Second Sunday in Lent - A Time to Grow: Life
Good Morning! Welcome to the second Sunday in the season of Lent. We hope this is a Time to Grow for all who are participating. All of us have growing edges in our lives…what is yours? Today we are focusing on Life in Jesus’ Name and way. How does life grow and flourish and what does Jesus teach about it?
Prelude - “Come, Thou Almighty King” [by F. De Giardini] Sarah Park
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church
Welcome to the Season of Lent. We are a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms. We want to extend an invitation to all for this to be a Time to Grow in your faith and this Sunday to think about what it means to have Life in Jesus Christ.
- Thank you for joining us here in the house and online. Welcome to everyone!
- ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Lenten Devotionals are wonderful
- New Welcoming Song and Offering Response
- The Linds offering Special Music today
Scripture Reading - Psalm 16:7-11 Rev. Chad Delaney
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Welcoming Song - Morning Has Broken #53, v. 2
2 Ours is the new life, blessed and holy,
fresh from the birthing, fresh from the womb,
praise for the living, praise everlasting,
praise for the new life mocking the tomb.
Words by Jon Secaur
*Call to Worship - Allie Owen
ONE: We follow Christ,
ALL: Who says take up your cross.
ONE: We follow Christ,
ALL: Who bids us come and offer our lives.
ONE: We follow Christ,
ALL: Who summons us to new life.
ONE: Come, let us worship our Creator.
ALL: Thanks be to God!
~ written by Rosemary Lamie
*Opening Hymn - All Things Bright and Beautiful #61, vs. 1 & 3
[Refrain]
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful: in love God made them all.
1 Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colors, and made their tiny wings.
3 The cold wind in the winter, the pleasant summer sun,
the ripe fruits in the garden, God made them every one.
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Allie Owen
Offertory
Music: “I Need Thee Every Hour” [by R. Lowry] Sarah Park
*Response - Accept, O God, The Gifts We Bring #379, 2 lines
Accept, O God, the gifts we bring of spirit and of clay,
transform them into blessings on those we serve today.
Offering Prayer - Allie Owen
Children’s Moment - Rev. Chad Delaney
4th for the 4C’s
Special Music
“Come as You Are” [by David Crowder] The Linds
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer - Rev. Chad Delaney
One: God of Life…
Response: Help us choose the path that leads to new life.
God of Life
Help us choose the path that leads to new life.
Our Heavenly Creator, you have called us to heavenly things. You have called us to be born of the spirit, to live in a way that honors you and gives you Glory. God of Life…Help us choose the path that leads to new life.
God of our Living and Being, we know you are close by. Our lives can be filled with uncertainty which can be both a gift and a curse. Help us to trust in you more deeply in the messiness of Life. God of Life…Help us choose the path that leads to new life.
As you called Abram and Sarai out of their homeland so long ago, so, too, you call us to new and unexpected places. The mysteries of the Holy Spirit call us to new and unexpected journeys. God of Life…Help us choose the path that leads to new life.
Help us to remove those parts of us that are hurting us from the inside out. Whatever is getting in the way of our relationship with you, may we have the courage to release it. God of Life…
Help us choose the path that leads to new life.
Jesus spoke in paradox, proclaiming that those who wished to save their lives must give up their lives and follow him. Grant us strength to take up our crosses and follow. God of Life…Help us choose the path that leads to new life.
Here us now as we lift our joys and concerns to you in silent prayer….
Join us together now in your spirit as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us saying…
Communion
Meditation - Sally Hoffman
Communion Hymn - “Seed, Scattered, and Sown” #395, vs. 1 & 3
[Refrain]
Seed, scattered and sown, wheat, gathered and grown,
bread, broken and shared as one, the Living Bread of God.
Vine, fruit of the land, wine, work of our hands,
one cup that is shared by all; the Living Cup, the Living Bread of God.
Is not the bread we break a sharing in our Lord?
Is not the cup we bless the blood of Christ outpoured? [Refrain]
3 As wheat upon the hills was gathered and was grown,
so may the church of God be gathered into one. [Refrain]
Prayer - Sandi Kossick
Words of Institution- Sandi Kossick
Music: The refrain from “Trusty and True” [by Damien Rice] - The Linds
Scripture - Mark 8:27-37
God of Growth and Mystery
As we listen for your word today:
Help us to embrace mystery and paradox
Pick off the parts of us that keep us from you
Prepare our soul soil for something new
Make us open and curious for your word
Amen
27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ 28And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ 29He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ 30And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’
34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?
Sermon - “A Time to Grow: Life” Rev. Chad Delaney
The last few years, we always put some potted flowers on the back and front porches. The ones on the back porch always seem to do well, but the ones on the front porch always struggle. It didn’t take me too long to figure out that the main culprit was the front porch was getting boiling lava hot sunshine every afternoon and just roasting the flowers. So my solution to this was to water them more frequently. That worked a little, but still it was just too much.
But then Christin said something to me one time that bewildered me. She said, “Have you been dead-heading them?” “Who and the what-now?” Dead-whatting?
“Dead-heading”
“Umm no. I have not been dead-heading.”
As most everyone here probably already knows, dead-heading is simply when you pick off the faded or dead blooms from a plant. As silly as it might sound, at the time, I didn’t know about this.
