ANNOUNCEMENTS

Good morning, everyone!
Welcome to our 11th online service.
We hope and pray that it is a blessing to you!

We will be worshipping online until at least June 21, but for those worshipping at home or out of state, we will continue to post Sunday services for a while even after we are back in the building.  Please keep in mind that church guidelines are set by our Bishop, not by national or state authorities.  All church events and activities are currently on hiatus and Mary and Joanna are working from home.  Tanae is updating our Facebook page, while Rebecca is in charge of our Instagram page and Jack has adopted our Twitter account.  Every day we add a new post right here on the website that automatically pops up on Facebook and Twitter as well.  If you missed any of this week’s posts, simply scroll down to see them!  This week Miss Tammy has posted Memorial Day activities on the Sunday School page, while Steve’s new Bible study on Memorial Day and remembrance can be found on the Bible Study page.  To see these, simply click the links above.  

OPENING PRAYER (J. Veltri, S.J.)

Gracious God, on this Memorial Day weekend,
we remember and give thanks
for those who have given their lives
in the service of our country.
When the need was greatest,
they stepped forward and did their duty
to defend the freedoms that we enjoy,
and to win the same for others.

O God, you yourself have taught us
that no love is greater than that
which gives itself for another.
These honored dead gave the most precious gift they had,
life itself,
for loved ones and neighbors,
for comrades and country – and for us.

Help us to honor their memory
by caring for the family members
they have left behind,
by ensuring that their wounded comrades
are properly cared for,
by being watchful caretakers of the freedoms
for which they gave their lives,
and by demanding that no other young men and women
follow them to a soldier’s grave
unless the reason is worthy and the cause is just.

Holy One, help us to remember that freedom is not free.
There are times when its cost is, indeed, dear.
Never let us forget those who paid so terrible a price
to ensure that freedom would be our legacy.

Though their names may fade with the passing of generations,
may we never forget what they have done.
Help us to be worthy of their sacrifice,
Amen.

WORDS OF ASSURANCE: 2 Corinthians 1:5, Good News Bible

Just as we have a share in Christ’s many sufferings, so also through Christ we share in God’s great help.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father,
Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those
Who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory forever.
Amen.

OPENING HYMN:  “America the Beautiful”

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

Hi kids!  Normally I’d be asking you questions like, “Do you know what Memorial Day is?” and “What are you going to do tomorrow when you have no school?”  But this year is different, because you haven’t had school in a long time.  You’re probably wondering when you can go outside and see your friends again, or how long you have to wear a mask.  We’re all making sacrifices right now, and some of them are really tough!

People who fight in wars also had it really tough.  Sometimes they are in planes, sometimes they are on boats, sometimes they are on the ground, but all of them are away from their friends and families and miss them very much.  They make sacrifices because they want people back home to be safe and free.

Normally on Memorial Day we have parades and people get together to remember those who are no longer with us.  But we won’t be able to do that this year.  Would you like to do something to remember them?  It’s easy!  If you have an American flag (even a little one!) put it out on your lawn tomorrow, and if you don’t have one, draw a picture of one and put it in your front window with the words, “Thank you.”  (If you’re still learning how to make letters, ask an older person for help.)  That way, anyone who walks by will remember that it’s Memorial Day!

For more Memorial Day activities, see the Sunday School page,
which is loaded with ideas from Miss Tammy!

Let’s have a prayer together.

Jesus, thank you for those gave their lives
So that our own lives could be safe and happy.
Bless their families as they remember them today.
Bless us all, bless our country and bless our church.  Amen!

Now let’s sing “Jesus Loves Me!”

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
(Note: Add your own prayers at the beginning or end)

Lord Jesus, we are anxious to reopen
And we are anxious about gathering in groups.
We are trying to sort through messages of encouragement
And of discouragement, often on the same day.

We are hearing different things
From our bishop, our governor, our president and the CDC.
We’re not sure what to believe or who to trust;
We’re racing through different moods,
And sometimes don’t even know
What day it is.

Help us to tune out
All these battling voices
Within our own heads and without,
And to concentrate on you.

This is the day that you have made.
This is the life that you have provided.
Yours is the truth to which we can cling;
Yours are the promises on which we can stand.

Bless June with wisdom and comfort as she continues to deal with the diagnosis of leukemia.  We continue to pray for improved respiration for Elaine in her time of crisis.  Thank you for your divine intervention in nursing Dawn back to health from COVID-19; we pray for stabilization, improvement and peace.  We thank you that Lily is home from the hospital and pray that her fever will never return.

We pray for those in our church family who are going through times of need:  for Amy, Pat, Jim, Janet, Sue, Joan, Lois, Dannie, Kathleen & Marilyn, Ken, Bunny & Marty, Harriet, Diane, Laurie & Steve, Paul, and Ruth; for all members of our extended family who are suffering; for this nation and for the world.

