Purple Chalice Month
Church Family, we are blessed with your presence in our worship whether you are a few doors down or hundreds of miles away! Thank you for being here with us today. This month we are celebrating Purple Chalice Month and want to find ways we can “maintain the unity of the Spirit” in the bond of peace. While our world may be fractured and divided we long to be a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. Whether you identify as “blue” or “red” in your voting, we hope we can become a shade of purple as we come together in the name of Christ. We hope you are blessed, challenged, and comforted in this time of worship together! Welcome to worship!
Prelude - “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” [by J. Zundel] - Sarah Park
Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church
Good Morning!
We are a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms.
Greet with your neighbors… Thank you for joining us here in the house and online. Welcome to everyone!
- ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Prayer Vigil tonight -- 6-7pm Sanctuary Open
- Wednesday Gatherings - Great start!
Scripture Reading - Psalm 46:4-7
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
*Welcoming Song - Come and Find the Quiet Center #575, v. 1
1 Come and find the quiet center in the crowded life we lead,
find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed:
clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter, be at peace, and simply be.
*Call to Worship - Linda Idoine
ONE: Let us gather with one heart and mind!
ALL: We come to draw closer to the way of Jesus!
ONE: Will we learn to love each other—deeply and unconditionally?
ALL: We will love our families, friends, and even our enemies.
ONE: Can we come together, sharing one spirit?
ALL: Yes! We seek unity in spirit, love, and purpose.
ONE: Then let us embrace one another and worship together.
ALL: Let us worship together in unity and peace!
*Opening Hymn - “We Gather Together” #276, v. 1 & 3
1 We gather together to ask for God’s blessing,
To turn to a wisdom surpassing our own;
The pow’rs that oppress us now cease to distress us.
O’God, be present with us, and make your will known.
3 May all sing your praises, Redeemer triumphant,
defend us, befriend us, whatever may be.
May your congregation escape tribulation.
Your name be praised forever, O God, make us free!
Invitation to Generosity
Invitation - Linda Idoine
Offertory
Music: “Living for Jesus, Oh, What Peace!” [by C. F. Weigele] - Sarah Park
*Response Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #47
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below;
praise God above, ye heavenly host: Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Offering Prayer - Linda Idoine
Children’s Moment - Rev. Chad Delaney
- ROPES as strands or together
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer - Rev. Chad Delaney
God of Compassion and Grace,
We come to You today…some of us with hearts full ready to pour out…others with hearts empty needing your provision and strength. And some of us are a little of both. Be with us now as we come together to worship in your name.
God, you’ve called us to unity, humility, and selfless love, following the example of Jesus. Yet we confess that sometimes we struggle with pride and division. We fall into competition, comparison, and putting our own needs above others. Help us to truly be "of one mind." Shape our hearts to reflect the mindset of Christ, to embrace humility, and to love unconditionally—especially in the areas where it's hardest.
God, we lift up the struggles in our world. Today, we hold in prayer the people of Ukraine and the those in the middle east. In the globe there are crises that your children are experiencing. Lord, may Your peace fall upon them like rain, bringing healing where there is hurt and hope where despair has taken root.
Closer to home, our nation groans under the weight of division and unrest. We see the cracks in our systems, the pain of those marginalized, and the sharp divide in our society. Again we have faced the horrors of gun violence in our schools in a small community in Georgia. Be with the families who are trying to navigate this difficult time. We pray for our leaders to be guided by justice, mercy, and compassion—not just for a few, but for all.
In our own community, Lord, we recognize the needs right here among us. There are those without enough to eat, those struggling with illness, those wrestling with loneliness or addiction. Teach us to be a church that doesn’t just speak of love but continues to actively live it. Show us how to serve, to lift each other up, and to be present in each other’s pain and joy.
And now, Lord, we pause in silent prayer to lift up those in our church family and those close to us who need Your touch the most today…….
Now united us in the prayer Jesus taught us saying….
Communion
Meditation - Nora Brant
Communion Hymn We Come as Guests Invited #386, v. 1, 3
1 We come as guests invited when Jesus bids us dine,
his friends on earth united to share the bread and wine;
the bread of life is broken the wine is freely poured
for us, in solemn token of Christ our dying Lord.
3 One bread is ours for sharing, one single, fruitful vine,
our fellowship declaring renewed in bread and wine:
renewed, sustained, and given by token, sign, and word,
the pledge and seal of heaven, the love of Christ our Lord.
Prayer - Steve Hurd
Words of Institution - Steve Hurd
Music: “Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee” [Arr. by W. Shield] - Sarah Park
Scripture - Philippians 2:1-11
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,
8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Sermon - “The Same Mind” - Rev. Chad Delaney
Last week we closed the service with a brief reflection on the saying on our banner -- “In essentials--unity, in non-essentials--liberty, in all things--charity.”
There is some debate about where the quote came from. Some attribute it to St. Augustine of Hippo (from the 4th century) which is unlikely. Some a German theologian of the 17th century named Rupertus Meldenius. Others have attributed it to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
In other words, the Disciples of Christ founders -- Alexander Campbell, Barton Stone, Walter Scott -- didn’t coin the phrase, but they believed it would be one of the guiding principles for this new movement of Christians who had grown weary of the arguments and divisions of the 19th century church and instead wanted to restore the New Testament church.
