CELEBRATION OF WORSHIP JULY 12, 2020 Suggestions: You may wish to light candles – a single candle as a Christ candle can be lit as you begin worship, and additional candles if you wish to light them when you pray for people and circumstances. If you are using the music links, you’ll want to have the email in front of you. And if you are tuning in to the recorded worship, you’ll notice that there is some variation between this paper version and the pre-recording. Today we will celebrate Holy Communion – it’s best if have your bread and wine/juice prepared before you begin worship. For personal reflection: Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant. (Robert Louis Stevenson, 19th century) THE SPIRIT GATHERS US TOGETHER Prelude "Prayer of St. Francis" "Prelude on St. Anne" Tap Picture Link #1 Welcome Call to Worship We come into this time of worship to receive the seeds of our faith into the soil of our lives. We worship the Master Gardener God. Let us open our hearts to the sunshine of God’s love. Let us open our souls to the gentle wind of God’s Spirit. Let us open our lives to embrace the good news of Jesus Christ, a message that renews us again and again. Hymn “Creator God, Creating Still” Tap Picture Link #2 Creator God, creating still, by will and word and deed, Create a new humanity to meet the present need. Redeemer God, redeeming still, with overflowing grace, Pour out your love on us, through us, make this a holy place. Sustainer God, sustaining still, with strength for every day, Empower us now to do your will. Correct us when we stray. Great Triune God, for this new day we need your presence still. Create, redeem, sustain us now to do your work and will. Prayer of Invocation Sower of living hearts, sower of tenderness, sower of courage, sower of service, sower of prayer, sower of light Lord, sow within us. Sower of gifts, sower of forgiveness, sower of faith, sower of joy, sower of life, sower of Beatitudes. Lord, sow in the hearts of all people! Even if we are hard as stones, be patient with us! Your Good News will manage to slip between the tight cracks in our rock and will grow into giant sheaves of Good News! Amen. THE SPIRIT – TEACHING AND LEARNING Scripture Reading Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Message Planting Seeds, Growing Hope This is the week that Liz and I would have been deaning at Pilgrim Lodge – the camp session known as Planting Seeds, Growing Hope. Many times throughout the course of these hot summer days I’ve imagined us there with campers and counselors engaged in the activities and program in a place that is near and dear to our hearts. Saturday I could see myself turning down the camp road where I immediately shut off the radio, roll down my car window and take that deep breath of Spirit that is so incredibly present. I pictured the arrival of counselors; and I couldn’t help but smile thinking about the silly ritual we have to end our day of team building – we split Oreos in half and stick the side with the frosting onto our foreheads and, without touching it with our hands, we get the Oreo from our forehead into our mouths. I always have to remind myself that play nourishes the soul. On Sunday I pictured the arrival of our campers – they’re excited and nervous – and how the camp comes to life with the noise and chaos. Throughout this week I’ve pictured us in the dining room for meals and down at the chapel for worship, calling out to the Echo across the lake. I’ve imagine family faith groups walking the labyrinth. I could see us up at the picnic area making s’mores, in the ballfield playing shaving cream whiffle ball, down at the water-front for the last swim and “Dunk the Deans.” At night when I go outside to gaze at the sky, I’ve recalled the final ritual of the day at camp – the three of us deans go from cabin to cabin to say goodnight: “Goodnight, cabin 1… Goodnight, cabin 2, and hearing back, “Good- night, Deans.” There have been moments I could almost hear the voices singing, the chatter of campers going up and down the boardwalk, the relentless call of the loons at night when we’re trying to get to sleep. With everything we do, everything we say, the activities we plan and implement, our goal is building an intentional Christian community… an experience of what it is to live as the Kingdom of God. So what does that look like? There are no “insiders” and “outsiders” – everyone is accepted and belongs in that giant God circle that I’m always referring to. Everyone must be treated with respect. Love and caring and compassion are the order of the day. And when that breaks down – as it inevitably does – situations are handled with the love and care intended to help us all grow to be all God intends for us to be… all of us. Our campers are growing up in a world that isn’t always gentle and kind. They experience a social “pecking order.” They experience ridicule and bullying. The peer pressure at all ages can pose challenges we can hardly imagine. More and more of our campers also seem to be growing up in households that fail to provide a nurturing environment for them to grow to be whole and healthy. We have campers of all ages who come to PL with wounded and broken places in need of healing. So throughout our week, we plant seeds – lots of seeds – that we have to believe make a difference in their lives. They are seeds that remind them that they are each a beloved child of God, that they have talents to share with the world. We plant the seeds that God is always with them, the seeds of prayer and presence – the seeds of faith and trust in God. We plant the seeds that give them the tools to navigate the “world out there” (as we tend to call it) when the going gets tough. We plant seeds to teach them the value of being kind and generous, loving and patient, caring and compassionate…. that they have the power and ability to change the world for the better. We plant seeds and pray they grow into hope that their world around them and within them can be better. Jesus was a seed sower. He went about Galilee touching people who were considered unclean – untouchable. He healed those who were considered unworthy of God’s grace – those who were blind, lame, and mentally ill. He interpreted the law of Moses in new ways – “You have heard it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven…” And when the crowd was about to stone the woman accused of adultery – punishment prescribed by Levitical rule – he imparted a new path forward: “Anyone who is without sin, cast the first stone.” He sat at table with all manner of sinners. He broke with social customs by welcoming women and children. In word and deed, Jesus planted seeds – lots of seeds. He planted seeds that spoke about a God who loved them – all of them – a God who welcomed everyone into the circle of grace… a God who demanded mercy and justice.