Calvary United Methodist Church January 4, 2015 COVENANT RENEWAL SERVICE Rev. Dr. S. Ronald Parks Children s Sermon Matthew 2 and Romans 12 In the family of faith there are children of every age and station in life. We welcome the youngest among us to the front of this worship space to celebrate God s gift. Happy New Year to everybody! Great to see you! You could say Happy New Year back if you wanted to. ( Happy New Year very quietly). Oh, don t bother! Alright! So, I know it has been like ten days ago, but do you remember what you got for Christmas? Can you remember everything that you got for Christmas? See, I have trouble remembering the things that I get from day to day to day as gifts, so I took some pictures of me opening presents this year just to remind myself. These are several things that I got from members of the congregation, a very nice mug and a little crystal angel. I got a Beatles ukulele song book. We ll be busting that out on a Sunday morning. I got several gift cards to nearby establishments. I got some blurays and a CD.
I actually got a cool effects pedal for my guitar, so we ll be waaa-ing all over the place here very shortly. I got a book called Otis Christmas. Do you know who Otis the tractor is? (I ve read that at school) You ve read that at school? Alright. Well, we may be reading it this coming Christmas Eve, I m not quite sure. I got a really neat picture that my grandson made of the outline of a large poodle and you can see the large poodle approving that particular gift. I also got a pair of Michael Jordan underwear and I think they are defective because I ve put them on I still couldn t dunk the basketball. And I got this really cool thing right here, which I had never seen before. It s called Zoom-O and the really cool thing about it is you can actually watch how it works while it is in the package in the store. And somebody saw this and they knew, they just knew, that I would want to have this. And here is how it works. You can see it is like a catch game, right? These two pieces, they don t stick together. When you take the packaging off they come apart. So you stand at one end of the room or at one end of your yard and watch what you do. Both of the handles have triggers, listen.hear it? Inside is a little disc that is being wound up really tight by a motor. Watch. When you let go of the trigger, it releases the disc and it flies. Now, this is pretty cool in the package. It is even cooler out of the package. So, I don t know exactly where this is going to go, but I thought you might like to see it in action. Those of you out there, you know, if face masks, head gear, whatever. Here it comes. You don t have to duck or anything, it is not that dangerous. Ready? (whoa ) Alright! See! Now, the object, come on, bring it back up. The object, of course, would be that if you had the other one of these, you catch it
in there and then, of course, you turn the trigger on and you let it go again! (Oh, my goodness!) Boy, I m getting a great idea about how to wake people up in the middle of a sermon. This has potential. Just hang on to it. I ll get it later. No problem. But, you see, I was not expecting that gift and I really thought it was a cool gift and it kind of caused me to think about why it is that we give gifts. We give gifts all through the year. Christmas is perhaps the time that s the most exciting because of the number of gifts we get. Why do we give gifts? Well, some gifts that we exchange with one another are tokens of our affection. For example, on Valentine s Day if you get a gift or a card it says I like you or I love you or I care for you. So, it is an expression of the way that we feel about someone. Some gifts express our appreciation for something that somebody has done for us. The gift says, in effect, Thank you. Mother s Day, Father s Day, Grandparent s Day, where you are saying to your mom and dad and to your family Thank you for being the people that you are and for caring for me. Some gifts, on the other hand, meet an obligation like Boss Day. And on Boss Day, the gift says Hey, I had to get you a gift. Here it is. Exciting, huh? And some gifts acknowledge a cause for celebration. They are a way of sharing in Hooray! or Congratulations! And there are lots of different ways to celebrate different things that happen: weddings, baptisms and births and all sorts of things.
So, why did the Wise Men bring the gifts that they brought? You see, the altar now has the shepherds and all the other townsfolk are gone because on Tuesday we mark in the Christian church the day the Wise Men show up. It s called Epiphany. And they came with gifts. Do you remember what the gifts were? There are three of them: (gold) gold. (bronze) bronze? And other precious metals. (Murray) Murray? Gold, bronze and murray. That s perfect. This was a long name. (myrrh) Myrrh (frankincense) Frankincense, exactly right. Strange gifts. Why did they bring those gifts? Well, in the story, from Matthew 2 it actually tells you why they brought those gifts and here s part of the story: The Magi left Herold s palace in Jerusalem. They were looking for the newborn king and they had travelled a great distance to worship him. The star went ahead of them, leading the way. It stopped over the place where the child was. The Magi couldn t believe it! They were overjoyed. Stepping into the stable, they saw the child with his mother Mary. And in humility, they worshipped him. They bowed down; they put their foreheads to the ground which was a very ancient sign of submission. In humility, they worshipped him. And then they opened their treasures and they presented gifts of gold, bronze and murray. Gold, frankincense and myrrh. So why did the Wise Men bring these particular gifts as you see depicted here? Was it a token of affection? No, they had never met the Jesus that was in that manger. They didn t have any love or affection for him.
