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[4:14] Amen. Good morning. Welcome to worship. Welcome to what we sometimes call the Father's house. In Rochester, there's a church called the Father's house, but this is, and all churches are, the Father's or God's house.
[4:34] And we want everybody to feel as though they belong. And I was listening to a song this morning. Sometimes in this journey, I get lost in my mistakes.
[4:47] What looks to me like weakness is a canvas for your strength. And my story isn't over. My story's just begun. Failure won't define me because that's what my Father does.
[5:01] Lay your burdens down here in the Father's house. Check your shame at the door because it ain't welcome anymore. You're in the Father's house. Arrival is not the end game.
[5:12] The journey's where you are. You never wanted us to be perfect. You just wanted our hearts. Amen.
[5:23] I want to draw your attention to some of these things on this yellow sheet. One of the things that I want to specifically have us note is that next Saturday, Pastor Sherry will be commissioned.
[5:42] It's a service of commissioning and ordination. And normally, it's a service at annual conference that's attended by anywhere from 700 to over 1,000 people combined of pastors and laity from all the churches.
[6:01] This year is going to be different. And that is disappointing probably for Sherry, but at least she gets to go in person and she will be commissioned, which is in the United Methodist Church is provisional membership in the annual conference on your way to becoming ordained an elder.
[6:24] So, Adrian has set it up so that we just have to go to our church's website, right? And click on the ordination link that's at 1 o'clock?
[6:35] 3 o'clock. You have to be there at 1 o'clock. 3 o'clock in the afternoon next Saturday. And they may have it available to watch if you miss it at another time.
[6:48] I can't quite answer that question. Which leads me to the other parts of this, which is that on the 27th of June, we will not be saying goodbye to Sherry because she's not vaporizing.
[7:06] She's not ascending into heaven. She's simply going to be serving at another church. But part of her family is going to still live in the neighborhood.
[7:17] So you may see her around gardening or walking or doing whatever it is that she does when she's home. So we want to prayerfully send her off on June 27th and invite you to just read through that.
[7:39] Hear these words as a prayer. When the Father's in the room, the Jericho walls are shaking, strongholds are shaking, love is breaking through.
[7:50] When the Father's in the room, I said, love is breaking through. Lay your burdens down. Here we come to the Father's house. Check your shame and your disappointment at the door.
[8:05] You're in the Father's house. Lay your burden down. Here in the Father's house, you are in the Father's house. Amen. Please stand if you're able as we worship together.
[8:37] Okay. Jupiter'sasuble in the yoga. vine, auwaf, idolatry, Deviation.
[8:54] Purush of God. Born of His Spirit. Washed in His blood. This is my story.
[9:05] This is my song Praising my Savior All the day long This is my story This is my song Praising my Savior All the day long Perfect salvation Perfect delight Visions of rapture Now burst at my sight Angels descending Ring from above Echoes of mercy Whispers of love This is my story This is my song Praising my Savior All the day long This is my story This is my song
[10:06] Praising my Savior All the day long Perfect submission All is at rest I am my Savior I am happy and blessed Watching and waiting Looking above Filled with His goodness Lost in His love This is my story This is my song Praising my Savior Praising my Savior All the day long This is my story This is my song Praising my Savior All the day long Amen Amen And just take a moment And wave to everybody around
[11:09] A sharing of the peace Of the Holy Spirit Be with all of you Good morning again church As we take a moment As we take a moment To consider all the ways In which we have just shared The peace of God With one another Let's also consider Sharing in another way We come now to our time For generosity Our time where we Dig deep into what God Has shared with us That we might share With others And so you can always Give electronically Through the means You can see on the website You can also send your gifts To the church You can also If you are in the building Leave your gifts In one of the boxes Scattered throughout Let the Spirit move In your heart this morning And give generously Amen
[12:26] Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Thank you.