We thank you for being our God, and we come to you now in silent prayer …

Lord, as you know what is written in our hearts,
Attend now to our spirits, we pray in your name, Amen.

A MEMORIAL DAY MEDITATION from Steve Stica

This Memorial Day I am reminded of something that happened a few years ago to my granddaughter Allison. She is a Girl Scout and each Memorial Day they go to the national cemeteries and place flags on each of the graves to honor the memories of those who have served. 

What started out as something she was looking forward to doing with her troop soon became an overwhelming experience. As God would have it, she placed a flag on my father’s grave, looking up from that grave site she looked around. Now seeing how many graves there were she realized that these were not just grave sites. It became real to her that these graves represented real people who lived, served and died.    

This overwhelming emotional experience brought a new and deeper meaning to this holiday. This made me give thought to what this holiday is all about.

Memorial Day is a time to honor those who are serving and have served in the military. It is also a day to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom in giving their lives. When we celebrate Memorial Day, it doesn’t mean we are agreeing with our government’s decisions and wars, but that we are taking time to recognize those who are willing to protect us.

Unfortunately it has for some become more about the start of summer then what it was meant to be. There is a real cost for our freedom and for standing up for what is right.  This memorial celebration is to remind us of who we are and what we stand for.  Perhaps with this year’s celebrations being limited and almost completely changed, maybe we can focus on the importance of this day.

Note:  this message continues with an excellent study that can be found on our Bible Study page.  After the service, we invite you to delve into the Word with our brother Steve!

MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE from George Munkenbeck

OFFERING

Please use this time to make out a check to the church.
Thank you to all who have been contributing during this time, and helping the church to pay its bills!
As you write, please enjoy Tanae playing “Onward, Christian Soldiers”

HYMN:  “Onward Christian Soldiers”

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!

Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never ’gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.

OFFERTORY PRAYER

Lord Jesus, we thank you
For your example of giving and sacrifice.
Help us to honor your life and your death
With all we do and all we give.
We dedicate this offering
In your name.
Amen.

BENEDICTION

And now, on this Memorial Day Weekend,
May we remember that our sacrifices of social distancing
and sheltering at home are nothing when compared
with the sacrifices of those who came before us
and the supreme sacrifice of our Lord.
May we honor the fallen
And stay the course.
Amen.

Blest Be the Tie That Binds

Thank you to Tanae, Anthony, Jack, Tammy, George and Steve for helping with today’s service!
And thank you for worshipping with us!  We wish you God’s healing and hope!

On Friday, our churches were reclassified as “essential” by the White House.  Politics aside, it was nice to be called essential!  Of course, anyone who attends church knows that churches have been essential all along.  We know that we offer essential services, such as outreach to the poor; that we provide an essential support system for our own church family; and that community worship is an essential part of faith.  These things haven’t changed during the crisis, no matter how we’ve been classified.  But if you’re like me, your feelings were a little hurt back in March when churches were not listed as essential (Merriam-Webster: of the utmost importance : basic, indispensable) while certain other places (professional wrestling!) were.

The word is applied to workers as well.  Because my profession was considered “non-essential,” I became a non-essential worker.  I have a pretty thick skin, but that still hurt my feelings.  So today I’ve been thinking of all the other people who are out of work right now, being told that they too are non-essential or “not needed.”  Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words ~ contrary to the popular phrase ~ can crush us.  When we internalize harmful words, we suffer in confidence and self-esteem.

I would guess that every person in need who met Jesus ~ every sick person, every poor person, every rejected person, every unemployed person ~ felt they were essential when they stared into their Savior’s eyes.  He noticed the people others overlooked: women and children, the aged and infirm, the unclean and diseased.  Jesus told them that he was not called to minister to the healthy, but to the sick (Mark 2:17); he went on to say “blessed are the poor” (Luke 6:20); and “the last shall be first” (Matthew 20:16).

Are you familiar with the expression, “My kingdom for a horse?”  It comes from Shakespeare’s Richard III.  A king is in a hurry to go to battle, so he demands his horse, even though the horseshoe nails are not ready.  In the battle, his horse’s shoe falls off, the king falls off the horse, and he yells this famous phrase.  The point: even the smallest jobs are essential to someone, and we never know the extent of the impact.

The unemployment surge is taking its toll on our mental health.  We can help by reminding each other that we are essential human beings, that we mean something to each other, that our jobs ~ even if we don’t have them right now ~ make a difference. Our self-image is often tied up with our professions and employment status.  But right now, it’s even more important for us to tell each other that we matter, so that no one feels inessential,
or uncared for, or unloved.

When asked to pray in public (for example, to open a meeting), some people say yes, but a surprising number decline.  They say things like, “I’m not good at it,” or “I don’t know what to say” or (to me) “That’s YOUR job!”

