Dear Friends,
This Sunday is Ascension Sunday. At the Ascension Jesus rose into heaven to reign in glory with God the heavenly father. Yet the disciples who witnessed the Ascension were told to stop gazing into heaven and go back to serving as Jesus taught them to serve and to be as one to bring glory to God.
Thank you from Dixon’s daughter Jackie who received the prayer shawl that we passed around and prayed over on Sunday. She loves it! If you know of anyone who would appreciate a prayer shawl, let me know and will do the same for them.
If you would like a home visit, conversation, or home communion, please call me at 573-437-2779 (church) or 573-832-2475 (cell).
- Thank you to all who helped with the Baccalaureate service at the High School on Wednesday evening at 7pm!
- June Newsletter Articles due on Sunday.
- All Church Bowling on Sunday, May 21 at 1pm
- Pub Theology at Clancy’s on Thursday, May 25 at 6:30pm
Blessings,
Pastor Stephanie DeLong
Scripture: Acts 1:6-14, Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35,1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11, John 17:1-11
Sermon: As We Are One
Jesus prayed that his disciples would be one as he is one with the Father. One does not mean that the disciples were the same, but that they would be one in spirit and love.
Think how different each of the disciples were from each other. Peter was outspoken. Philipp was practical in noting that the disciples did not have enough money to buy bread for all the people at the feeding of the 5,000. Andrew found a boy who was willing to share his meal of five small loaves and two fish. Thomas needed to see and touch the risen Jesus for himself. Yet Jesus asks that they be unified in love for his sake.
Unity is not conformity. In unity each perspective, skill and person are needed. In a kitchen you have many parts that need to come together to make a meal. All of them are important. If you are going to bake a cake you need the ingredients (flour, sugar, eggs, shortening, baking powder, salt and usually some sort of flavoring like vanilla), you need the mixing items (bowl, spoon, beaters, measuring cups and spoons), you need a pan or pans for baking, you need an oven with baking racks, you will want pot holders, toothpicks for checking if the cake is done baking, plates for serving the cake, a cake server for cutting the cake, a sink for washing the dirty items, a trash can for any trash… You get the picture. A unified effort of many parts is needed to create a cake that will bring enjoyment to all who eat it.
Christians are all different, but we come together to bring glory to God through our love of serving God as Jesus taught us to serve. This glory is not for us, but for God. This unity is not for us, but because we are unified in Jesus to bring glory to God.
Divisions occur when we forget that our true purpose is serving as Jesus teaches us to serve for the purpose of bringing glory to God. Sometimes groups of Christians will consider themselves superior to others because they prefer metaphorically speaking another type of cake. Let’s think about all the different types of cake: Chocolate Cake, Devil’s Food Cake, Yellow Cake, Carrot Cake, Spice Cake, German Chocolate Cake, Angel Food Cake, Wedding Cake and many more. Some of these cakes may decide that they are better than others. The Angel Food Cake may ostracize the Devil’s Food Cake. Carrot Cake will make claims of being healthier. But they are all still cake with the purpose of making those who will eat it happy.
We have many different types of churches with different types of ingredients, worship styles and ideals. Some churches might choose to exclude other churches with claims of being superior in thought or ingredients. But in choosing division over unity in Christ they are forgetting that the purpose of Church is to bring glory to God in serving as Jesus taught us to serve. Our purpose is not to make ourselves look good, but to bring glory to God. God always deserves the glory!
Being one as Jesus is one with the Father might be disrupted with in the same congregational cake. Unity will be damaged when one aspect of creating a cake decides that it is superior. The beautiful serving platter may believe that it takes priority over the boring baking pans. This is not true! Every part of the kitchen contributes to the finished cake. Even the trash can is important! The purpose of all these parts is to make a wonderful cake for the ones to whom it is served. Every person in a church can contribute to serving Jesus and bring glory to God.
Christians are not all the same, but we are one in our belief in serving as Jesus taught us to serve in order to bring glory to God. We all serve in different and important roles. Jesus knew that the disciples were unique individuals who argued with one another. Jesus taught them to serve. Jesus prayed that they would be united in this service as he prayed for them before his crucifixion. He prayed that they would be one in service and love to bring glory to God. Jesus brought glory to God so that we might have eternal life. Imagine that Jesus is including us in his prayer and live out his prayer for us. Let us serve as Jesus taught us to serve so that we may bring glory to God and help others to do the same.
Prayer: May we the faithful followers of Jesus serve together as Jesus taught us to serve so that we may bring glory to God and be one as Jesus prayed that we would be. Amen.
Prayer list: Elizabeth, Cheryl, Dave, David, Evelyn, Jason, Paulette, Bobby, Kevin, Jim, Darryl (doing better!), Marilee, Beverly, Jim, Jenny, Jaqueline-Dixon’s daughter, Kirk, Barbara, Mitchell, Mahala, Mary, La Rae, Bud, Tyra, Marilyn, Tom, Jeff, Jesse, Kate, Kyle, Carmen, Sandy, Gary, Terry, Bob, Mark’s brother Billy and sister-in-law Jane, Delores W., Tyra, Freya, Vicki B., Barb Z. and for peace.
Special prayers for Teachers, Students, Staff, Administrators and Graduates as the school year winds down.
Prayers and congratulations for our graduates: Marina, Megan and Kyra !
Joy!! Walker born last week to Megan and Scott.
