Sunday, August 9, 2020
Hiram & Mantua Center Christian Churches
Remote Worship Order
Order of Worship
Sunday Zoom WELCOME - Sarah
Welcome to Hiram Christian and Mantua Center Christian Church’s online service.
- Logistics
- Bulletin
- Communion
- Rev. Chad Delaney is on Vacation. But will be back tomorrow!
- Pre-Recorded to Live
- Announcements
- Our Anti-Racism Study is continuing on Wednesdays as well as our Wednesday afternoon Prayer Time at 2:00
- Fellowship Time after the service to reflect and respond to the sermon and continue the discussion.
PRE-RECORDED PART
PRELUDE Prelude in C Major by J.S. Bach
WELCOME & CALL to Worship - Sarah
Good morning beloved people of God! It is a beautiful day in the house of our Lord this morning and I am so excited to get to worship with you. You might find that having a Bible, a candle, and communion elements help tie you into the flow of the service, so feel free to pause at any time to go and grab those.
This week we will receive the message from Rev. Chris McCreight, hear beautiful music from our wonderful music ministers, and take communion led by our Elder, Pam Baynes.
Whether you are joining us live on zoom or are on your own time on Youtube, we are blessed to be in community together this week. Take a deep breath in… and out… as we light a candle signifying the importance of the time we spend together this week.
OPENING PRAYER - Sarah
God,
You have called us to be a people of prayer—
to continue the ministry of intercession handed on to us
by Jesus Christ Himself.
And so we come before You with confidence,
bringing our prayers for the world You love.
In Your mercy, hear and answer.
We pray for those who, like Jesus’ disciples,
find themselves surrounded by high winds and stormy seas;
those who feel overwhelmed by events and circumstances—
the loss of a job,
the death of a loved one,
serious accident or illness,
chronic pain,
depression,
or divorce—
and who don’t know where to turn.
We pray for those who, like Peter,
are experiencing a crisis of faith;
who long to whole-heartedly trust in God
but are held back by questions and doubts.
Through the life-giving power of Your Holy Spirit,
make Your sustaining presence known to all who are in pain or need,
so that they, too, may know Your love and live.
In the name Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
Amen.
HYMN 619 My Life Flows On
SCRIPTURE & SERMON - Dry Feet. Wet Hands. Rev. Chris McCreight
Matthew 14:22-33
I think it’s fascinating, the ways that characteristics and qualities cross through generations -
How we can see something of a father in child;
Something of a family trait best held by a great-grandmother -
Now clearly visible in her great-granddaughter;
How the identity of a young adult is affirmed and placed within the family ancestry - you are such your surname.
Families where strong cultures are established lovingly watch the youngest among them grow into their being, and as the youngest demonstrates family traits - at times unknowingly - the family names the trait and the child as their own.
In our family, this takes shape whenever we marvel at our daughter’s intelligence and I say,
She takes after her mama.
It unfolds when we scratch our heads as our daughter is assembling the same 500 piece puzzle for the third time, and then say,
Well, she’s a McCreight!
(Our family loves games, and I cannot pass up an invitation to play Euchre.)
It even happens with our pets, like when our dog Chunk stole my cheeseburger off the table:
After I wrestled it from his mouth,
Jen and I joked that
He kind of takes after me.
Interestingly, when I ate the same cheeseburger that had been in our dog’s mouth, I don’t think anyone in my family wanted to acknowledge that this was a family trait or that I was even part of their family…
It was worth it.
Well, here we have a story where the characteristics and qualities are seen, And when identification is understood,
And the event - the quality - that reveals it all, is beautiful.
Prior to this event, Jesus has been a healer,
Jesus has been a teacher,
Jesus has been a miracle worker,
Last week, Pastor Sarah Smith preached on the miracle of the feeding of the multitudes -
This is what Jesus has been doing
And within every one of these events,
The people who saw Jesus to date have identified Christ as:
Rabbi
Teacher
And a disciple of John the Baptist.
We’ve even had the blessings of the narrator who have expanded the story to include the birth of Jesus;
And the dedication of Jesus,
And the scene of the baptism of Jesus where the skies are torn asunder and the spirit descends and the voice of God is heard saying, “This is my beloved child.”
We have these events within the gospel,
And still the people all around Jesus continue to see him and refer to him as:
Rabbi
Teacher
And a disciple of John the Baptist (for a while).
And then it is here within this scripture…
After the feeding of the multitudes, Jesus needed a little time to be alone;
Jesus broke a lot of bread -
Little tired; needed some rest,
So Jesus sent the disciples into a boat and pushed it off
the shore;
And Jesus dismissed the crowds - now with full and happy tummies - that they may return to their homes,
And Jesus stepped away to rest and to pray.
In that time, a storm came and began to rock the boat back and forth,
The disciples were in great distress,
All night and into the morning,
When early in the morning, Jesus came walking towards them in the lake.
When the disciples saw this, they were terrified;
They thought it was a ghost,
They cried out in fear, Winds, Waves, Now a Ghost, what’s next, Murder Hornets?
But Jesus said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
And then Peter answered…
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
Jesus replied,
“Come.”
Peter gets out of the boat.
Peter finds a footing atop the waves,
And begins to walk on the water
Walking towards Jesus,
And then a strong wind began to move across the waters,
And Peter panicked;
It’s like when you’re learning to ride a bike and someone’s been holding onto the back of the bike,
They’ve let go by now and you’re riding on your own,
But then you look back and now realize that you’re riding without training wheels and without a hand attached to the seat and now you panic, and then you fall.
