God’s People Gather
Prelude Pondering
This is what I give. I give an expression of care every day to each child, to help him realize that he is unique. I end the program by saying, 'You've made this day a special day, by just your being you. There's no person in the whole world like you; and I like you just the way you are.' And I feel that if we in public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable, we will have done a great service for mental health.
- Fred Rogers, Testimony before U.S. Senate committee, May 1, 1969
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT (click on the picture at the bottom of this post to see it)
I was thinking last time we were together that every person in the whole world is different from everybody else, and yet we can still love each other, because the most important things about us are inside of us. So even if we look different and sound different and smell different on the outside, we're all human beings and have our human thoughts and feelings inside.
Watch the YouTube video “Mister Rogers–Yet We Can Still Love Each Other”
We Can Still Love Each Other
*Call to Worship
Leader: From the corners of fear, from the shadows of our doubts, God calls us to this place of sanctuary where we can draw from Love's deep wells.
People: When we look for strength to continue; when we wonder if faith is worth it, Jesus calls us to come, to receive, to welcome the love that is offered.
Leader: In every person who embraces us with acceptance, in every touch that offers healing and hope, the Spirit calls us
People: to see those around us as God's beloved, our neighborhood of grace.
Leader: So we have come to receive, and we have to believe,
People: so that we may go out to give and to love.
ALL: Let us worship God!
*Opening Songs
Come Just As You Are
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsD2urNjIWQ
Help Us Accept Each Other Blue 358, verses 1,2
Prayer of Confession
Giving and loving God, you know that we are hungry for many things: acceptance and recognition; meaning and purpose; a sign that we are valuable. We are hungry for love. But we try to fill ourselves with other things: money, material things, food, the admiration of others. We become consumed with consuming! – with what we can get, and keep, and use, and show to others! We are so preoccupied with ourselves that we don’t even see our neighbors in need. Forgive us, God, and teach us to be content with what we have. Teach us that our true hunger is for love, for you, for community in you.
You have made us in your image, and given us such worth: now fill us with your love, and let it overflow to our neighbors near and far, so that all may know the contentment and joy of knowing you, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
Leader: Friends, believe the good news: Jesus said, “Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap.” Know that God is compassionate, forgiving, and generous. Be at peace and know that you are forgiven and loved!
People: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Thanks be to God. Amen.
Response: Glory to God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAs36Bx_4PU
*Sharing the Peace of Christ
We are loved and forgiven, and so we have peace. Let us share that peace with one another!
Leader: The peace of Christ be with you.
People: And also with you.
Response: Peace Song
God’s Word is Proclaimed
Accepted
John 21:15-17; Acts 10:23b-36
March 15, 2020
First Presbyterian Church, Sterling, IL
Christina Berry
The first reading today is from the Gospel of John,
a story of one of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances.
The disciples have gone home and gone back to fishing.
They fish all night and catch nothing
but then Jesus appears on the beach
and suggests that they drop their net one more time,
on the other side of the boat.
They do, and catch so many fish they can’t lift the net.
Peter recognizes Jesus and swims to shore.
Jesus fixes them breakfast and then speaks to Peter.
In the background of this conversation,
with Jesus asking the question three times,
is the memory of the night before Jesus died,
when Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.
Let’s listen for God’s word to us in John 21:15-17
15 When they finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter,
“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”
said to him, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 He asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was sad that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?”
He replied, “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Our second reading is from the Acts of the Apostles,
the story of how the apostles got to work sharing the gospel.
In this story we see Peter, transformed by the love of Jesus,
being called to the house of Cornelius, a Roman officer,
and overcoming his reluctance to accept this man as a believer.
Just before this messenger came to summon Peter to Cornelius’s home,
Peter had a vision of a kind of tablecloth coming down from heaven,
covered with a whole array of foods, and he heard God say, “Take and eat!”
Peter answered, “Absolutely not, Lord!
I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
But the voice said, “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.”
This happened three times, then the object was suddenly pulled back into heaven.
Right after that, the messenger came to Peter’s house.
Let’s listen for God’s word in Acts 10:23b-36
The next day [Peter] got up and went with them,
together with some of the believers from Joppa.
24 They arrived in Caesarea the following day.
Anticipating their arrival,
Cornelius had gathered his relatives and close friends.
25 As Peter entered the house,
Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in order to honor him.
26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Get up! Like you, I’m just a human.”