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[15:59] Thank you. her memorial service will be on Saturday at 11 and so I invite you to that but also there's a luncheon afterward and if you're able to help with that ministry at all please contact the office please also pray for a young man named Nick this is Paula Betcher's grandson and Jane Chadwick's great-grandson he was hit by a car and he's in very critical condition his name is Nick so we will be lifting him up in prayer and continue to do so please and so let's turn to the Lord in prayer holy God you are so good and you love us so much Lord help us to hold on to that in the trials and turmoils of life Lord help us to continue to hold on to know that you are here with us that you love us and that you will carry us through Lord we pray that you will take the concerns on our heart Lord the things spoken and unspoken and that you will have your hand upon them and reveal yourself to us in the midst of them Lord we pray for healing in all areas for you are our master physician the great healer we lift up to you people who are mourning for your comfort for your peace surround people with sorrow Lord with people who will speak words of encouragement and comfort and care and
[17:32] Lord we pray for those who are in need of healing physically we pray especially for Nick but many others Lord there are so many Lord who are experiencing pain experiencing disease experiencing all sorts of issues in their body bodies that are being harmed being broken Lord we pray for your healing we pray your healing manifest in people's bodies from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet the disease will be cast out in Jesus's name that things going on in people's bodies will be restored Lord I lift up to you people who are in need of healing in their relationships that you will give softened hearts open eyes open ears reconciliation Lord by your grace help people to have your strength and empower them to walk across the room to be with others and strength holy God we pray for our families we pray that you will fill our families with your love with your light we pray that you will empower parents to lead children in your ways Lord we pray for this church a covering of protection over this church and a filling of filling with your holy purpose a covering of filling with your holy purpose that you will be glorified continue to be glorified through these people through this ministry Lord we pray that you will continue to fill us by your power by your grace give us discernment give us your strength help us to walk wherever you send us and holy God we thank you and we praise you for you are our healer and we pray that all of the things that we've been carrying Lord that when you take them Lord you will fill us up with your peace that we will be free from the worry free from the dread free from the things that have held us down and we will be free free in you through you Lord we pray thanks to you for you for you are holy and you are loving and you are saving by the grace of Jesus Christ and in his name we pray amen you good morning today's scripture reading is from 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 hyma away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all. Therefore, all have died. And he died for all, so that those who
[21:35] might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view. Even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. Everything old has passed away. See, everything has become new. This is the word of our Lord. Thanks be to God.
[22:18] Thank you for that. How many of you live right now in the place that you most deeply consider your home? How many of you find that there is a place that when someone said, where is your home, you think of a place that you used to live? Anybody? Home is a different kind of definition for different people. You know, I grew up in a moving family. So home ultimately became my grandparents' house on the Chesapeake Bay, where they were always there. Of course, after they moved from Washington, D.C., they were always there. They never moved. That's where they lived until the end of their life and their lives. And that was the place that held the memories that made home.
[23:25] Each of us has a place that we may consider home. A place where so many memories are held, where so many experiences have been had.
[23:39] And that I wrote an article that was, interestingly enough, published about what home meant to me. And because of having grown up and then joined a profession of moving people, ultimately, I described home as where my family was, where my husband was, where the dog was.
[24:05] It was far more poetic than that. But it wasn't necessarily a physical place. Now, if you ask my children, they would name a parsonage along the way that felt the most like home.
[24:20] I believe that two of them would pick the one over in the Clarence School District when we lived there. And the other one may choose that one or he may choose Penfield, where he graduated from high school.
[24:37] Home is a place, I think, at its best of love. It's a place of grace. It's a place where sometimes people get the maddest because they know or they trust that forgiveness is in the house.
[24:56] That's sometimes why our children can be absolutely, excellently behaved, wait for it, when they're at someone else's house. But when we pick them up from childcare or we pick them up from school or from a friend's house, there it goes.
[25:13] Out the window. I don't want to go home. We happen to have a son who feels things very deeply. And just to, there were two major trips.
[25:26] One was we went to the Outer Banks camping and he made such good friends with a young boy at the campsite next to him. I dare say, because I know he's not listening, his name is Colin.
[25:41] And when we had to pick up stakes, literally, and leave the Outer Banks, he was sad, he cried. And then, of all things, we passed Colin's family on the highway somewhere in Virginia.
[25:54] Burst into tears all over again. A little while later, we mentioned how good of a friend Colin was. Don't say his name. He went to California to be with his aunt and uncle.
[26:09] All of our children went to spend two weeks in San Diego with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. And when he came home, he said, I don't want to come home. I want to live.
[26:20] I want to live there. Why do we live in this little dinky town? I don't want to live here. He wanted to live with us. But he wanted home to move to someplace.
[26:31] Little did he know that if we moved there, it wouldn't be like living with Uncle Mark and Aunt Nance. Not at all. It would be like home home. Home is also a place where things can get messy.
[26:46] So I want to reference some of our scripture specifically verses 6 through 8 of 2 Corinthians 5.
[26:57] So we are always confident, even though we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.
[27:07] Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. The question is, how do we be at home with the Lord when we have not yet died and ascended to heaven?
[27:28] How do we consider dying to what he talks about as the body or home and living in life with Jesus Christ?
