Grace and Peace Episode 36

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Grace and Peace Episode 36

Presbyterian Church of Easton

May 23, 2021

Watch Episode 36

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

This is a special edition of Grace and Peace celebrating the Sunday when the Covid 19 Mask Mandate ended at the church.

Exodus 34:29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.

When Moses, or anyone, comes into the presence of God a transformation occurs.   This happened to Moses as he was getting the ten commandments.   And this will happen to us when we come into the presence of God.

Exodus 34:33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out.

Moses’ transformation must have been very noticeable to the Hebrews.  So Moses wore a mask to cover his face so people would not see what had happened to him.

Exodus 26:31 “Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. 32 Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases. 33 Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. 

When the Hebrews built their Temple they believed that God lived in the Most Holy Place.   In order to protect themselves, they placed a curtain between themselves and God.

Matthew 27:50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.  51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

But at the moment Jesus died this curtain was torn in two.   There is therefore no longer a veil that separates us from God.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

So as we come to worship, unmasked, we come face to face with God, the Holy Spirit.   This has a transformative effect on us just as it had on Moses.   Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for protecting us through this pandemic.   Thank you for preserving our health.   As come to church with unveiled face transform us into the people you want us to be.   We pray all this in Jesus’ name.   Amen.

Sermon Romans 8:22-27 “Praying in the Spirit”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Romans 8:22-27 “Praying in the Spirit”
Presbyterian Church of Easton
May 23, 2021

Worship Video

This morning we celebrate Pentecost Sunday.  I am wearing a red stole signifying the coming of the Holy Spirit, as tongues of fire, on the first Pentecost, just ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven.

Pentecost was an ancient festival celebrating the first barley harvest of the season.  Barley was planted at the Passover and then seven weeks or 50 days later it was ready for harvest.  This festival became known as the festival of weeks and became a holy convocation when no work was to be done and everyone was to come for worship.  It was there that the congregation gave thanks for the grain harvest.  

So as Christians we approach Pentecost in thanksgiving for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  And it is this work of the Spirit of God that we will be looking at today.  But first let’s pray.  

Holy Spirit, come upon us as you did that day with the disciples of Jesus.  Make my tongue proclaim God’s words for this congregation.  May our ears be receptive to what God is saying to us today.  And help us to proclaim these words to others in our community.  We pray this with you, the Son and the Father. Amen.

Romans 8:22-27  22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;  23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.  24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?  25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.  26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.  27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

In my office, I have a computer which I use on the internet.  Inside the computer is an adapter that allows the computer to attach to the internet.  The computer and the adapter themselves cannot connect to the internet without first attaching the computer to Easton Utilities and the internet.  Most of the time, it all works.  

In addition to the adapter which connects it to the internet, my computer must also be able to communicate properly.  It has to use what is called a protocol, or way of communicating.  All computers that want to use the internet must use the internet protocol or IP.  

There is still one more thing that has to happen for my computer to connect to the internet.  It must have the permission of an internet service provider, in our case, Easton Utilities.  When my computer has the appropriate connection, is communicating properly, and has permission to use the internet then I am then able to check my email, read today’s news, and do research for Bible studies and sermons. 

This procedure for connecting a computer to the internet is similar to what happens when we pray.  We have to have the physical ability to communicate with God.  We have to use the correct protocol.  And we need God’s permission to communicate with him.  Physical Ability, Correct Protocol, God’s Permission, let’s go.

Let’s start with physical ability.  Have you ever thought about the absolute absurdity of being able to pray?  We are finite creatures with very limited abilities.  What makes us think that we have the ability to communicate with God, the creator of the universe?  Would God pay attention at all to what comes out of our mouths?   The theologian Paul Tillich said that it is humanly impossible to pray.  Here is what he said.

“This we should never forget when we pray: We do something humanly impossible. We talk to somebody who is not somebody else, but who is nearer to us than we ourselves are. We address somebody who can never become an object of our address because he is always subject, always acting, always creating. We tell something to Him who knows not only what we tell Him but also all the unconscious tendencies out of which our conscious words grow. This is the reason why prayer is humanly impossible.” (http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=375&C=31)

But the Bible tells us that we must pray.  Prayer is vital for our own spirituality.  So how can we pray as we should when we are unable to pray at all?  The Apostle Paul puts it this way.

Roman 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought.

The Apostle Paul tells us that reason we can pray is that God is already praying through us.  God sends his own spirit the Holy Spirit to enter us and speak for us back to God.  So the Holy Spirit is the adapter that in us and allows us to connect to the God-net.

