Sermon Romans 8:12-25 Creation Waits for the Children of God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Romans 8:12-25 Creation Waits for the Children of God

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

July 17, 2011
Listen to the Beaver Dam Worship of July 17.

Last week we saw that salvation is more that just having our sins forgiven and receiving a ticket to heaven. Salvation also includes the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives today renewing within us the image of God with which we were created. The effects of sin had completely erased all of God's image from us. So God sent the Holy Spirit to renew it within so that we can once again hear God's voice, respond to God's call, and obey God's will. Today we will see that this blessing is not just for us but for the whole world. Let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

I read an article this past week about a couple of atheists who attend church every week and enjoy it. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/atheists-may-actually-like-these-10-elements-of-church-culture/ That's right atheists who enjoy church! Amanda Westmont and Joel Gunz both call themselves non-believers, but they attend church every Sunday to write a blog for Beliefnet.com. The blog is called, “Year of Sundays”. One of the things they like about church is the food. They love the pancake breakfasts and the Sunday evening spaghetti suppers. They like the beautiful architecture, the stained glass windows, the beautiful artwork. They really like the charity work churches do, everything from feeding the homeless to building awareness of poverty. But their favorite thing about church, for these two atheists is the live music. They love the ancient chants, jazz worship, and the pounding rhythm of praise songs. And best of all, all of this is free.

So how is it that two atheists could come to church every Sunday and love what we do, but never find God in any of it? The Apostle Paul has an answer.

Romans 8:18-23 ¹⁸ I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; ²⁰ for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 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.evidence of the creator in creation. Remember that everything was created good. And so long as we obeyed God's will, creation would stay that way. But once sin entered into the world and we started following our own way rather than God's way both the image of God within us and the evidence of the work of the creator in creation has been covered over and can no long be seen. Creation itself has fallen into sin. This is apparent here in Pocomoke. How else would you explain the problems of drug addiction and alcoholism, the problem of poverty, and the problems of marital infidelity and domestic violence? In a world created by God none of these things should be happening. But sin has obscured the goodness of God's creation and these and other problems abound. And so the atheist are unable to see God even in church.

The mistake that the atheists make is that they believe that the world can deal with its own problems. If we have just the right government program and spend enough money any problem can be solved. But as the country has gone deeper and deeper into debt and has many layers of government programs, the problems are still here and the solutions seem so elusive. The world is incapable of solving it own problems because sin has distorted creation, obscured the goodness with which it was created, has twisted it into a world of problems. The atheists will eventually realize the futility of trying to fix the world's problems with their good intentions. An outside force is needed to restore the goodness of the world. And this is where it gets really interesting. The outside force that the world needs, is us. What the world is waiting for is for God's Holy Spirit to transform us into the children of God so that we will listen to what God says and act upon it transforming the world.

So what do we do? How is it that we become God's agents for world transformation? It starts with prayer. As the image of God is restored in us we have the ability to communicate with God. So with the help of the Holy Spirit we can pray, and listen to God's voice. The Apostle Paul tells us that when we pray to the Father the Holy Spirit lifts us up to God as God's adopted children. Paul says that since we are God's children then we must also be heirs of God's creation.

And since Jesus is also God's heir we must be siblings, and as siblings we share in his glory. That is what all of creation is waiting for. It longs for the day when the children of God emerge and transform all of creation back into the goodness that God had intended. All of creations is waiting for us, the children of God, to come with God's glory.

All of this takes time. But it has already started. Already the Holy Spirit dwell is you. Already you are lifted up to God in prayer. Already you hear God's voice. Already the image of God you were created with is being restored. And God is using all of this so that you will be the instruments that God uses to recreated a fallen world.

The place where all of this starts is in church. Yes we have good food here. Yes our music is beautiful. Yes we have a beautiful historic building. Yes we do good things for our community. But church is much more than all of this. Church is where we come into contact with the risen Christ in the Word of God and in prayer. And it is through this contact that God's Holy Spirit enters us, transforms us in God's adopted children and sends us out to restore goodness to a world that has lost it.

So we need to pray that everyone who comes into our doors will find Jesus Christ here and be transformed by the Holy Spirit right here in this church. I hope that the two atheists writing for Beliefnet will one Sunday come to Pocomoke and worship with us and be surprised when they find out that our worship is more than just music, and architecture, and food, and good works – find out that our worship is worship of a living God who is Lord of our lives.

