Welcome to Mantua Center Christian Church! We are a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms.
Good morning and welcome to the Season of Lent at the Mantua Center Christian Church. We are so glad you have joined with us for this sacred time of year as we walk with Jesus to Holy Week. We offer this time to God to reflect on our spiritual walk and how we might more faithfully follow the way of Jesus. Our theme this year is “Seeking: Honest Questions for Deeper Faith”. You will see symbols of seeking on the chancel (an eye, binoculars, telescope, etc) and we will take time to ask questions during the service. If you have questions about the scripture, music, or spoken word, please ask it in the chat. We hope you find this season invigorating to your spiritual life as you seek a closer relationship with God. Welcome to worship!
Introit - “God, where are you now?” [Words and Music by Sufjan Stevens] - Ryan & Karly Lind
Scripture - Matthew 4:1-4
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ 4But he answered, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’
*Response - Weave #495
Weave, weave, weave us together, Weave us together, in unity and love.
Weave, weave, weave us together, weave us together, together in love.
*Call to Worship - Leighton Baynes
ONE: Listen!
ALL: There is hope to be found here.
ONE: Listen!
ALL: God calls you by name here.
ONE: Listen!
ALL: There is love that abides here.
ONE: This world is full of chatter, so may we do our best to listen.
ALL: God is speaking. Let us worship! Amen
*Opening Song - “40” [Based on Psalm 40, Music by U2] - Led by Ryan & Karly Lind
I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and heard my cry
He lift me up out of the pits
Out of the miry clay
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song?
He set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm
Many will see
Many will see and hear
I will sing, sing a new song
I will sing, sing a new song
(Sing it!)
How long to sing this song?
How long to sing this song?
How long, how long, how long
How long to sing this song?
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Leighton Baynes
Offertory - “Pilgrim” [Words and Music by John Mark McMillan] - Ryan & Karly Lind
Response - Pass It On #477, v.1
It only takes a spark to get a fire going
and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.
That's how it is with God's love once you've experienced it,
you spread God’s love to everyone, you want to pass it on.
Offering Prayer - Leighton Baynes
Children’s Moment - Rev. Chad Delaney
Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer - Rev. Chad Delaney
In this season of Lent, we will create space for confession during our prayer time. That time will be yours to speak with God.
Friends, if you are seeking grace, this moment is for you.
If you are seeking growth, this moment is for you.
If you are seeking honesty, this moment is for you.
In our silent prayers of confession, we admit to ourselves and to God that we do not have it all figured out….let’s offer our prayer to God…
Silent Prayer….
Remind us Oh God that we are loved. We are held in grace. We belong to you.
God on this day, so much weighs heavy upon our hearts….we give all of our burdens to you in silent prayer…
God on this day, we have so much reason for joy and gratitude….we give them to you…
Lord, as we seek you in this season of Lent, draw ever closer to us and help us to recognize that you are here. Be near to us now as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us….
Communion
Meditation - Sally Hoffman
Hymn - “These I Lay Down” #391, v.1, 3, 5
Before I take the body of my Lord, before I share his life in bread and wine,
I recognize the sorry things within: these I lay down.
The narrowness of vision and of mind,the need for other folk to serve my will,
and every word and silence meant to hurt: these I lay down.
Lord Jesus Christ companion at this feast, I empty now my heart and stretch my hands,
and ask to meet you here in bread and wine which you lay down.
Prayer - Sally Hoffman
Words of Institution - Rev. Chad Delaney
Music - “I have Decided to Follow Jesus” - Ryan & Karly Lind
Prayer of Illumination:
Holy God,
Listening is always easier said than done. We shuffle into this space and try to quiet our minds, but the list of distractions is long. We need your help to listen.
So today we ask that you would marinate us in your Word.
Dust the cobwebs from our ears. Stir our souls awake.
Crack open our hearts to make room for you. Scoop us up. Put us in your pocket.
Carry us with you wherever you go. We want to hear you, really hear you, so speak to us now. With hope we pray, Amen.
