Sermon, "Givin A Shout Out!", by Pastor Ruth L. Foss, Suncook United Methodist Church, Suncook, NH, November 14, 2010

Pastor Ruth Foss
November 14, 2010
Psalm 98 NLT Bible
Psalm 18:12-2 NLT Bible
Isaiah 12 The Message Bible

Givin A Shout Out!

The Lord be with you.
And also with you
Let us pray. . .

Loving God, we thank you for this day and for your presence here with us. What a joy it is to come into your house and worship you. We thank you for how abundantly you bless our lives. We pray for eyes to see you in the world around us. We pray for ears to hear your voice on the wind. We pray for hearts that are open to your love. We pray that we would hear the message that you have for us and the courage to shout it from the rooftops. Speak Lord, your children are listening. . .

Have you ever been so happy about something that you just want to shout it from the roof tops? Or have you been so happy about something that you just want to tell everyone who will listen about it? It may have been something that someone did for you that was just awesome. . .or the birth of a grandchild. . .or even just something that you know will make others happy. I know I have.

I remember when I met Ray. I was so happy that I had found. . .at least I think so. . .Mr. Right. I was so happy that God had put that “suitable helper” in my life and I wanted to tell everyone about him. It was. . .and still is. . .something that I love to shout from the rooftops. Or when I was called into ministry. . .that was something I wanted to share with my loved ones. I knew they would be happy for me and they were able to share in my joy (and they still do). There are so many moments in our lives that we just want to share. . .situations that happen that we need to “shout” about.

Pastor Huntley reminded us about singing our praise to God in everything that we do. . .to make our lives a living act of worship just for the shear “joy” of it because of what the Lord has done in our lives. But I have a question for you. . .do you share the joy that you found when you came to the throne of grace and accepted the free gift that God has offered us of salvation? I know that it can be hard sometimes. . .the world around us may not really want to hear what you have to say. . .people around us may think to their selves “Oh no. . .here goes that Holy Roller again”. . .there have been people who have even been put to death because they wanted to share this joy (Like we heard the other day about what’s happening in Iraq).

It’s a hard thing. . .but I don’t know about you but for me it is something that I just can’t contain. . .this joy I have inside. The writers of the Bible had a hard time containing it at times too. We heard about this joy in the Psalms that were heard this morning. We hear it throughout the Bible in many different ways. . .this joy that the writers feel. Now don’t get me wrong. . .I’m not trying to compare myself with the writers that were inspired by God to write the Bible but I can relate to their joy.

Even the prophet Isaiah has a song of praise to the Lord. It is found in Isaiah 12 and it really hits home for me. It reminds me of the joy that God has given me. It reminds me of what God has done in my life. It helps me see things in a different light when things seem to go wrong around me and I just can’t find that joy. . .that peace. . .within me. Let me read it for you and you can see for yourself what I am taking about. I’m reading from the Message Bible this morning. . .it reads: (read Isaiah 12)

The nation of Israel was going through so many trials, many of which they caused to happen to their-selves because of the way they acted. But they needed to think about the joy that God had given them in the past in order to make it in their present time to be able to move forward to their future. That sound like a lesson that needs to be revisited in the world today. . .a lesson that we, who are the people of their future, need to rekindle in the present so that we too may move on to the future for those who come behind us. Remember what I said a couple of weeks ago about us being upstream for those who are downstream.

So how can we of the present help those of the future as well as those in the present with us that have no idea about the joy we have within us? Well. . .give a shout out. . .share the stories about what the Lord has done for us so that those who are among us and before us can have that joy too.

Even though it may be hard. . .I have seen this happening here in the Suncook UMC. I see how a shout out is given each time stories are shared at Our Family’s Table. . .I see a shout out each time Suncook UMC opens its doors to those who need a place to meet and how the people of this church react to them. . .I see a shout out each time someone new comes through these doors and they are greeted and accepted as beloved children of God. . .I see a shout out when I think about the lift that will be put in so that those who cannot come into the church because of a disability will be able to enter in and become “part of the family”.

Beloved child of God. . .there is a song that needs to be sung, a song of joy and a song of praise. There is a song in the air. . .a song of redemption. . .a song of forgiveness. . .a song of wholeness and healing. Let us go forth into the world with a song in our hearts, minds and voice. . .let us sing the song from the rooftops. . .Jesus loves you and there’s nothing you can do about it! You never know who might be listening and needs to hear God’s voice in the song. The Lord is our salvation and ever present help. He is there for you and for me. . .let us join in one voice and sing, praise to our God and King!

AMEN

Isaiah 12
Psalm 98
Psalm 18:1-2 (New Living Translation)(Call to Worship)
Unison Prayer
Prayer of Dedication
“I Love You, Lord”, Faith We Sing # 2068
“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”, United Methodist Hymnal # 89
“Open Our Eyes”, Faith We Sing #2086
“Let All Things Now Living”, Faith We Sing # 2008
“The Trees of the Field”, Faith We Sing # 2279
Worship Theme: “Is there joy in the world?”
and sermon, “Givin A Shout Out!”
by Pastor Ruth L. Foss
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pastorruthfoss
http://www.suncookumc.org
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
November 14, 2010
Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost



All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,120+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.