Cove's Celebration Service - Sunday, June 4, 2017

As we deal with the new normal presented by the coronavirus, I've decided to post worship services I led in the past. Although this is in no way a substitute for gathering with our brothers and sisters to praise the Lord, I hope it helps those of us who feel Sunday is incomplete without some kind of worship. I'm also posting separately the sermons preached during these services. Below is the service I led at Cove Presbyterian Church on June 4, 2020.

As with all our services, worship is intended to be a free expression of our love for God and the joy we feel when we accept that love. Of course, there are many ways for us to express that love and joy.

We started the service with the announcements. As the Bible entered (marking the beginning of our worship), we watched the video below:

Instrumental and vocal music are important to our worship. Songs give us the chance to praise God and to help focus our attention on the theme of the service. During the service, we have the opportunity to sing songs that reflect different musical styles. Since God has called into his church as individuals with a variety of tastes, this offers us the chance to display our sensitivity for our fellow worshipers and to grow in our knowledge of how we might praise God. Our first song was “Come Holy Spirit, Let Your Fire Fall.”

Our prayers represent our communication with God. Of course, as Paul wrote, the Holy Spirit “...intercedes for us with groans too deep for words”; therefore, God already knows our needs. Still it’s important that we put them into words, as well as the regret we feel for our sins and our thanks for all God has done for us.

During the Our Congregational Prayer, we confessed our sins and hear the assurance that we're forgiven.  We also lifted our concerns and needs to God.  We closed this prayer with The Lord’s Prayer. After we collected the offering, we praised and thanked God for his presence in our church and within our lives. During the offering, the choir sang “On The Day of Pentecost.”

God’s word is at the core of the worship service. It’s often reflected in the songs we sing and the prayers we pray. But it’s most clearly present when we read a passage from the Bible, and it’s applied to our daily living in the sermon. This morning, the message was based on Acts 2:1-21:

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

The title of the sermon is “Following a Star.”

Our service ended with the congregation singing "Breathe on Me, Breath of God."

Below is the podcast of the service.

I want to thank the following persons who were involved in the service:

Choir Director: Ray Seifert
Organist: Janice Torrance
Bell Choir Director: Sue Willson
Video Technician: Peggy Baldt

Sunday's Message - Following a Star

As we pass through this COVID-19 shut-down, I've been posting sermons I preached and service I led during my time as pastor of Cove Presbyterian Church, Weirton, West Virginia. Below is a copy and pod cast of the sermon I preached on Sunday, June 4, 2017. It's based on Acts 2:1-21:

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

The title of the sermon is “Following a Star.” 

Now I understand that the sermon title could be taken in more than one direction, because what it means to follow a star can refer to different things. And I know that to be a fact, because on Thursday, I googled the title, you know, to find something for the cover, and I found stuff that was totally unrelated to what I had in mind. I mean, I got a whole bunch of pictures of the wise men going to Bethlehem. And then I got some photographs of different stars up in the sky. And then I got a few drawings that must have gone with books about how important it is to follow your dreams; I mean, that’s sort of like following your star. Well, anyway, that’s the kind of stuff I found. And even though it was all nice, none of those had anything to do with the kind of star following I had in mind.

You see, what I was thinking about was how sometimes we’re in the position to follow in the footsteps of someone who did what we need to do really well, you know, a star. Let me give you a few examples. In football, somebody has to follow the star quarterback, you know, like when Steve Young followed Joe Montana or Andrew Luck followed Peyton Manning or Ben Roethlisberger followed Tommy Maddox. And just last week, I was talking to a member of the choir whom I don’t want to embarrass by mentioning her name, we were talking about how she felt really lucky to follow her sister, Dottie Jones, in school. And I can tell you, this kind of thing nearly happened to me, when I interviewed with a church in Mandan, North Dakota back in 1991. The chair of the nominating committee sat under a portrait of Ben Dove, the minister who was retiring after working with the congregation for thirty-five years and the guy in whose shadow I would have been. I’ll tell you, I think most people have been stuck following a star at some point in their lives. 

