Sermon August 14, 2022 -Chris shade, Lay servant
"What if you do not make your bed?"
Dear God, May the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you. May they not be of my own accord, but of yours. Please open our hearts and minds to hear your word and learn your ways. Amen.
I’m tired, y’all. I’m very tired. In fact, I am so tired I am using the word y’all and my midwestern influence is coming out. Vacation is great. It really is and a needed break from the world, but the problem is, we have to come back and what often happens is it is a flood of all of the unfinished work waiting for us. My colleagues did a wonderful job of covering for me, but there were things waiting for me they could not do. They also need vacations and need to be covered. Weeds have taken over my yard and are now taller than me in some cases. My gardens are a mess and need tending to. It is still summer and we have picnics, retirement parties, birthdays and life to celebrate. There is never enough time. I feel I could sleep for days sometimes.
This isn’t the first time I have felt like this. There have been many times life seems just overwhelming with demands and lately I find myself asking God to please help me prioritize. These demands are of this world, not of His world and yet, His world also commands us to work hard and do His will. I thought, maybe, if I prayed for Him to help me prioritize I wouldn’t be so tired.
As I prayed, some wise words from a former colleague came to mind. I was having a dysfunctional morning and I was venting. I really don’t remember what about, but I do remember saying “I didn’t even have time to make my bed”. Now my colleague, Catherine, is from the Caribbean Island of Dominica. She was very slow and always seemed relaxed. She took everything in stride and really didn’t mind people were irritated by her lack of speed in her work. However, she was good and knowledgeable at what she does. She also caught me preparing a sermon at work one day and jokingly called me Reverend ever since. She still texts me that every so often. She looked at me and said, “Reverend, who is going to die if you don’t make your bed?”. I started to protest that it just doesn’t set the tone of my day well and I love getting into a made bed at night. Again, she asked me who would die if I didn’t make my bed? Well, I did think about those words. She was absolutely right. Those words have also haunted me this entire week and I am trying to apply them.
According to the National Safety Council, more than 43% of workers are sleep deprived. Fatigued workers cost employers $1,200-3,100 per employee annually, but it is more than that. Chronic sleep deprivation causes depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease, increased in anxiety and overall health issues. According to Statista 1 in 7 Americans wake up feeling refreshed even after sleeping 7-8 hours a night. It’s no wonder when asked to volunteer, people shy away. We are simply too tired.
I know this feeling you see, I’ve been seeing a huge need for God’s work on my travels and I am overwhelmed to think about all the needed ministries and the energy to choose one and start it. The couple in Lewiston who were active in their addiction and dumped at the campground and the loads of homeless in Nashville just sitting in the street with vacant stares. I kept thinking about what services could possibly be available to them, where are the churches and finally, why don’t I know what to do in this moment. I had worked with this population for years and without the safety of having my badge and knowledge of connections, I was lost. I also knew another thing, I’m tired. Too tired to think about the ministries and work God is calling me to do. Not a good feeling.
Today’s passage from Isaiah is about this. His carefully tended vineyard is being invaded by wild grapes. Why is this an issue? It is because wild grapes take over, do not yield a tastefully pleasing or large crop. They tend to be bitter and small, not good for much. They lack purpose. This metaphor can be used in so many ways. It was suggested this verse could apply to our churches. We tend to them and cultivate them so carefully. We mow the lawns, make repairs and work very hard to have fellowship, Sunday school and Bible studies. These are all so wonderful, but they are wild grapes at times as they do not go outside of the walls of the vineyard. Outside ministries caring for those in need get pushed aside for mostly one reason. We are tired. Too tired to even make our bed, after all who will die if we don’t make our bed?
How do we fix this? How do we do what is commanded of us in both the world and God? Quite simply, we can’t. It is impossible. In the words of Matthew, “you cannot serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to one and despise the other”. While this was about money, I feel it can also be accurately applied to the demands of the world.
