joyful worship

                                       SERMON ON   JOYFUL WORSHIP    June 16, 2014

                         [Ed. Note—This sermon is largely taken from the teachings of Gerrit Gustafson]

Throughout prehistory and all human history, they have gathered in public and in private,  in caves, in homes,  in sacred groves of trees, by the sea and on mountain tops, in graveyards  and in  temples.  Throughout all racial and cultural groupings, different peoples have always  assembled to  worship a deity.

The Christian roots of worship goes back  4000 years  or so to our spiritual forefathers and mothers , the ancient Hebrews of the Middle East.   One foundational principles of Judeo-Christian worship is that there is only one God, who is characterized by omnipresence and manifest presence.

·         The God of the Bible is omnipresent—He is supernaturally present everywhere, at all times, and all places, all simultaneously.  He is not a prisoner of time and space, unlike the deities of the pagans.

However, the God of the Bible can freely choose to manifest himself  his presence   at a particular time and place, to a particular people by

• initiating communication,
• or demonstrating his power,
• or by intervening in the natural order.

 In this regard, God, who is spirit,  can  willingly display his presence with greater intensity in the material world.

The key figure in ancient Hebrew worship was the Levite, the priest. As in other  religions with witch-doctors, shamans, gurus, or the like, the Hebrew priest //was the //mediator //between //God// and// humanity.  Back in that era, the relationship between God and humanity was indirect.  It required a middle man.

• Looking at slide # 3--  the definition of a priest is a believer who draws near to the presence of God.

Now, this was not about ritual alone. The priest was able to draw Near to the presence of God not just because he was ordained, but because He believed. 

• The great commandment  of God to the Hebrew people, and to us, is , ”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul , and body.”

Throughout the 4000 years of biblical history,  we hear of a God who cares less about ritual, and more about the sincerity  of the one who worships by obeying the command of God to love Him wholeheartedly.

Slide : When priests draw near to God’s Presence through wholehearted worship, God reveals His manifest presence.

·         So, it is within this context that the priest went into the temple, wholeheartedly worshipped God on behalf of the people.   The priest then came out  God was present that he had accepted their offerings. Then the people would cheer.

Now, this model of worship is the ultimate spectator sport. As we discussed recently, many people erroneously believe that this is how we worship God—by watching the priest and the choir worship, while the congregation is entertained.

However, the Word of Jesus opposes that inactive mode of worship.  Throughout the Gospels, Jesus condemns  he denounced the  clergy & priesthood of his day for  being a bunch of hypocrites  and crooks. 

• All these clerics had exalted themselves above the regular people, controlling the religion of their day and actually pushing the people away from the living God.
•  Jesus preached that God wants all people to come into his presence –to commune with Him, to talk to Him, to be forgiven by Him, to be healed by Him, and to be loved by Him. John proclaimed that that the Messiah, the anointed one, would soon appear on the scene, and would shatter the wall between God and humanity.

The Bible tells us that by his death and resurrection, Jesus fired the Old Testament clergy.  God then appointed Jesus to be the Great High priest of the universe.  And in turn, Jesus did something radical----something that most modern  day clergy and other Christians  still do not understand:  Jesus decided that all believers would automatically share in his priest hood, so that we could all draw near to the presence of God. Instead of using the position of His priesthood to separate people from God, Jesus appointed all of His followers to share in the joy of his eternal priesthood.   SLIDE—You are Priests.   1 Peter 2:5,9

Therefore, you are a priest.  Now, did you know that?   This is commonly called the priesthood of all believers.  If you believe in Jesus, then you are a priest.  If you don’t believe me, then maybe you will believe Peter, who was Jesus’ best friend and the first Pope of the early Church.  Peter writes,

Verse # 5—read in unison: You, also, like living stones are built into s spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering worship acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Now, I know some of you are thinking that sounds crazy. It just sounds so simple..too simple.  But who made it so hard?  I’ll tell you who---  the self serving Clergy.

·         Beginning in the 4^th century AD, the Christian clergy reverted back to being mediators between the people and God, instead of facilitating whole hearted worship, which leads us into the presence of God.

·         For hundreds and hundreds of years, the clergy  developed more and more priestcraft and ritualism which confused the people and secured their hold upon their exalted positions.

·         For this reason, our Protestant and  Anglican forbears condemned  such clericalism during the Reformation of the 16^th century. 

And stretching from that time to today,  Jesus has been  liberating his royal priesthood to bypass middle management so that you can directly worship Him  and experience sweet communion with Him.

