ANNOUNCEMENTS
– Consistory Meeting Monday, July 13th, 6:30 pm. Outside. Bring masks, a chair, a pen, and prayerful reflections on how and when to worship in person.
– Cleaning of the church completed
– Communion today
– Please check our private facebook page for prayers and leave your own too
– Service here online next week
CENTERING
(inspired by Matthew 11:29 and Revelation 21:5) ~ from I Am Making All Things New, written by Rosie Venner.
Come all who are weary
of wealth, of poverty, of power, of struggle, of division
Come all who are heavy-laden
with too much, with too little, with anxiety, with fear, with anger
Come all who have hope
for liberation, for peace, for freedom, for the kingdom
Hear these words
“See, I am making all things new.”
PRAYER ~ written by John Birch,
In times of weakness and hour of need,
yours is the strength by which we carry on,
the shoulder we rest our head upon.
When our load is heavy and too much to bear,
yours are the arms stretched out to help us
the grace that we depend on.
In times of weakness and hour of need,
your voice is heard,
‘Come… find rest.’
This is grace divine,
the path we tread to wholeness
of body and spirit,
the path that leads to you,
and for which we offer our offering of praise. Amen.
SCRIPTURE
SERMON
It is our recognition of Independence Day. How long has it been since you read the Declaration of Independence? Most of us can recall it begins with “When in the course of human events…” and we know that phrase, “certain unalienable Rights” refers to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” But if you’re like me, I didn’t recall without reading again what, exactly, our fore parents’ complaints were that caused them to rebel.
Religious freedom? No. Not a single word about that.
Taxation without representation? Kinda. More like taxes that didn’t benefit them.
Really, much more they complained about the King of Great Britain wouldn’t pass laws to help people. And when these laws sat before him to sign, he chose to let them sit and not enforce them.
They complained he made judges not do justice, but instead, depend on him for appointments, income, and favor. So courts had only mock trials.
They complained that the soldiers, the cops of the King, were permitted to murder and steal without recourse because the mock trials would always find them innocent.
They complained that when they peacefully tried to address these issues, again and again, the Crown met them with greater violence.
They complained the King refused to let immigrants and people born in the colonies become citizens of the crown. So fewer and fewer had protections of any sort.
And they complained that the King had hired foreign armies to enforce his will upon the colonies.
Nowhere is there a mention of religious liberty. That brought some people to the American colonies – sure. But it isn’t what caused us to break from Great Britain. The break was the need for justice.
The need to be rid of tyranny.
The need for a government that isn’t an enemy of its citizens.
And so they declared their freedom, and vowed, “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Die together. Share all they have together. Stand honorable together.
Jesus spoke about his current times too. Like our Independence fore parents, Jesus complained that those with power were ignoring all calls and cries of the people. He said his generation was like children. One would play a flute, but the other wouldn’t dance. One would cry, but the other wouldn’t comfort. There’s a disconnect. There’s not seeing or hearing or caring what others are experiencing.
John cared. But he was called a demon and people ignored him. They refused to dance to the song.
Jesus cares. But he is called a glutton and drunkard and people ignore him. They refuse to comfort the crying.
Jesus concludes “wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” What is wise will be seen by what happens. Now people call John and Jesus foolish. But vindication, justice, will show who is wise here — the people ignoring these prophets, or the people joining in the community.
This is pretty similar to the Declaration. The colonies played a song and the crown ignored them. They cried out. And the crown ignored them. Here they stood, ready to risk their lives, their money, and their honor to see who is wiser: the king or the colonies. The one ignoring the small, or the small.
They didn’t know what we know – the colonies would win. Wisdom is vindicated. Jesus’ crowds didn’t know what we know – Jesus will rise from the dead. Wisdom is vindicated.
Now – turn to our own generation. To what shall we compare our own generation? Are we under the tyranny of oligarchs? A super rich class who ignore the cries of the other 99% of us? Are WE the rich tyrants ignoring the cries of the other 99% of the world’s poor? Are we the founders of a new nation that seeks “liberty and justice for all” or are we the wise and intelligent who cannot hear the wisdom of God in the mouths of our weakest, youngest, most at-risk?