And even though there are times when it works out really well, you know, like when Debbie Siefert followed her sister in school, often that’s not the case. I mean, give me a break, sometimes it’s down-right difficult to follow someone who’s been really good at something we’re now expected to do. And because of that, I think it’s natural to wonder if we’ll ever measure up much less meet expectations. In other words, when faced with this kind of situation, I believe it’s easy to compare ourselves to them and to start wondering if maybe the job is too big for us to handle or maybe we’re too small to get it done right. Let’s face it, as both Andrew Luck and Big Ben learned from personal experience, following a star ain’t easy.

And yet, in a very real way, that’s what Christians have been expected to do for almost two thousand years. You see, we’ve been asked to follow the brightest star of all, the big kahuna himself, Jesus Christ. And it’s been like that from the very beginning of church. And frankly I think it was as difficult for them as it is for us. I mean, give me a break, it was one thing to follow him around when he was living, you know, soaking in his parables and watching him perform miracles and of course, eating some of the free fish sandwiches he made for the crowds. My gosh, that was easy. And even after the arrest and the crucifixion, remember Jesus was raised. And according to Luke, he was with his followers forty days. They were following, but Elvis was still in the building.

But it was during this time they got a glimpse of the future, because it was during those forty days that Jesus told his disciples, and through them, he tells us, exactly what they were suppose to do when he’d gone. He said, “...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” [Acts 1:8] You see, they were told to be his witnesses, to be his μάρτυρες, eventually to the ends of the world. In other words, soon they would be expected to represent him everywhere. Now that’s a pretty big job, right? But to make this situation even worst, again according to Luke, the author of Acts, “When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”  [Acts 1:9-11] Now this changes everything; not only were they expected to present Jesus to a world who’d never heard his name, Jesus wasn’t going to be around to help them. Now that’s what they faced. You see, they were going to have to follow a star.

And I’ll tell you, if you’re hearing this all relaxed and not feeling any of the urgency and pressure they felt, let me tell you, right now we are called to do the same job, to be Jesus’s witnesses in our world, and because he hasn’t come back, we’re following the same star they had to follow themselves.

And even though I believe there’s still a lot pressure that goes with this call, let me tell you, God didn’t leave us out there hanging. I mean, even though Jesus hasn’t return, we’re not exactly on our own. You see, we’re able to continue the work of Christ, you know, to be his witnesses to the world, because God has given us three things that will make this job a lot easier. And you know, they’re the exact same things he gave those disciples way back in the day.

You see, first, God has given us a whole bunch of examples we can follow. And I’ll tell you, if you don’t know where to find them, just thumb through your Bible some time. I mean, you tell me that Abraham isn’t an example of faith or Esther isn’t an example of strength or Job isn’t an example of courage. And of course in the New Testament, we’ve got the example of Jesus himself, and even though I wouldn’t suggest trying to walk on water or expecting to feed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish, we sure can accept the weak and the lowly just like he did. And we can sure stand up to the high and the mighty when they’re wrong just like he did. And we can sure trust that God is always with us, even when things couldn’t be worst, just like he did. Man, we have Jesus. And along with Jesus, we can also follow the examples of his disciples, and I’m talking about those whom we see described in the Book of Acts, people who actually did what Jesus told them to do before he was taken into the clouds. You see, right now, we can decide that we’re going to follow this cloud of witnesses, these wonderful examples of faith and action. It’s like that old hymn:
“Faith of our fathers, living still 
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword, 
O how our hearts beat high with joy
 Whene’er we hear that glorious word! 
Faith of our fathers! holy faith! 
We will be true to thee till death!” 
I’ll tell you, we have some wonderful examples that we can follow, examples that will help us continue to do the work we have to do. And that’s the first thing God’s given to us.

