Welcome I couldn’t resist going back to the well of another week in a row. Don picked two such lovely songs which both appear on Let It Be, the last the Beatles recorded together (it was released a month after their breakup). To some, “The Long and Winding Road” speaks to the long and winding road of the Beatles’ career together. To others, it no doubt speaks to life in general, and especially 2020! This has certainly been a long, winding, tumultuous year. Time seems stretched. Weeks feel like months. We wind about in a summer that feels neverending, and marvel that four months can sound like a short amount of time but feel like an eternity. The Gospel according to Paul (McCartney) may just have more Good News for us this week, news that echoes the Gospel. But who is singing? In whose voice do we hear the words? Let’s look for an answer together.

WORSHIP PLAYLIST: If you are inclined to watch every video in this worship service, you may find it convenient to use this playlist. You’ll only need to pause and unpause playback as needed (you may need to skip advertisements as usual); the videos will auto-run in the correct order.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL14NES9h705Ve8Cx6x4QMxeqHibuPl4Su

Prelude Etude from 13 Pieces for Piano, Op. 76 No. 2 J. Sibelius https://youtu.be/Q0TKHXr5Afw Koki Sato, Pianist

The Church Bell Rings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAyLgHuPB6Q

Call to Worship and Opening Prayer (an adaptation of Psalm 130) Please join Don as he leads us. https://youtu.be/DsFzNUcVddU

One: Out of the depths we cry to you, Holy One! Many: From the long and winding road we raise our voices to you. One: Lord, hear our voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of our supplications! Many: The night is wild and windy, and the rain has left us sitting in a pool of tears. One: Is there forgiveness in you, worthy of our reverence? Many: Don’t leave us standing here! One: We will wait for you, O God. Our souls shall wait, and in your word we hope. Let us pray. Many: In the chaos and clutter of the world, Loving One, it becomes so easy for us to not feel your presence. We grasp about, looking for tangible evidence of your steadfastness, of your action, of your presence in our lives. What are we looking for? In our worship today, may your Spirit touch us once again with an assurance of your steadfast love. May we connect, even if for a moment, with you, the rock of our salvation and the firm foundation of our hearts. As Paul sings to us of the long and winding road, may we find that it once again, as it always does, lead to your door. Amen.

Prayer of Preparation “Pour Out Your Spirit” Christopher Grundy The recording is from our Sanctuary. https://youtu.be/vyHLh9c_I1U

From the sacred waters of my birth, to the sacred waters of this hour, I have leaned upon you who knit me in my mother’s womb. O pour out your Spirit now.

Anthem “The Long and Winding Road” Paul McCartney From the same, final Beatles album Let It Be comes this poignant song, The Beatles’ last #1 hit. Though credited to both Lennon and McCartney, Paul wrote it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR4HjTH_fTM

The long and winding road / That leads to your door Will never disappear / I've seen that road before It always leads me here / Leads me to you door The wild and windy night / That the rain washed away Has left a pool of tears / Crying for the day Why leave me standing here? / Let me know the way

2

Many times I've been alone / And many times I've cried Anyway you'll never know / The many ways I've tried And still they lead me back / To the long winding road You left me standing here / A long long time ago Don't leave me waiting here / Lead me to your door But still they lead me back / To the long winding road You left me standing here / A long long time ago Don't keep me waiting here / Lead me to your door

Scripture Reading – Judges 2:11-23 Please listen as Don shares today’s passage. https://youtu.be/hnNAlYTIhig Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and worshiped the Baals; 12 and they abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. 13 They abandoned the LORD, and worshiped Baal and the Astartes. 14 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them to bring misfortune, as the LORD had warned them and sworn to them; and they were in great distress. 16 Then the LORD raised up judges, who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen even to their judges; for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD; they did not follow their example. 18 Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD would be moved to pity by their groaning because of those who persecuted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and behave worse than their ancestors, following other gods, worshiping them and bowing down to them. They would not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

One: Hear what the Spirit is singing to the church; Many: Thanks be to God!

Sermon Rev. Chris McArdle https://youtu.be/gug0ACZCfAg

3

Sharing at Christ’s Table Gather your Communion elements and go through this service in an unhurried way. What you use for bread need not be bread; it can be whatever you have on hand. The same is true for what you put in the cup. The point is not the specificity, but the Spirit.

Invitation One: When Jesus sat at table and enjoyed communion with tax collectors and sinners he proclaimed that God’s care is limited neither by time nor space, health or illness, or anything else on earth. At the tables by which we gather today, we live into that call by spreading the invitation as widely as we possibly can; no matter who you are or where you are on your life’s journey you are beautiful and loved. For neither age, nor race, nor gender, nor orientation, nor ideology, nor anything else can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Savior.

