Purpose & Meaning: Coherence

[0:00] Transcribed by ESO, translated by — Amen.

[1:00] Amen. Amen.

[2:00] Amen. Amen.

[3:00] Amen. Amen. Amen.

[4:00] Amen. I love... Kim and Bob that Churches, uh, most successful Mission Outreach Organization. Every donation goes to mission, not to administration and they are on the ground whenever there is a tornado, curriculum, you name it, whether it's in the southern tier or here in Buffalo, or over in, um, the Mohawk Valley region, they are there, and they are there first, until everything is cleaned up as best as can be.

[4:32] And many people have been on mission trips that are supported by UMCOR, and I just can't, I just, it's like the thing. I can't encourage you enough to help to support the Ministry of the United Methodist Commission on Relief, which is that, what this is.

[4:51] Fish fries? Carl, do you need to say anything? No? No? Volunteer. Yep, if you can help for an hour, a night, every week, the three weeks are coming up starting this coming weekend, so the sign-up sheets are back there, and we invite you to give a hand, or a pie, or something.

[5:16] Anything else that you can think of? United Method, United Women of Faith, which used to be United Methodist Women, the first week in October, they would normally be meeting on Thursday, but they are meeting on Wednesday that week because of annual conference.

[5:36] So noon in the fellowship hall for any women who would like to attend. We are without some of our leaders this morning. You know, things are going around, so we will continue to pray for their health and well-being, and hey, waited all this time to get Steve Sosnowski on the drums, like you guys, you got something to look forward to.

[6:00] Woo-hoo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!

[6:10] Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!

[6:23] Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!

[6:34] Woo! Woo! How Hammond! Woo! Jesus calls us for the tumult of our lives wild restless sea.

[6:47] Day by day his sweet voice sounded, saying, Christian, follow me. Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world's golden store.

[7:06] From each idol that would keep us, saying, Christian, love me more. Jesus calls us by thy mercies, Savior, may we hear thy call.

[7:26] Give our hearts to thy obedience, love and serve thee best of all.

[7:36] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[7:48] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[7:59] Amen. Amen. Who am I that the highest king would welcome me?

[8:15] I was lost but he brought me in Oh his love for me Oh his love for me Oh the sun sets free Oh it's free indeed I'm a child of God Yes I am Realized he has ransomed His grace was made While I was a slave to sin Jesus died for me Yes he died for me Oh the sun sets free

[9:17] Oh it's free indeed I'm a child of God Yes I am In my father's house There's a place for me I'm a child of God Yes I am I am chosen I am who you say I am You are for me Not a better screen I am who you say I am I am chosen Not forsaken I am who you say I am You are for me

[10:20] Not against me I am who you say I am Yes I am who you say I am Who the sun sets free Who is free indeed I am who you say I am I am who you say I am Yes I am Yes I am In my father's house There's a place for me I am I am a child of God Yes I am I am In my father's house There's a place for me I am who you say I am I am who you say I am

[11:20] I am who you say I am I am who you say I am I am who you say I am I am who you say I am You may be seated You may be seated Good morning church As we gather together today We continue our journey through this sermon series called Leading Causes of Life Leading Causes of Life Leading Causes of Life Today what we are going to talk about is the importance of being able to do what we can do We do and we live We do and we live That's the title We do and we live Recognizing our own agency With that in mind Let us open in this word of prayer I will lead one part And you will say the responses Let us open our hearts to God together We are here to worship a remarkable God A remarkable God Come on God The grace of Christ awaits us

[12:22] The joy of the Spirit who holds us Don't come as slaves Come as the truly free Don't come as petitioners Come as those who are already heard Don't come you Don't come as transfer Don't come as interlopers Come as the joyful, come as the eager, come as the thankful, come as the recipients of amazing grace.

[13:18] Amen. So one might ask, what does it mean when a pastor go gets a microphone?

[13:40] When the pastor go gets the microphone, it's time for Dan Putney to come up here and share a few words as we enter this time of offering. Thank you. Thank you.

