Transcription downloaded from https://services.pcumc.org/sermons/27768/seasons-journeying-through-the-year/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] Thank you. [0:30] Thank you. [1:00] Thank you. Good morning. [1:12] Good morning. And welcome to those of you here or online to Pendleton Center. On this weekend that we celebrate independence, we need to make sure that we remember those who are not able to have that freedom for those who are still fighting and for our servicemen and women, and make sure that we keep them in our prayers and lift them up, especially this week. [1:38] May the peace and joy of Christ be with you today and always. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning, everyone, and happy fourth. [2:07] We're working with a skeleton crew today. Had some surprises this morning, so keep in prayer, Tom and John, because they're both not well. [2:17] We are going to start the morning with America the Beautiful, and I thought it was interesting that the poet of this song, she wants to express the beauty of America, as she's taking this journey from the East Coast to Pike's Peak and standing on top of the mountains and looking at the purple haze of the Rockies. [2:41] But she also wants to urge and remind us that we need to strive with God's providence for that nobleness and not just the success. [2:53] So to experience his grace. And then we're going to move into one thing remains, because the one thing that does remain is God's love. [3:04] So I invite you to stand. Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of rain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain, America, America, America, God shed his grace on thee, And thou met good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. [4:01] Oh, beautiful for heroes through in liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, and mercy by that life, America, America, America, may God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness and every gain divine, Oh, beautiful for patriot dream, that sees me on the years. [5:05] Thine alabaster cities clean, undimbed by human tears, America, America, America, God mend thine every love, Unmurbed by soul in self-control, Thy liberty in all. [5:48] Higher than the mountains that I face, Stronger than the power of the grave, Constant in the trial and the change, One thing remains, One thing remains, Your love never fails, It never gives up, Never runs out on me, Your love never fails, Never runs out on me, Your love never fails, Never gives up, [6:49] Never runs out on me, Your love. On and on and on and on and on and on it goes, Overwhelms and satisfies my soul, And I'll never ever have to be afraid, One thing remains, One thing remains, One thing remains, One thing remains, Your love never fails, It never gives up, Never runs out on me, Your love never fails, Never gives up, Never runs out on me, Your love never fails, Never gives up, Never runs out on me, Your love. [7:49] Your love. In death, in life, I'm covered and covered by the power of your great love. [8:09] In death, in pain, There's nothing that can separate my heart, From your great love. [8:21] Your love never fails, It never gives up, Never runs out on me, Your love never fails, It never gives up, Never runs out on me, Your love never fails, Never fails, It never gives up, Never runs out on me, Your love. [8:41] Your love. Higher than the mountains that I face, Stronger than the power of the grave, Constant in the trial and the change, One thing remains, This one thing remains. [9:17] You may be seated. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. [9:29] I'm so sorry. But I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. You may have a good time, To everything turn, turn, turn, To everything turn, turn, turn There is a season turn, turn, turn And a time to every purpose Underwhelming A time to build up A time to break down A time to dance A time to mourn A time to cast away stones A time to gather stones Together The seasons, how they turn and turn around The seasons of life, the seasons of death, the seasons of faith [10:33] All of it, seasons that we have in life And when this song was written It was based on the first eight verses of Ecclesiastes 3 And then the only words that were added into the song By the person who wrote it at that time Three words, turn, turn, turn Isn't that the way that life is? [11:00] That the seasons turn And sometimes we hardly even know How did this happen? How did we get here? How did this child get to be one Or five or seventeen Or grown up and married? [11:15] In the grace of God We all turn in these seasons And in this third week of our series Blessings and bless to us Bless to me, bless to you We remember how it is that God blesses us In all the