This sermon looks at biblical and contemporary images of adoption and guardianship, using some stories about adoption to think about what it means to be the family of God.
A sermon that looks at biblical and contemporary stories of being ransomed, and asks the question, “How does God deliver us from captivity?”
We are starting a sermon series where we will try to unpack how Jesus saves us. We are a Christian church, we come here and read stories about Jesus, we pray to Jesus, we sing songs of praise to Jesus…what does this mean? Particularly as we head into the Good Friday and Easter season, we wonder, what did Jesus’ death on the cross have to do with it? How does Jesus save us? How might Jesus save us?
There are as many ways to talk about being saved as there are Christians, but theologians have observed that our thinking falls into certain categories. There are word pictures or metaphors we use to describe the mystery of how God saves us, many of which are drawn from scripture. Certain metaphors have tended to be popular in certain denominations or in certain time periods.
God, with the action of this offering we tell your story:
how you have dealt generously with us,
how you have met our needs,
how you have heard our prayers,
how your goodness is from everlasting to everlasting.
Bless these offerings which are given in the name of Christ, Amen.
God calls us to be generous
not when all the bills are paid
not when we have everything we need
not when we see our way clear.
God calls us to be generous now,
in this present moment,
trusting in God who is our Provider.
And so we give freely, as we have received freely,
we love fully as we have been fully loved.
Meeting by meeting, sermon by sermon,
bible study by bible study, service by service,
the years pass, and you know the church family as your own.
Until the day comes when the time is accomplished,
and you feel God nudging you to leave the role.
Gently you let go of this responsibility and that one,
you say your good-byes, you hear the thank yous.
On this threshold of retirement [leaving] you realize
that what is done is done,
and what is not done is not done,
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every purpose under heaven.
There’s a time to arrive, and a time to go.
A time to work, and a time to rest.
A time to be called, and a time to say good-bye.
There is a time for pastoral ministry:
a time to visit the sick and grieving,
a time to lead worship and preach sermons,
a time to officiate at funerals and weddings,
a time to gather people together in meetings,
a time to lead and shepherd in all circumstances,
in the hurly-burly of congregational life….
In this prayer, I invite you to close your eyes (if you are comfortable doing that), and picture things during some short times of silence. Rather than forming sentences in your mind, just create a picture. These pictures will be our prayer.
Picture in your mind how someone was kind to you this week. Thank God for that person. [10 seconds of silence]
Picture in your mind someone in the congregation who is grieving or sick, and picture how the kindness of the community is helping them through this time. Thank God for kindness. [12 seconds of silence]
Dearly beloved:
Baptism is a ritual of the church in keeping with the example of Jesus,
who himself was baptized as a sign of faithfulness.
Baptism is a symbolic act that is rich with meaning
for the believer and the congregation.
The church baptizes us upon the confession of our faith
when we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
We confess our sins, and our desire to give our lives to Jesus.
Baptism symbolizes dying to self, being cleansed of sin
and being born to new life through the grace of God.
Baptism symbolizes the anointing and receiving of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is the choice of an individual, but it is not an individual act.
It takes place in community,
for through baptism we enter fully into life in the body of Christ.
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.
I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com
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