Did they express appreciation? Well, Jesus hadn t done anything at that point, so there was no reason to say thank you to him. Did their gifts meet an obligation? No, because they didn t have to go. It was their choice to make that long journey. Were the gifts a way to join in the celebration? Well, sort of. The idea that they had of what they were celebrating was that they were welcoming and worshipping the King of the Jews, but the Wise Men s gifts meant more to them and more to us. They gave gifts, not out of affection or out of obligation or out of appreciation. They gave gifts as an act of worship. They worshipped him. They regarded him as something very important, very special and because of that, the gifts were an offering. Offering says You are the best, most important thing in my life and when we take our offering here in worship, it is one of the ways that we say to God God, you are the best and most important thing in my life.
God has given you many gifts: all the things that you can do, all the things that you have, all the different things that you are are a gift from God and when we give them away, in the same spirit of joy and fellowship and love that God gave them to us, we are and offering. And Paul suggests that we think of our lives that way, as long as we live. And this is what he had to say to some friends in Rome: We all have different gifts. They re all expressions of God s grace. So, what should you do with your gifts? Not only the things that you have but the things that you can do? Well, you should discover everything that you can do and all the different abilities that you have, you should develop them, be as good as you can be at everything that you can do. You should distribute them; share them like a seed scattering to the wind so that all may know the gifts that you have. And you should rejoice and be overjoyed and delight in the gifts you have because you have the gifts you have alone. Open them up and present them to him by giving them to others, by sharing who you are with everybody around you. That s the worship that is fit for a king. God has given us all many different gifts and when we open them up and present them to him by giving them to others we are creating worship by being the person that God has invited us to be, in His love and in His name. So, we begin the gift of a new year today on this Sunday and I thought kind of as a neat way to celebrate the gift of a new year, we might take a picture of all of us with these special New Year s glasses for 2015. So, everybody grab on of these and put them on. Once you put them on, don t walk so far, because they do impair your vision just a little bit. Not, too much. And we need somebody with an iphone or some kind of a camera, here comes Evie s mom, she s going to take care of this. Everybody put them on. Now we are going to try to get our faces as close together as possible and look right there at her. Some of you guys and going to sit on the steps, some sit right there. Just kind of sit down. Alright, I ll sit there. Ok. Everybody got one? Ok, now, here you go. Scoot a little bit, I m going (can I get one for my brother?) Yes, you can get one for your brother. Your brother s up here, you don t have to worry about it. Alright, now. I am going to sit down
here and some other people are going to sit down here. Some of you guys get right here behind me. Come on, we don t have all day! People have lunch reservations, they are already looking at their watches going Oh, gosh! Okay? Scoot in here as close as you can. Everybody get your heads real close together so she can get real close up. Now, this is 2015, right? So, we usually say Happy New Year! Want to say Happy New Year? Happy New Year! Big smiles. All you people wishing you had a pair of these glasses, I know what s going on. So, this is just another way to remember all the good things that God has given to us in the year that is past and in the year that starts today. Thank you for sharing in our time this morning! And take those things off before you walk down those steps. Message: Covenant Renewal Every kid dreams about big adventures But at some point the dream dies We settle for less, blend in, and put up walls Welcome to the real world, kid But you were created for more You are a child of God You were created for an extraordinary life {A Life like Jesus} You were meant to change the world You were created for an earth-shaking life Full of compassion Overflowing with God s love God became man to live among us He directly involved himself in the world s brokenness And so must we Jesus cared for the broken, the sick, the poor And so can we Jesus came to get messy, emotionally, physically, relationally, socially And so should we Are you willing to trust God? Are you willing to dream again? Are you willing to change the world?
That was the video that I shared a year ago when I invited you to complete the prompt Trusting in the Grace of God, this is how I intend to bring His gift of new creation into my life and change the world. There were about 250 people who filled out a card and as I said, those cards are on the table. However, some folks had a little difficulty with the instructions. They were to write their name on the envelope so that we knew who to give the card back to. And they didn t sign their name inside the card either. So, I m going to share with you those cards that had no name attached, because I suspect that those ideas, those prayers, those commitments were simply representative of all of the rest of the cards that we received, none of which were looked at between January 5 of 2014 and this morning. Here are just a few of them: I commit to be more loving, understanding and responsive to my family and others in my life. I commit to be charitable to people in gifts of kindness and love, to try to meet not only their physical needs, but their emotional and spiritual needs as well. I will become more of a listener and less of a judge. Boy, I could have written this one. Led by the Grace of God, I will become more attentive to the concerns of others. And then finally, I intend to become a blessing to someone I have not yet met. These were the things that people committed to and you have your own card if you completed one, as your willingness as a demonstration of your conviction that you have the power to change the world.