seasons of our lives And so we give thanks on this beautiful day And so we are mindful of the freedom that we have To worship, to gather, to celebrate and rejoice And I invite you to pray with me Oh Lord, how grateful we are to be alive On this morning of birdsong and sunshine And cool air on our skin How mindful we are of the freedom that we have To worship, to praise, to gather in a public place And we presume our safety and well-being [12:17] In our faith and our hope is invested in you So may we worship, may we celebrate And may we remember your presence throughout our lives In Jesus' precious name we pray Amen This morning I would like No, I'm going this way Okay, Jennifer Come on Some of you may have heard this announcement This past week But on Friday, on July 1st Pastoral associate Jennifer Stamm Became pastor Jennifer Stamm When she was appointed here As a local pastor So I invite us to celebrate And the district superintendent gave me her license [13:19] To present to her As a It's incredibly how meaningful these are Because if you ever stop serving a church You're supposed to give these back Most people don't But That's This enables her To serve in this capacity In this local church And also on behalf of the SPRC And myself This pastoral record And it reads The life ministry of Jennifer Stamm Local pastor July 1st, 2022 Write it before them on a tablet Inscribe it on a scroll So in the future It will endure as a witness From Isaiah 30, verse 8 With love and trust in God Reverend Dr. Kathy Halstengel And SPRC Pendleton Center United Methodist Church And she actually can record every sermon Every salary [14:20] Every wedding The ones that are important Are baptisms Weddings Funerals Those are the things that So many of us celebrate And try to keep record of So May you enjoy And Heather will help you Thank you So we I have an announcement I forgot So On the back table Is a sign up sheet We are looking for help For Vacation Bible School It is coming And it's making waves And it's August 8th Through August 12th So if you're able to help Between 9 and 1230 One day Couple days All of them Please sign up On the sign up sheet On the back table In this time Where we talk about [15:21] Blessings in our lives Sometimes it's hard To see the blessings That God gives us Every single day And through our offering Is one way That we're able To give those blessings And thank God For what he's given us Whether it be Our offering Or the gifts And talents That we're able To offer our church That is a way That we can thank God For everything He's given us So we ask That you be in Prayerful consideration Not only For your offerings But your gifts And your talents And your service And how we can go out And be God Into the world The face of God We do have a new song That we want to share With you When Tom and John Are better But my blessing This morning Is this little one Eva [16:21] The early bird Gets put to work So we're going to ask For your offering Of your voice This morning As we chose My country Tis of thee For the connection Between patriotism And faith So if you wouldn't mind Standing and singing With us My country Tis of thee Sweet land of liberty Of thee I sing And where my fathers die Let the love The pilgrims cry From every mountainside Let freedom ring Let music swell the breeze [17:24] And drink from all the trees Sweet freedom song Let the world of tongues Awake Let all that breathe partake Let rocks their silence break The sound prolong Our fathers God to thee Father of liberty To thee we sing Oh may our land be bright With freedom's holy light Protect us by thy might Great God our King [18:25] You may be seated Amen We sing Episode 366 Name July Let the sun Av望 applications May our love May our dona כ kupmedothers Jan perform Queenurb band People Sing put Show je ìw dazu Use Emergency nuts Bhterm pounds Tok Peoplend God, we thank you for the blessings to be together. [19:16] We thank you for the gifts and the talents that you've given each one of us. Please accept our offering today as we give back to you in thanks. [19:26] In your name we pray. Amen. Now you may be seated. So we come to a time of sharing our joys and concerns. [19:39] We want to make sure that we keep Jan Hodge in our prayer. She had surgery this past week, and so she is recovering. Does anybody else have any joys or concerns that they want to lift up today? [19:56] Okay. My nephew. Hmm? My nephew. Your nephew. Okay. I don't know if you said make it. [20:07] Okay. So sick nephew? Okay. Kelly. Katie will be doing a lot of traveling over the next couple weeks. [20:18] She's flying back to D.C. but then flying to Croatia to play volleyball. I hope to go on. Pray for peace and good travel. Good travel. All right. [20:30] And maybe a little win. Yeah. All right. Do