27 As they continued to talk, Peter went inside
and found a large gathering of people.
28 He said to them, “You all realize that it is forbidden
for a Jew to associate or visit with outsiders.
However, God has shown me
that I should never call a person impure or unclean.
29 For this reason, when you sent for me,
I came without objection.
I want to know, then, why you sent for me.”
30 Cornelius answered, “Four days ago at this same time,
three o’clock in the afternoon, I was praying at home.
Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me.
31 He said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayers,
and your compassionate acts are like a memorial offering to him.
32 Therefore, send someone to Joppa and summon Simon,
who is known as Peter.
He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, located near the seacoast.’
33 I sent for you right away, and you were kind enough to come.
Now, here we are, gathered in the presence of God
to listen to everything the Lord has directed you to say.”
34 Peter said, “I really am learning
that God doesn’t show partiality to one group of people over another.
35 Rather, in every nation, whoever worships him
and does what is right is acceptable to him.
36 This is the message of peace he sent to the Israelites
by proclaiming the good news through Jesus Christ:
He is Lord of all!
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
It’s been a challenging week, hasn’t it?
So many things rolling out in the news, so much happening, and happening so fast:
the financial markets, the COVID-19 crisis, the primaries, the cancellations…
Reminds me of that old commercial: “Calgon, take me away!”
In the midst of all this, we church folk are in the middle of Lent, that time frame in the church when we attend to the spiritual practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving – connecting with God and caring for others. And right here in Lent, when we are so focused on that connection, the leadership of the church has made the difficult decision that we will have to worship apart from one another for a time. It’s a hard thing, to make the decision that we won’t gather for worship. Being together means a lot to us – we share our lives in many significant ways. For many of us, worship is the high point of our week. Now, we’ve been told it is best to stay away. And it is.
It is best to stay home as much as possible – not only from worship but also from the restaurants, the movies, the stores and anywhere else crowds gather. We can police our own habits and hygiene, but we can’t police that of others. And we have to be vigilant not only that WE don’t get sick, but that we would not be the carrier that would result in someone else getting sick. Lots of people think this whole Corona virus thing is overblown. Truthfully, I hope it is. I hope that in a few weeks we all breathe a big sigh of relief and say, “Whew! Glad it wasn’t worse!” But for now, we have to accept that this is where we are and what we are doing.
Here at First Presbyterian Church in Sterling, we’ve been seeking to be more faithful through the lens of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, focusing on the ways in which we are neighbors to one another. Pretty much everyone knows by now that Mr. Rogers was the Rev. Fred Rogers, a minister of word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church. And almost everyone knows about his lovely show, “Mister Rogers Neighborhood.”
This week our focus is on acceptance – on accepting others as they are, because we have been accepted by God in Christ just as we are. Mister Rogers demonstrated that kind of acceptance all the time.
That’s a huge thing, to be accepted and accepting. In twelve step programs, they usually end every meeting with what is called the “Serenity Prayer.” You’ve heard it:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
The prayer was written by Reinhold Niebuhr, the Christian theologian.
The actual prayer is much longer:
God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time,
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did,
this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it,
trusting that You will make all things right, if I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.
Niebuhr’s prayer includes within it the definition of acceptance: the willingness to acknowledge reality - what is, as it is, without resistance or denial. [1]
This is how God accepts each one of us, and how Peter learned to accept others.
To be accepted by God means that we are accepted exactly as we are!
We don’t have to be better or do better or look better or think better
in order to win God’s acceptance. God accepts you. God loves you.
God accepts you and loves you exactly the way you are.
That’s what Peter learned that day on the beach with Jesus.
Jesus didn’t confront Peter with a bunch of questions and recriminations that day.
He didn’t say, “Hey, Peter, what was the deal with pretending not to know me?”
Jesus simply asked, “Do you love me?”
And when Peter answered yes, Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
He said it three times.
That kind of experience of being so loved and accepted
had to have found a deep and wide place in Peter’s heart.
He knew what it was to feel the guilt and shame for what he had done
and he knew the indescribable relief of being loved anyway.
That memory was alive in him when he had the vision from God.
See it?
Peter denies Jesus three times.
Jesus asks “Do you love me?” three times, and three times says, “Feed my sheep.”
Then God speaks three times: “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.”
So when Peter was asked by three messengers to go see this man, this ENEMY!
Peter went. He just went.
And think about what he found when he arrived: a man who believed.