[13:51] I wore my tall shoes. Did you? What do you think? I appreciate it. That's for sure. Well, good morning, everybody. For those of you who I don't know, my name is Dan Putney. I'm a member of the Finance Committee, better known as Kelly Putney's husband.

[14:06] And if you've ever sat in this section behind me, you know exactly who I am. You can see nothing the entire service. But as you know, there have been people from the Finance Committee who have gotten up over the last couple of weeks and just talking about some of the struggles that we're having as a church financially.

[14:27] And, you know, it's really no different than what a lot of other organizations are going through today. We are affected by COVID. We're affected by the economy. We're affected by attendance.

[14:38] So if you have friends, bring them back. And, you know, but what I want to talk about today is the blessing of giving. Throughout the entire Bible, whether it's the Old Testament or the New Testament, God talks about blessing those who give and have faith to give.

[14:53] You know, I remember, in fact, as I look around the room, some of you guys are aware as well, I've worked for companies that have struggled, that went through reorganization, that went through downsizing.

[15:06] And it affected me and the family as well. And if you've never been through it, let me tell you, it's pretty tough, right? You get that call of the company's downsizing, you're affected, here's a severance check for some loyalty and a few weeks of work.

[15:20] And you benefit stop at the end of the month. And I remember sitting and thinking with Kelly as we're writing out a check for the, for our final severance check. And just praying to God that we'd find another job.

[15:33] And he delivered. In fact, shortly after I got a text from a friend saying, that worked with in the past saying, hey, I've got this job and I think it would be perfect for you. It's a great position. And it was actually better than the one I just left.

[15:45] But I think where that story gets better is we have no idea what God's capable of. Because not only did he help me from the financial aspect, he was able to open my eyes to people who were financially struggling.

[16:00] Who just for one reason or another were having a tough time. And he gave me opportunities. He gave me the opportunity to go hand food in Buffalo and Niagara Falls to people who maybe didn't know where their next meal was coming from.

[16:13] He gave me opportunities just to lend a hand to somebody who was down. And I say that because God blesses us in so many ways and he uses us when we give ourselves and give what we have to help others.

[16:28] You know, in 2 Corinthians 9, he says to give and you'll be rich in every way. And through that generosity will be thanksgiving to God. You know, we have a beautiful church here.

[16:41] And we have built it over the years with the generosity of everybody in this room. And the people have gone before us. You know, I ask that you continue to give with that generosity.

[16:52] Continue to have faith that this will work out from a financial aspect. I know it will. You know, every service we talk about trusting in God for our salvation. Trusting in God for forgiving our sins.

[17:05] Pretty confident we can trust in him for our finances. So thank you for your generosity. Please continue to give as we go through this tough time. And God bless. God bless.

[17:45] Our backs in God. You know, in all my sins. Our history is about We know that you for us to live our actions.

[18:05] Like you and our friarist, Our palms are changing our lives of dx. I know that we have made the most good Nie lig để安 Temple. Our growth in all your kindness. Olympic Games You live forever and ever.

[18:21] You are forever worthy, Lord. Honor and power and glory are yours.

[18:33] But to know you will be crowned, the dying of praise. You are the God who saves.

[18:44] You're ever worthy, Lord. You are the Lord. You are the Lord.

[18:58] You are the Lord. You are the Lord. You are the Lord. You are the Lord. You live forever and ever Like as crowns of ceaseless praise You live forever and ever And you are forever worthy, Lord Honor and power and glory are yours You will be crowned with highest praise You are the God who saves forever, worthy, Lord You are forever, worthy, Lord

[20:01] You are forever, worthy, Lord You are forever, Jesus You're worthy forever, Lord You are forever worthy, Lord Honor and power and glory are yours You will be crowned with highest praise You are the God who saves forever, worthy, Lord

[21:05] Jesus forever, worthy, Lord You are foreveroro I will forever, Santa Maria The Queen of the Core Thank you.

[21:49] Thank you.

[22:19] You gave us the strength and the power to do as we are able to do. And you have blessed us and we have blessed one another.

[22:31] This church has blessed this community. And we have been blessed by this church. So we give you thanks. We give you all the glory as we praise you this day and offer ourselves in Jesus' name.