Let's take a look at how God is using his adopted children to transform the world, Here is a portion of the most recent blog post by one of our atheists, Amanda P. Westmont. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is doing for this atheist.  http://blog.beliefnet.com/yearofsundays/2011/07/spiritual-journey-update.html

“Two weeks ago, I had one of the worst days I can ever remember having. I’d spent the afternoon up to my eyeballs in pure, unabashed ugliness. I honestly thought it couldn’t get any worse, but then a police officer pounded on my front door, read me my rights and accused me of committing a felony. I went from feeling LOW to feeling LOWLOW. Of course it was all just a big misunderstanding. A tit-for-tat taken one titty too far. Fortunately, after a few words and a few tears, the police officer agreed with me, shook my hand and left...

(Then) there was a Facebook note from Donna Van Horn, one of the pastors at The Bridge, inviting me out for the drinks we’d been talking about having since I first met her on that perfectly imperfect Sunday in March. There was no way she could’ve known what was going on with me, but she somehow managed to reach out to me at the EXACT moment I needed her to. I immediately penned an enthusiastic, if profanity-laden, acceptance and sent it off to her with a complaint that she was making it really hard for me not to believe in God anymore...

I’ve had every reason to hunker down. To shut out the world and keep myself safe. But if these Sundays have taught me anything, it’s that reaching out is the only answer. I had to ask for help. I didn’t ask God or Jesus or Buddha, but I put the word out on my blog and simply asked for support. And I received. Literally hundreds of prayers, blog comments, e-mails, Facebook wall posts, calls from old friends and even flower deliveries rolled in. I was literally overwhelmed with love.

Because of the heathenous things we write on this blog, Joel and I are probably the two most prayed-for souls in all of Portland, Oregon, but this was the first time I ever really FELT those prayers, welcomed them even. And the constant fear I’d been living with dissipated enough that I was able to get back to my life...

I do know I’m going to start reading the Bible and see how I feel about it. I’m doing this not as a road to accepting Jesus Christ as my personal savior, but because a) I write a religion blog and my Biblical ignorance is becoming embarrassing, b) I’ll be reading along via The Bridge’s bi-weekly Bible study group called Red Letter Pub, which means there will be Bibles AND booze, and c) I’ll take advantage of ANY OPPORTUNITY to hear Donna Van Horn speak. She’s a quiet one, that pastor, but if I learned anything by accepting her invitation and having her over to get sauced on my patio with the other Church Ladies of The Bridge, it’s that virtually everything that comes out of her mouth is golden. I don’t have to believe in Jesus to want to surround myself with people doing their damnedest to live like him...”

Ms Westmont, like all of creation is groaning under the weight of sin, hoping that one day she would have a glimpse of God's glory. Lets all pray that she will find God in the Bible study at Bridge church and that she too will be transformed by the Holy Spirit into what she was created to be, and that through her God will transformation our fallen world. Amen.

Sermon Romans 8:1-11 – The Spirit Dwells within You

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Romans 8:1-11 – The Spirit Dwells within You

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

July 10, 2011
Good morning. Last week I had the great pleasure of attending the Presbyterian Big Tent in Indianapolis. Several Presbyterian groups held their annual conferences at the same place and at the same time. I saw some old friends that I haven't seen in a while. We worshiped, studied and ate together. I had breakfast with the Multicultural Church Conference and heard about their efforts to help our churches reflect the ethic diversity of their communities. I attended two sessions with the Evangelism and Growth Conference hearing from a speaker from Intervarsity, a Christian outreach into colleges and universities. And I had dinner with our Presbyterian immigrant congregations and experienced their great cultural diversity. It was a wonderful experience and I thank the church for allowing me to do this for my annual study leave.

Today we are here to listen to the Word of God. So lets pray. “Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Earlier this week many people were glued to their television sets watching as a judgment was handed out to a young woman. This woman had been accused of killing her own two year old daughter and dumping the body in a swamp. She had also been accused of lying to the police. She stood up in court waiting for judgment to fall. This is what we can expect when the day comes and we stand before God making an account of what we have done with our lives. An accuser, Satan, will be their reminding God of everything we have done which we should not have been done and everything we have not done which we should have done. And God will pronounce judgment upon us. When this happens there is little we can do. We may try to point out all the good things we have done, but it won't be enough. So we will expect that a just God will judge us harshly.

