September 12, 2010
16th Sunday after Pentecost
Psalm 95:6-7a ESV Bible
1 Timothy 1:12-17NIV Bible
Psalm 51:1-10 NIV Bible
Luke 15:1-10 Common English Bible
“Accepted. . . Joyfully!”
A reading from the book of Luke, chapter 15, verses 1-10:
(I am reading from the Common English Bible)
All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him.2The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3Jesus told them this parable:4“Suppose someone among you had a hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it?5 And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders.6 When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’7In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives.
8 “Or what woman, if she owns ten silver coins and loses one of them, won’t light a lamp and sweep the house, searching her home carefully until she finds it?9When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost coin.’ 10In the same way, I tell you, joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life.”
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Let us pray. . .
Loving God, we thank you for your ancient words that are just as real and true as they were so long ago. We pray for your presence here with us this day, may we feel the Spirit within us move as we hear the word you have for us today. Ignite the fire within us as we sit at your feet. Speak Lord. . .your sheep are listening. . .
When I entered college, back in 1980, I went to the University of Massachusetts. It is an enormous school. . . .it even has its own transit system. Well being such a large school I wasn’t sure how I was going to connect with people. Then I got a great idea. . . I was going to join a sorority and then I would have a bunch of “sisters” that I could hang around with. Well now came the time to choose which one I was going to try to join. I remember that when I decided on one the net thing that I felt was fear. Was I going to make the grade? Was I going to be good enough? Would they accept me as I was and if not, how would I make the changes to be accepted? How many of you have ever tried to join something and hoped you would be accepted into the group. . . or went for a job interview and hoped you would be good enough so that you would be accepted for the position? So you know what I was feeling. Just to be good enough to be accepted. . . to have our “good qualities” be seen in a way that would make us acceptable to others. . . we spend our life’s looking for acceptance and that unconditional love. . . but where is it to be found in this world we live in?
I have been hearing all week about a church in Florida who decided that they would burn a copy of the Qur’an for the commemoration of 911. This church has since decided not to do such a thing but where is the love. . . where is the acceptance of those who are different from us. . . where is the likeness of Christ? Is this the acceptance and compassion that Jesus lived and told others to “go and do likewise”? I think not. . .
The Scripture from Luke this morning talks about acceptance. . . it talks of compassion. . . it talks about there even being a “party” that is thrown for those who come to the Lord. The party for the lost but now found. . . the rejoicing for those who were far from God but are now back in the sheepfold. This is where we find our real acceptance. . . this is where we see compassion in action. . . this is where we find our being.
This radical acceptance is truly amazing to me. I, like David, have cried out to the Lord “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” Have mercy. . . on me Lord. I have asked our God to “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” And His answer was found on Calvary’s Hill. . . at the foot of the cross where God said “yes”. Here is where we find our strength. . . here is where we are considered faithful and are appointed to bring the Good News of Salvation, freedom, acceptance and love.
But. . . now here’s good news. . . God wants all. . . I say ALL. . . of the sheep back into the sheepfold, all of the coins found, all of the prodigals to come home. Remember how I just said that we are appointed at the foot of the cross. . . We are all part of this radical ministry that Christ started 2000 years ago. . . We who follow Christ are transformed to be in mission with God find the lost, putting them on our shoulders, and bringing them home for a homecoming party.
Beloved church, we need to be like our example, Jesus Christ, and not wait for the sheep to find their way home but to be out there searching for them. Jesus was not in the church. . . not in the synagogue. . . but out in the mission field. There were those who thought He was crazy. . . there were those who thought He was wrong for what He was doing but it was His radical love for the lost that transformed lives and it is this same radical love that is found in you and me that still transforms lives. As Bishop Weaver said yesterday, “We need to bring the Best News (the Good News) to the largest amount of people (we can only do that if we step out of these walls) in a short amount of time (our days here on earth). The church of Jesus Christ is in a “delivery Service”.
I want you to look to your neighbor and say “you are accepted and loved. . . your part of the “in crowd”. . . you have been anointed and appointed. . . now let’s get out there and find those sheep!”
Amen. . . Amen. . . and Amen!
September 16, 2010
Luke 15:1-10
Psalm 51:1-10
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Psalm 95:6-7a (Call to Worship)
Worship Theme: “There is hope in Redemption in the Lord.”
and sermon, “Accepted . . . Joyfully!”
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation
blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Suncook, NH
September 12, 2010
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
&
Exodus 4:1-17
Romans 12:1-8
John 13:12-17
Welcoming Service
for the Reverend Dr. David J. Abbott
as District Superintendent of the New England District
http://www.neumc.org/
of the New England Conference
of the United Methodist Church
&
his sermon, “What Is That In Your Hand”
&
Bishop’s Day in New Hampshire
with Bishop Peter Weaver
First United Methodist Church of Laconia/Gilford
September 11, 2010
All
of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights
reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage.
See all 35,240+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
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