Good morning and welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church! This Sunday is the second Sunday in Lent and we are blessed with an opportunity to continue our journey of seeking deeper faith. Throughout the season we will be looking at passages with wonderful questions asked that (hopefully) will be entry points for our own spiritual journeys. Today is no different with the wonderful interaction of Nicodemus and Jesus in John 3. Today, we hope you are moved by the Spirit to ask questions and dive deep into what God might be trying to say to you. Welcome to worship!
Introit - “Come Into My Heart, Blessed Jesus” [by H. D. Clake ] - Sarah Park
Welcome to Mantua Center Christian Church --
a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms.
Scripture - Psalm 51:10-12
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right* spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing* spirit.
*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 - Sally Hoffman
ONE: Pilgrims, we are invited to journey through this season of Lent
ALL: towards the One who calls us each by a new name.
ONE: Disciples, we walk with Jesus wherever he leads us,
ALL: pulling our fears, our doubts, our longings behind us.
ONE: Believers, we seek to trust the God who always surprises us,
ALL: whose promises take on flesh and blood in the good news called Jesus.
*Opening Hymn - I Need Thee Every Hour #578, v. 1-4
1 I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
no tender voice like thine can peace afford.
[Refrain:]
I need thee, oh, I need thee; every hour I need thee;
O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.
2 I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby;
temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. [Refrain]
3 I need thee every hour in joy or pain;
come quickly, and abide or life is vain. [Refrain]
4 I need thee every hour, teach me thy will,
and thy rich promises in me fulfill. [Refrain]
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Sally Hoffman
Offertory - “Jesus Rose of Sharon” [by C. H. Gabriel ]
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 - Sally Hoffman
Children’s Moment - Rev. Chad Delaney
Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer - Rev. Chad Delaney
Prayers of confession offer us a new beginning. In our prayers of confession and reaching out to God, we lay our cards on the table. We speak honestly with God about who we are and who we long to be. And…Christ meets us there calling us to greater faithfulness, to change and transform in big and small ways.
Dr. Martin Luther Kings, Jr. in his sermon “Where do we go from here?” in 1967, said this
“One night, a juror came to Jesus and he wanted to know what he could do to be saved. Jesus didn’t get bogged down in the kind of isolated approach of what he shouldn’t do. He said something altogether different…Jesus looked at him and said, ‘Nicodemus, you must be born again.’ He said, in other words, ‘Your whole structure must be changed.’
God of new life, you call us to change and transformation. You beckon us into new and unknown places, and sometimes we are afraid and hide in the comfortable. You promise all the stars in the sky, and we doubt it can be true.
You speak of new life in the Spirit, and we tell ourselves we’ve missed our chance.
Over and over and over again, you invite us closer to you. Show us the way. Forgive our mistakes. Give us the courage to begin again with you. We offer our silent prayers of confession to you now…
God, we thank you for meeting us in the shadows. We thank you for welcoming our questions and inviting us to begin again. We trust in you as you call us to a new way, a deeper faith, and a more compassionate approach to ourselves and others. We belong to you. We are held in your love. And we are made new.
Today, we pray for the hurt in the world. For the continued war in Ukraine. For the refugee and any who are tired, hungry, and looking for a place to call home. For those who are abused and neglected. For those searching…wandering and lonely. We lift up our church and our efforts in re-centering and finding our way. We pray you would inflame the passions and gifts of those even in this room and home to hear your call to serve.
On this day you have made we have many joys and sorrows on our minds and hearts. We give them to you now in silent prayer…
Now hear us together as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us…
Communion
Meditation - Sandi Kossick
Hymn - “Bread of the World” #387, v. 1-2
1 Bread of the world in mercy broken, wine of the soul in mercy shed,
by whom the words of life were spoken, and in whose death our sins are dead:
2 Look on the heart by sorrow broken, look on the tears by sinners shed;
and be thy feast to us the token that by thy grace our souls are fed.
Prayer - Sandi Kossick
Words of Institution - Rev. Chad Delaney
Music - “I can hear my Savior calling” [By J. S. Norris] - Sarah Park
Scripture - John 3:1-12
Prayer of Illumination:
John 3:1-12
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ 3Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born anew.’ 4Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born anew.” 8The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ 9Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ 10Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
11 ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
******Take a few minutes and write down any questions you might have for the scripture.
Sermon - “How do we begin again?” - Rev. Chad Delaney
What does it take for us to change our minds? To shift our perspective?
Likely we all have changed our minds, hearts, perspective on SOMETHING in our lives. What was it for you? And why did you change?
I’ve had lots of shifts in my thinking over the years. I have changed political parties multiple times. I have had shifts in thinking on racism, same-sex marriage, I have changed in how I understand holy scripture, the meaning of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, even the word “God.” None of those shifts were easy.
