Scripture: Philippians 2:1-13

Sermon: Strong and Empty

for down load: 180513_0900

Prayer

Your earth is beautiful, Lord. No matter what, the earth moves from season to season. The earth is set in a course that flows from expression to expression – all Holy – all Holy.

May we find our flow – our course that moves us from holy moment to holy time – from beauty to season to you. Like the earth, may we move through our life seasons no matter what storm, cold, drought, or flood might slow us. Grant, creative One, that the certainty and surety from this trust gives us the calm we need to see you all around us. Let there be peace on earth and in our hearts.

Gentle us with your love. Calm our frantic worry that drives us too fast to touch holiness. Empty us of regret, remorse, resentments, fears, needs, and hurt. Empty us and fill us with your love – show us how to live with you, our neighbor, our enemy. 

Your earth is beautiful. No matter what, the earth moves from holiness to holiness. 

Thank you for the beauty of the earth.

Amen

For Silent Prayer and Meditation:
“Some people would rather debate doctrine or beliefs or tradition or interpretation than actually do what Jesus said. It’s not rocket science. Just do it. Practice loving a difficult person or try forgiving someone. Give away some money. Tell someone thank you. Encourage a friend. Bless an enemy. Say, “I’m sorry.” Worship God. You already know more than you need to know.”  John Ortberg

Scripture: Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon: The Way Forward

180415_0849

The prayer was recorded and is maybe better listened to that it is read. 

180415_0908

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Sermon “YO! Thomas”

180408_0854 to down load 

Prayer

Yo! Still Speaking God, forgive how much we talk. It may be we fear the silence because you might speak what we do not want to hear. Forgive us when we use a lot of words because we do not know what to say or because we have do not have anything to say. Teach us how to pray.

Sometimes life seems difficult. Parents become sick and old, our kids do not always do as we would, cancer strikes, employment falters, and we just plain loose sight about why we pray. By habit we pray for healing and wholeness, stability and security, hope and faith. We pray, but we kinda assume that there will be no answer or the answer will be no. Generally we don’t hold that against you – but sometimes – sometimes we wonder if prayer matters, if you are there, if we are anything to you.

So remind us that sometimes the answer is yes and the cancer goes away or was never there – that chaos settles into order – that fears are unfounded and everything will be all right. Remind us that when we doubt, question, and need the extra effort that you will say yes – you will show your wounds and let us touch your pain.

Ah Lord.

Lord, how tenderly you are with us when we find our own way of praying the ancient prayer, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” Grant that when you answer our plea that, with Thomas, we will proclaim you are our Lord and God. With Thomas, may we proclaim your gospel Good News of love unending. We praise you, because in the silence of our doubt we sense your pain and we fear it was our pain.

Ah Lord. Oh God. Hear our thanks. Hear our prayers. Amen.

Scripture: John 20:1-18

Sermon: “Eyes to See”

180401_0900 Use for down loading

Prayer

Lord, the tomb is an odd place for us to find you: your hope, comfort, love, joy. It is a mysterious meeting place. As a portal between life and death, perhaps it is a perfect door for us to use to exit one life and enter a new life. But we will need you to go through. At any tomb we have traveled a sorrowful road and encountering death. We have trouble trusting we will find life and joy on that road. You bid us to go, but we expect only endings. Surprise us by showing that joy and sorrow, life and death are all bound up together: that for everything there is a season. Maybe this is Easter. Knowing that life knows death, but will not fear it. Maybe it is Easter knowing that joy holds hands with sorrow.

We hear this message and there is still fear in us. Lord, is this Easter too? Life triumphs, love conquers fear?
We are yours. We will allow mystery to be a part of it all as well. But for the hearts that mourn, sorrow, despair, are lonely and exhausted – let them find Easter. Grant they see Jesus risen and loving them. Grant the empty space in their life is filled with you. Help us to move into Easter.
Amen

180325_0857

Scripture: John 12:12-27; 19:16b-22

Sermon: Something from Nothing

180325_0857 for download

Scripture:  John 19:1-16a

Sermon: All Our Kings

180311_0857 for download

Prayer

You, O Lord, give us birds singing in the morning and the slow rising sun seen through icicles. There is a festival of blues in the sky and on the snow as the earth rotates to face the sun. It is all a wonder that makes it clear that the artist loves beauty. We praise your name, O beautiful God.

When next we wake and find a dank drizzle falling through dark cold morning, we will not cease our praise of you. We will find wonder in the small drops of water that descend and find comfort in the embrace of a hiding darkness. We will look out for a sun rising in someone’s soul or for a song of the dawn in our hearts. You name we will still praise for the earth is filled with your glory.

After the day progresses and bird songs give way to car sounds, after the snow is no longer a blank canvas for color but a danger to hip and pride – We will still sing your praise. Your gift and giving create constant changes, ever new opportunities to see creativity living and evolving. All praise to your Holy Name.

We look forward to praising your name for bringing the beauty of healing and wholeness to those that grieve, heal, recuperate or prepare for procedures.

Surely all the earth is filled with you glory. For the beautiful sights, we give our thanks. Create on O Lord. Let your works of beauty speak of your spirit when all mouths are opened in awe.

Awe men…

Scripture: John 18:28-40

Sermon: “Bandits”

Bandits for download

The Prayer

We make mistakes Lord. We are wrong and in the wrong. We are sorry for such times. But remember, O Lord, when we are not wrong – when we speak for justice, do the best thing, speak truth instead of the easy lie. Remember, and do not hold our errors and sin against us.

And Lord, when we are not in the right, remind us of your steadfast loving kindness, your desire to forgive and redeem. Remind us, because it is hard to admit such things – we want to be strong and righteous. This desire gets in the way of being honest. Help us to practice admitting our errors by speaking to you about them. You are patient – more patient and forgiving than we are with ourselves. You hold us in your warm embrace and make it all right – make us all right.

We do not like to admit we are wrong or in the wrong to strangers, friends, family. We defend, deflect, deny, and denigrate those in opposition. We act as if we can always be right, even though we know this is an act. It is so hard for us to say: “we are sorry”, “I was wrong”, or “I apologize”. Our need to be right and strong creates hurt in our relationships. And then we do not know how to heal that hurt.

Lord, make it as easy as possible to confess to you – trusting in your love and forgiveness. Let our confession remove our guilt; make us right enough that we can admit our wrong to those around us. Ease our fear of being honest and so heal our relationships.

Amen