Yes, the earliest Christians had different ideas, cultures, opinions, and even divisions among them…yet despite all that, they were able to start a movement that continuedBut what was most important to them…what were the most essential features of their unity? Was it their beliefs? Was it their rituals, customs?
Our scripture reading this morning is from the Apostle Paul’s letter to Philippi and is likely the oldest New Testament writing we have. It gives wonderful insight to what was most important to those early Christians and we can see that unity was one of those principles.
This whole passage is full of wisdom but I want to zero-in on verse 2 of chapter 2. Here Paul exhorts them to be “the same”...but in what ways?
He says, “2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”
First is: “be of the same mind” - in the Greek it is “ow-tow phrenetay”. The wording here means more than just thinking the same thoughts like--”We want everyone to think the same like robots” -- No. “Auto phronēte” means having the same attitude or mindset. A deep INTENTION within us to align our hearts and wills towards a common goal and purpose…to live out the teachings of Jesus. At a conference someone asked me if I was an Ohio State Buckeye Fan. Now truthfully I rarely pay attention to college football, but I said, “Yeah I guess so. I live in Ohio and they are our college football team.” So, what if I that was our mindset about following Jesus? “Do you follow Jesus?” “Yeah, I guess so. I live on Earth and he’s the head of our religion and stuff.” Our spiritual life and identity is not just a side-activity or afterthought…but part of who we are and how we think and what we prioritize. To be of the same mind is to deeply orient and align our lives in the way of Jesus.
The second Paul says is: “having the same love.” As you might now there are several words for “love” in the Greek language. Philos -- friend-love. Eros -- erotic-love. Here though is the word “agape” and this kind of love not just a surface-love. Not a love that will drift in and out. Not a love that is conditioned on people doing what we want or believing what we believe. Instead agapē is a deep, self-sacrificing love. To be unified in this kind of love means to seek the well-being of others above oneself. As Christians, we need to better practice this within our families, let alone with our enemies. In times of disagreement even with those we love do we stop, take a breathe, look past the surface and listen? Do we consider the story, the pain, the struggle of another? To unconditionally accept the person where they are and love them anyways. To have the same Agape love is for the church to exemplify humility, self-lessness, and unconditional love. To be unified in that kind of love is world-changing kind of love.
The third Paul mentions is: “being in full accord.” The word here is “soom'-psoo-khoi” (sympsychoi) and is only used in the New Testament this ONE time. This is a cool word and one we need to know. It literally means "together in spirit" or "sharing the same soul." The phrase “Being in full accord” just isn’t adequate. This is a deep and powerful spiritual connection of mind, body, and soul. “Soom'-psoo-khoi” is to care so deeply as to be inextricably intertwined in the pains, joys, and struggles of another.
Each of these are powerful. Same mindset, same love, same soul. These are the essentials for Paul. These are where it begins. The “sameness” Paul speaks isn’t focused on specific doctrinal beliefs or specific ritual practices. It is not based on their position on certain disagreements within their lives, culture, and religion. It isn’t contingent on money or politics or pettiness. Same mind, same love, same soul. Come what may to intertwine their very beings.
To get a picture of this check out the Starlings.
Let’s watch… (video)
Might the unity of the church be like the Starlings…Living, dynamic, graceful, beautiful, and even chaotic at moments. The only way the starlings can murmurate together is by being connected in mind and body. To pay attention to those around them and adapt and move together. Likewise, the unity of the church comes as we ebb and flow not to the beat of our own drum, but to join with the dynamic Spirit of God that binds us together. To murmurate together in a dance synchronized to the Holy Spirit, shaped by our call to love. A love that meets people where they are. That adapts to the complexities of life and never give up on anyone! Together as the church…these are the essentials. Let’s live them out in Paul’s words to “3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit. In humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4To look not to our own interests, but to the interests of others. 5To have same mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus”. This is a sameness worth uniting for. May it be so.
*Closing Hymn - Go, My Children, with My Blessing #431, vs. 1-3
1 Go, my children, with my blessing, never alone.
Waking, sleeping, I am with you; you are my own.
In my love's baptismal river I have made you mine forever.
Go, my children, with my blessing—you are my own.
2 Go, my children, sins forgiven, at peace and pure.
Here you learned how much I love you, what I can cure.
Here you heard my dear Son's story;
here you touched him, saw his glory.
Go, my children, sins forgiven, at peace and pure.
3 Go, my children, fed and nourished, closer to me;
Grow in love and love by serving, joyful and free.
Here my Spirit's power filled you;
here his tender comfort stilled you.
Go, my children, fed and nourished, joyful and free.
Benediction - Rev. Chad Delaney
- In Christ we are united with God Almighty and through this unity we are called to share agape love with neighbors and enemies.
- We have been blessed and challenge in our worship today.
- Sunday Chats are starting back up --- Youth Group is beginning tonight.
- No bells tomorrow
- Wednesdays
- The Sanctuary will be open for prayer between 6-7pm…
The founder of Methodism--John Wesley--once said:
"Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion?"
Indeed may the “sameness” of heart, intention, and love come with us in the world and may God bless and strengthen each of us for the journey!
Let us Sing together!
Benediction Response - Blest Be the Tie that Binds #433, v.1
1 Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love:
the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.
Postlude - “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” [by W. J. Kirkpatrick] - Sarah Park