St. John’s Church on Morgan Hill

Blake Heffner November 19th, 2006

“Thanksgiving’s Greatest Hits” November 19, 2006

Texts: James 1:17 Mark 8:34-38

INTRO: Virtually every artist who succeeds in the music recording industry eventually creates a “greatest hits” collection. Well, Thanksgiving has inspired some awesome music, and this morning we will sing a few of its greatest hits. As a way of preparing ourselves for this Thanksgiving, let’s look at the messages within the music. Let us pray…

I. “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart”

One chorus that could easily make the top-ten list of Thanksgiving music is not in our hymnal, but on our bulletin cover this morning. It’s one we often sing at the Blue Church, called simply “Give Thanks.”

Give thanks with a grateful heart, Give thanks to the Holy One; Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ his Son. And now let the weak say, “I am strong,” let the poor say, “I am rich” because of what the Lord has done for us. Give thanks.

The psalmist sang, “the Lord has done great things for us!” Paul discovered God’s grace means: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Jesus claimed: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” When we experience God’s grace, we cannot help but give thanks with grateful hearts.

II. “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”

Our first hymn this morning is no doubt one of the all-time favorites: “Come, ye thankful people, come – Raise the song of harvest-home.” These words hark back to an earlier time, when most of the folks around here were farmers or gardeners who grew their own food. “Harvest Home” was a major event in the Church calendar. People would bring in part of their harvest to decorate the sanctuary – pumpkins and squash, corn and peppers, apples and pears. The sanctuary was dressed like a beautiful horn of plenty. [We have some pictures of this!] Later on, these crops would be given to help feed others, mainly in nursing homes. Times have changed, but the needs have not. We are no longer permitted to send fresh vegetables to Phoebe Home. But there are still hungry people all around us. So, now we bring in canned goods for the local food bank, or write a check.

Did you notice that crops are not the only harvest this hymn speaks about? We also sing about the ultimate harvest: “Even so, Lord quickly come To Thy final harvest-home; Gather Thou Thy people in, Free from sorrow, free from sin; there forever purified, In Thy presence to abide…” This is the most important harvest! This Thanksgiving, may we see our family celebrations as a foretaste of that glorious harvest home, when the Lord shall gather us together with all the saints at the great wedding feast of the Lamb!

III. “Now Thank We All Our God”

We will not sing this hymn until next Sunday, but surely it’s one of the classics! The history behind this hymn is significant. Martin Rinkart was a German pastor during the terribly severe Thirty Years War. Historians have argued that this “Christian” war between Protestants and Catholics ranks among the most devastating conflicts of all time. In Germany alone, the population was decimated from 16 million to 6 million. Think about that: five of every eight people died! As if bloody warfare weren’t enough, there was famine and the Plague of 1637. At times Rinkart was the only pastor in his town of Eilenberg. Yet, he was inspired to write:

“Now thank we all our God With heart and hands and voices, Who wondrous things hath done, In whom His world rejoices; Who, from our mother’s arms, hath blest us on our way With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today.”

Compared to what Rinkart faced, our Thanksgiving Day prayers seem rather bland, don’t they? Why is it that the things we take for granted sometimes have to be removed before our eyes are opened to appreciate them fully? This year, let’s rejoice that God has done and continues to do truly wondrous things for us!

IV. “Count Your Blessings”

One way to get a handle on that is to follow the suggestion of our final hymn today, “Count Your Blessings.” This old gospel hymn tell us how therapeutic it is to take the time to really reckon the blessings we enjoy all the time. Counting our blessings is an antidote for discouragement and anxiety and the weariness of being burdened with a load of care.

This is a very significant spiritual exercise. The other night I took out a sheet of paper and tried to list just the people for whom I am grateful. I ran out of room on that sheet and never even got to making the list of all the blessings of nature or the material blessings in my life. I encourage you to try it sometime this week. See how long you can go just listing people and things that make your life rich. I’ll bet if you take this seriously – I mean give it more than just a few minutes worth of thought - you will be overwhelmed with the blessings in your life. You’ll see that not only the good times but even the hard ones give us reason to thank the Lord. Consider how the Lord has brought us through storms and trials, through disease and difficulty, discouragement and distress. Through this process, “You will see what God hath done” and your heart will overflow with gratitude.