With the coming of the Holy Spirit we now have the physical ability to pray to God, but what protocol should we use?  How should we talk with God?  Humans have two ways of forming prayers.  These are the liturgical prayer and the improvisational prayer.

We use liturgical prayers in our worship services.  Liturgical prayers are those that are written down and are sometimes said in unison or responsively.   Many of these prayers were written by great Christian writers and poets.  They can communicate the great majesty and mystery of our God.  They remind us of our need to pray praises, thanksgiving, confessions, intercession, illuminations, and dedications.  Jesus gave us a liturgical prayer which we say every Sunday, The Lord’s Prayer.  

But if we use liturgical prayers over and over again they may become mechanical; we say the words but the words have no meaning.  So we have to be careful when using only this protocol to communicate on the God-net.  

In addition to liturgical prayers, we also use improvisational prayers.  These prayers are not written down; rather they are spoken from the heart.  These prayers are directed to a person called “God”.  They are in the form of a conversation.  In improvisational prayers, we offer up our joys and concerns to God.  We express our most fundamental needs and desires and we trust that our creator God will hear us.  

I use improvisational prayer whenever I am praying with someone privately.   I also use them when praying for the church each morning and in our prayer services.  Improvisational prayers are important, but if all we used were improvisational prayers we might be lowering God to the level of a best friend who listens to our complaints.  We also need liturgical prayers to remind us of the glory and honor that are required for God.

So, we have the physical ability to connect to the God-net through the Holy Spirit.   And we use liturgical and improvisation prayers.  But what makes us think that God hears these prayers and acts upon them?  Are we using the correct protocol so that God hears our prayers?   Paul said it works this way.

Romans 8:26b  That very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

The answer that Paul gives us is that these prayers are translated by the Holy Spirit into a God-net protocol describing this work as “sighs too deep for words.”  So the Holy Spirit takes what we pray and converts those prayers into something we cannot understand, but makes perfect sense to God.  Therefore we need the Holy Spirit in our hearts for our words, and thoughts, and feelings to be communicated to God.   

So God sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts giving us the ability to pray and connecting us to the God-net.  And this Holy Spirit communicates our prayers over this God-net and uses a protocol called “sighs too deep for words”.   Two of our questions are answered.   But what about the third?  Does God give us permission to use the God-net?   This permission would be necessary for God to hear and act upon our prayers.

For my computer to work on the church’s internet service, I need permission from Easton Utilities.   We get this permission by subscribing to their service.  We have a router to connect us to the Easton Utilities’ servers.  For my computer to work it has to connect through this router.  My computer needs permission to use the router.  The router needs permission to use the servers.  And these permissions are granted through the use of passwords.  Just as we need permission to use the internet we also need permission to use the God-net. Where do we get this permission?   The Apostle puts it this way.

Romans 8:27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Our permission to use the God-net and communicate with God was given to us by God according to God’s will.

Jesus paid the cost of this connection to the God-net with his life, and he assured eternal God-net service with his resurrection.  So the God-net will be always on.  And Christ sent his Spirit to us to assure us that our connection with God will never go down.  So all we have to do to pray is believe in Jesus Christ and accept his Spirit the rest is automatic and our prayers are heard by God.

So I urge you to order your God-net service today.  To subscribe to this free service just believe in Jesus Christ.  All that you need will be sent to you.  The Holy Spirit will come and connect you to the God-net.  Pray by yourself or with others and the Holy Spirit will convert and transmit those prayers to God.  God has already given us permission to do this.  And the service was bought and paid for by Jesus Christ.  It is that easy.  Order today.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, we are testing the God-net we just ordered.  Please have your Holy Spirit take the prayers of this congregation and bring them to you.  We thank you and praise you for letting us pray to you.  And we pray in the name of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode 35

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 35
Presbyterian Church of Easton
May 15, 2021

Watch Episode 35

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism
69Q.  How does baptism remind and assure you that Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross benefits you personally?

A. In this way: Christ instituted this outward washing and with it promised that, as surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly his blood and his Spirit wash away my soul’s impurity, that is, all my sins.   

70Q.  What does it mean to be washed with Christ’s blood and Spirit?

A. To be washed with Christ’s blood means that God, by grace, has forgiven our sins because of Christ’s blood poured out for us in his sacrifice on the cross. To be washed with Christ’s Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed and sanctified us to be members of Christ, so that more and more we become dead to sin and live holy and blameless lives.

