Worship Words

Worship Words-What Time is It?

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This is my sermon from August 28, 2016 Sermon at Takoma Park Presbyterian Church

 

As I spent some time living with this text over the last week, it was fascinating to read this passage in different translations. When a passage is so familiar it can be hard to hear the words anew. So I spent time listening to the words, noticing what words changed and what words stayed the same. I reflected on how much words matter. How much our words matter. The words we think matter. It matters what we say outloud and what we choose to leave unsaid. Our words matter.

Hear now these words that matter from the book of Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13.

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

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. God has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, God has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.

These words come to us from the book of Ecclesiastes. This is not a book we spend much time talking about at church. In fact, if not for The Byrds’ 1960’s hit, Turn, Turn, Turn, we might think about this book of the Bible even less than we do now.

The first 8 verses of this text are 14 pairs of opposites, which the writer tells us we will do or have done to us in the seasons of our lives. How do we measure the seasons of our lives? The musical Rent offers these suggestions-

“In daylights, in sunsets

In midnights, in cups of coffee

In inches, in miles

In laughter, in strife?

In truth that she learns

Or in times that he cried

In bridges he burned

Or the way that she dies?

Measure your life in love”

Ponder how you measure your life as we journey through these 28 things for which there is a proper time.

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Quiet Time with a Cup of Tea or Not

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As you read this, I am nearing the end of our week long mission trip. I have spent the week working, learning, sharing God’s love, and living among the people of Atlanta and my youth. I’d love to say I prepared for this week by spending the week before resting and relaxing. The morning I wrote this I fixed myself a cup of tea and breakfast. I moved to a quiet place in my house to write a thoughtful piece on the importance of silence and quiet time with God. And then my awesome niece came into the dining room watching a you tube video on her Dad’s phone and shooting me with a Star Wars toy. So, I threw my plans out the window to spend time with my niece and realized that this is great preparation for the mission trip. I spent months planning the mission trip. I know it isn’t going to work out exactly as I planned. I can either be mad that things are not going the way I planned or be flexible and look for God working in my life.

Creating God, I long for quiet time and my life to go according to plan. You break into my life through laughter and disruptions to make me look up from my to do list and see those around me. Give me the courage and patience to be flexible. Remind me to look for you in those I meet. When Plan A doesn’t work, God, be with me as I move on to Plan B or C. In the quiet, noisy, and all the in-between times of life, you are with us, Loving God, and we are thankful for your faithfulness. Amen.
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Worship for the Days You Miss Worship

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Yesterday morning I attempted to worship with a local congregation. I say attempted because they are on a summer schedule and worship began at 10:30. Since I arrived at 11am, I decided not to go in. I checked worship times at other local churches and saw they all started at 10am. Lesson learned-double check worship time. As an alternative, I wrote this brief worship liturgy for those times we don’t make it to worship for any reason. Enjoy!

Opening Words-Good morning, God! It is a beautiful day that you have created and I want to thank you for it. Thank you for waking me up! Thank you for your creativity which shines through creation. Thank you for this time to pause and worship you.

A Song to Sing- Morning Has Broken

Prayer-Loving God, I find myself here today worshiping you. As I pray today, I give thanks for the communities of faith that gather around the world where your good news is shared. I give thanks for communities where others see and experience your love. I ask that you continue to speak through all those preaching today. Faithful God, I give thanks and praise for the people in my life who have nurtured my faith throughout my lifetime. Thank you for the teachers, preachers, nursery workers, Vacation Bible School helpers, aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, grandparents, parents, siblings, choir members, youth leaders, youth, friends, church friends, and everyone else who has supported me on my faith journey. For all these people, I give thanks to you, O God! Open my eyes to the ones I meet who will tell me and show me how to follow you. In your holy name I pray. Amen.

Scripture Reading-Lamentations 3:21-25

21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope: 
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end; 
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. 
24 ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
‘therefore I will hope in him.’ 
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.

Reflection on the Word-Reread the Scripture passage and think or chat about these questions.

Where do you find hope?

What does God’s steadfast love look like in your life?

When has God been merciful to you?

What are your thoughts on morning? Is it a time of renewal and new possibilities? If not, might this Scripture change your mind?

How do we seek God? How do we wait for God?

