Monday, February 21, 2011

Sermon - "Mercy versus Retribution" by Pastor Ruth L. Foss, Suncook United Methodist Church, Suncook, NH, February 20, 2011

Pastor Ruth Foss

Suncook UMC
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
February 20, 2011
Psalm 25:8-10 Gods Word Translation
Psalm 119:33-40 Gods Word Translation
Leviticus 19:9-18 The Message Bible
Matthew 5:38-48 The Message Bible


“Mercy versus Retribution”

I can’t believe what I have been hearing on the news about the Middle East and the surrounding countries. All the protests and fighting has gotten to be out of control. We hear about how the military, that’s supposed to keep people safe, have been committing atrocities in those countries. We have heard about them killing protesters while they sleep…setting fires to tents and gunning people down while they are sleeping. We are talking about women and children that are there with their husbands and parents trying to fight for their freedom. It completely saddens me…and we wonder what is happening to this world and humankind…why must this happen…how can anyone justify what they are doing?

What has happened to mercy and justice? These military personnel are feeling justified in what they are doing. They are acting out the “law of war” instead of the “Law of Mercy”…the mixed up law of man and the world instead of the righteous law of God and heaven.

And it is affecting children and adults all around the world. The other day my mom, Ray and I were having a discussion about what was going on in the Middle East and Shyanne came into the room while we were talking. After a moment of standing there she piped up with “Yah…and I heard that they set fire to a tent and a little girl told their mother that they should do something…they should tell the military about what was happening, they will do something to stop this from happening. And the mother replied…it’s the military that is doing this to us.” Out of the mouth of a child…she sees what is happening and is saddened by what she is hearing…

Last week I talked about laws…about rules…that we have been given by God to live by. I talked about how we have a choice between good and evil…between life and death. We have a choice to help others instead of helping ourselves to everything that we feel we “deserve.” Leviticus 19:9-18 gives us rules about how we should treat others…it tells us (give a synopsis of the scripture) words to live by…words the world needs to hear and understand…words that will heal the nations if we but just listen and obey…

We as Christians…as humankind…are called to a better way of life. We are called to a radical…an outlandish way of life (by the worlds standards any way)…an extraordinary way of life. In Matthew 5:38-48, Jesus calls us to a way of life that is both confusing and challenging for us. It reads (and I’m reading from the Message Bible…of course…)

Jesus removes the boundaries of love…we no longer need to just love others that love us. Jesus opened the floodgates of love to ALL of those that we come in contact with us…Our friends as well as our enemies. This love has nothing to do with feelings but it has everything to do with doing…loving no matter what. It is only through the blood and love of Jesus that we can achieve this type of agape love…this all-consuming, no holds barred type of love. Agape love…the love that was displayed on the Cross of Calvary…the love that kept Jesus on the cross for you and for me.

This love is not just for those who do good (But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us)…it is not limited to kin (God sent him (Jesus) to pay for the freedom of those who were controlled by these laws so that we would be adopted as his children…It’s not limited to those who love us (We love each other because he loved us first…God love us first…not the other way around…for God so LOVED the world that He sent His only begotten Son, Lord Jesus Christ)

Love…it really does make the world go round, not money as so many think…it is what the world needs now (in the words of Dionne Warwick…) Church…we need to get it right…we need to love as Christ loved and still loves us to this day. With our faults and shortcomings…all the way…no holds barred…in that Agape way that God loved us first. How will you react to others that are different than you…how will you treat your fellow human…how will you show that Agape love to those in need? Just think what could happen if you and I truly lived out that commandment to “love others as ourselves”.

Let us pray…

Loving and Gracious God…we thank you that you loved us first. Help us to show your loves to those around us…especially to those who we may feel are the unlovely in our lives. Help us to be your ambassadors of hope and love. May we help others know the saving and loving grace of your Son Lord Jesus Christ in whose name we pray.

Amen…amen and amen…

February 20, 2011
Matthew 5:38-48 (The Message Bible)
Love Your Enemies
Psalm 119:33-40 (God’s Word Translation)
Leviticus 19:9-18 (The Message Bible)
Psalm 25:8-10 (God’s Word Translation)(Call to Worship)
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (New Living Translation)
Prayer of Adoration (UMBOW #461)
Prayer of Dedication (GBOD)
James 4:8 (“Just a Closer Walk with Thee (The Faith We Sing #2158)
Luke 2:29 (“Go Now in Peace”, UMH #665)
Worship Theme: “God’s law versus Human Law”
and sermon, “Mercy versus Retribution”
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
February 20, 2011
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
&
on the transformations since the beginning of January -
all the protests in Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya,
Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Palestinian Territories, Djibouti, Mauritania, Senegal, etc.
and
especially the resignation of Hosni Mubarak
February 11, 2011
&
and the jubilance in Tahrir Square
versus the bloodshed in Bahrain and Libya, etc.
February 18, 2011
&
hearing claim by President Obama 2/15/2011
in a news conference that when history books tell it
we will be seen as being on the right side of history
in how the United States responded
&
Post on Twitter by Wael Ghonim
“Our Revolution was like Wikipedia”
February 14, 2011
&
Post on Twitter by Wael Ghonim
 “This is Revolution 2.0: No one was a hero because everyone was a hero.
February 13, 2011
and see
A Prayer for the People of Egypt (February 3, 2011)
by Safiyah Fosua
&
Matthew 5:21-37 (Common English Bible)
Law of murder
Law of adultery
Law of Divorce
Law of Oaths
Matthew 5:17 (Common English Bible)
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (New Living Translation)
Psalm 18:1-3, 46 (God’s Word Translation) (Call to Worship)
Prayer of Invocation
Prayer of Dedication
Exodus 16:13-15, Psalm 34:8, John 4:10, 1 Corinthians 5:8
(Centering Hymn: “All Who Hunger”, The Faith We Sing #2126)
Romans 14:7
(Lord, Speak To Me”, United Methodist Hymnal #463)
Acts 2:42
(“Let Us Break Bread Together”, United Methodist Hymnal #618)
Isaiah 55:1, Matthew 5:6, Matthew 11:28
(“You Who Are Thirsty”, The Faith We Sing #2132)
1 John 1:7
(“Trust and Obey”, United Methodist Hymnal #467)
Worship Theme: “God gives life . . . sin gives death”
and sermon, “A Life or Death Situation
(Aka . . . A fine line between Heaven and Hell)”
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
February 13, 2011
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
&
Matthew 5:13-20 (NRSV)
(and Matthew 5:1-12, Beatitudes)
John 6:51 (Call to Worship)
Isaiah 58.6-12 (NRSV)
John 13:34-35 and Ephesians 4:4-6
(“They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love”, The Faith We Sing #2223)
Micah 6:8
(“We Are Called”, The Faith We Sing #2172)
Call to Worship (John 6:51)
Prayer of Confession
Prayer of Dedication
Worship Theme: “A Meal for All People”
and sermon, “Salty Christians”
by Reverend Huntley Halvorson
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
February 6, 2011
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

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 34,890+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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