Sermon from Nehemiah 4:1-14 for July 22

Sermon from Nehemiah 2:1-8 for July 15

What is the hardest thing you have ever asked anyone for?

A raise? A job? To marry you? To move out? For forgiveness?

Big asking is a big challenge!

A clergy friend once told the story of going to someone’s house to see if this couple would be willing to give a large gift to a building campaign. They were trying to raise almost $1,000,000 and wanted to line up a bunch of big donations first, so what needed to be raised seemed more manageable.

They sat down with this business man and his wife also a business woman, and the pastor admitted that he was really nervous. He had prayed about asking as had the other member of the building pledge team. They sensed that they should be bold, but the jitters were in full force.

So, they made small talk and then mentioned the project they had come to talk about. The couple were direct, “What is it you want?” The pastor decided to be brave. He said, “we would like you to consider a gift of $10,000.”

The man looked at his wife and she got their checkbook and gave the pastor a check for $10,000. After some additional small talk, the pastor and the pledge team member got up to leave and the wife said to them. “You know, if you had asked for $50,000, we would have written that check too. It’s alright to ask big.”

There was a book several years ago that discussed what the author called the “Aladdin Principle”. You remember the story of Aladdin either from the book, “One Thousand and One Arabian Nights,” or from the Disney movie, “Aladdin”.

Aladdin gets trapped in a cave where he finds a special lamp. Finding the lamp was good. Choosing to rub it the right way was even better. Getting a genie who offered him three wishes was fantastic!

But what was totally amazing was Aladdin learning how to ask for what he really needed, a skill the author of the Aladdin Principle book suggests we all need to learn. We need to learn how to ask.

In the biblical book of James the author points out that we do not have because we do not ask God for what we need, and when we do, we ask with bad motives.

We are to pray, “give us this day our daily bread” certainly an invitation to ask for the basics but suggests with those very words that when we ask we recognize God’s kingdom is in force in our lives and in our world, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Asking is also commended by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount where he says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

So as a follower of Jesus, how well are you doing with the asking thing?

What are you asking for? What is your big ask?

Nehemiah, is in a difficult situation. He knows there is a problem in Jerusalem with God’s people. Something needs to be done. He has concluded he is one of those who needs to do something and he is uniquely in the place to ask for help.

But dare he ask? This is very, very risky. But..

He decides that he needs to speak freely to the King. It is not easy, but it is the right thing, to do. He perceives he has been placed in this unique set of circumstances for this task; to ask.

And he needs to ask big. But he needs also to ask smart.

He needs to ask in the right context, and he needs to ask for what the King can actually give him. His asking cannot be a threat to Artaxerxes, on the contrary, it needs to be clear that this rather simple request is one that honors the King, that it recognizes his power and authority.

Just like everyone one of our prayers should!

When it comes to asking, Nehemiah becomes a great example of how to ask.  

First, pray it through! Don’t ask until you have it well covered in prayer. There is no point in asking idly. Ask with clear intent and be prepared to put yourself in as part of the answer!

Next be ready to ask when the opportunity comes. Nehemiah had thought it through and had his elevator speech ready.

You know what an elevator speech is? It is the speech every junior executive is supposed to have ready in case you get stuck on an elevator with the CEO, so that in your allotted 30 seconds you can say what really matters.

“Your Majesty, would you be willing to give me letters to the governors of the provinces west of the Euphrates River, so that I can travel safely to Judah? I will need timber to rebuild the gates of the fortress near the temple and more timber to construct the city wall and to build a place for me to live. And so, I would appreciate a letter to Asaph, who is in charge of the royal forest.”

Then, make sure you have thought all the way through. What if the answer to the ask is yes, then what? That is not the point where you want to scramble to figure it all out! You want to hit the road running! What will you do, with whom, how, how long will it take, and when will you be back?

And don’t forget, ask boldly, ask for what you need, but also be brave and honor the giver. What Nehemiah asked for were things Artaxerxes could do, not ones he couldn’t. Of course, asking the God of the universe who can do all things is one thing, asking your boss, spouse, parent or child is another. What can they do? Ask for that!