In contrast, Jesus mentions that many people of his time (including some religious professionals) “babble like pagans” when they pray, thinking that “if their prayers are long, their gods will hear them” (Matthew 6:7, TEV and NIV)!  A long prayer is not necessarily a good prayer; nor is an eloquent prayer.  God loves a sincere prayer.

The same principle holds true for singing in worship; some people say, “I don’t sing because no one would want to hear me.”  But they are wrong!  Even if the worshipper is way off key, God wants to hear them!  “Good” prayer and “good singing” are not measured by their literary or aesthetic qualities, but by their honesty.  And that leads us to the other type of prayer.

Praying

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

~ Mary Oliver

The other type of prayer ~ the one we often forget ~ is listening.  This type of prayer is alluded to throughout the Psalms, and is found in 1 Samuel 3:10, as the young man who has heard God calling in the night answers, “Speak; your servant is listening.”  Listening reminds us that God loves to have conversations with His children, and that sometimes God starts the conversation.

The current crisis has produced many new questions.  How should we worship in a pandemic?  Should we go out in public or stay inside?  What is the purpose or plan?  What should the church become?  If we have new questions, it makes sense that God would have some new answers as well, which may arrive in the form of direct words, wisdom, guidance, insight and/or inspiration.  All we have to do is listen.

Here’s a reassuring passage:  “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26, NIV, bold added).  Isn’t that amazing?  We don’t need the right words, just the right attitude.

We seldom have a plan for a conversation with a friend on the street ~ it usually starts, “Hey, how are you?” and continues from there.  We speak, and then we listen; or we listen, and then we speak.  The same is true with prayer.  This is a good day to give God a call ~ or to listen, and perhaps hear God calling you!

 

How do we react when we are told we can’t have what we want?
Sometimes my first reaction is not very good, so I try to have a better second reaction.

Here are some examples.  We travel to a restaurant, but the restaurant is closed, so we go to another restaurant.  They are out of the food item we want, so we try something else.  We want a doctor’s appointment for Thursday, but they only have a space next Tuesday at 9 ~ so we take it.  We have to be “this tall to ride this ride,” so we go to another ride.  We can’t go to Stop & Shop at opening, so we wait until we turn 60 (that one’s for you, Paul!).

Here are some uncommon scenarios (although they do happen). We want a specific flavor Italian ice (let’s say blueberry cheesecake), but they are out of blueberry cheesecake, so we leave.  The dentist is booked this week, so we don’t make an appointment.  We hit traffic on the way to a friend’s house, so we turn around and go home.

We have to get over our first reaction in order to get to our second (hopefully more reasonable) reaction and formulate a backup plan.  This has happened to me a couple times this week, and has happened to all of us in the past two months.  (Yes, it’s only been two months!)

First I learned that my favorite beach would be closed to swimmers this summer.  I reacted in what I hope is a normal way: I took a nap.  Then when my short pity party was over (sorry I didn’t invite you) I phoned a friend.  Together we came up with what is DEFINITELY a healthy reaction: we decided to check out other beaches this summer.  That wasn’t so bad!

Then the Bishop’s guidelines for reopening came out, and while I was prepared for most of them, I was not prepared for a couple of them ~ especially the limiting of small groups to 5.  This time my reaction was to eat 2 cupcakes (they come in packages of 2, what do you expect?) and call 2 friends, one for each cupcake.  And then I thought, why not change the Wednesday morning Bible study to a Wednesday morning worship service (with Bible study)?  That could work!  So I called two parishioners (this is getting to be like Noah’s ark) and I was okay again.

Even your pastor has days in which things do not go his way.  And your pastor remembers that Jesus had a LOT of days in which things did not go his way!  Think of all the times when people didn’t understand his simple parables, or how he could never get away from the crowds to spend time with his dad, or how he couldn’t stop his disciples from arguing with each other ~ and then there was the day the stupid fig tree didn’t have any figs!  (Based on his reaction, he must have been stretched really thin that day, and remember coffee hadn’t been invented yet.)

We’ll always have something to be frustrated about.  But we’ll also always have something to be happy about.  And that’s the beauty of life: it’s a mix.  When we remember that ~ when I remember that ~ life seems a bit easier to take, and we can relax knowing that things will get better, most likely in this life and definitely in the next life.  And even when things are not getting better, there will always be many, many days that are better than the day before.

One of the most popular Christian home activities is the blessing jar.  Anyone can do it ~ all that’s needed is a container, something to write on and something to write with.  There are different approaches (all good), from adding daily blessings to adding blessings whenever one thinks of them.  The exercise helps us to notice how God is working in our lives, to feel grateful, and to see our pessimism dissipate as we watch our blessings grow.

