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Sunday, November 11, 2018

11/11/18 sermon, An Invitation to Joy, by Pastor Ruth Foss, Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church, Patten. Maine

November 11, 2018
Stetson Memorial MC
Sermon Series
“A Table Invitation”
Inspired be Marcia McPhee
Come To the Table
Psalm 127
Galatians 5:22-23 Voice
Psalm 30:5 NLT
John 15:11 NLT
1 Peter 1:8-9 NLT

“An Invitation of Joy”…

The Lord Be With you…
And also with you…
Let us pray…Prayer for the Spirits leading, and that God is through me or in-spite of me…

Listen to part of the letter that Paul wrote in Galatians…what I am reading this morning is found in Galatians Chapter 5 Verses 22-23. These are words not only to the church in Galatians, but to all churches that profess Jesus Christ… Read from the Voice Bible the scripture…

22 The Holy Spirit produces a different kind of fruit: unconditional love, joy, peace, patience, kindheartedness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. You won’t find any law opposed to fruit like this

(Come to the table of Joy; Come to the table of Joy; This is God’s table it’s not yours or mine; Come to the table of Joy…)

Good Morning. What give you Joy? I don’t mean that surface stuff. I mean that deep down in your soul kind of Joy! Give time to answer. Why are you joyful? Give time to answer.

Joy:
Noun
1a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires… I have joy
b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion… I show joy
2: a state of happiness or felicity I feel joy
3: a source or cause of delight You are my Joy
Verb
to experience great pleasure or delight 
It is both a noun and a verb. We are Joyful as we Receive the joy of the Lord…

We are now at the end of our journey together to try and understand what is apparent as well as what lies beneath the “Table of Grace.” What lies beneath the cloth of the table we are invited to celebrate? It is my prayer that as we have gathered around the Table we will realize what lies beneath the cloth of the banquet Table…what is woven into the cloth…

So to recap, as we celebrate communion…as we come to the table…it is a dress rehearsal for the banquet to come when we feast at the Heavenly Banquet one day.
All who call on the Name of Jesus are invited…that it also includes our enemies and those who we deem to be unworthy…

Now there are 4 things that are beneath that beautiful table we celebrate as we rehearse for that Heavenly Banquet in our eternal home…
©     Love
©     Peace
©     Grace
And
©     Joy…
(If we added hope we would have the Reason for the Season…Advent Celebration Sundays. I don’t think that is any kind of coincidence…do you?)

Jesus’ acceptance was unconditional and if we are going to follow Christ we need to go and do likewise.

We are not only offered love at the table, but we are offered peace. And it is the peace that no one can buy, steal or take from us. It is a gift from God as we trust in Him. It is within the peace we receive from God that we can offer the same peace…we can work together and be at peace with one another. Within the grace offered…I think this is my favorite thing offered at the table…without it…well…I don’t even wan to think about the without it…
God, even gives more than we would give ourselves. In the face of such abundance, we are called to be generous as God is generous.

And we are offered joy. Not just some superficial feeling but we are offered the Joy of the Lord there. Joy in knowing we are loved. Joy in knowing that even though we are unworthy, in and through Jesus Christ we are made worthy. Joy in the fact that all this is a free gift from God because of His love.

In the scripture from Galatians this morning, Paul talked about the fruit of the Spirit is what it entails. Now these are not different fruits but part of the whole fruit, the one fruit of the Holy Spirit. Part of what we receive is joy. We are not given the joy as the world gives that changes from one moment to the next. No…we are given Joy in the Lord that no one can take away and no circumstance can steal…unless we allow it that is. Without the joy…we cannot be at peace or offer peace, therefore we are not patient or kind to each other and our goodness and faithfulness shall not be evident, we will probably have no self-control either. So, joy is really an important part of the fruit of the Spirit…don’t you think?