And then, follow through! Don’t be shy, and don’t delay! Get to work using the new gifts you have been given and then… Give thanks with all your heart!

What is the hardest thing you have ever asked anyone for? And what is it you need to ask for now?

Be faithful my friends!

Amen.

Sermon from Nehemiah 1:1-11 for July 8

You may have heard, Noah James Farley, our grandson, and Brian and Rachel's son, made his appearance on Independence Day at 8:22pm, possibly a statement about his future plans! 

Right now, his life consists of eating, peeing and sleeping, with a few hours of staring at the very weird people who keep gurgling over him. Life is good! And when it isn’t he squalls!

But still, life is simple and simple is good!

It’s hard for some of us in this very complex world to understand simplicity. It seems old fashioned and perhaps uninformed. We like variety and we like choices, we seem to favor complexity over simplicity. We have gotten used to being able to pick what we like. Over 200 channels on TV and even more online!

But what we miss is the costliness of choice, our loss of focus, how uncentered we have become, drifting from one input to another. Try going out for ice cream.

In the old days having chocolate, vanilla, or a twist was simple, though boring. But it was easy. The customer, you or I, had only three possible choices. And the vendor had to only make space for two kinds of ice cream.

Then we put it in a dish or on a cone. Not a tough choice and one the vendor could easily accommodate. But now, how about a waffle cone or waffle dish? Sprinkles, chocolate or multicolored? Hot fudge or caramel sauce, or peanut butter, or strawberry or marshmallow? And 45 flavors! More and more choices.

Now across the whole front of Twin Cone, or on the board at Blueberry Mountain or at the Riverside Creamery (yes, I like ice cream, don’t be judgy) are endless possible choices. It’s amazing! It’s wonderful!

And it is overwhelming!

And costly, not only for the vendor who has to make sure that all those possible choices are available, but also for the customer who must pay something extra to make all those choices available.

Simple is good, especially when it allows us to cut through complexity and see what is important, what is at stake, what must be done, and who must do it.

Complexity can obfuscate. It can cloud our vision. It can make it hard not only to see God, but it can also make it hard to see what God is doing; and then what you and I must be doing as God’s people!

We live in a complex world. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, email, text, messaging, snapchat, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, BBC, PBS, all with stories, both real and unreal, full of details told in such a way to cloud our understanding, our vision, our calling, pushing us further and further apart.

We can’t have civil conversations about much of anything, and even the tiniest differences between us feel at times like great big iron curtains of separation. Life is not simple. Life is not clear and obvious. And so, neither is our calling. An old joke tells the story. It goes:

I once saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!"

He said, "Why not? Nobody loves me."

I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes."

I said, "Are you a Christian?"

He said, "Yes, a Christian."

I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?"

He said, "Protestant."

I said, "Me, too! What franchise?"

He said, "Baptist."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Baptist."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region."

I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912."

I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.

Walls of separation.

For God’s people simplicity and clarity of vision is essential. We need to see who is on the Lord’s side and it is not always just the folks who agree with us. Rather it is the people God has called to labor beside us. 

We, as a church mission, are thinking of going to Texas to do some flood remediation there. What we need is people who will do God’s work, not necessarily ones who think exactly the same things!

Nehemiah could have gotten caught up in the complexity of life in Persia. It was an amazing place and an amazing time. Here he was a Jewish man, an immigrant who practiced a minority religion, with remarkable responsibilities right in the middle of the Persian Empire.

He held the position of cup bearer, a position with the highest security clearance. Because of palace intrigue and the possibility of poison, he was to protect the king, and his confidential relationship gave him a position of great influence!

So, he could have focused his time and energy on the Persian equivalent of the Game of Thrones, living and working as he did at the behest of Artaxerxes, king of the Persians.

Instead, what worried Nehemiah that November, was not Persian politics, not court intrigue, but instead what God was doing with God’s people. In all that you have heard and seen of contemporary life, where do you see God at work?

