Sharing God's Love and Grace

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. 4th St., Coshocton, OH 43812

Pastor Karen Crawford

Liturgist: Don Harrison

Musicians: Alice Hoover, Mark Wagner and Caroline Heading

Prelude: My Faith Is Firmly Found by J.S. Bach, ed. by Dorothy Wells; Alice Hoover, Organ

Greeting/Announcements with Pastor Karen

Opening Sentences and Gathering Prayer: Don and Betty Harrison

To you, O Lord, we lift our souls; to you we offer our lives.

For you are good and forgiving, and abounding in steadfast love.

In heaven, on earth, there is none like you. Your works are beyond compare.

For you are great; you work wonders. You alone are God.

Hymn: Faith of Our Fathers; Alice Hoover, Organ

Faith of our fathers, living still, in spite of dungeons, fire, and sword; O how our hearts beat high with joy whene’er we hear that glorious word!

Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death.

Faith of our fathers, we will strive to win all nations unto thee; and through the truth that comes from God, we all shall then be truly free.

Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death.

Faith of our fathers, we will love both friend and foe in all our strife; and preach thee, too, as love knows how by kindly words and virtuous life.

Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death.

Call to Confession/Confession/Assurance of Pardon

God of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac, God of Hagar and Ishmael, who gave us your Son, Jesus Christ the crucified, send your Holy Spirit to help us confess and truly repent of our sins. We turn against one another; we fail to care for the weak and poor among us. We pay no heed to the cries of the powerless; we seek our own advantage. Your Son emptied himself upon a Roman cross and revealed your eternal, self-giving love. Forgive us, merciful God. Wipe sin from our lives and let us find ourselves wholly in Jesus Christ, our Savior. It is in his name that we pray. Amen.

Anthem: Be Not Afraid, Celebration Singers

“Celebration Singers gathered on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 to rehearse for Christmas Eve.  We were happy to have some alumni – home from college – with us!  At the end of the rehearsal we sang a favorite: Craig Courtney’s anthem based on Isaiah 43:1b-2;4a “Be Not Afraid.”  We shared thoughts about the text, and then talked about Mr. Courtney, who was grieving the death of his son.  We decided to record it and send it to him. Caroline Heading is the pianist.” —Chuck Snyder

Time With Children

Praise Song: Consider the Lilies, sung by Claire Crosby

Prayer for Illumination and Matthew 10:24-39: Don Harrison

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ!

Anthem: His Eye Is on the Sparrow, Caroline Heading, Piano

Genesis 21:8-21 Reading with Pastor Karen

Holy wisdom, holy word. Thanks be to God!

Message: God Heard the Voice of the Boy Pastor Karen

Hymn 393: Take Up Your Cross, the Savior Said (Charles William Everest), Alice Hoover, Organ

Take up your cross,” the Savior said,
“if you would my disciple be;
take up your cross with willing heart,
and humbly follow after me.”

Take up your cross; let not its weight
fill your weak spirit with alarm;
Christ’s strength shall bear your spirit up
and brace your heart and nerve your arm.

Take up your cross, heed not the shame,
and let your foolish heart be still;
the Lord for you accepted death
upon a cross, on Calv’ry’s hill.

Take up your cross, then, in Christ’s strength,
and calmly ev’ry danger brave:
it guides you to abundant life
and leads to vict’ry o’er the grave.

Affirmation of Faith Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.32–33

The life, death, resurrection, and promised coming of Jesus Christ has set the pattern for the church’s mission. His human life involves the church in the common life of all people. His service to men and women commits the church to work for every form of human well-being. His suffering makes the church sensitive to all human suffering so that it sees the face of Christ in the faces of persons in every kind of need. His crucifixion discloses to the church God’s judgment on the inhumanity that marks human relations, and the awful consequences of the church’s own complicity in injustice. In the power of the risen Christ and the hope of his coming, the church sees the promise of God’s renewal of human life in society and of God’s victory over all wrong. The church follows this pattern in the form of its life and in the method of its action. So to live and serve is to confess Christ as Lord.

Invitation to the Offering with Pastor Karen

Offertory: This Is My Father’s World and Fairest Lord Jesus (Hailey Smith)

Prayer of Thanksgiving/Dedication and Lord’s Prayer with Pastor Karen

Holy One, incarnate One, dynamic One, God who is Trinity, we lift our voices in praise and thanksgiving for the life in Christ Jesus that we receive from you. You have shown that your mercy overcomes sin and evil and brings relief from oppression. We thank you for your steadfast love that keeps covenant with your people. In Christ we know the depth of your care for all that you create. We invite the Holy Spirit to help us so that we can praise you eternally in the name of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

Charge/Benediction

Postlude: Faith of Our Fathers, Mark Wagner, Piano

In Memory of Robert Stewart Kinkley

March 19, 1933-Feb. 21, 2020

Pastor Karen Crawford

 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

² a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
³ a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.— Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

***

The first thing I noticed about Bob Kinkley was his smile. His whole face lit up!  And how happy he and Janie looked when they were in church together. Such a handsome couple. I remember a Sunday last summer, when Janie was our liturgist. She did a great job! I looked over at Bob while she was speaking, and, yes, he was smiling, so proud of his wife. I didn’t know then that he was a retired dentist, making the world a better, healthier place and encouraging people to feel good about themselves when they smiled and take care of their teeth and gums.

    My husband has a dentist story he shared some years ago. When he was a child, the only time he ever got a spanking was when he refused to go to the dentist. He had had a bad experience. It’s too bad he didn’t have Dr. Kinkley as his dentist. He was so gentle. Children loved him! Everybody loved him. The vet in Florida started to cry when Janie told them Bob had passed. He was the nicest client they ever had.