·         You see, I cannot worship for you.    Worship is a hands-on, participatory-activity.  THAT IS THE WORSHIPTHAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO God

·         I think that most Christians  have erroneously been taught the wrong definition of worship.

·         Slide ---Worship is the act and attitude of wholeheartedly giving ourselves to God—spirit, soul, and body.

So now, you are being extended the invitation, by Jesus Christ, to  become a whole hearted activated worshipper.  By putting our heart into worship, we can open the door to come into the presence of God.

So, how does one wholeheartedly worship?  Well, here are 3 basic ideas:

First, sing like you mean it.  Look at the words.  Make them your prayer.  In reference to singing, the Bible says, “Make a joyful noise for God.”  Don’t worry about getting the notes right. The song of an off keyed believer is sweeter to God then the song of a musically skilled unbeliever.  Love God by singing. 

Secondly, pray like you mean it. When there are prayer responses in our Sunday services, prayer, say them enthusiastically and loudly.  Put your heart into it.

Thirdly, listen like you mean it.  Listen to God’s word intently.   If you cannot find one thing in the scripture readings and/or the sermon which blesses you, then you are not listening.  God is speaking.   Find one thing that relates to you, and focus upon it.

When you wholeheartedly worship in these ways, you will enter the presence of God.  You may not see his face, but you will find JOY.

• The Bible says that  wholehearted worship as being as joyful as a wedding.

·         The Bible  praises God for wiping away the tears of sorrow, so that his people can  freely worship Him  songs of joy.

And my friends, by God’s grace and your active involvement & participation, Christ Church has become one of the most joyfully worshipping congregation in the Episcopal Church. Jesus wants you to enter into his presence, to receive his joy.  

·         Although some of us may take it for granted now—countless visitors have spoken to me over the past 3 years, including your visiting family members, as they praise us: Because our worship is less like a funeral, and more like a celebration.  We are becoming a church whose worship brings delight to God, and to his people.  Worship is one way that we shine the light of Christ’s love through our church and into the world.

So, dear friends, remember the command of God.  Pls repeat after me.

·         “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice.”    Amen.

TRINITY SUNDAY 2014

We just heard the  bible story of the Lost Son.  Here is a modern day version of that same story:            An old father living alone in the country wanted to plant his pepper garden, but the ground was too hard and he was too old to do the work. His only son,  who use to help him,  was in prison for robbing a bank. The old man sent an email to his son, saying: "Dear Jake, I’ve been very depressed lately because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my peppers this year. You know how much your mother loves planting peppers this time of year, but I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot.. I know you would have been happy to dig the plot for me." Love, Dad  

·       That afternoon, the father received an email reply from his son :"Dear Dad, Don’t dig up that garden! That’s where I buried the THINGS!" Love, Jake    Well4am the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area looking for the THINGS. They apologized to the old man after not finding anything and left.

·       The next day the old man received another email from his  son. "Dear Dad, Happy Father’s Day! Go ahead and plant your peppers now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances." Love, Jake 

Not infrequently, our national  holiday of Father’s Day coincides with the church’s Trinity Sunday.  And by reflecting upon the grace of fatherhood, we can learn so much about our Trinitarian God--—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  You see, these are the 3 faces of God’s love for us  all.

Earlier in today’s service, we recited the canticle of  St. Patrick, which beautifully describes the wonder of our Creator God as manifest  –the earth beneath our feet and the heavens above us—which the Bible says that He made just for us.   The act of building and creating can be a solemn act.   When I was a young child, I learned about the joy and love of creating things:  Beginning at age 3 up until age 11 or so, I loved following  my father around on  Saturdays,  as we made home repairs and improvements. Our biggest project was finishing our attic, which eventually became my bed room. In that attic, my father  taught me how to hammer nails, to saw wood, to drill holes, to screw screws, to plaster sheet rock, to lay linoleum, and to paint walls.  I remember feeling so proud, because I had helped my Dad.  [However, it was not until years later , when my son helped me on similar projects, that I later learned that I really had not helped my father out that much.  You see, when little Patrick helped me with chores, they took twice the time that they would have normally taken if I had done them by myself.}

God’s love is expressed by the act of creating—and he calls us to share in that Holy works by building up our lives,  our homes, our families, our neighborhoods, our churches, and our nation-- all the work of our hands, hearts, and minds.

So next, let’s turn to God the Son.  As you know, by his death on the cross he changed the world by releasing  God forgiveness .  Now  this is a central tenant of faith, but  the full meaning of this forgiveness can become so abstract to us, that it loses its significance e. When forgiveness is a “head thing” and not a “heart thing,” it can feel   distant and remote from daily experience   That is, unless, you have really been forgiven of something that you did wrong, for which you are truly sorry.   Growing up in church, I really did not think too much about forgiveness, because in my own eyes, I never did anything really  bad……until about age 20, when I got stoned and was stopped by the police.

