Sunday, September 27, 2020

River Sunday 17th Sunday after pentecost

 River Sunday Live Video


Let’s start with three deep breaths and relax….

River Sunday


Welcome! We worship this Sunday with the rivers and waters. We celebrate with the aquatic plants, the fish, the water fowl and all creatures of the waters. 

Let us pause with this musical reflection…


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKMuEOxir6w&ab_channel=BobNisbet


let us begin today’s worship…Water from a rock…if only


Call to Worship:

L: We invite the rivers to worship with us:

P: the Ashuelot, the Merrimack and all the streams that flow to the sea. 

L: We invite the country creeks to sing: 

P: Salmon, Bass and the Otter , trout streams and gleaming fountains. 

L: We invite the fauna to praise God with us: 

P: Peregrine Falcon and Redhead duck, dragonflies and Wood Turtle. 

L: We join with the waters in praising God: 

P: waterfalls singing upstream and waves dancing at the river mouth. 

L: We celebrate the song of the river! 

P: Sing, river, sing! 

 

Down to the River to Pray 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BumCkswUUDA&ab_channel=TiffanyGoodrick


 

[Chorus]

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good ol' way

And who shall wear the starry crown?

Good Lord show me the way!


[Verse 1]

O sisters let's go down

Let's go down, come on down

O sisters let's go down

Down in the river to pray


[Chorus]

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good ol' way

And who shall wear the robe & crown?

Good Lord show me the way


[Verse 2]

O brothers let's go down

Let's go down, come on down

Come on brothers, let's go down

Down in the river to pray


[Chorus]

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good ol' way

And who shall wear the starry crown?

Good Lord show me the way


[Verse 3]

O fathers let's go down

Let's go down, come on down

O fathers let's go down

Down in the river to pray


[Chorus]

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good ol' way

And who shall wear the robe and crown?

Good Lord show me the way


[Verse 4]

O mothers let's go down

Come on down, don't you wanna go down?

Come on mothers, let's go down

Down in the river to pray


[Chorus]

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good ol' way

And who shall wear the starry crown?

Good Lord show me the way


[Verse 5]

O sinners, let's go down

Let's go down, come on down

O sinners, let's go down

Down in the river to pray


[Chorus]

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good ol' way

And who shall wear the robe and crown?

Good Lord show me the way

 


 

(All candles lit.)


Matthew 21:23-32

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father[a] went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.


The word of God for the people of God!


P: Thanks be to God



Sermon water from a rock if only.



Water from the Rock exodus 17:1-7

17 From the wilderness of Sin (ZIN) the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah[a] and Meribah,[b] because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”


Sounds like a wonder-filled fantasy and yet have you ever seen a river come to life?  Have you seen God gift water to a people?  Where once was a dessert, suddenly a torrent of water?


“The story of the people of Israel traveling through the desert of Sin reminds us of the absolute dependency of human beings on water. Many of the current conflict zones have as one of their roots the lack of water. For instance the war in Syria was preceded by 7 years of drought which pushed farmers off the land into the cities, creating tensions in those communities. Cape Town managed to avert the day zero crisis of taps being turned off, but there were threats of the army being called in if day zero had been reached.


In this passage God tells Moses to strike the rock in a symbolic action. Later we hear that God becomes angry with him for the way in which he strikes the rock. In the Numbers passage Moses is strikes the rock in his anger at the ‘rebellious’ people.


“Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?”


Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. (Numbers 20:11–12)


This is a powerful reminder that we are to protect our sources of water, treat them with reverence and not abuse them. Much of Africa (as with the Middle East) is dependent on ground water sources such as aquifers. It is a sin and a crime against future generations if we abuse our water sources because of the urgent demands of people.


A more affluent life-style consumes vast quantities of treated water. Drinking quality water gushes into long showers, irrigated gardens and swimming pools, in contrast with the single taps or polluted water that people in poor communities use.” 


The psalmist today proclaims…


12 In the sight of their ancestors he worked marvels

    in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

13 He divided the sea and let them pass through it,

    and made the waters stand like a heap.

14 In the daytime he led them with a cloud,

    and all night long with a fiery light.

15 He split rocks open in the wilderness,

    and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.

16 He made streams come out of the rock,

    and caused waters to flow down like rivers.


Here is that river in the wilderness of ZIN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMm8wWNo7cA&ab_channel=%D7%93%D7%95%D7%93%D7%92%D7%9C-%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%9E%D7%A1%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D


“The miracles that are referred to in this passage refer to the wonders of water, how God divided the sea so that the people of Israel could pass through. He split the rocks in the desert to give abundant water. This reminds us of the Exodus passage where the needs of both people and their livestock, is met.


Hundreds of feet under the desert of the modern day Negev lie vast aquifers. The water is brackish, though far less salty than seawater. Throughout the Negev desert there are examples of modern water technology, including huge greenhouses for tomatoes and peppers. The crops from the Negev are timed to provide tomatoes and peppers out of season. And for two weeks each year the majority of tomatoes in Europe come from the Negev desert. This is indeed a miracle. But it is not a renewable miracle. Like seams of coal, once the water is extracted, it is gone forever. There may only be enough to last another 100 years.” 


There might have been a time when we could say these concepts of draught and climate change do not affect us …not any more


“About 370,000 people in New Hampshire – more than a quarter of the state’s population – are currently under outdoor water use restrictions due to the ongoing severe drought.


The drought has been escalating since May across the region and is now extreme in some parts of New England, with no substantial rainfall expected soon.

It’s prompted mandatory limits on outdoor water use in more than 150 local systems and towns in New Hampshire. These restrictions are concentrated in Rockingham County but extend throughout the state, in every county except Coos.


The small Upper Valley town of Enfield made its restrictions mandatory about a week ago. 


Town manager Ryan Aylesworth says they get their higher-quality water from lower-producing wells – heightening the risks from drought-related depletion.


“Irrigating your lawn for green grass, washing your lawn so it’s shiny and nice – these are the sorts of things that, at a time like this, just really need to take a back seat,” Aylesworth says.