Thanksgiving Prayer One: God be with you: Many: and also with you. One: Lift up your hearts: Many: we lift them up to God. One: Let us thank God: Many: it is good to thank God. One: We thank you, God, that you have provided for all the worlds that ever were or will be by giving yourself to them in love. If we go to the heights of the mountains, or if we make the grave our bed, you are with us. Whether we live in “normal” times or persist in pandemic time, your right hand holds us fast. We thank you for Jesus, your Word, who lived among us, uncovering your presence. We thank you that you stamped his death with victory and that Life, not Death, was the final word. We ask now that you bless us, as we share this bread and cup, that we might be nourished by that same unbounded love and so be encouraged to be your servants to the world. And now, as your beloved whom you have reconciled to yourself, we pray:

Prayer of Our Savior (unison) The Prayer has many versions; pray whichever you desire (debts, sins, trespasses, etc.). We affirm that God has many names, so use one of the suggested or another of your choosing.

Our Father/Mother/Creator, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. 4

Communion One: Just as the foods we have gathered today were brought together from many parts into one, so we, separate in our homes, still come together as one because we share this: the Bread of Life.

The cups we fill in our own homes today are a reminder of the cup Jesus shares with us all, a cup of the New Covenant written in our hearts and witnessed by Jesus. Take. Drink. The Cup of the New Covenant. God is with you.

Take a moment to pause, reflect, give thanks, and eat of the Communion elements you have gathered. Acknowledge the cloud of witnesses that surrounds you, a cloud filled with the love of the past, present, and future. Know that even in isolation you are still connected to your siblings in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. When you have eaten, pray in thanksgiving.

Prayer of Thanksgiving One: Let us pray in gratitude. Many: Thank you God, for renewing us at your table by the presence of Christ. Thank you for your eternal love, the Bread of Life, that sustains all creation. May you continue to love us in our faithful acts and by that love discourage us from our unfaithful acts, that we might rejoice as your servants to the world. Amen.

Offering For you whose roads always lead back to our church’s [mailbox] door, thank you! For you whose roads are more virtual and recurring, thank you! THANK YOU ALL for continuing your faithful giving!

You may mail your offering to: First Congregational Church 1923 3rd Avenue Anoka, MN 55303

We also have an ongoing contract with Vanco Services to provide online contribution support. If you have not already done so, go to our website and click the DONATE button at the top of the page. From there, you may set up an online profile and direct funds to the church from your bank account in a one-time or recurring donation. http://www.uccanoka.org

Benediction It says “go forth”, but really: stay safe at home!

Go forth into the world in peace. Be strong and of good courage. Hold fast to that which is good. 5

Love and serve the Lord with gladness and singleness of heart, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen, and amen.

Congregational Blessing “God Be With You” Dorsey/Hutchins Sing along. https://youtu.be/pknh8nOLGAg

Postlude Granen from 5 Pieces for Piano, Op. 75 No. 5 Jean Sibelius https://youtu.be/tjVOt8kjPt4 Koki Sato, Pianist

Acknowledgements The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright ©1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Words to Carry This Week

Sermon Text This year is the year that just keeps on leaving us rocked back on our feet. Whether you’re tracking it for the sake of humor on a Bingo score card, or keeping a more serious tally of truly surprising and/or dreadful things, 2020 just doesn’t stop. At the start of the year we were all worried about the Australian bush fires. We watched in amazement as the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl. Soon after, COVID- 19 threw all of that into the rear-view mirror. In our shock, we’ve made jokes of things like murder 6 hornets, a giant Saharan dust cloud that looked like Godzilla, and the most recent one, packets of invasive seeds arriving from China. We’ve found no humor at all in the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, nor in the protests those deaths sparked. Folks reacted with either surprised gratitude or terrible rage that Justice Neil Gorsuch penned a 6-3 majority opinion that extended legal protection against discrimination to transgender people under the aegis of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Unmarked vehicles in Minneapolis transported people intent on starting fires, and unmarked vehicles in Portland carried anonymous, federal officials who arrested peaceful protesters. There are still five months left in this long and winding road of a year. In many ways it has been a sad, melancholy year full of roadblocks, switchbacks, potholes, downed power lines, and more, and we worry that it will overwhelm our ability to avoid the obstacles and pick a safe path through the tumult. Perhaps that’s why The Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road” seems like an appropriate anthem for these days. We may long for the wherewithal to “let it be”, but we wouldn’t need that so badly if the year hadn’t mined so deeply, uncovering veins of dismay. When Paul McCartney wrote this song, the Beatles were on a long and winding road to their own dissolution. The group’s interpersonal dynamics had become so strained that each of the members had left or announced departures in the two years prior to the release of their final album, Let It Be, in 1970, and as I mentioned last week, the group actually broke up for good a month before the album’s release. I would imagine some of you reading or watching this sermon today remember those days. You remember the seven years of unearthly talent and the amazing hits that those boys from Liverpool produced. Maybe, when the final album dropped, you listened to “The Long and Winding Road” with tears in your eyes, hearing in its minor tones all of the drama of the past years. And maybe, just maybe, you hoped those lyrics would prove prescient: And still they lead me back, to the long, winding road. Would the Beatles’ paths lead back toward each other? Alas, it would not be. The love that kept the fab four together was simply not that fab. It’s kind of funny that thought “Let It Be” was the religious song, when “The Long and Winding Road” feels to me much more evocative of the great Story of our faith. From Genesis through Revelation, that Story is about as long and winding as it gets. It’s a story—a Song, really—written and sung by God, a song of loss and lament, reunion and hope, and through it all run tears of both joy and sadness. For is it not God who keeps turning back toward us, and following a road that leads back to our door? Is it not God who always finds Godself standing in the rain, asking us to love them? How many times have we left God standing there alone? How many times have we left God there, waiting? How often does God cry out, “Don’t keep me waiting here; lead me to your door”? That long and winding road begins with a love story when God formed a creature from the earth itself, a suitable caretaker for the garden God had planted. God so loved that creature that God breathed the Divine breath into it until it breathed on its own and knew Life, and then God created another one so that it would not be alone when God strolled away on an evening walk. From the very beginning, those delightful and disappointing humans would make the straight crooked. Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. Cain killed his brother in the field. Their descendants build a tower. The flood couldn’t wash away their wickedness. Again and again, God tried for the fresh start, the relaunch, the latest beta test of Creation. Again and again, God turned away from what God had created, only to turn back. The evening walk always proved circular. When God tried a new approach she surely had such hope. She chose Abraham and Sarah. She promised to make a great nation of the two if they would but be faithful. They disappointed before God could even make good on the promise. They left God standing there, again. But that road? God couldn’t quit them. God gave them the child anyway. Again and again it would be like this. God saved them from Egypt, only to behold their golden calf. God saved them from Aram, from Amalek, the Moabites, the