And change is what New Years is all about. The marking of the changing of the calendar from one year to the next simply reminds us of the great truth of our lives and that is that the only thing constant is change. So, in as much as we commit to changing the world in a redemptive fashion by sharing the love of Christ with others, so we also commit to asking God for the gifts that we need to get through 2015, to be changed ourselves in addition to being agents of change. We ask God to grant us the gift of courage, because anytime you make a commitment to change, anytime that you decide to be and do something different, you are stepping out in a way which requires you to set aside your fear and to embrace courage. And we embrace courage as a church because we continually want to step outside and step beyond what we have already done in the name of Christ and we do that because we have a hope, a hope that doesn t come from our own generosity, from our own willingness to give ourselves. This hope comes from the vision of the kingdom, the people that you and I have been created to be. These are the people that have the courage to step forward, to step out, to step beyond what they have already done. And we do so because our hope is rooted in a sense of awe. We already know what God can do. We have seen the celebration of the birth of His son come and go yet again in our lives. And there are moments when it feels mundane and passé and we ve been here before and we ve heard that story and we ve sung those carols and it just didn t seem to make that much difference, but not today. Today is a day to celebrate awe. Today is a day to look back at what God has done, in that manger, in that stable, in Bethlehem; on that cross on Calvary outside Jerusalem and what God has done to be awakened and reborn in each of us by the power of the Spirit and that is an awesome thing, because we are people of need. We need to be reminded, we need to be inspired, we need to be challenged and tested. We need to be kicked in the backside from time to time because we have become complacent in our giving, in our living, in our service. We have become comfortable and therefore for us to know what it means to reach out in courage and in hope, the awe of God s power and the reality of our need must come together in a way which holds high the lamp of the kingdom.
And we do so all because of God s Grace. Not one of us has earned what we have. Not one of us deserves what we have. But by the Grace of God, you and I have been given so much. We have been blessed with such luxury, such comfort, such resources, to be turned, to be used, to be crafted into gifts that we then give to the world around us. Why? Because each one of us is wrapped in the loving arms of a Savior who no matter how much we give, He gave more. No matter how empty we become, He is willing to fill us. No matter how alone we may feel, He will always be there for us. The courage that we feel is based in a hope that is rooted in the awe of a powerful God, not in the needs of His frail and faulty children. And the grace that sustains us is what we celebrate this morning as we renew our covenant in the age-old tradition of Wesley and his gatherings. We renew our willingness to be open to the Grace of God and to extend our arms in the embrace of compassion in order that we might change the world in His image and according to His will. And that s why you and I have come together this morning, to share what God has given to us and to reaffirm the commitment that allows us to be the church universal and in particular here at Calvary. The renewal of our covenant liturgy is found as an insert to the bulletin. We invite you to turn to that particular page. We also invite you to prepare your hearts for the gift of Grace that the embrace of Christ provides. A WESLEYAN COVENANT RENEWAL Throughout his ministry, John Wesley invited worshippers to examine their hearts and renew their commitment to Christ. In his later years, he incorporated an opportunity for personal and communal renewal into services conducted around the first Sunday of each year. THE PROCLAMATION: One: Brothers and sisters; when we give our lives to Christ, we become a new creation. Through baptism, no matter when it occurs in our lives, we leave behind the sins that estrange us from our Creator and each other. Through confirmation, we freely choose to walk with our Savior. In the Lord s Supper, we claim him as the Good Shepherd who will lead us in paths of righteousness. Through our participation in the life of the church, we are challenged and comforted as we grow in grace and wisdom.
ALL: As we worship together on the first Sunday of 2015, we are privileged to gather as the congregation called Calvary. We are not here by accident. God s invitation calls us together. God s claim upon us binds us into a family of faith. Our ministry and mission grants us a shared identity and a common responsibility. We joyfully renew our commitment to our Lord. We humbly affirm our dedication to the work and witness we have accepted. THE INVITATION: One: We commit ourselves to Christ as his servants and disciples. ALL: There are many ways to serve Christ. Some forms of service are easy and comfortable. Others are difficult and unpopular. Some are suitable to our inclinations and interests. Others are contrary to both. In some, we can please Christ while pleasing ourselves. In others, pleasing Christ means denying ourselves. One: For each of us, the path of service will be as unique as our abilities to serve. What unites us is our desire to learn what following Jesus means in the unfolding of this new year. Let us pray: ALL: God of the Way, help me to keep my feet upon the path you would have me walk. God of the Truth, dispel my ignorance and teach me what I need to know. God of the Life, help me stay focused on that which is eternal. Inspire me by your sacrifice, so that I may stop living for myself. Let me live for you in you. Amen. One: No matter where we go or what we do, Jesus will be with us. Let us pray for the courage to trust in his care: ALL: Master, I can t make it on my own. I place my life in your hands. If there is work for me to do, help me accomplish great things. If there is suffering along the way, bless me with endurance and hope. If I become an obstacle to your will, move me out of the way. Fill me up. Pour me out. Give me all things. Give me nothing. Remove me from the center of my own life. Take your rightful place in my heart and soul. Whatever I have is yours. Give me the faith and courage to release it all to you. Amen.
