Sunday, October 14, 2018

10/14/18 sermon, An Invitation to Love..., by Pastor Ruth Foss, Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church, Patten, Maine



October 14, 2018
Stetson Memorial MC
Sermon Series
“The Table Invitation”
Inspired be Marcia McPhee
Come To the Table
Psalm 90:12-17
Romans 13:8-10 The Voice

“An Invitation of Love”…
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…

A reading from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, Romans Chapter 13 verses 8-10. Listen to the letter that Paul wrote for the church in Rome that still rings with truth today…over 2,000 years later… Read from the Voice Bible the scripture…

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

Good Morning. What does love look like to you? Well who do we love? Who don’t we love? Why? So, do we deserve God’s love?

Last week we celebrated World Communion Sunday. We liked that thought of all of us together…in one voice…agreeing with each other. But what is the table about? What is the invitation that is offered there?

We have embarked on a journey together to try and understand what exactly is apparent as well as what lies beneath the “Table of Grace.” We are searching for the gift that lies beneath the cloth of the table we are invited to celebrate. We all come from different places. It is my hope that as we gather around the Table we will have a better understanding of what lies beneath the cloth of the banquet Table. Perhaps as we begin to see what is woven into the cloth, our eyes and hearts will be open to the gift that we receive each time we come to the table of grace…


We have talked about the fact that 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. The table we celebrate here is a not even close to the table we will sit at in heaven, but it is a reminder that the “best is yet to come” …much like a wedding rehearsal dinner.  We talked a little bit about who is invited, and we agree that all who call on the Name of Jesus. And Last week…we confessed that it also includes our enemies and those who we deem to be unworthy…
(Come to the table of love; Come to the table of love; This is God’s table it’s not yours or mine; Come to the table of Love…)

So what else is included in the table. What is inter-woven into the fabric of this Holy Mystery as we call it. What are we invited to receive as we enter into the Holy of Holies and meet God at His table…? Well 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…
Come to the table of love; Come to the table of love; This is God’s table it’s not yours or mine; Come to the table of Love…

Today I want to talk a little about the invitation to and of love. Paul was quite clear in His letter to the church in Rome. Love was at the center of the law…
“8 Don’t owe anyone anything, with the exception of love to one another—that is a debt which never ends—because the person who loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commands given to you in the Scriptures—do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not take what is not yours, do not covet—and any other command you have heard are summarized in God’s instruction: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Does love hurt anyone? Absolutely not. In fact, love achieves everything the law requires.”

Jesus was also pretty radical for His time. You see with Him…acceptance was unconditional not conditional as the religious elite lived. Jesus looked at the intention of the heart instead of some outward sign or symbol.  What would happen if we did the same? What if we chose to do no wrong or pass judgement on others? Would we be showing the love of Christ? What if we met people where they are and loved them with the truth?

On the night that Jesus shared this meal with His rag tag bunch of followers He showed what love looks like…He loved all who were with them that night…that is why He became a servant…that is why He shared the meal with those who would betray, deny and desert Him. When confronted with a woman who was caught in adultery and the religious elite said by law we should stone her, Jesus reacted in love. And the stones were all dropped…and the self-righteous walked away. Are we like the self-righteous as we choose who to love and who is invited to this table that is not ours to begin with.
Come to the table of love; Come to the table of love; This is God’s table it’s not yours or mine; Come to the table of Love…

Love is embedded in this table… The law is embedded in this table… and how are we going to fulfill that law?
©     When we respond in segregation
©     When we respond in judgement
©     When we respond in exclusion
When we respond with love and inclusion we see the message given there…
Ø Jesus wasn’t sent for just a few…John 3:16
Ø  Jesus stayed on the cross out of love…
Ø Jesus said do this in remembrance of me…
Come to the table of love; Come to the table of love; This is God’s table it’s not yours or mine; Come to the table of Love…

Beloved… It’s not our choice who is part because Jesus already set the parameters on the night He shared the first table with a bunch of unworthy diners. You see we are all unworthy diners. But it is in and through Jesus we are made worthy. As we pick up our cross and follow Jesus it is required that we follow God’s way…Jesus’ way…of offering a good meal at God’s table for ALL of God’s guest…not just the ones we deem worthy because as I just said…none of us is worthy on our own…this is about the love of God that came down in the form of a baby and that baby grew up and showed us how and who to love…oh yah…by the way…he loved everyone to the point of death…on the cross…

AMEN:




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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 47,830 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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