As Casey Anthony stood before the judge, a jury of her peers said that there was not enough evidence to prove that she had murdered her child. The judge then adjudged her “not guilty”. She will soon be released from prison. In the same way when we stand before God waiting to be adjudged, Jesus Christ will stand up on our behalf and tell God the he has already paid the penalty for our sins. For all who believe in Jesus, trust in him with their lives, God will adjudge them not guilty, and we will be free to enter heaven. This is the bedrock foundation of our faith and the good news that we are to proclaim to a world that desperately needs to hear it.

The first seven chapters of the Book of Romans deals with this reality, but in the eighth chapter the Apostle Paul give us something new to think about. Let's listen to what he says.

Romans 8:1-11 ^NRS Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law-- indeed it cannot, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

We have been assured that when we die God will declare us “not guilty” and we will go to heaven. All we have to do is to believe in Jesus Christ by trustimg Jesus with our lives. It is important to understand what will happen when we die, but it is also important to understand what is happening now as we live. Salvation means that not only will we be saved from our sins after death, but we are also saved from sin while we live in this life, in this time, in this world.

Paul wants us to remember that we were created by God, in the very image of God, and that all of God's creation is good. Since we were created in the image of God it is only natural that we would listen for God's voice and respond by molding our wills around God's will. This is what God had intended when he created us. But as a result of sin the image of God that was given to us at creation has been worn away and no long exists. The image of God in our lives has been tattooed over so many times by sin that it can no long be seen. It is buried under too many coats of paint. As a result we no longer care about what God wants and we only follow our own desires. We hear that God wants us to go to church on Sunday, but some respond “why bother?”. We are told not to lie and cheat because these displease God, but some don't care what God wants and do it anyway. Sin causes us to follow our own wills and do whatever we want to do. The image of God is gone from our lives, we are slaves to sin. Paul calls this condition “flesh”. Calvin called it “total depravity”. Whatever you call it it is the same, our inability and unwillingness to listen to and follow the will of God.

But Paul says there is good news. We are not condemned to live our lives in this fallen state because God sends his Spirit to restore the image of God that God has created in us. The effects of all those years of disobedience are wiped cleaned, fixed and painted. We are made like new and the image of God is restored to it previous luster.

We are in the process of restoring the Dickerson Memorial Manse. New paint is going on the walls. A new floor is going in the kitchen. Its former beauty it coming alive with light and color as it is restored to it former glory. So too with us as the Holy Spirit comes upon us cleaning and painting and restoring the image of God we were created with. As a result of the restoring work of the Holy Spirit we can once again listen for God's voice, know what God wants, and follow God's lead. The Holy Spirit breaks through all that separates us from God. The evil powers that keep us in their grip are destroyed. Our slavery to sin is broken. We are given freedom to live. And all of this comes to us as a gift, the blessings of heaven.

The Holy Spirit is the gift that we received after Jesus' death and resurrection. We receive this Spirit in our baptism and it comforts and guides us in our new lives. The Spirit dwells within us helping us to listen to God and obey his voice. The Spirit assures us that we will receive all of God's promises, that there will be no condemnation for all who believe in Jesus Christ. So Christ's death was not only a payment for our sins leading to a not guilty verdict after we die, but it is also the victory over sin and death that allows us to now live our lives in a way pleasing to God.

And this opens for us exciting new possibilities. Once we abandon our own limited and flawed dreams and desires and embrace our destiny an exciting new world opens for us a we follow God wherever God may lead. The Spirit is offering you a new life lived in the presence and in obedience to God. Embrace this new life now and experience the abundance God has prepared for you.

In a few weeks Casey Anthony will walk out of prison. She will be free having been adjudged “not guilty” She has been given a second chance and an opportunity to live a new life. Will she continue live as a slave to sin, or will she accept Jesus Christ into her life and believe in him. Will she allow the Holy Spirit to guide her by molding her will around God's will? If she does she will enjoy the fruits of abundant life and never again have the experience of being judged with her live in the balance. Or will she return to her old life, with the image of God obscured, following her own desires and ignoring God? If she does this surely she will face God's judgment.

A lot of people were praying for justice for Casey's daughter Calee. Many are now disappointed believing that justice has been denied. It is easy to pray for justice for a two year old victim. It is much harder to pray for the transformation of a bad mother. But this is what we are called to do. We all need to pray that God will send his Spirit upon Casey Anthony, restoring what he had created, so that she will live her life not as a slave to sin as she has done, but as a child of God leading her to new life lived in the Spirit of God.

