March 20, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Palm Sunday
“A New Way”
Adapted Sermon
Series
by Marcia McPhee
“The Way”
All Scripture is
from the AMP Bible
Luke 19:28-38
“A New Way. . . ”
Prayer for the
Spirit’s leading. . .
How
many of you are set in your own ways. . . you have your way of doing things and
you really don’t see the need in changing things up and learning a new way? We
really do get set in our ways and really don’t like it when a “new thing” comes
on the horizon. There is a certain way that things are supposed to be. . . that’s
it. . . end of story.
The
people in Jesus day felt very much the same way. They were looking for someone
to save them from the Roman oppression that they were under. It would be
someone like David who was a mighty warrior and conquered their enemies by his
might. They were looking for someone who would help them reclaim their way of
living and Jesus fit the bill. . . or did He? We find out at the end of the week how they felt about this man they
were singing loud hosannas to today. . .
Today
we celebrate Palm Sunday. A day where palms were waived and they rejoiced in
the messiah who would take Roman by storm. This is the day when Jesus would
begin His last week of teaching and begin His assent to the top of a hill. . . for
you and for me. Jesus was called to an”Other
Way” of taking the world by storm. . .
We
are continuing our Lenten pilgrimage to the cross. During this journey we will
bring Marcia McPhee with us as we look at her sermon series “The Way”. We have
looked at the different “ways” or paths that we take in life. My prayer is that
as we journey together we will help each other and those in our lives find “the
way”.
We
began this pilgrimage on Ash Wednesday as we talked about “the way back”. . . taking a
u-turn so to speak. . . back towards God. . . back to the relationship that God
intended from the very beginning. We have talked about “the wandering way” when we walk through that maze trying to find the
way to the right path instead of hitting those walls of a wrong turn. We talked
about “the way around” when Erica told
us that we need to follow God’s plan in our life. We also talked about “the high way” and realized we have a
higher calling and that we are to think on a “higher ground”, so to speak, and
not the lower ground of the world. I think one of the most important thing that
we have learned is that there is always a way home to the heart of God. . . like
the prodigal son(or daughter) we are always welcomed home. . . The last way. . . and even more important than
the last. . . is the “Other Way” as Jesus now demonstrated when He came riding
on a donkey.
How
did Jesus show the first people who shouted hosanna and also shows us who shout
hosanna today an”other way”?
1. Kings
ride on horses- Jesus. . . the Messiah. . . rode on a donkey. . . a lowly
animal not fit for a king. Jesus was
showing them and us that we are to be humble not all that showoffy stuff that
so many like to do. He emptied Himself of all His deity and became a servant of
all.
2. Kings
were tough and ready for the fight- Jesus showed loving kindness to all and was
meek and mild in His way. He cared more for others than He did Himself. . . this is proven at the end of the week as He
took on all the sin that you and I have. . . are. . . or will ever commit. . .
3. Kings
depend upon themselves and never show a sign of weakness- Jesus taught humanity
to depend on Him and on God not on ourselves. He and God have our best interest
at heart. . . This is shown by Jesus
coming to earth as human even though He was divine to save us from ourselves.
It was the only way for humanity at large to be saved and redeemed and that is what
Jesus did. . . for you. . . for me. . . for all of humanity.
4. Kings
of earth. . . fill in the blank. . . you
get the message. . .
Jesus
showed a different way. . . the other way. . . the way of God not man.
So
here is Jesus, getting ready to finish Love’s work. It must have been difficult
for Jesus. Here He is, entering Jerusalem, on a donkey. It was the beginning of
the end but a new way. . . an “other way”. . . was birthing. There would be no
more sacrifices to appease God because at the end of His ministry Jesus became
the sacrificial Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the earth. . . In the end there was an “other way” to live
our lives. . . where we come to an end of ourselves and begin the “other way”
of life.
Beloved
children of God, listen to the words of Marcia McPhee. . . ”This moment on this road for Jesus feels both like the end and the
beginning. Such are so many moments in our lives, a pilgrimage may reach its
destination but the hope, the wisdom, the lessons learned along the way have
offered a new starting point for us.”
Jesus
offers us a new way. . . the other way. . . of living our lives.
Our
pilgrimage that we walk. . . our journey of faith. . . may offer new starting
points but my question is this. . . will you walk in it? Will we take what we
have learned and apply it to the new way God is calling us to walk in? Are you
ready for the new way or do you like the old way so much that the new way seems
futile to you? What are we to do when God puts upon our hearts a new way that
He wants to use us for His kingdom? What is our answer to Love’s call to our
hearts?
Amen
----------------------
March 20, 2016
Stetson
Memorial UMC
Palm
Sunday
distribution
of palms
“A
New Way”
Adapted
Sermon Series
by Marcia McPhee
“The
Wandering Way”
adapted
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Luke
19:28-38
sermon,
“A New Way”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
cotton ball, tweezers, zip lock bag
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
Palm
Sunday
March
20, 2016
&
March 7, 2016
a way home
March 7, 2016
at home in our
Savior
March 6, 2016
Stetson
Memorial UMC
Fourth
Sunday of Lent
“The
Way”
Adapted
Sermon Series
by Marcia McPhee
“The
Wandering Way”
adapted
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Psalm
100
Luke
15:11-24 and
sermon,
“There’s No Place Like Home”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
-
$1 dollar bill
-
Message – “In God We Trust”
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
Fourth
Sunday in Lent
March
6, 2016
&
February
28, 2016
Stetson
Memorial UMC
Third
Sunday of Lent
“The
Way”
Adapted
Sermon Series
by Marcia McPhee
“The
Wandering Way”
adapted
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Psalm 139:1-18
Isaiah
55:1-9
Acts
10:9-16
sermon,
“A Higher Calling”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
3rd
Sunday in Lent
February
28, 2016
&
February
21, 2016
Stetson
Memorial UMC
Second
Sunday of Lent
“The
Way”
Adapted
Sermon Series
by Marcia McPhee
“The
Wandering Way”
adapted
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Psalm 8:1-4
Mark 1:16-20
sermon,
“The Way Around”
text:
video:
by Erica Berberena
Children’s Message from empty Mystery Box
by Raymond A. Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
2nd
Sunday in Lent
February
21, 2016
&
February
14, 2016
Stetson
Memorial UMC
First
Sunday of Lent
“The
Way”
Adapted
Sermon Series
by Marcia McPhee
“The
Wandering Way”
All
Scripture is from the AMP Bible
Luke
1:46-49
Luke
4:1-2
Luke
15:11-32
sermon,
“I Am A-Maze-D. . . ”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
1st
Sunday in Lent
February
14, 2016
&
Ash Wednesday service
Joel
2:12-17a
Matthew
6:1-6, 16-21
centering song,
“Surely the Presence”
Opening Words
Greeting
Lenten Prayer
Hymn, “In the
Garden”
Prayer of
Confession
Words of Assurance
Invitation to
Communion
Prayer after
Communion
Invitation to
receive ashes
Distribution of
Ashes
Lenten poem:
”Journeying to Jerusalem”
sermon,
“The Math of Lent 2.0”
text:
video:
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
and
closing hymn,
“It
Is Well with My Soul”
Closing
Prayer
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
Ash
Wednesday
February
10, 2016
All
of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000,
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,
2014, 2015, 2016. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for
usage. See all 41,160+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
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