text :: Matthew 1: 1 – 17

theme verse :: “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Mt1:1)

// It’s a text that we skip quite often because it’s hard to read, but it’s here that we see just what it meant for the Divine to take on Human form. It took generations. It took men and women, of deep faithfulness and flawed personality. And it takes us. HOPE is the first step of the Advent season; it is exactly where we come to expect the unexpected. //

preaching :: Rev Kevin Howe

text :: Acts 9: 36 – 43

theme verse :: “Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’” (Acts 9:40)

// The people of Joppa cared for Tabitha – a woman of generosity and talent, and a model of faith. When she dies and they are distraught, they trust in Peter to be able to do something in their crisis. When it comes to giving, where do we place our trust? Do we trust our choices, our sources, our decisions? What do we need to get us up, moving, and changing the world? //

reader :: Lisa Rhynes
preaching :: Rev Courtney Richards

text :: Isaiah 65: 17 – 25

// It is easy to let uncertainty guide our thoughts. The prophets reminded the people of God’s constancy and faithfulness. Even in moments where we are unsure of our capacity to give, or even of the need to do so, remembering God’s presence and steadfastness shows us that we can be present, faithful, and steadfast for our community, and for generations to come. //

reader :: Bill Queen
preaching :: Rev Dr Nancy Pittman

text :: Exodus 34: 27 – 35

theme verse :: “When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.” (Ex 34:30)

// Once we make room and gather, and take time listen to God’s voice, we come to understand that we have been changed, and what changes in us draws out changes in others. Sometimes that clarifies our role; sometimes it becomes a little more challenging. What does it mean to be called to something new – a new idea, a new place, a new role, even simply a new sense of ourselves as people of God ? //

reader :: Scott Booren
preaching :: Rev Courtney Richards

text : Luke 22: 14 – 27

theme verse : “When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him.” (Lk 22:14)

// If we’re going to consider our place in the world – our role to play in life’s master work – as people of faith, as those who follow Christ, what better place to start than gathered at Christ’s table? This is World Communion Sunday, when Christians of every variety, who share this meal in any number of places, and occasions, and ways gather TODAY to say that it matters that we are all here. As followers on The Way, it matters to us that none of us is lost, that there is always – always – room, for us ALL. //

reader :: Dan Pease
preaching :: Rev Courtney Richards

text :: Ecclesiastes 3: 9-22

theme verse :: “He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Eccl 3:11)

// On Being is a public radio show and podcast that examines what host, Krista Tippett, calls the ‘animating questions at the center of human life’: What does it mean to be human, and how do we want to live? The author of Ecclesiastes is our worship guest for faithful reflection of these questions and invites us to consider our relationship to the rest of creation in seeking a way of being in the world. //

reader :: Bob Flint
preaching :: Rev Courtney Richards

text :: Psalm 104:24-35

theme verse :: “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. (Ps 104:24)

// Who’s caring for what and how is it to be cared for? The Psalmist names creation’s utter dependence of God to be the provider. But we are not off the hook. After creating humans, God charges them to tend and till the earth. How can we re-present the deep care of God for creation? //

reader :: Roy Peters
preaching :: Rev Courtney Richards

text :: Luke 9: 10 – 17

theme verse :: “And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.” (Lk 9:16)

// Our denomination’s General Minister and President, Rev Terri Hord Owens, recently said: “We can read our sacred text, we can pray our prayers, but unless we’re going to show up for humanity no one believes us.” What would it look like – in Tulsa, in Oklahoma, in the nation and the world – if we really were to become who God has created and called and compels us to be? What might happen if we become the body of Christ? //

reader :: Bill Queen
preaching :: Rev Courtney Richards

*NOTE* A brief video is shown toward the end of the sermon. You will hear the audio as you listen to the podcast, but trust us: **you will want to watch it**. The video was found via Twitter, here.

text :: Matthew 22: 34 – 40

theme verse :: “’Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’” (Mt 22:36)

// Jesus says that those who follow him will love God and love their neighbor. Frederick Buechner reminds us that ‘Jesus doesn’t mean loving as primarily a feeling. Instead, he seems to mean {it} whether or not any feeling is involved…’ How do we love? And who? And how? And why? And what if we don’t want to? Let’s see if we can start to figure it out by following the one teaching on which all others are based: Love. //

reader :: Jamie Jones
preaching :: Rev Courtney Richards

text :: Philippians 1: 3 – 11

theme verse :: “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil 1:6)

// Barbara Brown Taylor says, “To pronounce a blessing on something, it is important to see it as it is.” How seldom, it seems, do we look upon what we’ve done, who we’ve done it with, and the gifts many have brought to the common table with simple appreciation for the moment, the season, the relationship and simply soaked in the gratitude. Or in the passing of a place, a tree, or even a stranger, could we pause to offer a blessing for what it is or who they are? Each is on its way somewhere, the same way you are. They are between places too, with no more certainty than you about what will happen at the other end. And yet, what gift in pronouncing blessing on that moment, that person, that community … trusting God to be present in each benediction, trusting that God will bless again as we serve as such a blessing in the world. //

reader :: David Brock
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: 1 Peter 5: 6 – 11

theme verse :: “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

// Few of us seek pain yet none of us are exempt from experiencing it. Job, named as a godly and upright man, is the one who ends up on the poster entitled simply, “Suffering.” He just wants to know, “Why me?” The very fact that the book of Job lands in our holy scriptures is testament to those who decided to include it – the recognition that an uncensored account of the depth of human pain and suffering is more to be valued than any correct doctrinal answer to it. We do know, however, that our God is one who restores, heals, and redeems – even the depths of our pain. Louis L’Amour said, “There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.” In the feeling of pain, we acknowledge its presence as the beginning of our way to the all-things-new hope that is promised by God. //

reader :: Jamie Jones
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: Genesis 28: 10 – 22

theme verse :: “Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!'” (Gen28:16)

// How can we possibly know a God so vast and mysterious as intimately as we know the gift of rocking an infant in our arms? For the most part, we’ve boxed God in, giving parameters of our own making so that we can contain God in our own manageable ways and systems. And yet, when we leave the familiar confines of the places we have done such boxing of the Spirit, we still seem to have a gnawing sensation that there’s got to be more to God than that. What might happen if we commit to wake up to the fullness of God each day, open and ready to receive the Spirit of God that is everywhere all the time? Perhaps, like Jacob, we’d discover that the Lord is in this place and that one and that space over there and we did not know it. What do you do, however, once you know? You build an altar. //

reader :: Rev Courtney Richards
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: Romans 5:1-5

theme verse :: “Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Rom 5:1)

// The classic rock band, Boston, offers us a line in their 1976 hit song, Peace of Mind: “I understand about indecision. I don’t care if I get behind. People livin’ in competition; All I want is to have my peace of mind.” Of the many treasures we seek, peace of mind eventually becomes priority one. We often spend much of our time trying to manufacture peace for ourselves. If we just climb that ladder. If we just secure that home. If we just solidify that connection. If this, then peace. If that, then peace. That quest can be an endless one that can find us at the end of the road with no more peace than when we started. The Apostle Paul suggests we cannot manufacture peace ourselves. Peace comes in our relationship with God. When we can make peace with God, we discover the peace of God that we might then be a conduit of that peace to the world. In the process, we discover what Paul describes in another letter as the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. //

reader  ::  David Brock

preaching  ::  Rev Mark Briley

text :: Revelation 22: 12 – 21

theme verse :: “Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” (Revelation 22:17b)