And second, he’s also given us some magnificent lessons that we can learn. And right now, I’m thinking about all the stuff Jesus taught his disciples after, according to Luke, “[Jesus] set his face to go to Jerusalem.” [Luke 9:51b] For example, as they traveled to the heart of Judaism and the hinge on which the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts turns, Jesus taught his disciples what they could expect, even from their own flesh and blood, you know, that they’d encounter opposition from those who would hate them but also see amazing results in fields that are ready to be harvested. And he taught them what they might say when confronted with difficult questions, like “who is my neighbor”, and how they could be honest with crowds who were looking for a messiah to meet all their needs and even what they might pray when they approached God. My gosh, he even taught them the kind of temptations they’d face, you know, like how they might become distracted by wealth or by fear or by assumptions. And I’ve just mentioned a few things Jesus taught. If we’re serious about learning his lessons, you know, taking Discipleship 101; then at the very least, we’re going to have to open our Bibles and read Luke, chapters 10 through 19. I’m telling you, if we want to know what to expect and what to say and what’s going to get us off track, man, it’s all right here. But of course, reading it is just the start, because how you apply it is where the rubber hits the road. I mean, knowing all the words may be nice, but that’s not worth a bucket of spit if there’s no application. It doesn’t really mean a thing if it doesn’t move us our beyond our little comfortable community into a world that desperately needs the message that he have to share. I’m telling you, it’s just a lot of spiritual sounding stuff but little else, if we’re still unwilling to take it and live it right here and right now. And wouldn’t it be a shame if we made the decision to do nothing constructive and positive with all this, especially since these wonderful lessons from Jesus, man, they’re the second thing God has given us so that we can continue Christ’s work.

And third, right along with the examples God has given us to follow and the lessons he’s given us to learn, our Father has also given us the Spirit, the Holy Spirit both to inspire and to empower us. And I’ll tell y’all, that’s what Pentecost is all about and ultimately that’s how we can be Christ’s witnesses and how we can continue his work. You see, according to Luke, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” [Acts 2:1-4] You see, when the Spirit came, and I’m talking about the same Holy Spirit that “...descended upon [Jesus] in the bodily form like a dove” at his baptism, the disciples started to share the story. They started to communicate the gospel in ways that the people around them could understand. They started to become “...[Christ’s] witnesses [first] in Jerusalem.” And because of that, we shouldn’t be surprised that, after receiving the Spirit, Peter preached the first sermon offered in Acts. And later, again with the Spirit, he and John would both heal the sick and cast out demons. You see, the Spirit is what inspires and empowers the work. And believe me, brothers and sisters, believe me, that same Spirit is right here this morning. Right now it’s flowing around and through us. Like a great wind, it’s filling this place. Like tongues of fire, it’s resting on us. And just like Paul wrote to the Corinthians, it’s inspiring and empowering us to do the very things we’ve been called to do. He wrote, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” [1 Corinthians 12:4-7] Now that’s happening right here and right now. And all we need to do to is recognize it and claim it. Because it’s the Holy Spirit, this wonderful Pentecostal gift, that will enable us to continue the work of Christ.

And that’s a good thing, because what we’re here to do doesn’t involve learning about the Wise Men or looking in the heavens or pursuing our dreams. In fact, we’ve actually been called to do more than just follow a star. We’re expected to be his witnesses, through both our words and work, to folks who live across the street and those who live on the other side of the world. I think you could say, we’ve been elected by God to proclaim good news to the citizens of both Pittsburgh and Paris. And even though we might feel as though the job is too big or that we’re too small, we really have a lot of help. You see, God has give us examples to follow and he’s given us lessons to learn and he’s given us the Holy Spirit to inspire and empower. All this has been given to us by God. And when we claim these gifts, I’m telling you, that’s how we can follow Jesus Christ, ultimate star. 

Resources for such a time as this

PC(USA) provides prayer, hymn for churches during a time of racial injustice

by Gail Strange | Presbyterian News Service

The Rev. Dr. Rhashell Hunter is director of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries. (Photo by Rich Copley)

LOUISVILLE — The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Law and order exists for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose, they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.” Is the current unrest around the country and particularly in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Louisville, Kentucky, a result of decades of law and order failing in its purpose to establish justice?

The deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of police officers have set cities ablaze. The two incidents along with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery have rocked our nation. And it has one wondering if there will ever be justice for black people in America.

The African American community is being devastated by a double pandemic. Not only are blacks dying at an alarmingly disproportionate rate from COVID-19, but for decades they have suffered from the pandemic of injustice and systemic and structural racism.

The disparities in health care, employment, housing and yes, treatment by law enforcement, comprise a plague that America must address. It has been said that “we were all human until race disconnected us, religion separated us, politics divided us, and wealth classified us.”

The Rev. Dr. Rhashell Hunter, Director of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries, said, “the COVID-19 pandemic, including the disproportionate amount of deaths of people of color, and the recent cases of racial injustice, have highlighted a lot of our nation’s entrenched and systemic problems. Racial injustice, the lack of basic resources, as well as economic injustice, have woken people to the fact that communities of color have been even further marginalized in this time in our nation.”