7

Philistines. The pool of tears deepened, just as did the tracks in the path where God’s feet wore ruts back to their door. When the people cried out that they wanted not God, but a man to be their King like the peoples in other countries had, God sighed and thought, “May as well try it.” Nothing else had worked. So God chose Saul. David. Solomon. Jeroboam. They all kept God waiting. God lost count of the many ways God tried. God lost count of the many times God cried. The bright spots were few and far between. Hezekiah. Josiah. But by then the rot had set in too deeply. So, Babylon. God walked away. But the road led back once again. Eventually God sent God’s own Child. Maybe Jesus could speak to them from their own context. Maybe they would listen if it came from someone who looked like them. For a moment, when that Child died, maybe God considered giving it all up. In rage, she tore the curtain in two. The dead were startled out of their graves at the ferocity of God’s despair. But then, as God always would, she remembered Noah. She remembered Sarah and Abraham, and her promise. She remembered the bravery of Rahab, and the perseverance of Ruth. She remembered how hard Elijah and Elisha tried. How much Jeremiah agonized. She remembered the bow she had hung in the sky. In the midst of God’s remembering, God’s feet carried them back around yet again, right back to the door. This door was thicker than usual. Stone. Infused with sorrow. Anointed with Mother Mary’s tears. But God remembered them, too, and so God rolled that door away. And when Mary came the next day, she heard the whispered words of wisdom: he is risen. The Story didn’t end there, you know. And really, I’m not sure it really changed. We still delight and disappoint. Our capacity for incredible love is so often matched by our capacity for inexplicable cruelty. In that, we are constant—but that is not the same as steadfast. Steadfast carries intent. Steadfast marries reason and decision. Steadfast means it doesn’t matter how deep the pool of tears is, because the road always leads back to the same door. Our door. For God made us all a promise long, long ago. A promise of fidelity and love. A promise of unimaginable loyalty to a people for whom loyalty is never so sure. To us. Paul wrote the words, but God’s the singer. That’s steadfast, too. The Holy Spirit sings to us with sighs too deep for words. She sings to us, Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down… She sings, I will always love you… She sings, I will send the Holy Spirit to remind you of my love… She sings, The long and winding road that leads to your door will never disappear… When Israel was a child, I loved them. The more I called them, the more they ran away. But I taught them to walk, and took them up in my arms. I led them with kindness and love. I lifted them like a mother raising her child to her breast. How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? My heart recoils within me, and my compassion grows warm and tender. I am God, and no mortal. I am the Holy One in your midst, keeping my covenants to the thousandth generation, for I am love. I will always come back to your door. Let it be.

8

 First Congregational Church UCC, Anoka, MN  1923 Third Avenue, Anoka, MN 55303  (763) 421-3375 Pastor – Rev. Chris McArdle Director of Music Ministries – Don Shier Keyboardist – Koki Sato Pastor of Ministerial Support – Rev. Curt Johnson Moderator – Dan Norrick Website: http://www.uccanoka.org  Email: [email protected]

First Congregational Church, UCC of Anoka is an Open and Affirming Christian Community for all. We affirm that the image of God is most fully reflected in diversity. We invite all people to share their energy and talents in full participation with our community. We welcome all individuals and families of any sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, relationship status, race, national origin, socioeconomic status, age, mental and physical health or ability, or belief. Together, we celebrate these and all other facets of one’s essential being.

9