Unexpected Grace: A Closer Look at the Gospel’s Full Message

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[00:06:53] Good morning, friends. Welcome to worship at Hamlin Church on this, the first Sunday of Lent.
[00:06:59] I'm Mariah Tolgaard, one of the pastors here, and I am so glad to be worshiping with you here in this space, and a special welcome to all those who are joining us online.
[00:07:10] If you woke up early or you haven't yet heard, I just got word the U.S. hockey team just won the gold medal this morning. If you were at home watching the game, you still have time to get
[00:07:23] here now because it's over so come on in we are glad to have you this lenten season we are focusing on good news good news all around which is not i know a traditional lenten message but it
[00:07:38] is actually the core of what is at the root of the lenten season of the those during the 40 days of lent converts to the faith would study deeply the teachings of jesus focusing on indeed the good
[00:07:54] news for it is a good news to be a follower of christ and so throughout this series we'll be exploring uh that theme and our music and our art and worship will all add to that and to our
[00:08:08] learnings just a couple of notes as we get started here today hopefully you picked up an order of worship on your way in you can follow along and all that's going on there and you can scan the QR code on the cover to fill out the connection card where you
[00:08:23] can share any prayer requests or sign up for our weekly emails or ask for more information about Hamlin Church we also invite those of you who are joining online to do the same with the connection card that is linked there as
[00:08:35] well I we are also want to say a special welcome to anyone who is with us here for the first time or visiting. We are so blessed by your presence and pray that you will find your
[00:08:49] experience here today to be meaningful and uplifting for the week ahead. Friends, let us center ourselves in the spirit of Christ's presence as we begin our worship today. Please stand as you

[00:09:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:09:01] are able for the call to worship. Good morning. Please join me in the call to worship. The good news of the gospel is manna in the desert water turned into wine love after loss forgiveness after pain the good news of the gospel is release for the
[00:09:30] captive hope for the hopeless mourning turned to dancing and strangers turned to friends so come on in there's no time to waste this surprising good news is is here for you. Let us worship this good news, God. Amen.

[00:09:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:09:52] You've heard, all is fair in love and war, or an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

[00:13:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:13:48] But God says, forgive 70 times 7. God says, I'm slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
[00:14:01] God says turn the other cheek God's mercy catches us by surprise so with wonder and gratitude let us go to God in prayer let us be surprised by God's grace all over again please join me
[00:14:23] in our confession together loving God somewhere along the way we picked up the message that in order to be faithful, we have to be serious.
[00:14:37] We have to pray on our knees without ceasing.
[00:14:41] We have to be somber and quiet in our studies.
[00:14:47] We have to check our wiggles and our questions at the door.
[00:14:52] But then you say the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, unruly and untamed.
[00:15:00] You turn water into wine, surprising and extravagant.
[00:15:06] And all of a sudden, we wonder, can we be like that mustard seed?
[00:15:12] Can we be faithful and unruly?
[00:15:16] Can we be playful and curious?
[00:15:19] Can we be messy and still yours?
[00:15:23] We know the answer already.
[00:15:25] The Spirit whispers, of course, of course, of course.
[00:15:32] Forgive our doubt. Pull us closer into your embrace.
[00:15:38] With faith like a mustard seed, we pray. Amen.
[00:15:44] Hear these words of assurance.
[00:15:48] God's grace is wild and unruly.
[00:15:52] God's mercy is abundant and surprising.
[00:15:55] God's love is expansive and unending. So if you ask, oh holy one, am I forgiven?
[00:16:06] The answer will always be, of course, of course, of course. Holy God, we live in a world that is overflowing with hard news and we crave a piece of your joy. So in our lowest days,
[00:16:30] in our bleakest moments remind us that your ministry started with a small miracle on the longest nights remind us that we are never alone I think you

[00:16:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[00:16:42] skipped ahead oh shoot thanks be to God joy that is ever surprising let us greet

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:16:53] one another with signs of peace and love believe it or not it's crazy every time