He had heard that the Jewish people back in Jerusalem, the 2% of the Jews who had gone home with Ezra after Cyrus the Persian had defeated the Babylonians and released them back home, were in a bad situation, and he was overwhelmed with grief. When was the last time you grieved over what is happening to our brothers and sisters in Christ here in the US and around the world?

Nehemiah was just a cupbearer to the King, but God had plans for Nehemiah!

What are you? Just a teacher? Just a farmer? Just a …? 

The truth is God has plans for you too!

There is more to Nehemiah’s story, and over the next couple of week’s we’ll tell it, but for right now, here is a question we can wrestle with: Why has God got you where you are, and what is it God has next for you to do?

Be faithful my friends!

Amen.

Communion by Candy Burnett

Communion - FYI

July 1, 2018

When I realized this would be a Communion Sunday I thought it might be a good idea to explain some things about Communion. Often when I observe Communion from the choir loft, I think that I appreciate the service more because know somethings about it that others perhaps do not. The reason being that I, and several others Elders, have taken Communion Training which authorizes us to administer the Sacrament in the absence of the minister, or to someone outside the church setting.

          So, “How many here take communion?” That was one of the first questions at one training session we took. The answer is, none of you.  The sacrament is a gift and is given to you. So, you don’t take it - you receive it!  Well, sometimes I have to remind myself of that because for years, I thought I was taking communion.

          Let’s talk about what communion is not - 

1. It is not assurance of entry into any more ‘worthy’ status (entry into heaven)

2. It is not Body or Blood. In the Presbyterian Church, we do not believe the elements of bread and juice change into the actual body and blood of Christ. In some other religions, it is thought there is a transformation. For us, they are symbols.

3. It is not a Snack. So, coming to receive it, should be done with thought.

4. It is not a Secret (if delivering Communion to the home-bound) In fact, every time communion is served, whether in the church or in a home or hospital etc., it is reported and recorded in the Session minutes.

Now let’s see what Communion is:

          For one thing - it is one of two Sacraments of the Presbyterian Church USA.

The other one is - Baptism.

          If you don’t mind I am going to read part of the Theology of the Lord’s Supper from the PCUSA Book of Order. I feel it is very interesting and meaningful.

“The Lord’s Supper (or Eucharist) is the sign and seal of our communion with the crucified and risen Lord. Jesus shared meals with his followers throughout his earthly life and ministry—common suppers, miraculous feasts, and the covenant commemorations of the people of God. Jesus spoke of himself as the bread of life, and the true vine, in whom we are branches. On the night before his death, Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples. He spoke of the bread and wine as his body and blood, signs of the new covenant and told the disciples to remember him by keeping this feast. On the day of his resurrection, Jesus made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of the bread. The disciples continued to devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, prayers, and the common meal. As Paul wrote, when we share the bread and cup in Jesus’ name, “we who are many are one body” (1 Cor. 10:17).
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper offers an abundant feast of theological meaning, including: thanksgiving to God the Father; remembrance of Jesus Christ; invocation of the Holy Spirit; communion in the body of Christ; and a meal of the realm of God. The Re- formed tradition understands the Lord’s Supper to be a sign of God’s covenant. The bread of the Lord’s Supper is linked with the bread of Passover and the gift of manna in the wilderness. The Lord’s Supper thus connects us with God’s saving power and providential care from generation to generation. Like the offering of sacrifices, a sign of Israel’s thanks- giving for God’s faithfulness, the Lord’s Supper is a sacrifice of praise and a sign of our gratitude for God’s steadfast love. The Lord’s Supper represents God’s gracious invitation to an everlasting covenant. The Lord’s Supper also reflects our calling to feed others as we have been fed, and offers a foretaste of that heavenly banquet when God will wipe away every tear and swallow up death forever.
The Lord’s Supper enacts and seals what the Word proclaims: God’s sustaining grace offered to all people. The Lord’s Supper is at once God’s gift of grace, God’s means of grace, and God’s call to respond to that grace. Through the Lord’s Supper, Jesus Christ nourishes us in righteousness, faithfulness, and discipleship. Through the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit renews the Church in its identity and sends the Church to mission in the world.”