    Bob’s passions were his family, including his dogs, Ohio State football, and golf. Lulu, a 70-pound rescue dog, was Janie and Bob’s 12^th dog together. She held a special place in his heart, but he loved them all. Among his favorite pastimes were watching the Buckeyes play, walking his dog and riding the tractor, mowing the lawn to make a perfect putting green.

    Both Bob and Janie have a long history with Coshocton. They have known one another most of their lives. They didn’t meet in church because he grew up at Grace Methodist and Janie, The Presbyterian Church. Let me see if I have this right. Bob was a neighbor of Janie’s friend in high school. But there was a time for friendship before it blossomed into romantic love. It took time. Bob dated Janie’s older sister, Mary Ellen, first, but Mary Ellen fell in love and married another. Bob was crushed, not knowing God’s wonderful plan for him. Janie’s parents worshiped Bob or “Kink” as he was called. Janie’s mom assured him—not to worry. “I have another one for you,” she said.

     No, it wasn’t an arranged marriage, by any means. And there was never any tension between the sisters over boys. It just took some time before Bob realized that Janie was the one God had chosen for him and maybe to work up the courage to ask the beautiful young woman with a gorgeous smile to go out with him.

    First, Bob tried to fix Janie up with a friend of his on a blind date! Finally, Bob called and asked her to go to a dental fraternity dance. They got married in the main sanctuary of The Presbyterian Church on Dec. 28, 1957, just before the Buckeyes went to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1958 and defeated the Oregon Webfoots 10-7. Bob was extremely bright and hardworking. He graduated from Ohio State Dental School in May of that year after 6 years of study. During that time, he experienced the tragic loss of his father, Kenneth Kinkley. Janie was a college junior at OSU when they married. She didn’t want to wait any longer because she was worried about her father’s failing health and wanted him to be at their wedding. But she would finish her degree later and then a master’s from OSU, while serving her community as a teacher of young children.  

     Isn’t it strange how one’s life unfolds in unexpected ways? That’s how it was with Bob and Janie. In their early part of their marriage, Bob, who had completed ROTC, was drafted. It was the Korean War era. He served as a captain in the Army. He was sent to Fort Lee in Virginia. Janie went with him. They lived on the base, and he was so popular, they got invited to all the officer’s parties. Bob was being groomed for a career in the Army. But a car accident that left Janie with a broken back and in a cast for 3 months changed their plans. They returned to their family and hometown in Ohio. Bob began to serve Coshocton with his gifts and talents, setting up practice as a dentist in the home that had belonged to Janie’s dad’s mother, her paternal grandmother. He offered kindness, friendship, and gentle care to our community for 40 years at the corner of Mulberry and South 4^th Street, retiring in 2000.

      The writer of Ecclesiastes emphasizes the many seasons of our lives, seasons that we live out very differently, but seasons we all must go through. There is a time and a purpose for everything—and the time and purpose are always known by the Lord—and not by us at least, not while we are going through these times and seasons. We don’t have control over all these things—certainly not when we are born or when we die. God leads us to plant and keep on planting. We are called to sow seeds throughout our lives and trust God for the harvest. Bob did. He sowed seeds of kindness and love, always trying to be God’s instrument to help make the world that is broken and hurting, whole and healed.

    Throughout their 62 years together, Bob was devoted to Janie—giving her whatever she wanted, even the things that seemed impractical to him. She always wanted a convertible. She got it. And he was right. It was impractical. He was the homebody, and she liked to travel. But he wanted to be with her. So he went to Hawaii in 2014, even though he didn’t want to go. One year, they went to the Rose Bowl and took their two daughters. Wonderful memories were made on vacations at The Greenbrier in West Virginia and winters spent in Florida.

    When we are grieving the loss of a loved one, and struggling with all the life changes that inevitably means, we may lose sight of our hope in the Spirit that is with us now and working in us. One day, in God’s time, our mourning will turn to joy. God will make beauty from ashes, order from chaos. Our hearts and lives will be transformed in unexpected ways. But grief is unpredictable. You think it is gone, over and done, then it returns suddenly in waves, without warning with a thought, a sudden memory or a word someone says, a smell, sight or sound, maybe a song that you both loved. Some days, the tears will flow. Other days, the laughter will come and you will have God’s peace, living out your new life in Jesus Christ and all the surprises that come from walking with Him. You will have peace when you remember the promise of everlasting life with Him. This world that we see isn’t all there is. This is just the beginning.

    One day, we will see Him face to face. There will be no more suffering, sickness or disease. No more hunger or poverty, hatred or fear, division or war. The Body of Christ will be gathered around the heavenly banquet table, with all the saints from every time and place. Singing God’s praise. The Lord will wipe our tears away.

Amen.

Devotion on Matthew 9:35-10:8

Diane Jones, guest speaker

The Presbyterian Church, Coshocton, Ohio

June 14, 2020

    

As many of you may know, I am a city girl. Yes, I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, so I do not know much about farming. In fact, my children tease me about how I once killed a cactus houseplant because I forgot to water it.  I do not particularly like to get my hands dirty and dig in the soil to plant impatiens in our yard.  But, nevertheless, every spring, I buy a flat of impatiens to plant around my light pole and six small starters of various herbs to transplant in six separate hanging baskets along our picket fence. This year, I planted white impatiens in our yard and in my herb garden, I planted parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, dill, and basil.  Speaking of my basil, it’s rather droopy, even though, I was told, “It will just perk up when you water it.”  I marvel at the wisdom of expert gardeners and farmers.  Perhaps I would be more successful if I read more books about gardening, took a sample of our soil to be tested at The Extension Office, or sought the expertise of a local Master Gardener. With all this talk about planting, I was even more amazed at how much I did not know about agriculture when I read Beth Moore’s recent book, Chasing Vines: Finding Your Way to an Immensely Fruitful Life. This was the selection for our church’s recent book discussion.