Jesus had many demands on him. Imagine traveling constantly and never really knowing where he is going to lay his head. He trusted God would guide him. He also had people constantly clamoring to be healed, prayed for, discuss the Torah and the Talmud. It was constant. Imagine the weight of saving the world and spreading God’s word to the masses? And yet, He went off to pray multiple times when most of us would be working constantly. He would go to a garden, or even in a boat to be alone and pray. He would ask for guidance and not worry about what others thought or what the world felt he should be doing. He also obeyed God’s commands, like observing the Sabbath.
Sabbath, a simple thing that is so hard to observe or do. A day of rest. Wow, go figure. Even God took a day of rest when creating the world. It’s easy in our minds to justify, I mean He was creating the world on His own time. He didn’t have a deadline set by a boss and that was His full time job. He didn’t have kids to take to soccer, a house to clean and grocery shopping to do. He’s God! It just isn’t that easy!
I have tried repeatedly to observe a Sabbath and I am always drawn into vacuuming, gardening, cleaning and getting ready for the week. I justify it by saying I will stop at 4 and take the rest of the day off. Yeah, right, that is when it is time to make dinner, clean up after dinner and now the day is gone. Whoops! No wonder I am so tired y’all. So, what if, we actually did take the time to observe a Sabbath. What if, we spent the day doing hobbies that have been laid aside, having bar b ques with friends and spending a little extra time with God. Would that help our energy? And about His work, how do we manage that with everything else? Well, His work can be woven in. It really can. It can be lived in every day life and how we treat each other and those outside of our walls. Those homeless, maybe sit down and have lunch with someone sitting in the street and hear their story. Believe it or not, they just might respond. They are used to being ignored and invisible. Just knowing they are seen and given respect can make their whole day. (There is a technique with some, so don’t just walk up, make eye contact, if they make it back, ask if they would like to join you.) Ask God to help your prioritize your day. I was given some surprising insights. For example, it has been very busy at work. I can’t keep up. We are seeing as many as 20 patients a day, making phone calls, filling scripts and the amount of forms are endless. I suddenly realized I was trying to get all of my notes finished within 24 hours. I have 4 days. Why am I killing myself and ignoring God’s work? Meaning seeing and talking with my patients and actually discovering their real needs, not just health. The weed in my yard, yep, still there. I am slowly making headway by working about 15 minutes a day, if possible. They will still be there tomorrow. Isn’t it more important I spend time actually talking to my family? Praying for those I love and care about?
My bed is still pretty much made every morning. It sets the tone of the day and I like going to bed in a made bed. However, when it comes to prioritizing I have started using this system of organization, is it of the world or God? Is anyone going to die if I don't make my bed? AMEN
devotions for the 4th Sunday after the epiphany
Devotions for the 4th Sunday after The Epiphany
CALL TO WORSHIP: From the very beginning, God calls us. God sets us apart with a meaning and a purpose. We come up with excuses to avoid our calls, for we are afraid. But God reassures us in many and various ways through the course of our days. Even if we are brought to the edge of a cliff, God is with us and sustains us.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: God of life, death and resurrection, we are grateful for life and all its gifts. Increase in us the stuff that life is made of—faith, hope and love, but especially love—that we may abide with you eternally through Jesus Christ, our lover and our lord. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: God of all goodness, we live in times of stress and controversy, injustice and cruelty. At times we cry to you for rescue and remember that we have leaned on you since our birth. O God of all creation, be our hope and trust. You are wisdom. Enable us to be humble and kind in all things. Remind us that, whatever the issue, today we know only in part. And even now faith, hope and love abide; and the greatest of these is love. Help us to be, like you, love; through Jesus Christ, our friend and savior. Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION: God of life, we admit to you and to each other that we have not always lived lives of love. We have lost patience and been rude. We have been irritable and insisted on our own way. We have even let love end. Forgive us and heal us, dear God, through Jesus Christ, your love incarnate. Amen.
DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS: God has loved us since the beginning, and God’s love for us will never end. Don fear, but have faith in God’s steadfast love, God’s healing power, and God’s ability to make all things new.
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION: Spirit of life, God of love, open our hearts and enter in, that hearing your word of love, we may become your love for others. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT: Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalm: Psalm 71:1-6
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
THE GOSPEL: Luke 4:21-30
The Word of God, for the people of God!
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING: Let us love not only in our words but also in our deeds through the tithes and offerings that we give.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING: O God, bless these gifts that we have given as expressions of our love for you and our neighbors, that they may bring closer to fulfillment your reign of peace and love; through Jesus Christ, our Sovereign. Amen.
CHARGE AND BLESSING: Empowered by God’s love for you, go out and love your neighbors, the ones just like you and those different from you. Now may the love of God help you to bear all things. May the love of Christ enable you to believe all things. May the love of the Holy Spirit inspire you to hope all things, so that you abide in faith, hope, and love this day and forever.
Question for Reflection: In Jesus’ first sermon, he referred to two scriptural stories to illustrate God’s love. Why did that so enrage the congregation that they wanted to kill him? Do some of Jesus’ teachings still enrage us today?
Morning Prayer: God, you have give me the gift of another day; may I live it in gratitude. Help me to be loving to others, to Earth, and to myself; in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Evening Prayer: Holy One, this day is drawing to an end. Be with me as I pause and ponder all the love I saw and received today. Help me to see you in each moment of love. Where I fell short of being patient and kind, help me to feel your patience and kindness toward me, and give me peace, as I give this day back to you. Amen.
Devotions for the 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
Devotions for the 3rd Sunday after The Epiphany
CALL TO WORSHIP: God built the heavens, the earth, and everything in them. God calls us to be builders as well. God calls us to build our lives: to restore broken places and continue to grow. God calls us to build our faith: to study the Word and ponder its interpretation. God calls us to build our community: to build bridges of understanding and systems of justice. God calls us to build history by fulfilling the promises of Scripture: to preach the good news of God’s love and liberation for all people.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: Holy One, we thank you for the gift of the Bible, for its psalms and poems, myths and stories, histories, teachings, and prophecies. May the Holy Spirit who called out those ancient writings continue to call us out today, that our lives may reflect the first sermon of Jesus, our crucified and risen Christ, who brings good news to the poor and lets the oppressed go free. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: God of prophets and apostles, you call us to restore that which is broken and to proclaim your vision of a world made new. Create in us new hearts and strong voices. God, fill us with the power of your Spirit as we pray for all your people both near and far. God of Jubilee, make us the body of the risen Christ, united, in all our diversity. Animate us by your Holy Spirit that together we may work toward your coming kingdom. Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION: God of our Restoration, whenever we come home to you, we realize how far we have strayed and how much we have forgotten of your law and your love. We have not loved you with our whole hearts or loved our neighbors as ourselves. Forgive us, heal us, and restore us to our relationship with you; through Jesus Christ, in whom we trust. Amen.
DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS: This is the Good News: You have been restored in the grace of. God. Do not mourn, therefore, but rejoice, for this is a new day for you and for me.
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION: Just as we see your wisdom and glory in nature around us, God, may we hear your Word for us in the words of these readings, that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may be drawn closer to you. Through your great preacher, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm: Psalm 19
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
THE GOSPEL: Luke 4:14-21
The Word of God, for the people of God!
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING: Each one of us is essential to the life and well-being of the whole body of Christ. We share our gifts and resources in order to care for one another and, without dissension, for the world Christ came to save.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING: God of life and of new life, bless these gifts that we have given that they may further your reign in this world. Amen.
CHARGE AND BLESSING: The Spirit is still at work among us, disciples of Christ, sending us to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to those in captivity, to be healers and a freedom force against all oppression. Go boldly as disciples, trusting in the Spirit’s guidance. We rejoice in the strength of God, we fix our eyes on the grace of Christ, and we drink deeply of the Spirit, who makes us one.