He says residents have been good about following the restrictions so far, and that they aren’t banning people from watering food-producing gardens. Town data for earlier in the season, he says, shows people were already cutting back voluntarily due to the drought.


But most of Enfield – and close to half of New Hampshire – uses private wells, which aren’t subject to any regulations. Aylesworth says those residents are still encouraged to follow the public utility’s restrictions and stagger large water withdrawals, since they all share one aquifer.


“We’re obviously are leaving this in Mother Nature’s hands to an extent,” he says. “But every little bit that we can each do as a household to conserve the water that we have will make it less likely that we encounter water scarcity when we need it.”


The shallower the well, the sooner it’s likely to run dry, pulling up sediment and affecting water volume and quality. State officials say deeper wells may show signs of stress later in the season, even if the drought conditions begin to improve.


The problem stems from a low winter snowpack – not enough to recharge groundwater for the growing season – and sporadic rain patterns this summer. Too much rain at once, and the ground can’t absorb it effectively, leading to drought even amid bouts of precipitation.

Scientists say these trends will intensify as the climate warms.” 


As the climate continues to warm…a gentle way of saying hey pay attention!  We are called to be stewards of the garden, of this planet and yet many times we cannot see how just our everyday activity could adversely affect our climate.  Or more importantly how can just one person make a difference?


Well actually Paul had something to say about that in his letter to the Philippians:


Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was[a] in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God,

    did not regard equality with God

    as something to be exploited,

7 but emptied himself,

    taking the form of a slave,

    being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

8     he humbled himself

    and became obedient to the point of death—

    even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God also highly exalted him

    and gave him the name

    that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus

    every knee should bend,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue should confess

    that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.


Shining as Lights in the World

12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.


“Most of the world’s environmental challenges have at the heart the sin of greed. This passage gives the principles for life that could save this planet – be humble as Christ was and look to the interests of others not your own.


It is a desire for status that pushes us to continuously buy the latest gadget, car or TV screen. If we all lived a more simple lifestyle, the planet would have enough for our need, there is not enough for our greed.


If we were to put the interests of others first, we would consider the impact on the worker and the environment of the products we buy. There is no such thing as ‘bargain’ clothing. The clothing is cheap because of the exploitative wages paid to workers and the damage done to the environment.


In particular today we are challenged to look at our water usage and wastage and see how we can treasure this miracle from God.” 


And isn’t that the same that confronts us in todays Gospel reading? The challenge is to say what we mean and mean what we say.  As a kid I was much like the Son in the Gospel, the one who put up an argument, I don’t want to do it and then went ahead and did whatever I was told to do.

“The challenge of our Gospel reading is for us to walk the walk and not just talk the talk! The first son said he would not go to the vineyard and work and yet he did so. The second one said he would go and did not

Are we willing to actually change our lifestyles? Many people make resolutions or pledges to change their life styles and yet when it comes down to it , they have made no change…. If Jesus was willing to give up his status as God in order to become a slave, then we are called to live a life of service to others and to take up the call to a more simple lifestyle. Are you willing to reduce your use of water, to simplify your lifestyle? To consciously use water as if each drop were precious?


Let us remember that water is a gift of God. Water is mentioned 722 times in the Bible and yet how often do we actually preach about it? As Christians we became part of the family of God through the waters of baptism and yet we do not treat it as our sacred element.


We all know that Jesus was baptised in the river Jordan. But do we know our Jordan River? We think that the water used in our church for baptism came from a tap, but from which river was it drawn to get there? Can we adopt and protect that river as our Jordan?


Living the Word

What would a more simple lifestyle look like in practice? We live in a water scarce country and the impact of climate change as well as population growth will lead to increasing water shortages in the years to come. What can we do?


Water: we can all have shorter showers and put a bucket in the shower to use in the toilet. Wash clothes less frequently and make sure the machine is full. Purchase water tanks for church and home, and make sure our gardens are water wise.


Food choices: our food choices all have different water footprints. To produce a hamburger requires the same amount of water as a 60-minute shower and the water needed to produce a mouthful of steak could run your dishwasher 22 times. One teaspoon of milk is equivalent to one flush of a dual-flush toilet and the average bathtub could be filled six times with one liter.

Nevertheless, a family of four could save the equivalent of 17 bathtubs of water by swapping one meal of beef per week with lentils. Cattle are fed mostly by grazing veld and rain-fed dry land, which means they have a greater green water footprint.

Plastic. Much of the plastic litter that we produce ends up in streams and eventually in the sea. One of the ways to protect the precious gift of water is to become involved in clean ups and to put pressure on companies to stop using single use plastic items.

Water is a precious gift from God, let us protect it.”  Amen.






A call to prayer



God of All,

gather us into a time of prayer

for our family.

Expand our vision

to understand each human being

as our sister or brother;

and enlarge our hearts

to offer love for each other,

even as you love each of us.

Be with us now as we pray for members of your family.

.






Peace is Flowing Like a River 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt_Q0u4kvVg&ab_channel=CofChrist


Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us


Our Creator, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kin-dom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kin-dom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen




Invitation to the Offering


Offering our gifts to God is a holy act. In this sacred moment, let us offer our gifts and our lives to the holy work of God.


‘Donate Here!


Doxology #778 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9My-_5s6bBQ


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.


Offering Prayer 


God, our Creator, through your love you have given us these gifts to share. Accept our offerings as an expression of our deep thanks and as signs of our concern for those in need, including our fellow creatures on planet Earth. With all creation we praise our Creator. 


 The office is open for regular hours

We are accepting donations for the kidz cupboard and the food pantry




I am available for one on one virtual visits or phone calls if you need any prayer we will be together again one day, but until then remember you are the hands and the feet of our lord in this world and in this world of no physical contact we can still smile, wave, chat, check in


I got Peace Like a River

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6085sLXCMs&ab_channel=CJandFriends

  




Benediction/sending forth

May the Spirit of God, who is above all and in all and through all, fill you with the knowledge of God’s presence in Earth and the impulse of Christ within you. Go in peace, serving Christ and loving Earth! 