V. “My Tribute”

The final song in my “all-time” list is definitely the youngest of the group. It was written by Andrae Crouch in 1971. Don Mickel will be singing this song for us in a few moments. Unlike some of the other hymns, it has a singular focus. We’re not counting all our blessings, or even visualizing a traditional harvest home. No! Although Andrae alludes to many things that the Lord has done for him, there is really only one thing on his heart and mind: that is the love of Jesus Christ: “All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee. To God be the glory! With His blood he has saved me; With His pow’r He has raised me; to God be the glory For the things He has done

Here’s my dilemma: the usual topics of our Thanksgiving conversations involve the big Turkey Day football games and how busy and/or fortunate we’ve been this past year. How about your gathering? It’s so easy and comfortable to thank God for our health and our prosperity, our family and friends, and especially for the good food before us. Why is it that we are so reluctant to talk about Jesus - much less mention his blood that saves us and his power that raises us? I am ashamed to say that on this score I am the chief of sinners. Often, when I am asked to lead the prayer, I feel so compelled to keep it short and superficial. dsfGet it done! Why? Why can I talk about almost anything but Jesus Christ – who is the source of “all I that am and ever hope to be?” Friends, are any of you in this boat with me? If so, I’ve come up with some ideas for changing things this year, getting our focus back on the Lord:

1. First, let’s remove some of the time pressure. Why not plan to have the thanksgiving conversation and prayer sometime either before we get the hot food out, or after the main course and before dessert? This way folks can relax and say some things from the heart about how they’ve been blessed.

2. During this time, why not sing something simple that gives God praise, like the Doxology or a verse from one of Thanksgiving’s greatest hits.

3. Let a young child read a verse or two of scripture. Try James 1:17 or verses from the psalms, giving thanks and praise to God.

4. By that point, hearts have been opened to recognizing God as the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Pray for the courage to offer your own honest, personal tribute to Jesus Christ. Start with “I want to thank the Lord Jesus for … [or] God has blessed me this year with…”

My hope and prayer is that we can bring the Lord right into the middle of our celebrations, where He belongs, rather than leaving Him as the unseen and unmentioned guest. To God be the glory! Amen.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you are so patient with us – even in this season of Thanksgiving. Help us to realize how much you have blessed us each and every day. Help us to take the time to make an inventory of your grace and mercy toward us. It truly is therapeutic.

Lord Jesus, as we gather with relatives and friends this week, help us not to be ashamed of you. How terrible it would be for you to be ashamed of us one day. Loosen our lips, let us dare to speak of your grace and mercy toward us. Lord, help us even to speak of you by name. For, it is only “with your blood you have saved us; and with your power that you have raised us.” Embolden us to give you all the glory and honor and praise.

Amen.

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Blake Heffner November 11th, 2006

“Offerings” November 11, 2006

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism and Recognition of Veterans

Texts: Luke 21;1-4; 12;48b Romans 12:1,4-8

INTRO: The theme of stewardship is all about how we manage the gifts God has given us. It is about offering these gifts back to God and using them for other people. They are never purely for our own enjoyment. Let us pray.

I. God has given us all gifts – for the good of others

Of all the lists Paul gives us of God’s gifts, I like this one in Romans the best, because these are gifts that we can identify with. They are not the extraordinary ones, like speaking in strange tongues or working miracles – which God is still giving to people today. No, here he talks about things we know and appreciate: preaching, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading and showing compassion. We not only understand these gifts, we have benefited from them in others and we recognize them in our own lives.

In fact, Janet and Jeff, as parents of two boys, you’ll need every one of these gifts. Sometimes, you’ll need to preach to them and explain God’s will. They surely need you to serve them, teach them, encourage them, share your resources with them (big time!), lead them by your example, and show them compassion! Right?

I especially enjoy the picture of the Greek word for ‘encouragement.’ The KJV word ‘exhortation’ is a better translation. It means “to call near.” I see an athletic coach calling a player over, putting his arm on the player’s shoulder and telling him or her something important. It may be to admonish the player “Never do that again!” It may be a word of comfort after the player has really blundered. It may be an instruction for the rest of the team. It may be a word of encouragement that the player needs to get back into the game with confidence. What a tremendous gift it is to be an encourager.