God Almighty, we pray this day that your Spirit will come upon us, restoring us and renewing your image within us. We pray this blessing on all who are slaves to sin. And we ask that your Spirit help us to listen your voice and obey your will to your glory. Amen.

Prayers for Rain

Asking God for the Blessing of Rain

Service of Worship

Beaver Dam Presbyterian Church

Pitts Creek Presbyterian Church

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard, Pastor

June 26, 2011

“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and then they pray toward this place, confess your name, and turn from their sin, … teach them the good way in which they should walk; and grant rain on your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.” (1 Kings 8:35-36)

Prelude

* Praise Song (Beaver Dam)

Welcome and Announcements

Call to Worship – Psalm 135: 5-7, Hosea 6: 1-3,

The Lord is great:our Lord is above all gods.

Whatever the Lord pleases he does:in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

It is our God who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth:God makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from its storehouses.

Come, let us return to the Lord, for it is God who has torn, and God will heal us;God has struck down, and God will bind us up.

Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;God’s appearing is as sure as the dawn,

God will come to us like the showers,like the spring rains that water the earth.

Opening Prayer

O Lord our God, look down upon our dry lands and parched earth, and come quickly to save us. Send your clouds of water to rain down upon us as your righteousness and love rain down upon our hearts. Fill us with faith and trust in you that we may give you glory now and in your heavenly presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

* Hymn – All Creatures of Our God and King (verses 1-4) Blue Hymnal 455, Maroon Hymnal 100

First Lesson – Jeremiah 14: 1-9

The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: Judah mourns and her gates languish; they lie in gloom on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem goes up. Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns, they find no water, they return with their vessels empty. They are ashamed and dismayed and cover their heads, because the ground is cracked. Because there has been no rain on the land the farmers are dismayed; they cover their heads. Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn because there is no grass. The wild asses stand on the bare heights, they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail because there is no herbage. Although our iniquities testify against us, act, O LORD, for your name's sake; our apostasies indeed are many, and we have sinned against you. O hope of Israel, its savior in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler turning aside for the night? Why should you be like someone confused, like a mighty warrior who cannot give help? Yet you, O LORD, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not forsake us!

Prayer for Rain - Rabbi Ronald H. Isaacs

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Shemini_AtzeretSimchat_Torah/In_the_Community/Morning_Service/Ashkenazi_Prayer_for_Rain.shtml

Our God and God of our ancestors:

Remember Abraham who flowed to You like water. You blessed him like a tree planted by streams of water. You rescued him from fire and water. He passed Your test by planting good deeds by every source of water.

For Abraham's sake, do not keep back water.

Remember Isaac, whose birth was foretold when Abraham offered the angels a little water. You asked his father to spill his blood like water. In the desert Isaac dug and found wells of water.

For Isaac's sake, do not keep back water.

Remember Jacob, who crossed the Jordan's water. He bravely rolled the stone off the mouth of the well of water. He wrestled with an angel made of fire and water, And therefore You promised to be with him through fire and water.

For Jacob's sake do not keep back water.

Remember Moses, who was drawn in a reed basket out of the Nile's water. Who helped Jethro's daughters: He drew water and gave the sheep water. He struck the rock and out came water.

For Moses' sake do not hold back water!

Remember Aaron, the High Priest, who, on Yom Kippur, washed himself five times with water, He prayed and was sprinkled with purifying water, He kept apart from a people who were as unstable as water.

For Aaron's sake do not hold back water.

Remember the Twelve Tribes whom You brought through the divided waters; For whom You sweetened bitter water; Their descendants' blood was spilled like water. Turn to us, God, who are surrounded by troubles like water.

For the Jewish people's sake, do not hold back water.

You are Adonai, our God Who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall. For blessing and not for curse. Amen. For life and not for death. Amen. For plenty and not for lack. Amen.

* Hymn - Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee - Blue Hymnal 464, Maroon Hymnal 21

Second Lesson – Psalm 65 (Responsive Reading)

Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion;and to you shall vows be performed,

O you who answer prayer!To you all flesh shall come.

When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,you forgive our transgressions.

Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts.We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.

By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation;you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.

By your strength you established the mountains;

you are girded with might.

You silence the roaring of the seas,the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.

Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs;you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it;the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain,

for so you have prepared it.