Obviously we don’t know. The wisdom of this age isn’t yet vindicated. The history books for 2020 are not yet written. But this theological reflection does let us ponder our role in the passage of time. It does let us consider if we are carrying the heavy burden of the world’s expectations or the light burden of the Lord’s expectations. It does let us reflect if we are seeking to be gentle and humble in heart. Not humilified, or insecure and prideful, but confident we don’t need to impress any mortal. And so we stand with the sinners and tax collectors, the Colony born and poor, the Black and Gay and Hispanic. The reign of God, the favor of God, is showered on all people. Comes to all people.
But it is those willing to set down the burden of world expectations and take up the burden of loving all people that enter and live in the blessed world now.
Come, if you will, to the table now that God sets across all the years, in all places, before all people. Come to the table where you enemies sit. Come to the table where your beloved sits. Come to the table, set down your burdens, and take up the burden of a meal with all people. Come, if you will, to the place setting that has been laid out by God just for you. Hear the beckoning of God to an era when all are given new life, are set free of sin, and have restorative peace with themselves and all peoples and our God.
Come now to communion.
Amen.
COMMUNION
Invitation
The Holy One asks: Why spend money on what does not satisfy? Why spend your wages and still be hungry? Listen to me and to what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all. Listen now, my people, and come to me. Come to me and you will have life!
Where two or three gather in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
And we are gathered, St. Michael’s, physically and temporally different, but gathered spiritually at the same time in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
This table is open to all who confess Jesus as the Christ and seek to follow Christ’s way. Come to this sacred table not because you must, but because you may. Come not because you are fulfilled, but because in your emptiness you stand in need of God’s mercy and assurance. Come not to express an opinion but to seek a presence and to pray for a spirit. Come to this table, then, sisters and brothers, as you are. Partake and share. It is spread for you and me that we might again know that God has come to us, shared our common lot, and invited us to join the people of God’s new age.
Let us come now to this holy meal. Before we partake, let us confess our sins to God.
Prayer of Confession
God of all mercy, we confess before you and each other that we have been unfaithful to you. We lack love for our neighbors, we waste opportunities to do good and we look the other way when you cry out to us in the suffering of our sisters and brothers in need. We are sincerely sorry for our sins, both those we commit deliberately and those that overtake us. We ask your forgiveness and pray for strength that we may follow in your way and love all your people with that perfect love which casts out all fear; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Hear these comforting words: If you repent and believe in God’s mercy, your sins are forgiven. Trust in God’s promises and begin anew your life with God and all people in the name of Jesus Christ.
Join me in our Communion Prayer
Pastor: God be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to God.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to God Most High.
People: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Pastor: Holy God, we praise and bless you for creation and the gift of life and for your abiding love which brings us close to you, the source of all blessing. We thank you for revealing your will for us in the giving of the law and in the preaching of the prophets.
We thank you especially that in the fullness of time you sent Jesus, born of Mary, to live in our midst, to share in our suffering, and to accept the pain of death at the hands of those whom Jesus loved.
We rejoice that in a perfect victory over the grave you raised Christ with power to become sovereign of your realm.
We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to gather your church by which your work may be done in the world and through which we share the gift of eternal life.
With the faithful in every place and time we praise with joy your holy name:
All: Holy, holy, holy God of love and majesty the whole universe speaks of your glory, O God Most High. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of our God. Hosanna in the highest!
Pastor: We remember that on that night of betrayal and desertion,
Jesus took bread, gave you thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to his disciples saying: “This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, Jesus also took the cup, after supper, saying: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
God, consecrate, therefore, by your Holy Spirit, these gifts of bread and the vine, and bless us that as we receive them at this table, we may offer you our faith and praise, we may be united with Christ and with one another, and we may continue faithful in all things.
All: In the strength Christ gives us, we offer ourselves to you, eternal God, and give thanks that you have called us to serve you. Amen.
Pastor: Though the broken bread, we participate in the body of Christ.
Through the cup of blessing, we participate in a new life Christ gives us.
Sharing the elements
Come now, for all things are ready.
The body of Christ, the bread of life.
The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation.
Our Savior Jesus Christ keep and preserve you to everlasting life. Let us pray:
Prayer of Thanksgiving
All: Life-giving God, we give you thanks for the gift of our Savior’s presence in the simplicity and splendor of this holy meal. Unite us with all who are fed by the life of Christ that we may faithfully proclaim the Good News of your love and that your church may be a rainbow of hope in an uncertain world; Through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen
Benediction:
Go forth into the world to serve God with gladness, be of good courage, hold fast to that which is good, render to no one evil for evil, strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak, help the afflicted, honor all people, love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Pastor Whitney Bruno Sermons 