Guest Sermon by Pastor Helen Beth Kuhens
Based on Zechariah 9:9-12, Psalm 145:8-14, and Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
July 5, 2020
Children's Sermon
And now for the children's sermon I want help from the younger ones gathered at home. I want help in remembering a story I first heard... oh so many years ago: the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. In this case there was a mama bear and a daddy bear and baby bear. Goldilocks happened by their lovely little cottage one morning as they had gone for a walk waiting for their porridge to cool a bit. Goldilocks was hungry and so she tried papa bear's porridge, but it was still too hot. Then she tried mamma bear's porridge, but it had cooled off too much. Then she took a bite of baby bear's porridge and it was just right! Next, she tried the chairs. Papa bear's chair was too big. Mamma bear's chair was too rocky, but baby bear's chair was just right! Then she decided she needed a morning nap. Papa bear's bed was too hard. Mamma bear's bed was too soft, but baby bear's bed was just right! And if you want you can draw a picture of Goldilocks asleep and the three bears with great looks of surprise to see her there!
But mostly I want us to remember the JUST RIGHT part of the story.
Perhaps you have seen pictures from pioneer days--long before tractors -- when two oxen are yoked together in a kind of harness so they can share in carrying heavy loads. And it's important that the harness or yoke fit--Just Right--to make it easier to carry the load.
In the Gospel lesson for today you will hear Jesus talk about a harness or yoke that fits--JUST RIGHT.
Message:
Last Sunday's gospel text focused on the wondrous gift of "Welcome" -- and Jesus' encouragement that we be a welcoming community. The closing verses of today's gospel text shorten that word "Welcome" to simply "Come"...
We hear Jesus' welcoming word of gracious invitation: "Come.... Come to me all you that are weary, all you that are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." That little word "rest" in the Hebrew tradition is far more than a " little catnap" or a slight "pause that refreshes"..... though the idea of true refreshment comes close -- Jesus' promise of REST certainly includes --refreshment and renewal . . . I wish to explore with you this morning how the first part of our traditional liturgy.... what we call "The Confession and Forgiveness" is, in a sense, an acting out of our response to Jesus' invitation in today's Gospel: "Come to me and I will give you rest". Jesus' invitation to come to him with our weariness and burdens... to come to him for true and full REST is , indeed, what happens in and through our first act of worship... what in short hand we call "The Confession" To see more fully the connection between Jesus' invitation in today's gospel reading and our traditional confession in the liturgy, I first call attention to what I think is an inadvertant leaving out of essential aspects of what happens in this portion of the liturgy. To speak of it in its entirety, it could be called not only Confession, or Confession & Forgiveness, but -- in addition-- renewal and call to discipleship as well.
With that in mind I encourage you to go back in your bulletin to the beginning of today's worship as we look more deeply at the confession, forgiveness, renewal and call to discipleship in which we have already participated... but to look at it again in light of Jesus call to Rest from Matthew's gospel.
First -- what is called "Confession of Sin", I will re-title: Confession, Forgiveness, Renewal & Calling.
Next, we have the naming of the God who invites us: Blessed be the Holy Trinity. Then, a description of this One God who is full of compassion... and if that isn't enough ... full of both compassion and mercy. In times of confession -- when we, perhaps, feel ourselves the least presentable, we are, rather, to put all fears aside for we are presented to one who is full of compassion, full of compassion AND mercy. The description continues: full of compassion and mercy AND ABOUNDING in STEADFAST LOVE. Yes, this is the nature of the God who invites us: One full of compassion and mercy, abounding in steadfast love! Steadfast love that will not let us go! If we could take in even a portion of the fullness of that description -- we could well stop right here . . . for it is enough to ponder for a life-time! AMEN
BUT, We continue:
Seeking reconciliation with God and our neighbor, let us remember the gift of baptism as we confess our sin.
Remembering the gift of baptism reminds us that even as we name our sins and in need of forgiveness, we are claimed, claimed as God's beloved children. and as we seek reconciliation, wholeness restored, we come to the One whose very nature it is to reconcile... And we continue...
Reconciling God.
We confess that we have sinned against you, against one another, and against the earth entrusted to our care. We are worried and distracted by many things. We fear difference and do not welcome others as you have welcomed us. We are silent in the face of racism and all that separates us from our human siblings.
Thus, we made our confession and then we prayed: So, For the sake of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. . . .For the sake of Jesus Christ... Jesus...This is the Jesus with outstretched welcoming arms in today's gospel saying: Come. Come to me...
Jesus asks of us three things in this passage: Come. Take my yoke. Learn from me.
And each of these with further explanation: Come. Why? Because I know what troubles you, I know you are ever so weary... and though others may not know the heaviness of your burdens, I do. I know your particular need of my shalom, my peace, my rest.
Come. Take my yoke.
Take my yoke upon you, it fits well your life, your days and your circumstances. It is not "one size fits all!" yoke. No, it is perfectly fashioned with you in mind. It is meant for you in particular with your gifts and your needs, and, thus, it fits you well. It is not too big, nor too small.... No, it is Just Right. Just Right for you. And it's intended to make all your burdens light. But most of all, we can hear Jesus say --most of all remember: I am yoked with you. You do not carry your burden alone.
Yes, Come. Take my yoke. And Learn from me.
Why? because I am a gentle and humble teacher. I come to you right where you are ... in all the messiness & beauty, in all the confusion and wonder of your days and together we go on from there to do the healing and reconciling work your heart, your home, your community, your world cry out for.
And dear Friends, that is what we asked for, is it not when we prayed: Forgive us. Renew us. And lead us that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways ... Perhaps we can hear the intent of forgiveness, renewal and leading if we add one little word: so...so that...Forgive us. Renew us and lead us (yoke with us) SO THAT we may delight in your will and walk in your ways!