71Q.  Where does Christ promise that we are washed with his blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism?

A. In  the institution of baptism, where he says: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” “The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.” “This promise is repeated when Scripture calls baptism “the water of rebirth”  and the washing away of sins

Baptism is a sacrament of the church.   It was instituted by Christ who told us to make disciples and baptize them in the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  When we are baptized all of our sins are symbolically washed away and we become children of God.   And baptism is a seal of God’s promise to bless us with eternal life.   

If you have been baptized I urge you to remember your baptisms.  If you were an infant when you were baptized I urge you to remember the baptisms of your children or friends in church.   If you have not been baptized, or if your children are not baptized please contact me.  We will talk about the importance of baptism.

Acts 19:44 While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. 46… Then Peter responded, 47 “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?” 48 He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for all the blessings seal upon us in our baptism.   Help us to talk about this extraordinary good news to the people we meet daily.   This we pray in your glorious name.  Amen.

Sermon Psalm 1 “Belonging to God”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Psalm 1 “Belonging to God”
Presbyterian Church of Easton
May 16, 2021

Watch our worship service
 

Last Thursday I went over to the Amish market to pick up some groceries.   It was closed.   On the door, the sign said that they were closed for Ascension day.   The next day I went back for what I needed.  And I asked the girl at the counter what they did on Ascension day.   She said it was just a day of rest when families gather together.

The first Ascension day occurred 40 days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.   Jesus took his disciples up the Mount of Olives toward Bethany.   The whole church gathered around Jesus asking him if it was time for the Kingdom of God.  Jesus told them that no one knows when that will happen.  But first, the good news of His resurrection had to be taken throughout the world.  And that is our mission today.   Then Jesus ascended to the clouds and was gone.   He went to heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Father.  Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, we gather here today in celebration of your resurrection on Easter.  This gives us great hope.  But sadly we still experience difficulties in our lives, and we need help to remember that when problems arise we can depend on the love of God to sustain us.  We pray this in your glorious name.  Amen.

Psalm1:1 Happy are those
    who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
    or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law, they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
    planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
    and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
4 The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

We have all experienced crises in our lives when our problems seem to overwhelm us.  Even though we have tried very hard to do what is right problems befall us and happiness sometimes eludes us.  When bad things happen to us we can either fall into despair or we can remember to whom we belong.  This is what we will be thinking about today.  

A few years ago,  I attended a Baccalaureate Worship Service at Occidental College in Los Angeles. At one time Occidental was a Presbyterian college, but no more.  It is now a secular institution and this was reflected in their multi-faith Baccalaureate service.  The Rev. Susan Young, a Presbyterian pastor, was serving Occidental as their Interim Director of Religious and Spiritual Life.  She designed the Baccalaureate service held in Herrick Chapel.

At this multi-faith service, the several faith groups at Occidental presented readings from each of their traditions.  Most of these focused on what each of us can do to lead a better life.  We can be better people.  We can work harder.  We can be happier.  We can be more creative.  We can transform the world.  All of these ideas resonated in the young minds of new graduates, filling them with hope and motivating them as they embarked on their professional lives.

The student speaker that morning had a very interesting story to tell.  Evidently, she had experienced few problems in her young privileged life.  At Occidental, she was studying Geology with the intent of enrolling at one of the leading graduate schools in the country.  Although not required for her major, there was one course she needed to take to get into a prestigious graduate program.  This course was General Physics.  So she took General Physics, and that’s when her problems began.  She tried very hard in her Physics class, but her grades were poor.  So she hired a tutor, but her grades went lower.  She thought that she did pretty well on the final, but was devastated when it came back with a failing grade, and with it her dreams of attending a prestigious graduate school when up in smoke.

Faced with a crisis, possibly for the first time in her young life, she turned to faith.  She was in an Asian Studies class studying the religions of Japan.  And while reading the Wikipedia article on Buddhism she realized that this religion taught many of the same beliefs that she had been raised with, in her atheistic family.  Buddhism taught her to work hard and be a good person just like her parents taught.  If you do these things you will be happy, like Buddha, and happiness would transform the world.  This reinforced her belief that working hard and being good was the right path to leading a happy life.  So she decided to become Buddhist and try to be happy like Buddha.

But as I sat in the congregation that day I couldn’t help but think that she had worked hard, very hard, and she did what she was supposed to do, but she had still failed General Physics and had experienced not happiness, but great sadness.  Hard work and being good did not lead to happiness in this instance.  In fact, hard work and being good led to a crisis and she felt terrible.  There had to be a different answer.  Atheism and Buddhism with their emphasis on working hard and being good just didn’t seem to work.