[00:17:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:17:31] Alright! Kids, come on up! Everyone join me up here. Alrighty. Hi! Hi, y'all. Okay. Yeah, everyone come on up. Say your pieces. Hello, good morning. You want to sit right here?
[00:17:50] That's all good, totally. Alright. Okay, hi, everyone. Alright, we have a lot of announcements, so while people make their way onto the stage, I'm going to get started. No rush, though.
[00:18:02] morning, everyone. I'm Tova. I'm the Director of Student Ministries, and I'm so happy to be here with you all today. Just a reminder to everyone that there are worship materials in the corner over here. I would definitely check them out because they are actually children's bulletins
[00:18:17] this week, so very exciting for Lent. And then just to remind everyone, yeah, there are worship materials and a sensory safe space over here in the chapel. Also, we have child care for five and
[00:18:28] under in the Frolic Room, which is just down the hall over here. And today we're going to have Sacred Studio after this, pre-K in Godly Play in room 10. And first through third, doing mini
[00:18:40] revolutions in room seven. Fourth through fifth grade, we'll stay in the sermon and then head to the youth room to discuss. And then an exciting reminder that Wednesday night, Children's Choir will actually meet after worship today for a rehearsal, a little practice to get ready for
[00:18:59] their performance next Sunday. So stay tuned for that. That will be awesome. All right.
[00:19:04] Thank you everyone so much for your attention. Now let's get into our message today. So today we are joined by a friend. Actually, can we get that? I just realized, can we get that mic over
[00:19:19] there. Could someone pass that up really quick? It's right up there on the pew. Thank you. Sorry about that. All right. Okay, can you introduce yourself? Hi, I'm Aspen Ireland. I am a student

[00:19:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:19:33] at the University of Minnesota Morris, and I've been helping out here at church for the past

[00:19:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:19:38] couple weeks. All right, and I'm sure many of us are familiar with Aspen, but this is Aspen who's been helping us around the church for the last month or two. So what kind of activities have

[00:19:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:19:49] you helped out with, Aspen? I've been helping out with godly play. That's the main one. And then I've been cleaning out room 10. So organizing all of the art supplies and figuring out what stuff
[00:20:00] we don't need anymore and that kind of stuff. That is an impressive feat. Yeah, a little round

[00:20:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:20:06] of applause for just that, actually. Yeah. But isn't that great? Isn't that wonderful?
[00:20:13] So yeah, they've been working really hard for you all to have really nice spaces and fun activities. So really, really wonderful work. Now, I have some other news, which is that this is their last Sunday interning with us. Now, while we're sad to have them leave,
[00:20:35] They have a really exciting spring coming up and that's going to be wonderful.
[00:20:41] It's going to be a really good thing.
[00:20:43] But we want to make sure we shower them with a lot of appreciation for all their hard work.
[00:20:48] So can everyone please join me in a big round of applause for Aspen.
[00:21:00] Now before we head out to Sacred Studio to learn about Lent and get started for this Sunday, I would really like to do a little prayer for Aspen.
[00:21:08] So for this prayer, I will have us actually put our hands out towards them, kind of like this, to channel our blessing, so in their direction.
[00:21:19] So if everyone could please join me in doing that, the kids in the congregation, thank you.
[00:21:24] All right, so I am going to ask you to also repeat after me.
[00:21:29] Dear God, thank you for Aspen.
[00:21:35] Thank you for the work they did for our community.
[00:21:41] you for the energy and the joy they bring and be with them as they go out into the world amen thank you so much aspen one more little round of applause thank you for your attention let's