AMEN
And now for the children's sermon I want help from the younger ones gathered at home. I want help in remembering a story I first heard... oh so many years ago: the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. In this case there was a mama bear and a daddy bear and baby bear. Goldilocks happened by their lovely little cottage one morning as they had gone for a walk waiting for their porridge to cool a bit. Goldilocks was hungry and so she tried papa bear's porridge, but it was still too hot. Then she tried mamma bear's porridge, but it had cooled off too much. Then she took a bite of baby bear's porridge and it was just right! Next, she tried the chairs. Papa bear's chair was too big. Mamma bear's chair was too rocky, but baby bear's chair was just right! Then she decided she needed a morning nap. Papa bear's bed was too hard. Mamma bear's bed was too soft, but baby bear's bed was just right! And if you want you can draw a picture of Goldilocks asleep and the three bears with great looks of surprise to see her there!
But mostly I want us to remember the JUST RIGHT part of the story.
Perhaps you have seen pictures from pioneer days--long before tractors -- when two oxen are yoked together in a kind of harness so they can share in carrying heavy loads. And it's important that the harness or yoke fit--Just Right--to make it easier to carry the load.
In the Gospel lesson for today you will hear Jesus talk about a harness or yoke that fits--JUST RIGHT.
Message:
Last Sunday's gospel text focused on the wondrous gift of "Welcome" -- and Jesus' encouragement that we be a welcoming community. The closing verses of today's gospel text shorten that word "Welcome" to simply "Come"...
We hear Jesus' welcoming word of gracious invitation: "Come.... Come to me all you that are weary, all you that are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." That little word "rest" in the Hebrew tradition is far more than a " little catnap" or a slight "pause that refreshes"..... though the idea of true refreshment comes close -- Jesus' promise of REST certainly includes --refreshment and renewal . . . I wish to explore with you this morning how the first part of our traditional liturgy.... what we call "The Confession and Forgiveness" is, in a sense, an acting out of our response to Jesus' invitation in today's Gospel: "Come to me and I will give you rest". Jesus' invitation to come to him with our weariness and burdens... to come to him for true and full REST is , indeed, what happens in and through our first act of worship... what in short hand we call "The Confession" To see more fully the connection between Jesus' invitation in today's gospel reading and our traditional confession in the liturgy, I first call attention to what I think is an inadvertant leaving out of essential aspects of what happens in this portion of the liturgy. To speak of it in its entirety, it could be called not only Confession, or Confession & Forgiveness, but -- in addition-- renewal and call to discipleship as well.
With that in mind I encourage you to go back in your bulletin to the beginning of today's worship as we look more deeply at the confession, forgiveness, renewal and call to discipleship in which we have already participated... but to look at it again in light of Jesus call to Rest from Matthew's gospel.
First -- what is called "Confession of Sin", I will re-title: Confession, Forgiveness, Renewal & Calling.
Next, we have the naming of the God who invites us: Blessed be the Holy Trinity. Then, a description of this One God who is full of compassion... and if that isn't enough ... full of both compassion and mercy. In times of confession -- when we, perhaps, feel ourselves the least presentable, we are, rather, to put all fears aside for we are presented to one who is full of compassion, full of compassion AND mercy. The description continues: full of compassion and mercy AND ABOUNDING in STEADFAST LOVE. Yes, this is the nature of the God who invites us: One full of compassion and mercy, abounding in steadfast love! Steadfast love that will not let us go! If we could take in even a portion of the fullness of that description -- we could well stop right here . . . for it is enough to ponder for a life-time! AMEN
BUT, We continue:
Seeking reconciliation with God and our neighbor, let us remember the gift of baptism as we confess our sin.
Remembering the gift of baptism reminds us that even as we name our sins and in need of forgiveness, we are claimed, claimed as God's beloved children. and as we seek reconciliation, wholeness restored, we come to the One whose very nature it is to reconcile... And we continue...
Reconciling God.
We confess that we have sinned against you, against one another, and against the earth entrusted to our care. We are worried and distracted by many things. We fear difference and do not welcome others as you have welcomed us. We are silent in the face of racism and all that separates us from our human siblings.
Thus, we made our confession and then we prayed: So, For the sake of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. . . .For the sake of Jesus Christ... Jesus...This is the Jesus with outstretched welcoming arms in today's gospel saying: Come. Come to me...
Jesus asks of us three things in this passage: Come. Take my yoke. Learn from me.
And each of these with further explanation: Come. Why? Because I know what troubles you, I know you are ever so weary... and though others may not know the heaviness of your burdens, I do. I know your particular need of my shalom, my peace, my rest.
Come. Take my yoke.
Take my yoke upon you, it fits well your life, your days and your circumstances. It is not "one size fits all!" yoke. No, it is perfectly fashioned with you in mind. It is meant for you in particular with your gifts and your needs, and, thus, it fits you well. It is not too big, nor too small.... No, it is Just Right. Just Right for you. And it's intended to make all your burdens light. But most of all, we can hear Jesus say --most of all remember: I am yoked with you. You do not carry your burden alone.
Yes, Come. Take my yoke. And Learn from me.
Why? because I am a gentle and humble teacher. I come to you right where you are ... in all the messiness & beauty, in all the confusion and wonder of your days and together we go on from there to do the healing and reconciling work your heart, your home, your community, your world cry out for.
And dear Friends, that is what we asked for, is it not when we prayed: Forgive us. Renew us. And lead us that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways ... Perhaps we can hear the intent of forgiveness, renewal and leading if we add one little word: so...so that...Forgive us. Renew us and lead us (yoke with us) SO THAT we may delight in your will and walk in your ways!
AMEN