Still unsure of that offer of Joy? Ponder this:
©     Psalm 30:5
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
©     Jesus said in John 15:11:
11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
©     1 Peter 1:8-9 states:
You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Beloved… We celebrate our common communion table with people all over the world. Through Jesus, we are brought together and no matter how we got there, believing in the host of this Table makes our joy complete! Let us share our stories, our compassion, our sympathy as part of one human family that shares the love of Christ in the breaking of the bread! May we come to the table in our brokenness and be healed. May we accept the invitation of love to love as we are loved at peace with God and as we strive for peace with each other relying on the grace that we are offered to be able to offer grace to one another receiving the inexplicable joy from our God and Table Head, Jesus Christ, feasting at His love banquet rehearsal until we celebrate the final feast together.

AMEN

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November 11, 2018

November 10, 2018
an invitation to joy
November 11, 2018
Sixth service in series
“The Table Invitation”
Week 6
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Psalm 127
1 Peter 1:8-9
Galatians 5:22-23
and sermon: “An Invitation to Joy…”
video

text

by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
8AM Live
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Children’s Message

by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
November 11, 2018
&
November 10, 2018
accept God’s grace
November 10, 2018
listen to God’s truth
November 10, 2018
the world’s truth is a lie
November 10, 2018
8AM Live
by Pastor Ruth Foss
&
November 10, 2018
sharing that grace
edited November 10, 2018
more than we would give ourselves – v2
edited November 10, 2018
unstuck, unfrozen – v2
edited November 9, 2018
God pours out grace – v2
edited November 9, 2018
we can give grace – v2
November 9, 2018
moving forward
November 9, 2018
unstuck, unfrozen
November 9, 2018
the certainty of Christ
November 9, 2018
8AM Live
by Pastor Ruth Foss
&
November 9, 2018
more than we would give ourselves
November 8, 2018
God pours out grace
November 8, 2018
God is generous
November 8, 2018
we can give grace
November 8, 2018
crazy grace
November 5, 2018
Google God’s Grace
November 5, 2018
salvation through faith
&
November 5, 2018
Alive in Heaven
November 5, 2018
Ephesians 2:1-7 (NIV)
posting of scripture on FB Messenger Worship group
&
November 4, 2018
Fifth service in series
“The Table Invitation”
Week 5
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Psalm 146
Ephesians 2:4-9 (The Voice)
Hebrews 4:16 (The Voice)
James 4:6 (The Voice)
2 Corinthians 12:9 (New Living Translation)
Peter 1:2 (New Living Translation)
and sermon: “An Invitation to Grace…”
video
text
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
8AM Live
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
November 4, 2018
&
edited November 3, 2018
It really is simple – v4
(editing version 2)
edited November 2, 2018
wear love – v2
November 2, 2018
wear love
Colossians 3:12-17
edited November 1, 2018
our broken pieces – v2
edited October 31, 2018
feed your enemy – v2
edited October 31, 2018
feed your enemy
October 31, 2018
feed your enemies
October 31, 2018
let go of their throats
October 31, 2018
our enemies are invited
October 31, 2018
our broken pieces
October 31, 2018
as we have been blessed
edited October 31, 2018
sharing their pain with us – v4
edited October 31, 2018
why do we judge them – v4
October 31, 2018
a table of peace
edited October 31, 2018
It really is simple – v3
edited October 31, 2018
broken together – v2
October 31, 2018
broken together
October 30, 2018
If we are to love
October 30, 2018
we must love - 2
edited October 30, 2018
we must forgive – 3- v3
(edited to post on Twitter)
edited October 30, 2018
we must forgive – 3 – v2
edited October 30, 2018
multiply love – v2
edited October 30, 2018
multiply love
edited October 30, 2018
multiplying love – v2
October 30, 2018
multiplying love
edited October 29, 2018