we have any other joys or concerns to lift up? Okay. [20:41] Oh. John and I just got our first home together. Oh. Congratulations. Congratulations. All right. [20:54] Please pray with me. God, we thank you for the excitement, for travel, and for new homes, for friendships formed and long-term friendships. [21:09] God, we offer up those people who we named, who need your loving care, who need your touch today. [21:22] God, know that there are also people on our hearts that we haven't said aloud. And we offer those people up to you today. We pray for our soldiers. [21:34] We pray for our country and our leaders. We pray for our congregation and our communities. God, help us show them your love. [21:46] God, help us show them your love. In this time where we're studying and we're learning about blessings and the blessings that are in our lives, God, help us, help us to remember each one of those blessings that are a blessing to us. [22:02] That they don't just come from being good. That you pour your blessings out on us every day. God, we thank you for this congregation, for their strong faith and their commitment to you. [22:21] Help us be your hands and your feet out in the world. Help us to go and show your love to others. In your name we pray. Amen. [22:32] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. [22:47] Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. There are two scripture readings today. The first comes from the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verse 1 through 11. [22:59] There's a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens. A time for giving birth and a time for dying. A time for planning and a time for uprooting what was planted. [23:13] A time for killing and a time for healing. A time for tearing down and a time for building up. A time for crying and a time for laughing. [23:23] A time for mourning and a time for dancing. A time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones. A time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces. [23:37] A time for searching and a time for losing. A time for keeping and a time for throwing away. A time for tearing and a time for repairing. [23:49] A time for keeping silent and a time for speaking. A time for loving and a time for hating. A time for war and a time for peace. [24:01] What do workers gain from all their hard work? I observe that the task that God has given human beings. God has made every fitting in its time. [24:13] But has also placed eternity in their hearts. Without enabling them to discover what God has done from beginning to end. The second is from the book of Psalms. [24:25] Chapter 104. Verse 1-14. O my soul, bless God. God, my God, how great are you. [24:36] Beautifully, gloriously robed, dressed up in sunshine. And all heaven stretched out for your tent. You built your place on the ocean deeps. [24:47] Made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind wings. You commandeered winds as messengers. Appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. [25:00] You set earth on a firm foundation so that nothing can shake it ever. You blanketed earth with ocean. Covered the mountains with deep waters. [25:11] Then you roared and the water ran away. Your thunder crash put it to flight. Mountains pushed up. Valleys spread out in the places you assigned them. [25:23] You set boundaries between earth and sea. Never again will earth be flooded. You started the springs and rivers. Sent them flowing among the hills. [25:34] All the wild animals now drink their fill. Wild donkeys quench their thirst. Along the river banks the birds build nests. Raven make their voices heard. [25:46] You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns. Earth is supplied with plenty of water. You make grass grow for the livestock. Hay for the animals that plow the ground. [25:59] This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. A friend of mine recently sent me a text message. [26:22] And I think... Here it is. She sent me a text message and asked me if I had heard of a song. And the song is called God is in the Story. [26:35] By Katie Nicole. Sung by Katie Nicole. And Big Daddy Weave. And I... It's been... I had not heard the song. [26:46] And as I thought about this service this morning. I thought I would share some of the words from this song with you. There's torn up pages in this book. [27:00] Words that tell me I'm no good. Chapters that defined me for so long. But the hands of grace and endless love dusted off and picked me up. [27:11] And told my heart that hope is never gone. God is in this story. God is in the details. Even in the broken parts. [27:21] He holds my heart. He never fails. When I'm at my weakest. I will trust in Jesus. Always in the highs and lows. The one who goes