// A sermon from the book of Revelation. That should be plenty different. Is it a dream? vision? prophecy? something else? We’ve made ourselves afraid of this text … when most of us have never even read it. We tend to do the same with our faith, somehow: Make assumptions. Go on rumor. Stay in the comfortable lane. Maybe this text – as poetic and beautiful as it is intriguing and mysterious – has something to say about the purpose and reality of faith. In a waterlogged city, can we still ‘take the water of life as a gift’? Do we have ears to hear? //

reader :: Bill Queen
preaching :: Rev Courtney Richards

text :: Acts 8:26-40

theme verse :: “Philip commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.” (Acts 8:38)

// Every time the waters of baptism are stirred, there is a stirring of the Spirit. It never fails. It’s just water and it’s a bit messy as each brave soul steps in one foot at a time until even the tips of their heads are dripping wet. They slog back out and the floor becomes slippery and creates a potential hazard but it’s worth every step. The Spirit moves. There’s just nothing like being in the water. As a number of our own stir those waters this day, may we all, like Philip, be willing to get in the water with them. //

reader :: Connie McFarland
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: John 21: 15 – 25

theme verse :: “Lord, what about him?” (John 21:21b)

// ‘Tis the season for transition. Jesus moved from death to life. The disciples moved from followers to leaders. Our seniors are moving from high school to… whatever comes next. Any transition to a new existence comes as a test to all we know and all we are. Real life shepherd, James Rebanks, writes, “You can always tell how alien someone is to our world [of shepherding] by how terrified of the muck they look.” Any threshold of promise also comes with a struggle. On this Senior Sunday, we consider the many transitions in our lives and what it means to shepherd one another forward in faith. If we’re doing it right, people may say of us, “They smell like sheep.” //

reader :: Cameron Gough

preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: Luke 24: 1 – 12

theme verse :: “Peter got up, ran to the tomb; stopping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.” (Luke 24:12)

// Rhythm is simply defined as a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound. Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine’s “Conga” comes to mind. Rhythm denotes a repeatable pattern and, consistently experienced enough, forms a sustainable base upon which any great song can be built. The Christian song is one of resurrection upon which every other layer of music in our life is built. How is your life adding to this great resurrection song? Thomas Merton writes, “Ask me not where I live or what I like to eat… Ask me what I am living for and what I think is keeping me from living fully for that.” Let every hindrance fall away. Be amazed. Clear your lungs. Breathe deeply. And SING! Christ is risen! //

reader :: Lisa Rhynes
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: John 13:1-20

theme verse :: “For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15)

// Any musician will tell you that honoring the ‘rests’ are just as important as playing the ‘notes.’ Even so, we are culturally all about the notes and much less interested in the rests. The disciples, ready to party for the Passover and equally ready to act on Jesus’ next move to kingship were taken aback when Jesus essentially says, “Let’s start with the rest.” Amidst betrayal and greed and ignorance, Jesus chooses to serve and suggests we do the same. //

reader :: Rev Courtney Richards
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: Psalm 139:1-18; 23-24

theme verse :: “See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:24)

// Some of us have been so shaped by shame-based family or church systems that we resist entering into deeper levels of self-awareness for fear of being debilitated even further. We counter that resistance with, “But God loves us unconditionally,” and indeed God does. However, we are still inclined to dodge ourselves to avoid the possible pain of shame or rejection. The famed Psalm 139 includes the paradox that we invite God to search and know us even as we acknowledge in the same breath that God already does. As Ruth Barton notes, “This may point to the fact that the real issue in self-examination is not that I am inviting God to know me (since God already does) but that I am inviting God to help me know me.” Becoming more aware of who we’ve been and who we are may be the very best indicator of who we can become yet. //

reader :: Dan Pease
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: Romans 8:26-27

// Many of us have learned a “go-to” prayer over time –often a bedtime prayer as a child or The Lord’s Prayer as we prayed it each week in worship. But ask anyone without notice to say a prayer aloud or share about their prayer life and most get wide-eyed and tight lipped pretty quick. It seems, however, that as our spirit’s mature, we recognize that the gift of prayer shifts as well –often from a sense of communication to God to an experience of communion with God. How might we move from “What do I pray?” to “How is my life a prayer?” //

reader :: Hollie Hawkins
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: Mark 6:7-13 and 30-32

// When is the last time you were quiet enough to hear your own heart beat? To feel it? Sense itsrhythm as if your very soul was trying to show itself to you in a marvelous and tangible way? Parker Palmer suggests “the soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, resourceful, savvy. But it is also shy…. if we will walk quietly into the woods, sit patiently by the base of the tree, and fade into our surroundings, the wild animal we seek might put in an appearance.”To find a sacred way forward, we must first create a foundation, or baseline, for God to buildupon. Our starting point? Solitude. //

reading :: Roy Peters
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: Matthew 23:1-12

theme verse :: “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

// In the Middle Ages, a common food eaten by those with little economic means included deer innards. It was made into a pie, of sorts, and became known as umble pie. If an uppity nobleman was every publicly humiliated, it was said that he had to eat umble pie. While thevernacular shifted some through the years, the phrase, “Eat your humble pie,” hung around and still gets used often today. Jesus explains that the humble will be exalted and the exalted will be eating humble pie. Humility is indeed a Christian virtue. However, as C.S. Lewis notes in his book, The Screwtape Letters, any of the virtues we possess become something of a spiritual problem once we become aware of them. It is possible to become proud of our humility. Can we possibly practice humility while keeping a level spirit? //

reader :: David Brock
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text : Psalm 127:1-2; Romans 8:35-39

theme verse : “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, willbe able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39)

// What is your brightest hope for the future? Rebecca Solnit wrote a book called “Hope in the Dark” in which she offers one of the strongest definitions of hope one can hear: “We don’t know what is going to happen, or how, or when and that very uncertainty is the space of hope.” Our special guest, Rev. Kim Gage Ryan, Executive Director of the Bethany Fellows (www.bethanyfellows.org), offers a word about the hope she’s found in congregations, the Fellows, and a promise from the book of Romans. //

reader (and intro of preacher) :: Rev Mark Briley
preaching :: Rev Kim Gage Ryan

text : John 16:29-33

theme verse : “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (John 16:33b)

//  Do you know courage when you see it? Some people possess the abilities to approach physical challenges with a sense of fearlessness. And yet the ability to override fear is not courage. It may be bold to speak one’s viewpoint openly, but speaking up, alone, is not necessarily courageous. Jesus says to his followers, “take courage,” and so it seems that some faithful reflection on matter is in order. Especially, because thatis precisely what willbe required if there is to be any measure of wholeness in (y)our life.  //

reader : Deborah Gist
preaching : Rev Kevin Howe

text : 1 Samuel 18:1-5

theme verse : “Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.” (1 Samuel 18:3)

// An ancient philosopher said, “There are only two people who can tell you the truth about yourself—an enemy who has lost his temper and a friend who loves you dearly.”What does it mean to be a true friend? Not best, but true? A true friend is someone with whom you can strip your soul, and when the skeleton of the soul s is stripped bare, your friendwill not laugh or gasp at how ugly things may be. Jonathan was just such a friend to David. You need a Jonathan. //

reader : Doc Shannon
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : Isaiah 60:1-6

theme verse : “Arise, shine; for your light has come…” (Isaiah 60:1)