Paul says that God grants each of us different gifts of grace. That’s true. Some are just more naturally gifted teachers; others more compassionate. I wonder if Paul might also agree that the Lord gives such things freely to us whenever and wherever they are needed. Our world is begging for such gifts today. Humble servanthood and wise leadership are rarely found in the same person. We often don’t take the time to offer sincere exhortation or heartfelt compassion. With so much debt and rampant spending, genuinely generous giving is also a rare gem.

The question is – the stewardship question is – am I / are we using the gifts that God has given us – or are we keeping them on the shelf for another day? Such gifts are never for ourselves, they are given for the sake of others. Who are the people around us that God wants us to bless?

II. Stewardship begins with “sacrifice”

Jesus told a story about a master who put his servants in charge of his affairs and then left town. His servants decided to throw a huge party while he was away. They didn’t manage his affairs faithfully. And when the master returned, they were severely punished. Stewardship begins with sacrifice - sacrificing our own agenda for that of others. Yesterday was Veterans Day, and soon we will recognize the veterans among us. Clearly, each of you had other options, but you chose to serve our country, to risk life and limb for our peace and freedom. Your tremendous sacrifices deserve to be honored.

Serving God requires sacrifice and trust in the Lord, too. David, would you tell us how God brought you into this ministry and has sustained you? …

Thank you, David. You have shared so much of yourself with us!

III. Becoming a “Living Sacrifice”

Before we talk about gifts, we should really back up. Paul began his 12th chapter to the Romans with a significant appeal: “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.”

In others words, prior to receiving and using God’s gifts, we must become gifts. We must present ourselves – in body, mind and soul – to God as a “living sacrifice.” This is the key to biblical stewardship. Nothing of any value happens until we get this straight. When we have offered ourselves to God, and all we have is His, then we’re ready to think about using his gifts.

Paul gives us a clear example in II Corinthians. He is telling the Corinthians how the churches in Macedonia gave unexpected and lavish gifts for the poor in Jerusalem. “They gave voluntarily according to their means and even beyond their means…[But] first, they gave themselves to the Lord.” That’s the ticket. They became living sacrifices.

The key lies in first giving ourselves to the Lord. Then it’s easy to see that our talents belong to Him, as well as our time and our resources. Too many times stewardship campaigns start with resources, and leave out the critical part about first becoming living sacrifices.

IV. Check-list for “living sacrifices”

There are a five simple ways to tell if we are living sacrifices:

· First of all, do we have a deep desire to be in worshipful conversation with our Lord – not just on Sundays? Because we belong to Him, we will want to begin each and every day in conversation with Him - praising Him for his goodness, his love and mercy, asking Him what He would have us do that day, and seeking His help in meeting the challenges of the day.

· Secondly, do we will want to spend time each day in His Word, seeking to hear His voice speak to us through the pages of the Bible. The Bible leads us into worshiping God, trusting Him to supply our needs and guide our steps. OK, we may not actually read the Bible daily, but is there within us a hunger to feed on God’s Word as our spiritual food?

· Thirdly, do we sense that our lives are being changed? It’s not enough, in God’s eyes that we are saved – although that is fundamental. Paul is always exhorting us to be changed – to take off our old nature like dirty clothes and put on the new nature in Christ. What is the evidence that we are actually being changed? Can other people tell that we are different? If not, we may taken ourselves off of the living sacrifice altar.

· Fourthly, do we have this urge to serve the Lord in concrete ways? Do we find ourselves praying, as Don Mickel often sings, “Lord, what would you have me to do?” There are some around here who are always looking for such opportunities. You can see pictures that Dale Murray took when he was refurbishing the housing of the church bell recently. Nobody asked him to do this; he simply saw the need and decided to fill it. Another saint has begun compiling a pictorial record of all our veterans. She too is always looking for something that needs to be done and quietly doing these things. How about you?

