Fourth Sunday after Pentecost-2021

June 20, 2021

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers and father figures.

Join us for service on this the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost. If you cannot make it to church you can watch the service live below. If you missed the live service you can watch the archived service here.

Walking with God

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath, you begin to clear your mind.-

  • Breathe in: Guide me
  • Breathe out: Oh God

-Continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.-

[Jesus Said] “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy[d] that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14

[Jesus Said] “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy[d] that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Matthew 7:13-14

Because of all of the rain lately, parts of my normal path to the beach is covered in water. So as I get ready for my walk, I put on my rain boots, and put Nevada, my dog, on her leash. Nevada does not like water, so she tries to go around the part of the path covered in water. There are times that her going around the puddle involves her being on one side of a tree, with me on the other side of the tree and the leash between us. She does not realize it is easier for both of us to just go through the water.

Last week as I walked Nevada, I thought about how my walk with God is similar. Sometimes there is a person I do not want to talk with because of a conflict or misunderstanding. I will put off talking to this person. This is like when Nevada goes around a tree instead of walking through the water. The longer I put off talking to this person the more damage can be done to that relationship. There is also damage done to my relationship with God. I was reminded it is more important to take the time to talk with someone than to put it off.

  • Do you need to talk with someone?
  • Are you putting off doing something important?

-Please take a moment.-

-Take some deep breaths.-

  • Breathe in: Guide me
  • Breathe out: Oh God

God, I am glad you are there to guide us, and remind us of our call in life. You take us through the path that is best for us. Help each of us to remember that you are the one guiding our path, and help us to hear your voice when you call. Amen.

Waiting on God

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath, you begin to clear your mind.-

  • Breathe in: Renew me
  • Breathe out: Oh God

-Continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.-

those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
Isaiah 40:31

Why do you say, O Jacob,
    and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
    and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
    and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
    and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
    they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:27-31

When I am exhausted and weary, I try to remember to wait on God. This waiting is not easy, and it is not a passive waiting. It is about being bound to God, like the strands of a rope are bound together. Waiting on God can make us stronger. This is a waiting with expectation for things to change for the better. I am bound to God for the outcome knowing God has my best interest in mind.

When we wait on God, there are times the outcome we receive is not what we are looking for or expect. When we are bound to God, we are able to remember that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). When we wait on God, we are able to be flexible in our thoughts. We are able accept God’s thoughts even when they are not our own or what we expect.

Waiting is also about time. This means taking some time to be quiet in God’s presence. For me it looks like; taking a walk, meditating, or doing an art project. When we relax, it is easier to hear God’s voice.

  • Take some time to meditate
  • Take a walk
  • Do something that will help your mind to relax

-Please take a moment.-

-Take some deep breaths.-

  • Breathe in: Renew me
  • Breathe out: Oh God

God of restoration, thank you for being with us when we are exhausted and weary. Thank you for your grace and love in the midst of our worry and concern. Help us to relax in your presences so we can hear your voice today. Amen.

God can be heard

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath, you begin to clear your mind.-

  • Breathe in: I can
  • Breathe out: hear God

-Continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.-

They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Mark 1:22
Mark 1:22

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Mark 1:22

In this story, Jesus taught as one who had authority. What does it mean to teach with authority? What did it mean to those who heard Jesus? As I thought about and studied this question, I came to understand that part of what this meant is that Jesus was not quoting other sources. The teachers the people heard at their synagogue quoted other sources, like other scribes, priests, or authorities when they taught. Jesus was speaking with his own words and thoughts. He was speaking as a person who heard directly from God. Like Jesus, we can hear directly from God. Looking up what others say about God, a story, or scripture can help us to understand it, and we can get our answers from God as Jesus did.

Jesus came to restore our relationship with God. Jesus came to help us see God in a new light. We can hear from God!! Yes, there are times we hear from God by listening to what others have to say, and we can hear directly from God as well. Sometimes this understanding comes through reading scripture, sometimes through something we see, sometimes through a relationship. We can see God in everything around us.

  • What is God saying to you?
  • Where are you seeing God?
  • How are you seeing God?

-Please take a moment.-

-Take some deep breaths.-

  • Breathe in: I can
  • Breathe out: hear God

God, thank you for being there to reveal yourself to us. We thank you for showing up when we least expected it, and when we least deserved it. You are there with us in everything. Thank you for revealing yourself to us. Amen