You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges,
softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.

You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.

The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,

the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain,
They shout and sing together for joy.

Prayer for Rain – adapted from the Novena in Honor of St. Isidore: Patron of Farmers

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=832

O God, in Whom we live and move, and have our being, grant us rain, in due abundance, that, being sufficiently helped with temporal, we may the more confidently seek after eternal gifts. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

* Hymn – This is my Father's World - Blue Hymnal 293, Maroon Hymnal 101

Third Lesson Revelation 21:5-6; 22:16-17

And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life... It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let everyone who hears say, "Come." And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

Prayer for Rain - Peter Toon – Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer 1662

http://hillsofthenorth.blogspot.com/2007/12/prayer-for-rain.html

O God, our heavenly Father, you who by your Son Jesus Christ promised to all those who seek your kingdom, and its righteousness, all things necessary for their bodily sustenance: Send us, we pray you, in this our great need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may have water to drink, for our homes, gardens and fields, and also receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort, and your glory; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

Fourth Lesson: John 4: 5-14

So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."

Sermon – Prayers for Rain

* Apostle’s Creed – Blue Hymnal p.14, Maroon Hymnal p.12

Exhortation and Prayers of the Church

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in the beginning the Lord our God formed the earth and the heavens and all that exists. God separated the waters and formed the clouds. God marked the limits of the rivers and seas and placed the rain and snow in their storehouses. Throughout our lives, God has watered the earth and let the sun shine to bring forth harvests of abundance for the living. And God has blessed us with infinite love through this abundance.

The Bible tells us that in times of need, we should turn to the Lord who sustains us with the fruits of creation, bringing our petitions and concerns, asking forgiveness for our sins, and placing our needs trustfully and faithfully into God’s hands. As Jeremiah of old led the people of Israel in prayer to God during a time of drought, so let us now draw near to God with our prayers for our parched lands and loved ones in distress.

The Lord is gracious.The Lord’s understanding is beyond measure.

The Lord heals the brokenhearted.The Lord binds up all our wounds.(Psalm 147:1,5)

Gracious Lord, loving God, look down with mercy upon your people as we draw near to you. Fill our hearts with faith. Forgive our sins. Lead us to righteousness and peace. And hear our prayers of concern for our lands, for our people in distress, for our industries that suffer, for all who are affected by the lengthy dryness of this season. We look to you for help. Be our aide and our guide; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The people of Israel cried out in thirst.They cried aloud to the Lord most high.

The Lord came and commanded Moses.The Lord commanded, and water came forth from the rock.(Exodus 17:1-7)

Lord of the sun and of the rains, your faithful people thirst again in your sight. Our crops languish in the sun. Even your little creatures are stressed in the heat. As you answered the prayers of Israel of old, quench the thirst of your people, our lands, our crops, and all creatures. Bring forth the rains that sustain and foster growth in the seasons and cycles that you marked with your creative hand. In you alone we trust; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

God covers the heavens with clouds.God prepares rain for the earth.

God makes the grass to grow on the hillsGod gives to the animals their food.

The Lord’s delight is not in the strength of the horse or the speed of the runner.The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear God, in those who hope in God’s steadfast love.(Psalm 147:8-11)

God of hope, God of healing and blessing, God of refreshment and peace, shower down upon us with your infinite love and righteousness. Send your Holy Spirit to fill us with faith. Lead us to green pastures and make us to lie down by still waters, refreshing our souls and giving us peace; for you live and reign with your Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Prayers of the People

The Lord’s Prayer

Presentation of Tithes and Offerings

* Hymn – “As Those of Old Their Firstfruits Brought” Tune – Forest Green (PH414)

As those of old their firstfruits brought

Of vineyard, flock and field

To God. the giver of all good

The source of bounteous yield

So we today our firstfruits bring

The wealth of this good land

Of farm and market, shop and home

Of mind and heart and hand.

Offertory Prayer:

Let us pray. O God of creation,we bring before you the gifts of our lives, gifts first given to us by you: fruit of the vineyard, harvest of the field, products of our labor, thankfulness of our hearts. Accept these gifts and bless us by your creation for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Lord God of heaven and earth, we thank you for the gifts and blessings that you shower down upon us, most chiefly the gift of your Son. Bless us always and the creation you have made, nurturing the growth of all with food and drink from your heavenly hand. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

* Hymn – All Beautiful the March of Days – Blue Hymnal 292, Maroon Hymnal 96

* Blessings

The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord,and you give them their food in due season.