If you want to get a head start, simply walk around your home and lawn and notice the things you’re grateful for. The blessings can be as simple as a new flower in the garden or a warm cup of coffee in the morning.  Stop in every room, look around and think.  For example, during the crisis, many people have thanked God that they were able to find toilet paper, but how many have thanked God that they have a toilet?  Another way to start (especially fun for couples and families) is to write down the alphabet and see how many things you’re grateful for that begin with each letter.  You may wish to have a conversation about the BEST thing that starts with the letter C (ask Cookie Monster) and so on.  (Feel free to skip letters such as X, unless you’re really grateful for xylophones and x-rays.). A third suggestion: buy a book such as The Tiny Book of Tiny Pleasures to spark your imagination.

A Quarantine Blessing Jar is a bit different: a way to commemorate this season of lockdown.  Include things you have, things that you miss, things you have learned, things you’ve remembered and things you have become grateful for during or because of the pandemic.  For example, here’s 20 blessings for the first 20 days of May:

7-11 coffee
3 types of jam
A working laptop
More Netflix shows than I can ever watch
A safe place to walk
“This too shall pass”
Health care workers
People banging on pots and pans to honor them
Philippians 4:6-9
“The Blessing” (song)
The sound of children laughing
Our worship team
iPod Shuffle
Furci’s Fine Foods
A face mask that matches my shirt
Sayville Bowls found my lost punch card and gave it back
Chalk the Walk
Amazon deliveries
Opening the windows and airing out the house
Friendly greetings on the street

The biggest benefit of a blessing jar is in its name: it reminds us that we are blessed!  It’s so easy to forget this when we are overwhelmed by wave after wave of bad news, setbacks and stress.  But a blessing jar is a positive, opposing force that can realign our thinking.  Over time, our cup (jar) will begin to overflow.  Some people find that they need bigger jars, and switch to quart-sized storage containers!  What a great lesson: that we can never find a jar large enough to contain all of God’s blessings!

Unless you’re one of the three parishioners without internet access who are reading this in paper form, you’re reading this on a screen.  It may be a small screen, like a phone; a medium-sized screen, like an iPad, laptop or desktop computer; or a large screen, like a TV.

Screens are not bad.  In fact, they’ve come to our rescue during the pandemic.  Can you imagine this crisis before the computer age?  Imagine having no cell phone, no computer, no internet (even at libraries), no Netflix, no Amazon, no FaceTime, no email, no texts.  Schools would have to deliver homework by mail or car.

Thanks to screens, we’ve been able to stay informed, keep in touch with each other, entertain ourselves, and reimagine our churches, schools and businesses.

But too much technology, and we lose track of what’s important.  The pandemic has forced many of us to spend even more time on our screens.  I’ve been on my laptop more than ever, while suffering from “Zoom fatigue” ~ not as dangerous as COVID-19, but definitely draining.  And while I haven’t been a big TV person since middle school, once the sun goes down I’m not much good for anything else.

That’s why my (almost) daily walks have been so important.  I have two basic routes: north around the closed shops, and south to the bay.  For others, it’s been running or biking.  Sometimes I run into (okay, not RUN into, more like see from six feet away) people from our church, and some seem a long way from home ~ but then I realize they just walk further than I do!  But it’s also an opportunity to see other people, to watch the progress of gardens, to hear the laughter of children, to look for beach glass, to observe ducks and waves.  I take joy in seeing the rainbows and other encouraging signs on lawns and in windows.  I’ve said hello to – and been greeted by – more local strangers on a daily basis in the past month than in the entire time I’ve lived here.  It feels normal ~ on some days, even better than normal.  And every time I walk into the road to make sure I don’t pass close to someone, they thank me, and vice versa, which is amusing and surreal.

So now, back to screens.  This post was inspired by a photo of Domino Park in Brooklyn, which had the creative idea of covering the lawn with social distancing circles.  Take a good look at the photo, taken this past weekend, and check out what most of the people are doing.

They have gotten so tired of being cooped up inside staring at their screens that they have yearned to be outside on a beautiful day … staring at their screens. John Donne once wrote, “no man is an island;” but it sure looks like it here.  This is not a good use of technology.  Don’t let this happen to you!  If you yearn to be with other people, and you are with other people, talk with them!  If you’ve been eager to get outside, and you are outside, let it break the monotony rather than extend it.

It’s okay to love our screens, even to thank God for our screens (as I thank God that I have a functioning laptop).  But they will never be better than the real thing.

Ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
Job 12:7-10, NIV

Yesterday a top official gave a great answer to a question:  “I don’t know.”  The official said, “Some people suspect that we have the answers to all their questions, and we’re just not telling them.  But there are just some things we don’t know the answers to.”  This is another hard yet valuable truth.  Sometimes we don’t know, and can’t know.  Here are some Scriptures that address the topic:

Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come? (Ecclesiastes 8:7, NIV).

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring (Proverbs 27:1, NIV).

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow (James 4:14, NIV).

Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well (Ecclesiastes 11:6, NIV).