THE CHALLENGE: One: A disciple of Christ is one who chooses to follow him. Each day requires a new decision. Discipleship is not an accident; no one serves Christ unless they choose to. Discipleship is not an inheritance; the faith of those who went before us is their confession. When we proclaim The Lord is my shepherd, we speak only for ourselves. Once we decide to follow Jesus, we share his vision of who we are and whose we are. He will not accept anything except full consent to all he requires. Christ will be Lord of our lives or he will be nothing. The challenge before us in this new year is to commit to drawing closer to our Savior and to one another. ALL: Grant us, O Lord, a willing spirit to place you at the center of our lives. Help us to treasure these affirmations and to regard them with seriousness in the days ahead: One: I confess my need to spend time alone with God. In prayer and study, in working and worship, in contemplation and confrontation; come to me, O God. Grant me the gifts of your forgiveness, guidance, and inspiration. ALL: Search me and know me, O Lord. I am not perfect. I know I have sinned. I might be able to fool those around me, but you see me as I am. Left to my own resources, there is no hope. But you are a God of mercy. Do not leave me as you find me this morning. Change my heart. Change my life. One: Let us affirm the covenant that unites us as a community of faith. Together, we can accomplish more than we can through our singular witnesses. May we rejoice in the gift of this congregation and appreciate those who gather to share their faith. ALL: We are one in the Spirit. We are one in our confession. Remove all prejudice from our souls as we commune with one another. Recreate us as we worship you. Reconcile us to those whom we have harmed. Repair the brokenness in our fellowship. Restore your divine image in us, that we may see you in each other. Make all things new in our hearts and minds. One: Let us rejoice in our place in the Kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven, as we quiet our hearts in an act of silent meditation: PRAYER ANTHEM A Covenant Prayer Pote
THE CHOICE: ALL: Lord God, see me as I bow before you. Forgive my unfaithfulness in not having done your will. One: Help me set aside all idols and distractions. ALL: I renounce them all. I repent of my sins. I confess that my love and devotion is divided between your will and the world in which I live. In your power, I will resist all temptations that will lead me away from you. One: Through Christ, God has offered to be with us, if we will let him. It s a choice we must make. No one can do it for us. ALL: Before all heaven and earth, I acknowledge you as my Lord and God. I claim you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as the foundation of my existence. To you I offer myself, body and soul. Make me a living sacrifice in the presence of the Word made flesh. One: God has given the Lord Jesus Christ as the way and means of our salvation. He is Emmanuel God with us. ALL: Jesus, I bow before you as my Savior. I come to you hungry, thirsty, broken, and empty. I bring no gift to lay beside the manger. I renounce my own wisdom, and take you for my guide. I renounce my own will and take your will as my law. One: If we follow Christ, we will bear a cross. ALL: I take up my cross. Grant me perseverance to carry it. One: If we follow Christ, we will carry his yoke. ALL: I put my neck under your yoke. Grant me strength to make the burden light. Lead me. I will follow. One: If we follow Christ, we are ambassadors of God s love. ALL: And if we love as he loved us, we become the Word made flesh; the body of the Living Lord the Church. THE CREED: One: As a family drawn together by the love of Christ, let us confess our shared faith: ALL: Glory be to you, O God the Father, the Source of my life. Glory be to you, O God the Son, who comes to me with gifts of love. Glory be to you, O God the Holy Spirit, who turns my heart from sin. Thank you, O God, for being my Covenant Companion. Grant me the blessed assurance of a steadfast faith, that I may follow in your footsteps wherever you may
lead me. Be my hope in the uncertainty of this new year. Be my peace when I am torn with doubt and fear. Be my joy when despair and disappointment overwhelms me. Be the love that finds expression in all I say and do. My life is in your hands. Amen. THE SACRAMENT: (Please join in singing the following hymns as communion is shared.) People, Look East (edited) Hymn of Promise #707 This Is a Day of New Beginnings (vs. 1, 5, 2-4) #383