before me. [27:33] God is in this story. So if the storm you're walking through feels like too much. And you wonder if he even cares at all. [27:45] Well hold on tight to what you know. He promised. He won't let you go. Your song of healing is written in his scars. [27:55] And then the refrain that God is in the story. Goes on to say if it reads like addiction. If it reads like disease. [28:06] He's the one who frees the prisoner. He's the healer of all things. If it reads like depression. If it reads broken home. He's the one who holds your sorrow. [28:18] And he won't leave you there alone. God is in the story. Always in the highs and lows. The one who goes before me. Always. In the highs and lows. [28:30] The one who goes before me. God is in this story. You are in this story. God is in my story. Right here. In my story. And I think about how much we need that to be true. [28:46] And to believe that it's true. People's faith in God is sometimes seasonal. I know a man who grew up in faith. [28:59] But didn't really give it much thought. And then his wife died. And he lost his job. And he started to attend church. [29:11] And his faith that he didn't even know he had was renewed. And his sense of belonging in that church and faith community meant so very much. [29:22] It revived his sense of purpose. And then life took a turn. I'm not sure all that that was. And he stopped going to church. [29:35] He decided. Nope. It's not really what I believe. It's not true. It's just. Well he might not have said that it was not true. [29:48] But he couldn't make time for it. Even though he wasn't doing anything. And then. Eventually. When he couldn't stay in his own home. [29:58] He moved in with his sister. Who. As an avid. United Methodist Church. Certified lay minister. All of that. [30:09] Was like. You're going to church. Whether you want to or not. You're going to church. Either that. Or you stay home. And sit on. You're behind. You go ahead. But. I'm going to church. And I'm telling you. You're coming with me. [30:23] And he struggled. He struggled. Because he was angry. He was angry at the places where he felt like. God. [30:33] Had abandoned him. And God. Didn't do what he wanted God to do. And although I wasn't here. Listen to. [30:43] Pastor Scott's message. The first Sunday of this series. When he talked about blessings. Not being something we earn. Not being something that we receive. [30:56] Because we're such good Christians. Now. It doesn't mean that nothing comes to us. By being good Christians. It just means that God's blessings. [31:06] Are not tied to our behavior. And we think about. These seasons. You know. A time for life. A time for death. A time for laughing. A time for crying. [31:18] And then we read in the song. About. How God. In his joyfulness. And creativity. Created. All that is around us. [31:30] And all the blessings. We sometimes. Want to make sense. [31:40] Of the times. When life isn't. As beautiful. As this day. And. So. Sometimes. We. Give God. [31:51] Both the responsibility. For our suffering. And. Maybe. Possibly. The responsibility. For what is good. In our lives. It depends on who you ask. [32:02] Some people blame God. For all the bad things. And take the credit. For the good things themselves. Some people. Give God the credit. For all the good things. [32:13] And. Don't know what to do. With the bad things. Years and years ago. There was a book. That was written. And published. Called. When. Good. [32:23] When bad things happen. To good people. Anybody familiar. With that book. It's. It's. It's an interesting. Theology. And one that was formative. [32:34] In my development. Of how I believe. In God. And how I believe. Where God is. In the midst of. Love and laughter. And all that is good. [32:46] And in death. And dying. And all that is a struggle. And. So. Part of how. I unfolded. [32:57] In my faith. Because. Forty years ago. Today. As a twenty five year old. Oh. I just gave you away my aid. Actually. I would. It's twenty four. [33:08] Now. Let me. Let me say that. Let me do my math. Correctly. Twenty four. Standing. In. A sanctuary. Two services. [33:19] In two different churches. On a Sunday morning. And I'm telling you. I did not know. What I was doing. I did not. There was nobody to print the bulletin. [33:30] So I had to print them. It was on a. One of those hand cranked mimeograph machines. And. I took the stencil. And I cut it. And put it in my electric typewriter. [33:42] And typed up the bulletin. And then I attached that sucker. Right to that mimeograph machine. Which was in the guest room. Upstairs in the parsonage. And inked the drum. Because I didn't glue the other part back on. [33:53] You're supposed to glue the part you cut off back on. No instructions. So. There was no