[22:47] Amen. You may be seated. One of the things that we like to do is ask whether there are prayer requests or prayer needs that you would like to share with your brothers and sisters in Christ, celebrations, needs.

[23:10] Yes. For his brother, the people in the south who have a hurricane bearing down on them.

[23:26] And also unusually the people in Canada also having storm troubles. Yes. So for Anna's friend, Lindsay, who's an ECMC struggling with many difficult health situations.

[23:54] Yes. The residents of Puerto Rico. The residents of Puerto Rico. Yes. Yes. Last week I asked for prayers to my brother-in-law who had some health issues and he came home on Friday.

[24:07] Wonderful. So thank you for the prayer. Oh, wonderful. So Sarah's brother came home from the hospital. Thank you. Let us pray.

[24:22] Oh God, so often we look for what we can control. And this world constantly reminds us that that is so little and so small.

[24:36] We are invited when we feel these feelings of being out of control or not being able to make things turn out the way that we want.

[24:50] You are always present. You are always present no matter what and no matter where. So that when we frantically look for how we can fix things, we are mindful that your Holy Spirit says, come, come to me.

[25:13] We don't always understand how God works. But one of the things, oh Lord, I know for sure, is how present you are in times of trouble.

[25:24] How present you are in times of celebration. How present you are in birth and death and everything in between. So we pray for healing.

[25:39] We pray for safety for those who find themselves right in the path of a storm. And maybe the storm comes from outside and maybe the storm is inside.

[25:51] Lord, work with doctors, nurses, therapists, all the people involved in treatment and care.

[26:02] May their hands be your hands. May their kindness come from faith. May their love for their patients and what they were called to do be renewed on a daily basis.

[26:17] Hear our prayers. We need you. We celebrate you. We honor you. And we come to you. Lord, guide us.

[26:30] You take control. Let us be comforted in your care. In Jesus' name. Amen. Good morning.

[26:58] Good morning. Good morning. Happy fall. This is what we're looking at. Today's scripture reading is taken from two books.

[27:08] First, James, chapter 2, verses 14 to 26. And then after that, the book of John, chapter 15, verses 9 through 17.

[27:21] What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.

[27:34] If one of you says to them, go in peace, keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

[27:48] But someone will say, you have faith, I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God.

[28:00] Good. Even the demons believe that and shudder. Foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

[28:16] You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend.

[28:35] You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do, and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?

[28:53] As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. And from John, As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

[29:06] Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this, so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

[29:20] My command is this, love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.

[29:32] You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

[29:46] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

[29:59] This is my command, love each other. This is the word of our Lord. Thanks be to God. Mystery cracks and beeps.

[30:24] That's always fun when you're getting ready to start. Would you join me for a word of prayer, please? Loving and gracious God, we give you thanks for this time. We give you thanks for who you are and the ways in which you are at work in each of our lives.

[30:39] Now, Lord, having come with our hearts open in worship, having sung your praise, heard your word, and offered prayer, move among us and plant a seed in each of us that you know we need.

[30:51] Let it grow and let it bear fruit for the honor and the glory of your name. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray. Amen. So, there's a simple question I'm willing to bet everybody in here has been asked at some time in their life.

[31:07] What do you do? When you meet people, it's usually a question that comes up pretty easily, right? You shake hands, you say, hey, you know, you get to know someone's name, and pretty soon it's like, so what do you do?

[31:21] And it just is an ordinary part of conversation. Sometimes we even move past the professional piece, and we start talking about, well, what do you do for fun? But it's always about doing something, right?

[31:33] And when you say you do something, usually you've actually done it, right? But, you know, sometimes that's tricky, right?

[31:44] I mean, if you say you are a runner, for example, that means at some point you put on the shoes, you go outside, and you actually go fast from here to there, right? If you say that you're a cook, that means you actually go into a kitchen, get some food, do something with it, and give it to other people, right?

[32:03] If you say you're a musician, that means you actually have an instrument, you pick it up, you play it, and people hear it, and it sounds good, right? So, this thing about doing things is kind of important.