And honestly when Christin said it to me…it did not sound right. Don’t I want to try to preserve the blooms? Don’t I want to try to revive it? Maybe if I give the plant even more water, they will revitalize and get their color back? Why would I pluck off these “could be” beautiful flower petals? What if I pluck them off and it hurts the flower? What if the blooms never come back? It sounded counter-intuitive to me. Even counter-productive!
Despite my hesitations, however, I became a dead-header. My intuitions were wrong and my plants are better off for it.
Deadheading, as it turns out, …
Helps prevent disease: Dead or decaying flowers can provide a breeding ground for pests and diseases. By removing them promptly, you reduce the risk of infestation
And it actually promotes CONTINUAL blooming. By removing dying blooms, you prevent the plant from expending energy on seed production and instead redirect that energy into producing new flowers. This prolongs the flowering period and keeps the plant looking attractive for a longer time.
Ok…so it actually makes perfect sense. My first mistake was ever thinking Christin would steer me wrong. My second is forgetting one of the most important things I’ve learned as a Christian -- sometimes death can lead to new life. The blooms had died, but ultimately this would make room for more life to come.
In our passage today we have this fascinating interaction between Jesus and his Disciples…particularly with Peter.
Peter starts the day with an A+. Jesus asks “Who do the people in this neck of the woods think I am?” and they report that the people have all sorts of guesses of prophets and great biblical figures come again. So Jesus then asks, “Who do YOU say that I am” and Peter says, “You are the Christ.” Gold Star for Peter.
So now Peter’s having a great day, but then things take a turn. Jesus starts telling them about all this bad, hard stuff he’s going to have to endure. The Son of Man must undergo suffering, rejection, be killed and then rise again.
Peter says, “Who and the what-now?” That doesn’t make any sense. Wouldn’t you want to preserve Jesus' life forever? Let’s do everything we can to prevent this? What would dying ever prove? What if he dies and doesn't come back? What then? This is not a good idea, Jesus.
On this, Peter gets an F-. Jesus even calls him “Satan” for crying out loud. The curve is not going to help him on this one. And BY THE WAY (sidenote)…what a great reminder that some days we’ll have it all together and feel like we are getting it just right…other days it's the complete opposite. WELL…It's called being human and we get to see Peter offer a beautiful illustration where he goes from boom to bust in just a few verses. And guess what, Jesus loves him anyways. (end sidenote)
So then, just to blow their minds further, Jesus drops on them some powerful, paradoxical stuff that will challenge the disciples in the first century and us here thousands of years later.
‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”
The world says, “Be powerful, make your own way.”
Jesus says, “Become my follower”
The world says, “Be liked, earn your cheddar, get yours”
Jesus says, “Deny yourself”
The world says, “Don’t change at all, leave everything as it is”
Jesus says, “Cut off and pluck out what’s causing in death in you and others”
The world says, “Avoid death and transformation at all costs”
Jesus says, “Die to yourself. Serve others. Take up your cross”
The Truth of the Gospel is counter-intuitive. What brings Life to ourselves and others is not always in alignment with what we’ve always thought and believed. Even for Peter--one of his closest Disciples--it didn’t compute that part of Christ's life could include suffering and rejection. How could that be part of an equation for victory, for faithfulness, for love to win? What the world may see as failure, is actually a pathway to new life?
We know from our own lives that sometimes it is darkest before dawn. Sometimes the trials are heavy and difficult AND we are stronger and more faithful on the other side of them. Sometimes humility, gentleness, and love are actually the most powerful, transformational ways to change the world. God’s ways are not always our ways. But can we lean into it. Trust it. Believe it. That actually to gain life, is to lose life. To have victory is to humbly take a back seat. The last shall be first and the first will be last.
So what does that look like for you in the Garden of your Life?
Kara Eidson, the author of our book reminds us as we go on this journey to the cross with Jesus:
The life of the gardener is one of hard work, producing life to sustain life. Cultivating food for the table is not without its blood, sweat, and tears. There is the toil of turning over soil, digging holes for planting, carefully weeding a garden throughout a season…It can be easy to forget the hard work that goes into food production when much of our food comes shrink-wrapped, waxed, and immaculately clean, but whether food comes from a garden or a grocery store, there are many hours of hard work behind it. In other words, “Disregarding the world’s expectations for what makes life abundant is not easy work, nor is realigning our expectations for abundance with God’s.”
So then, as we seek to grow…
- What small or big changes in mindset or actions could be made in this season to follow in Christ’s way?
- What faded blooms need to be plucked away to make way for life?
- What would we change about the way we interact with others? The way we eat? The way we live? To make way for Life to flourish in the world around us?
As we grow…may we hear, embrace, and follow Christ’s call in our passage today:
‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
May it be so…
*Closing Hymn - “Take My Life” #609, vs. 1, 5-6
1 Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
5 Take my will, and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.
Benediction - Rev. Chad Delaney
- Stay for fellowship and Sunday Chat
- Wednesday Dwelling and Time to Grow Study -- bring your Garden Map
- Blessed by Linds music
Postlude - “When we Walk with the Lord” [by W. H. Doane] Sarah Park