Theological Status: ACTIVE HERESY
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Thyatira
❓ What do these grades mean?
🔍 Biblical Discernment: The 7 Church Parallels
The Cold Orthodox Parallel
Ephesus
Teaching that upholds doctrinal precision yet parallels the loss of the "first love"—the vital, motivating power of the Gospel (Rev 2:4).
The Compromised Parallel
Pergamum
Teaching that parallels churches tolerating the "doctrine of Balaam" through cultural accommodation (Rev 2:14), characterized by weak boundaries, sloppy theology, and worldly compromise.
Why strictly "Mark & Avoid"?
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
🧐 Overview
Theological Verdict & Summary
Sermon Summary: An examination of John 14 reveals a fundamental conflict between cultural desires for radical inclusivity and the biblical reality of Christ's exclusive authority.
Pastoral Analysis: While the sermon attempts to foster a spirit of hospitality, it fundamentally compromises the Gospel by reinterpreting Christ's exclusive claims as mere invitations. The teaching denies the necessity of faith in Christ for salvation and removes biblical boundaries from the communion table, resulting in a message that is theologically unsound and spiritually dangerous.
Biblical Parallel (Archetype): Thyatira — The sermon exhibits active doctrinal deviation by reinterpreting Christ's exclusive claim to salvation as a pluralistic invitation. This teaching denies the necessity of explicit faith in Christ for reconciliation with God, aligning with the historical warning against the church of Thyatira, which tolerated false prophets and doctrinal compromise.
Big Idea: Jesus' parting words in John 14 are not exclusionary commands or doctrinal tests, but an invitation into a radically inclusive divine hospitality where God dwells with humanity, calling believers to trust with their hearts and practice hospitality toward others. [00:31:16 ▶️ 📄]
📖 How they Handle Scripture & Jesus
- Primary Text: John 14
- Usage Classification: Thematic
- Text-to-Talk Ratio: High
- Pulpit Decorum: ❌ FAIL - The sermon undermines the authority of the pulpit by redefining core doctrines of the faith to align with cultural preferences for inclusivity, failing to uphold the responsibility of faithful teaching.
✝️ Christological Focus: Absent
"Christ is not presented as the exclusive Savior but as a symbol of inclusive hospitality, stripping His words of their soteriological authority."
Scripture Saturation: Verses Read: 37 | Referenced: 6 | Alluded: 5
📖 View 4 Passages Read Aloud
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John 14:1-14
[00:28:55 ▶️ 📄]
"Jesus said, Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places, and if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and I will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going. And Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going, how, can we know the way? And Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. And no one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. And Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied. And Jesus said to him, have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not trust that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Trust me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. But if you do not, then trust me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you the one who trusts in me will also do the works that I do and in fact will do greater works than these because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it."
-
John 1:1-14
[00:42:30 ▶️ 📄]
"In the beginning was the Word, with a capital W, right? That's the Logos. And the Word was with God. and the Word was God and the Word, capital W, became flesh and dwelt among us."
-
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
[00:48:14 ▶️ 📄]
"take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. When the supper was over, Jesus took the cup and after giving thanks to God, gave it to his disciples and said, drink from this all of you this is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me"
-
Matthew 6:9-13
[00:49:20 ▶️ 📄]
"Our Father, 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 bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever."
Key References: John 14:1-14, John 1:1-14, John 15, John 16, John 17, Genesis
💧 Liturgy & Sacraments
Fencing the Table (Communion):
- Believers Only Stated: ❌ No (Open Table Risk)
- Warning Against Unworthy Manner: ⚠️ None Detected
- Open Invitation: 🔴 Active Commission (Unbelievers Explicitly Invited)
- Verbatim Warning: "So I invite you, friends, and remind you that this is not the table of our congregation or the table of our denomination. This is the table of Jesus, which means all of you are invited to come."