Infinite Grace – v2
October 29, 2018
Infinite Grace
October 29, 2018
we must forgive - 3
edited October 29, 2018
breathe in peace – v2
October 29, 2018
breathe in peace
October 29, 2018
listen to Christ’s words
October 29, 2018
peace to give peace
October 29, 2018
forgiveness must fill our hearts
October 29, 2018
peace through Christ
October 29, 2018
offer God’s love - 2
October 29, 2018
what God offered
October 29, 2018
people fail
edited October 28, 2018
None of us are perfect
edited October 28, 2018
It really is simple – v2
October 28, 2018
It really is simple
October 28, 2018
we must forgive - 2
October 27, 2018
an invitation to peace - 2
October 28, 2018
Fourth service in series
“The Table Invitation”
Week 4
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Psalm 34:1-8
Matthew 18:21-22 (The Voice)
Romans 12:16-21 (The Voice)
John 14:27 (Amplified Bible)
and sermon: “An Invitation to Peace…”
video
text
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
8AM Live
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
October 28, 2018
&
edited October 20, 2018
Christ did not come for the righteous – v2
edited October 20, 2018
Charitable, forgiving, unworldly – v2
October 20, 2018
a love abundant
edited October 20, 2018
tolerant – v2
October 20, 2018
tolerant
October 19, 2018
Charitable, forgiving, unworldly
edited October 18, 2018
the stones fell – v4
edited October 18, 2018
the stones fell – v3
edited October 18, 2018
we think we are better – v2
edited October 18, 2018
taste love
edited October 18, 2018
their stones fell
edited October 17, 2018
the stones fell – v2
October 17, 2018
an invitation to love
edited October 17, 2018
love is caring – v2
October 17, 2018
we think we are better
October 17, 2018
we remember His love
October 17, 2018
the stones fell
October 17, 2018
tasting love
October 17, 2018
woven in the fabric
October 17, 2018
love is caring
October 17, 2018
singing come
edited October 16, 2018
Christ came to rescue, to heal
October 16, 2018
Christ came to rescue
edited October 16, 2018
Christ did not come for the righteous
edited October 16, 2018
Christ came for the prostitutes, for the beggars
edited October 15, 2018
Christ came for the sluts, the bastards
October 15, 2018
Christ came for the addicts
edited October 15, 2018
Christ came for the damned – v2
shortened to fit on Twitter
October 15, 2018
Christ came for the damned
edited October 15, 2018
woe to the gatekeepers – v2
shortened to fit on Twitter
October 15, 2018
woe to the gatekeepers
10/15/18
8AM Live
by Pastor Ruth Foss
&
edited October 15, 2018
Christ stayed on the cross – v3
edited October 15, 2018
Christ stayed on our cross
edited October 15, 2018
Christ stayed on the cross – v2
October 15, 2018
Christ stayed on the cross
October 15, 2018
Christ let the nails hold him
October 15, 2018
without expectations
October 15, 2018
love all the time
October 14, 2018
Third service in series
“The Table Invitation”
Week 3
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Psalm 90:12-17
Romans 13:8-10
and sermon: “An Invitation to Love…”
video
text
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
8AM Live
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
October 14, 2018
&
October 13, 2018
God loves us - 4
edited October 13, 2018
a meal, a mystery – v3
edited October 13, 2018
we are fed of His meal – v2
edited October 12, 2018
remembering that which we did not experience – v2
October 12, 2018
remembering that which we did not experience
edited October 12, 2018
an invitation to come – v3
edited October 12, 2018
an invitation to come – v2
October 11, 2018
an invitation to come
edited October 11, 2018
each time we come – v2
edited/merged October 11, 2018
an invitation, a prayer – v2
edited October 11, 2018
a meal, a mystery – v2
October 11, 2018
an invitation, a prayer
October 11, 2018
a meal, a mystery
October 11, 2018
Communion, the Lord’s Supper
October 11, 2018
each time we come
October 10, 2018
everyone you hate
October 10, 2018
every one you judge
October 10, 2018
every one you hate
edited October 10, 2018
they too are family – v2
October 9, 2018
they too are family
October 9, 2018
the failed disciples