[00:22:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:22:05] head off to sacred studio we're going to try this again let me know if you've heard this before please join me in prayer once again love the way this starts joy spreading god we love to imagine
[00:23:04] you at a wedding, your throat hoarse from laughter, feet tired from dancing, brow damp from the warmth of the day. We love to imagine you're turning water into wine, people passing glasses, quenching their thirst, delighting in every joy-filled moment. We love to imagine
[00:23:30] that this is how your ministry began, with celebration and joy, with banquets and laughter, because we crave more of those memories ourselves. We live in a world that seems to run out of joy.
[00:23:47] The news is a rotating blur of heartache. Our hearts carry fear and grief, anxiety and loss.
[00:23:58] We find ourselves still praying for an end to the ICE atrocities in all American cities. We pray for a time of rest and healing for our immigrant siblings. We pray to continue our community outreach, helping people afford
[00:24:18] food and utilities as prices soar. We pray for those who are caught in war-torn in areas and we pray our political leaders will move us away from the possibility of striking Iran for those who are spending their Sundays in a
[00:24:37] hospital room for those who push through waves of depression every day or struggle to manage illness or addiction holy God we live in a world that's overflowing with hard news and we crave a piece of your joy so on our lowest
[00:24:59] days and in our bleakest moments remind us that your ministry started with a small miracle on the longest nights remind us that we are never alone when joy wears thin remind us that you call us by name when hope flickers remind us
[00:25:21] that you hear our prayers and when the weight of the world feels so heavy remind us that the heart of the gospel is truly good news until that promised day when we will once again find ourselves dancing till our feet are sore
[00:25:42] and gathering around the table with our neighbors we pray the prayer that your taught us saying our God who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily
[00:26:06] bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not to temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the

[00:26:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:26:21] kingdom and the power good morning again today's scripture readings come from the

[00:28:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:28:28] Gospels of John and Matthew first the reading from John on the third day there There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
[00:28:46] Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
[00:28:52] When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine.
[00:28:59] And Jesus said to her, Woman, what concern is that to me and to you?
[00:29:06] My hour has not yet come.
[00:29:09] His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you.
[00:29:14] Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
[00:29:27] Jesus said to them, Fill the jars with water.
[00:29:32] And they filled them up to the brim.
[00:29:35] He said to them, Now draw some out and take it to the person in charge of the banquet.
[00:29:43] So they took it.
[00:29:45] When the person in charge tasted the water that had become wine and did not know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew, that person called the bridegroom and said to him, Everyone serves the good wine first.
[00:30:05] then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now. Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. And now a reading from Matthew. He put before them another
[00:30:37] parable the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field it is the smallest of all the seeds but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come
[00:31:00] and make nests in its branches the Word of God for the people of God thanks be