🎙️ Sermon Content & Delivery
Word Count: 2,113 words
📌 View 7 Key Topics Addressed
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Exclusivity vs. Inclusion
[00:40:22 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor addresses the common interpretation of 'no one comes to the Father except through me' as exclusionary, correcting it by highlighting the context of 'many dwelling places' and 'sacred multiplicity' to argue for radical inclusivity. -
Theology and Belief
[00:37:00 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor discusses the importance of defining personal theology through creeds and questioning, distinguishing between intellectual belief ('head') and experiential trust ('heart'). -
Literalism and Absurdity
[00:34:46 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor highlights the absurdity of taking Jesus' words about 'greater works' and 'asking for anything' literally, using rhetorical questions to show how these phrases are often misappropriated. -
Faith as Trust vs. Belief as Head Knowledge
[00:39:50 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor distinguishes between intellectual belief ('head') and relational trust ('heart'), arguing that true faith involves moving from the head to the heart. -
Radical Inclusivity and Divine Hospitality
[00:41:48 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor argues against using scripture to exclude, emphasizing that Jesus offers a 'radically inclusive embrace' and 'many dwelling places' for everyone, regardless of how they believe. -
The Logos Hymn and Incarnation
[00:42:20 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor explains the Greek concept of 'dwelt' as 'pitched its tent,' illustrating that God temporarily shelters among humanity, making the universe God's dwelling place. -
Practicing Divine Hospitality
[00:45:36 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor connects the theological truth of God's presence to ethical imperatives, urging the congregation to practice hospitality toward neighbors, immigrants, and enemies.
🖼️ View 5 Illustrations & Stories
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Sermon Illustration
[00:37:00 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor describes an exercise given to youth in confirmation class where they are asked to write their own credo to define their beliefs about God, humans, and the relationship between them, noting that this often frustrates them because there is no single end to the assignment. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:40:40 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references Diane Butler Bass's note that the text 'no one comes to the Father but through me' was frequently used to prove Christian exclusion, contrasting this with the context of 'many dwelling places' to argue for an inclusive invitation. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:40:45 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references Diane Butler Bass's observation that John 14:6 is often misused to prove Christian exclusion, correcting this by highlighting the context of 'sacred multiplicity' and 'many dwelling places' in the Father's house. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:42:56 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor uses the analogy of Jesus 'pitching a tent' in one's front yard to explain the Greek word for 'dwelt' in the Logos Hymn, illustrating the temporary, intimate nature of God's presence among us. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:46:47 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor shares a humorous anecdote about congregants Carolyn, Jennifer, and Ollie leaving communion early to serve the children, illustrating the communal and practical nature of the liturgy.
🚀 View 1 Calls to Action
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Pastoral Charge
[00:50:31 ▶️ 📄]
> Invitation to participate in communion regardless of denominational affiliation.
🧭 Biblical Alignment Dashboard
Overall Verdict: Fundamentally in Error
| Category | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Gospel Presentation | ❌ FAIL | The Gospel Engine is not intact. The sermon relies on a thematic approach centered on radical inclusivity and moralistic imperatives rather than expositing the text. It fails to present the mechanics of salvation through Christ's finished work, instead offering a universal invitation to inclusivity based on human interpretation. |
| Soteriology | ❌ FAIL | The sermon teaches soteriological pluralism, denying that salvation is exclusively mediated through faith in Jesus Christ and asserting that all people have a place in God's house regardless of belief. |
| Bibliology | ❌ FAIL | The sermon employs hermeneutical revisionism, explicitly reinterpreting Christ's exclusive claim in John 14:6 to mean 'sacred multiplicity' rather than exclusive access through Christ. |
| Hermeneutic | ❌ FAIL | The preacher ignores the grammatical and contextual boundaries of the text, substituting orthodox exegesis with a culturally driven reinterpretation that denies the plain meaning of Scripture. |
| Theology Proper | ❌ FAIL | The teaching distorts the nature of God's justice and holiness by suggesting that divine boundaries are exclusionary gatekeeping rather than necessary conditions for communion with a holy God. |
| Sacramentology | ❌ FAIL | The sermon removes ecclesial and doctrinal boundaries from the communion table, inviting all attendees regardless of faith or baptism, which contradicts the biblical requirement for self-examination and faith. |
| Confessional Depth | ❌ SHALLOW | The sermon lacks engagement with historic Christian orthodoxy regarding the exclusivity of Christ, replacing it with a shallow, culturally accommodating pluralism. |
⚙️ The Core Gospel Framework
What is this? This section checks if the sermon contains the essential building blocks of the Gospel. We look for explicit, substantive mentions of God's holy standard, human inability, and Christ's finished work on the cross.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
❌ The Law And Wrath: Not observed in the sermon.