Remember we have coffee with the pastor on Tuesdays and Bible study on Wednesdays and the link to those meetings come out the evening before. 




Sunday, September 20, 2020

16th Sunday after Pentecost - Black Lives Matter Sunday 2020


 BLM Live Service


Let’s start with three deep breaths and relax….


Blessing of the Quilt…


And a special centering moment..




let us begin today’s worship



CALL TO WORSHIP 

L: There is neither Jew nor Gentile

P: Neither slave nor free 

L: Nor is there male and female 

P: Neither is there black or white 

For we are all one in Christ Jesus.

L: We, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free 

We have been called to serve one another humbly in love 

P: God’s entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command 

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

L: And so we gather as one in Christ Jesus 

P: To serve one another humbly 

L: To fulfill the command to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

P: And to worship our loving, Creator God 

Who sees neither Jew nor Gentile 

Slave nor free 

Male nor female 

Black nor white 

But only a gathering of beloved Children 

Drawn together as one in Christ Jesus 

L: Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us worship God

P: Let us worship God with one heart

One Body

One Mind 

One Soul Hallelujah, Amen! 


Opening Hymn we shall over come #570 courtesy of Loomis Basin UCC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcrx3lsb0yA&ab_channel=LoomisBasinUCC


 

 



(All candles lit.)





Today’s Readings

Our faith's teachings tell us that each person is created in the image of God 

Genesis 1:27

27 So God created humankind in his image,

    in the image of God they created them; 

    male and female they created them.


 and therefore has intrinsic worth and value. So why when Jesus proclaimed good news to the poor, release to the jailed, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed (Luke 4:16-19)

16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

        to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

    and recovery of sight to the blind,

        to let the oppressed go free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”


Why did he not mention the rich, the prison-owners, the sighted and the oppressors? What conclusion are we to draw from this? Doesn't Jesus care about all lives?


Black lives matter. This is an obvious truth in light of God's love for all God's children. But this has not been the experience for many in the U.S. In recent years, young black males were 21 times more likely to be shot dead by police than their white counterparts. Black women in crisis are often met with deadly force. Transgender people of color face greatly elevated negative outcomes in every area of life.


When Black lives are systemically devalued by society, our outrage justifiably insists that attention be focused on Black lives.

When a church claims boldly "Black Lives Matter" at this moment, it chooses to show up intentionally against all given societal values of supremacy and superiority or common-sense complacency. By insisting on the intrinsic worth of all human beings, Jesus models for us how God loves justly, and how his disciples can love publicly in a world of inequality. We live out the love of God justly by publicly saying #BlackLivesMatter. 




The word of God for the people of God!


P: Thanks be to God



Sermon A Letter to my Son/ A sermonic film by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III 




A call to prayer


God of All,

gather us into a time of prayer

for our family.

Expand our vision

to understand each human being

as our sister or brother;

and enlarge our hearts

to offer love for each other,

even as you love each of us.

Be with us now as we pray for members of your family.

.






O for a world #575

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdXFTJBZ1t4&ab_channel=FPCBoise


Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us


Our Creator, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kin-dom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kin-dom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen




Invitation to the Offering


Offering our gifts to God is a holy act. In this sacred moment, let us offer our gifts and our lives to the holy work of God.


‘Donate Here!


Doxology #778 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9My-_5s6bBQ


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.


Offering Prayer 


God, our Creator, through your love you have given us these gifts to share. Accept our offerings as an expression of our deep thanks and as signs of our concern for those in need, especially those experiencing marginalization we praise our Creator. Amen.


 



The office is open for regular hours

We are accepting donations for the kidz cupboard and the food pantry




I am available for one on one virtual visits or phone calls if you need any prayer we will be together again one day, but until then remember you are the hands and the feet of our lord in this world and in this world of no physical contact we can still smile, wave, chat, check in


Let My People Go #572 Hilo  UCC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vyoql2G_GM&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=EricAnderson

starts at time stamp 5:53  

  





Benediction/sending forth

May your hope in Christ guide your way through fear 

May Christ of peace calm your troubled hearts 

May the joy of Christ fill your hearts to overflowing 

May the love of Christ let you understand how much you matter And may your Christ-like love show everyone you meet that they matter to you Amen




Just a note Bible study is on Wednesdays at noon…


Sunday, September 13, 2020

15th Sunday after Pentecost - Land Sunday!

Land Sunday Live

Let’s start with three deep breaths and relax….

LAND SUNDAY


Welcome! We worship this Sunday with the land. We celebrate with the grasses, the soils, the vines and the creatures of the land present in the sanctuary. We celebrate with the land represented by a terracotta Earth bowl.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7A573SA6tI&ab_channel=CommunityUCC



let us begin today’s worship



Call to Worship:

L: We invite the country to worship with us: 

P: wild flowers and mysterious mushrooms, swirling grasses and golden wattle. 

L: We join the land as it trembles before God: 

P: with tremors and earthquakes, whirlwinds and volcanoes. 

L: We invite the farmlands to sing with us: 

P: wheat fields, orchards and vineyards, red gums, gardens and wetlands. 

L: We join with all the fauna of the fields in praising God: 

P: kangaroos, emus and bandicoots, echidnas, eagles and magpies. 

L: We invite the ground to stir deep below: 

P: life-giving microbes restoring the soil, beetles and worms preparing our food. 

L: We celebrate the song of the soil! 

P: Sing, soil, sing! 


 

For the Beauty of the earth # 28  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-UxNofJbh0&ab_channel=FirstCongregationalUCCPortland

 

(All candles lit.)


Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness

21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.


The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”


The word of God for the people of God!


P: Thanks be to God



Sermon  This land is whose?


Season of creation Land Sunday


When I first think of this Sunday as land Sunday I think of the old song…This land is your land…this land is my land…This land is stolen…


Maybe that is part of the problem. The land, unless you are of indigenous heritage, was never ours to begin with. So the land is there for us to steal and fight over and misuse and throw away.


Unfortunately for most of the occupied history of this land it has been stolen property. And since it is not really ours we can do with it what we please… and we have!


So today’s gospel has us reading form the eighteenth chapter of Mathew.