Question for Reflection: The Old Testament “year of jubilee” to which Jesus refers in his first sermon—what some have called his “mission statement”—was a time set aside every fifty years to forgive financial debt and redistribute the land among the people. Why do you think God envisioned a year of jubilee, and what might that look like in our world today?
Morning Prayer: Holy One, thank you for the gift of this new day. Help me to stay attentive to your creation and mindful of your teachings as I travel through it. Empower me to see and spread the good news of your grace for all people. Amen.
Evening Prayer: Holy One, thank you for the gift of today. Thank you for all the ways that I saw your glory and learned your teachings, beyond speech and words, in the course of this day. As I drift to sleep this night, draw me closer to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.
devotions for the 2nd sunday after the epiphany
Devotions for the 2nd Sunday after The Epiphany
CALL TO WORSHIP: How precious is the steadfast love of God. All people may take refuge in the shadow of God’s embrace. Christ is the fountain of life. In Christ we behold the Light of God.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: Holy God, through signs of grace you reveal your glory to all the world. Open our eyes to the hidden and surprising wonders you perform, that we may believe with our minds and trust in our hearts that you alone are Lord of all creation. Through Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: Loving God, you bring together a people of gifts, strengths, and needs to manifest the universal body of Christ. We pray for your church throughout the world, that every congregation may live as sisters and brothers in harmony, showing forth the light of Christ to the world. Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Almighty God, we confess that we have been led astray by the idols of our world. We have depended on our possessions and have not placed our trust in your grace. We have carelessly consumed the gifts you offer and have failed to be faithful stewards of the earth’s resources. We have sought security in the might of the sword rather than the strength of your Holy Spirit. Forgive us, we pray. Lead us to true repentance that we may serve you faithfully. Through Christ we pray. Amen.
DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS: This is the Good News: Christ unmasks the idols of our world and frees us from slavery to all that would oppress us. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION: Gracious God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, quicken our understanding that we may receive the testimony of Scripture and believe in the signs that reveal your presence. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm: Psalm 36:5-10
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
GOSPEL: John 2:1-11
The Word of God, for the people of God!
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING: God is a generous giver of gifts that flow like a river from the fountain of life. We bring our offering with thanks and praise; for the gifts we give are the gifts of God.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING: At the wedding feast at Cana you gladdened the guests with divine generosity, filled to the brim and flowing over. We offer our gifts with grateful hearts. Bless them and our lives to your service, that they may reveal your glory, nurture faith, and manifest the common good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
CHARGE AND BLESSING: Let us rejoice in the power of the Spirit. May the Spirit’s love, flowing like water across the face of the earth, fill you with every gift for the good of the world. And the blessing of God, Eternal Source, Fountain of Life, and Giver of Gifts, be with you always. Amen.
Question for Reflection: The Holy Spirit enlivens each of us with unique gifts that nurture faith and serve the common good. To identify those gifts we can ask ourselves such questions as, When do I feel most alive? What do I love to do? What things, tasks, or actions fill me with a sense of purpose? What am I doing when time seems to stand still? These questions help us discern the Spirit’s movement in our lives. Created in the image of God, each of us is uniquely gifted to reveal divine likeness. When our deep joy is united with meaning and purpose, vocation is birthed. How or where is God calling you?
Morning Prayer: Enlivening God, each morning I am awakened by your goodness nudging the earth to life. I am filled with wonder. Your steadfast love extends to the sky, your constancy reaches to the clouds. How precious is your steadfast love! It shines like the dawn and dews the desolation of my soul. Manifest in me the gifts of your Spirit that I may rejoice in you as I delight in serving your world this day. Amen.
Evening Prayer: As evening falls and darkness shutters the day, do not forsake us, O God. Crown the sky with jewels of light that your salvation may burnish the heavens and illumine the earth, and all find refuge in the shadow of your wings. Amen.