Hunter adds, “What is needed are allies, not enemies; organizing, not passive inaction; systemic change, not the status quo; affirming, not discounting; and listening, not drowning out the voices of those long-silenced. People are angry, frustrated, sad, fearful and despairing. In Psalm 13, the psalmist asks, “How long, O Lord? … How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long?” To solve these challenging problems requires an intercultural community of many races and genders to stand up for justice and provide inspiring and accountable governance and leadership.”

In this time of national discord and unrest, the office of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries has developed resources for you to use during your worship service. It is our intent that these resources will speak to the hurt, anxiety and even the lament you may be experiencing during this time of unrest in our nation. The resources are found below:

A Prayer in a Time of Anger, Unrest, and Injustice 

Holy One, whose Spirit is poured out upon all flesh, whose children you empower to prophesy,  whose youth see visions and whose elders dream dreams, we cry out to you with a loud “Hosanna!” Where else shall we go, O Savior? You alone have the words of eternal life.  

You came that we might have life more abundantly, but that abundance eludes too many of us, O God. Our news cycles are filled with despair. Our hearts ache as we wade through a global pandemic, reaching grim milestone after grim milestone. But even as we navigate a new threat, old ones still linger. Communities of color bear the uneven weight of a new disease, yet we see that racialized violence and the systemic injustice undergirding it have by no means given way to the demands of a pandemic. We speak some of the most recent names: Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Tony McDade. We add them to the litany already in our macabre collection: Aiyana and Emmett, Eric and Sandra, Jordan and Rekia, Trayvon, Atatiana and Tamir, and the myriad others in far too long a list. This great cloud has witnessed persistent injustice and our perseverance in the face of it. Yet, how can they rest when so many keep joining their ranks? 

We are slow to confront our complicity and investment in white supremacy and dominance. We live in a world in which Indigenous, Black and Brown siblings are expected and compelled to offer forgiveness at a discount. When the cheeks are turned, they are met with another hand to the face — or knee to the throat. Forgiveness is too infrequently met with repentance. This, O God, we name as sin. It is our sin. Many of us lament and strive against that sin. Help and empower us to continue that work with diligence and faith. Too many of us still waver and are unconvinced that there is a problem. Remove our hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh that are softened toward our siblings. Help us to reckon not only with our personal failings, but also with our institutional history and the ways the church has helped to create systems of inequity. By your Spirit, help us to corporately live into our creeds and confessions and provide sanctuary for all God’s children. When we say that “God, in a world full of injustice and enmity, is in a special way the God of the destitute, the poor and the wronged” and that “the church labors for the abolition of all racial discrimination,” help us to truly mean it. 

We humble ourselves and cry out to you in the hope that you will hear us and heal us. We lift the communities of Louisville, Minneapolis, Glynn County, and all where racialized violence has occurred and unrest has been stirred. Holy God, we recall the words of our ancestor Dr. King, who reminded us that “a riot is the language of the unheard.” Open our hearts, minds, and understanding to your movement in the margins, so that when your people speak, they are indeed heard, and when they tell the truth about your deeds of power, they are not dismissed as something other than sober and of a clear mind. In this way, let the fires of uprising give way to the fires of your Spirit, where your people hear the Good News of your kin-dom, hear it with joy, and make haste to take part in it. Let us release our attachment to our current world order and walk bravely into the world you’ve intended for us, even and especially when it costs us something. We are mindful that, as Rev. Dr. Cornell West states, “Justice is what love looks like in public.” 

Your kin-dom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus is still Lord. To the one and only God, our Divine Parent, Jesus, our Gracious Sibling, and Holy Spirit, be the honor and the glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

A Hymn by Slats Toole
Meter: 7.6.8.6.8.6.8.6
Suggested tunes: KINGSFOLD; WILTON SQUARE 

How can we cry for justice
when our swords stained the ground
with blood that cries from lands we stole
but then claimed to have found?
These swords have morphed to guns and bombs
that we will not let go.
We don’t deserve forgiveness, God;
have mercy even so. 

How can we march for freedom
when our hands built the wall
that greets the stranger with a cage
instead of love for all?
We willfully ignore the tale
of Christ as refugee.
We don’t deserve your kindness, God;
but Savior, hear our plea. 