     A little over a month ago, during Ohio’s stay-at-home-order, Pastor Karen put out an email asking if there would be any interest in “gathering” once a week, to discuss Beth Moore’s recent book.  Of course, this would not be like our last, in-person book discussion in the Church Parlor.  Instead, this would be done virtually, through the technological forum called Zoom. Interest was expressed; we ordered our books, and shortly thereafter, our book discussion began. Every Thursday afternoon, our group of 9 women logged onto our personal, home computers and “Zoomed” into our gathering.  Here we were, looking at our monitors, and seeing each other in a Tic-Tac Toe, Brady Bunch style. Picture the layout of the 60s’ TV game show, Hollywood Squares: a 3 x 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes. In this configuration, we could share our thoughts about the chapters we had read, prompted by questions in the Group Experience Study Guide.  We discussed scriptures and Biblical commentary, talked about some of our own experiences, and watched a Vimeo recording in each session, led by Beth Moore, herself.  And along the way, we learned about the complicated process of growing grapes: finding the proper soil, planting, pruning, securing the supports, tending the vines; grafting, . . . etc. Before we began our study, Pastor Karen had asked if anyone would like to volunteer to lead a week’s discussion, and my turn came at the conclusion of our six-week study. My Session was titled, “The Harvest.” 

     In this session about the harvest, Beth Moore writes, “After the laboring, rock clearing, hoeing, weeding, waiting, growing, staking, guarding, pruning, weather watching, and clock watching, the time has finally come for grape picking.” The harvest has finally come! And the harvest provides a reason to be joyful and to celebrate. The field hands fill the rows for the ingathering; the less fortunate come along the perimeters to glean what was left behind, and the feasting begins.

     We read in today’s Psalm, 

“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs” (Psalm 100:2). “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through the generations” (Psalm 100:5).

God has provided us with many blessings, and for this, and so much more, we are to be thankful and joyful.  Harvesting, though it takes effort, should not be dreaded.  Gathering the abundant fruit of the field should be a joyful process.

   And now, this brings us to today’s New Testament Lesson: In the Book of Matthew, Chapter 9, verses 35-37, we read:

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus then called his twelve disciples to him and gave them these instructions: go into the towns and villages, preach the message and perform miracles of healing.  They would be the harvesters, gathering more believers in Christ.  Moreover, in other scriptures, we learn this harvesting is not to be limited to only the original 12 disciples, whom Jesus first sent.  It is our privilege, as Christians, to go out, tend the “fields,” and harvest a “crop” of followers of Christ.  How can we spread the good news?   How we live, the choices we make, the examples we set of loving service, and the words we share, are some of the ways we can bear witness to the love of God, the Father, the sacrifice of Christ, His Son, and the bountiful gift of The Holy Spirit. We are called to gather a harvest of souls, as we spread the good news of the saving grace of Christ, with the hope, peace, love, and joy available to all who believe, for now and forever.

Thanks be to God.

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. 4th Street, Coshocton, Ohio 43812

Second Sunday After Pentecost

Pastor Karen Crawford

Guest Speaker: Diane Jones

Liturgists: George and Joani Brode and Jim Crawford

Musicians: Alice Hoover, Mark Wagner, and Caroline Heading

Prelude: Amazing Grace, Caroline Heading, Piano

Greeting/Announcements: Pastor Karen

Opening Sentences and Gathering Prayer: George and Joani Brode

Whether we stray like sheep or follow faithfully,

God welcomes us here.

Whether we seek healing and wholeness, or stand ready to extend compassion,

God welcomes us here.

Whether exhausted from journeys across rough terrain, or renewed and refreshed, our souls at peace, we gather to hear the good news:

The kingdom of heaven is at hand!

Hymn 386: O for a World, Alice Hoover, Organ

O for a world where everyone
respects each other’s ways,
where love is lived and all is done
with justice and with praise.

O for a world where goods are shared
and misery relieved,
where truth is spoken, children spared,
equality achieved.

We welcome one world family
and struggle with each choice
that opens us to unity
and gives our vision voice.

The poor are rich, the weak are strong,
the foolish ones are wise.
Tell all who mourn, outcasts belong,
who perishes will rise.

O for a world preparing for
God’s glorious reign of peace,
where time and tears will be no more,
and all but love will cease.

Call to Confession/Prayer of Confession/Assurance of Pardon with Pastor Karen

Holy God, you send us to proclaim the good news of your kingdom to all who are lost, all who are afflicted, all who are captive, all who have been cast out. But we are content to proclaim the in-breaking of your kingdom within familiar communities where we know others will receive this news with nods of agreement. Push us beyond what is comfortable and safe, and strengthen us for lives of compassionate service, that we might be the laborers you call us to be. Amen.

Anthem: Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Mark Wagner, Piano

Time with Children

Praise Song: 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman, Cover by Tiffany Kimberly Utama

Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
Oh my soul, worship his holy name
Sing like never before, Oh my soul
I’ll worship your holy name

The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
Oh my soul, worship his holy name
Sing like never before, Oh my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name

You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
Oh my soul, worship His holy name.
Sing like never before, Oh my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name.

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore.

Bless the Lord, oh my soul
Oh my soul, worship His holy name
Sing like never before, oh my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name.

I’ll worship Your holy name.
I’ll worship Your holy name.

Prayer for Illumination and Romans 5:1-8: George and Joani Brode

Matthew 9:35—10:8: Jim Crawford

This is the gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ!