· Finally, do we find ourselves with an insatiable desire to give of our financial resources to the Lord? [Here he goes! you’re thinking. Stewardship is almost always comes down to money!] Believe it or not, living sacrifices find unadulterated joy in giving. We see this in the widow’s life. She gave everything she had that day. It’s not how much you give, but how much it means to you. God loves when we give cheerfully that which means much to us.

So, how do you stack up as a living sacrifice? Are you right there with five “Yeses”? Or, are you wondering whether there is any hope for you? Friends, there is hope for us all – at every stage of the journey. I invite you – with Paul – to present yourselves today as a living sacrifice to God. Then, you will see his gifts of grace abound in your life!

Prayer

Gracious God, we thank you that you look more at our intentions than our performance. You love us and are so patient with us. When we go astray, like a good shepherd you come looking for us. When fail to follow through on our best intentions, you are kind and eager to call us near, like a good coach, and give us a word of exhortation. Whisper such words into our hearts this morning. Invite us into deeper dimensions of discipleship. Give us encouragement and that blessed assurance that “Jesus is mine” – yes a foretaste of glory divine…

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Blake Heffner November 5th, 2006

“Poetic Pictures of Sainthood”

November 5, 2006 Texts: Ephesians 1-3 (sel.)

INTRO: This morning we celebrate sainthood, in several forms. The Confirmands have just begun this journey, and they are about to receive their first Holy Communion. We have invited veterans of this journey to be our special guests this morning - members of the Confirmation Class of 1956. Two of them are here: Ruthann Murray Lutes and Carol Wagner McIntosh. We are so happy to have you, and we truly want to honor you today. Thirdly, we have remembered the saints who have gone to be with the Lord this past year.

Sainthood, in the Bible encompasses all these dimensions. So, for our scripture lesson this morning, list to several texts from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians: 1:1; 2:4-10; and 3:14-20:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Let us pray.

This morning I’m going to depart from the ordinary sermon mode. Most of the words of this message have been written by others. They are poetic. And they portray vivid pictures of the manifold nature of sainthood.

The first poem was written by Maya Angelou, a woman who is still writing profound poetry. This one is deceptively simple. It’s all about what it means to be a saint, or in her words, a Christian.

I. Christian by Maya Angelou

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting “I’m clean livin.”
I’m whispering “I was lost,”
Now I’m found and forgiven.

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble
and need CHRIST to be my guide.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak
and need HIS strength to carry on.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed
and need God to clean my mess.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain,
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not holier than thou,
I’m just a simple sinner
who received God’s good grace, somehow.

My young friends, and everyone else for that matter, this is the essence of what it means to be a saint – not someone who is perfect, but just forgiven, by the grace of Jesus Christ. This is why we come to his Table today, to confess we have been lost and weak and a mess – but here we meet the One who can fix us up and put us back on the road.

II. The Wizard of Oz

Speaking of the road – the journey of faith – I was wondering how best for us to appreciate being on that road for fifty years. 1956 was quite a year! Elvis Presley made his national TV debut, as did “The Price Is Right” and “As the World Turns!” NBC introduced its peacock logo and brought in Chet Huntley and David Brinkley to anchor its nightly news. Dwight David Eisenhower was our President and it only cost 3 cents to mail a first class letter! Baseball fans marveled as Mickey Mantle won the rare Triple Crown. And Rosa Parks quietly, but firmly, took a seat in the front of a bus in Birmingham, Alabama – sparking the Civil Rights Movement.

There’s one other first worth mentioning. Maybe you caught it in this week’s paper. “The Wizard of Oz” made its TV debut too. And it has been shown every year since, capturing the imagination of all ages. That story in many ways connects with the journey of faith we call “sainthood.”

First of all, it is a journey. Our 50-year veterans will tell you that living our faith is a journey that takes you where you never imagined going. Like the “Yellow Brick Road” it is not easy. We encounter dangers and troubles; yet, there is a destination to which we are headed. You remember how the ragtag group with Dorothy was not very impressive. As Maya Angelou reminds us, we are not so very impressive either. We have plenty of shortcomings; yet the Lord has accepted us and even has work for us to do.