❌ Total Depravity And Inability: Not observed in the sermon.
❌ Active Obedience Of Christ: Not observed in the sermon.
✅ The Cross And Atonement:
"this is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin" [00:48:43 ▶️ 📄]
⚠️ Theological Concerns
🔴 Critical Denial of Soteriological Exclusivity / Universalism
Root Cause: Soteriological Pluralism
"And some of you, I'm sorry, but the way you believe, you know, I'm not sure about that. There's room for everyone. It's a radically inclusive embrace that Jesus is announcing. We all have a place in God's house, no matter what the gatekeepers of the faith say." [00:41:34 ▶️ 📄]
The Belief/Behavior: The pastor teaches that 'all have a place in God's house, no matter what the gatekeepers of the faith say,' denying the necessity of faith in Christ alone for salvation.
Why It's Dangerous: This destroys the Gospel by removing the only means of reconciliation with God, leaving the congregation without hope.
Biblical Correction: Acts 4:12 'Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.'
🔴 Critical Radically Open Table
Root Cause: Ecclesial Inclusivism
"So I invite you, friends, and remind you that this is not the table of our congregation or the table of our denomination. This is the table of Jesus, which means all of you are invited to come." [00:50:31 ▶️ 📄]
The Belief/Behavior: The pastor states, 'This is not the table of our congregation... This is the table of Jesus, which means all of you are invited to come,' removing all biblical restrictions on participation.
Why It's Dangerous: This exposes unbaptized and unbelieving attendees to spiritual judgment by encouraging them to partake unworthily.
Biblical Correction: 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 'Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.'
🔴 Critical Progressive Christianity / Theological Pluralism
Root Cause: Theological Pluralism
"No one comes to the Father but through me. This is not a doctrine test or a mission imperative. It's not a command, but it is an invitation." [00:40:22 ▶️ 📄]
The Belief/Behavior: The pastor claims, 'No one comes to the Father but through me. This is not a doctrine test or a mission imperative. It's not a command, but it is an invitation,' thereby denying the exclusive authority of Scripture regarding salvation.
Why It's Dangerous: This teaches theological pluralism, suggesting that Christ's exclusivity is a human construct rather than divine truth.
Biblical Correction: John 14:6 'Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.'
🟠 Major Universalist Eschatology / Ecclesial Inclusivism
Root Cause: Universalism
"It's a radically inclusive embrace that Jesus is announcing. We all have a place in God's house, no matter what the gatekeepers of the faith say." [00:41:44 ▶️ 📄]
The Belief/Behavior: The pastor asserts, 'It's a radically inclusive embrace that Jesus is announcing. We all have a place in God's house, no matter what the gatekeepers of the faith say.'
Why It's Dangerous: This contradicts the biblical teaching that entrance into God's presence requires regeneration and faith in Christ, offering false assurance to the unbeliever.
Biblical Correction: John 3:18 'He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.'
🟠 Major Hermeneutical Revisionism of John 14:6
Root Cause: Hermeneutical Revisionism
"There was a room for me and for you. And some of you, I'm sorry, but the way you believe, you know, I'm not sure about that. There's room for everyone. It's a radically inclusive embrace that Jesus is announcing." [00:41:27 ▶️ 📄]
The Belief/Behavior: The pastor teaches that 'There's room for everyone' in God's house regardless of belief, directly contradicting the orthodox doctrine that true belief in Christ is the sole condition for salvation.
Why It's Dangerous: This misleads the congregation into thinking that doctrinal fidelity is irrelevant to eternal destiny.
Biblical Correction: 1 John 5:12 'He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.'
🟠 Major Assumed Gospel (Thematic/Moralistic)
Root Cause: Moralism
The Belief/Behavior: The sermon relies on moralistic imperatives without substantive Gospel mechanics, focusing on radical inclusivity rather than Christ's finished work.
Why It's Dangerous: The congregation is left with a moral duty to be inclusive but no power or hope for salvation.
Biblical Correction: John 14:6 'Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.'
📜 Full Sermon Transcript (Audit)
Use the 📄 icons next to quotes above to automatically jump to their location in this raw transcript.