You open wide your handand satisfy the needs of every living creature. (Psalm 145:16-17)

* The Blessing of the Parched Earth

Blessed are you, O God, king of the universe. You made the whole earth for your glory and nurture it with sun and rain and the passing seasons. We lift our voices in praise and sing with all creation to give you glory. Bless now our parched earth. Open your heavens wide and send forth the rains that nurture the earth, the fields and their crops, your people and all your creatures. Make the earth to break forth in abundance, so that the harvest from your hand may enrich our lives, and all people see the greatness of God. Bless also those who are in any distress from this hot dry season: the elderly, the poor, the homeless, the industries and people who depend upon the land. Save us all by your gracious hand. Heal us and bind us up in faith. To you be honor and glory and praise, with the Son and Holy Spirit, now and in all ages to come. Amen.

* The Blessing of the People

Be steadfast in faith. Trust in the Lord. God’s love will sustain you through this season and always. And may almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with you now and forever. Amen.

Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God.

* Praise God for Whom All Blessings Flow – Blue Hymnal – Blue Hymnal 592, Maroon Hymnal 544

Postlude

Service adapted from The Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

http://www.liturgybytlw.com/OccChs/Drought.html

* Please Stand

Congregational Response in Bold

Sermon Mark 6: 7-13 Marks of the Teaching Elder

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Mark 6: 7-13 Marks of the Teaching Elder

Ordination of Grace Howard

June 19, 2011

Good afternoon. On behalf of the session and congregation of Beaver Dam Presbyterian Church I welcome New Castle Presbytery to our church home for this important event. We are honored to host this ordination for one of our members, Grace Howard. And we invite all of you to a reception following this service of worship in our social hall.

Recently the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. adopted a New Form of Government. In it more flexibility is given to presbyteries and sessions so that they may become more missional. Today I will be looking at this New Form of Government and scripture to discern how God may be calling us to change how we think of ordained ministry. According to our New Form of Government Grace's ministry, Crossroads International Fellowship, is to be understood as a gift from Jesus Christ to the whole Church (G-2.0101). So today we are celebrating this gift by worshiping the God who provided it. Please pray with me.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

The New Form of Government defines the Teaching Elder or Minister of the Word and Sacrament. It says, in part, “Teaching Elders shall in all things be committed to teaching the faith and equipping the saints for the work of ministry.” (G-2.0501) This section goes on to say that Teaching Elders do this by preaching, administering the sacraments, pastoring the people, and participating in the responsibilities of governance.

This all sound similar to the Reformation Marks of the Church. Remember that Calvin said that a true church is one where the Word of God is proclaimed for the salvation of humankind, the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are properly administered, and ecclesiastical discipline is enforced. The church ordains Teaching Elders, Ministers of the Word and Sacrament, to make sure that each church is a true church in the Reformed sense.

And this leads us to a question. Would Jesus have been ordained by New Castle Presbytery as a Teaching Elder? He was a pretty good Bible scholar and was able to handle the Hebrew and Greek texts with ease. Jesus wrote the liturgy for communion and baptism, and he administered communion for 5000 people. And he taught us how to live our lives in a disciplined way that would be pleasing to God. I think Jesus would make a really good Minister of the Word and Sacrament.

The New Form of Government also teaches us that “Christ's ministry is the foundation and standard for all ministry.” (G-2.0101) We should pattern our ministries on Christ's own ministry. And the leads to another question. Was Christ's ministry limited to preaching the gospel, administering sacraments and enforcing discipline? To answer this question let's turn to the 6^th chapter of the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 6:7-13 ⁷ He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; ⁹ but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰ He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. ¹¹ If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." ¹² So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. ¹³ They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

According the Jesus, the marks of a disciple's ministry are to proclaim the good news of repentance to new life, cast out demons and cure the sick. Teaching Elders in the Presbyterian Church are trained and ordained to do the first one really well. We know how to preach. But don't we train and ordain elders to cast out demons and cure diseases? And what would our churches be like if we did?