[32:19] It's weird when you actually consider how much of our lives is defined by what we do. You know, we can say a lot, but our lives are really defined by what we do. Just as we said, right?

[32:31] Cooks cook, runners run, musicians play, Christians, you ever think about that part? Because that doing thing matters there, too.

[32:49] That we don't just get to talk about our faith, we're supposed to do some stuff that actually shows folks that our faith is real. That's an important point for us today.

[33:02] Because as we talk about this idea of leading causes of life, how we do things, how we engage in practices, how we strengthen our relationship with God so that we do things that actually affirm life in us, things that are life-giving as opposed to life-draining, things that make us feel better as opposed to make us feel worse, things that draw us closer to God instead of take us further away from God, leading causes of life.

[33:33] One of the things that we often overlook is our own power to do something. And that's an important lesson.

[33:45] Especially as we go through life. Because I know everyone in here has probably faced a life circumstance at some point that was so big, so bad, you looked at it and probably had a moment when you thought, but there's nothing I can do.

[34:02] I'm willing to bet everybody said that sentence, yes? There's nothing I can do. And in some degree, that's probably true.

[34:17] I mean, if you're not a surgeon, if you haven't found the cure for cancer, then there's probably nothing. You look at your own two hands and think, well, there's nothing I can do.

[34:27] But friends, we want to look at this a little bit differently today. Because when we realize who we are and we realize who our God is and we recognize that that power to do something is always there, then we actually tap into what gives life as opposed to what takes life away.

[34:58] So let's make sure we understand that well. Because helplessness is the worst feeling in the world. If you've ever really felt helpless when certain circumstances had hit you and you were like, well, what am I going to do?

[35:20] I don't know. And I struggle. And I think. And I'm like, none of this is working. Not only do I not know what to do, everything I've tried to do is not working. One of the things that's really quick is that some folks just want to do because it makes them feel better.

[35:35] Right? Doing something is better than doing nothing. And some folks love to dive in and get busy real, real fast. Because the sitting still and sitting in it is not helpful for them.

[35:47] So they do something. But the problem is, is all that doing doesn't actually produce fruit. It's just doing. And as I said, for some folks, they'd rather do anything than do nothing.

[36:01] Regardless of whether or not it helps. But that's a sign of helplessness. But as people who are helpless, if you've ever found yourself stuck in that place, what it really starts to turn into where it gets really bad is when helplessness turns into hopelessness.

[36:24] Have you ever dealt with somebody who's truly lost hope? Who's truly given up? Because the way they talk is different.

[36:38] The way they move is different. If they're moving at all. That is truly understanding what takes life away as opposed to what gives life.

[36:53] Hopelessness is horrible. But as people who claim Jesus, as people who know God, one thing we should never be without is hope.

[37:08] Because that's who our God is. So how do we not fall into that trap? How do we not fall into either of the traps we've talked about?

[37:20] which is getting busy doing the wrong stuff. Or worse yet, being stuck and becoming hopeless. This is a bit of a walk.

[37:32] So I'm going to need you to make sure you stay with me here. But let's start with the lesson that James teaches us. Because the lesson that James is teaching us is key. Because it's about doing something.

[37:48] And when James is talking about doing something, he's not only talking about doing something, he's talking about doing the right things. Not only doing the right things, but doing the right things for the right reasons.

[38:03] And it's critical that we get this. So let's hear what James said again. And I'm not going to read the whole thing. I mean, Amy did a great job. But I'm going to read a part.

[38:13] Okay? So we're going to start at verse 14. We're in James chapter 2, verse 14. My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it?

[38:28] Claiming to have faith can't save anyone, can it? Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and has never enough food to eat. What if one of you said, go in peace, stay warm, have a nice meal?

[38:41] What good is it if you don't actually give them what their body needs? in the same way faith is dead when it doesn't result in faithful activity.

[38:53] Here's where people get this twisted. Because people have had this debate about faith and works going back to almost the beginning of the early church.