// “Glory is God’s style.” Christian writer Frederick Buechner offers this gem. When the Bible tells us that “the heavens are telling the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1), it is saying that the heavens are revealing God’s style: sunsets, starry nights, dust storms, rainforests, garter snakes, the human face —all, says Buechner, are “unmistakably the work of a single hand.” God’s style. On the Day of Epiphany, God’s style was revealed to the world when the Magi show up to meet Jesus in a make-shift delivery room. God’s glory made flesh; a savior come so that the world might come to know, in a word, “wholeness.” //

reader : Giselle Chebny
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text :: Luke 2: 1 – 20

theme verse :: “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host…” (Luke 2:13)

// Sometimes standing isn’t possible. It is often pain or sadness or exhaustion that “takes your legs out from under you.” Sometimes it’s prayer that drives us to our knees – a position of humility and vulnerability. And yet, sometimes, we cannot stand for our sense of awe is too great. O Holy Night invites us all to “fall our knees,” that we might hear the angel voices and, with wide eyes, see the Divine night come to us again. Christ is born! Anything is possible! //

preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

CHRIST IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM
a traditional cantata in concert

Kelly Ford, director of traditional worship
Deborah Gist, reader
Rev Mark Briley, liturgist

text :: Luke 1:39-45

theme verse :: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:45)

// “You better sing!” is the encouragement of Jennifer Hudson, one of four coaches on The Voice, when she is really moved by a contestant’s singing. Most people, even those without any musical talent, find joy in music. You’ve likely been so moved in hearing someone sing that you felt what JHud feels even if you couldn’t verbalize it that way. “You better sing!” It’s a feeling. It’s passion! It’s freedom! It’s joy! As in, “You better praise God!” “You better keep it up!” “You better sing!” It’s not a threat. It’s not an “or else.” It’s “how could you not?!!” This season brings out all the feels when it comes to music. O Holy Night calls them “sweet hymns of joy.” What do you call them? Do you have a song? You better sing! //

reader :: Jane Whitt
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text : Luke 1:68-79

theme verse : “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us…” (Luke 1:78)

// PEACE SUNDAY. The Christian liturgical year has long pointed us toward peace on the second Sunday of Advent. Peace really deserves more than one focal Sunday but we’ll light that Peace Candle and find as much warmth and challenge in its flame as we can get. There is, after all, always great need for oppressions to cease and chains to be broken. Those lines may hold familiarity. After a decade of banishment by the French Catholic Church for its connection to controversy, ‘O Holy Night’ was discovered by an American writer and Abolitionist advocate, John Sullivan Dwight. He was drawn to the songs call for justice and peace. Does that line beckon us forward still? Are there chains yet to be broken? //

reading : Todd Maxwell
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : Psalm 63: 1 – 8

theme verse : “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” (Psalm 63:3)

You spend three months without your usual responsibilities, you learn a few things. You see different things, and you see things differently. Sabbath, sabbatical, rest, renewal. What it means, what it does, what it teaches – what you learn. After all that time and space, it’s good to regather the sabbatical wanderings, wonderings, and lessons along the way.

anthem : ‘Give Me Jesus’ (arr. Ijames) :: Chancel Choir; Kelly Ford, director; Marla Patterson, soloist

reader : Roy Peters
preaching : Rev Courtney Richards

special music : ‘So Will I’ (HillsongUnited) :: The Rising Band; Isaac Herbert, leader; Andrea Gross, lead vocal

text : Proverbs 11:24-25

theme verse : “Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due and only suffer want.” (Proverbs 11:24)

// An old rap song from my youth included the line, ‘You better check yourself before your wreck yourself.’ While none of the other lines were memorable, that one has staying power. Against what do we measure the effectiveness of our lives? Some level of success? Some measure of kindness? A lifestyle of generosity? A man gave millions to establish a university in Texas. Several years later, he lost everything. Someone asked if he had regretted all he had given to the university. ‘Regret it?’ he said, ‘That school is the only lasting thing I’ve done with my money. Had I not given that money, I would have lost it too.’ So much of living a generous life involves loosening our grip on fear, security, and the sense of scarcity. Only then, might we experience the freedom of a life that is ‘growing all the richer.’ //

reader : David Brock
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : John 17:10-19

theme verse : “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:18)

// Have you ever been confused in a conversation to the point you felt the person talking to you was speaking a foreign language? In John’s version of ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ we may catch some of this sense from Jesus. All this talk of “the world” and who we are in relation to it can be a bit of a brain buster. If we live in the world but are not to be of the world and yet are sent into the world, how do we make sense of our lives as Jesus followers? Perhaps it is figuring out what it truly means to be sent. //

reader : Bob Flint
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : 1 Peter 1:13-16

theme verse : “For it is written, ‘You shall be holy for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:16)

// Holy Shmoly. Who can really be holy? At best we’re what Nadia Bolz Weber calls Accidental Saints, right? Who wants to be holier than thou anyway? It turns out that some of the first followers of Jesus had the audacity to believe they were holy vessels; a reflection of Jesus at work within their very souls. Maybe we could be set apart in this way? Bishop Will Willimon said, ‘Imagine that if even one person acted more Christian in the church, the church could be totally transformed.’ Could it be? Peter says being holy requires preparedness, self-discipline, hope and grace. What do you think? Are you willing to be set apart? Are you up for being holy? //

reader : Todd Maxwell
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : Job 12:7-10

theme verse : “But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you…” (Job 12:7)

// What if I told you that a man who preached to the birds also saved the church? Francis of Assisi did both these things by many accounts. Francis’ love of nature is more than just a footnote to his extraordinary faith. Here is the story of a mystic who experienced the real world of God’s creation in a way that enabled him to experience God’s word and holiness in ways we can hardly imagine. Maybe we have some lessons to learn from the man behind all the birdbath statues… //

reader : Keenan Barnard
preacher: Kevin Howe

text : Luke 8:22-25

theme verse : “Who then is this that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?” (Lk 8:25)

// As if there weren’t already some context clues on their journey, the disciples really begin to wonder about who Jesus is when he dials in a new boating forecast at his request. To call Jesus the Christ isn’t just assigning him a last name. It is a claim that connects him to the divine power that has been at work since the beginning and continues on. //

reader : Geoff Brewster
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Reader: Doc Shannon

Preaching: Rev. Mark Briley

Exodus 33: 7 – 16

// “Lord move, or move me,” goes the lyric sung by the group, Far From Home. We’ve all likely done our best to move God like a chess piece in the game of our lives; longing to control every aspect of our lives. To our dismay, we wonder if God’s not ready to move or if God is moving in some different way altogether. As we bless student backpacks this morning and encourage our educators as they find their way into another school year, we draw from the experience of Moses who is standing on the brink of the unknown wondering, “Will you go with us, God?” Maybe God has already moved. Maybe God is waiting to move us. //

Reader: Scott Booren

Preaching: Rev. Mark Briley

text : Hebrews 4: 14 – 16

Theme Verse: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses…” (Hebrews 4:15)