bulletin. And it was. And it was communion Sunday. [34:05] First Sunday of the month. And. We moved from Chicago on Thursday. My appointment started Friday. My first death was on Saturday. And a. [34:15] A funeral home called Brown and Drown. Called me to notify me that there had been a death. Brown and Drown. It's almost as bad as Amagon. [34:27] And Sunday. I had to serve communion. Where the communion table. Was right up against the wall. [34:38] There was no getting behind it. So I was like this. I knew so little. [34:48] Really. At that point in my life. About so many things. In the ensuing years. I would come face to face. With the losses. [34:59] In my own life. Losses of family members. I would come face to face. With terrible losses. And tragedies. In the lives of congregations. That I have served. [35:11] People that I loved. And held. And held hands with. And I'm mindful. That two years ago. I started. Here. In this church. And one of my first. [35:22] Pastoral. Challenges. Was. It was COVID. And pastors weren't allowed. Anywhere. But by golly. I went to Buffalo. Mercy. [35:33] In South Buffalo. And said. I'm here to see Anna K. Anderson. And I want you to let me in. She's dying. Her family can't be here. Do you have proof. [35:44] That you're a pastor. Now let me tell you. That 40 years ago. When I was a new pastor. And went to the hospital. To see the man. Who ultimately died. [35:56] 24 years old. They would not believe. That I was a pastor either. That's 40 years. I looked more experienced. This time. And I knew. I'm this pastor. [36:07] And I had a little card. That says. That I'm ordained. But it had no picture. And this giant security guy. Goes. How do I know this is you? Who? And then. [36:19] He took me the back way up to her room. And we had a grand time. And I sat with her for a while. Before she died. So where is God in all the seasons? [36:33] That is one of the questions. And so many times. We want to make sense of it. So I want to share with you. If you haven't heard before. [36:44] How I've made sense of it. How I've made sense of it. Is that at the beginning of time. God created this earth. And all that lives. [36:55] And all of us. Who have our being. And who take in the air. And who are free to walk. And worship. And live. God said it was good. [37:07] And in seasons. God's people experienced terrible things. They did terrible things. They hurt each other. They hurt others. They suffered. [37:19] And God loved them. And it broke God's heart. Phone. Seasons. [37:30] And seasons. Of those who were called to serve God. And they raced after God. With all of their love. And passion. And energy. [37:41] They would do anything. For this God. Who had saved them. From whatever God had saved them from. And they went about it. With energy and determination. [37:52] And they fell flat on their face. Like David. And Elijah. And so many others. That came face to face. With their own humanity. So the question is. [38:04] So often we find. The question. Why? Why? We're so human. So David. Made a big mistake. [38:17] And he failed God. But did God fail him? No. God did not fail him. Elijah. Ran. From his call. And ran for his life. [38:28] And even. Wasn't even considered. All that successful. In his ministry. As a prophet. And yet. God prevailed with him. Under the broom tree. [38:39] Worn out. Nothing left to give. Just let me die. God brought him. Water. And God brought him food. [38:50] And God brought him out. Of that wilderness. And that place. And so. In the seasons. And the blessings. We think. [39:03] Back to Pastor Scott's message. Do we keep score. Of the blessings. And the curses. Do we keep score. Of oh we're on the blessed side. [39:14] And we are blessed beyond comparison. Or oh. God must be trying to show me something. Because there are so many non-blessings. That's what we're doing. [39:26] And we are blessed. So as I said. Where do I come from? I come from the place that says. That God is in the creating. In the healing. [39:37] In the loving. In the comforting. In the reassuring. In the guiding. In the picking up our broken selves. And helping us to get on our feet again. God is in the discharge. [39:49] From the hospital. The discharge. From the suffering. The discharge. And God is in the suffering. But not. Because God wants us to learn something. [40:01] We may learn from our suffering. And you may have learned. From your suffering. And in this celebration. Of our freedom. We may have learned things. In the hundreds of years. [40:12] Since this country was created. But not because God wanted us to suffer. It pains God. [40:22] When we suffer. Someone recently. Spoke of. God sending COVID. To teach us a lesson. And I'm like. Are you kidding me? [40:35] God causing. 