Shortly after I received my first call as a Teaching Elder, Grace and I met with one of my Ruling Elders for lunch. It was a pleasant lunch and I looked forward to working with her. I talked with Grace after lunch and she warned me that this elder had an evil spirit. At that moment I didn't really believe in evil spirits. And I certainly did not want to begin my ministry with the thought in my head that one of my elders had a evil spirit. So I ignored Grace to my own detriment. Eventually I came to realize that this elder was determined to oppose my ministry any way she could. As the ministry grew she actively tried to stop it and eventually she was the key to my removal from the church. I am happy to report that ultimately she was not successful in stopping the growth of the ministry I started. It continues to grow and she has lost much of her power in the church. Had I listened to Grace I would have spent much more time in prayer asking Christ to cast out this spirit from the church. And I have come to realize that evil spirits do exist and that they are actively working to stop the growth and vitality of ministries.

We know from scripture that certain people have the gift of discerning spirits. What if we identified these people in our churches and nurtured their gifts? What if we ordained Elders with the ability to identify evil spirits in our churches and whose prayers could cast them out? What if each church had one of these elders who could identify the spirits holding back the growth of vitality of their congregation and whose prayers would help them to regain these things? In Grace we now have a Teaching Elder with these gifts.

Just after arriving here in Pocomoke one of my Ruling Elders had a stroke. As soon as I heard about it I went to the hospital to pray with her. I prayed for healing. Several days later she was in a nursing home for rehabilitation and Grace and I visited her. Again I prayed for healing. Grace prayed by touching this elder and praying in tongues. If you ask this elder today when she was healed of her stroke she would point to that moment in the nursing home. The longer I am with Grace the more I am convinced that prayer, especially her prayers, does have the power to heal.

We know from scripture that certain people have the gift of healing. What if we identified people in our churches with this gift and nurtured it? What if we ordained elders with the gift of healing? What if each church had one of these elders who could through their touch and prayers heal someone? In Grace we now have a teaching elder with the gift of healing.

The New Form of Government says, “the presbytery shall determine whether a particular work may be helpful to the church in mission.” (G-2.0502) Therefore New Castle Presbytery has the power to ordain elders with the gifts of spiritual discernment and healing to validated ministries if we so choose. And I urge the presbytery to consider nurturing and ordaining elders with these gifts. Were we to do this we would revitalize our churches because everyone would know that we were doing the full ministry of Jesus Christ. Healing and casting out evil spirits should be added as options with preaching, administering sacraments and enforcing discipline as marks of a Teaching Elder. Amen.

Sermon – Psalm 8 – God Knows Us

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Psalm 8 – God Knows Us

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches

June 19, 2011

For several weeks now we have been praising God through the psalms. Praising God is what we were created to do. It helps us to see God in the world around us. It increases our faith so that we don't just believe things about Jesus, rather we believe in Jesus trusting Jesus with our lives. Meditating on the psalms is how we learn how to praise God. One thing we learn when we praise God is who we really are. So to learn who we really are let's pray and meditate on Psalm 8.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Psalm 8:1-9 ^NRS Psalm 8:1 O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. ² Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger. ³ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; ⁴ what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? ⁵ Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. ⁶ You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet, ⁷ all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, ⁸ the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. ⁹ O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8 is a prayer and a song written by King David. It starts, as many of the psalms do, by praising God. David is a king, so he knows something about glory and honor and majesty. And he is a believer and knows that God is really the king and therefore all glory, all honor, and all majesty belong to God. David also realized that God is not just the God of Israel. God is the God of all creation, and God has the power to defeat his enemies wherever they may be. And God blesses all creation with sunshine, rain, land, food to eat and water to drink.

As David praised God he began to think about himself. He realized that in comparison to God and God's kingdom, he and his kingdom were so small, insignificant. David looked at the stars of night and he saw a vast multitude and he wondered if the God who had created all of that actually had any regard for humans. Why would God be concerned with the welfare of men and women when God has the entire universe to care for?

Whenever we praise God for creation, for his majesty, for his glory, we also begin to think about ourselves. Like David when we compare ourselves with God we seem so small. Why would a teacher or a farmer or a retired person on the eastern shore matter to God at all. Does the creator of the universe even know our names?

I know a young Korean pastor who came to Los Angeles to study English. He arrived at the airport and was completely bewildered. He spoke little English and had no idea how to navigate the airport and get to where he was going. As his stress level grew he remembered a song he had sung with his youth group in Korea. It was a praise song called “He Knows My Name” by Tommy Walker.

Here is how it goes.

“I have a Maker. He formed my heart. Before even time began my life was in his hands. He calls me His own. He'll never leave me. No matter where I go. He knows my name. He knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls. And He hears me when I call.”