// I Wonder as I Wander is typically a hymn we sing during Advent. The melody itself is very mysterious and spirit-provoking. Beyond one season a year, however, it seems we spend much of our lives wondering as we’re wandering here and there. What is wonder anyway? And why do we have such capacity? In Jesus, we experience God as one who came to share in our wonder. God chose not to remain separate from us but come and see what we see; feel what we feel, wonder alongside of us. What do you wonder? What might God do with such wonder? //

Reader: Chad Roberson

Preaching: Rev. Mark Briley

2 Corinthians 5: 16 – 21

// What would it take for a skeptical culture’s view of Christianity to see our faith as good? While we aren’t aiming to please an audience beyond God alone, Jesus practiced a faith more interested in reconciliation than keeping a list of the sins of others. What does that reconciliation look like today? It surely includes a good faith effort on our part. //

Reader: Roy Peters

Preaching: Rev. Mark Briley

text : Mark 9: 38 – 41

// There is a growing sense that many Christians – and believers in other faith traditions – are feeling overwhelmed, sidelined, and misunderstood. It’s more than a feeling. For increasing millions of people in the wider culture, Christianity feels like a long list of rules that matter to someone else. With a world that perceives Christians as irrelevant and extreme, we wonder about the future of the Church and how faith can be a force for good in society. Perhaps it begins with a good faith effort on our part to flip the script on the cultural perception. Join us for this three-part series entitled, good /fāTH/ effort with this Sunday’s message Trying. //

Reader: Hollie Hawkins

Preaching: Mark Briley

text : Proverbs 31: 1 – 9

// Like King Lemuel’s oracle gleaned from his mother’s wisdom, we all have that voice of proverbial wisdom in our lives. It might be a grandparent or the sage librarian that took us under wing. Whoever it is, theirs was likely a voice of experience that we treasured as other worldly. Their personal witness and experience oozed with something for us to glean and swirl around in our own spirit. Rev. Denise Anderson said, “Unless we’ve seen what they’ve seen, we can’t know what they know.” What do we need to see? Who do we need to know for ourselves? What did that wise one used to say that we need to hear again in this time and place? //

Reader: Doc Shannon

Preaching: Mark Briley

text: Mark 10: 17 – 22

// How far can you ride life on goodness alone? We often equate ‘good’ and ‘kind’. Lord knows the world could use all the kindness we can muster. Even so, when it comes to biblical justice, being good isn’t the sum goal of life. As the rich man approaches Jesus armed with his feeling that he’s been ‘good’ his whole life, Jesus asks him to give something more of himself. Jesus asks the man to give something up; to let something go. Maybe we all have something Jesus would ask us to give up as well. Something that would lead us to a place of being that’s even better than good. //

Reader: Todd Maxwell

Preaching: Mark Briley

text : Romans 10: 8 – 17

theme verse: “… how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent?” (Romans 10: 15)

// We all have a story to tell. We learn by hearing stories, and we teach by telling them. Our rabbi, our teacher, Jesus, was a storyteller too … why? Because storytelling is easy? No. Because it works. What stories do we tell, by our words and our works? How does what we say about our faith (if we say anything) square with what others see of our faith and faithfulness? There are things to learn from those around us about how to work, rest, learn, serve, and pray. Pay attention to what you’re hearing, and what you’re telling … and what you might write next. //

reader : Abby Langenheim
preaching : Rev Courtney Richards

text : Acts 7:54 – 8:1

theme verse : “And Saul approved of their killing him.” (Acts 8:1)

// No one expects to brave the wilderness without experiencing some unexpected setbacks. Many a mother has said, “There’d be days like this.” Nothing worth braving happens without some resistance. The Jesus movement ran into such resistance regularly. Stephen, a rising leader within the movement, is among the many victims of this new wilderness in the life of the Church. Such moments can either kill a movement or be met with perseverance. Some hearts, in the process, while longer to crack, may very well find their way into being part of the persevering movement forward. Case in point? One Saul of Tarsus. //

reader : Geoff Brewster
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : Acts 2: 37 – 42

theme verse : “For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” (Acts 2:39)

// Fishing was no longer the business. If you’ve ever given up all you’ve ever known, something you were really good at, for some new venture you believe in but uncertain of how to accomplish the vision, you know how Peter must have felt. He would lead the disciples in casting nets of a new kind, a word of promise that was not to be a sales pitch but word of repentance, forgiveness, and new life. Braving the wilderness includes tackling new things, operating with new methods, sticking your neck out in new ways to share the vision. //

reader : David Brock
preaching : Rev Kevin Howe

text : John 21:15-19

theme verse: “After this, Jesus said to Peter, ‘Follow me.’” (John 21:19b)

// Peter walked the peaks and valleys of that first Holy Week (without knowing we’d remember it as we do of course) and is picking up the pieces in the aftermath. Clearing his head by doing what he does best (fishing), he spots Jesus and leaves again his fishing nets to pursue the one he’s claimed as Lord. In a private moment between Jesus and Peter, Jesus gives him the “Are you up for it?” speech. How could he possibly be up for it? Jesus says, “Feed them. Tend them. Feed them.” Okay then. But how? Jesus says simply, “Follow me.” But isn’t Jesus departing? How can he be followed? Time to put all that time with Jesus to meaningful use. All that’s at stake? The entire future of the church. //

reader : Giselle Chebny
preaching : Rev Courtney Richards

text : 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

theme verse: “For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.”(1 Corinthians 1:25)

// Easter on April Fool’s Day. What are the chances of that happening? Not great. Since 1700, Easter has landed on April Fools’ Day eleven times. In percentages, that’s 3.5 percent. It’s been 62 years since these events have collided. It’s hard to avoid the opportunity to ponder our most central and sacred act of the Christian faith through the eyes of a fool. Paul was one who was more than happy to claim the foolish title. While the cross and subsequent resurrection may be foolishness to those who are perishing, to us it is the very power of God. “He is not here. He has risen just as he said.” And that’s no foolin.’ //

reader : Giselle Chebny
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

The Holy Week Thursday evening worship to mark the institution of the Lord’s Supper, the giving of the new covenant in communion, and the mandate (‘mandatum’ – Maundy): “Do this in remembrance of me.” //

text : John 13, selected verses

preaching : Rev Courtney Richards

text: John 12: 1 – 8

theme verse : “Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.'”(John 12:7)

// “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” This was the idea behind the birth of the garage sale. Beyond that simple idea, is another like it. What I may see as wasteful or extravagant, may seem to another to be the very best use of the moment, the resource, the asset. Jesus seems to value motive. In the case of this passage from John, he checks the motive of Mary and Judas. In a round-about-2000 years later sort of way, maybe he’s checking our motives too. //

reader : Geoff Brewster
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : Mark 4:35-41

theme verse: “And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’.” (Mark 4:31)

// Trust in a bottle –it’s out there! A New York City lab claims to have bottled trust. They say:After showering in the morning simply spray a squirt or two of odorless Liquid Trust onto your skin, and then the people you meet during the next few hours will trust you without their knowing whythey trust you. The key ingredient? Oxytocin – it triggers the reward system in the brain. Did the disciples not apply enough liquid trust before this boat ride in Mark’s gospel or is there a faith component that ultimately makes the difference? //

reader : Bob Flint
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : Mark 1:9-15

theme verse : ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near – repent, and believe in the good news.’ (Mark 1:15)