Cornelius already believed, already hungered for the gospel, already accepted the truth of God’s salvation. Cornelius was ready to be baptized, to become a follower of Jesus.
He just needed to hear the message from Peter.
And Peter? Peter had to accept that Cornelius was worthy of his time.
Peter had to accept Cornelius- as he was, where he was, who he was.
What might have happened had Peter not be able to do that?
How could Peter had shared the gospel with Cornelius
if he was holding his nose in disgust at the very thought of being in Cornelius’s house?
This was no small simple thing for Peter.
Cornelius was a Roman Centurion, a part of the occupying force,
that army that enforced the Roman oppression of Peter and his people.
It was Roman soldiers who had come and taken Jesus away that night in the garden.
It was Roman soldiers who marched Jesus to the sham trial.
It was Roman soldiers who mocked and tormented Jesus.
It was Roman soldiers who nailed him to the cross.
Cornelius was a Roman soldier.
Peter could have said “NO.”
He could have simply stayed away, and told himself that someone else could talk to that guy in Caesarea – it didn’t have to be him! Or may this Roman officer would just give up and go away.
In an article in Sojourner’s magazine, Angela Denker wrote about the need for welcome and acceptance. She writes about how many churches say “All are welcome.”
“A friend of mine once told me he was desperate to find a church where he could not only worship but perhaps join the choir and get involved with music ministry. He brought his friend, another professional musician, to check out area churches. They found one they liked and were surprised when the minister asked them into his office. Ascertaining that they were both, indeed, gay, the minister said: ‘Well, you can attend. But just sit in the back row.’’
All are welcome?
Angela continued the story: “Thanks be to God, my friend didn't give up his search or lose his faith. He has since found an affirming congregation and leads incredible music there.”[2]
You have been accepted by God in Christ.
God loves you just the way you are.
You now can accept others as they are.
And love them.
The equation seems pretty obvious unless you are the one who is being asked to minister to your enemy. It seems pretty simple unless you’ve been commanded by God to love someone who is so despicable, so horrid, so unlovable. And then it turns out that maybe they are not – maybe they, like Cornelius, love God and love others.
Maybe it is your acceptance and welcome that leads them to that place.
Peter was not exactly the best of role models. He was stubborn and impetuous. He shot off his mouth all the time when he did. not. know. what. he. was. talking. about. He was thickheaded and never got it. In fact, Jesus had to tell him some things THREE TIMES!
You are accepted. Just as you are.
You are loved. Just as you are.
You are accepted. Just as you are.
Now go into this world of division and disease, of unrest and unbelief, and love it.
Do you love me? Feed my sheep.
Do you love me? Feed my sheep.
Do you love me? Feed my sheep.
Amen.
together with some of the believers from Joppa.
24 They arrived in Caesarea the following day.
Anticipating their arrival,
Cornelius had gathered his relatives and close friends.
25 As Peter entered the house,
Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in order to honor him.
26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Get up! Like you, I’m just a human.”
27 As they continued to talk, Peter went inside
and found a large gathering of people.
28 He said to them, “You all realize that it is forbidden
for a Jew to associate or visit with outsiders.
However, God has shown me
that I should never call a person impure or unclean.
29 For this reason, when you sent for me,
I came without objection.
I want to know, then, why you sent for me.”
30 Cornelius answered, “Four days ago at this same time,
three o’clock in the afternoon, I was praying at home.
Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me.
31 He said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayers,
and your compassionate acts are like a memorial offering to him.
32 Therefore, send someone to Joppa and summon Simon,
who is known as Peter.
He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, located near the seacoast.’
33 I sent for you right away, and you were kind enough to come.
Now, here we are, gathered in the presence of God
to listen to everything the Lord has directed you to say.”
34 Peter said, “I really am learning
that God doesn’t show partiality to one group of people over another.
35 Rather, in every nation, whoever worships him
and does what is right is acceptable to him.
36 This is the message of peace he sent to the Israelites
by proclaiming the good news through Jesus Christ:
He is Lord of all!
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
It’s been a challenging week, hasn’t it?
So many things rolling out in the news, so much happening, and happening so fast:
the financial markets, the COVID-19 crisis, the primaries, the cancellations…
Reminds me of that old commercial: “Calgon, take me away!”