The Scarecrow needed a brain. The Tin Man wanted a heart, and the Cowardly Lion desperately desired courage. When they get to Emerald City, they discover that the very things they were seeking have been with them all along. We all have needs – real ones. And the Bible assures us that God is able to supply every need we have, on the way, according to his riches in Christ. I would invite you to interview our veteran saints, and ask them how the Lord has provided for their needs.

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 is really a prayer for all of us – to equip us to run the race set before us. Whenever we come to worship God, we gain guidance and encouragement for the journey. Whenever we come to the Lord’s Table, we receive food and empowerment for the journey.

III. Go Down, Death

The choir’s anthem this morning told us about the destination of this journey. Heaven is not just “somewhere over the rainbow,” (as Judy Garland sang). It is “Where eyes don’t cry and hearts don’t break. [Where] we’ll never ever wonder why again. Our questions here He’ll answer there. Where eyes don’t cry and hearts don’t break.” Every saint is guaran-teed an eternal home in heaven. I’ll close with a moving picture of our journey’s end. Listen to this poem by James Weldon Johnson, entitled “Go Down, Death.”

Weep not, weep not,
She is not dead;
She’s resting in the bosom of Jesus.
Heart-broken husband–weep no more;
Grief-stricken son–weep no more;
Left-lonesome daughter –weep no more;
She only just gone home.

Day before yesterday morning,
God was looking down from his great, high heaven,
Looking down on all his children,
And his eye fell of Sister Caroline,
Tossing on her bed of pain.
And God’s big heart was touched with pity,
With the everlasting pity.

And God sat back on his throne,
And he commanded that tall, bright angel standing at his right hand:
Call me Death!
And that tall, bright angel cried in a voice
That broke like a clap of thunder:
Call Death!–Call Death!
And the echo sounded down the streets of heaven
Till it reached away back to that shadowy place,
Where Death waits with his pale, white horses.

And Death heard the summons,
And he leaped on his fastest horse,
Pale as a sheet in the moonlight.
Up the golden street Death galloped,
And the hooves of his horses struck fire from the gold,
But they didn’t make no sound.
Up Death rode to the Great White Throne,
And waited for God’s command.

And God said: Go down, Death, go down,
Go down to Savannah, Georgia,
Down in Yamacraw,
And find Sister Caroline.
She’s borne the burden and heat of the day,
She’s labored long in my vineyard,
And she’s tired–
She’s weary–
Go down, Death, and bring her to me.

And Death didn’t say a word,
But he loosed the reins on his pale, white horse,
And he clamped the spurs to his bloodless sides,
And out and down he rode,
Through heaven’s pearly gates,
Past suns and moons and stars;
on Death rode,
Leaving the lightning’s flash behind;
Straight down he came.

While we were watching round her bed,
She turned her eyes and looked away,
She saw what we couldn’t see;
She saw Old Death. She saw Old Death
Coming like a falling star.
But Death didn’t frighten Sister Caroline;
He looked to her like a welcome friend.
And she whispered to us: I’m going home,
And she smiled and closed her eyes.

And Death took her up like a baby,
And she lay in his icy arms,
But she didn’t feel no chill.
And death began to ride again–
Up beyond the evening star,
Into the glittering light of glory,
On to the Great White Throne.
And there he laid Sister Caroline
On the loving breast of Jesus.

And Jesus took his own hand and wiped away her tears,
And he smoothed the furrows from her face,
And the angels sang a little song,
And Jesus rocked her in his arms,
And kept a-saying: Take your rest,
Take your rest.

Weep not–weep not,
She is not dead;
She’s resting in the bosom of Jesus.

Let us pray…
O Lord, fill us with awe at the mystery of life in Christ. It begins in such simple ways, with a profession of faith. It continues as we grow in faith, as we face life’s challenges and discover that you are indeed with us. You never leave us alone, and you graciously hear our prayers for help and guidance, for encouragement and wisdom.

As we come to your Table this morning, touch us with your Holy Spirit. May Christ dwell in our hearts through faith. And may we become so rooted and established in your love that, together with all the saints, we may grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Rekindle in our hearts the zeal to stay on the road that leads us through the narrow gate to eternal life with you in heaven – in Jesus’ name and for his glory we pray. Amen.

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