The keynote speaker at Occidental’s Baccalaureate service was the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chou, Moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA).   Rev. Young introduced her close friend as the denomination’s representative in multi-faith discussions.  Hence Rev. Reyes-Chou was there to provide a Presbyterian response to the atheistic/Buddhist view which we had just heard.

Rev. Reyes-Chou chose this occasion to tell a story about his family.  He started by saying that since he was of Chinese descent he is short of stature.  In fact, his whole family is very short.  And interestingly, this led to his daughter being expelled from preschool.  Here is how his story went.

Rev. Reyes-Chou had worked very hard to be a pastor.  And he was trying very hard to be a good one.   But all that hard work and all that being good was not enough.  Working hard or being a good person was less important than realizing that you belong to someone.  The key question we ask is “to whom do we belong?”

   Rev. Reyes-Chou then pointed out to the graduates of Occidental that whenever they talk about spirituality it’s not about their own spirits, but it’s always about a spirit beyond themselves, out there somewhere.  To be spiritual means to belong to a spirit.  And the important question is “to which spirit do you belong.”

  He then told the congregation a story about his daughter being thrown out of preschool.  Like the rest of the family, his daughter was short.  So whenever the kids in the preschool played house, some of the kids were selected as mothers, others became fathers, but his daughter, being short, was always cast as the baby.  This was an endless source of frustration for the little girl, and she took her frustration out on another preschooler by hitting her over the head with a stick. Rev. Reyes-Chou was told to come to the principal’s office that afternoon when he came to pick up his daughter.  

Now Bruce Reyes-Chou had been no stranger to the principal’s office, because he had been there many times as a kid, and had no desire to go back there as an adult.  So he called his wife and asked her to pick up the child that day.  But when she couldn’t he reluctantly drove down to the preschool to meet with the principal.

While in the principal’s office Rev. Reyes-Chou heard what his daughter had done.  And he asked her why she had hit her schoolmate with a stick.  The four-year-old replied: “I did it because God wanted me to do it”.

And that’s the point, from the mouth of a preschooler, we belong to God.  If we trust in ourselves, our own abilities, hard work, being good, then we are like the chaff that gets blown about by the wind whenever we experience problems.  This is what the student speaker experienced when she took and failed General Physics.   Despite her hard work and good intentions she failed and now cannot go to the school of her dreams.  Hard work and right living produced only failure and disappointment. But if we belong to God then we are like trees planted near streams of water yielding good fruit in season and having leaves that never wither.  

This is what Rev. Reyes-Chou has found.  Despite his own limitations and failures, he had found lasting happiness by belonging to God.

So how do we belong to God?  The psalmist tells us in the very first psalm that we belong to God when we meditate on scripture day and night.  That’s why it is so important for us to read scripture every day. The promise of scripture is that if you meditate on the Word of God every day you will belong to God.  This is your only hope when dealing with crises that will arise in your lives.  Your happiness depends on your belonging to God and daily meditation on scripture is the key to this happiness.  

Last week I taught a class for Washington Theological Seminary on Reformed Spirituality.   One of the things I taught was on a Protestant Reformed method for meditating on scripture called Lectio Divina.   It works like this.  

Take a short passage from the Bible and pray that God will open up its meaning for you.   Read the passage slowly, then pray, asking God to reveal the meaning of this passage to you.  Pray silently and wait to hear God speak to you audibly or intuitively.  Then say or write down what the passage means. 

Then read the same passage again.   Pray that God will reveal to you what He wants you to do in your own lives with this passage.   Pray silently that God will speak to you about what you should do.  The say or write down what God wants you to do.

Then read the same passage again a third time.   Pray that the Holy Spirit will enter you and transform you into a beloved child of God.   Pray silently asking God to speak to you.   And finally, say or write down how you feel after meditating on this scripture.   Conclude by thanking God for being with you.

Our source of happiness is that we belong to God.  The Heidelberg Catechism puts it this way.

1Q “What is your only comfort, in life and in death? 

A. That I belong--body and soul, in life and in death--not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Let’s pray.   Faithful Father, we thank you for blessing us as your children.   We are grateful that we belong to you.   We will meditate on scripture every day.   Blessing us with true happiness our whole life long.   In Jesus’ name, we pray.   Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode 34

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 34
Presbyterian Church of Easton
May 8, 2021

Watch Grace and Peace Epsiode 34

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism
65Q.  It is through faith alone that we share in Christ and all his benefits: where then does that faith come from?
A. The Holy Spirit produces it in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel and confirms it by the use of the holy sacraments.