9-11. The catastrophic damage. That was done. To teach us a lesson. And I look back. And maybe you look back. [40:45] At cancer. Strokes. Death. Dismemberment. Old age. Suffering. Diseases. Chronic illness. The loss of children. [40:56] And grandchildren. And all the suffering. And I think. Where do I put that. With the. Jesus loves me. This I know. For the Bible tells me so. [41:07] How do I make sense of that? How I make sense of it. Is that. We will suffer. Because God gave us. Free will. And this world is full of. [41:19] Tragedy. And trauma. People will get hit by cars. And people will die of dread diseases. But not because God wants them to. Because you think about it for a minute. [41:31] If you were in the car. Three cars back. From a car accident. And you say. Oh. God saved me from. Being in that car accident. What would you say to the person. [41:42] Who was in the car accident? That God saved you instead of them? Just think about it. Because sometimes the blessing. Comes. [41:54] In being saved from the car accident. And thinking. Well that is a blessing. But that person. Who was in the car accident. [42:04] Isn't cursed. It isn't God's decision. That it should be them. Instead of me. I'm not better than them. That in the seasons. Of turn. Turn. [42:14] Turn. That bad things happen. That's the premise of that. Book. Bad things happen to good people. Is that bad things. Just happen. God did not give. [42:27] Cancer. To all the people. Who have had cancer. But oh my goodness. In all the seasons. Of our lives. God is present. [42:38] And as we think about. The scripture. And we think. About how it is. [42:52] That there is a season. For everything. There is a season. For everything. And what do we gain. From all of these seasons. [43:03] And their hard work. And the writer of Ecclesiastes. Says. I've observed. What God has given human beings. The tasks. And God has made everything. [43:14] Fitting in its time. But doesn't always. Give us. The ability. To understand it all. And so we work. To make sense of it. [43:25] Ourselves. With the scriptures. That we're given. It speaks. When I looked up. [43:38] The writing. Of the. Song. Turn. Turn. Turn. Credit was given. To Mr. Ecclesiastes. How we sort out. [43:53] Where God is. Is a bit. Of how we sort out. Our own. Blessedness. Just to be. Is a blessing. Just. [44:06] To be able. To wake up. In the morning. And get out of bed. No matter how long. It takes us. Is a blessing. Is everything. [44:16] A blessing. No. Is every day. A blessing. It depends. On how you look at it. Some people. Find themselves. Mired. In discouragement. [44:27] And depression. And anger. About their lives. And the way. Things have turned out. I believe. That God. Outweights us. All. [44:38] God. Outweighed. The people. Of the Old Testament. And if you read. The Old Testament. They whined. And complained. And they yelled. And they were mad. And they didn't get their way. [44:49] And they blamed God. For everything. But didn't follow God. In much of anything. So the call. In this day. [45:01] Of blessings. And seasons. Is to recognize. That whether. As the song. Says. If the story. Reads like addiction. [45:12] Or disease. He's the one. Who frees the prisoner. He's the healer. Of all things. If it reads like depression. Or a broken home. [45:22] He's the one. Who holds your sorrow. And will not leave you there. Alone. God. Is in this story. In the details. In the broken parts. [45:34] He holds my heart. He never fails. When I'm at my weakest. I will trust. In Jesus. The cycles. Of our years. [45:46] Bring peaks. And valleys. The cycles. Of our years. In nature. In faith. In community. In friendships. In family. [45:57] It varies. It varies. But one thing remains. As the song says. One thing remains. That the God of all creation. [46:10] Has said. I will be with you always. Even to the end of the age. When you are joined with him. In his heavenly kingdom. [46:24] So. In closing. Some of you may know. [46:35] That I'm moving out of the parsonage. Why? Why? Because I want to live with my husband. Who is in Kenmore. In his parsonage. And finally. [46:46] I am going to be living with him. After two years. Of living apart. So hey. There is a season. It's not because I don't love you. [46:57] Or love the parsonage. It's the best parsonage. I've ever lived in. You can have that in your credits. Put that in your resume. And Pastor Jennifer. And her family. [47:07] Will move into the parsonage. And Pastor Scott. Will remain in his home. But in the packing. And boxing. And boxing. Once again. I came across our family bible. [47:21] Now that family bible. Came from when I was in college. And joined the United Methodist Church. For the very first time. Well you only joined once. But it was like confirmation. Except I was a college