[27:44] How do we separate all of that? I think in some ways, the scripture passage helps us to do that. In some ways, it keeps us a little bit confused.
[27:55] The reality is, is that what Paul wants, and Paul wants throughout everything he ever wrote, was for us to understand that by the grace of Jesus Christ, lived, died, and resurrected, we are loved.
[28:10] And we are given salvation, and we go to heaven. Paul also takes a little bit of a turn in this passage when he talks about how each one of us will appear before God and get our recompense for how we have either lived in love with the body of Christ or not.
[28:37] And some commentaries will say, what is up with this? What's up with the Paul who always says, saved by grace? And if you don't think about grace much, you can't earn it, you can't make it happen, it's not yours to give to yourself.
[28:55] And saving grace isn't ours to give to anyone. So where is Paul going with this sense of if we are, that we are going to be held accountable for our mistakes?
[29:07] Now how many of you have always believed that we will be held accountable for our mistakes in heaven? Some? And some, not ready to admit.
[29:21] Who do we imagine standing at the gate? No imagination? Jesus? Who do the stories tell?
[29:35] It's Peter. Jesus is inside the gate. Wait, maybe there's not a gate at all. Because what Paul teaches us is really saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, born, raised, died for our sins, and resurrected.
[29:56] So that is true. And in this passage, a part of what is coming from this is a sense of God's availability to be our home.
[30:09] This is our Father's home. This is our Father's house. This is where, if God could have his way through Jesus Christ, we would come through those doors, and literally, things would fall off of us as we walked towards the building in the parking lot.
[30:28] Now we pray that those aren't things that we actually see. But think about the things that we carry. We carry the blame for our mistakes.
[30:41] We carry the ways that we might have hurt people. We carry the ways in which we might have even been asked to serve God in some way, and we said no.
[30:51] And we always wonder whether maybe we should have said yes. Or maybe we said yes, when maybe that wasn't what God was inviting us to do.
[31:06] Mistakes in marriages and parenting. Is there anybody here who didn't make any mistakes in parenting? Yeah, that speaks.
[31:17] Anybody who hasn't made any mistakes in marriage, if you're married. And for those of us, not me, but those of us, who have been married, or haven't yet been married, but it hasn't worked out, there's a lot of pain and a lot of need for grace.
[31:42] For people who have never been married, there's a longing and a hoping and a dreaming of what that can be. Most of the time, our children think we are perfect parents, and if they don't think that when they're teenagers, because they often don't, when they get to my children's ages, if all things work together for good, they will tell us how blessed they have been to have the parents who didn't let them watch R-rated movies, who didn't let them go with friends if they didn't wear their seatbelt, who were no fun, didn't have the best of all game things, and when we reeled them in, someday, they discover how moved they are by how loved they have been.
[32:46] This is the Father's house. And that, my friends, is the way that Paul calls us to come here.
[32:57] To come here and lay down the burdens, to lay down the shame, to believe once and for all and finally and always and ever, never again be broken by our past.
[33:14] You know, I have, I have clean dirt under my fingernails. It's clean dirt because I really tried.
[33:26] But living this life as a person of faith is messy. Living this life as a person who proclaims Jesus Christ as Savior sometimes involves getting dirty.
[33:40] and try as we might, we can't get the dirt out of our fingernails. We can't get that one sin, that one rejection, that one devastation, that one death, that one loss.
[33:54] We cannot get the pain and the regret and the lack of forgiveness out of ourselves. Because while the world might say that we're all finger pointers about other people's mistakes and we might be, but most people, most people, when it comes down to it, I'm not looking at the dirt under your fingernails.
[34:19] I'm looking at mine and feeling sometimes the past, sometimes the minute, sometimes as a child, sometimes as an adult, sometimes what was and sometimes what won't be.
[34:44] Paul begs us to walk by faith and not by sight. to walk by faith and not by sight.
[34:59] To not in the seeing of everything that is behind us. And I'll probably preach on this a million times so you'll get used to it.
[35:11] You cannot go that way when you're facing this way. Wait, that's the cross so can't do that. You can't go that way if you're looking this way because you will fall down those stairs.
[35:21] We hold the losses dear to our heart always. We look for forgiveness. We try to be forgiving.
[35:36] To live in the body is to live in that which is human. And we're all human last I checked. I know the news says maybe not but you look human and you look alive.
[35:53] To live in Christ to live in Christ is to say I am going to do my very best to not succumb to the darkness of what it means to be in the body.
