Scripture Mark 1:17-31

Mark: As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him,
Sunnie: “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’ ”
Mark: The man said, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him,
loved him
and said,

Sunnie: “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
Mark: When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
Sunnie: “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
Mark: And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again,
Sunnie: “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mark: They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said,
Sunnie: “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
Mark: Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said,
Sunnie: “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Sermon: Noble Heart

To download: 180826_0849 

Prayer:

Lord, when you hold us and we feel loved, we feel safe like a town nestled in a valley. You calm our fears when the night winds blow and strengthen our resolve when bullies blow hard in the day. We look out at the world and see the beauty you  created. Our hearts fill with gratitude. 

We look in ward and marvel at our own workings. How the blood gathers nutrients and oxygen to move them and deliver them where they need to go. Our hearts taking what they need move the rest of life giving blood to all our parts. We are fearfully and wonderfully made; made by you. It’s why we call you God. 

Our imaginations fill our hearts with emotions: love, gratitude, wonder, anger, jealousy, and fear. Our hearts overflow – and break – and turn to stone. Our hearts we give to you, O God and Lord and Creator and Sustainer. Our hearts move life and hold our emotions – and we give our hearts to you. Again and again. We place them in your hands; to warm, to soften, to love and cherish, and to gently mold them into a Noble heart – willing and righteous and holy. Make in us a Noble heart that distributes life and love to all. 

Lord, hear our prayer. 

Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.

The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations,

I am exalted in the earth.”

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Sermon: “Tumult”

for download: 180812_0858

Prayer:

for download: 180812_0858

Scripture: Various

 The choir sang the song “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness” and the scripture readings reflect, by verse, the references in this song. Not all, but enough to give folks a reminder of what the song talks about. Here is what was read:

Scripture for July 29, 2018
Reflects the lyrics of “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness”

Doris: In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep waters, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. And God said,
Mark: “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.”
Doris: And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Pause

Mark: After the Red Sea, Moses praised God,
Doris: “At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’
Mark: But the people did not remember.
Doris: “So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!
Mark: The Lord said to Moses,
Doris: “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it. I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are.

Pause

Doris: Joseph went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a stable, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Mark: And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.
Doris: When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were in the city of Jerusalem, all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Pause

Mark: Paul repeats the words of the prophet Joel, saying, “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
Doris: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”
Mark: And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.”

Sermon: A Synopsis

for download:  180729_0901

Prayer

I did not write a prayer. So you will have to listen to it.

Scripture: Acts 2:1-12

The Day of Pentecost Interrupted.

Vicki Eastman is reading the mornings scripture that is in bold. Mark Piton is interrupting.

When the day of Pentecost had come,

This was not the first Pentecost. This was the Jewish “Pentecost” called Shavout or the harvest Festival of Weeks.

they

The Apostles that is. They had just voted in Matthias as an Apostle to replace Judas who was not with them. The number 12 had been restored!

were all together in one place. 

After all they were in Jerusalem and it was Pentecost! The other faithful had made a pilgrimage and were celebrating the Festival of Weeks and the day – Fifty days after the Passover – that Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. Fifty – Pente – days after the Exodus started.

And suddenly from heaven there came a sound

How do we know it came from heaven? Well, the events of the day will show that, but it was sudden, non-natural, and it is reminiscent of the pillar of smoke that led the Hebrews out of Egypt, the still small voice, the whirlwind, the spirit moving on the face of the deep. And the word “ruah” can be translated as wind or breath or spirit. So, yes the verse could say “a sound like the rush of a violent breath or spirit”. Instead, it is usually translated …

…came a  sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 

It touched everyone. But also notice how Luke, the writer of this, is not saying THAT is what it was. The sound was LIKE this. It was not THIS. It was LIKE it. He is getting ready to do the same thing with the next symbol of the day.

Divided tongues, as of fire,

AS of fire. NOT fire. Tongues AS if fire, like fire, like a rushing wind, as if it was – BUT it was not these things. Like them, but not them.

I think they got it.

Sorry

Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them,

Fire from heaven. How do we know this? It was sudden, non-natural and reminiscent the burning bush that did not consume the bush, of the pillar of fire that led the Hebrews out of Egypt at night, and the tongues of fire that destroy the rotten roots of those who reject God that Isaiah speaks about.

and a tongue rested on each of them. 

Again they touched everyone. And this is getting ready for a bit of a pun, at least in English.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit

The Holy Breath the Holy Wind

and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 

…they spoke in other tongues ..  get it? … tongues of fire tongues of language…

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound

Not the sound of from all these pilgrim in Jerusalem but the sound that was LIKE a mighty wind or breath and the 12 speaking while lit up with tongues of Holy fire

 the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 

Scholars have debated whether this is a miracle of the Apostles speaking in another language or if God did a miracle on the non-believers so they could hear in their own language. I can see where it makes a difference, but I am not sure it matters all that much.

Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 

Galileans were not well regarded for intelligence.

And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 

This has been answered. Sounds and fire from heaven. The how doesn’t rely on humans.

Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 

 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 

Always the question. Peter is getting ready to answer it.

But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” 

Because there are always those who will dismiss what they do not understand or want to believe.

[Wait like a 5 count just staring at me.]

Would you like me to read it again without interruption? To let them get a sense of the flow or the story?

…That might be good…

I am reading this time from The Message paraphrase.

 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force – no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them. 

There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world.  When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? 

How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues? 

Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene; both Jews and proselytes; Even Cretans and Arabs! “They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!” Their heads were spinning; they couldn’t make head or tail of any of it.

They talked back and forth, confused: “What’s going on here?” 

Others joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.” 

That’s when Peter stood up …

Sermon: Flame and Wind 

to down load: 180520_0857 

Prayer

Lord. We have volcanoes on our minds 10 more people murdered at a school on our hearts. We know there are wars around the world and other natural disasters, and we know there is illness, grief, and pain closer to home with us now. We want someting better in all these situations. We may pray for you to fix them, but we know we will have a part to flfill. We need help to meet our responsibilities. Help us.

Come Holy Spirit. Come.

Come as a wind of change when we ignore injustice so that we can have peace. Come and knock down the wall of ignorance, hatred, prejudice. Blow away the stench of racism, arrogance, pride, and pretension. Clear the choking smoke of lies, diversion, and division. Burn away the chaff of greed, the pedestal of power, and the idols of false gods that love injustice. Set fire and burn away the dross of “nice” and set fire to our hearts with passion for liberty and justice for all. We need help to set aside niceness and a desire for our own peace  to become your prophets demanding justice, proclaiming what is right and wrong, Holy and profane,. Blow on the fires of our passion until we will accept only peace for all who would have it. In the light of that fire may we see your will on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.