[00:31:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[00:31:09] to God. Amen. Thank you, Kenneth. The good news is so good that it catches us by surprise. That is our theme today and it might be the truest thing that I know about Jesus. Picture it with me. The music is good. The dance floor is just starting
[00:31:44] to warm up. The aunties have kicked off their shoes. The kids are running in a pack between tables and that one uncle is about to request the chicken dance or maybe the electric slide. He's a real wild card so you never really know which way he's going to go. When suddenly
[00:32:06] the host realizes we're out. Out of wine, out of snacks, out of energy, out of whatever it is that keeps the celebration going. You know that feeling in your body, don't you? That sinking moment when
[00:32:30] you realize that the thing you were counting on is gone. Perhaps it's not just wine at a wedding, but something else that stops you in your tracks. Like we're eliminating your position.
[00:32:48] the scans show something concerning I don't love you anymore mom I don't feel safe at school it's that quiet panic underneath a composed face how am I going to get through this who is going to
[00:33:11] fix it what will people think John tells a story where that's exactly what happens at a wedding the supply runs out the unexpected happens you see we have to keep in mind that in Jesus's days
[00:33:31] wedding were weddings were major day-long community events that celebrated covenant family and future hope and wine was a key symbol of joy honor and God's blessing now for some of us especially those of us in recovery or struggling with addiction all this talk
[00:33:55] of abundant wine is complicated even painful so hear this clearly the miracle is not about the alcohol itself but about God's overflowing joy tenderness and provision that never puts our bodies or spirits at risk but here at the
[00:34:21] wedding with no more wine everything was about to fall apart the social shame is looming and the ones the people who will take the bulk of the blame are those in the background the workers the servants the ones carrying the trays and filling
[00:34:45] the glasses and right in the middle of that looming embarrassment that quiet fear of not enough Jesus chooses this moment as his first public act not an exorcism not a healing not a sermon not but rather a party a moment when the
[00:35:14] good news shows up as joy as abundance as relief and laughter and deep breath the good news is so good that it catches us by surprise I love that in this story Mary the mother of Jesus is the one who notices first she's the one who hears
[00:35:42] the whispered panic there's no more she doesn't have power over the budget she's not the host she's not the master of ceremonies but she knows who she can go to. She doesn't explain herself. She just states the reality. They have no wine. And when
[00:36:05] Jesus pushes back, whatever tone you imagine there, she is unblinking. She turns to the staff, the ones who will be blamed if this goes badly, and simply says, do whatever he tells you.
[00:36:24] Mary stands in that gap between scarcity and abundance with stubborn, almost playful trust.
[00:36:34] She doesn't know the details of what Jesus will do, but she knows his heart.
[00:36:42] She knows that when something is about to run out, when shame is about to fall hardest on the people with the least power, that Jesus is not going to just shrug and walk away.
[00:36:58] I wonder, friends, where are you standing in that gap right now?
[00:37:07] Where are you looking at empty cups, at dwindling resources, at thin patience, and feel tempted to say, well, that's it.
[00:37:21] We did what we could.
[00:37:23] It was nice while it lasted.
[00:37:27] Maybe you're married today.
[00:37:30] You can't fix it, but you can bring it to Jesus.
[00:37:33] You can be the one who whispers to the weary servants, I don't know how, but there's still more.
[00:37:43] Just watch.
[00:37:46] Or maybe you're the servants, exhausted, underpaid, overworked, doing what you're told, and Jesus invites you to participate in a miracle you didn't ask for.
[00:38:03] Fill the jars.
[00:38:03] just ordinary labor just more hauling of water they don't get a magic show they get a task and when they do it when they fill those heavy jars to the brim they realize that they have just
[00:38:25] carried the good news into the room the good news is so good it catches even the servants by surprise. They are the first to know. But there's another surprise in this story.
[00:38:47] The jars Jesus chooses. They're generally used for ritual washing, for the religious hand scrubbing that said you are now acceptable, now pure, now allowed at the table. Under the law, that water was about drawing lines. The water would say clean or unclean, in or out, worthy or unworthy.
[00:39:16] And Jesus takes those vessels of separation and turns them into vessels of joy. The containers that used to say, get yourself together and then you can come, now say, come as you are.
[00:39:33] there's enough for everyone the jars that held water for religious performance now brim over with the wine for shared delight friends if you've ever had the good news used against you if someone has ever waved a Bible in
[00:39:56] your face as a weapon told you that the gospel was primarily about fixing you or straightening you out or shrinking you down then this story is for you the first sign Jesus performs is not about tightening the rules it's about
[00:40:18] loosening the fear not about scarcity but overflow not about exclusion but belonging Christian good news has been co-opted in so many ways as a marketing strategy as a label on products as code for here's why we're right and they're
[00:40:44] wrong and as we so often see it today in the rise of Christian nationalism as an ultimatum wrapped in religious language believe this way pray this way vote this way or you're not really one of us but in Cana the good news looks like this