66Q.  What are sacraments?
A. Sacraments are visible, holy signs and seals. They were instituted by God so that by our use of them he might make us understand more clearly the promise of the gospel, and seal that promise. And this is God’s gospel promise: to grant us forgiveness of sins and eternal life by grace because of Christ’s one sacrifice accomplished on the cross.

67Q.  Are both the word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?
A. Yes! In the gospel, the Holy Spirit teaches us and by the holy sacraments confirms that our entire salvation rests on Christ’s one sacrifice for us on the cross.

68Q.  How many sacraments did Christ institute in the New Testament?
A. Two: holy baptism and the holy supper.

God instructed Abraham that the people of God, specifically the sons, should be circumcised.   This was a sign and seal of the promise of God to bless Abraham so that Abraham and his descendants could be blessings to all the families of the earth.  Circumcision was a sacrament instituted by God for his people to continue generation after generation.

Christ gave us two sacraments.   These are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  Like circumcision, these are signs and seals of God’s promise that he will bless us so that we may be a blessing for others.   And Jesus wants these to be continued generation after generation.

This is the responsibility of the church.   We are to go into our community and tell people how God has blessed us.   We are to invite people to church.   And when they accept faith in Christ we baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.   And we nurture the faith monthly by serving bread and juice as symbols of the heavenly feast we will one day have with our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, just as you were baptized in the Jordan river so too are we baptized in the church.   Help us to bring people to faith so we may baptize them in your name.   Also, Jesus, just as you gathered your disciples around a table we gather around the communion table monthly to remember you and worship at your feet.  Make these signs and seals of your promises.  Amen.

Sermon Psalm 98 “Sing A New Song”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Psalm 98 “Sing A New Song”
Presbyterian Church of Easton
May 9, 2021

Watch the PCE Worship Service

God is calling all of us to sing a new song.  God has heard the songs we have been singing, but now God wants a new song of worship and praise.  I am not talking about the kind of music we play in church, whether we have classic hymns, or bells,  or taize, or something else.  What I am talking about is the song we sing to God whenever we approach God in prayer and worship.  God hears the song we sing, but according to scripture, God wants to hear a new song.

But before we get to all of this, will you pray with me?  Holy Spirit, fill each of us in this congregation with a new song from God.  Fill us with the desire to praise God with our whole hearts.  Fill us with God’s love so that our hearts will burst with overflowing love for others.  We pray this with you, the Son and the Father. Amen.

Psalm 98
1 O sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
    have gotten him victory.
2 The Lord has made known his victory;
    he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands;
    let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity.

This morning I will be sharing with you four stories of people singing new songs.  
The first is about a woman who came to pray with the pastor.  This is not the first time she had come for prayers.  She and the pastor had prayed for her health and for the reduction of pain.   She and the pastor had prayed for her family.  And she and the pastor had prayed for her finances.  As she drove to the church she remembered these prayers.  It was then that she realized that the prayers she had been offering up to God were always about her problems and her concerns.  So she wanted to pray in a different way this time.  She wanted to offer prayers not asking God to do something for her.  Rather she wanted to do something for God.  She wanted to praise God with her whole heart for all blessings she had received.  She wanted to sing a new song.

She arrived at the church and met the pastor for prayers.  The pastor, as usual, was ready with a passage from scripture.   They opened their Bibles to Psalm 98 and they began to read it out loud.

Psalm 98:1-3  O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.  2 The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.  3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

The pastor had selected, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the perfect word of God for that moment.  Through Psalm 98 the pastor and the woman were able to praise God in highest seeing themselves not as helpless beggars asking for something, but as children of God praising God for his great love and steadfast faithfulness.

The woman left that prayer session singing a new song.  Her own concerns, although still important, seemed so small when compared to the grandeur of our creator God.  And after experiencing God’s abundant love, her heart was filled to overflowing and ready to confront the day with a new song on her lips.

My second story is about a seminary intern who was coming for his weekly supervision with the pastor.  As usual, they prayed for the intern’s ministry and for the church.  Together they offered prayers for individuals in the congregation who were having hard times.  Some in the congregation were looking for work.  Others needed housing or access to health care.  Some were dealing with the effects of old age.  Some were concerned for their families.  Some were fighting addictions.  Everyone in the congregation had some concern to take to God, and it was the pastor’s and the intern’s responsibility to bring these concerns to God.  Over time the pastor and the intern began to think that there were so many concerns that solving them was impossible.  They had focused so much on the problems of the church they had failed to see what God was doing in the church.  They needed to sing a new song.  So they opened a Bible and began to read from Psalm 98.