Devotion: The Harvest, with guest speaker Diane Jones

Hymn: Standing on the Promises by Russell Kelso Carter

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of Christ my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Affirmation of Faith: Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.32–33

The life, death, resurrection, and promised coming of Jesus Christ has set the pattern for the church’s mission. His human life involves the church in the common life of all people. His service to men and women commits the church to work for every form of human well-being. His suffering makes the church sensitive to all human suffering so that it sees the face of Christ in the faces of persons in every kind of need. His crucifixion discloses to the church God’s judgment on the inhumanity that marks human relations, and the awful consequences of the church’s own complicity in injustice. In the power of the risen Christ and the hope of his coming, the church sees the promise of God’s renewal of human life in society and of God’s victory over all wrong. The church follows this pattern in the form of its life and in the method of its action. So to live and serve is to confess Christ as Lord.

Invitation to the Offering/Prayer of Dedication/Lord’s Prayer with Pastor Karen

Good and Holy God, for your steadfast love and faithfulness we give you thanks and bless your name. Let our whole lives become songs of gratitude, joy, and praise so that all the earth may know that we are your people and you are our God. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

Praise Song: In Christ Alone, sung by Kristyn Getty with the All Souls Orchestra

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

Charge/Benediction: Pastor Karen

Postlude: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, setting by Lani Smith, Alice Hoover, Organ

Pastor Karen Crawford from The Presbyterian Church in Coshocton, Ohio, reads The Marvelous Mustard Seed by Amy-Jill Levine and Sandy Eisenberg Sasso.

Activities for Children:

https://sermons4kids.com/jesus_calls_for_workers_wordsearch.htm

https://sermons4kids.com/jesus_calls_for_workers_choice.htm

https://sermons4kids.com/jesus_calls_for_workers_crossword.htm

https://sermons4kids.com/tell-friends-colorpg.htm

Trinity Sunday

142 N. 4th. Street, Coshocton, OH 43812

Pastor Karen Crawford

Liturgists: Jeff, Janice and Lukas Sycks

Musicians: Alice Hoover and Mark Wagner

Prelude: Near to the Heart of God, Mark Wagner, Piano

Greeting/Announcements: Pastor Karen

Choral Introit: Let There Be Peace On Earth

Opening Sentences/Gathering Prayer

Mighty Wind, who danced over the deep and surveyed the shapeless void,

dance over us now and ready us for your creative purpose.

Divine Word, who commanded unruly chaos and called forth light and life, 

call to us now and open us to new expressions of grace.

Eternal Artist, who formed us in your likeness and claimed us as kin,

Re-form and refine us to be bearers of your blessing.

Holy Trinity—Creator, Christ, Spirit—who gathered the primeval waters,

gather us in, then send us out, our voices echoing creation’s song:

How majestic is your name in all the earth!

Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty

Call to Confession/Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon

Lord Jesus, you send us to make disciples of all nations, but we focus our energies inward and shy away from sharing the good news in word and deed. You charge us to teach your commandments, but we struggle to obey them and neglect to model them for others. You assure us of your abiding presence, but we doubt this promise and disregard your Spirit, denying the power you give us to do your work. Forgive us, Lord, and renew us to be the church you created us to be. Wash us with your grace and commission us for service in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Hymn 132   Come, Great God of All the Ages by Mary Jackson Cathey, Alice Hoover, Organ

Come, great God of all the ages,
Make Your earthly mission known;
Speak through every deed and person,
Let Your way and will be shown.
Guide the church to true commitment,
Give direction now, we ask;
Fit us for the work of building,
Dedicate us to the task.

Come, Christ Jesus, flesh and spirit,
Sure foundation, cornerstone,
Help us form the church eternal,
May Your vision be our own.
Send a message to each follower,
Lead all people to Your way;
Urge us to strong faith and action
As we build the church today.

Come, great Spirit, in and with us,
Tune our ears to hear Your call;
Through the moving of Your presence.
Let redeeming love recall
Ministry in dedication,
Love embodied in our deeds;
Challenge us to do Your bidding,
See Your purpose, fill all needs.

Come, O come, in celebration,
Household of the one true God.
In commitment and rejoicing
Let us go where Christ has trod;
As we act in faith and reverence.
Let us, Lord, the future see;
Place us in the church triumphant,
Now and for eternity.

Mary Jackson Cathey (b. 1926) was born in Florence, SC, and educated at Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC. She received an advanced degree from Union Seminary – Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond. As a Christian Educator she finds hymn text writing a profound way to express her faith. She has four hymns in The Presbyterian Hymnal (1990) and others published by Selah Press, Choristers Guild, and Zimbel Press. She is an elder at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. –www.hopepublishing.com

Time with Children: Who Is My Neighbor?

Praise Song: Children of God by Monica Scott

Prayer for Illumination and 2 Cor. 13:11-13

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.  

Matthew 28:16-20: Pastor Karen

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ!

Message    Let Us Break Bread Together

Hymn: Let Us Break Bread Together

Affirmation of Faith: Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.07

Jesus Christ is God with humankind. He is the eternal Son of the Father, who became human and lived among us to fulfill the work of reconciliation. He is present in the church by the power of the Holy Spirit to continue and complete his mission. This work of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the foundation of all confessional statements about God, humanity, and the world. Therefore, the church calls all people to be reconciled to God and to one another.

Invitation to Offering/Pastor Karen

Offertory: Come, Live in the Light

Prayer of Thanksgiving/Dedication

God of unending gifts, we praise you for your abundant goodness. As you are generous, we want to be generous too. May the gifts we bring extend your generosity into the world, so that all people may be made whole by your goodness and grace. Amen.