·       My friend, Bruce, who was also stoned, drove his car off the road and totaled it.  Miraculously, neither of us were hurt.

·       Now Bruce received the hell he deserved, first from the police and then from his parents, who came to the scene of the accident.  However, since I had not been driving—I got off scott free at the time.

However, I knew that Bruce’s parents would tell mine, so when I arrived home at 4am that morning, my father was at the door to greet me. Now, most of the time, my father was a hard and a stern man, who never spared the rod. To be honest, my father was an abusive alcoholic who would rant and rage whenever my brother and I did anything wrong.  So, I was expecting that he’d chew off my hind side.  PAUSE However, that was not the case.  Much to my surprise, he remained very calm, inquiring about my health.  He could hear that I was truly sorry for my bad judgment, which could have hurt or killed me.  He told me that he forgave me …and he never brought up the subject ever again.    This incident just shows how even vey flawed Fathers can be instruments of God’s grace.  And , indeed, that night I prayed for and received God’s forgiveness—which totally changed my life from that point on.   Forgiveness can positively change lives for ever….So, just as Christ has forgiven us, He calls us to share His love by forgiving others.

                                                                                             

Finally, God the Holy Spirit:  Today’s reading from the letter to the Galatian Christians says that God the Holy Spirit expresses his love for us by empowering us all to serve others. Please repeat after me:

·       Be motivated by God’s service.

·       For everything we know from God’s word // is summed up in this//

Use your freedom//to serve one another in love.

Now during the past 2 Sundays, we have talked about serving one another in the church.  But, today,  I want to look at the idea of a life style of service.  Serving others  can be a defining principle in one’s life, as it has been in my family.

·       Growing up, I loved to hear of the heroic exploits of my great grandfather, Major Robert Donnelly.  Although he was from Tennessee, which was a Confederate State  in the Civil war, Great grandpa  enlisted in the Union Army, because he thought that slavery was wrong. As a child, I grew to admire this hero, who could have played it safe—but who chose to serve instead.

·       His son, my grandfather, choose a life of honorable public service to our country.

·       My father served in World war 2, and  actively volunteered in his local community by founding & establishing  a mental health service clinic to serve  low income families.

·       My service, outside of being a priest, has  been serving as a Community Chaplain with hospice, the police department, and now with the Oxford Fire Dept.

·       And finally, that desire to serve the common good has come down to my son, who for many years has served as a very committed  environmental activist.

While service can be its own reward,  it  also produces side  benefits.  You see, when I decide to put my heart into  doing good deeds, I become less preoccupied with my own little problems, complaints and anxieties. This is one of the spiritual laws of the universe—doing good for others automatically releases a stream of blessing into your heart, which washes away the blues.   . Hallelujah!!

We worship a gracious God whose love is unending for us—and who chooses imperfect, flawed people---like our parents, and like  us, to shine the love of Christ into the world.

·       So, be positive—create and build like the Father.

·       Be merciful—forgive others like the Son.

·       Do good—and receive unexpected blessings to elevate your mood & life.

In thanksgiving, please now stand,   face the altar cross, and repeat after me:

To Him be the power,/////the glory and the majesty/////, from this day forth //// and forevermore. Amen.       FJ: Amen. Let it be this way.

Service continues as we affirm our faith in our one God , with 3 faces, by reciting the Nicene  Creed

·       8:00 am  p. 326

·       10:00     p. 358

PENTECOST SERMON 2014

PENTECOST SERMON   JUNE 8, 2014

I am so excited about this picture, which I am going to unveil in a couple minutes.  After  exhaustive research, interviews with academics, and reviewing polling data, I believe that I have discovered the greatest person living on earth today.

·       No, I am not talking about Mohammad Ali, nor pop singer Katie Perry, nor Apple CEO Tim Cook, nor even Jesus.

·       In fact, this person probably does not even know that he or she  is the greatest.   So, let’s unveil the picture to see if you can recognize the greatest person in the world.  (A large mirror is unveiled.  Preacher tkes the mirror around, so that people can see their faces in the mirror..ashe says, “So & so is the gratest, etc)

Here’s the scoop.  Each and every one of you has the God given potential which is beyond your current expectations—and this is true, regardless of age, education, health, or income.  You have a god given destiny to be the greatest.