In other words, we never knew what was going to happen tomorrow.  Will the virus recede or resurge?  Will we be able to meet our bills?  The same is true of other big questions: Who is to blame?  Why is this happening to us?  We have tentative answers.  We have guesses.  We have opinions.  We have beliefs.  But sometimes, we don’t know.  And it’s okay to admit it.

I believe that the best thing for Christians to do with questions is to hold onto the answer that seems best, but to be willing to switch to a better answer if one comes along, and to acknowledge the fact that some answers might elude us while others will need to be refined over time.  The simplest way to rephrase this is with another question: have you changed your mind about anything since you were a kid?  If so, you were wrong at least once!

The book we were reading before the hiatus, I’ve Seen the End of You, comes to the same conclusion.  The subtitle is A Neurosurgeon’s Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know.  At the end (slight spoiler alert!) the author comes to the conclusion that we don’t know why God permits suffering and why so often good people die and bad people live, but we do know that God is with us through our suffering ~ that God’s presence is our answer.  One reader called this “unsatisfying,” but it’s better than a blithe, catch-all response.

King David writes, “Lord, I have given up my pride and turned away from my arrogance.  I am not concerned with great matters or with subjects too difficult for me.  Instead, I am content and at peace.  As a child lies quietly in its mother’s arms, so my heart is quiet within me” (Psalm 131:1-2, TEV).  David finds peace by giving up the thought that he can get all the answers in this life.

In the quote above, Ecclesiastes advises people to “sow their seeds in the morning and not be idle in the evening,” because we never know what the effect will be.  In other words, let us continue to do good even when we don’t know if it will have an impact; keep praying even when we’re not sure of the outcome; and keep seeking even if the answers will arrive at the end of time.

If we run into a question we can’t answer, it’s okay to respond, “I don’t know.”  God knows; and if we believe that God is good, that should be good enough for today!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Good morning, everyone!
Welcome to our tenth online service.
We hope and pray that it is a blessing to you!

Following the latest state guidelines, we will be worshipping online through at least mid-June, but for those worshipping at home or out of state, we will continue to post Sunday services online for a while even after we are back in the building.  All church events and activities are currently on hiatus and Mary and Joanna are working from home.  Tanae is updating our Facebook page, while Rebecca is in charge of our Instagram page and Jack has adopted our Twitter account.  Every day we add a new post right here on the website that automatically pops up on Facebook and Twitter as well.  If you missed any of this week’s posts, simply scroll down to see them!  This week Miss Tammy has posted new activities on the Sunday School page, including a Quarantine Time Capsule, while Steve’s new Bible study can be found on the Bible Study page.  To see these, simply click the links above.  

CALL TO WORSHIP
(If you are worshipping with two or more people,
choose one to lead.)

We may be separate today,
BUT WE ARE NEVER ALONE.
We are anxious, worried, and afraid,
BUT WE WILL NEVER BE DESERTED.
There are many enemies in this troubled world,
BUT WE ARE NEVER WITHOUT A FRIEND,
And though death is all around us,
WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF LIFE.

UNISON PRAYER

LORD JESUS, HELP OUR CHURCH
TO BE THE BODY YOU HAVE CALLED US TO BE.
RENEW US AND REFRESH US WITH NEW OPPORTUNITIES.

AS AREAS OF NEW YORK BEGIN TO REOPEN,
HELP US TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO DO SO OURSELVES,
AND HOW BEST TO SHINE YOUR LIGHT IN A PANDEMIC WORLD.  AMEN.

WORDS OF ASSURANCE: 1 Corinthians 15:58, Good News Bible

My dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord,
since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father,
Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those
Who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power,
And the glory forever.
Amen.

OPENING HYMN:  “Seek Ye First”

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,
And all these things shall be given unto you, allelu, alleluia.
Ask and the answer shall be given unto you, seek and ye will find;
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you, allelu, alleluia.
(Repeat first verse)

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

Now let’s sing “Jesus Loves Me!”

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
(Note: Add your own prayers at the beginning or end)

Lord Jesus, as we enter a new phase in our world’s struggle with the pandemic, we pray for patience and calm.  Let us weigh the costs of reopening against the costs of restrictions, and choose the path that best saves and preserves lives.  We pray for the guidance of your Holy Spirit for all those making difficult, even impossible decisions in which every choice brings some manner of suffering.  Through it all, remind us that you are our God, the God of every state, political party and nation.

We pray for Lily and her parents Pete and Lauren, as Lily was hospitalized this week with a recurrence of fever.  We pray for a proper diagnosis, painless treatment and healing.  Help to keep her calm as she is too young to understand what she is going through.  Be with Pete and Lauren, wash them with your perfect peace and ease their racing thoughts.  Bless them all with your loving, almighty and healing grace.