What other questions do you have about this passage?

A Song to Sing-Great is Thy Faithfulness

Benediction-Know you are loved. Know that God’s mercy and grace are always available. Feel the Holy Spirit with you wherever you go. Follow Jesus as he challenges and encourages you in discipleship. Live in peace. Amen.

A Prayer to Pray While Avoiding What Needs To Be Done

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We all have things we’d rather not do. My list includes dusting, washing windows, folding laundry, mowing the grass, running, and many others. At the very top of my list is packing! And at this very moment I am typing this I should be packing for a trip. By the time you read this, I will be celebrating the birthday of a very special five-year old. In order to do this, I need to pack tonight. In fact, right now would be a good time to pack. And I’m avoiding doing it. To tell the truth, I’m not the best packer. I make lists and take way too much. I go without my list and forget very important things. I believe we all have gifts and I acknowledge that packing is not one of mine. Sometimes I let my husband pack what I pick out, and that always results in half the stuff I think I need not making it into the suitcase. I’m not sure when I began to dislike packing so much. I know that I avoid packing until it can no longer be avoided.  So I thought what if I wrote myself a prayer to use when I have to do something I don’t want to do. Maybe it would help me pack, and if I shared it maybe it would help others complete a task they think is terrible. So the next time you are faced with a task you’d rather avoid, try this prayer and see if it helps!

God, It’s me. You know I don’t want to do what needs to be done. I’ve convinced myself I’m not good at it. I’ve avoided this for too long and just need to do it. Help me, please! Move my feet in the right direction. Guide my movements and make them quick, so I can get this over with as soon as possible. Patient God, there are too many other things I’d rather do at this moment. Maybe if I take a quick break. No! God, Keep me on track! Help me to finish this task that I am dreading. With your help, Loving God, I can finish this task. Give me strength. Grant me perseverance. Let this be done soon. Amen.

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Summer Worship is Hot!

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On a recent Sunday morning, I got ready for worship like any other Sunday morning. When I got to the church, I realized this church did not have air conditioning. My outfit of the day was perfect for a church with air conditioning and very warm for a church without. The windows were wide open and the fans were blowing. Instead of focusing on the temperature, I listened. What could I hear with the windows open that I would not hear when we are closed in and enclosed in our safe space. I heard birds singing. I heard cars and buses driving by. I heard the voices of those walking outside. What does this tell us about our open doors? How can we open ourselves to hearing those we usually don’t hear?

 

Today, God, open my heart to see everyone I usually overlook. Make me a little uncomfortable so I am forced to be aware of your creation. Slow me down to hear the birds singing and see the clouds in the sky. Let me pause to feel the rain or sun on my face. Remind me to smile and say hi to everyone whose path comes near mine. Remind me we are all your children and you love us all equally. Amen.

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Worship Words-Thank You, God, for Summer!

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Thank you, God, for summer!

When it is summertime, we must remember to thank God for-
food fresh from the garden
time to run through a sprinkler
popsicles and ice cream cones
time to lay in the grass and watch the clouds float by
corn on the cob
time for laughter and conversations
the beach
long weekends
vacation
a cool drink of water
time with family and friends
rolling down the windows and feeling the summer wind blow
air conditioning
sunscreen and hats
kayaking and paddleboarding
iced tea or sweet tea (depending on where you call home)
For all the people, places, food, and time that makes summer so special, we say thank you, God! Amen.
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What else would you add? What part of summer makes you want to say, “Thank you, God!”?

We All Grieve!

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We are all grieving. We do not get over grief. We learn to live in our new normal.

In my work as a hospice chaplain, I help people to name their grief and decide how to respond. Whenever life does not happen as we planned or hoped, we may grieve for what will not be.

Too often, we are told grief is linear. As if we can move through the correct steps of grief to come out the other end or to the finish line and be grief-free. Grief does not work like that. We circle around and around. We feel better and are sad again. We cry and smile. We scream and wonder why. Grief is unique to each person and circumstance. We need to acknowledge and accept each other’s grief.

