Good Morning and WELCOME to the Mantua Center Christian Church. If it is your first time with us, thank you for being here and we hope you will visit our website to learn more about the church and our ministries. Today we will reflect on what it means to be a welcoming church and community. Are there those we would exclude knowingly or unknowingly? What can we learn from the story of our faith that can help us grow? Welcome to worship!
Introit - “Come, Christians, Join to Sing” - [Arr. by B. Carr] - Sarah Park
Welcome to Mantua Center Christian Church -- a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms.
Whether online or in the house this morning, we want to welcome you….
INVITATION FOR MISSION UPDATES:
Ministry Leaders and congregants are welcome to come forward to the mic, to give a mission update or share ways for people to get involved in missions and ministries.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PICTURES of Loved Ones who have passed away to honor All Saints Day - Nov 6. Send them by email to Jon Secaur
MCCC Welcoming Statement
MCCC affirms that every individual is a child of God and we recognize, celebrate and give thanks for the diverse spiritual gifts among us. As followers of Jesus, we aspire to reflect his unconditional love and mirror his compassion to all people. We encourage spiritual and intellectual inquiry and accept diversity of interpretation of scriptures and individual beliefs. We welcome into the full life and ministry of the church people of every race, culture, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, place in journey of faith, and marital and economic status.
Scripture - Leviticus 19:33-34
33 When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. 34The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your 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 - Peg Ehrlinger
One: Here in this place, there are no outsiders,
All: for all are welcome in God’s house.
One: Here in this worship, there is only acceptance,
All: for love is the language of faith.
One: Here in our lives, there are no divisions,
All: for God dwells in each of us. Let us worship in unity and love!
*Opening Hymn - Surely the Presence of the Lord… (2x) #263
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place; I can feel his mighty power and his grace.
I can feel the brush of angels’ wings, I see glory in each face,
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Peg Ehrlinger
Offertory - “I come to the Garden Alone” [by C. A. Miles]
Response - Give Thanks” #528
Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One,
give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ his Son. Give Thanks!
Offering Prayer - Peg Ehrlinger
Children’s Moment - Rev. Chad Delaney
4C’s
StoryTime Presentation
Pastoral Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer - Rev. Chad Delaney
Flowers in Honor of Pastor Len, prayers for his family
Prayers continue for the violence and war in the Ukraine and Middle East
Who do we need to lift in prayer today…?
Kind and merciful God, we come hopeful today that as we experience this time to be with you, that your LOVE might animate all we do and that our love may become contagious.
We pray that we may not lose their hearts in today's economic and political certainty. In the midst of racism, violence, and indifference. In the midst of war and religious turmoil…help us to keep perspective and to keep seeking to be the good in our neck of the woods.
We pray that we may have room in our hearts and homes for those in need of respite, for the lonely, and the strangers. God of Life and Love, help to be more merciful and forgiving of ourselves and others. Help us to be patient, curious, and understanding in times of change and new ideas. Help us to be flexible and willing to follow your Holy Spirit wherever it takes us.
Help us to uplift one another rather than tear down, accept each other with trust and affection, forgive one another from the heart and welcome one another generously as we go forward together in hope and love.
Gentle God, help us to love you and one another with your measure, that is, without measure, in Christ Jesus our Lord who taught us to pray….
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Special Music - “Without Love” [words & music by Lee Dengler] - MCCC Choir
Holy Communion
Meditation - Roger Cram
Hymn - “In Remembrance of Me” #403
In remembrance of Me eat this bread. In remembrance of Me drink this wine.
In remembrance of Me pray for the time when God's own will is done.
Take, eat, and be comforted, drink and remember too.
That this is my body and precious bloodshed for you, shed for you.
In remembrance of Me search for truth.In remembrance of Me always love.
In remembrance of Me don't look above,
but in your heart, look for God.