Invitation to the Table/Great Thanksgiving Prayer/Lord’s Prayer/Communion/Prayer After Communion

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Hymn 241  Behold the Goodness of Our Lord by Fred R. Anderson, Alice Hoover, Organ

Behold the goodness of our Lord,
how blest it is to be
a company of God’s beloved,
in holy unity.

Like precious oil upon the head,
a healing for our strife,
it flows throughout our common bond,
refreshing all of life.

 As dew on Zion’s mountaintop
brings freshness to its door,
our Lord commands this in our midst
and brings life evermore.

Charge and Blessing

Choral Response: The Lord Bless You and Keep You, arr. by John Rutter

Postlude: Fughetta No. 5 George Frederic Handel, Alice Hoover, Organ

Pastor Karen Crawford

Today, I am sharing a book with you by Amy-Jill Levine and Sandy Eisenberg-Sasso and illustrated by Denise Turu called Who Is My Neighbor? Sometimes adults have trouble getting along with each other. Sometimes, children do, too, don’t they? Who IS our neighbor? Do we have to love everybody?

Other activities for Children:

https://sermons4kids.com/good-samaritan_group_activities.htm

https://sermons4kids.com/good_samaritan_colorpg_2

https://sermons4kids.com/good_samaritan_crossword.htm

https://sermons4kids.com/good_samaritan_wordsearch.htm

Meditation on Matthew 28:16-18

Trinity Sunday: June 7, 2020

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. 4th St., Coshocton, Ohio 43812

Pastor Karen Crawford

It was warm and humid on Friday and late in the day when the tree trimmers arrived. They are farmers working a side job, said one man who shimmied up the large tree in our front yard without a ladder or bucket truck. He just used a rope, a harness, a chainsaw, and a lot of sweat effort. The other guy, Rick, stayed on the ground picking up the branches as they fell and feeding them into the mulcher, which reminded me of the gruesome scene in the movie, Fargo. When they were done, the young guy asked me if we had any more work for them to do.

    And I said, “How much time do you have???” I took him on a tour around our yard, and in the end, he and Rick had trimmed 4 trees, plus removed two baby trees off our 60 or 70-year old ornamental cherry tree growing too close to our house.

    When they had finished, it was glaringly obvious that I had more trimming and clean-up to do. Specifically, you could now see how overgrown the forsythia was and all the weeds that had grown up behind and under them. So for the next few hours, though I had already spent the morning digging, planting and weeding, I cut back the forsythia until, I too, was covered in dirt and sweat—and too tired to do anymore.

   The next day was Saturday, my sermon writing and recording day, so I knew I needed help if I wanted the job finished any time soon. I asked my son, Jacob. My plan was to show him what I needed done on Saturday morning, and then go back inside and work on my service, but it was an awful job I gave him, raking, bending, lifting and cutting the branches to fill the trash bins. And it was Florida hot! The worst part of the job was that mixed with the branches I had cut were all kinds of wild vines, including poison ivy.

     Well, I ended up staying outside with him for several hours, helping him and being careful not to touch the poison ivy with anything but a long rake. And even after I went inside to shower and work at my computer, I came back out to bring Jacob a raspberry popsicle and a lawn chair to rest in the shade.

    I can’t ask him to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. And I know how much easier it is to do unpleasant jobs when you have help, someone to keep you company during the labor, encourage you to keep going when you are ready to give up, and rest when you need it.

***

  And the Risen Christ is like this, too. He would never ask us to do something that he isn’t willing to do and, in fact, has already done and is still doing. He gives his disciples, at the end of the gospel of Matthew, final instructions for the work of making disciples of the world. He tells them exactly what he wants them to do and what it means to make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the promised Holy Spirit that would empower and guide them every step. This is Jesus teaching us about the Trinity, the God who is three-in-one, the God who came down to us in human form and suffered and died so we may be reconciled with him.

     Jesus says, “I want you to teach them everything I taught you—to obey all my commands.” What comes to mind is his Greatest Command—love God with all heart, soul, mind and might and neighbors as ourselves. But he also said to love our enemies and pray for them. What hard labor this is—to do the work of love. This is a labor only possible with the Lord’s help.

    Here’s the good news! We have his help. He didn’t leave us with a big job to do by ourselves, with no encouragement when we are tired, no refreshment, and no rest and peace with His loving Spirit when we are ready to give up. For Christ says, “Remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

***

    This week marks the anniversary of the historic Communion on June 10, 1983 that reunited the Presbyterian Church that had been split since the Civil War. They were “ending a family separation which had kept them apart for 122 years” says the General Assembly Daily News of the Presbyterian Church (USA), one day after the event. The front-page headline proclaims, “We Are One Church Again!” Thousands of Presbyterians, 54 groups, would gather, not just at The World Congress Center in Atlanta, but at 24 different locations across the United States and Puerto Rico to participate in the “largest satellite simultaneous communion service ever held.”

    The Rev. John F. Anderson, Jr. would share a message, “Let Us Break Bread Together,” for the newly gathered Church of 3.4 million members. The early church called the Lord’s Supper “communion,” he said, “because the community of believers was restored again and again. They called it ‘eucharist’ because the good favor, the amazing grace of forgiveness and acceptance was experienced every time the family circle was reunited.” “Pride, prejudice, power politics, hurt feelings, and hard lines caused one family after another to leave the family table,” the Rev. Anderson said to thousands of Presbyterians via satellite.