In order to invite you to think about grief and possibly think about it differently, I encourage you to listen to this amazing conversation about grief. Pauline Boss, The Myth of Closure from On Being with Krista Tippett

 

A Prayer for All of Us

Loving God,

You are the constant in our lives. You love us every second of every minute. From you, we learned to love. This loves that brings us so much joy also brings us pain and heartbreak. You know our hurts and our grief. We grieve the changing of relationships and we know that people are not the only cause of our grief. God, you know that changes cause grief even when we know the changes are good. While it is difficult to thank you for the pain of grief, we do thank you, Gracious God, for our ability to love and adapt and change.

We bring our grief to you-

for relationships that ended,

for chances we did not take,

for loved ones who died,

for new jobs and new schools,

for the ends and the beginnings,

for the things we are no longer able to do,

for the times we are told no,

and for anything else that causes us grief, we give to you, God.

Continue to walk with us on this journey, Faithful God, as we grow, change, and grieve. Amen.

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Worship Words-So Many People For Whom to Give Thanks!

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I believe we were created to be in relationship with each other. Too often, I ignore this and try to do everything myself. When I get too far into the “I CAN DO ALL THINGS” mindset, something happens to remind me that I need other people. This week that reminder came from a flat tire. How many people do I need to help me with a flat tire? My husband, AAA person, co-worker to give me a ride, brother-in-law to offer new tire advice, my parents, my sister, and the mechanics who are putting on my new tires while I write this. I’m going to round that to about 10 people. How many people do you need to help you through the challenges in life? The number and the names of some of the people change depending on the challenge I am facing. I am thankful for all those who help me through each day. So today, I offer a prayer of thanksgiving for relationships and communities of caring.

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Loving God, You love us and you urge us to love each other. Thank you for all the important relationships in our lives. Thank you for our families-the ones we created, the ones we are given, and the ones we long for. Thank you for our friends-new ones, old ones, best ones, and all types of friends. Thank you for our church family who walks with us through the joys and sorrows of life. Thank you for all our loved ones and all who we love. Thank you for all our communities of caring. Thank you for neighbors who live nearby and people who treat us like a neighbor. Thank you for strangers who chat with us at the store or help in an emergency. Thank you for work and school colleagues. Thank you for those whose hard work puts healthy food on our tables and whose hard work keeps us safe. Help us to notice and thank all those who walk this journey with us. Thank you for reminding us that we don’t have to live life alone. For all your love and for all who loves us, we give you thanks. Amen. 

 

Worship Words-Prayer of Confession Based on Luke 9:51-62

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This Prayer of Confession uses Sunday’s Gospel reading, Luke 9: 51-62, for inspiration. 

God, You know there are days when we see others not following you and we want them to be punished. We see people spreading hate and fear and know this isn’t your way. We see people mistreating each other and we are angry. We understand why James and John asked, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” And we know just like Jesus rebuked the disciples, you would tell us this is not your way. Forgive us for wanting to repay hate with hate and violence with violence.

God, we promised to follow you. And yet, so many other things pull at our time and attention. We will follow you as soon as our to do list is tackled, our house is clean enough for company, and we’ve cared for our family. Forgive us God, for not putting you first in our lives.

God, we ask that you give us righteous anger at the injustice in the world and that you help us to have our priorities in order, so we may follow you. Amen.

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Assurance of Forgiveness

Let us always remember that our God is merciful and loving. God hears us when we call. May we find forgiveness and comfort in these words from Psalm 16: 11 “God, you show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Amen.

Worship Words-A Litany of Compassion

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We need to see as God sees. Noticing our connection one to another. Acknowledging each person is a child of God. As I watch the news, I wonder how to stop the violence. It seems easier to harm someone when we see that person as other or stereotype a person as fitting into a category we don’t like. What if we began by acknowledging we are all beloved children of God? Or we are all human? Are we all exactly the same? No! I believe God delights in our differences and loves each of us.

How can we stop the violence?

By promising to see each other.

By promising to love each other.

By promising to listen to each other.

 

A Litany of Compassion

One-I promise to see you as a beloved child of God.

All-We promise to see each person as a beloved child of God.

One-I promise to listen to you and not assume I know your story.

All-We promise to listen to each other and hear your stories.

One-I promise to love you and support you living your life.

All-We promise to love each other and support each one in living our own lives.

One-Let us embody the words of 1 John 4:11.

All-“Friends, since God loves us so much, we also ought to love one another.” Amen.

 

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