In the midst of all this, we church folk are in the middle of Lent, that time frame in the church when we attend to the spiritual practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving – connecting with God and caring for others. And right here in Lent, when we are so focused on that connection, the leadership of the church has made the difficult decision that we will have to worship apart from one another for a time. It’s a hard thing, to make the decision that we won’t gather for worship. Being together means a lot to us – we share our lives in many significant ways. For many of us, worship is the high point of our week. Now, we’ve been told it is best to stay away. And it is.
It is best to stay home as much as possible – not only from worship but also from the restaurants, the movies, the stores and anywhere else crowds gather. We can police our own habits and hygiene, but we can’t police that of others. And we have to be vigilant not only that WE don’t get sick, but that we would not be the carrier that would result in someone else getting sick. Lots of people think this whole Corona virus thing is overblown. Truthfully, I hope it is. I hope that in a few weeks we all breathe a big sigh of relief and say, “Whew! Glad it wasn’t worse!” But for now, we have to accept that this is where we are and what we are doing.
Here at First Presbyterian Church in Sterling, we’ve been seeking to be more faithful through the lens of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, focusing on the ways in which we are neighbors to one another. Pretty much everyone knows by now that Mr. Rogers was the Rev. Fred Rogers, a minister of word and sacrament in the Presbyterian Church. And almost everyone knows about his lovely show, “Mister Rogers Neighborhood.”
This week our focus is on acceptance – on accepting others as they are, because we have been accepted by God in Christ just as we are. Mister Rogers demonstrated that kind of acceptance all the time.
That’s a huge thing, to be accepted and accepting. In twelve step programs, they usually end every meeting with what is called the “Serenity Prayer.” You’ve heard it:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
The prayer was written by Reinhold Niebuhr, the Christian theologian.
The actual prayer is much longer:
God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time,
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did,
this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it,
trusting that You will make all things right, if I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.
Niebuhr’s prayer includes within it the definition of acceptance: the willingness to acknowledge reality - what is, as it is, without resistance or denial. [1]
This is how God accepts each one of us, and how Peter learned to accept others.
To be accepted by God means that we are accepted exactly as we are!
We don’t have to be better or do better or look better or think better
in order to win God’s acceptance. God accepts you. God loves you.
God accepts you and loves you exactly the way you are.
That’s what Peter learned that day on the beach with Jesus.
Jesus didn’t confront Peter with a bunch of questions and recriminations that day.
He didn’t say, “Hey, Peter, what was the deal with pretending not to know me?”
Jesus simply asked, “Do you love me?”
And when Peter answered yes, Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
He said it three times.
That kind of experience of being so loved and accepted
had to have found a deep and wide place in Peter’s heart.
He knew what it was to feel the guilt and shame for what he had done
and he knew the indescribable relief of being loved anyway.
That memory was alive in him when he had the vision from God.
See it?
Peter denies Jesus three times.
Jesus asks “Do you love me?” three times, and three times says, “Feed my sheep.”
Then God speaks three times: “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.”
So when Peter was asked by three messengers to go see this man, this ENEMY!
Peter went. He just went.
And think about what he found when he arrived: a man who believed.
Cornelius already believed, already hungered for the gospel, already accepted the truth of God’s salvation. Cornelius was ready to be baptized, to become a follower of Jesus.
He just needed to hear the message from Peter.
And Peter? Peter had to accept that Cornelius was worthy of his time.
Peter had to accept Cornelius- as he was, where he was, who he was.
What might have happened had Peter not be able to do that?
How could Peter had shared the gospel with Cornelius
if he was holding his nose in disgust at the very thought of being in Cornelius’s house?
This was no small simple thing for Peter.
Cornelius was a Roman Centurion, a part of the occupying force,
that army that enforced the Roman oppression of Peter and his people.
It was Roman soldiers who had come and taken Jesus away that night in the garden.
It was Roman soldiers who marched Jesus to the sham trial.
It was Roman soldiers who mocked and tormented Jesus.
It was Roman soldiers who nailed him to the cross.
Cornelius was a Roman soldier.
Peter could have said “NO.”
He could have simply stayed away, and told himself that someone else could talk to that guy in Caesarea – it didn’t have to be him! Or may this Roman officer would just give up and go away.
In an article in Sojourner’s magazine, Angela Denker wrote about the need for welcome and acceptance. She writes about how many churches say “All are welcome.”
“A friend of mine once told me he was desperate to find a church where he could not only worship but perhaps join the choir and get involved with music ministry. He brought his friend, another professional musician, to check out area churches. They found one they liked and were surprised when the minister asked them into his office. Ascertaining that they were both, indeed, gay, the minister said: ‘Well, you can attend. But just sit in the back row.’’