          The Book of Order also explains who is responsible for the Lord’s Supper.

1. I already explained that Elders may take Communion Training to administer the sacrament. We used to have to take it every year or asked to be commissioned again by a Presbytery committee. Now, I think they made it so the training is done every three years.

          Communion elements may also be taken from the table by Deacons and Elders to the homebound, if requested. In that case, the Deacons and Elders do not need the training, because it is brought from the church service. It is an extension of the Table. There are guidelines as to how to do that as well. It should be done by two or more people to represent the community of the church.

          Those that have been trained may provide the elements and administer the communion on another day, which in that case, the elements are not coming from the table and a service already held.

2. Who decides when Communion is served and the method of Communion?

          The Session decides. The Session is the board of Ruling Elders elected by the congregation. They decide how often if is served. Our church has regular Communion on the first Sunday of the month and at special services such as Maundy Thursday and the 11 o’clock Christmas Eve. Service. They may also authorize it to be served at a Christian marriage, ordinations and installations, ministry to the sick. Our session has granted a blanket authorization for communion to the ill as there may not be time for an individual authorization.

          The Goshen Presbyterian Church celebrates Communion every Sunday. According to the Book of Order, it may be celebrated as often as desired but must be served at least quarterly.

          The Session decides whether it will be done by Intinction or Pew Communion. We generally use Intinction and save Pew Communion for special services, such as World Wide Communion Sunday in Oct.

Why one over the other?

          Time - mostly. It takes more time to prepare, serve and clean up for Pew Com. Although, to me, there is something special about holding the elements and taking them all together or on Maundy Thursday, holding that cup and hearing “This cup is the new covenant, sealed with my blood, shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.”

While we are talking about the elements -

Pita Bread - there is really nothing super special about Pita bread other than the fact it doesn’t fall apart when one dips it in the juice.

Some churches even bake their own bread. We have even used hard rolls in a pinch when someone has forgotten to get pita. And now, we have rice crackers for those with gluten issues.

Wine or Grape Juice - we use grape juice. We used to use wine and grape juice but when we became aware that some recovering alcoholics had some concerns about possibly get the wrong one, the Session years ago decided we would only serve juice.

Leftovers? - You may wonder what is done with the leftover bread and juice. According to the Book of Order  - the Session should make the decision but in keeping with the Reformed understanding of the Sacrament & principles of good Stewardship, it may be consumed or returned to the earth. So, you may take the remaining bread and eat it or use it in a way of consumption. Here, someone usually takes it to feed the birds. The juice may be drank or poured out on the ground rather than down a drain.

We do ask that you hold the pita holder, not the pita, when ripping a piece off for cleanliness reasons.

Who may receive Communion?

          It has been that all those who are baptized and believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord & Savior may partake.  I believe, now even those who have not been baptized but desire to receive it, may.

May Children receive? - Our church leaves it up to parents but recommend that they have instructed them and that they understand what they are doing, after all, remember, it is not a snack. Generally, after they have made their confirmation.

How many times may you receive Communion on a Sunday? - as often as one wants. Some of us are at more than one service in a day and are free to partake at all services.

The Book of Order also provides the Sections of the Service.

          You have probably noticed that the service of the Lord’s Supper doesn’t change much and that is because there are basic requirements to the service.

Listen for them when we are at the Table.

They include:

1. Invitation -

2. Great Prayer of Thanksgiving - which we do not include. Some of you who have come from other churches probably wonder why. I did ask Jeff and he said, time. The Great Prayer can be two pages long. It includes some responsive phrasing and is often included in Worship Hymnals. Ours hymnal does not, our older one did. I have copies if anyone would like one or would like to see it.

3. Lord’s Prayer - we say the prayer earlier in the service so we don’t repeat it.

4. Words of Institution - you will hear me say, “Hear now the words of institution”

5. Communion of the People - distribution of the elements

6. Prayer Following Communion

7. Creed - which we say earlier

I hope you found this informative and that you maybe learned something new or have a deeper appreciation of the Lord’s Supper.