Peter began to sink,
And cried out to Jesus,
“Lord, save me.”
Jesus reached down into the water,
Grabbed his hand,
Pulled him up and said,
“You were doing it. You still can. Why did you doubt?”
Jesus takes Peter to the boat and helps him in,
The wind ceases,
And then the disciples in the boat see something…
And for the first time in the Gospel of Matthew,
The disciples - the people - identify him as the Son of God.
Prior to this it is only Satan in the wilderness that identifies him so;
And demons that are about to be exorcised;
This is the first time that people see something in Jesus,
And make the connection…
Oh, you are the son of God.
And what I think is even more astounding about Matthew’s faithful and subtle telling of the story,
Is that this development does not happen when there’s a great miracle of turning water to wine or even feeding a great crowd;
It doesn’t happen when he teaching practical theology;
And it doesn’t happen when he walks on water…
It happens when Jesus reaches down to save Peter.
It happens when an extraordinary act of compassion and grace;
Yes - here - now,
We see it plainly…
Truly, this is the Son of God.
I love it,
And what it means for us -
For this pivotal event to take place with the cornerstone of the Church,
So that the first generation of the church and the current,
Would know and know so well,
The family characteristics and qualities…
Are compassion and grace.
What a blessing this scripture is today.
For there can always be a temptation to want to demonstrate our faithfulness in grand acts that leave crowds blown away and telling their neighbors for weeks to come;
There can be a temptation to want to demonstrate our faithfulness by holding a systematic theology that is without heresy and without error;
There can be a temptation to want to demonstrate our faithfulness by maintaining a sense of purity and cleanliness that would keep us above the chaos and murkiness of the waters,
And leave anyone who’s swimming or drowning below to fend for themselves…
Religion tests us;
And here we are blessed with a word with an image of Christ who does not abandon one to the waters,
But will gladly stoop and become saturated by the waves,
To connect with, and offer a hand in love, and accompany one to safety.
This is the Son of God.
Seen clearly - known for and by compassion and grace;
If we had not known who Christ was before this -
May we sense the divine image and identity with greater clarity.
If we had now known what Christ was asking of us before -
May we come to know and remember
Christ asks us to step out and walk in faith;
And to offer care and compassion to one another;
To bend down; reach out; pull up, and walk with one another.
Do the big miracles;
Pursue the life-giving theology;
Walk on water - this is what it is to following Christ;
These are all good;
And what we will always be known for -
Seen as disciples of Christ;
And known as children of God;
Is compassion and grace.
May we continue to follow this Son of God who is revealed in loving kindness and compassion;
May we as the Church remember well Christ’s willingness to save;
And may we and the Church be known for belonging to Christ;
By our compassion and grace.
Amen.
SPECIAL MUSIC Down to the River to Pray- Sydney,Lydia
Video Ends, ZOOM Live Begins
Zoom TRANSITION
Sarah or Chris: May God add blessing to the hearing of the word in music. Thank you Sydney. Now, as we turn over to the live parts of the service we want to invite the children to get ready for the Children’s Moment.
CHILDREN’S MOMENT - Ally Hurd - recorded
COMMUNAL PRAYER - Chris
As our scripture is rich with symbolic imagery,
It is good to open ourselves to the spirit and the living word of this scripture;
We may find ourselves among the disciples within the boat;
Anxious; fearful, and wondering when the storm will stop.
And to this end, I rediscovered a blessing from the late John O’Donohue,
That I think may reach us in such a time,
Like the hand of Christ,
To hold, and uplift, and assure us
So, let us gather with all that is upon us,
All that is within us,
In a moment of stillness and prayer.
God of Grace,
God of Compassion,
Hear now the confessions of your children;
The names of our loved ones;
The communities we have compassion for;
And the gratitude for the gifts we have discovered this week.
(Stillness)
And now,
As we may find ourselves with concern and worry;
Come to us,
In presence this day,
Come to us,
In the compassion of a friend,
Come to us,
In the blessing of a faithful child,
A Blessing For Suffering by John O’Donohue:
May you be blessed in the holy names of those
Who, without you knowing it,
Help to carry and lighten your pain.
May you know serenity
When you are called
To enter the house of suffering.
May a window of light always surprise you.
May you be granted the wisdom
To avoid false resistance;
When suffering knocks on the door of your life
May you glimpse its eventual gifts.
May you be able to receive the fruits of suffering.
May memory bless and protect you
With the hard-earned light of past travail;
To remind you that you have survived before
And though the darkness is now deep,
You will soon see approaching light.
May the grace of time heal your wounds.
May you know that though the storm might rage,
Not a hair of your head will be harmed.
~ To Bless the Space Between Us
DOXOLOGY
HOLY COMMUNION
Communion Hymn - 387 Bread of the World, in Mercy Broken
Meditation - Pam Baynes
Communal Prayer & the Lord’s Prayer - Pam Baynes
Words of Institution - Pam or Pastor
Sharing Communion Together
BENEDICTION - Chris
Church,
Christ moves among the world and is revealed and known in acts of compassion and grace;
As it was told to us within the Gospel of Matthew, so it remains today.
May we continue to follow this Son of God who is revealed in loving kindness and compassion;
May we as the Church remember well Christ’s willingness to save;
And may we and the Church be known for belonging to Christ;
By our compassion and grace.
Go in Peace,
Amen.
HYMN - When Love is Found #362 v. 1, 2, and 3
(The New Century Hymnal)
POSTLUDE - People Need the Lord
by Greg Nelson. Arranged by Fred Bock