      But the reality was that the headline of being One Church Again was not quite true, at least not in the way it was meant. Other Presbyterians, anticipating the reunion, had up and left. Ten years before, in 1973, a group of Presbyterians concerned with growing “liberal tendencies” in the Southern Church formed the Presbyterian Church in America or PCA. In 1981, two years before the 195^th GA met in Atlanta, another group of conservative Presbyterians from both the Northern and Southern churches formed the Evangelical Presbyterian Church or EPC. More would leave after 1983. In 2012, just a year after I was ordained in the PC(USA), a group of pastors within the denomination left to form ECO:A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.

     Yes, the visible church is still struggling to live as One. But somehow, God is using our divisive tendencies to send us out—and obey Christ’s Great Commission of Matthew 28. Jesus, to me, never seemed like the megachurch kind of guy as megachurches are today—stadium sized worship centers filled with people who hardly know one another, if at all. Jesus was all about ministry in small groups, person to person, relationships, training up leaders—women and men, young and older—and sending them out with His power.

    With the racial unrest, protests, military response and angry rhetoric since the death of an African American arrested by white police officers, the injustice suffered by the oppressed has been brought to light, once again. It’s like when I had my trees trimmed, and suddenly I could see what had been covered up. Prejudice and hatred were never gone from our society. Evil is still here in the world—the power and principalities of darkness. It’s not a time for discouragement or to sit back and do nothing. It just means we have more work to do as followers of Christ. And we need to invite others to join with us! This is a time to bear witness to our faith and our commissioning to labor for him. Our Triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is doing a new thing. Our Triune God isn’t finished, yet. We should expect to continue to work for peace and justice, revealing the Kingdom and God’s love, until our Savior comes again.

    The communion we celebrate today is not so unlike the “satellite simultaneous communion service” held in June 1983. Communion has always been the celebration of Christ’s presence in and with us and with all the saints in every time and place. As one person mentioned in our Chasing Vines book study this week, every time we have communion, it is like we are feasting at the big banquet table in heaven; it is a foretaste of what is to come. Our virtual communion is STILL a reunion of the family of God, a re-membering of Christ’s Body, broken and given for us, his blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins.

    During communion today, open your heart and let the Spirit build up your faith, bring hope and healing, and make us One Church, Again.

     Let us break bread together—and be renewed and equipped to be Christ’s Body for the world. And to remember Christ’s words as he sent out his beloved, as lambs amidst the wolves. “I will be with you always even to the end of the age.”

Let us pray.

Holy Triune God, Three-in-One, do your work in us now. In our communion, as we remember what you have done for us and give you thanks, make us, once again, one in Your Body. Forgive us for our pride and divisive ways, for being intolerant of differences of belief and practice and for opposing uncomfortable change, though it may be your will. Help us, now, to work for peace and justice in our community and world. Empower us to witness to your present and coming Kingdom through our words and acts of kindness. Lord, we pray your Spirit would draw others closer to you and that hearts would be cleansed of the hate and prejudice that stirs people to acts of violence and cruelty. Equip us and send us out to make disciples of all the nations, beginning right here in our homes and hometowns.  In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Presbyterian Church, Coshocton, Ohio

Pastor Karen Crawford

Liturgists: Matt and Sarah Swigert

Musicians: Caroline Heading, Alice Hoover, and Mark Wagner

Prelude: We Now Implore the Holy Ghost by Dietrich Buxtehude (Alice Hoover, Organ)

Greeting/Announcements: Pastor Karen

Introit: Like the Murmur of the Dove’s Song (A Capella Choir and Handbells)

Opening Sentences/Gathering Prayer: Matt and Sarah Swigert

Wind of God, who awakened creation and stirred dry bones to life—

sweep through this space and enliven our worship.

Wind of God, who descended as tongues of flame and gave birth to the church—

sweep through this space and ignite our hearts.

Wind of God, who guides our ministry and equips us for service—

sweep through this space and empower our witness.

Hymn 128 On Pentecost They Gathered by Jane Parker Huber (Alice Hoover, Organ)

On Pentecost they gathered Quite early in the day, A band of Christ’s disciples, To worship sing, and pray. A mighty wind came blowing, Filled all the swirling air, And tongues of fire aglowing Inspired each person there.

The people all around them Were startled and amazed To understand their language, As Christ the Lord they praised. What universal message, What great good news was here? That Christ, once dead, is risen To vanquish all our fear.

God pours the Holy Spirit On all who would believe, On women, men and children Who would God’s grace receive. That Spirit knows no limit, Bestowing life and power. The church, formed and reforming, Responds in every hour.

O Spirit, sent from heaven On that day long ago. Rekindle faith among us In all life’s ebb and flow. O give us ears to listen And tongues aflame with praise, So folk of every nation Glad songs of joy shall raise.

Call to Confession/Prayer/Assurance of Pardon: Pastor Karen

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us. We rejoice in the gifts you have given us. Yet, we confess, we do not always use them to glorify you. For using the gifts of your Spirit for selfish gain instead of using them for the common good, forgive us, O God. For thinking too little of ourselves, not trusting that you have given us gifts for your service, forgive us, O God. For believing some gifts to be better than others, ignoring how we each build up the body of Christ, forgive us, O God. Spirit of the Living God, melt us, mold us, fill us again with your power and use us for your work so that our lives may glorify you. Amen.

Hymn 322: Spirit of the Living God, by Daniel Iverson

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me; Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Time with Children

Praise Song: Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here, by Bryan and Katie Torwalt

There’s nothing worth more That will ever come close, nothing can compare.
You’re our living hope. Your presence, Lord.I’ve tasted and seen, of the sweetest of loves Where my heart becomes free And my shame is undone. Your presence, Lord.

Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere.
Your Glory, God, is what our hearts long for. To be overcome by your presence, Lord.