We pray solace and consolation for Elsie, who is mourning the sudden and unexpected loss of her stepdaughter Hanny.  Be with Hanny’s children and all who are missing her today.  Bless them during this time in which funerals must be small or not held at all.  Help them to care for each other when they cannot touch.  Be their strength and their shield.

Bless June, who is still in Momentum and now diagnosed with leukemia, as she makes decisions about treatment.  We are grateful that her companion Ken has been released from the hospital and is now recovering from pneumonia at home with his daughter.  Please continue to bring him to full health and strength.

We continue to pray for Dawn and Rich as they recover from the virus, and we thank you for their steady improvement.  We thank you that Elaine I. has made progress this week and ask for complete healing.

We pray for those in our church family who are going through times of need:  for Amy, Pat, Jim, Janet, Sue, Joan, Lois, Dannie, Kathleen & Marilyn, Ken, Bunny & Marty, Harriet, Diane, Laurie & Steve, Paul, and Ruth; for all members of our extended family who are suffering; for this nation and for the world.

We thank you for being our God, and we come to you now in silent prayer …

Lord, as you know what is written in our hearts,
Attend now to our spirits, we pray in your name, Amen.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS

So be careful how you live.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit, and give thanks for everything to God.
~ Ephesians 5:15-20, New Living Translation, abbreviated

Those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.  So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.  Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
~ Galatians 6:8b-10, New Living Translation

SUNDAY SERMON
(Two Forms ~ Watch or Read ~ Same Material in Both)

Written Version of the Same Sermon

To the outside world, our church is known for its signs and its clams.  Some people know us as “the big red church across from Dunkin’ Donuts.”  I once told someone I worked at the Methodist church across from Dunkin’ Donuts, and they answered, “The red one?  No, I don’t think that’s a Methodist church.”  So we have some work to do!

From the beginning of this crisis, many pastors have independently adopted the same quote:  “The church is not a building … the church is the people.”  Today we’re going to talk about what that means.

We all want to go back inside.  We want to see each other.  We want to replenish our energy, to be with God in worship, to feel like a family again.  But we’re still a family.  We haven’t stopped praying, caring or baking.  We’re still staffing the soup kitchen every other Thursday.

Sharing a Meal is one of our two biggest local, ongoing outreach ministries.  The other is our thrift shop.  Many people who have visited our thrift shop have never entered another part of the church, and never will.  To them, the thrift shop IS our church.  During the crisis, we’ve had so many people volunteer for the soup kitchen that we’ve had to limit volunteers; but when we reopen the thrift shop, I hope you’ll consider it an outreach ministry.  Here’s why: it’s been estimated that 40% of those who have lost jobs during the crisis were already the poorest people in America.  They’re going to need to save money in order to pay rent and buy groceries.  And our thrift shop can make a difference ~ but only if we’re open and fully staffed.  (If you’re reading this from out of town, please consider volunteering at your own local thrift shop!)

We’re still trying to figure out the logistics of reopening.  We suspect we’ll begin with small groups, just as the early church did.  These groups will meet for Scripture, meditation, prayer and discussion, and we’ll keep the numbers small enough so that everyone will find a time with which they are comfortable.  We imagine that Fellowship Hall (or the church hallway) may contain a prayer wall, a message board and a cards and crafts table.  We’ll likely have to hold off on snacks for a while, because you can’t eat cookies through a mask!  (If we meet outside, it’s a different story.)

We’ll eventually get back to worshipping in a larger group as well, with social distancing.  Our normal Sunday average is 100, and we estimate that we can fit half that number six feet apart.  In order to keep the numbers down, I’ve already planned a new sermon series for summer ~ it’s called “Pastor’s Worst Sermons.”  Here are some of the topics for summer worship:

July
“Give All Your Money to the Church”
“God Is Punishing Us”
“Bible Lessons from the New England Patriots”
“The Differences Between 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles”

But wait, there’s more!  If you return in August, you’ll hear these topics:

August
“100 Reasons You Should Sign the Registration Pads”
“The History, Archaeology, Eschatology and Ecclesiology of Jesus’ Genealogy”
“The One Where Pastor Rich Talks So Fast You Can’t Understand a Word He Says”
“If Pastor Mentions Starbucks One More Time I’m Going To Become an Episcopalian”

This should help us to flatten the attendance curve for summer!

What will people need when they come back?

It’s likely that we’ll be seeing more needs than ever.  It’s unlikely that people will emerge from the stay-at-home season saying, “You know what I learned in lockdown? I learned that I don’t need God at all!” or “I learned how well-adjusted I am and how I love being with my family 24/7!”

Instead, The New York Times reported this week that mental illness and depression are on the rise, due to “fear, uncertainty and economic hardship.”

Another survey conducted by the Associated Press and University of Chicago Divinity School reports that two-thirds of American Christians feel that God is using the COVID-19 virus to “tell humanity to change the way it lives.”  Amazingly, 26% say their faith has increased as a result of the pandemic; only 1% say that it has decreased.