How can we seek God’s kin-dom
when our words stoke the flame
that animates our acts of hate,
our systems, sins and shame?
Our doctrines justify our need
to conquer, cage, and kill.
We don’t deserve your mercy, God;
have mercy even still. 

Text copyright 2019, Slats Toole. Permission to use in worship (in-person or online) is granted for services grappling with the death of George Floyd. 

 Worship in Action (resources to help with further engagement and study): 

Stated Clerk remembers recent victims of racial violence

Facing Racism: A Vision of the Intercultural Community (Churchwide Anti Racism Policy and Study Guides) 

Advocacy and Social Justice 

‘We are accountable to the commitments we have made’ Two advocacy committees call on the PC(USA) to recommit to the struggle for racial justice 

6 Ways White People Can Dismantle White Supremacy – Justice Unbound 

A Thought from the Word

A brief thought based on Romans 12:15 - When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad.

Daily Prayers and Scriptures: Friday, May 29

Daily Prayers and Scriptures: Friday, May 29: As the Easter season draws to a close, countries around the world implement diverse reopening strategies after COVID-19 shut-do...

WCC NEWS: Memorial service honors the late Rev. Prof. Dr Mary-Anne Plaatjies-van Huffel, ‘pioneer and visionary leader’

WCC NEWS: Memorial service honors the late Rev. Prof. Dr Mary-Anne Plaatjies-van Huffel, ‘pioneer and visionary leader’: WCC moderator Dr Agnes Abuom, November 2018. Photo: Mikael Stjernberg/ Christian Council of Sweden An online memorial service for Rev. P...

WCC NEWS: WCC Executive Committee to hold virtual meeting, pray for world burdened by COVID-19

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive Committee will meet virtually on 1-3 June, offering solidarity to a world in which many find themselves in critical situations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Executive Committee plans to share information, make decisions by consensus, and assess the impact of COVID-19 on the life of the fellowship and the work of the WCC.

The committee will also review the impact of COVID-19 on the WCC’s 2020 plans and budget, establish how the Executive Committee will continue consultation and decision-making; and adopt the 2019 WCC financial report. Planning for the upcoming WCC 11th Assembly, to be held in Karlsruhe, Germany, is also on the agenda of the Executive Committee

In a  message to Executive Committee members, WCC moderator Dr Agnes Abuom said  these times are challenging to all of us.

“Please remember that this is not a meeting where we will be conducting ‘business as usual,’ ” said Abuom. “We have neither the luxury of time, nor the precious moments outside of the meeting for exchanges and being together.”

Although the meeting will focus on a smaller number of decisions than usual, a discussion forum is being provided so that the Executive Committee can post comments or questions.

“As we prepare for this meeting, we ask God to guide us through the constant presence of the Holy Spirit,” Abuom said. “We know our people and churches are suffering in many areas of the world.”

During 2021, the Central Committee meeting will be held 22-30 June, with the Executive Committee holding its meeting on 21-22 June.

WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca has been sending monthly accountability reports to the WCC Central and Executive Committees to share information on the WCC’s focus and adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about the next WCC Assembly

WCC resources on coping with the Coronavirus

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.

Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press
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A New Devotion - Loving and Kind

Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.

Ephesians 4:25-32

So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Loving and Kind

I’ll tell you, those three words bring back all kinds of memories, especially since my daughter was in the Weir High graduating class of 2020. You see, when she was little, these were the words her mother would use when challenging Maggie to self-evaluate her behavior. Let me explain. Whenever Maggie did something that might hurt another person in some way, her mother would ask her this simple question: Was that loving and kind? And even when she was a child, Maggie would respond with either “yes” or “no.” And if the answer was “yes,” my wife would patiently listen to her daughter explain why her words or actions were actually appropriate. And that conversation occurred so often, that the words “loving and kind” are seared into my mind, if not my soul.

And you know, I think those words really serve as the basis for what Paul wrote to the Ephesians. You see, in essence, he challenged these members of this Christian community to be loving and kind, but not just to one another. And he expected them to do it even if they were angry. In other words, regardless of what their world could excuse or justify, they were expected to be hard-working, honest and gracious. They should put away bitterness and anger, slander and malice, so that they might be more tenderhearted and more willing to forgive one another as God had forgiven them. You see, he was challenging them to use the same kind of standard that my wife used for our daughter: Were their words and actions loving and kind? And if they weren’t, then maybe they needed to change. Now that’s what Paul wrote. And given the animus and bitterness present within our society, maybe these are words we should all be applying to ourselves.