// ‘Repent’ is such a churchy word. How often did your parent or some authority figure yell at you in reaction to a poor choice, “REPENT!” I’m guessing seldom to never. ‘Repent’ is a word typically reserved to religious folk condemning someone for their poor and immoral choices. Jesus used the term firmly but as way of saying, literally, ‘It’s time to turn things around.’ That can be a very healthy thing for us to do. As we find ourselves on the first Sunday of Lent, may we reflect on the restoration offered to us in Christ with a receptivity to the call for repentance. //

reader : Geoff Brewster
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : Colossians 1: 15-20

theme verse : “… and through [Christ] God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven…” (Colossians 1:20)

// In our day, there is a growing distrust of many institutions, especially among younger generations. But whether you like them or not, we are all deeply imbedded in any number of institutions and their practices. Jesus was often found calling into question the motivations and meanings behind the practices of the institutions of his day, but he also points the church towards institutions of our own. Join us for a faith-full reflection on institutions (social structures that sustain a particular way of life) and their practices (activities that presume and inform a certain way of life). //

reader : Jamie Jones
preaching : Rev Kevin Howe

text :: Colossians 3:12-17

theme verse :: “Above all, clothe yourself with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:14)

// Character has long been among our greatest treasures as humans. “Don’t call into question my character!” we exclaim. You might serve as a Character Reference for someone applying for a job. Of course, the famed line in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s speech comes to mind: “Judge [my children] not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Character is the richness of our core-being and we hold its value as a priceless commodity. What does it mean to add the word, “Christian” in front of character? It is no insignificant addition. //

reader :: Roy Peters
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text :: 1 Peter 1:13-16

theme verse :: “As he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)

// If there is any truth to “We are what we eat,” there may also be some credence to the idea: “We are what we want.” All that we have been, are today, and ever will be is connected to our desires. What do you care most deeply about? What are the desires of your heart? A Christian is not called to suppress his or her desires but rather learn to desire that which shapes the heart of God. Can God’s heart become our own? //

reader :: Debbie Robson
preaching :: Rev Mark Briley

text : Luke 2 : 22 – 40

theme verse : “And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.” (Lk 2:33)

anthem : ‘Peace’ (M.McDonald) :: Kelly Ford, tenor; Billie Kay Sawyer, piano

reader : Barbara Crider
preaching : Rev Courtney Richards

closing : ‘Some Children See Him’ (A.Burt) :: Kelly Ford, tenor; Billie Kay Sawyer, piano

Text : Romans 16:25-27

Theme Verse : “Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed…” (Romans 16:25)

// Soft spoken and humble preacher, Fred Craddock, once famously offered a message about Doxology, an expression of gratitude that he personified as a companion for the sake of making a point. Could Doxology truly tag along with him everywhere he went? Doxology is a churchy word we most often associate with a little ditty we sing when the offering plates are carried to the Table in worship. Doxology literally means, “words of glory.” Can we bring such praise with us as we make our way to the manger later this evening? Mary will. The shepherds will. Can we arrive at Christmas with a loving doxology? Time will soon tell. //

reader : Rick Bohls
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

“Hosanna in Excelsis”

text : Mark 13:24-37

theme verse : “And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’” (Mk 13:37)

// Bell-bottoms, Razor scooters, Livestrong wristbands, The Crimper, flash mobs, “Vote for Pedro” t-shirts, speed dating, sideburns, Tebowing, Pogs, the “Macarena.” Fads: “An intense but short-lived fashion; craze; notion, manner of conduct, etc., especially one followed enthusiastically by a group.” Hard to imagine that any one of us hasn’t bought into some crazed fad over the course of our lives. The apocalyptic elements of Scripture have set off some fads of their own over time – many predicting the end of the world – all of which, so far, have fallen flat. Jesus even says, “No one knows the day or hour.” Given such a reality, he adds, “Keep awake.” The season of Advent is one that teaches us to “Keep awake. Be patient. Hope for the Lord to come again and again.” Are you up for the waiting and watching? It may be the only way to arrive at the manger with hope. //

reader : Sally Kelley
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

theme : “To keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh…” (2 Cor. 12:7)

// Any time a sales advertisement says, “As Is,” we get a little leery. “What’s wrong with it?” we wonder. We know we’re dealing with something less than perfect; maybe even less than ideal. What about us? Our lives are compiled of what we might see as something less than perfection. What does it mean that God accepts us ‘as is’? And how, then, do we celebrate God’s desire to claim us just the way we are? Paul suggests that our weaknesses and imperfections are the very things that lead us to cling most tightly to God. Maybe ‘as is’ is just the way we are designed to be. //

reader : Chad Roberson
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : Hebrews 11:32 – 12:2

theme verse : “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely…” (Hebrews 12:1)

// “Did you save it to the cloud?”What once may have only been experienced as a metaphorical connection to the heavenly is now an everyday statement around the common workplace. 783 million users claim the iCloud as a tool to save their work. When saved to the cloud, documents vanish from computer screens to some invisible storage place that leaves the work readily accessible to call upon again by one who needs to continue the effort. The Hebrew writer’s famed ‘cloud of witnesses’ refers to saints who have gone before us and yet remain accessible to us, in spirit, as motivators to carry on the good work of faith. On this All Saint’s Day, we celebrate the great cloud of witnesses, recognizing our own charge to press ahead into the future with the vision of Christ that surpasses time and space. Until the time our faithful work is saved to the great cloud, we have saintly work to continue in Christ’s name. //

reader : Giselle Chebny
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : Romans 1:1-7

theme verse : “To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints…” (Romans 1:7)

// Intentionality is key in our attempts to be successful at most anything. Much of the time, however, it seems we step into everyday moments with a chance to be a help, an encouragement, a testament to our faith without any conscious intention at all. We become accidental saints. In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul makes a call to the everyday saints – those who have both received the generous gifts of Christ and can share those gifts with others. Could it be? Are we saints? We might be closer to sainthood than we think. //

reader : Debbie Robson
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

text : Philippians 3:4b – 14

theme verse : “Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” (Phil 3:13)

Do you ever find yourself living a life of “what could have been”? It is easy to get caught up in the one that got away: the promotion, the relationship, the house, the sale, the game. It is hard to give your best to the life in front of you if you’re always looking back at what could have been. Sitting in a jail cell, Paul had every reason to wonder what could have been. Some twenty years earlier, he left a life of success to pursue the work of the Way of Jesus. That current work was under attack by competitors and after two decade of hard traveling in the service of Jesus, he was tired and surely would have welcomed some relief. And yet, in what many consider to be his happiest letter, Paul says, “I strain forward to what lies ahead” for that’s where the prize is he seeks. That prize? Simply stated: the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. For what are you willing to strain forward?

anthem : ‘The Spirit Sings’ (M.Hayes) :: Chancel Choir – Kelly Ford, director; Susie Monger Daugherty & Billie Kaye Sawyer, duo piano

reader : Giselle Chebny
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

closing : ‘A Little More’ (J.Knapp) :: The Rising Band – Andi Gross & Katie Herbert, vocals

VIDEO : children’s quartet, Traditional Worship Offetory : ‘Instruments of Your Peace’ (K.Dearman) :: Morgan Briley, Macy Gerkin, Regan Nixon, Quinn Daniel