Psalm 98:4-6  4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.  5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.  6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.

The pastor and the intern then realized what the problem was.  They had been praying so hard for the concerns of the congregation they had forgotten about God.  Their prayers needed to include praise for God.  So they resolved to sing a new song by including prayers of praise and thanksgiving.  And they realized as they planned the worship service for the following Sunday that everything we do in worship, the sound of the organ and piano, the voices of the choir and soloist, the prayers, and the proclamation of the Word were all acts of praise to the God, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, whom we worship.  The intern left the supervision meeting praising God with a new song running over and over again in his head.

And my third story is about a woman singing a new song after studying scripture.  The pastor stopped in on a weekly Bible study.  A small group was talking about spiritual maturity.  They were wondering how you would know if you have obtained the “full stature of Christ.”  One participant was worried about her own spirituality.  Problems at home often left her depressed.  And when feeling depressed she did not feel connected to God.  At times her problems just seemed to overwhelm her.  Satan seemed to be challenging her every step of the way.  The group gave their ideas about how she could overcome her difficulties and grow in spiritual maturity.  What she really needed was to sing a new song.  When it was the pastor’s turn to speak he offered these words from Psalm 98.

Psalm 98:7-9  7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.  8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy  9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

The pastor reminded this woman how she had kicked a serious drug habit a few years before.   He also reminded her of how hard she had worked trying to bring her children to Christ.  So he suggested to her that a God of righteousness and equity would surely approve of what she had done and that any lingering sin that might still cling to her would surely be washed away by the blood of Christ.

With the realization that God would treat her fairly and with great compassion she was raised from her depression and began to clap her hands and shout praises to this amazing God.  The evil spirits which had tormented her were cast out by the praise and gratitude she offered toward God.  This was the new song she had been waiting for, a song to replace the hurt and sense of failure she had experienced for so long.  As she left the Bible study she smiled broadly because she had a new song to sing, praising God, thanking God for the joy she had experienced in God’s presence in the Word.

The fourth story I would like to tell you is about the Apostle Peter.  He knew his old song very well.   God was the God of the Jews.   Gentiles, non-Jews, were excluded.   Jews were to have nothing to do with Gentiles.  Don’t talk with them.  Don’t go in their homes.   But the Holy Spirit nudged him out of his comfort zone.   He found himself in the home of a Gentile family.   He saw that these Gentiles were God-fearers, they believed in God.  And Peter watched as the Holy Spirit filled these Gentiles.  And with that Peter began to sing a new song.

Acts 10:47-48 “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

Each of us has our own old song we continue to sing.  Each of us has regrets and failures.  Each of us has fears and concerns.  We all experience pain and sorrow and disappointment.  We offer all these up in the old songs we have been singing to God for so long.  But isn’t it time to begin singing new songs of praise to God?  With the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our sins have been forgiven and we are offered eternal life.  So why keep singing the old songs of sin and death.  Let’s sing the new songs of forgiveness and life.  Let’s sing praises to God for all that God has done for us.

Bob leads us in singing every Sunday.  The reason we sing these songs is to learn them so that as we live our lives during the week we can hum familiar tunes and remember familiar lyrics.  If we learn songs here in church then we can continue praising God throughout the week.  So I urge you to sing enthusiastically in church today and carry a new song of praise in your hearts as your leave this place.  Whenever you sing, whenever you pray always remember your new song and praise God for all that he has done for you.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, we praise you for what you have done for us in Jesus Christ.  We are overjoyed with the gifts of forgiveness that we have received and the gift of eternal life that we anticipate.  So we offer our praises up to you in gratitude for all of your blessings upon us.  Receive these offerings of prayer and praise in the name of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode 33

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 33
Presbyterian Church of Easton
May 1, 2021

View Grace and Peace Episode 33

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism
62Q.  Why can’t our good works be our righteousness before God or at least a part of our righteousness?
A.  Because the righteousness which can pass God’s judgment must be entirely perfect and must in every way measure up to the divine law.  But even our best works in this life are imperfect and stained with sin.

63Q.  How can our good works be said to merit nothing when God promises to reward them in this life and the next?
A. This reward is not earned; it is a gift of grace.