There’s nothing worth more That will ever come close, nothing can compare.
You’re our living hope. Your Presence Lord. I’ve tasted and seen, of the sweetest of Loves
Where my heart becomes free, and my shame is undone. Your presence, Lord.

Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere.
Your Glory, God, is what our hearts long for. To be overcome by your presence, Lord.

Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere.
Your Glory, God, is what our hearts long for. To be overcome by your presence, Lord.
Your presence, Lord.

Let us become more aware of your presence. Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness. Let us become more aware of your presence. Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness. Let us become more aware of your presence. Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness.

Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere.
Your Glory, God, is what our hearts long for. To be overcome by your presence, Lord.

Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere.
Your Glory, God, is what our hearts long for. To be overcome by your presence, Lord.
Yeah, Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your Glory, God, is what our hearts long for. To be overcome by your presence, Lord.

Prayer for Illumination and 1 Cor. 12:3b-13: Matt and Sarah Swigert

Soloist: As the Wind Song: Sarah Heading, with Caroline Heading on Piano

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21, Pastor Karen

Holy wisdom, holy word. Thanks be to God!

Message: All Together in One Place, Pastor Karen

Hymn 315: Every Time I Feel the Spirit, African-American Spiritual, sung by Cardinal Chorale

Refrain: Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart I will pray.
Yes, every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart I will pray.

Upon the mountain, when my Lord spoke, 
out of God’s mouth came fire and smoke.
Looked all around me, it looked so fine,
till I asked my Lord if all was mine. [Refrain]

Jordan River, chilly and cold,
it chills the body but not the soul.
There is but one train upon this track;
it runs to heaven and then right back. [Refrain]

Affirmation of Faith (From the Confession of 1967, 9.20)

God the Holy Spirit fulfills the work of reconciliation in human life. The Holy Spirit creates and renews the church as the community in which people are reconciled to God and to one another. The Spirit enables people to receive forgiveness as they forgive one another and to enjoy the peace of God as they make peace among themselves. In spite of their sin, the Spirit gives people power to become representatives of Jesus Christ and his gospel of reconciliation to all.

Invitation to the Offering, Pastor Karen

Offertory: Breathe on Me, Breath of God by Edwin Hatch

Prayer of Thanksgiving/Dedication/Lord’s Prayer

Great God, to you we give our thanks; your steadfast love endures forever. With gratitude we bring our gifts to you. Bless us and our gifts, that our lives and our resources may be a source of healing and hope, of joy and justice in our world. Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

In humble adoration
I kneel before Your throne in brokenness I seek Your face alone.
Above You there’s no other
Who’s able to restore my soul, come and make me whole.
And breathe on me, power of God come in and change me.
You are all I need, Holy Spirit, breathe on, breathe on me!
I will say of the Lord He is my strong tower, my rock and my fortress
In whom I trust in times of the storm, and in tribulation,
You are my source of help and my salvation! Breath of God, restore my soul.
I will say of the Lord He is my strong tower, my rock and my fortress
In whom I trust in times of the storm, and in tribulation,
He is my help and my salvation! Breath of God, restore my soul.
You are all I need, Holy Spirit. Breathe on me; You are all I need, restore me, Holy Spirit.
Breath of God, breathe of life, breathe on me.
I need you Jesus to breathe on, breathe on me.

Charge/Benediction

Postlude: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, Mark Wagner, Piano

Meditation on Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost 2020

The Presbyterian Church, Coshocton, Ohio

Pastor Karen Crawford

Today, on Pentecost, we had planned to welcome into membership our Confirmation students, who have been gathering on Wednesday nights since January. Our plans have changed, but I am not going to say that it’s bad news.

Let me tell you the story of Confirmation this year. We went from meeting in person at the church through the middle of March and then by Zoom video conference in April and May. We plan to meet through June and July, as well. I have actually been planning for the class since last summer or early fall when I ordered the new curriculum from the PC (USA), Big God, Big Questions. Unlike the former curriculum from our denomination that focused on creeds, confessions and catechetical questions, this program encourages the students to ask their own “big” questions and pay attention to how different people draw on their faith and experiences to answer them in diverse ways. Wow! That’s a change from when you and I went through confirmation and had to memorize the books of the Bible, the Lord’s Prayer, the 10 Commandments and Apostles’ Creed, not to mention catechetical questions.

Looking back, I think what a shame that my church had the opportunity to nurture my faith and encourage me to develop all my God-given gifts and talents for the Lord and His Church, and they missed their chance. Instead, the program became an exercise in memorization of archaic words that I didn’t always understand. I never had the feeling that the pastor really wanted to get to know any of us. He didn’t meet us where we were; he never asked what we believed. He just told us what we were supposed to believe.

Since teaching my first confirmation class in 2011, my goal has been to get to know each of the students and hear their stories. I want to open God’s Word to them, help them to know Jesus and show them they are loved. I want them to know the Spirit that is living and breathing within them and leading them in God’s will, so they don’t have to be confused or afraid. I want them to feel accepted and heard. My hope has always been that confirmation would be a safe place to say just about anything, without being judged.

 A big part of the class is wrestling with the questions the students will be asked when they are confirmed, tentatively in August. The topics we discuss include, “How do we know and trust God?” “What is sin and how do we turn from it?” “Who is your Lord and Savior?” “What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus and to show Christ’s love?” And, “Will you devote yourself to the church’s teaching, fellowship, prayer, and the breaking of the bread?”

The emphasis is on growing in faith and seeking to apply it to our lives, through all our relationships– with one another and with God. While I use a prepared curriculum as a guide, what we do, mainly, is share stories. We have a guest speaker, usually from our own congregation, but we’ve had others, too, including Ben George, Susie Stout, and my friend, Cindy Bottomley, a longtime youth leader in Florida. Our guest speakers are ordinary people, because God uses ordinary people like us! I want the students to know that being a Christian, while always an adventure, is different for every person. Each one of us has a distinctive calling and different gifts the Lord wants to use.