October 9, 2018
Christ ate with his enemies
edited/ merged October 9, 2018
Christ ate with Judas – v2
October 9, 2018
those who hid, who ran away
October 9, 2018
Christ celebrated with Peter
October 9, 2018
Christ ate with Judas
edited October 8, 2018
waiting to come forward – v2
edited October 8, 2018
drenched in Christ’s blood
October 8, 2018
when I eat of the bread
October 8, 2018
waiting to come forward
October 8, 2018
we are drenched in His blood
October 8, 2018
we taste sacrifice
edited October 8, 2018
we taste grace – v2
October 8, 2018
we taste grace
October 8, 2018
we taste love
October 8, 2018
we are fed of His meal
October 8, 2018
bread and juice
October 8, 2018
Jesus makes us worthy
October 8, 2018
the table is set - 2
October 8, 2018
You’re invited
edited October 8, 2018
to commune with my enemy – v2
October 8, 2018
the unworthy worthy
October 8, 2018
no one would come
October 7, 2018
to commune with my enemy
edited/new name October 7, 2018
we come to Christ’s table broken
October 7, 2018
we come broken
October 7, 2018
we come broken
October 7, 2018
the same table
October 6, 2018
Christ calls to us
October 7, 2018
World Communion Sunday
Second service in series
“The Table Invitation”
bulletin cover photo
“The table is set and you’re invited”
Week 2
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Psalm 8
Romans 12:9-21
and sermon: “The Unworthy Worthy…”
video
text
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
8AM Live
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
October 7, 2018
&
October 8, 2018
an image of the Kingdom
October 8, 2018
renew us, Lord
10/7/18
“Renew!”
The Reverend Doctor Douglas Ruffle
Associate Executive Director
New Path Starts (Path 1)
Discipleship Ministries
The United Methodist Church
Northern Maine District Resource Day
for Aroostook Cluster
&
edited October 6, 2018
I am evil but invited – v3
edited October 6, 2018
I am evil but invited – v2
October 6, 2018
I am evil but invited
edited October 6, 2018
An invitation to all – v2
October 6, 2018
the smell on my hands
October 6, 2018
the taste of the vine
edited October 6, 2018
as we receive the bread – v2
October 6, 2018
as we receive the bread
edited October 6, 2018
we are called - 3 – v3
October 5, 2018
we are fed at the table
edited October 5, 2018
we are called – 3 – v2
edited October 4, 2018
flawed and broken – v3
edited October 4, 2018
flawed and broken – v2
October 3, 2018
flawed and broken
edited October 3, 2018
none of us is perfect - 2
edited October 3, 2018
we all come with baggage
October 3, 2018
we come with baggage
October 3, 2018
come to be fed
October 2, 2018
we come to the table
edited October 2, 2018
the invitation – v3
adding third stanza
edited October 2, 2018
the invitation – v2
adding second stanza
October 1, 2018
the invitation
October 1, 2018
all of us in communion
October 1, 2018
fed in the spirit
October 1, 2018
nourished
October 1, 2018
we are called - 3
October 1, 2018
we are invited
October 1, 2018
we are invited to the table
October 1, 2018
as we gather around the table
September 30, 2018
a foretaste of heaven
video note taking while on a walk up Finch Hill
so I wouldn’t forget it tonight
September 30, 2018
a rehearsal dinner
September 30, 2018
at the head of the table
September 30, 2018
the gift we receive
September 29, 2018
An invitation to all
September 30, 2018
First service in series
“The Table Invitation”
bulletin cover photo
Week 1
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Psalm 124
Revelations 19:1-10
and sermon: “This Is Your Invitation…”
video
text
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
8AM Live
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
September 30, 2018
&
edited September 19, 2018
communion – 2 – v3
edited September 18, 2018
communion – 2 – v2
edited partially on 9/15/18 adding final stanza
September 18, 2018
communion - 2
written 9/15/18
in anticipation of upcoming series on communion

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, 2017, and 2018. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 48,050 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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