Unbound - God, the Keening Woman: Wailing the Lost

Unbound - God, the Keening Woman: Wailing the Lost: Communal expressions of grief have been shaped over time by religion, gender and power in ways that leave us with few ways to express mourn...

Daily Prayers and Scriptures: Thursday, May 28

Daily Prayers and Scriptures: Thursday, May 28: As the Easter season draws to a close, countries around the world implement diverse reopening strategies after COVID-19 shut-do...

WCC NEWS: WCC presidents on Pentecost: “Waves of despair, tongues of fire”

“The church was born in tumult yet emerged from the chaos with a potent, indeed
life-changing, message relevant to all cultures and contexts” Photo:
Marcelo Schneider/WCC, Fiji 2020

In a message on Pentecost, entitled “Waves of despair, tongues of fire,” the regional presidents of the World Council of Churches reflect on the mighty presence of God.

“The church was born in tumult yet emerged from the chaos with a potent, indeed life-changing, message relevant to all cultures and contexts,” reads the message. “As at the first Pentecost, so it must be again today.”

A silent, invisible, lethal natural force has landed, reflects the message. “The novel coronavirus has upended the whole world, instilling terror and chaos, causing millions to fall ill and hundreds of thousands to die,” reads the text. “The pandemic has wreaked havoc on economies, upset families and community life, eluded the most sophisticated systems of global and local healthcare, tested the mettle and efficacy of governance, and caused outbreaks of hunger.”

Yet this Pentecost, across the centuries and around the world, Christians are linked to each other and to those earliest disciples to proclaim, as they boldly did, that the God of Life is with us still. “The Spirit of God lifts our hearts in prayer and longing,” the message reads. “The Spirit instills in us courage to face grief and suffering.”

Pentecost message from the WCC presidents 2020

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.

Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press
Our visiting address is:
World Council of Churches
150 route de Ferney
Geneve 2 1211
Switzerland

Samaritan's Purse - A Call to Prayer for Women from Anne Graham Lotz

My sister Anne Graham Lotz is calling for women all across America to come together this Sunday for an important hour of prayer for our nation. I hope you will encourage the women in your life to be a part.

Anne will use 2 Chronicles 7:13–14 as a model for prayer as she calls women to look to God's promise for our nation. In His Word, He says, “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (NKJV).

More Information

Please forward this email to all the women you know and encourage them to be involved. America is in trouble, and we need a movement of repentance and prayer led by God's people. He is faithful and good, and He will answer us when we pray.

Thank you, and may God richly bless you,

Franklin Graham

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Join Anne in Prayer

Pentecost Sunday May 31, 2020

For the same one hour:
2:00 to 3:00 PM HAT
4:00 to 5:00 PM AKT
5:00 to 6:00 PM PT
6:00 to 7:00 PM MT
7:00 to 8:00 PM CT
8:00 to 9:00 PM ET

Franklin Graham, President

© 2019 Samaritan's Purse

PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607

828-262-1980

SamaritansPurse.org

Daily Prayers and Scriptures: Wednesday, May 27

Daily Prayers and Scriptures: Wednesday, May 27: As we enter the seventh week of Easter, countries around the world implement diverse reopening strategies after COVID-19 shut-d...

A New Devotion - The Power of Faith

Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.

Matthew 8:18-27

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"

The Power of Faith

I believe some Christians have made a wrong assumption about faith in Jesus Christ. You see, they assume that when you believe and go through whatever process your particular group demands to join God’s team, your life certainly becomes easier if not easy. For example, where others have to struggle with fear and doubt, you now experience only certainty and confidence. And as the rest of humanity is forced to deal with health and financial issues, you’re teleported through life, enabling you to avoid all the gristle as you eat the steak. And while every other person learns to live with disappointments and unfairness, God puts his finger on the scale of justice in your favor;  therefore, you’re given a divine “get out of jail free” card that can be used anytime, anywhere. I believe this is the perspective that a lot of Christian have about faith, because that’s exactly what they’ve been taught by those who believe that winning converts is a game.