Scripture - Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-9
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ 2The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.” ’ 4But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; 5for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ 6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’
Sermon - Who will you listen to? - Rev. Chad Delaney
We begin this season at the beginning of tradition seeking to glean wisdom from one of our origin stories in the book of Genesis. Adam -- the dust person -- is made aware by God to not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After this command, God creates animals and then a partner from the dust person’s rib -- Eve -- Woman -- and now there is man and woman. We then have the quite famous episode of Adam, Eve, and the pesky and crafty serpent. Tricked by the serpent, they eat the fruit of the forbidden tree.
On Wednesday afternoon we went over this passage and the group asked many questions. Here are a few of them:
- As a parent, isn’t that what you would like them to learn--the difference between good and evil? Why does God not want them to eat of it?
- Why is this “sin” such a big breach of God’s will?
- Did Adam & Eve even know what good and evil even was?
- Could we see them like children and then they matured?
- Do we self-sabotage like they did?
- Who did Cane end up marrying then?
- Did God have to eat the fruit to keep going?
- Why listen to the serpent anyways?
- Why is evil so much more attractive than good?
- Why couldn’t they have been content with what they had? How could they want more?
- Why did God put the tree there if they couldn’t eat from it?
- Did God put the tree there because God wanted choice?
This business with the tree has me intrigued especially as we begin this season of Seeking--- why put the tree there to begin with? Even believing this is a metaphorical story, what is its function within the story? What was its purpose? Why have something in Paradise they couldn’t take part in?
God must have known this would be unbearably tempting to the humans ---- it is like leaving the REALLY, REALLY COOL and SPECIAL toy out, but telling the kids they can’t play with it. What do you think is going to happen? Interesting choice to include it.
And at the same time, why couldn’t Adam and Eve be content with what they did have? They have EVERYTHING they could possibly need… it's called Paradise for crying out loud.
And in that place, even in Paradise, God left space for desire and temptation… why? In some way is this what God wants?
There’s a story that Anthony de Mello shares that for me illuminates this idea. Its called “a parable for religious educators:
A sheep found a hole in the fence and crept through it. He wandered far and could not find his way back. At times he was chased by a wolf and in danger, at others he just wandered around lost and afraid. Finally the shepherd found him and carried him lovingly back to the fold.
And in spite of everyone’s advice the shepherd refused to nail up the hole in the fence.
Could it be that God wants us to have the freedom to go outside the fence? To desire, to grasp, to seek, to wonder… is that why the tree is there? Freedom begets choice. And choices reveal something about who we are. What we really care about. What we really want. Maybe it's God’s desire that everything not be so clear-cut.
I used to wonder why God didn’t give us absolute, concrete proof of her existence, yet if that were so there would be no need for seeking and searching or even faith.
Maybe the act of seeking itself is holy and something God wants from us from the very beginning? Have you ever seen anything more curious than an infant exploring their world? God builds into our very nature the gift of freedom to ask and explore….even if it means danger. Even if it means pain. Even it means heartache. We have the freedom to explore different pathways and listen to different voices---from saints and serpents alike. The question becomes who will we listen to? What is our heart set on? As God asks, “Where are you?”
The story tells us we will have freedom to choose.
Family of God, this Lent, the hole in the fence is open. Whether in the inside of the fence or outside Christ will be with us beckoning us to follow him. There will be other voices, other ways, beckoning, too to take your attention away from that which you ultimately seek. Where are you? Who will you listen to? Whom are we seeking…?
*Closing Hymn - “Seek Ye First” #354
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you. Allelu, Alleluia
Ask and it shall be given unto you Seek and ye shall find
Knock and it shall be opened unto you Allelu Alleluia
We shall not live by bread alone, But by every word
That proceeds from the mouth of God. Allelu, Alleluia
Benediction - Rev. Chad Delaney
As you leave this place, may God bless you with seeking.
Seek out the hungry.
Seek the weary.
Seek the good in every person you pass.
Seek out the hopeful.
Seek the faithful.
Seek God in each of us.
As you seek and as you wonder,
may you find what you are looking for.
In the name of our loving God,
who is always seeking us,
go now in peace. Amen.
Postlude - We Are Bound for Canaan Land [by P.P. Billhorn] - Sarah Park