Do this in remembrance of Me
Prayer - Nora Brant
Words of Institution - Nora Brant
Music - “Alas! And did my Saviour Bleed?” [R. E. Hudson] - Sarah Park
Scripture - Acts 10:34-48
34 Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’
44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, 47‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ 48So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
Sermon - “Even Them?” Rev. Chad Delaney
Strolling through the Avenue of the Giants, of course, your attention is drawn upwards to the crowns of the redwoods. Your eyeline flowing up the trunks to see how sore your neck can get in a short period of time. That being said, the floor of the forest was filled with wonders as well.
It became clear why George Lucas brought the cast and crew of Star Wars to the Redwood forest to film the Episode 6 scenes of the Ewoks and the forest moon of Endor--the environment is almost bizarre and otherworldly. There were seemingly giant 3-leaved clovers, ferns, fallen logs, broken branches, and old stumps. You felt as though you were walking back in time. I would even say, a somewhat mystical experience.
This feeling of serenity however, was halted abruptly when I heard one of our family members (or was it me?) go……EWWWWWWWW! On one of the trunks of the trees was a giant slug. Mustard yellow, black, and 2 little antennae protruding out their little gross heads.
My honest reaction: How dare they disrupt this picturesque scene?! I was much much happier to keep my eyes on the treetops.
BUT…it clearly didn’t for Josh and CJ…they eagerly sought out more of them and once in a while I’d hear one of them yell…”I found another one!” For them it was fun and fascinating!
Why did this feeling of disgust well-up within me? Why such a negative reaction?
Disgust is a very powerful feeling in the human experience. Psychologist Richard Beck defines it this way:
“Generally speaking, disgust involves the feeling of revulsion, a visceral, almost nauseous, response. And this revulsion is very often triggered by a judgment or appraisal of contamination or pollution.”
Evolutionarily…disgust aids us greatly. It's a good thing in many ways. Helps us avoid poisonous foods or any kind of toxic ingestion. Banana slugs are decomposers that feed on dead leaves, plant material, and other decaying organic material. Perhaps, because I consciously or subconsciously connect slugs with death and decay is why I reacted the way I did. Or I just think they look “icky.” I don’t know.
But CJ and Josh’s reaction made me re-think it and then it REALLY shifted when we went to a gift shop on the Avenue. There on one of the shelves were stuffed, friendly, fun banana slugs. There were magnets and signs. Then I found these shirt on the internet (I gotta show you these). Ok…they are a “thing” and people are all about it. Instead of being repulsed by them…I began to see them with more wonder, interest, humor, and curiosity.
Now banana slugs are one thing, but what happens when our disgust turns to others of God’s creatures? What about people or groups of people? The stakes and religion can clearly accentuate or alleviate our sense of disgust toward one another. What does religion do for us?
This whole slug experience got me thinking of the people in Acts chapter 10 & 11 who are trying to wrap their heads around what God is doing in their time and place. There is a significant shift happening in how they are being asked to see the world and the people around them. You have one of Jesus’ closest followers, Peter, inviting them to fellowship with and accept those outside their tradition…the gentiles. In that time there were some religious and cultural barriers between “them” and “us.” Peter was asking them to change their minds about something most of them had understood as true for their whole lives.
Did you hear the words in the passage? “44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon ALL who heard the word. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were ASTOUNDED that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out EVEN on the Gentiles”
Peter dared to believe and preach and even practice the acceptance of those he never dreamed he would…AND now asked his community to do the same. This would be hard, there would be detractors. Those who would absolutely reject this and cite their own personal experience, their religious tradition, AND sacred Bible passages to justify it. Yet…as Peter preaches in chapter 10 and as he shares his dream vision in chapter 11…the people begin to see the goodness in what God is doing in their midst.
What may have evoked a feeling of disgust or negativity…became a gift. Something to be curious about and interested in. An opening to something new.
What about us today? I will confess there are still those I would have real trouble with inviting into our community. What about you? Do we have some degree of disgust at the prospect of someone being blessed by God or sharing at the Lord’s Table or sitting in the pew next to us…?