[39:04] That's actually one of the reasons James is writing. Okay? Because he wants people to understand what it means to walk as a Christian. Now this debate about faith and works is this debate about the order.

[39:20] See, here's where people get it twisted. And I'm going to, I would wonder if we've probably felt this way ourselves or we might know someone who feels this way.

[39:33] That they think that doing nice things is their ticket to heaven. In other words, I'm a nice person, and I do nice things, therefore, when I die, God's going to let me in.

[39:50] Okay? Now, that is not right. If you hear nothing else today, hear that. That is not right.

[40:02] Here's why that's not right. Because people can do nice things with ulterior motives. no, don't get me wrong.

[40:13] God, if a hungry person eats, God has absolutely no problem with that. However, you can do a good thing for the wrong reasons. There's another way this piece is not right.

[40:26] Because you can do a good thing, and even if it's not for a bad reason, you can do the good thing and completely not be in connection with God.

[40:39] In other words, you can give that hungry person something to eat, but you have absolutely zero connection with Jesus. Hear this, and hear this well.

[40:52] That it is surrendering your heart to the truth that Jesus came, died, and rose again for your sins and the sins of all mankind that actually gets you into heaven.

[41:07] Not doing nice things. Those are not the same thing at all. Make sure you do not get that twisted. Now, here's where we get it right.

[41:20] If you have surrendered your heart to Christ, then you do nice things because you love Christ. and if you follow Christ and do what Christ commands us to do, then you are doing the works in the right way.

[41:41] Okay? So, you don't just get to say, great, I've claimed it, cool, I'll sit out. That's one of the things you just heard James say.

[41:52] Say, what good is it if you claim faith, but faith doesn't turn into faithful activity? faith. I love the line in this passage where he says, you may say you have faith and I have deeds, but I will show you my faith by what I have done.

[42:14] That's my evidence. That's my record. That's my proof. I said what I believed and I put it into practice. I didn't just claim it. that's where we need to go with this.

[42:29] That if you have claimed God, then you move through the world and do things that reflect the God you profess. That's where this comes into play.

[42:41] And it is about the doing. Remember what we said? Cooks cook, runners run, musicians play, and Christians fill in the blank.

[42:53] this is critical that we get this piece right. Because there's a whole lot of people wearing jewelry around their necks, playing certain music in their cars, and saying nice things, but they're not actually living their faith.

[43:15] And that's the difference maker. That's the difference maker. We have to get to that place. that's the world.

[43:25] That's the body of Christ and change the world. That's how that is done. So let's get back to our challenge today though.

[43:37] That time when we start to feel helpless, that the world is weighing in on us. You say, well, pastor, that thing from James makes sense. And okay, I get that. It doesn't help me if I'm facing one of these overwhelming circumstances.

[43:51] Because I just don't get to go and do a nice thing and it solves my problems. That's true. But hear this differently. Because the point we are up against now is not the do anything piece, but it's doing the faithful thing.

[44:08] Doing the God thing. And that's where the passage from John hits us so hard. Because as we said, and I've fallen into this trap myself, where it's easy to get busy.

[44:23] You can make yourself fill your day. You can do all kinds of stuff. That's not hard. And some folks, that's how they cope. The world hits them with something hard. They just want to get after it and do something.

[44:35] Maybe it means they don't have to think about it. Maybe it means that they think, well, even if I do this, then I'm doing something, right? But here's the thing.

[44:46] I want you to imagine you have a tub that's overflowing. And so you run and you grab your bucket. And you start bailing.

[45:00] There's that click again. I don't know. Make sure I'm saying the right things. So you start bailing, right? You're busy.

[45:12] Okay, I think this has something to do with this connection. Adrian will fix me if something's wrong. Okay? So you're bailing, right? And you're busy and you're working and you feel good about it.

[45:26] Problem is you haven't done anything about the problem. That's where our point is today.

[45:39] It's not hard to work. It's not hard to do stuff. But are you doing what needs to be done? Are you doing what God wants done?

[45:55] That's where we want to focus. Because as we said, that issue with the tub, if you just grab the bucket and start bailing, you're working really hard.