[00:41:06] God's first move in Christ is to expand joy, to keep the celebration going, to shield the vulnerable from shame, to take the containers of religious anxiety and fill them with ridiculous, unnecessary, over-the-top grace.
[00:41:31] If our good news doesn't feel like that, if it doesn't sound like relief and laughter and deep breath, and you belong here, we may not be preaching Jesus' good news at all.
[00:41:49] For the good news is so good, it catches even our religious practices and teachings by surprise.
[00:42:01] Alongside this story, we hear another picture from Jesus. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Tiny, tiny, tiny, unimpressive, almost weed-like. It's the sort of thing that you'd overlook in a well-planned garden until it's suddenly grown into a wild, sheltering shrub,
[00:42:25] big enough for birds to rest in its branches. God's good news so often starts that way, not in grand headline worthy moments but in the smallest yes to compassion the quiet no to cruelty the little circle that gathers to pray or protest or cook
[00:42:51] a meal the stubborn inner voice that says you are beloved even when everything else tells you otherwise we're quick to dismiss those things as nothing but Jesus insists that inconspicuous beginnings can yield unexpected kingdom-sized results the good news is so good it catches our
[00:43:23] expectations by surprise now friends I know it can feel a little strange to be getting lent in this way in thinking about the good news and unexpected surprises and weddings and celebrations and we're used to Lent being about ashes
[00:43:47] and fasting solemn hymns and honest confession and we need those things for sure but John wants us to know something about Jesus from the very start and this is the message that I think is especially important for us this Lent
[00:44:08] the whole journey, the entirety of Jesus's life, even the hard and heartbreaking parts, is rooted in joy. Not superficial cheerfulness, but deep defiant joy that looks at empty cisterns and full tombs alike and says, this will
[00:44:36] not have the last word here in Minnesota right now that proclamation can still feel costly while the visible presence of the federal ice operations is hopefully somewhat at least beginning to wind down we are not out of the woods
[00:44:58] and before us lies the deep work of healing repair and reckoning with the fear and trauma and injustice our neighbors have endured and yet through it all we must keep in mind that this is not the only story being written for we
[00:45:20] see it in countless countless examples the good news keeps catching us by surprise and mustard seed ways Haven watch volunteers standing outside the building in the bitter cold, refusing to let people step alone into the night, offering coats
[00:45:39] and phones and rides and care to those released with almost nothing. We see it in the sight of a bridge or a street corner full of neighbors holding signs of love instead of fear. We see
[00:45:55] it in the quiet, steady work of this Hamlin community, with rides and meals and groceries and legal support and rental assistance, with vigils and advocacy so abundant that we have yet to say no to a request for help. And we see it in the creatives, making our art and music to
[00:46:20] fuel our spirits, just like we did last night with the community art show. And we see it in the ways that support and love has come from afar.
[00:46:33] Yes, Olympians and musicians standing with our state, but even more, ordinary people from outside of Minnesota sending us messages of encouragement or donations for our neighbors in need fund or joining us in prayer.
[00:46:50] Today, in fact, I'm wearing a stole made by Emily, a woman in Canada who will never likely sit in these pews, but who wanted to wrap all of us in tangible solidarity and love.
[00:47:07] Never met her. She just sent it to me in the mail.
[00:47:11] That's a mustard seed, too.
[00:47:16] These examples, friends, they are not headlines.
[00:47:20] They are seeds.
[00:47:22] They are jars quietly being filled to the brim.
[00:47:26] They are glimpses of the kingdom that refuses to let cruelty and fear have the last word.
[00:47:32] So what if? What if our Lenten practice this year is to notice and nurture these small signs of overflowing goodness? To ask week by week, where did we see unexpected joy? Where did something small flourish into something life-giving? Where did shame get interrupted by grace?
[00:48:11] The good news of Jesus we'll hear this Lent is not a slogan or a formula, but an experience of God's love showing up where we least expect it. A God who starts with a feast, not a threat,
[00:48:28] who meets our, we're out with, there's still more.
[00:48:34] At Cana, Jesus doesn't just rescue the party in the abstract, but he steps in so that the servants aren't shamed or punished, turning their ordinary hauling of water into the holy work of carrying overflowing joy
[00:48:51] into the community.
[00:48:55] Maybe that's the word that someone needs today.
[00:48:58] Not that the pain and injustice around us aren't real, but that the story is not over.
[00:49:08] The jars are not empty forever. The seed is not done growing. The tomb is not the final word.
[00:49:17] So, Hamlin Church, as we walk this Lenten road in a time of deep division, fear, and grief, may we walk as people who still expect love to surprise us may we keep planting small acts of courage and care may we keep joining the quiet network of
[00:49:45] resistance and mercy God is already growing around us and may we continue to tell one another in the face of every empty jar and every hard headline that the good news is so good it still catches us by surprise let me tell you
[00:50:08] something good there's still more thanks be to God amen