For years, the impact of the Christian church has been fading, as the church has been seen as increasingly irrelevant, judgmental and hypocritical.  We’re about to have the chance to reboot our religion, in some cases literally.  We’ve unplugged our churches and we’re about to plug them back in again.  This new phase could bring a revival, a reimagining, a revitalization ~ if we do it right, with God’s help.

What messages will people need to hear when they return ~ not only our current church members, but those who come seeking something, even if they don’t know what it is?

The Christian church has had one main message for over 2000 years, and it’s a good one, familiar to everyone from Christians to sports fans:  God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).  Look at all the messages in that one sentence: God, love, giving, unity, comfort, hope!

In contrast, the United Methodist Church has had one main message for the past few years (based on the amount of news coverage, press releases, and time spent at the top in discussion):  United Methodist Church to split over same-sex marriage.

That split was expected to pass, and was originally up for a vote this weekend.  This past February I told our Bishop that while committees had a number of potential plans for the church, the split was not inevitable, because of Plan D, which is that God often does things that are unprecedented and unexpected.  Guess what!  I told you so!  (I LOVE saying “I told you so.”)

Should we pick up where we left off?  Should the first thing people hear when they get back be the last thing they heard before they left?  Is anyone saying, “I can hardly wait to get back and start arguing again?”  If we do this, we’ll kill the church.

Most people are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

We start at the bottom with food, water and shelter, which is why missionaries don’t start with preaching; they begin by addressing people’s basic needs.  Next is safety and security, followed by a sense of belonging, then esteem and finally self-actualization  (“a desire to become the most that one can be”).  Now let’s look at this as a Church Hierarchy of Needs:

Self-actualization
(Making a difference)
Esteem (God Loves You)
Belonging (You Are Welcome)
Safety (Masks, Social Distancing, Sanitizing Stations)
Food, Clothing, Basic Needs (Sharing a Meal, Thrift Shop, Outreach Ministries)

We start at the bottom.  The church makes a first impression by addressing basic needs in the community for food and clothing.  We help people to feel safe when they enter our building.  Once people know that we are caring and safe, they are ready to hear the next level of messages: You are welcome.  God loves you.  You can make a difference.  Then those people are energized to start again at the bottom, not as recipients, but as givers.

Time and time again, in conversations with people outside the church, I’ve heard the statement that people would like churches again if they could only get one thing right: basic human kindness.  In Christian terms, this is defined as “love God, love your neighbor” ~ the answer Jesus gave when asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?”

In order to get there, all we have to do is capitalize on the one pandemic gift we’ve already been given: a newfound sense of community, epitomized in the phrase, “We’re all in this together.”  The groundwork has already been laid!  People are already ready to start working with each other to improve their communities and their world.

As for United Methodism, John Wesley’s Three Simple Laws still apply:

First, do no harm.
Second, do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all the ways you can.
Third, stay in love with God.

I think we have a template for reopening!

I’m looking forward to seeing you again in person, sooner rather than later, for this exciting new phase of our faith.  The Lord bless you and keep you; make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.  The Lord turn his face toward you, and give you peace.  Amen.

OFFERING

Please use this time to make out a check to the church.
Thank you to all who have been contributing during this time, and helping the church to pay its bills!
As you write, please enjoy Tanae’s piano version of “Pass It On!”

It only takes a spark to get a fire going
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing
That’s how it is with God’s love, once you’ve experienced it
You spread His love to everyone, you want to pass it on.

What a wondrous time is spring, when all the trees are budding
The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming
That’s how it is with God’s love, once you’ve experienced it
You want to sing, it’s fresh like spring, you want to pass it on.

I wish for you my friend this happiness that I’ve found
You can depend on Him, it matters not where you’re bound
I’ll shout it from the mountaintop, I want my world to know
The Lord of love has come to me, I want to pass it on.

OFFERTORY PRAYER

Lord Jesus, we thank you
For the gifts that have been given throughout the week,
And for our congregation who honors your generosity with their own.
Help us to use what is given to spread the Good News of your love
And to honor your presence with us today.  Amen.

BENEDICTION

And now, from our separate places, we pray as one
That the fact we miss each other will only strengthen the ties that bind.
We are not in the church today; but we are the church together.
May God bless us and keep us united while we are apart
Until we meet again in person.  Amen.

Blest Be the Tie That Binds

Thank you to Tanae, Anthony, Lee, Jack and Tammy for helping with today’s service!
And thank you for worshipping with us!  We wish you God’s healing and hope!

Today’s post is a simple one, featuring a question to which we already know the answer:
“Whose voice should I trust?”