This part of Mathew’s “Gospel is considered to be the fourth discourse/narrative within the Gospel, according to the five narratives theory. This discourse is described as the narrative to a divided community, in which Matthew describes to the new community of faith what their relationships to each other should be. Beginning with the question of who will be the greatest in the kingdom, Matthew discusses ensuring that others don’t stumble, how sin is to be dealt with and the role of God as the Shepherd of the flock. In this part of the chapter Matthew discusses the important of forgiveness. Using parable of the forgiving king, Matthew juxtaposes the king with a servant who was unable to forgive. In doing so, Matthew instruct the community to follow the example of the king who forgives and not that of the servant who is unable to forgive. Matthew also places the king in relation to God, so that like the shepherd in the parable earlier in the chapter, the faithful should aim to be like God if they are to live well in community with each other.” 1


How would you describe a successful person? I know you all would say someone who has love., a kind heart and cares for all things around them human and otherwise. But the secular world doesn’t have the imagination or hearts that you all do.  Many would say that a successful person is one who is rich, has flashy cars, big houses and travels all over the world.


Reminds me of the old lyric; “well I hear you went up to Saratoga and your horse naturally won, then you flew your jet up to nova scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun….” 2 That is what many see as success. This “current worldview is based on Economics. The pursuit of money and goods dominates our thinking and determines our behavior. It determines aspects of our identity; including where we live, what health care and education we have access to and who we associate with.


In ancient cultures this was not the case, success was determined not by what you have, but by the opinion that the community had of you. In order to be seen as successful, the community had to have a positive opinion of you, called honor. The opinion of the community was formed primarily based on the family you came from; if the family was wealthy or powerful then all the members of the family were seen as honorable. A child born into this society is therefore regarded as honorable if the family into which that child is born is seen as being honorable. Another way to acquire honor was to do an honorable deed, for example giving to the poor or saving a life.


If the community had a negative view of a person’s status, that would be called shame. As is the case with honor, it was possible for a person born into a shameful family and to thus be seen as shameful, or to do deeds that destroy and thereby be regarded as shameful. The low status of shame was apportioned based on the social category’s family, tribe, gender, slave vs. free etc. A person could also be seen as shameful if they committed shameful act. The thinking and behavior of people within honor and shame cultures was driven by the desire refrain from being seen as shameful and if honorable to maintain that status at all costs.” 3


This culture of honor and shame is important for us to understand. As we see today’s text it would be easy to get caught up in the financial intrigue.  It becomes all about that one who is getting away debt free while he throws the other in jail, but at least he will collect his debt. We could fall into the trap of discussing money and usury. But, if we look at this through the lens of ancient society we can see how 


“Today’s readings aim to show us that true honor comes not from being born into the right family, but rather in how we treat each other. The person for failed to forgive the debt of another failed to understand the importance of community and would have been seen as self-interested. Peter would have understood that such a person is not favorably viewed or considered successful.” 4


Reverend Shawn Cozett from south Africa reminds us of an interesting story;


“In 1964 Garit Hardin wrote his famous piece “Tragedy of the Commons”. In it Hardin tells the story of two adjacent properties, one privately owned and one common property. Hardin observes that the state of the private farm is much better than that of the common. He explains that the owner of the private property understands that grazing his cattle on a certain patch until the patch is fully grazed and then moving the cattle along to another patch in order to allowed the grazed patch to recover is important because the owner has a personal interest in the longevity of his property. At the same time, the common is overgrazed because herders have no personal interest in protect what is held in common.


This story of the tragedy of the commons has become an important story in understanding how we are to care for the environment. Hardin’s story tells us that unless we begin to care for common property as shared property for the benefit of all we will suffer the consequences of systems breaking down. Already we are beginning to see the impact that our use of fossils fuels has on the climate. For the past two decades the leaders of the world have been meeting to discuss how best they might respond to the impending climate crisis. The basis of all these talks been that every country is focused on what they need and talks have often stalled because one country waits for another to make the first move. All this while carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere increases, storms become greater in number and severity and record high and low temperatures are set on an almost annual basis. The same can be seen in other systems such as the oceans, which are becoming more acidic, forest that are being felled, water resources drying up and arable land becoming deserts.” 5


We need to move our consciousness back to whose land is this? Is it stolen land for us to use and abuse and throw away. Is it the banks land that I will never own?  Is it my land that I can also just do what I please with it as long as it is turning me a good profit? As opposed to be land that I am caring for, with the knowledge that it is for the good of all.


Tehra Cox shares her experience of the land in the secret language of earth speak; “When I moved from the noisy concrete and steel canyons of New York City to a small Hudson Valley village with its serenely-forested highlands, I was stunned by the radical change of scenery. As late summer turned into fall, my favorite season, nature’s magic began its work on me. From one of my first autumn walks along the wooded mountain path behind the old Victorian house that was my new home, I was introduced to the uncanny voices of the natural world.


My first encounter with what I call ‘Earth-Speak’ was nothing less than phenomenal for its impact on my life and sensibility. As I came around a bend at the top of the mountain, the lush goldenness of maples along the trail nearly took my breath away. They colored the very air around them. As I stood transfixed, it seemed that all the flora of the woods began to sway toward me. The dramatic red-orange-gold hues in all shapes and sizes were pulsating with light, sounds and scents so intoxicating that I wasn’t sure if I was breathing or drinking. Suddenly, I “heard” a whispering of words that I will never forget: ‘Ah yes, the very things you humans love about us – our different colors and shapes and smells and languages – are the things you often hate about each other. Alas, you have lost touch with your beauties because you have lost touch with us.’