     The challenge is to trust the Spirit to reveal God’s will as we seek to follow Christ every day.

***

     Our Acts reading today starts, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place”—and it’s really hard not to stop right there and say, “Wouldn’t that be nice? If we could all be together in one place, gathered for prayer, fellowship, worship, and to wait on the Lord?”

     But then, we have to remind ourselves that there were no church buildings in the first centuries of Christianity. Followers of Jesus gathered in homes for worship, fellowship, and the breaking of bread. Of course, with Jesus, they had gathered around the tables of the wealthy and the poor, on mountainsides, fields, and valleys, in fishing boats and walking along the shore,  on the road to Emmaus and in gardens, at night.

      Jesus was never limited by place or anything in this world. Death could not hold him; he rose from the tomb. The Risen Christ went through locked doors to be with his followers, hiding from the world. The Spirit will never be limited, either, by place or anything in this world. As Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:8 about his need to be reborn from above, “The wind blows wherever it pleases,” he says. “You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

     The Spirit in Acts has the power to change the disciples’ hearts and minds and unites them in mission to the world. The disciples, who lack formal education, suddenly speak in tongues they have never known and are emboldened to share the gospel with the very people who had cried out for Christ to be crucified. The Spirit changes their hearts and minds, too, stirring them to listen to the Galileans, led by Peter, a flawed and ordinary man. This is the disciple whom Jesus had rebuked, who walked on water but fell in from lack of faith. He is the one who betrayed Jesus three times, but then is charged by the Risen Christ to feed his sheep and tend his lambs, meaning care for and build up his followers, the Church.

     Not everyone who hears the message on Pentecost come to believe—just as there are many unbelievers all around us. God doesn’t force himself on us. All are called but not everyone responds. But those who sneer at the disciples still notice something different about them. They seem too happy, all of a sudden. They are acting as if they are drunk, which of course they are not, as Peter quips. “For it is only 9 o’clock in the morning,” he says. This happy that they feel is the joy of the Lord, a gift of the Spirit.

     This same Spirit lives within us and dwells in our midst, my friends, wherever or however we are gathering– in person or electronically, by phone or letter. Let’s not put limitations on the Risen Lord who had no trouble going through locked doors to be with his disciples. This same Lord unites us in His Body by faith, though we may not be worshiping today in the building at the corner of 4^th and Chestnut Streets. Let’s not limit the Spirit that, when it came on Pentecost, came as a violent, rushing wind and fire, and filled not just one room but the entire house. Thousands of people became believers that day. The Church was born.

    If I have learned anything these months of pandemic, it’s that we have to trust in the Lord—when things are going well AND when nothing seems to be going right. We trust in Him when we are comfortable—and when we are way beyond our comfort zones. We have to trust the Lord for the future of the church, knowing that it may be very different than the past. Let us keep in mind the Great Ends of the Church when judging our faithfulness to Christ’s call to us today. Our Book of Order says the Great Ends are “the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.” To be faithful to the Great Ends may mean changing the way we have seen our church—and confined it to what happens inside a building. The Lord wants us to go out and bring His salvation to those who aren’t in our circle of friends and acquaintances. The Lord wants us to speak up for what is right, for justice, and be peacemakers, when others choose chaos and strife.

   God will answer our prayers in surprising ways. God answered my prayer about confirmation, though it wasn’t how I expected. I remember saying to one of the parents that I wished I had more time with the students. I remember being worried, at one point, if the spring sports were going to take some of our students away. By the end of March, confirmation by Zoom was one of the few if any activities on their schedule and an important connection to friends, their church and pastor, and the outside world. We will never forget the Confirmation class of 2020, meeting during COVID-19.

    The Spirit is calling us now to listen for a fresh Word—all of us ordinary, flawed human beings whom God wants to use. Don’t be surprised when we speak and witness in a different way to reach more people. The Spirit wants to fill us to overflowing, refresh and renew us and remove our fear. The Spirit wants to empower us to do more for the Kingdom—go way outside our comfort zones, speak up when we would rather be silent. The Lord wants us to experience more joy and reveal His love.

     I know how you feel – how you long to return to the church building and be with your brothers and sisters in the faith. Me, too. Maybe more than you! But I know the Lord is calling us to stay where we are, for now. Be safe, and keep reaching out to each other in all kinds of ways, encouraging one other. And keep on waiting, hoping and praying, like those first followers, trusting in the promises of God.

    For the Spirit is going to come, once again, like a rushing wind and fire to do its work of transformation in us—the Church. Because we would never change on our own. And we couldn’t change ourselves if we tried.

     I look forward to the day when we will be like they were on Pentecost—all together, in one place.

Let us pray.

Holy Spirit, fall afresh on us. Cleanse us. Renew us. Melt and mold us. Make us to be like your Son. Give us the mind and heart of Christ. Right now, the world is a confusing place, with chaos, anger, disease, and violence. Help us to work to reveal your Kingdom, here on earth, working for peace, health and healing, tranquility and order. Guide us by your Spirit so that we know your will every day. Give us courage to obey—to go when and where you want us to go and stay when you want us to stay. Let us listen to your voice, though your commands are different than what the world may be telling us to do. Grant us wisdom to make good decisions for our families and ourselves each day. Protect us, watch over us, and keep us safe. Heal the sick and lift up the downhearted and grieving. Help us to be patient as we wait until it is your time for us to gather as your Church, all together in one place. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.