And I’ll tell you, I think that’s a real shame, and not just because it’s not true and those who buy what was sold end up disappointed. You see, when we think that following Jesus is a cake walk, we’re only deluding ourselves. No, being a Christian means sacrifice and self-denial. And it involves putting the needs of others before our own wants. And often it results in people treating us like we’re a bunch of patsies, because rest of the world believes that true strength is shown by arrogance, not humility. Simply put, faith is not the ticket to an easier life. And that’s actually good, because it offers so much more. You see, as our trust in God and Christ and the Spirit grows, so does our ability to see past the fear and doubt we might be feeling. It enables us to feel confident as we plow through life’s problems and hope as face disappointments and injustice. You see, rather lifting us over, our trust gives us the strength to endure the storms. And that’s the true power of faith.

A Thought from the Word

A brief thought based on James 1:18 - My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry.

Daily Prayers and Scriptures: Tuesday, May 26

Daily Prayers and Scriptures: Tuesday, May 26: As we enter the seventh week of Easter, countries around the world implement diverse reopening strategies after COVID-19 shut-...

Today in the Mission Yearbook - All ages fight hunger at First Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Virginia

Today in the Mission Yearbook - All ages fight hunger at First Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Virginia: On a recent Saturday, congregants packed 28,000 meals in two hours May 26, 2020 Dr. Terry Sinclair and his wife, Diane Sinclair, pac...

WCC NEWS: USA churches offer “A Time to Mourn" as COVID-19 deaths near 100,000

As the names of thousands of loved ones scrolled across their computer screens, many in the USA paused to mourn as the nation observed Memorial Day weekend. On 24 May, the National Council of Churches (USA) hosted “A Time to Mourn,” an online ecumenical memorial service for lives lost to COVID-19.

Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune, the council’s chief operating officer and minister of Congregational Life for Clifton Park Baptist Church in Maryland, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to come together.

“Faith leaders from across the country and from a broad spectrum of Christian traditions are participating in this service, but we are doing it online to try to remain safe and healthy,” she said. “We know that, in all things, Jesus bears our burdens and we do not bear them alone.”

Being severely limited in the ability to gather makes grief even more painful, reflected Jim Winkler, the council’s president and general secretary.

“Traditional funerals are not available to us,” said Winkler. “Therefore, today the ecumenical community holds this online memorial service for the more than 300,000 people worldwide who have lost their lives to COIVD-19,” said Winkler. “We do not know when this plague will leave us or even if we will exercise the collective discipline to hold it at bay.”

In a sermon, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, Rev. Michael Curry, reflected that, while coping with death is not easy for anyone, grieving in these times is even more difficult because we must remain physically distant from each other.

“Because in times like this we need to hold each other up,” said Curry. “Those who have died during this time, many have not had the comfort of having family and loved ones around them.”

And many people have not been able to bury their dead, he said. “Families have not been able to gather in the same way,” Curry said. “There is sadness, there is grief, there is mourning, there is hardship.”

Archbishop Dr Vicken Aykazian, World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee member and a legate of the Armenian Apostolic Church, offered a prayer, asking people to reach out with love and mercy to each other.

“All over the world, parents hold dying children, children tearfully bury parents, brothers and sisters are lost to eternity,” he said. “Friends and neighbors mourn.”

Our global family is sharing a grief that is both overwhelming and consuming, Aykazian said. “Humbly and with a heavy heart, I stand before you searching for words that will bring a sense and comfort in this time of anguish,” he said. “We all feel helpless but this is a time we must look to our Lord for his intervention.”

He urged people to play for an end to the deadly scourge. “Today I urge we pray for families and friends who mourn the loss of loved ones,” he said. “Today I urge we pray for those first responders, many of whom have given the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives.”

And pray for each other, Aykazian said. “We are brothers and sisters in this global community and must reach out with love and mercy.”

Bishop Teresa Jefferson- Snorton of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, who also serves on the WCC Central Committee, prayed for those whose hearts are breaking. “We especially pray for those who are mourning during COVID-19 because our rituals and traditions have been radically altered,” said said. “For those who today live with uncertainty because they cannot see loved ones or they don't know what tomorrow brings, we pray for them as well.”

Link to NCCCUSA

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.

Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press
Our visiting address is:
World Council of Churches
150 route de Ferney
Geneve 2 1211
Switzerland