[36:10] To be in the human self. The part that wants our own way. The parts that are crushed by the world around us. the parts that have no home. Because sometimes and we see it sometimes with teenagers sometimes in the worst parts of their lives are the times they feel most alone when they walk into a church when they walk into their church when they walk into a faith gathering at college walk into a place that they come to know as a place where Jesus loves them.
[36:45] it's going home. It's going home. Home in Christ is the place where there's no shame because we are forgiven.
[37:04] And in a little bit when we have communion that is the mark of forgiveness. The body of Christ broken for you. The blood of Christ shed for you so that whatever things you carry might be left might be forgiven and shed.
[37:28] Home. Last week I ended the service with talking about my grandson who last week I said was almost one.
[37:39] Well, he is one. Turned one on Friday. And he is walking a little bit more. But the reality is, which is the reality of our Christian lives, is that at that stage in their lives they walk a little, fall a little, walk a little, fall a little, walk a little, fall a little.
[37:58] And soon he will likely have his first scraped knee or whatever happens once he gets moving and gets away from his parents. Not very far.
[38:09] we are the same way. We walk a little, fall a little, walk a little, fall a little. We walk towards Jesus and then we lose track. We believe and we believe and we believe but sometimes we wander and we fall flat on our face or flat on our behind.
[38:33] The reality is there are no perfect people. There are no perfect people in God's house. There are no perfect pastors. None.
[38:49] There's no perfect anyone except for Jesus Christ. And I didn't bring it with me this morning but I will try to reference a quote that Brene Brown uses in her book called Daring Greatly.
[39:03] And she references Teddy Roosevelt who says, now this is a big paraphrase, it's not the people watching from the stands that matter.
[39:15] It's not the critics who count. It's not the people who never gave it a chance that matter. It's the people that are in the arena running, working, trying, falling flat on their face and getting up and their faces are covered with dust and sweat and they get up and they try again.
[39:40] Those are the people God has called. That looks different for each one of us. I don't think gardening is my spiritual gift so I don't want to compare my dirty fingernails to the work that God has called me to do.
[39:57] but trust me, there is falling, there is dirt, there is a lot of sweat and for anyone who's ever volunteered to follow Jesus that's exactly what it's going to be like.
[40:13] We are the ones who get to be the witnesses that say, whatever you've heard about Christians having the perfect life and doing the perfect thing every time or acting like that's what it's like, you get to be the ones who say, oh no, oh no, that is not it.
[40:34] What it is is you live your life, you point yourself toward Jesus and when you fall you know there's a Savior there to help you get up. Humans at home with Jesus Christ at home in the Father's house at home in the forgiveness and the grace that comes through a God who gave up his son physically so that we might be forgiven and live a new life.
[41:08] That's no small thing. So carry it with you and be blessed. Be forgiven. You are forgiven.
[41:19] You are forgiven. You are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. While God the Lord is forgiven and burden He pernah down to you we gather here – – We gather here in Jesus' name His love is burning in our hearts like living flame For through His loving Son The Father makes us one Come take the bread, come drink the wine Come share the Lord
[42:20] No one is a stranger here Everyone belongs Finding our forgiveness here We in turn forgive all wrongs He joins us here He breaks the bread The Lord who pours the cup is risen from the dead The one we love the most Is now our gracious host Come take the bread, come drink the wine Come share the Lord We are now the valley Of which the Lord is fed
[43:25] The one seed He meets us here In the breaking of the bread We'll gather soon We'll see the glory of our God and coming King The glory of our God and coming King Now we anticipate The feast for which we wait Come take the bread, come drink the wine Come share the Lord The Lord Please be seated And now as we come to the Lord's table
[44:32] Know that you are indeed home And let us ready our hearts As we prepare to partake of what Jesus has freely given The Lord be with you Lift up your hearts Let us give thanks to the Lord our God It is right to give our thanks and praise It is right and a good and joyful thing Always and everywhere to give thanks to you Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth You formed us in your image And breathed into us the breath of life When we turned away and our love failed Your love remained steadfast You delivered us from captivity Made covenant to be our sovereign God Spoke to us through your prophets Who looked for that day When justice would roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream When nations should not lift up sword against nation
[45:35] Neither would they learn war anymore And so with your people on earth And all the company of heaven We praise your name and join their unending hymn Holy, holy, holy Lord God of power and might Heaven and earth are full of your glory Hosanna in the highest Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Holy are you and blessed is your son Jesus the Christ Your spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor To proclaim release of the captives And recovering of sight to the blind To set at liberty those who are oppressed And to announce that the time had come When you would save your people He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection
[46:37] You gave birth to your church Delivered us from slavery to sin and death And made with us a new covenant by water and the spirit At his ascension you exalted him To sit and reign with you at your right hand And on the night in which Jesus gave himself up for us He took bread He gave thanks to you and he broke the bread Then he gave it to his disciples saying Take and eat For this is my body which is broken for you Do this in remembrance of me When the supper was over he took the cup He gave thanks to you and then he gave it to his disciples And he said drink from this all of you For this is my blood Sign of the new covenant Which is poured out for you And for the forgiveness of sins Do this as often as you drink it In remembrance of me
[47:39] And now in remembrance of these Your mighty acts in Jesus Christ We offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving As a holy and living sacrifice In union with Christ's offering for us As we proclaim the mystery of faith Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will come again Pour out your Holy Spirit on us Gathered here and on these gifts of bread and cup Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ That we may be for the world The body of Christ Redeemed by his blood By your spirit Make us one with Christ One with each other And one in ministry to all the world Until Christ comes in final victory And we feast at his heavenly banquet Through your son Jesus Christ With your Holy Spirit in your holy church All honor and glory is yours Almighty God
[48:40] Now and forever And now let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray Our Father who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom And the power And the glory forever Amen I would invite you to take your elements And open the side that has the bread And understand that this is the body of Christ Which was given for you Take now and receive Turn to the other side and open the cup
[49:45] And know that this is the blood of Christ Which was shed for you Take now and receive As you receive God's most precious gift May it be a blessing to you Amen As you receive God's most precious gift May it be a blessing to you Amen Amen All the colors of the rainbow All the voices of the wind
[50:49] Every dream that reaches out That reaches out to find where love begins Every word of every story Every star in every sky Every corner of creation lives to testify For as long as I shall live I will testify The love of me I will testify My love With every breath I take Will give thanks to God above me For as long as I shall live I will testify My love From the mountains to the valleys
[51:50] From the rivers to the sea Every hand that reaches up Every hand that reaches up To all the peace Every simple act of mercy Every self to think of love All alone in every heart My heart, speak the Lord, that's done For as long as I shall live I will testify to God I'll be rid of sinless silences And words are not enough With every breath I take He will be thanks to God alone For as long as I shall live I will testify to God For as long as I shall live
[52:53] I will testify to God I'll be rid of sinless silences And words are not enough With every breath I take He will be thanks to God alone For as long as I shall live I will testify to God Good morning We stand here as members of the Staff Parish Relations Committee And there's two things we want to talk to you about The first is just a reminder of what Pastor Kathy said about Pastor Sherry's farewell I know that June 27th sounds like a long time from now But it's two weeks from today And we really need all the count in for the brunch that we're doing
[53:54] It's a brunch outside in the back parking lot And Joseph's Catering Debbie and Rich Joseph, members of this church, are putting on a beautiful brunch But we do need you to reserve tickets I had said that today was the day But we'll extend the day We need to get all of that in So you can do it online You can call the church office Send in a check Or pay online So it'll be two weeks from today Immediately following service Hopefully it'll be a beautiful day like it is today And the second thing that we want to talk to you about Is that we're happy to announce That our superintendent Reverend Carlos Rosa Has appointed Jennifer Stamm To Pendleton Center And she'll be part of the support team With our current pastors Jennifer comes to us most recently from Orchard Park UMC She has a passion for missions Children and youth And discipleship of all ages She's married to Michael And they have three children Thomas, who's graduating from high school very soon
[54:57] Maddie, who is 14 And Eva, who is 10 Jennifer's first Sunday with us Will be the 4th of July So we hope you'll be here to welcome her She and her family are very excited To be coming to Pendleton And they look forward to being a part Of the ministry team here So something to look forward to as well Thank you Part of the reason that I asked Scott and Sherry To stand with me here Is that the same system That has brought Scott and I here And yes, sends Sherry somewhere else But so that she can be the pastor Of two of her very own churches Where she gets to live into her gifts And lead in a brand new way It is a system In which we trust that no matter what God's Holy Spirit works And so I invite you to stand
[56:00] And hear these words of benediction May the Lord Who has brought us to this place And who will not leave us ever Go with you in trust In confidence And may you always remember That this Is our Father's house And your home That your relationship with God Through Jesus Christ Is also your home Go loved Go forgiven And go in peace Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen
[57:03] Amen Thank you.
[57:34] Thank you.
[58:04] Thank you.