For Sunday, September 28

Hebrew Bible:	Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm:	Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Epistle:	Philippians 2:1-13
New Testament:	Matthew 21:23-32

Theme: God's Sustaining Presence
Sermon: God at Work (for God is at work in you... Phil 2:13)
Hymns:
#27 From All That Dwell Below the Skies
#488 Take My Life, God, Let It Be
#565 God Whose Giving Knows No Ending (v. 1 and 4 only)

This is our Stewardship Sunday, the day we offer our "estimate of giving" forms along with our offering for the day. It is an expression of faith, to submit ourselves to the discipline of regular giving. It is perhaps even more meaningful when it is more difficult.
Generosity is counter-cultural. The messages of the marketplace are "more for me." Advertising is designed to make us feel anxious about what we lack. Jesus advises: do not worry about your life, what to eat, what to wear. God knows what you need, and God provides.
Giving obviously blesses those who receive; but generous giving also blesses the giver with an inexplicable peace. Opening our hands to the poor relaxes our grip on the possessions that possess us. To be able to let go, and then realize, that we are still OK, that we actually have more than enough to live, that is a priceless insight.
God is at work in us. We are not complete, perfect disciples, but we are able to do more than we can ask or imagine when we acknowledge that God is at work within us and through us. Blessing us and blessing others through our generosity.

For Sunday, September 21st

Hebrew Bible: Exodus 16:2-15
(Bread from heaven.)

Psalm: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45
(O give thanks to the Lord.)

Epistle: Philippians 1:21-30
(The apostle encourages the Philippians to persevere in the struggle.)

New Testament: Matthew 20:1-16
(The parable of the laborers in the vineyard.)

Sunday Bulletin Focus: Tension in the Wilderness
Our Focus: God is Generous
Hymns:
#22, Sing Praise to God (tune: LOBE DEN HERREN)
#18, Guide Me, O My Great Redeemer (tune: CWM RHONDDA)
#370, What Gift Can We Bring (tune: ANNIVERSARY SONG)

For Sunday, September 14

Hebrew Bible: Exodus 14:19-31
(The parting of the Red Sea.)

Psalm: Psalm 114 or Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21
(Both are hymns of celebration, commemorating the parting of the sea.)
Epistle: Romans 14:1-12
(Caution against judging the faith-practice of others. "We belong to Christ.")

New Testament: Matthew 18:21-35
(How many times should I forgive? Parable of the unforgiving servant.)

Sunday Bulletin Theme: Road to Freedom
Stewardship emphasis: Gifts of time & talent.

We are following the Exodus journey in our Old Testament readings. We began a few weeks ago with the story of baby Moses being rescued from the River Nile; now the hero leads his people through the Red Sea waters from slavery to freedom.
The New Testament readings remind us that we are not the boss of each other; we are all slaves (or servants, if you prefer) accountable to another master. The epistle lesson begins: "Welcome those who are weak in the faith; but not for the purpose of quarreling." Anyone who has verbally sparred with someone whose faith journey takes an alternate route (to put it kindly) will know how fruitless and hurtful it can be. Who is to say whose faith is weak and whose is strong? Best to keep our eyes on our own exam book, and do our own spiritual work.
The group working on our church's annual stewardship campaign selected the hymn, "Here I am Lord," to accompany an appeal for gifts of time and talent.

For Sunday September 7

Hebrew Bible: Exodus 12:1-14
(Moses institutes a holiday-- the observance of Passover.)
Psalm: Psalm 149
(Sing and dance, praise the Lord who delights in the humble.)
Epistle: Romans 13:8-14
(The one who loves fulfills the law.)
New Testament: Matthew 18:15-20
(Tell it to the church.)

Sunday Bulletin Theme: Remember, Restore, Renew
Our Focus: "Welcome" Sunday

I remember how, when I was a little girl, I expressed sympathy for Reverend Mellish, our pastor, because, it seemed to me, he always had to be so serious. Somehow I equated a religious nature with a dour expression. I have observed over the years that many of us form that theory, and never experience anything that disproves it.
But here in the scriptures we are commanded to celebrate! We are encouraged to sing and dance! We are ordered to cease from work at regular intervals, to rest and recreate.
Anyone who thinks "churchiness" is serious business should come to a council meeting, and note how much laughter we share around the table. Yes, there is serious work done there too, but we never take ourselves so seriously that we can't laugh at ourselves.
I wonder how many people avoid church because they think it must be morbid. We could do a great service to God and to our neighbors by sharing our joy in worship.
This is Welcome Sunday, which is a good time to call up friends and invite them to church. Choir practice begins at 8:45 a.m., Worship is at 10:00 (as always) and Church School for children begins after worship with an Open House for parents. Adult Forum will start next week.
See you in church.