This has been a common theme in recent weeks, with varying answers.  Many of these answers represent a partisan divide.  Some say, “I listen to Trump.”  Some say, “I listen to Fauci.”  Some say, “I listen to Cuomo.”  Many say, “I don’t know who to listen to; I don’t know who to trust.”  Everyone is yearning for a calm, steady voice, for confident, dependable leadership, and for an empathetic, encouraging tone.

When will such a leader emerge?

*fake cough*

We all know the answer to this one!  In the back of your mind, you can probably picture the children at a children’s sermon, who know that the answer to most questions involving a person is “God” or “Jesus” (either is accepted!).

Jesus tells his disciples, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27, NIV).  What are some of the things that our Shepherd has been telling us during this crisis?  “Don’t be afraid.” “Don’t be anxious.”  “Don’t worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will have enough worries of its own.”  “I am with you.”  “Peace I leave with you.”  “Love one another as I have loved you.”  (Expressions of love include checking up on one another, feeding each other, and wearing a mask when standing close to others who are not in your household.)

The mistake we often make is remembering our Shepherd’s voice while not listening to our Shepherd’s voice.  We all know that Jesus said all of these things once upon a time, but we want new words, so we listen to the voices of others on TV or read their words in print.  There’s nothing wrong with this unless it gets out of balance ~ if, for example, we set the mood of our day with news, or put Trump or Fauci or Cuomo or anyone else in our heads just before we go to bed.  Or we start to think we don’t have a leader.

We actually have the best leader of all!  And contrary to what some may believe, Jesus is not done speaking.  Think of him as having a 24-hour press conference, and we can ask as many questions as we want, and he never says, “That’s it,” and turns the microphone off or gives it to someone else.

Or in shepherd terms, he’s still saying, “Look out for that wolf over there,” “Don’t fall into that creek,” “You’re looking fluffy today” (remember, we’re sheep), “I love you,” or “It’s a sunny day; how would you
like to visit some green pastures and quiet streams?”

Thank God we have a leader that we can depend on, words we can trust, and a Government that never fails!

On and on the rain will say how fragile we are. ~ Sting

This song fragment has been running through my mind lately, along with another chorus from Sting’s band The Police:  “When the world is running down, you make the best of what’s still around.”  It’s amazing how many old songs can make sense in a new world.  The same principle applies in deeper measure to Scripture.

Ecclesiastes writes about our fragile, finite nature.  “No one knows the future (or) the time of their death,” he laments (8:7-8).  There is “a time to be born, and a time to die” (3:2). “Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever” (1:4).

In 2019, the average life expectancy in the United States was 78.87 years.  The world’s lowest average life expectancy was in the Central African Republic at 53 years.  In 1900, the average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47.3 years, while the world average was 31 ~ approximately the same as it was in the time of Ecclesiastes.

Throughout our lifetimes, life spans have continued to increase (with a slight dip in 2018).  The numbers have created an illusion that we are more durable than fragile ~ not invulnerable, but pretty strong.  The coronavirus has reminded us of our fragile, finite nature.  As of this week, COVID-19 has cracked the Top 100 leading causes of death in the U.S. ~ the current loss figure over a three-month period would rank #89 for the full year 2019, between senility (#88) and self-inflicted gun wounds (#95).

The difference is that it happens fast.  A person can be reasonably healthy one week and gone the next.  Few other diseases operate this quickly.  Yet, if we were living at any other time in our planet’s history, or in many other countries today (for example, a place of civil conflict), we would be well aware of the fact that our lives could end at any time.  We’ve buried that thought in the back of our minds, but it’s always been true.

Ecclesiastes writes (in a somewhat off-putting way) that there are only a few good things in life: eating, drinking, finding satisfaction in work, and knowing we are going to die.  But it’s not as morbid as he makes it sound.  The knowledge of our finite nature is meant to help us appreciate every day even more.  Ecclesiastes also writes that because life is short, we should try our best to enjoy it, while giving thanks to God.  “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,” he writes (12:1); “banish anxiety from your heart” (11:10); “anyone who is among the living has hope” (9:4).

I know many people who are writing off these months of quarantine and isolation, waiting for life to “begin again.”  But life is continuing to unfold.  God is still churning days out of the Day Factory.  We have this day.  We can spend it lamenting all the things we can’t have or can’t do.  Or we can give thanks that we still have a lot of things and can do a lot of things.

The advice, “Live every day as if it were your last” implies calling everyone we love every day and telling them we love them, quitting our jobs and giving away all of our money and other possessions.  A better piece of advice is to “live every day to its fullest.”  Jesus tells his disciples, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).  Here’s a few guideline questions:  Does everyone you love know that you love them?  Have you spoken with all of your old friends lately?  Are you at peace with everyone you know?  Are you proud of the person you are?  Have you tried your best to accomplish your goals?  Are you happy with your relationship with God?  Have you achieved everything you wanted in your faith?  If not, what are you waiting for?