Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church
We are a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms, building community in a fragmented world.
Prelude - O Spread the Tidings ‘Round [John Scriveyner] music by Jan Green
Opening Scripture - Psalm 43:3-5
3 O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
*Response - Weave
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 - Liz Meeker
ONE: God sends light to us this day and invites us to meet one another in this light.
ALL: Light breaks forth like the dawn, drawing us into relationship with one another.
ONE: Humble yourselves for the worship of God, that you may be empowered to serve.
ALL: God calls us to trust with steady hearts and to serve with righteous compassion.
ONE: Seek not for lofty words of wisdom, but for powerful demonstrations of God’s way.
ALL: God makes us to be the salt of the earth and lights to show God’s works to the world.
*Opening Hymn - Thine is the Glory #218, v.1-2
1 Thine is the glory, risen, conquering Son; endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away, kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.
[Refrain]
Thine is the glory, risen, conquering Son, endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
2 Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb; lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the church with gladness hymns of triumph sing. for the Lord now liveth;
death hath lost its sting. [Refrain]
Invitation to Generosity - Liz Meeker
Invitation
Offertory -Morning Prayer by Gilbert M. Martin
The Doxology #46
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below;
praise God above, ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Offering Prayer
Children’s Moment - Rev. Chad Delaney
Pastoral Prayer - Rev. Chad Delaney
This is a Prayer by Scottish Minister, Rev. Roddy Hamilton. In the spirit of our story and passage today, this prayer invites us into thankful praise, introspective meditation, and prayerful questions.
At the beginning of the prayer I will give you a time of silence -- to express your cares, concerns, joys, and sorrows to God.
You break in, O God, on the road.
you break in, O God, exactly the way we do not believe
you break in, O God, and change everything
THANK YOU, LORD!
Why are your stories never mundane? Why can you not just leave us alone and go and transform somewhere else? We don’t always want to be people of change
You break in, O God with a call. You break in, O God with an invitation
you break in, O God with the truth
THANK YOU, LORD!
Why do you wait for us to respond and never give up?
Why do you speak into our souls the truth of how we live?
Why do you keep goading us, provoking us disturbing us with the truth?
You break in, O God with a new realm. You break in, O God with a new world
You break in, O God with your intent for the future
THANK YOU, LORD!
You are always a challenge to us and we dream of that realm of yours we speak of so often but what disturbs us most is how you want to get there through us, your partners and companions, with space enough for everyone even those who persecute you by doing nothing
God, break in again and call us to be your workers
God, break in again and use the gifts we are to build your realm
God, break in again and change our world once more.
We pray this in the Name of the Risen One, who transforms and changes and renews us daily.
Amen
Communion
Meditation - Sue Wright
Communion Hymn - Here at Thy Table, Lord #384, v.1
1 Here at thy table, Lord, this sacred hour,
O let us feel thee near, in loving power;
calling our thoughts away from self and sin.
As to thy banquet hall we enter in.
Prayer & Lord’s Prayer - Sue Wright
Words of Institution
Music: Flute Pastorale by Lani Smith
Scripture - Acts 9:1-19a
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ 5He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ 7The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ 11The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ 13But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ 15But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ 17So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ 18And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Sermon - "Two Conversion Stories" - Rev. Chad Delaney
This morning we are blessed with the extraordinary story of Saul turned Paul. Here we are in the book of Acts--some time after the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus--and now the movement of those who believe is gaining steam. What once seemed like a small group of people who believed in the resurrection of Jesus…now is becoming larger. And as the movement grows there is an increasing movement against it as well. Sides are forming and the stakes are getting higher.
One person in particular has taken up a radical angle on the whole thing. The man, Saul, cannot see a world in which he can co-exist with these so-called “followers of the way”. His own reputation is growing and he’s taking his radicalism to another level. Poetically haunting words used to describe his actions…he’s breathing threats and murder against the Disciples. So its not just something he’s THINKING about or spouting about…but he even goes to the high priests and wants NAMES so he can bring them to justice.