Having just moved out of a city teeming with the tensions that densely-populated diversities of culture, creed, economy – and yes, race – too often provoke, this message was stunning and timely for me. During that first year of “life in the country,” I became unusually acquainted with this sentient world. In my daily walks with pen and paper, the presences of nature enfolded me in their lushness while I chronicled their wisdom-teachings. As these “inner tuitions” invited me to consider some of life’s most paradoxical mysteries, they required only one thing of me – to be utterly present and receptive. I didn’t know to call it that at the time – I was only aware that I felt light and free, as if all the space around the trees and the flowers and blades of grass was also around, and even inside, me.” 6


This made me ponder the land around us here. I find it interesting, as I learned about the land around us, I discovered it has had a shift. “From 1983 through 2007 there was a loss of 3,000 acres of forest land per year mostly in the southern part of the state. The majority of this decline has been from residential development extending into previous forested areas. These losses of forest land have been tempered by abandoned farm land reverting back to forest land. The increase in forest land since 2007 has been attributed to land cleared and slated for development being halted and reverting back to forest land.” 7


And remember what my first question of the day was …whose land is it?


“Who Owns New Hampshire's Forest Land?


New Hampshire's private forest-land owners are a diverse group of approximately 196,000 individuals and enterprises; they control 73 percent of New Hampshire's forest land. This is divided between forest industry and non-industrial private owners. State, federal, and other public owners hold the remaining 27 percent. The acreage owned by forest industry has dropped continued to drip since 1983. Much of this land has gone into public ownership through federal and state land acquisition. The number of owners with less than 10 acres of forest land has increase by 124,000 since 1983, yet they account for less than 10 percent of forestland holdings by area.” 8


On the other side of this is another question, I was wondering how many rare or endangered plants and species live among us on these lands…well there are 8 pages of single-spaced names of tracked plants in the state interesting when I look at the town by town we can find “Rare Plants, Rare Animals, and Exemplary Natural Communities in New Hampshire Towns



Marlborough Natural Communities - Palustrine ** - Medium level fen system -- --

 greater fringed-gentian - Gentianopsis crinita -- T Historical 30 ~ long-headed windflower - Anemone cylindrica -- E Historical 11 Vertebrates – 

Birds ** Common Loon - Gavia immer -- T 1 339 Vertebrates – 

Reptiles ** Wood Turtle - Glyptemys insculpta -- SC 1 281 Vertebrates –

 Fish ~ American Eel - Anguilla rostrata -- SC Historical 177” 9


It is sad that in our very small space of land here where it seems as far as the land is concerned we are all pretty safe but even here in Marlborough we are tracking rare plants and animals that may be lost soon if we do not stop to care for the land.  And care for it as a gift given not earned or owned.




If we were to look at all the texts for today the old testament, psalm and letter we could see a large pattern;

“This week’s texts remind of the importance of community. We are reminded of God establishing the people of Israel as God’s own people and how God acts for them in order that the covenant that God made with Abraham may be fulfilled. A common theme across the texts tell us to value community and to do all we can in order to protect our lives together. As we focus on the environment during the Season of Creation, we are called also to look at common property within the community and on the planet for example the oceans, the air, fresh water and open spaces. These places are not owned by anyone, but their survival depends on all of us working together. Our failure in the past to protect common property has led the near-collapse of ecosystems throughout the world. Who cares for common property? Do we have an interest in the places we do not own? Do we recognize the importance of common property for the good of the community?” 10



Woodie Guthrie wrote that great song this land is your land this land is my land and yet white privileged culture says this land is my land and the rest can lump it.  Even Woodie asked the question in his song;

“In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,

By the relief office I seen my people;

As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking

Is this land made for you and me?” 11


We are blessed to have this land that we sit upon today.  We are blessed that we live in a good educated area where people do what they can to preserve this land, to treat it fairly and, many of us do the best we can to share it fairly and equally but there is still work to be done.


We have to work to stop coal mining, fracking and reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.  Fossil fuels… a nice way of saying we are burning dead creatures to survive. In 2013 the united Church of Christ announced a resolution to divest from fossil fuels and in 2014 “On the anniversary of the United Church of Christ's historic vote to take action to lessen the impact of fossil fuels on climate change, United Church Funds announced the launch date of a new fossil-fuel-free investment fund. The Beyond Fossil Fuels Fund is a domestic core equity fund that will be free of investments in U.S. companies extracting or producing fossil fuels” 12


We, as the Federated church have looked at our investments and divested from all fossil fuels. I believe the challenge to each of us is too look at our investments and how we use our energy and the land.  How do we honor the earth first gifted to us as a garden? We must truly find ways to make this land your land and my land or in other words our land in equity and equality. We must find ways to care and retrain those who have made a living of these fuels so they can still live to support themselves and their families. 


Divesting from fossil fuels, caring for the land also requires caring for each other it is a difficult  challenge and yet as a people we can make a great and difficult transition work. Amen


 




A call to prayer



God of All,

gather us into a time of prayer

for our family.

Expand our vision

to understand each human being

as our sister or brother;

and enlarge our hearts

to offer love for each other,

even as you love each of us.

Be with us now as we pray for members of your family.

.






God who stretched the spangled heavens #556

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNARP-WQ7U0&ab_channel=PlymouthChurchDSM

note the melody is not the one in the hymnal just using the words


Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us


Our Creator, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kin-dom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kin-dom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen




Invitation to the Offering


Offering our gifts to God is a holy act. In this sacred moment, let us offer our gifts and our lives to the holy work of God.


‘Donate Here!


Doxology #778 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9My-_5s6bBQ


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.


Offering Prayer 


God, our Creator, through your love you have given us these gifts to share. Accept our offerings as an expression of our deep thanks and as signs of our concern for those in need, including our fellow creatures on planet Earth. With all creation we praise our Creator. 


 



The office is open for regular hours

We are accepting donations for the kidz cupboard and the food pantry




I am available for one on one virtual visits or phone calls if you need any prayer we will be together again one day, but until then remember you are the hands and the feet of our lord in this world and in this world of no physical contact we can still smile, wave, chat, check in


When in our Music God is Glorified #561 ( V1,2 &4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsqS9D3t6M0&ab_channel=EdgewoodUnitedChurch

  

  





Benediction/sending forth

Christ calls you to be his disciples, to serve him with love and compassion and to serve Earth by caring for creation, especially the land that God has given life so that we and all our kin may live. 

May the Spirit of God, who is above all and in all and through all, fill you with the knowledge of God’s presence in Earth and the pulsing of Christ within you. Go in peace, serving Christ and loving Earth! 