64Q.  But doesn’t this teaching make people indifferent and wicked?
A. No.  It is impossible for those grafted into Christ through true faith not to produce fruits of gratitude.
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them.

Most believe that if they lead good lives God will bless them with forgiveness and they will go to heaven.  Nothing is farther from the truth.   No matter how well we live our lives it is impossible for us to be good enough.   God demands perfect righteousness that we can never achieve.  But we receive Christ’s righteousness imputed upon us.  When God looks at us he sees Jesus and declares us not guilty.  This is a gift of God’s grace.

So why should we live good lives?   If we are saved by the grace of God, then why lead lives of obedience?  The answer is, “out of gratitude”.  We are so thankful for the grace and blessing we receive we express our gratitude by doing what God wants us to do.  As Christians, we grow more and like Christ and become more and more thankful and more and more obedient.  Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your gracious gift of forgiveness.   In our gratitude, we respond by living as you would have us live.   Help us Lord to know your will and grow in obedience.  This we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Sermon Psalm 22:25-31 “When You Fear the Future”

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Psalm 22:25-31 “When You Fear the Future”
Presbyterian Church of Easton
May 2, 2021

Video of our Worship Service

We are continuing today with our look at the Book of Psalms.  This book is filled with the most beautiful ancient poetry and tells us so much about God.  I hope you are enjoying all of this.   Let’s pray.

Holy God, we approach you in worship today in gratitude for the blessings we have received and in the hope for the glorious future, you have planned for us in your kingdom.  Give me the gift of preaching today so that I may communicate this hope to the congregation.  And open their minds to receive this wonderful gift of hope from you.  We pray this with your Son and our Lord, Jesus the Christ.  Amen.

Psalm 22:25-31
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
    May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.
29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
    saying that he has done it.

Psalm 22 is a familiar one for us.  You may remember that we talked about it just a few weeks ago on Palm Sunday.  The opening lines of this psalm were spoken by Jesus from the cross, “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?”  These words were probably written by King David after a military defeat.  He must have wondered where God went to during a disastrous battle.  We too often wonder where God is when we need him and he seems to be nowhere in sight.  The experience of the absence of God is frightening because without God we have little control over the present and no control at all over the future.  Only God knows the future and has control over it.  So we need God to calm our fears about the future.

That is what is happening at the end of the psalm.  God is calming our fears about the future.  God is telling us not to fear the future because he is in control.  And if God is in control then everything will turn out alright.  What we need is the gift of faith so that we can trust God with the future and leave our worries behind.  And when we receive this gift of faith, and worries of the future leave us, we just can’t help but jump up and down and praise God.  So let’s look at the promises of the future that God made to David which results in faith and praise for God.

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

This section of the psalm begins with a promise.   This is common in the psalms.  Essentially a contract is being offered.  God will bless the psalmist.  And the psalmist promises to do something for God.  And this something, praise and a sacrifice will be done in the midst of the congregation in worship.

We too must remember that God blesses us richly every day.   And in thankful response to those blessings, we need to use our resources to care for people in our community and the church.  Let’s go back to the psalm.
  
26 a The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
   
The first thing we know is that the future will be characterized by justice and righteousness.  This means that everyone will receive their daily bread and no one will go hungry.  This aspect of the Kingdom of God has been partially accomplished.  Here in Easton, the poor receive Food Stamps and other forms of support.  The area churches supplement these benefits with programs of their own.   At this church, we support organizations that distribute food, including the Talbot Interfaith Shelter, and we have grocery store cards for anyone who comes into our doors looking for food.  As you can see the prediction of the Psalmist that the poor will be fed and satisfied is partially being met here in Easton and the churches still have more work to do.

 26 b   those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
    May your hearts live forever!

The second thing that we know about the future is that everyone who wants to know God will be filled with praise.  This too is happening in Easton as many churches are reopening their doors for worship and praise every Sunday.  We are here, every Sunday at 10 to worship and praise our creator God.  But this part of God’s kingdom is also only partially met in Easton.  Although there are many churches in our community not everyone who is longing for God in Easton comes to worship.  This is our great opportunity as we go about our daily lives in this town to invite people we meet to come here for praise and worship.  Believe it or not, there are still many people who would love to come to church, but no one has invited them.  This is a golden opportunity for us to grow this church.