Text : Matthew 9:35-10:1

Theme Verse : “Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.”(Mt 10:1)

// Sending the Disciples out on a mission was long Jesus’ practice. Not many staycations for the twelve. Sharing good news by healing wounds of all kinds and expressing God’s love in the community was something Jesus empowered his followers to do. Today, we often express concerns of not wanting to impose our faith on another or suggest a “personal faith” equals a private one. Our faith, however, calls for a public response, a generous sharing that makes the ‘on earth as it is in heaven’ stuff come to life. Peter wrote in his letter, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope!”(1 Peter 3:15). When it comes to our faith, perhaps we heed the advice of every pre-school teacher ever: “We must learn to share.”Sharing, indeed, is a better way to live. //

reader : Rick Bohls
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Matthew 6:7-14

Theme Verse: “Pray then in this way…” (Matthew 6:9a)

// “I don’t even know what to pray for anymore.” “What am I supposed to say?” “Does it make any difference?” Prayer. It’s complicated and mysterious. No matter your history with prayer or your sense that it has little to offer your future, consider yourself in good company. While we are quick to praise the ‘prayer warriors’, there are many of us who are looking for a practical way to make a connection with the Divine. Jesus closest disciples were asking the same questions. They had likely grown up going to Temple week after week. Shouldn’t they get prayer by now? They saw something different in the way Jesus prayed and asked, “Teach us to pray.” Maybe we can learn something from their same question. //

reader : Chad Roberson
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Luke 4:14-21

Theme Verse: “Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he said, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:20-21)

// Once you’ve launched and the adrenaline drains, how do you press on? Before the euphoric ‘runner’s high’ kicks in after a prolonged state of running there can be a period of desperation. Can I finish what I started? Is the pain, the hurt, the skepticism going to consume me? That pivotal moment in life, and in Luke’s gospel, is met by Jesus who is quick to say, “There. Right there. In that pain. I’ll be with you.” //

preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Matthew 14:22-36

Theme Verse: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”He said, “Come.”(Matthew 14:28-29)

// More than once I’ve called for my children to come to me and been met with the response: “You mean now?” We can be prayed up, studied up, and geared up to launch into something new but there still comes that ‘set’ moment when you’re at the ledge and you try to psych yourself out of it. You’re ready but you’re stuck in the ‘set’. Listen for the voice. It’s there. He said, “Come.” //

**Pastoral Prayer – A Lament for Charlottesville, and us (Rev. Kevin Howe, from Rev. Dr. Sharon Fennema) //

reader : Jamie Jones
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Romans 8: 26 – 39

Theme Verse: “For I am convinced that …{nothing} in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:39)

// Summer has us busy and moving in many directions. Four preachers in five weeks shows us ministry life is no different from your own. When we are apart – when we are away from family, friends, church, routine – how do we still ‘ hold it together’ ? What is it that keep us connected when the world around us would have us stand farther and farther apart? //

reader : Sally Kelley
preaching : Rev Courtney Richards

Text: Luke 9:57-62

Theme Verse: “Jesus said, ‘ No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”(Luke 9:62)

// What is the price of commitment to, well, anything? When Vince Lombardi was a basketball coach at Fordham in the early 1940s, he used to have his players make a pledge before each practice. He’d stand them behind the end line and say, “God has ordained me to teach you young men about basketball today. I want all those who want that training to step across that line.” This wasn’t just an empty symbolic gesture. Lombardi understood the power of making a conscious act of commitment. That’s why he wanted his players to cross that line every day. Did he learn this tactic from Jesus? Perhaps. Jesus’ hard line drawn for would-be-followers in this passage from Luke’ s gospel makes us ask ourselves: Are we willing to cross that discipleship line today? //

reader : Roy Peters
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Luke 14:1-14

// Summer is the season of celebrations and parties. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is found enjoying the company of others at banquets, dinners and other social gatherings. In fact, he offers some important party etiquette for us to take to heart. So, consider this your party invitation to join us for our worship celebration next Sunday and to consider the power of parties in the life of Christian community. //

reader : Lance Goll
preaching : Rev. Kevin Howe

Text: Matthew 6:25-34 (The Message)

Theme Verse: “Give your attention to what God is doing right now and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.” (Matthew 6:34 The Message)

// Many of us get lost in the details while traveling. We are constantly thinking ahead and managing a schedule of events. Often, we end up doing a whole lot of things but are never really present in the midst of any of it. While planning ahead is important, sometimes we simply need to be present in the moment – being where we are while we’re there. //

reading & preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Psalm 104:24 – 33

Theme Verse: “When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.” (Ps 104:30)

// The English word ‘Pentecost’ is a transliteration of the Greek word pentekostos which means ‘fifty’. For Christians, it comes about fifty days after Easter and is the day we commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the early followers of Jesus (see Acts 2 to recount the occasion). What does the Holy Spirit look like in everyday life? Being ‘spirit-filled’ isn’t something we’re used to saying, and ‘being spiritual’ doesn’t sound like it says anything at all. This week, consider what Pentecost means for the Everyday Believer. //

reading : Jane Whitt
preaching : Rev Courtney Richards

Text: John 4:39-42

Theme Verse: “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42)

// “Because I said so!” We’ve all heard that phrase (and may have used it ourselves). Typically, it comes as a worn-out answer to the repeated question, “Why?” A hand-me-down authority or belief has its place, but at some point, a person must own the belief themselves. It must become their own – growing and deepening as the journey continues. At Harvard Avenue, creating space for the discovery of belief in Jesus and his ways is of the utmost importance. We strive to be a church with an environment that values self-discovery and ownership of faith. //

reading : Todd Maxwell
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Our annual celebration of faith and expression led by our junior high and high school youth.

This year honoring six seniors, who each offer a message of how THEIR faith is expressed:

Haley Baker & Gillian Payne – expression of faith through worship
Abby Clary – expression of faith through creation
Alicia Muro – expression of faith through welcome
Kate Rhynes – expression of faith through service
Anne Emerson – expression of faith through song

Text: Mark 16: 1 – 8

Theme Verse: “… and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” (Mark 16: 8)

// Even with all the time we’ve just spent together in worship, in extra worship, with programs and events and projects, did you realize: Easter has just begun? Easter is a season. The weeks leading up to Easter are meant to prepare us, not for the day of the Easter event, but for entire lives as resurrection people. Sometimes we race to the tomb, and sometimes we run away. What do we carry with us when we go? //

reading : Rev Kevin Howe
preaching : Rev Courtney Richards

A choral worship cantata (by Hal H. Hopson), this series of readings and music centers on the last hours of Christ’s life, as he prepared for and suffered death on the cross. //

There are moments of quiet between readings and songs. After several of the readings you may hear, within that silence, a small sound of glass contact. A series of 14 candles are extinguished, one at a time, as the worship service moves through the darkening hours of Christ’s life, and the final candle is extinguished as he is crucified and the temple curtain is torn in two. //

Sung by the 40-voice Harvard Avenue Chancel Choir (Kelly Ford, director).
Including:
a capella chorus ‘Avenue’ (Barry Epperley, director)
6-piece orchestra
10 readers

Text: John 12:12-19

Theme Verse: “The Pharisees took one look and threw up their hands: “It’s out of control. The world’s in a stampede after him.” (John 12:19)