1 http://sustainable-preaching.org/2020/09/13/15th-sunday-after-pentecost-season-of-creation-2/

2 Carly Simon; Your so vain

3  http://sustainable-preaching.org/2020/09/13/15th-sunday-after-pentecost-season-of-creation-2/

4  Ditto

5 Ditto

6 Terah Cox, The Secret language of Earth-Speak, April 22, 2016, accessed September 7, 2017,                   http://www.terahcox.com/blog/the-secret-language-of-earth-speak-by-terah-cox.

 7 https://www.nh.gov/nhdfl/reports/forest-statistics.htm

 8 ditto

9      https://www.nh.gov/nhdfl/documents/town-lists.pdf
 10  http://sustainable-preaching.org/2020/09/13/15th-sunday-after-pentecost-season-of-creation-2/

 11 woody Guthrie, “This land is your Land,” woody Guthrie Publications inc., 2001, accessed 09/070/17,         http://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/This_Land.htm.

12   Emily Schappacher, “United Church Funds announces fossil-fuel-free investment fund,” United Church of Christ, July 2, 2014, accessed 0907/2017, http://www.ucc.org/news/UCF-fossil-fuel-free-investment-fund-07012014.html.



Sunday, September 6, 2020

The 14th sunday after pentecost -Forest Sunday


Let’s start with three deep breaths and relax….
 
Opening Reflection:
 Forest Sunday in the Season of Creation

Creator of Life, At Your word, the Earth brought forth plants yielding seed and trees of every kind bearing fruit. The rivers, mountains, minerals, seas and forests sustained life. The eyes of all looked to You to satisfy the needs of every living thing. And throughout time the Earth has sustained life. Through the planetary cycles of days and seasons, renewal and growth, you open your hand to give creatures our food in the proper time.

In your Wisdom, you granted a Sabbath; a blessed time to rest in gratitude for all that you have given; a time to liberate ourselves from vicious consumption; a time to allow the land and all creatures to rest from the burden of production. But these days our living pushes the planet beyond its limits. Our demands for growth, and our never-ending cycle of production and consumption are exhausting our world. The forests are leached, the topsoil erodes, the fields fail, the deserts advance, the seas acidify, the storms intensify. We have not allowed the land to observe her Sabbath, and the Earth is struggling to be renewed.

During this Season of Creation, we ask you to grant us courage to observe a Sabbath for our planet. Strengthen us with the faith to trust in your providence. Inspire us with the creativity to share what we have been given. Teach us to be satisfied with enough. And as we proclaim a Jubilee for the Earth, send Your Holy Spirit to renew the face of creation. In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ.  Amen.


let us begin today’s worship
 
CALL TO WORSHIP
L: In the name of the Creator, the fountain of life, the name of Christ, the pulse of life, and the name of the Spirit, the breath of life. Amen.
P: Holy! Holy! Holy! Earth is filled with God’s presence. 
L: Christ, we come into your presence today to worship in this sanctuary called Earth, 
P: A planet filled with your presence, quivering in the forests, vibrating in the land, pulsating in the wilderness, shimmering in the rivers. 
L: God, reveal yourself to us in this place and show us your face in all creation.
P: Holy! Holy! Holy! Earth is filled with God’s presence. 
 
Creator God we sing #39
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UghNd-p0BJ4
 

 
Matthew 18:15-20

Reproving Another Who Sins
15 “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”


The word of God for the people of God!
 
Sermon: sinning against the earth?

We are faced with a new theological question for our time –  how do we respond to  Church members who are sinning against God’s Creation? For a long time the Church has focused on individual sins, particularly sexual sins. And yet our lifestyle is destroying the web of life and hurting the most vulnerable of society.

The Patriarch of the Orthodox church says this:
“We have traditionally regarded sin as being merely what people do to other people. Yet, for human beings to destroy the biological diversity in God’s creation; for human beings to degrade the integrity of the earth by contributing to climate change, by stripping the earth of its natural forests or destroying its wetlands; for human beings to contaminate the earth’s waters, land and air – all of these are sins.”

The question is deep – how do we challenge our brothers and sisters in Christ to stop sinning against Creation and the generations to come?

“Julian of Norwich, the fourteenth-¬‐century Christian mystic, said most simply but most radically that we are not just made by God, we are made of God. We are not just fashioned from afar by a distant Creator. We are born from the very womb of the Divine. This is why Julian so loves to refer to God as Mother as well as Father. She sees us as coming forth from the essence of the One who is the Source of all things.

What does it mean that we are made of God rather than simply by God?

In part it means that the wisdom of God is deep within us, deeper than the ignorance of what we have done.   It is to say that the creativity of God is deep within us, deeper than any barrenness in our lives or relationships, deeper than any endings in our families or our world. Within us—as a sheer gift of God—is the capacity to bring forth what has never been before, including what has never been imagined before.

 Above all else, as Julian says, the love-¬‐longings of God are at the heart of our being. We and all things have come forth from the One. Deep within us are holy, natural longings for oneness, primal sacred drives for union. We may live in tragic exile from these longings, or we may have spent a whole lifetime not knowing how to truly satisfy them, but they are there at the heart of our being, waiting to be born afresh.”1 

Today is the first Sunday in the season of creation.  Forest Sunday. Uniquely this year we will follow the Common lectionary and yet address the concerns of our home, the earth. This year for the season of Creation it is declared a jubilee year.

“Each year, the ecumenical steering committee that provides this Season of Creation Celebration Guide suggests a theme. The 2020 theme is Jubilee for the Earth. 

Climate change is a result of the intersection of greed, inequality and destruction of God’s Earth. The theme of Jubilee is chosen for this year’s Season of Creation as it reflects those three interlocking themes. Jubilee is a time to renounce overconsumption and economic systems based on constant economic growth at the cost of the Earth and those who are poor. Jubilee is a time when those who have consumed the most must make restitution to those who have suffered the most. Jubilee is a time of rest for the land from constant exploitation, to restore ecosystems and people. 