·       Now we are not talking about greatness as defined by your family, your peers, or your employers.  Not greatness as defined by Entertainment Tonight and the celebrities magazines on line, nor the Gallup poll.

·       Too many people erroneously define greatness by worldly popularity, power, wealth, physical strength, and the like.  No, all that stuff will eventually fade away and be lost in time.

·       No, we are describing eternal greatness as defined by Our Majesty, the Lord Jesus Christ, who says in today’s Gospel: please repeat after me--- Whoever wants to become// the greatest in my kingdom,// must become a servant.

·       Yes, Jesus says the  greatest person  voluntarily serves others, especially in His Body, the Church, of which He is the Head.  What a paradox!!  The greatest serves…and the greatest follow the example of Jesus, for he rendered sacrificial service to us on the cross to reconcile us with God.  And God rewarded Him by making Jesus the King of the Universe.

Last Sunday, for those who were not with us, we began a discussion on two types of Christianity.  Please take out the yellow insert, and look at the side which has the easy chair and the cross.   Easy chair or spectator Christians are primarily concerned about their comfort and security. They only do what they want to do—doing what feels natural for them. They view Christian life as coming to church, and then because they primarily have a consumer mentality, they ask themselves,  “What can this church do for me?”

Now, frankly, when you are new to active church life---you are meant to be spectators, for we learn by watching others….by listening and absorbing—all of which is an essential aspect of active Christian life.  But there finally comes a point where sitting on the sidelines for too long, can actually wound your soul.  Easy chair  Christians, without living  out an intentional a commitment to serve, will discover that their faith begins to deteriorate & weaken, as we see in point # 9.  One manifestation of such spiritual decay is that many easy chair Christians sit around and criticize the work that the servants are doing, without pitching in to make things better.  This happens in all churches, and it happens in this one, and it is just not fair.  Please, do not be part of the problem ; decide to be part of the solution. Judging others can estrange you from God before you even know that it has happened.

In contrast, let us look at those described into day’s reading from Acts, which describes the Day of Pentecost.  1981 years ago today, God the Holy Spirit feel upon his disciples, empowering them to become the first servant Christians.  When each felt touched by God, they immediately responded by creating a new community of cheerful servants, which we know as the Church.. Looking at the right column, we see   the wonderful difference as described in point # 3.  Instead of seeking our own self-centered will, we seek the will of Christ and seek to do what he wants us to do…which is to use our gifts of time and talent to help up build his Body, the church, because , WE ARE THE CHURCH—THE BODY OF CHRIST ON EARTH.     Instead of asking, “What can the church do for me?, we ask, “What can I do for God and his church?”

And as was the experience of those  early disciples,  something absolutely wonderful happens when we serve:  God the  Holy Spirit  showers you with his happiness, through you  in ways that you might never have expected.   Because as The Purpose Driven Life reminds –please repeat after me : WE WERE CREATED //TO SERVE JESUS & HIS PEOPLE.  We have an inner need to serve others, just as Jesus has an inner need to serve u and reward us..

Earlier this week, my wife and I identified our best example of this dynamic in our lives, as a community of servants made up of the two of us: Fifteen years ago, my wife told me that she wanted a dog. Well, I had never had one before, and had suffered from severe allergies most of my life.  But, by then , such allergies were no longer a problem!!!  So  Ellen enthusiastically pressed her case; but, she   said that she wouldn’t,  unless I agreed. PP Well, I did not want a dog. The idea of a drooling, smelly, hairy creature getting into my face just repulsed me.  .PP  But I decided to serve Ellen by agreeing to become a dog owner.  Well, that little dog named Oliver, (who passed away last week),   loved me more than I deserved, and brought forth  joy, laughter, companionship, and adoration which has permanently changed my life. When you serve others, God turns around and serves you in ways that enrich life beyond our dreams.

Over the past month, the Vestry’s Cheerful Service Commission has been in dialogue with the lay leadership of your church---and today we are unveiling new volunteer opportunities--- –so that everybody can contribute to the building up the strength of Christ Church. My friends, you are our most important resource--not our money, not our building—as important as those things are, you are more important.

Dan

Molly

Now we are going to provide a couple minutes for you to individually pray and think about this---and to individually ask Jesus  to direct you to serve  Him ,here, in your church family.  While the Choir sings a new hymn about ministry and serving, please consider checking off a job on  one or both of these forms.    Once you have finished, raise your hand and the Ushers will bring around a basket to collect your offerings, which we will later bless at the altar. So my friends, remember the words of Jesus who said, “Give and it will be given back to you, a double measure of His blessing that will overflow your ability to contain it all.

The Rev. John Donnelly