I’ve changed my position on vegetables multiple times. There was a time when we swore we would NEVER have a dog--too much else to take care of and 3 kids to raise. But then we had a little girl who asked almost everyday for a dog and broke us down.
Lots can get in the way of personal transformation:
- Change is uncomfortable
- It's easier to just keep believing or doing what we’ve always believed and done
- Another aspect I hadn’t thought about is that sometimes change can feel like betrayal.
Author David McRaney has explored with scientists, sociologists, and psychologists how and why people change or don’t change. They found that one of the most powerful dynamics is the idea that “If I change, how will that impact my social group and relationships?” Turns out that some changes are more than an intellectual exercise…they can have relational consequences.
What if you have been one political party all your life and then switched? What would the consequences of that be with family and circle of friends? Would you be inclined to hide it?
What if you have been ambivalent about religion for a long time, but now feel something stirring inside you? Or what if you believed since being a child, but now are plagued by doubt. How would the change be received?
I wonder if that is why Nicodemus came to Jesus by night? Nicodemus came undercover for a reason, right? The Pharisees were a branch within Judaism who believed that God’s word should impact all believers in all places -- not just the priests in the Temple. They followed scripture closely, went to synagogue, and had a vibrant prayer life. In the Gospels, however, there are many stories of Jesus confronting the Pharisees about how they interpret scripture and some of their more strict practices. At one point he called them hypocrites and white-washed tombs. Nicodemus--however--was filled with questions, curiosity, and awe of Jesus…so he went to see him. BUT….If Nicodemus had been seen conversing with Jesus, it would probably mean trouble. Maybe even betrayal of his brethren.
Nicodemus was risking a lot even thinking about embarking on a new spiritual journey in Jesus. Being born anew is to discover a new way of thinking and being. A different set of priorities and activities. He would be a new person. What we might humbly recognize in these moments as we consider the change within ourselves, within our church family, within those we love…that this kind of change requires a great deal of courage.
So what happens to Nicodemus? Wonderfully, unlike many other one-and-done biblical characters, the Gospel of John keeps updated on Nicodemus’ process of transformation. Not as much detail as we’d like but fascinating still.
In Chapter 7, when the Chief Priests and Pharisees were talking with the Temple Police about why they had not arrested Jesus yet. There was a lone voice who spoke out for Jesus at least getting a hearing. Guess who? 7:50 says, 50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, 51‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’” Still undercover, yet…he spoke up.
Then, amazingly in John 19, Nicodeumus makes a powerful public appearance on behalf of Jesus right after Jesus was crucified. “Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. 39Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. 40They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews.”
Nicodemus went from visiting Jesus under cover of night, to defending him to his colleagues, to publicly caring for his crucified body in the light of day. Was he born anew afterall?
Church Family, in our passages today, Jesus calls upon Nicodemus to be born anew and he calls us too. Here we are in Lent, undergoing introspection and prayerful discernment. Taking stock of who we are and whose we are. What might need to change within us and what’s getting in the way of that change. Maybe it begins with questions as we seek to understand better who we are and who God is. Maybe it is a conversation with someone or a new learning or experience…even if we do so undercover of night. However the transformation is stirred within us…let us remember that it is a process. Seeds will be planted within us just like in Nicodemus and it is God who makes them grow. As we go through changes in our way of thinking, doing, and being may we have courage to keep going deeper and to offer ourselves patience and grace in the process.
Furthermore…as an act of compassion…when those we know and love are going through change, may we -- with grace -- walk alongside them. May we be open to them and listen to them. To support them and lift them up. To be a listening ear and pray for them. To leave room in our hearts for people to change and transform in new ways that we may not expect.
Family of God let us hear together what the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans:
2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Let us die to what is shackling us and be renewed through the power of the Holy Spirit. May we find courage and strength to do as Christ has called us: to be born anew. May it be so… Amen.
*Closing Hymn - This is a Day of New Beginnings #518
1 This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember and move on,
time to believe what love is bringing, laying to rest the pain that's gone.
2 For by the life and death of Jesus, God's mighty Spirit, now as then,
can make for us a world of difference, as faith and hope are born again.
3 Then let us, with the Spirit's daring, step from the past and leave behind
our disappointment, guilt and grieving, seeking new paths, and sure to find.
4 In faith we gather round the table to taste and share what love can do.
This is a day of new beginnings; our God is making all things new.
INVITATION FOR MISSION UPDATES:
Ministry Leaders and congregants are welcome to come forward to the mic, to give a mission update or hare ways for people to get involved in missions and ministries.
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 - Tis So Sweet to Walk Jesus [by A. B. Sinppson] - Sarah Park