27 a All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord;

The third thing that will happen in the future is that all who have known God and worshiped God but have fallen away will remember God and return to the church.  We all know people who used to come to church but stopped.  God’s promise is that no matter how far someone has drifted away, God’s love is so powerful that they will be pulled back.  This is our great hope for our children who have wandered away from the church.  God still loves them and will find a way to bring them back to the church and to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  Just keep praying for your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren that God will give them the gift of faith and the need to praise God in worship.  

27 b and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before him.

The fourth prediction, for the future in this psalm, is that God will give the gift of faith to all the families of the earth.  This will result in universal worship and praise of the Lord our God.  Of course, this has yet to occur.  Although faith is rapidly increasing in parts of the world including South America and Africa there are still large areas where the faith is present in only small portions of the population.  And faith is decline here in America.  This is why the church must continue its missionary work among people who have yet to hear and receive the gospel.  It is vital that the church continue and expand this effort to bring about the conversion of all the people of the earth to the true faith in Jesus Christ.

28 For dominion belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

The fifth prediction for the future is that God will have dominion over all the governments on earth.  Although the Kingdom of God is our ideal we are still waiting for it and it has not yet arrived.  Few, if any, governments on the earth put God at the center of their policies.  Many, like the current United States government, believe in a wall between church and state.  But we know that one day all the kings, premiers, presidents, and dictators will bow down to the one true God.  And on that day the Kingdom of God will be firmly established for eternity.

29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    and I shall live for him.

The sixth promise for the future in this psalm is that those who have died will be given the opportunity to worship God.  This is why we say in the Apostles Creed that Jesus Christ “descended into hell”.  The saving grace of Jesus Christ extends even to the souls of the departed who may one day bow down in worship.  This gives us great hope that those loved ones who have died without ever receiving the gift of faith will one day receive that gift and join us in heaven worshiping and praising God.

30  Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
    saying that he has done it.

And the final promise of the Psalm is that future generations will be told about God and Jesus Christ.  That is our mission as the church.  We are here to proclaim the gospel, generation after generation until everyone has been brought to salvation through Jesus Christ.  Our work with children is especially important because this is how we ensure that praise and worship of God will continue into the future.  And this is the work of mothers and grandmothers and Sunday School teachers.  You have the responsibility of teaching your children about God so that they might receive the gift of faith and bow down in worship to almighty God. 

So according to David, we have no reason to fear the future.  In the future, the poor will be cared for.   Those seeking God will be filled with praise.   Those who have fallen away will return to the faith.   Everyone in the world will hear the gospel and respond in faith.  God will rule the world in justice and righteousness. Even those who have died will have the opportunity to respond to God’s gifts.  And the generations that follow us will continue to praise and worship God.  With this good news about the future, what is there to fear?  Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for the glorious future you have ordained for us.   We pledge to work for the advancement of your kingdom and Earth with our tithes to the church and service to the community.  Bless us, our church, and our families as we live into your promises.   This we pray in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode 32

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode 32
Presbyterian Church of Easton
April 25, 2021

Watch Grace and Peace Episode 32

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Heidelberg Catechism
59Q.  What good does it do you, however, to believe all this? 
A. In Christ I am righteous before God and heir to life everlasting. 

60Q.  How are you righteous before God?
A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments, of never having kept any of them, and of still being inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without any merit of my own, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction,  righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, and as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is accept this gift with a believing heart.  

61Q.  Why do you say that through faith alone you are righteous? 
A. Not because I please God by the worthiness of my faith. It is because only Christ’s satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness make me righteous before God and because I can accept this righteousness and make it mine in no other way than through faith.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

If we appeared before God today to account for our lives, what would say?   Would we tell God that we have perfectly obeyed all that he commanded?   If you did that we would be lying.   Every day, in numerous ways, we disobey God.   And the punishment for disobedience is death.  But if we believe in Jesus Christ, if our faith is in him, then when we appear before God the sentence is not death but eternal life.

The reason for this is that Christ lived a perfect life.  He was obedient in every way.   Jesus was perfectly righteous.  And if we believe in him and trust in his love then his righteousness is imputed for us.   

When the day comes and we appear before God to account for our lives, God will look at us and see Jesus.   We will be clothed in Jesus’ righteousness.   And God will pronounce the sentence, “not guilty, all your sins are paid in full, welcome to heaven and your eternal life”.
This all comes to us as a free gift of God’s grace.   This gift is available to all who believe in his Son.  

Let’s pray.  Heavenly Father, we ask you for the gift of faith in your Son, Jesus Christ.   Bless us with saving grace.   And we thank you for promising us eternal life.   All this we pray in our savior’s glorious name, our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Amen.