The concept of Jubilee is rooted in the holy wisdom that there must exist a just and sustainable balance between social, economic and ecological realities. When one variable is exploited to maximize growth of another, the whole system will eventually suffer. When one part of the Earth community is stressed, every part is affected. In 2020, the novel coronavirus pandemic demonstrated this reality on a global scale. While the experience of living with the COVID-19 outbreak points back to this need to maintain justice, the lessons that we learn may point us towards the need for a Jubilee and motivate us to restore balance to the very systems that sustain life. 

And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family. (Leviticus 25:10, NRSV) 

Jubilee means “a ram’s horn”. It was blown to mark the start of a time of universal redemption. The year of Jubilee involved release from indebtedness, when injustices of the past fifty years were to be restored. It was also a time for rest for the land.
The theme of Jubilee has clear links to the root paradigms fueling unjust exploitation, such as neoliberal and capitalist approaches to the world economy. It brings together the need for a prophetic voice on climate injustice and actions for the restoration of the Earth. The theme of Jubilee affirms the need for equality, justice and sustainability, and a transition to sustainable economies. It honors the Jubilee 2000 Campaign, which successfully called for an amnesty on debt for global South countries and redistribution of wealth. And 2020 marks 50 years since the first Earth Day when the environmental movement was born.” 2

And so with all this in mind it begs a question

How do we love our neighbor in the current ecological crisis? How do we seek just and fair communication when seeking to make right the way we treat the earth? For too long the churches theology, preaching and ministry has been involved in ambulance work, seeking to heal the damage done by self-centered misbehavior. We know that we must feed the hungry – but the question today is “how do we stop people from becoming hungry?” How do we establish justice and equity for people and all of life? There is enough on this planet for our needs, but not enough for our greed. The destruction of planetary life is not God’s will. This must be loudly proclaimed from every pulpit and Bible study around the world. Environmental care must become a priority.

The church in the past has been apprehensive that in caring for nature we might be accused of Pantheism – that is the worship of nature. What is needed is Panentheism, that is “God in everything”. All life is sacred and we must recognize that we are inextricably part of the rest of life, part of the web of life. In the extinction which we humans are bringing about, we are unravelling this web of life which is leading to our own demise.

This is not God’s will. There are those who say they wish to hasten the second coming of Jesus. That can only be in God’s time. As it is, it is we humans who are now bringing about “the end of the world” as we understand life on this planet. This is not God’s plan. Let us recognize the need for urgent action to care for Life.

We are commanded to love our neighbor, the vulnerable, the future generations and the whole web of life. To do so, we must consciously seek to live in harmony with God, one another and the natural world.  And we must be an example to all of humanity that we must stop being so selfish in the way we treat nature and our fellow human beings.

We are an Eco Justice Congregation and so, we must continue our due diligence to keep informed about social and environmental issues, and develop a voice to encourage political authorities, locally and nationally, to recognize their environmental responsibilities and to take appropriate action. By establishing Eco-Justice, that is ecological and economic justice, we shall overcome the huge inequality and poverty existing in our world today.
Forty percent of food is wasted every day while two and a half billion people go hungry. Examine your life style and commit to reducing food waste.

We must establish natural reserves, both on land and in the oceans, so that all God’s creation can not only  survive but thrive. Connect with your nearest reserve, grow indigenous plants. Don’t use pesticides that destroy biodiversity.

Don’t litter – it is a contemporary form of blasphemy, so much for your world God as we throw our plastic out of the car window. Campaign for the end of all plastic packaging and advocate for responsible, returnable containers.

Advocate for the end of fossil fuels.  We have been given all the energy we need through renewable energy resources. It is blowing in the wind and shining on us daily.
Insist on sustainable fishing practices.

Reduce your meat consumption. Modern meat production is both cruel and a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions.

Resolving the ecological crisis of our planet, however, is no longer a problem we can leave to the scientists. Just as we are all part of the problem, so we are all also part of the solution. We all need to come to terms with the forces that have created this crisis and the resources within our traditions that can motivate us to resolve the crisis. One of those traditions is our biblical heritage.- Archbishop Tutu 3 

In the words of Pope Francis, let us hear the “Cry of the poor and the Cry of the Earth’ and commit to loving our neighbour.
by Bishop Geoff Davies, South Africa 4


Being forest Sunday, I just find the forest a magnificent place to walk with God.  The forest Gives us a sample of what life was once like when man and animal lived in harmony.  Muir woods or better yet Armstrong woods are great examples of the wonder of these glorious examples of Gods hand here on earth. We were blessed enough to live in the region to explore both.

Yesterday I received a postcard from a friend back in LA. He said; “I just wanted to send you some love from the other coast…here is a lovely pic of our beautiful sequoias before they all burned down.”
It broke my heart. I wrote back in 2017 while still living in CA, “If you have an opportunity to visit the Coastal redwood forests I encourage you to do so because your soul and the way you look at this earth will never be the same again.

The coastal redwood forest is a unique and beautiful creation and it exists only here. ‘Coast redwoods range from southern Oregon to central California, extending not more than fifty miles inland- only as far as the coastal climate has its influence. Fog plays a vital role in the survival of these trees, protecting them from the summer drought conditions typical of this area. They also need abundant winter rain and moderate year-round temperatures. In ideal conditions a coast redwood can grow 2-3 feet in height annually, but when the trees are stressed from lack of moisture and sunlight they may grow as little as one inch per year.’5  The Climate shift and our now extreme heat is a threat to coastal redwoods.

If the redwoods are threatened then so are all that live under them.  For you see the forest is not just the trees and there is a communal life that depends on the redwoods. First off they have a shallow root system and so the intertwine with each other and provide support so that they can grow tall.  Their canopy allows for other trees and shrubs to grow with it.  Such as DOUGLAS FIR, BIG LEAF MAPLE, CALIFORNIA BAY LAUREL, TAN OAK, CALIFORNIA HAZEL, WOODROSE, REDWOOD TRILLIUM,REDWOOD SORREL, SWORD FERN, and the BRACKEN FERN. 6
All these plants exist cooperatively because of the canopy the redwoods provide.  The forest is a cooperative community that exists in peace.  Its only true enemy is man for we are the cause of its pain, its deforestation.  We are the cause of the increase in greenhouse gasses that make it hard for our earths lungs to breathe.  We because of our arrogance and ignorance, we now have to work to correct the damage that we have done.  Even though there may be a forest fire when all is said and done the forest emerges again like phoenix.” 7

Unfortunately , last Sunday The Headline read; “Sequoia National Forest fire grows to 34,000-plus acres, with evacuations still active

Fire crews continued Sunday to battle the recently renamed SQF Complex wildfire, with flames having burned more than 34,000 acres in Sequoia National Forest.