For Sunday, August 10

Hebrew Bible:	Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
Psalm:	Psalm 105, 1-6, 16-22,45b
Epistle:	Romans 10:5-15
New Testament:	Matthew 14:22-33

Sunday Bulletin Service Theme: Lifted Up

The gospel lesson is the story of Jesus walking over the sea of Galilee to join the disciples on the storm-tossed boat. The reading from Genesis is the story of Joseph (of the Technicolor Dream Coat) being betrayed by his jealous brothers. The Psalm celebrates the way God turned bad into good, by providing, through Joseph's exile in Egypt, a way to save his father and brothers and all their families from the famine in the land of Canaan. How have you experienced God's power to transform tragedy into victory?
Our hymns for Sunday are #12 I Sing the Mighty Power of God, #488 Be Still My Soul, #76 Sent Forth by God's Blessing. A Bell Choir quartet will play an anthem.

Word Study on the Lord's Prayer

What’s the word? Debts? Trespasses? Sins?

Earliest manuscripts of the gospels were written in Greek. The Greek word όφείλω is most commonly translated “debts.” According to Walter Bauer’s Greek-English Lexicon the same word was used in contemporary documents to describe financial indebtedness. So the most accurate translation of the Lord’s prayer as it is recorded in the gospel of Matthew (6:12) would read:

And forgive us our debts, as we indeed forgave our debtors.

The use of the word “trespasses” comes from the 14^th verse of the same chapter, which reads:

For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you.

The Greek word for “sins” is used in the gospel according to Luke (11:4), which literally reads:

And forgive us our sins, for indeed we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

In both the Matthew and the Luke, what we translate into English as “indeed” is actually “and,” or “and how.” The word is added for emphasis, the way “ja” is used in German (in a way that does not translate into English literally). In contemporary colloquial American English, we might more accurately translate it in this way:

And forgive us our debts, as we sooooo forgave our debtors. (California valley)

Or, we really truly forgave our debtors. (Midwestern)

Or, we sure enough forgave our debtors. (Southern)

Or, forgive us our debts, because you bet we forgave our debtors. (Minnesotan)

I believe that the words we chose to use, whether debts, trespasses, or sins, are not as important as living the spirit of the prayer. What tends to be glossed over is that our petition for forgiveness is connected to Jesus’ assumption that we would not dare ask God for something that we had not already given to others.

...our petition for forgiveness is connected to Jesus’ assumption that we would not dare ask God for something that we had not already given to others.

I hear a mildly chiding tone, perhaps a bit of sarcasm, in Jesus’ response. When someone asked him, “Teach us to pray,” perhaps Jesus heard an unspoken question, “teach us how to get what we want out of God.” Forgiveness of debt was no doubt high on everyone’s list. The economy of Roman occupation benefited the Roman settlers and the collaborating local rulers, but left most of the nation’s families landless, homeless and in debt.

I believe Jesus was teaching about the economics of the kingdom, which does not come down from on high, but which bubbles up from the ground. Things will change, Jesus seems to say, when we begin to live the way we pray.

If you want forgiveness, forgive.

If you want bread, share what you have today.

If you want justice, extend justice to someone who seeks it from you.

That is the word on the words.

The Lord's Prayer in Heart and Mind

Once upon a time in a parish far away, I used to visit “Ruth” (not her real name) at the nursing home. Ruth was a long-time resident of the “memory care” wing of this particular nursing home; but she didn’t remember that, so it did not bother her one bit. Each time I visited Ruth was for her the first time, so I always had a second chance to make a first impression.
Ruth was always delighted to meet me. First, she would express her surprise, and then approval, that her new pastor was a woman. “You’re my pastor? You’re my pastor? Well, I think that’s wonderful.” She would then welcome me to town, ask if I had any family, and coo appropriately over wallet-sized photos of my small children. She was always so welcoming, so genuinely warm and hospitable, our visits never failed to lift my spirits.
At the conclusion of every visit, I would offer to say a prayer, and she would accept, and we would join hands and say the Lord’s Prayer together. Ruth couldn’t remember if she had any living relations. She didn’t remember that the Pioneer Home was her home, but she remembered every word of that prayer.
Our friend Lilja Behr, who served as chaplain at our local Good Samaritan nursing homes, tells me that this is not uncommon. Even people who have lost the ability to form original speech may still be able to recite prayers and sing hymns they learned in childhood.
Which is why my mind and heart are divided on the question of which Lord’s Prayer to print in the worship bulletin and teach to the children of our church. On the brain’s side, the translation that we commonly use is archaic. It was contemporary in the early seventeenth century (and traditionalists complained about having their Pater Noster taken from them), but we do not talk that way any more. Speakest we no more thusly. Thou, art, thy, thine, these words receive the squiggly red or green underline in Microsoft Word.
But in my heart resides the memory of Ruth, and so many others-- preliterate, illiterate, or post-literate-- speaking the words they learned, by heart.
As we continue our conversation on the Lord’s Prayer, I encourage you to consider another point of view. If you find you are living in your head, listen to someone who is speaking from the heart. If it is your heart, listen to someone who is speaking from the intellect. Let each one honor the other. In this way, we can each benefit from another’s understanding, and we can all move toward becoming one heart and mind.

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
-- Philippians 2:1-4