// It is often in hindsight that we say, “That’s when everything changed.” The tension may be building and the proverbial ‘writing may be on the wall’ but until that culminating moment comes, it’s hard to know how it will all go down. Palm Sunday marks such a moment of culmination for Jesus. The crowds cheer initially but the mood swings quickly. What do you do in the wake of such moments? Fight? Flee? Serve? Jesus certainly points us in a particular direction. //

reader : Keenan Barnard
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: John 8: 2 – 11

Theme Verse: “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” (John 8:7)

// Can you imagine gathering for worship each Sunday with the main attraction of the service being an opportunity to stone the week’s premier sinner from among the congregation? With the cultural draw toward violence, this might be a popular practice – so long as your sins were less than the greatest sinner of the week. Living on that edge might be the adrenaline rush of faith many are seeking. If this passage of John is any indication, Jesus isn’t impressed by such a practice. Without grace, true growth of spiritual character is an impossibility. //

reader : Roy Peters
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

(closing vocal : Kelly Ford + congregation)

Text: John 4:31-38

Theme Verse: “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me.” – Jesus (John 4:34)

// Everyone is counting calories these days. And yes, there’ s an app for that. Metabolism shifts over time and our body’ s needs change as well. When you’ re experiencing a growth spurt as a youth, parents often say, “You’re a growing boy! You’re a growing girl! Eat up!”We learn quickly that food for the body is necessary to sustain its strength, its health, its growth. Jesus often turns physical realities into spiritual lessons. “I’ve got food you don’t even know about,” Jesus says to the disciples. They think he’ s been holding out on his stash of snacks. Jesus counters with something much deeper than that – sustenance for the soul. //

reader : Bob Flint
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Mark 1: 40 – 45

reader : Rev Courtney Richards
preaching : Rev Kevin Howe

// A homily for Ash Wednesday, to begin the season of Lent. //

*Also included in this recording: special music ‘Take My Life’ (C.L. Bass) – tenor soloist Todd Maxwell, piano Susie Monger-Daugherty.

Text: Matthew 22:34-40

Theme Verse: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:36)

// I have often been advised, and in turn advise others, “Don’t do the math.” This turn of phrase is most widely used as a way of saying, “It’s complicated – don’t try to figure it out.” For the most part, I’ve held onto this advice because math wasn’t my strongest subject in school. What a relief to be told not to worry about the math! “Jesus Math” is a totally different class than algebra, calculus or trigonometry. In some ways, it’s much simpler. In other ways, it brings us to the hardest equation we’ll ever have to face. “All the law and the prophets” hang on this one equation that we’ve come to call “The Great Commandment.” It’s a spiritual equation most worthy of our consideration. //

reader : Roy Peters
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Matthew 5: 38 – 48

Theme Verse: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” (Mt 5:38)

// Psychologists tell us that revenge fantasies can be a healthy way of assuaging our feelings of victimhood when we are wronged. Jesus, on the other hand, calls us to a different vision of love for our enemies. Where is your anger directed these days? Who is your enemy?

Do you struggle with fantasies of revenge? Can you possibly fathom ‘turning the other cheek’? In the most famous sermon of all time, Jesus debunks many common reactions we have to situations in our lives. Perhaps this word is needed today more than ever. //

reader : Giselle Chebny
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Theme Verse: “I appeal to you… that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” (1 Cor 1:10)

// Paul’s plea was for everyone in the Corinthian church to “be in agreement,” to have “no divisions among [them]” and to “be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” Our first response may be to offer a big ol’ “Bronx cheer.” I mean, “Come on, Paul. Get real!” Is this request even half-way feasible? Perhaps not. Even so, there is something to be said for “We don’t have to think alike to love alike.” Such a hope may begin by saying to God, “You have my… people.” //

reader : Carolyn McClure
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: John 7: 37 – 44

Theme Verse: “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ (John 7:38b)

// Flow. The word itself stops me in my tracks. There’s movement, yes, but not just any movement. It’s fashioned with a rhythm that maximizes potential. Something that flows coordinates with the elements around it to maneuver the smooth, and rough, places with grace. For the fourth year running, we will draw words during worship as a way of focusing our prayer life for the year. Each worshipper will be given the opportunity to select a word at random and allow time and focus to see how it might shape them through the year. Perhaps it will start a new rhythm, a flow fully in sync with the Spirit of God. //

reader: Sally Kelley
preaching: Rev Mark Briley

based on Luke 2: 1 – 20

preaching: Rev Mark Briley

all-music worship at The Rising (casual service)

The Rising Band: leader – Isaac Herbert

Text: Romans 15:4-13

Theme Verse: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

// The Human Library Project sponsors events around the world in which people of wildly different backgrounds and experiences volunteer to be “books” that visitors to the event can “check out” for a short period of time. During this check-out period, the “borrower” and the “book” converse over coffee or tea, perhaps, and the borrower is thereby able to learn firsthand from the experiences of the “book” he or she is “reading.” The gift of understanding the human experience is a great step toward peace. God made that step in Bethlehem so long ago. //

reader : Debbie Robson
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Psalm 116

Theme Verse: “What can I give back to God for the blessings he’s poured out on me?” (Psalm 116:12)

// Have you ever known a person who is always generous? They may or may not have the most material possessions. They may, in fact, have very few resources. Regardless, they have a spirit that seems to know a great truth that few have seemingly discovered. What is that truth? Can we embody it too? We just might discover that very truth in Psalm 116. //

reader : Barbara Crider
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Romans 1:8-17

Theme Verse: “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.” (Romans 1:14)

// It may be the most awkward question in the English language: “What do I owe?” We often ask after we’ve received something of value. We are uncertain of the cost but assume it might be significant – after all, what we received was certainly significant. But then, shocking words: “Nothing. You owe nothing.” Somehow, in our astonishment of such a gift, our primary feeling is not obligation but a great desire to not simply give fair-market value but give extravagantly. Perhaps such is the gift of the Gospel to us. Might we pay it forward? //

reader : Doc Shannon
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: James 1:19-26

Theme Verse: “But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers but doers who act – they will be blessed in their doing.” (James 1:25)

// You might call the letter of James a practical primer for living faith. In a culture obsessed with orthodoxy and bogged down by dogma, the letter of James is sharp reminder that our faith demands practical, real world actions of love and justice. This Sunday, we go to the mirror with James to gaze deeply – beyond our airtight theories and eloquent proclamations – to reveal the faith that blesses us in the doing and living of the word. We will also welcome with us in our worship a delegation from our international partnership with JustHope and the community of Chacraseca, Nicaragua. //

reading : Mike Moore
preaching : Rev Kevin Howe

Text: Mark 13:24-37

Theme Verse: “And what I say to you I say to all: ‘Keep awake.’” (Mark 13:37)

// As he battled pancreatic cancer, Professor Randy Pausch knew intimately the importance of using time wisely. He famously offered “The Last Lecture” at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he shared his heart about the realities of life and the shaping of his hope. “At this point,” he said, “I’m an authority on what to do with limited time.” His key take-away: “Keep awake.” What might it take for you to stay awake to your life? To the guiding Spirit of God? Often times, the jarring moments of life or the long-awaited moments on your schedule pull us into a greater awareness of time and what we are doing with it. Jesus’ ‘last lecture’ in Mark’s gospel challenges us to this very thing even in the mild moments of life. He simply says, “Keep awake.” Are you up for the challenge? //

reader : Rick Bohls
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Jeremiah 1:4-14; 17-19