Who--in our world today--would ASTOUND you that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? Who--in our world today--would make you say EVEN them?
Lest we judge the ancient world to harshly, think of modern times and even now when it would
Astound some in the church that even women could receive the power of the Holy Spirit
Astounded that even gays & lesbians could receive the power of the Holy Spirit
Astounded that trans people
Astounded that _____ (insert presidential candidate’s name) supporters
Astounded that another religion or political party
Astounded that you fill in the blank could embrace the power of God’s grace, forgiveness, and healing Spirit.
NOW when the “EVEN THEM?!” moment happens I might pause. It could absolutely be the right response…but maybe I might wonder for a second what Jesus would say. Afterall, he so very often welcomed those who many had the EWWWWW response to within the Gospel.
Richard Beck, in his book, gives the church some wisdom:
“Remember, many sources of contamination are driven by culture and have little or nothing to do with food. A behavior might be experienced as a pollutant to a person’s soul, soiling our conscience. A person’s presence in the church might be experienced as offensive or inappropriate. In short…although contamination monitoring is at root healthy and adaptive, we should worry when judgments of contamination are extended into the religious, moral, and social domains.”
As someone in our Wednesday study wisely said: “Who am I to judge? As I grow older I’ve had to do a reversal of years and years and years of believing the wrong way. It's hard to break the traditions within myself and my religion.”
Thanks be to God for those who go on that journey. When people can change and see things differently. What a gift it is when people of faith break the cycles of judgment and harshness that our religion and culture have perpetuated. Who shift from EWWWW….to AWE and CURIOSITY and WELCOME.
As we move forward in faith, may we be more mindful of what gives us the feeling of disgust or disapproval and do some faithful examination. May we be more open to inviting and receiving those who have felt like outsiders for too long striving to truly have Open Minds, Open Hearts, and Open Arms, to live and love in the Spirit and likeness of Jesus Christ. May it be so, Amen.
*Closing Hymn - “Ours the Journey” #458, 1-2, & 4
1 In the midst of new dimensions, in the face of changing ways.
Who will lead the pilgrim peoples wandering in their separate ways?
[Refrain]
God of rainbow, fiery pillar, leading where the eagles soar,
We your people, ours the journey now and ever,now and ever more.
2 Through the flood of starving people, warring factions and despair,
Who will lift the olive branches? Who will light the flame of care? Refrain
4 Should the threats of dire predictions cause us to withdraw in pain,
May your blazing phoenix spirit, resurrect the church again. Refrain
Benediction
Thank you for joining us online and in the house.
Please join us downstairs for coffee downstairs
Please join us for our Sunday gatherings. With Jon Secaur being gone for a few weeks, the class studying Mark will be watching Jesus Christ Superstar. All are welcome to join us.
I ask for your prayers as I travel to KC…I’ll be here this Sunday
The Church Has Left the Building by Margaret Weis
The church is not a place; it is a people.
The church is not only a steeple above the treeline, streets, and cars.
Rather, it is a people proclaiming to the world that
we are here for the work of healing and of justice.
The church is not walls built stone upon stone, held together by mortar
but rather person, linked with person, linked with person:
all ages and genders and abilities—
a community built on the foundation of reason, faith, and love.
The church is not just a set of doors open on Sunday morning,
but the commitment day after day, and moment after moment,
of our hearts creaking open the doors of welcome
to the possibility of new experience and radical welcome.
The church is not simply a building, a steeple, a pew.
The church is the gathering together of all the people, and experiences,
and fear, and love, and hope in our resilient hearts;
gathering, however we can, to say to the world:
welcome, come in, lay down your heartache, and pick up hope and love.
For the church is us—each and every one of us—together,
a beacon of hope to this world that so sorely needs it.
Postlude - “Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” [by W.B.Bradbury] - Sarah Park