[00:50:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:50:15] I did sitting on a shelf in the store if you try to hide it it's gonna shine even Even if you lose it, it will find you There's no way to stop it, but they'll try
[00:51:16] Trying to find the ocean, flowers in the concrete In the shadows, places that you can't see Coming through the melody, when love is a wild thing can feel it magic in your fingertips and knock off your lip even if you lose me i will find a way to
[00:52:16] stop it so don't turn the ocean flowers in the car fences bloom places that you can't see love is so our fences in the shadows places that you love is so our love is so our thank you band

[00:54:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[00:54:24] love is a wild thing and it can start with a mustard seed with just a tiny impulse of goodness and one of the ways that we plant those seeds is through our offering through the ways that we
[00:54:41] collectively share our resources in this community at hamlin church and plant them near and far for the flourishing of god's kingdom and so i invite you this week to think of where you'll plant mustard seeds of how you will offer of yourselves back to the work of God and how you might be able
[00:54:59] to share of your resources. You are invited to give your financial resources to our offering as you are so able. You can give in four ways, online at hamlinchurch.org slash give, by sending a check in the mail, by text, or at the offering boxes on your way out the door. Thank you for
[00:55:21] your ongoing support and generosity. Friends, I just want to make sure you are aware of all of the ways that you can engage here at Hamlin Church this Lent. We have many offerings that are
[00:55:35] happening in the next six weeks as we journey towards Easter, and I hope that you will find a way to participate in this season, to go a little deeper, to connect a little more. And these ways
[00:55:48] are listed in your bulletin as well as online but wanted you to point out in particular we have our Lenten devotionals available at the in the narthex and in the Commons that you can pick up on your way out we can also have
[00:56:02] an online version available if you prefer that it's in our weekly email or you can contact our office for a link to that we have a series of small groups that are starting this week and these small groups will journey together for
[00:56:15] next six weeks diving a little deeper into our linton theme and you can sign up at signup central and see the variety of times that are being offered and hopefully there is something that works for your schedule also we have a special linton yoga opportunity coming up on monday and
[00:56:34] a way to kind of reset your spirit and connecting community and this will be on monday night in the parlor open to people of all ability levels and it's a wonderful time of gathering lastly friends
[00:56:49] if i want to say a huge thanks to all who were a part of our community art show last night with amazing art and beautiful music huge thank you to all those who helped organize and set up and
[00:57:00] arrange and our musicians who are performing as well it is still up in the community room so please take a minute when you go downstairs for coffee hour to take a look at the art and talk
[00:57:13] to some of the artists are in our midst today and appreciate the beauty of the collective work of this community and beyond and and it will do your heart good to bask in the beauty and the messages
[00:57:26] that you see there so thank you all right friends we are going to stand as you're able so we can

[00:57:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:57:32] sing our final hymn together we reclaim the name of jesus we reclaim the good news and we sing it

[01:01:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[01:01:23] out loud we show it to the world through signs of grace and peace and kindness in the small mustard seed moments in the ways that we fill jars to overflowing and say there's still more
[01:01:36] go forth friends and be a part of this work go forth and spread the love of christ the good news in unexpected ways and unexpected places knowing that the love and fruit will come back to you tenfold we are going to sing our way out today and he went over here yes and this is a

[01:01:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[01:01:59] call and response i'll do the call and you'll respond to me and you can sing along with caroline or the choir who is surrounding you they're going to be the call the response as well

[01:02:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[01:02:09] Go forth in peace. Amen.