student. [47:32] And no classes. I still didn't know anything. After I was a member. But my parents. Came from out of town. To Geneseo. For that day. That special day. [47:42] Just like Jennifer's parents. Are here. To be a part of this special day. For her. And they brought me a bible. It was. I was thinking something. [47:55] To take to bible study. But my parents had never been to bible study. So they brought this huge bible. King James version. And I'm like. No I'm not going to carry it around with me. [48:08] So instead I rifled through my parents house. And found my brother's confirmation bible. That he'd left behind. I didn't even know he went to confirmation. I missed it. So. I was looking. [48:20] You can't put this bible away. Without looking through it. And there are bulletins. From church funerals. Mine and my husband's. There are bulletins. [48:30] From our family's funerals. We together did my grandparents funerals. All three of them. There are. Those little funeral cards. That you get. [48:41] There. In the middle. Are the weddings. And the baptisms. And the births. And the deaths. And all of that. Seasons. [48:53] Seasons. And at the end. Of the day. Last. To close that. And hold it. As the word of God. [49:04] And the story of life. And death. And life ever after. And so may it be so. That you not think. That God is trying to cause you pain. [49:17] That you might learn something. Because you might. But God doesn't want you to hurt. That you remember. That God holds you close. No matter what the day. [49:29] Or the night brings. internet attacks. May it be so. In your hearts. Amen. All right. [49:57] This is the table of Christ. It's made ready for all, those who love him and those of us who want to love him more, those who have much faith and those who have little, those of you who come often and for anyone who it may be their first time, come, but not because the church invites you, but Christ invites you to his table to come and eat. [50:28] The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to your heart. [50:40] Thanks and praise. It is right and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. By your appointment, the seasons come and go. [50:54] You bring forth the bread from the earth and create the fruit of the vine. You have made us in your image and have given us dominion over the world. Earth has yielded its treasure and from your hand, we receive blessing on blessing. [51:10] And so with your people on earth and all of 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. [51:26] 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. [51:39] Though he was rich, for our sake he became poor. When hungry and tempted, he refused to make bread for himself, that he might be the bread of life for us. [51:50] When the multitudes were hungry, he fed them. He broke the bread with the outcast and drove the greedy out of the temple. By his 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. [52:12] On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took the bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said, take and eat. [52:25] This is my body that's given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And when the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said, drink from this, all of you. [52:40] This is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of our sins. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. [52:52] 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. [53:07] 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 wine. [53:18] May they be for us, the blood and body of Christ, that we may be for the world, the body of Christ, renewed 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. [53:39] Through your Son, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever. Amen. [53:50] And now, with the confidence of the children of God, let us 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. [54:06] Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And forgive us from evil, for thy is the kingdom, and the power of the Lord. [54:24] Amen. Amen. [55:04] Amen. I don't know. [55:34] I don't know. [56:04] I don't know. [56:34] I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Come, and you will, and eat. We have gluten-free available on this side and regular in the middle. [56:47] Please come. We have gluten-free available on this side, and see it for food, lip to have fertilizer. [57:29] I love you. [57:59] I love you. [58:29] I love you. [58:59] I love you. [59:29] I love you. [59:59] I love you. [60:29] I love you. [60:59] I love you. [61:29] I love you. [61:59] I love you. [62:29] I love you. [62:59] I love you. [63:29] I love you. [63:59] I love you. [64:29] I love you. [64:59] I love you. [65:29] I love you. [65:59] I love you.