Meanwhile, on the other side of it is a man named Ananias who is a believer in the way of Jesus. He’s seeking to follow the Risen Christ and increasingly aware of the danger this puts him in in his time and place. Just by holding onto what he believes, his very life is in jeopardy. He’s even heard of a man in Jerusalem who is trying to vanquish the Way from the face of the earth. There are those in the world with extreme intentions of evil and specifically targeting those who believe like him.
So it is certainly a story to preserve in our ancient story. Who could have imagined these characters paths crossing. Neither of them quite knew what God would have in store for them. Let’s learn something from both of their stories.
Perhaps--in the story--you can relate to the conversion of Saul? The main feature of his conversion is that he once was lost, now has been found. Was blinded…but now can see. The scales dropped away and he can see clearly now the anger is gone. The one who was breathing threats and murder against the Disciples, is now Paul who will be the prominent voice sharing the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. It’s like God wanted to find the most challenging person to convert!
However, a more subtle conversion that I think you might consider is perhaps a little more relatable…Paul went from defining his life and mission AGAINST something to being FOR something. Most people in the world have knowledge of the church for what church folks are against--the people we have excluded, the cultural and political positions we are against, the positions of believe that speak against…but how many can share what we believe in? Can define ourselves in what we stand for, what we hope for, what we work FOR? A wonderful conversion the church universal to make--to go from being defined by something we are against, to making a positive mark in the world for what we are standing for.
AND…what about the 2nd conversion? The conversion of Ananias? Ahhh…maybe we have have let the flashing light of Paul’s conversion blind us to something amazing that happened to the other character in the story. This one who was prayerfully following the way of the Risen Christ, was visited by the Lord in a Vision with a strange and repugnant request. “You know that guy with the viciously bad breath locking up Christians and wanting to kill them.” “Yeah.” “I want you to pray for him and heal him.” “Excuse Me? You want me to do what?”
I wonder how many people God had to visit in a vision for this one to take. This request to Ananias is not unlike the request made to Jonah to go into enemy territory and talk about their repentance and God’s forgiveness. Ananias was not only going to have to pray for a mortal enemy, but also put himself in DANGER to do so. Ananias willingness and courage to this should not be understated.
Might a conversion be in the works for us in this way? What person or group or community would be difficult for you to pray for? I’m sure there is someone that comes to mind. What would it take for you to pray for them? An pastor once said, ““I don’t believe anyone can continue hating someone when they have consistently prayed for that person to be blessed by God. And, who knows, God may even answer those prayers and the person’s life be blessed and changed in ways we cannot even imagine.” Note that the vision didn’t tell Ananias he had to like Saul or what he was doing…but this story shares another manifestation of one of Jesus’ most difficult teachings: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Ananias answered this call.
Church Family, these passages speak to what “conversion” might mean for us in our time and place. Perhaps we are in need of a complete change in direction. Perhaps a little nudge. For some, God might need to send a bright shining light or a 2x4 to get us to realize the error of our ways. For some of us, conversion might be a change of heart towards the other, towards the enemy, towards that which we might never think possible. This is the life that follows the Way.
Abundant life in the crucified, yet Risen Christ means that all things are made new, that with Christ all things are possible. May we welcome conversion in the ways our hearts need to…so that we might live and love in the likeness of Jesus Christ. May it be so. Amen.
*Closing Hymn - Amazing Grace #546
1 Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.
2 'Twas grace first taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.
3 Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;
'tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
4 When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun,
we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we'd first begun.
Benediction
May you depart knowing the invitation of God, to move
- from comfort to insecurity
- from what we know to what we have yet to discover
- from where we have been to where we have yet to go
- from safety to a place of risk
Go in the example of the saints before you,
the Israelites in the wilderness,
Paul blind in Damascus waiting for Ananias.
Go in the name of Jesus, our Christ, who said ‘follow me’ without saying where he was going, just promising transformation and relationship
with the God of Love along the way. Amen.
Postlude - Marching to Zion [Garrett Parker] music by Jan Green