[46:06] You may feel good about yourself. But what about fixing the leak? If that's not where your energy is going, then all your busyness means nothing.

[46:27] That's what this passage and that's what this message is about. So how do we get there? See, this thing about doing, we often get wrong in the ways that we think that we have to be breaking a sweat to be doing.

[46:48] But if you are waiting in an airport to catch a flight, you might be sitting in the chair with your cup of coffee, but you're actually doing something.

[47:02] I mean, you're not running through the airport and you don't have to have your laptop open and all that sort of stuff, but you're doing what needs to be done. See, the thing is, waiting is a conscious action.

[47:14] You know you're doing it when you're doing it. You're waiting. Same thing about resting. If you have a to-do list that probably fills up seven days a week, 365, and you could be working all the time, there's always the next thing needs to be done, whether it's something around the house or something for work or something else you could be doing that's productive.

[47:39] That's not hard to do, but you make a choice to rest. And when you do that, you know it when you're doing it. That is an action.

[47:53] But we think we have to be doing stuff, right? Right? The reason why I say that is because when you get hit with one of these overwhelming life circumstances, maybe it's a medical diagnosis, maybe it's a loss of a job, maybe it's some other sort of family emergency, comes into your world and it's rocked you to your very core.

[48:25] And that instinct kicks in that says do something or you've looked at it and you go, you have to remember that we always have agency is what it's called.

[48:39] Agency is a fancy social science term for the human capacity to act. And we always have agency. The thing that we get wrong is the world teaches us that unless you are busy in this kind of way, that you're not doing the right thing.

[48:57] But hear what Jesus says. We go to that piece in John. It kind of takes us back to a funky place, the way Jesus kind of turns the world upside down for us again, right?

[49:12] And so if we're looking at John 15, I'm going to start at verse 9 and I'm going to read the whole passage again because it's just eight verses. As the Father loved me, I too have loved you.

[49:25] Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. Just as I kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love.

[49:37] I said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. This is my commandment. Love each other just as I have loved you.

[49:50] No one has greater love than to give up one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I don't call you servants any longer because servants don't know what their master is doing.

[50:05] Instead, I call you friends because everything I heard from my Father I have made known to you. You didn't choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you would go and produce fruit and that your fruit would last.

[50:24] As a result, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. I give you these commandments so that you can love each other. Got a step-by-step manual there for understanding this.

[50:40] Right? Because when we think about how do we do the right thing, if I come up against one of these horrible situations, if I come up against one of these overwhelming mountains that I got to climb, what do I do next?

[50:57] Maybe what I need to do is to be sure that I'm taking the step that Jesus wants me to take. That's the challenge.

[51:11] Did you actually do whatever you could do, however you need to do it, to make sure that the step you take, the action you take, is the direction in which Jesus is leading you.

[51:28] Because it's not hard to do something. It is much more hard to do the faithful thing. Because in order to do the faithful thing, you've got to rely on your faith.

[51:41] You have to make sure that you've talked to God, that you are walking with God, that you are as clear about what God wants you to do as you can be. And that direction may be counterintuitive.

[51:55] That direction may be, I want you to just wait right now. That direction may take you into a place where it says, well, I need you to accept that this is what's happening and you may want to change it, but this is what's happening.

[52:12] And it may take you to a place of acceptance where your next action may be something in relationship to that. For example, you may work and you may pray and you may ask for healing, but God's direction is taking you somewhere else.

[52:29] And so maybe the thing that God's telling you to do is to stop fighting and to provide comfort. Maybe in that very same circumstance, the direction is don't give up.

[52:44] It's time for you to fight. But did you take the faithful step and not just start doing something? That's the hard part.

[52:59] But notice that it is about the doing. That there is no helplessness in it. You might not have been able to do what you wanted to do.

[53:13] And maybe the outcome wasn't what you thought it was going to be. But that's different than saying there's nothing I can do. That's very, very different.

[53:27] And how we work our hearts, how we work our spirits into that place where we can cling to Jesus, even if Jesus is going places we don't want to go.