All are welcome?
Angela continued the story: “Thanks be to God, my friend didn't give up his search or lose his faith. He has since found an affirming congregation and leads incredible music there.”[2]
You have been accepted by God in Christ.
God loves you just the way you are.
You now can accept others as they are.
And love them.
The equation seems pretty obvious unless you are the one who is being asked to minister to your enemy. It seems pretty simple unless you’ve been commanded by God to love someone who is so despicable, so horrid, so unlovable. And then it turns out that maybe they are not – maybe they, like Cornelius, love God and love others.
Maybe it is your acceptance and welcome that leads them to that place.
Peter was not exactly the best of role models. He was stubborn and impetuous. He shot off his mouth all the time when he did. not. know. what. he. was. talking. about. He was thickheaded and never got it. In fact, Jesus had to tell him some things THREE TIMES!
You are accepted. Just as you are.
You are loved. Just as you are.
You are accepted. Just as you are.
Now go into this world of division and disease, of unrest and unbelief, and love it.
Do you love me? Feed my sheep.
Do you love me? Feed my sheep.
Do you love me? Feed my sheep.
Amen.
Responding to God’s Word
Statement of Belief I believe in the hidden God of love: the spirit of love and compassion found at the breadth and depth of every human life. I believe in the vision of Jesus: the reigning of God on earth, found where people and societies are governed by the rule of love.
I believe in the way of Jesus: a love for God and neighbor, a love for stranger and enemy, a love for outcast and alien. I believe in the abundant life of Jesus: a life of acceptance, inclusion, and forgiveness, a life of equality, generosity, and sharing, a life of compassion, service, and nonviolence. I believe that though he died, the spirit of Jesus lives on among those who strive for peace and justice and who work to create a better world. In the name of Jesus, and in the name of love, I commit myself to care for others, to break down the barriers that separate us, and to seek justice and peace in the world.
Offering: Please be sure to continue your online giving or mail in your contributions while we are apart from one another. And thank you!
*Prayer of Dedication
Oh God of love, what can we say but “thank you”? You created us in your image, named us with your family name, given us love beyond measure, and placed us among neighbors. Let these gifts and our lives be our prayer of thanks, and let these offerings and this community be demonstrations of your love. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Sharing Joys and Concerns
We pray for all who are sick and suffering in body, mind and spirit.
We pray for God’s peace and comfort for Jerry Quigg and family in the loss of Elissa.
We pray for God’s peace and presence with Ole, who has entered hospice care, and for all of Ole’s family.
We pray for all leaders of every nation, that they may govern with wisdom and compassion.
We pray for….
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 sins as we forgive those who sin 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.
God’s People are Sent
*Closing Songs
Jesus Loves Me
Jesus loves me, this I know!
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong.
They are weak but he is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves us as we are
whether we are near or far.
Teaching us to love and care,
accepting neighbors everywhere.
Yes, Jesus loves us! Yes, Jesus loves us!
Yes, Jesus loves us, exactly as we are.
Dazzling Bouquet
Dazzling Bouquet
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong.
They are weak but he is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves us as we are
whether we are near or far.
Teaching us to love and care,
accepting neighbors everywhere.
Yes, Jesus loves us! Yes, Jesus loves us!
Yes, Jesus loves us, exactly as we are.
Dazzling Bouquet
Dazzling Bouquet
Refrain:
Mine is the church where everybody’s welcome.
I know it’s true ’cause I got through the door.
We are a dazzling bouquet of every kind of flower.
Jump in the vase, ’cause we’ve got space for more.
1. Come here, all you six foot gladiolas.
Come all you purple lilacs shining bright.
Come let us all bloom together in one garden:
A carnival of fragrance and delight. (Refrain)
2. We don’t simply tolerate each other.
We ask and tell, we don’t just turn away.
We give attention to every bud and blossom.
Let every face come grace the grand bouquet. (Refrain)
*Benediction
Leader:As you walk through your neighborhood and the world this week, may you know that you are loved and accepted, and may you love and accept others. And may the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always.....and let all God’s people say...
People: Alleluia! Amen!
Response
God, with joy we look around us
At your world's diversity.
Folk of every kind surround us
And you call your church to see:
All are made in your own image!
All are people whom you love!
Postlude
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