Theme Verse: “They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.” (Jeremiah 4:19)

// One of the football moms leans over to me as her son lines up in the fullback position in practice. “He doesn’t usually run the ball,” she says, “Coach just puts him there in short yardage situations. He’s not the fastest and can’t dodge people, but he’s tough and can press through the middle to get the first down.” The fullback on the football team doesn’t get much glory; not much TV time or experience with celebration dances. They just do the hard work of stepping forward a little at a time, becoming a pillar of strength in the trenches. The prophet Jeremiah knows a thing or two about picking up the short yardage needed to press a vision forward. What’s God’s vision for you? Maybe it’s time for the small victory of picking up the short yardage you need to see your God-vision flourish. //

reader : Lance Goll
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Theme Verse: “As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because theywere like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34)

// When you go about your day, do you look at the people you encounter as competitors or companions? It seems a different attitude is needed for whichever viewpoint you prefer. Jesus wasn’t one short on companions (or competitors for that matter). His compassion for others often trumped his competitiveness, however. The result? Everybody found a place. Nobody was alone. Every time we are moved to act like Jesus in this regard, chalk up a small victory for the kingdom of God. //

reader : Todd Maxwell
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

**NOTE** : Following the sermon is special music, one from each service this morning:
@ 24:11 The Rising Band – ‘Where The Light Shines Through’ (Switchfoot)
@ 28:17 Men’s Ensemble – ‘My Heart’s Desire’ (Joseph Linn)

Text: Romans 8:12-25

Theme Verse: “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:25)

// The magic formula: we’re always looking for it and, at times, we think we’ve captured it. Do these three things and get well or get rich or get six-pack abs. Formulas have their place and can guide us successfully for a time. However, the greater challenges and deeper questions of life tend to render formulas ineffective or at least, well, formulaic. Paul suggests the dynamics of the Holy Spirit surpass an approach to faith that has about as many steps as it takes to make a peanut-butter sandwich. When the formula fails, what do you plug into for life-sustaining power? //

reader : Sally Kelley
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Luke 6:27-31

Theme Verse: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)

// Eugene Peterson says of Jesus, “We follow a very different leader, one who in virtually every detail guides us in a way of living that is counter to that of the world.” The next Christians have rediscovered this ideal. They don’t always get it right, but they are seeking to follow the ways of Jesus wherever they show up in the world. The next Christians are living in the tension of being prophetic with their lives while serving others and inviting them to a better way. Is the big five-hundred-year shift happening to us or are we called to join the effort of ushering in this new manifestation of the realm of God? //

reader : Giselle Chebny
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: Romans 14:1-12

Theme Verse: “Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” (Romans 14:10)

// We all know an arm-chair critic. We probably know him or her quite well actually. Dare I say it is me? Or you? I imagine we’ve all fallen into that trap. For all the time we spend criticizing others, what good comes from it? What beneficial fruit has it reaped in our lives? Has it strengthened our relationships? Matured us? Challenged us to grow? Improved the quality of our lives? Enhanced our skills? Brought those different from us into the Christian faith? Or is criticism merely the crutch we use to justify our personal passivity? What if we spent more time creating and less time criticizing others? That seems to be most intriguing to the next Christians. //

reader : Barbara Crider
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: 2 Corinthians 4:1-15

Theme Verse: “Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:15)

// This moment in time is unlike any other in history. Its uniqueness demands an original response. If we fail to offer a different way forward, we risk losing entire generations to apathy and cynicism. There is a whole movement of Christians – evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, Pentecostals, and others – wanting to be a force for restoration in a broken world even as we proclaim the Christian Gospel. They want the label Christian to mean something good, intelligent, authentic, true, and beautiful. Can we be a part of the restoration, allowing the light of Christ to shine through our imperfections to reveal a movement of wholeness in a fragmented world? //

reader : Debbie Robson
preaching : Rev Mark Briley

Text: 1 Corinthians 13:12-13

Theme Verse: “Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.” (1 Corinthians 13:13 MSG)

// JRR Tolkein’s “Leaf by Niggle” has been interpreted, by some, as a story of hope in our toil. He writes of a painter named Niggle who has a vision and desire to paint the perfect tree but life and work always prevents him from doing so. At the time of his death, he had only completed one leaf in the painting. In his journey into the afterlife, he sees ahead the tree of his vision in all its glory. In a state of complete marvel, he realizes that one day, everyone will see it too. What is the hope of our daily grind, our work? Christians can press forward, even in seemingly insignificant work, knowing that the ultimate transformation will one day be fulfilled. If you’re a city planner, there will be a New Jerusalem. If you’re a lawyer, there will be a time of perfect righteousness and justice. The way we view our work and all that is not yet as it will be will inevitably impact the way we respond to our work today. Paul’s word to trust God, hope always, and love deeply may be the very thing that sustains our work today and transforms it ultimately into the Kingdom of God. //

preaching : Rev Mark Briley

(audio concludes with Chancel Choir anthem, ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’)

Text: Exodus 32:1-6

Theme Verse: “Aaron took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’”(Ex 32:4)

// Someone noted that the number one response to the question, “How are you?” is “Busy.” Society seems to equate busy with important. This mentality plays itself out in our work by individuals pressing more and more to climb some imaginary ladder that is supposed to prove our worth. It’s subtler than stealing money or committing adultery where you can point to one moment or one act but making work priority one is sin no matter how we justify the reality. We shouldn’t make work an idol. Our ultimate value has to be grounded in Christ, not in our work. //

reader: Giselle Chebny
preaching: Rev Mark Briley

Text: Ephesians 4:11-16

Theme Verse: “God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love – like Christ in everything.” (Ephesians 4:15)

// Life has a trajectory. We don’t foresee the twists and turns nor can we fully see into the future. Even so, we have certain expectations of a life that grows, matures, and culminates in some measure of wisdom. We have expectations of toddlerhood, teenage angst, young adult optimism, mid-life questions, late life legacy. We should have some expectations for our spirit life as well. There should be growth and challenge and maturing. Growing fully in, and into, Christ requires effort and some group nudging along the way. Living expectantly in faith affords many opportunities to look back in gratitude for the nudges that helped the cause propel forward. What nudge do you need today to propel the church forward again? What nudge can you give another? Let’s grow! //

reader: Kaye Nofziger
preaching: Rev Mark Briley

Text: John 2:1-11

Theme Verse: “Jesus said, ‘Is that any of our business, Mother – yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.’ She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, ‘Whatever he tells you, do it.” (John 2:4-5)

// Sometimes it’s not your time. Sometimes it is but, for whatever reason, you haven’t accepted that reality. You need a nudge. Being Jesus’ mother must have been something. Parenting is hard enough, uniquely so when your child is thirty years old… oh, and he happens to be the Savior of the world. Jesus’ first sign, according to John’s Gospel, takes place at a wedding reception. Jesus was minding his own business until Mary gives him the nudge to act which sets into motion his entire ministry. //

reader: Todd Maxwell
preaching: Rev Mark Briley

Opening the Lent Wednesday evening series with the tradition of Ash Wednesday liturgy, and the stories of faith from members of Harvard Ave.