The Transfiguration Text from Luke.  I felt a number of weeks ago that focusing on the valley experience was where the Holy Spirit was carrying me (us?).  There is a good bit of pain at this church over the recent General Conference.  I have tried the last several weeks to minimize direct discussion of General Conference, and focus more on implied elements.  This day, I felt a direct discussion was in order.  All I can tell anyone is that I agonized over what to say, and this is what God provided me.  

This is from 9:00 AM.  I may also do the 10:30 service, which was a little longer.  

First Corinthians 15 meets Luke 6 with a touch of For Every One Born, A Place at the Table.  Our choir performing this piece is shared.  

Invaluable help here from Rev. Kerry Greenhill.  Her opening prayer, Call to Worship, Confession and Pastoral Prayer were exquisite. 

I had to add the Youth Choir with their I Believe by Mark Miller.  A great piece and something they do quite well.   

I confess that General Conference 2019 in St. Louis was in my mind.  I don't think I mention it directly.  

The sermon starts about 11:30 or so and goes to 38:00 or so.  A little longer than is my norm.  Kerry's Litany of Commitment wraps up the Sermon.  

Ephesians 3: 1-13

Liturgical material for the service developed by Kerry Greenhill, Sacred Stones.  

1 Kings -- God Speaks in a Small Still Voice, and Galatians 5 -- fruits of the Spirit.  Today the fruit is generosity.  

John 18: 33-37

We stand at the end of the church year.  It is New Year’s Eve in New York City and the ball has gone down and we are here to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.  Who is Jesus for us?  Really for us?  What is our no equivocation answer?  He is King? 

If not, why not?  I expect while the scriptures are NOT John 3: 15-17, I will get to John 3: 15-17, particularly 17.  We can live according to the cynical values of Pilate or …. the choice is ours. 

Scripture Readings: Luke 15: 11-12 (yes, short). 

 Big idea:  God calls on people to serve.  I am mindful that the son had a different agenda than serving but what I want to focus on is letting go.  The father let go.  In today’s world, we are served by many and parents, grandparents, friends, have to let go. 

 “In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.”  Deepak Chopra

 Part of our task is know when to let go, and when to hang on. 

Job 23 ... I like Job.  Not easy to preach from but I do think it speaks to us in our humanness.  

Some remarks on last week in our history.  

Pentecost 16:  18.09.16

Sunday Three of Five Straight RCL Sundays on James

As I indicate in the reflection, the passage was selected in April or May and then the week consumed me with how words had been misused.  It just seemed appropriate to take the events of the week and move them into the reflection.  My purpose was not to be mean, but to educate and learn.  Please try and listen w/o attaching names to the people.  An adventure in missing the point.  

James 3:1-12

¹ Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ² For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. ³ If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. ⁴ Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. ⁷ For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, ⁸ but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

The 10:30 version of June 17th Sermon.  The title of "If you can't get out of it, get into it" comes from a Parker Palmer reflection I quote.  Use a couple of mountain climbing illustrations but the big idea is staying anchored in Jesus come good times or more challenging times. The other readings for this Sunday focused on horaculture themes of grafting and I used them a little.   

Elder Mary Kavila preached on my behalf this June 10th last.  Her scripture was Matthew 5: 14-16.  As is usual when Mary preaches she brings both gentle understanding and a challenge to the application of the scripture.