What had been called the Castle and Shotgun fires, spreading near and beyond the southeastern Tulare County mountain community of Ponderosa, are now being fought as one major blaze with the new designation.

The fire was at 34,283 acres, with containment as of Sunday morning still at 0%. There were 485 personnel battling the blaze, with additional resources still on order.”8 

When I checked today the report is nearly 56000 acres burned and only 1% contained
So today I would encourage you to take some time explore our woods and forests.  Take a step into the awe inspiring cathedrals that are our forests and walk with God for a minute.  If you pause you will hear the gentle sound of creation, you will hear God walking besides you in the gentle trickle of the creeks, in the buzzing of the insects and in the chirping of the birds.

Let your heart be filled and inspired by the Gift that God has left for us so close by and offer a gift in return.  Pledge to plant a tree, maybe to contribute to preservation of the forests around the world.  Pledge to try and recycle more so we cut down less trees and allow the forests time to heal so that our planet can breathe properly again and in doing so perhaps we can begin to stop sinning against nature and start to reconcile ourselves to Gods creation. amen.



A call to prayer
This is a time of sharing.
A time of lifting, lifting up our hearts
In gratitude and supplication.
What joys do you have to share,
What blessings?
What needs weigh on your heart?
Bring them here in community that we may all lift them up to God.
 
 
 
Please write your joys and concerns in the comment section and I will lift them up after this hymn
 
 
 
Pray For the Wilderness #557
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl1kURqsX9I
 
Let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us
 
Our Creator, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kin-dom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kin-dom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
 
Invitation to the Offering
In gratitude for all that we have received from you, O Lord,

we offer our tithes and gifts for the ministry of this church in this world

which hungers and thirsts for love and peace. AMEN.
Donate Here!
 
 
Doxology #778 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9My-_5s6bBQ&ab_channel=DanInglis
 

Offering Prayer
 
With great joy, we present these tithes and gifts for the ministry of this church.
Be with each of us as we, too, commit ourselves to lives of joyful, thankful service.
 In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
 
 
 
Celebration of Holy Communion
(Please if you have not already prepared elements for communion do so. Remember that even an English muffin can become a sacrament, even a cup of water or tea can become a remembrance of God’s redeeming love)
Invitation



For Holy Communion this morning,
I invite you to lend Christ your table.

We recall that once a long time ago Jesus gathered with his friends in a room. Men, woman, children, free and slave, Jewish, roman, tax collector and priest all gathered as friends to celebrate a feast.

We do not know all the conversations that were shared. We do not know the menu of the day. Yet by faith we proclaim these words.



The Communion words sent to the church at Corinth.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed
took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks,
he broke it and said,
“This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.



Sharing of the Elements


Leader:    Let us in our many places receive the gift of God, the Bread of Heaven.
Unison:    We are one in Christ in the bread we share.


Leader:    Let us in our many places receive the gift of God, the Cup of Blessing.
Unison:    We are one in Christ in the cup we share.


Prayer of Thanksgiving


Leader:

Let us pray in thanksgiving for this meal of grace,
rejoicing that, by the very method of our worship,
we have embodied the truth that Christ’s love
is not limited by buildings made with human hands,
nor contained in human ceremonies,
but blows as free as the Spirit in all places.


Unison: 

Spirit of Christ, you have blessed our tables and our lives.
May the eating of this Bread give us courage to speak faith and act love, not only in church sanctuaries, but in your precious world,
and may the drinking of this Cup renew our hope
even in the midst of pandemic.
Wrap your hopeful presence around all
whose bodies, spirits and hearts need healing,
and let us become your compassion and safe refuge. Amen

 
The office is open for regular hours
We are accepting donations for the kidz cupboard and the food pantry
 
I am available for one on one virtual visits or phone calls if you need any prayer we will be together again one day, but until then remember you are the hands and the feet of our lord in this world and in this world of no physical contact we can still smile, wave, chat, check in
 
The Trees of the Field
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=133&v=KZI3E_0nX7E&feature=emb_logo
 
 You shall go out with joy
And be led forth with peace
The mountains and the hills
Will break forth before you
There'll be shouts of joy
And all the trees of the field
Will clap, will clap their hands
And all the trees of the field
Will clap their hands
The trees of the field
Will clap their hands
The trees of the field
Will clap their hands
While you go out with joy

 
Closing Prayer
Lord, we have listened to your word for us this day. We are grateful for the love of Jesus who takes our burdens and lightens our spirits. Be with us today as we leave this place. May we continue to place our trust in you, for it is in the name of Jesus that we pray. AMEN.
 
Benediction/Sending Forth
Weary travelers, go now in peace with the love of Christ in your hearts. You are released from your burdens! Go with joy to serve God. AMEN.
 

  1 John Philip Newell, The Rebirthing of God: Christianity's struggle for New Beginnings (Woodstock,         Vermont: Christian Journeys/SkyLight Paths Publishing, 2014).

 2 https://seasonofcreation.org/celebration-guide/
  Earth Bible, volume Five “The Earth story in the New Testament”.

 3 http://sustainable-preaching.org/2020/09/06/14th-sunday-after-pentecost-season-of-creation-1/#_edn1
  4“Coastal redwoods,” Ca Department of Parks and recreation, 2017, accessed August 29, 2017, 
5 https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=22257.
 6  Ditto
 7 https://revjoeshore.blogspot.com/2017/09/9317-forest-sunday-john-31-16.html
 8 https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article245370865.html