[53:41] That's doing the faithful thing. But remember what Jesus said. You are my friends if you do what I command. Remember, cooks cook, runners run, musicians play, Christians.

[54:04] that's where this gets real. That's where this gets hard.

[54:16] But I want you to hear the good news that's in that church. Because the good news that's in that is what we often miss when we come up against one of those mountains and one of those waves.

[54:27] Because we've probably encountered people who have been facing those kinds of mountains. mountains. And yet, as they face those mountains, we get amazed by their sense of peace.

[54:38] We get amazed by the strength that they have to keep going. We get amazed by how they can still have that sort of smile on their face and radiate that sort of joy.

[54:50] But did you hear what Jesus said? I've given you this so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. that comes from faithful following.

[55:05] And so if you know that the step you have taken is the faithful step, no matter what it looks like to the world and no matter how hard it is to you, if it is the faithful step, and you know that where you are is where Jesus wants you to go, then those things will radiate from you.

[55:27] it's when you're fighting against it. It's when you'd rather be busy in this way and Jesus is saying, no, I want you to go this way. That's when that's not there.

[55:43] But as we said, the hard part is taking the faithful step. But what I want you to hear is when we talk about how those mountains make us feel like we have no hope.

[55:57] It's when those circumstances that suck life out of us. Those things are what we are fighting against. If you would want to find what gives life in those moments, the only one who can give life in those moments is God.

[56:15] And because the only one that can give life in those moments is God, the more that you are moving toward God, you will find life. It's when you're moving away from God.

[56:30] It's when you're resisting God. It's when you're fighting God that the circumstance wins and life gets sucked out of you. So if you would know leading causes of life, remember, there are things to do.

[56:46] But the thing to do is the faithful thing, not just any old thing. That asks you to trust God.

[57:00] To trust God in ways you may not have had to trust God before. To trust God with a radical faith. To trust God with a reckless faith.

[57:10] To trust God powerfully. But to also recognize that that is a choice. And that is an action.

[57:24] You are not helpless. You are not hopeless. And so now, when the mountain comes, the next time you find yourself in the storm, do what you know how to do.

[57:43] Amen. And amen. Loving and gracious God, we give you thanks for the truth that you teach. The truth that you show us that we can, in fact, take steps when the world tells us we can't.

[57:57] When science tells us we can't. When our desires tell us we should be stepping one way, but you are leading us another way. Let us listen for your voice, even when all we can do is cry out.

[58:13] Even when all we have is simply, Lord, help us. But to recognize those things are things to do and not just empty words.

[58:26] To look for you in the storm. To cry out for you in need. To lean into you in grief. To rely on you in times of need.

[58:38] These are things to do and not just empty words. Lord, help us to live in these actions. Help us to know that we are people of action.

[58:53] Help us to recognize recognize that you are the one who leads us all the time and that you will order our steps if we would but trust.

[59:07] In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Sometimes hand sanitizer has a life of its own.

[59:33] The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. Lift up your hearts. It is let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

[59:44] It is right and a good and joyful thing to give thanks always and everywhere to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

[59:58] 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.

[60:14] 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 Christ.

[60:26] By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection, 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.

[60:41] On the night that he gave himself up for us, he took bread at the meal with the disciples around the table. He gave thanks to God for it. He broke it, and he gave it to his disciples, saying, take and eat this in remembrance of my body, which is broken for you.

[60:59] Do this as often as you can. After that, he took the cup. He gave thanks to God, who had given the fruit of the vine, and then he gave it to his disciples and said, take this and drink from it, all of you.

[61:17] This is in remembrance of my blood shed for you, for the forgiveness of your sins. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.

[61:32] And so, 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.

[61:51] Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. pour out your Holy Spirit on all of us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and cup.

[62:04] Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world. Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final victory.

[62:23] And we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever.

[62:36] Amen. And now let us join in the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

[62:51] Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And deliver us not from temptation, but deliver us from evil.

[63:06] For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Moo. Moo. Moo. of the bird automation.

[63:30] 1ử Olá. Nano. There we go. There we go. There we go. Here we go. There we go. Hello, bird fiance. The кто Pas� teachings. I'm giving fools einem of us for this and any musicians who want to receive communion, please join us.

