love strikes away chains of fear” and helps us be brave. We want freedom from “histories of pain”, worries, and injustices. Love will set us free.

 

With genuine love as “all we are”, together, we can be free from suffering. No injustice or pandemic can beat it.

 

That, my friends, is the sweet nectar.

 

We witness the divine gifts and “wondrous works” when we are free in love.

 

Thanks be to God.

 

 

Changing Devotions and Perspectives: The Calling?

Changing Devotions and Perspectives II

Tony Dillon-Hansen

May 2014

As life progresses, we encounter ideas and perspectives that shape our current being.  The question of what is God calling me to do today is a mystery in a couple ways. There is a question about the existence of God or the premise of the deity’s personal interest in my path.  If there is such, what does that “calling” request of me? Finding Des Moines’ Plymouth Congregational Church on that path may yield clues to that request.

Through martial arts, study of Asian philosophies, and experience of Catholic teachings, I grew in strength with a sense of compassion for all people. Yet, the experience of being bullied, understanding religious hypocrisy and losing a child has wounded my once naïve compassionate sense of the world into a deeply questioning position of worth and purpose. There was little place for justifying the worth of religion. There is a question of the existence of a being that is directing the efforts and pathways in this world on any sort of macro or micro level. I will not pretend to witness God other than life exists with no explanation given, and I would hope that being has much more important things to attend than my lonely, trivial requests.

Perhaps, the entity has no interest in lording over people’s behavior (that would explain the ugly historical atrocities committed in the name of God or even without invoking such), and nature exists just simply as a manifestation of events. Parents and teachers of all stripes can easily attest to this where the point of lessons is to learn how to be autonomous. That we are here, today, in this environment, and one’s “ego in this bag of skin and bones” is a realization of something, and that people display that idea with virtual autonomy over own actions. Nature has many opportunities to learn about action and consequence, and proponents of chaos theory might suggest that “nature” is always ready to teach new lessons. That much is clear.

For all that has been boasted about God and religion, right, wrong, proper or foolish action ultimately requires one to do something, even if that something is nothing. The existence of God is very real to some people and to consider the absence of such, or of Lording qualities, would negate personal existence. So I would not know if God is calling me to do anything, but the position of where I am and where I have been has set me on a path that will yet change. The question is what was learned in the time and what can be imparted to others if anything.

There is a reason that I had to endure some things because as the Tao and the Buddha might suggest, one cannot possibly know good without knowing bad (and thus begins the 4 Noble Truths.) I can only hope that my path brings me towards better things and better places.  Experiences have helped to identify a proper course, and of course, chaos is always waiting to challenge that idea. With respect to chaos, a good fighter will tell you that strategy, flexibility and skillfulness are more useful than brute force attacks.  

With these ideas and if there is a calling, I became an ordained minister because a part of me still believes in compassion and honesty within human nature.  If there is a calling in the path, that is still a mystery to me. Yet, I found a great convergence of good teachings at Plymouth Congregational Church. 

I met with cynicism the first time that I heard the words, “No matter who you are; No matter where you are on life’s journey; you are welcome here.” As I heard subsequent sermons and discussions within and around the Church, there are people with critical thinking skills and people duly interested in expressing the compassion of humanity rather than hypocritical dogma and corrupt rhetoric. I can have reverence for the works and traditions of Church once again. That brought me home.

With Plymouth Church, I realized, for myself, that the purpose of church is to be a part of something that is larger than oneself, and I found more ways here to serve the community since many other organizations also meet at Plymouth. This place welcomes diversity and the purpose is clearly conveyed in order “to grow in love of God and neighbor.”  Church can be a place where people go to understand more about life and to do good work for your neighbors and community.  Thus, partially due to the tradition established in my youth, I actively serve in this Church because this Church expands its work into areas of the community that are in need of compassion (e.g. prisons, homeless, GLBT, and more), and they do not ask for a test when you walk in the door. This is close to what were my youthful ideas of the Church and the teachings of Jesus.

I still question the integrity of organized religion and God. I cannot un-live my experiences that caused questions and non-acceptance of my own senses, but maybe, I am not supposed to un-live them. My faith in people has been somewhat renewed by those involved with Interfaith Alliance and Plymouth Church. The mind has become quieter, acceptance of oneself is better, and possibilities are more positive. There is still more for me to do, and in what capacity that will be is what I have to find. That is the universal truth for everyone.  If there is a calling, it will take me somewhere better than I was and to go there with good people. If there is a calling, it has brought me here to this moment for a reason, and that is only a start of the next journey.