By singing this song to himself this young pastor was assured that God was with him even in this strange land where no one seemed to speak Korean and no one would help him. Eventually his cousin found him at the airport and took him home.

Does God know our names? Does the creator of the universe, who continually sustains all there is actually know us? Why should God know us? After all we are so small and insignificant when compared to his glory and majesty. Praising God expands our view of God and contracts our view of ourselves. Why would God pay any attention to us at all?

According to David the reason God knows our names is because God has chosen to bestow glory and honor on us. God has given his Spirit to us and in worship elevates our hearts to heaven. And so God hears our prayers and knows our names because God loves us so much.

David also tells us that God knows us because God has given us dominion over creation. We are not the creators. But we are the managers in charge of creation. We are to manage God's creation responsibly. For this task we have been given glory and honor and a position in the celestial hierarchy just beneath God and the heavenly beings.

Dominion over creation is gift from God. We are to use it responsibly. As managers we are to watch over creation, use it for God's purposes, and conserve it for future generations. Farmers have dominion over the land to grow the crops to feed God's people. Teachers have been given dominion over the young to mold their minds into responsible adults. All of us have dominion over something, our families, our pets, our homes, our church.

As with any gift dominion can be misused, twisted into sin. When dominion is twisted into sin it becomes exploitation. Exploitation means that you use your position in the celestial hierarchy and your gifts from God for your own purposes ignoring what God wants. Maybe you exploit workers for larger short term profits. Maybe you exploit the water or the land by making them unusable for future generations. Exploitation is a destructive way of using God's gifts and is therefore a sin.

We are given dominion over creation not for our exclusive benefit, but to use it for God's purposes. Remember we worship a God of justice and righteousness and that means whatever we do in managing creation must take into account the needs of the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the aliens among us. So long as we use the people, the animals, the land, the water and the air that God has given us for the benefit of others dominion never becomes exploitation.

The psalmist claims that we have dominion over God's creation. Is this true, or does creation have dominion over us? If you are unemployed, lost your home in foreclosure, suffer from a chronic disease, or recently lost a loved one, it is very hard to think that you have dominion over anything. It is hard to feel in control when you are swept up in a flood and chaos is the order of your life. You begin to feel really small and insignificant without being able to control anything.

In the first century the early Christians had little control over their lives. They were persecuted, hunted, and fed to the lions. They had a difficult time keeping their heads about the flood waters. In the midst of this chaos one early Christian was meditating on Psalm 8. He must have thought that the psalmist was out of his mind telling believers that they held a position just below the angels with dominion over all creation. Certainly this couldn't be true. How could persecuted Christians have dominion when the Roman Empire controlled everything? The author of the Book of Hebrews said this:

Hebrews 2:6-8 ⁶ But someone has testified somewhere, "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? ⁷ You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, ⁸ subjecting all things under their feet." Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them,

Do we see in our day that everything is subject to our control? Ask someone whose home has been destroyed in a tornado, or damaged by a flood, or whose family has been swept away in tsunami if they are in control. Ask someone whose credit cards are maxed out, whose house is under water, whose job has been eliminated, whose fields are burning in the sun what they are in control of. Although some things are in our control, my wife gets to pick out the paint colors for the manse, most things are not. And so we have to conclude that either the David was wrong when he wrote Psalm 8 or at least the promise of the psalm has not yet been realized.

As the author of Hebrews meditated on the Psalm he began to realize that David was not talking about ordinary humans in the 8^th Psalm. We are not the ones made a little lower than the angels for a time with dominion over everything. In fact there is only one man who ever lived who meets this description, only one person who was God and yet humbled himself to become a man for a time, only one person who has been given dominion over all of creation. Here is what the author of Hebrews said:

Hebrews 2:9 ⁹ but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death,

So that's the answer. Jesus gave up his privileged status in heaven to become one of us on earth. This is called the incarnation. And for a period of time he was lower than the heavenly beings. But through his suffering and death Jesus received all the glory and honor that his ancestor David had talked about. Jesus Christ was and is the human who has dominion over all of creation.

Today is Trinity Sunday. This is the day each year when we celebrate our triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Because of the incarnation of the Son, God knows us. God knows what we feel because Jesus felt it. God knows what we think because Jesus thought it. God knows us because the Holy Spirit is in us carrying our prayers to God. And so God knows our names.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.