[64:11] Thank you.

[64:41] Thank you.

[65:11] Thank you.

[65:41] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[65:53] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[66:07] Thank you. Thank you.

[66:21] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[66:33] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The feet that walked along dusty roads And the hill to the cross How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful Is the body of Christ How beautiful The heart that fled

[67:36] And loved all my sin And bore it instead How beautiful The tender eyes That chose to forgive And never despise How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful Is the body of Christ And as He laid down His life

[68:37] We offer this sacrifice That we will live Just as He died Willing to pay the price Willing to pay the price How beautiful How beautiful The feet that ring The sound of good news And the love of the King How beautiful How beautiful The hands that serve

[69:37] The wine and the bread And the sons of the earth How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful Is the body of Christ How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful How beautiful Would you please stand And join us as we sing Our closing hymn Lord reign in me Over all the earth

[70:48] You reign a high Every mountain stream Every sunset sky But my one request For my only aim And set you reign in me again Lord reign in me Reign in me proud Cover all my dreams In my darkest hour You are the Lord Of all I am So won't you reign in me again Over every thought Over every word May my life reflect the beauty of my Lord Bless me, warm in me And any earthly thing You're going to reign in me again

[71:49] Lord reign in me Reign in me proud Over all my dreams In my darkest hour You are the Lord Of all I am So won't you reign in me again Lord reign in me Reign in your proud Over all my dreams In my darkest hour You are the Lord Of all I am So won't you reign in me again Won't you reign in me again So won't you reign in me again I invite you to be seated for just a moment for an announcement I'm Kelly Putney

[72:55] Better known as Dan Putney's wife And I had to bring notes He was able to talk without notes So For those of you Who know what the SPPRC is It is the Staff Parish Pastor Relations Committee And I sit on that committee Among many others Who are here today And if we have your address You may already have this news In your mail And if you haven't received it yet You will in the next couple of days As you may know Pastor Kathy was appointed to Pendleton Center Back in July of 2020 To be what's called an interim pastor For a period of one to three years During that time She has done very difficult work She led us through the pandemic She's been helping us transition to be a member-led faith community And she's worked with the SPPRC To keep our team strong And prepare us for the road ahead

[73:55] I am personally grateful to her For her ministry And I know that you are too After much prayer and discernment Pastor Kathy has decided to retire And she looks too young to retire But she's going to retire On December 31st of this year She's faithfully served The United Methodist Church For more than 40 years And feels that the time is right To begin the next chapter Of her beautiful life As she says Grandparenting and enjoying Friends and family While change is always difficult This transition really has been In the making since she came The plan was for her to be Our full-time pastor For one to three years And then retire Providing Pastor Scott The opportunity to become Our full-time lead pastor As of January 1st, 2023 As part of the United Methodist Church

[74:59] We are a connectional church And our pastors are appointed Through that connected system In our case Pastor Scott's appointment Was officially made By Bishop Webb Of the Upper New York Conference And our own district superintendent Reverend Carlos Rosa Lagier Stay tuned for important details About an event we're planning To celebrate Pastor Kathy And her ministry And her many gifts We'll also have an official welcome For Pastor Scott In early 2023 So this is obviously A time of transition For our church family But with the help of God I know that we will continue Our strong legacy Of loving God And loving others At Pendleton And throughout the world As Jeremiah 29 11 tells us God knows the plans He has for us Including this church And they are good Very good Thank you Thank you Thank you

[76:00] Thank you Thank you Thank you Leading causes of life Remember that we are People of action And God has given us The capacity to act No mountain is too big No storm is too strong And that in the midst of it all Taking the next faithful step Is what we are called to do Remember that As you go forward To serve God today Now in the name of God Our creator and king In the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord And our redeemer And in the name of the Holy Spirit Our comforter And our sustainer May God bless us now As we leave to love and serve God And all God's children Amen And our rod

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[77:44] Thank you.

[78:14] Thank you.

[78:44] Thank you.

[79:14] Thank you.