[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:00:00] Happy Sunday, you guys. If y'all would stand as you're able. Come to the center aisle. Look, make yourself look a little bigger.
[00:00:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:00:48] Yes, see. Christ be with y'all. Y'all take a moment to pass the peace.
[00:08:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:08:44] Good morning, friends. Oh, wow. There we go. I welcome all of you to this service. Hi, I'm Jennifer, and I'll be sharing announcements today.
[00:08:52] so we also have some people visiting us via live stream so we hope that you also find this worship service meaningful to all of you at home if you're visiting us here in person today
[00:09:05] we would love to stay in touch with you thanks for coming in in the pews there's a visitor card it's really simple and easy to fill out so if you have it please just add some basic information
[00:09:16] there or you can even scan the qr code to share your information there we just want to know that you're here, and perhaps be in touch with you. If you'd like to attend the funeral service for Tom
[00:09:26] White, it will take place tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the Hayworth Miller Funeral Home. And also, please don't forget to get your geranium orders in. They're due tomorrow, or before tomorrow, so I guess maybe tonight, 11.59 p.m., so get them in. You can find order forms near the exits,
[00:09:44] or you can use the QR code in the bulletin. Again, they're due tomorrow, so let's not forget.
[00:09:50] Okay. Um, I also want to, I don't know anybody, anybody. Um, uh, also I invite everyone to please mark your calendars for a really special service. It's going to be May 17th. I'm super excited
[00:10:03] because it's going to be outside over in the playground in the green area there. Um, hopefully we're blessed with a beautiful day like we have today. Um, we're just going to have one worship service that day. So it's going to start 15 minutes earlier for us. So 11 AM. Um, and again,
[00:10:19] it's going to be outside. There's going to be great music. There's going to be kids. There's even going to be a cookout following the service. So come ready to eat and fellowship and just have
[00:10:29] a great time. Also, Hope Du Jour is this Tuesday, May 5th. So if you eat lunch or dinner out, a percentage will go to Crisis Control Ministry. So it's an invitation to everybody to eat out on
[00:10:41] a weeknight. Also, I would like to invite Eddie Foster up for a quick announcement to share.
[00:10:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:10:47] Good morning. Kelly sometimes calls me the angel of death.
[00:11:02] No, but I am pleased to inform you today that Pastor Kelly has been reappointed here at Ardmore for another year.
[00:11:09] Thank you.
[00:11:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:11:11] Come forward. Y'all, this is Kate Hafer. You all know her. You should.
[00:11:30] She's been coming here pretty regularly. Kate Hafer is graduating from Wake Forest University.
[00:11:35] She's finishing her master's degree.
[00:11:38] She's already heading for a job.
[00:11:40] She's from Pennsylvania.
[00:11:41] Where are you going?
[00:11:42] You're going back up to Pennsylvania?
[00:11:43] Forget it.
[00:11:43] Oh, New York City.
[00:11:44] She's going to New York.
[00:11:46] Like that.
[00:11:48] So I had Kate and Molly Stewart come and help serve communion earlier, but I asked her if she'd just come up here and just say hello to you guys and just, you know, we wish her well.
[00:12:00] And so glad that she came and graced us with her presence.
[00:12:04] And when she comes back to visit, she can kind of let us know, you know, how things are.
[00:12:10] But she's, yeah, she's going into the workforce like that, you know.
[00:12:13] So anyway, I'm just so proud of you, Katen, and I wish you well, okay?
[00:12:18] So there you go.
[00:12:19] Give her a hand.
[00:12:24] All right.
[00:12:25] I did this backwards, but let me tell you about a prayer concern, and that is about a family of Tom White.
[00:12:32] We've been praying for Tom the last few weeks, mostly because he had had hospice called in with his family and died very peacefully, very comfortably.
[00:12:49] I saw him about 10 days ago at home.
[00:12:52] I know that Eddie was his Stephen minister, and he stopped calling Eddie his Stephen minister.
[00:12:58] He called him his buddy, which is cool.
[00:13:01] and I want to Eddie remind me because Lisa his daughter shared with me a biography that he wrote so it's like a collection of all those stories that he's been you know putting in your ear for
[00:13:15] you know when all your visits you know with him but Tom was really neat I had this lovely experience with him his wife died Sarah and I never got to meet her and when I went to visit
[00:13:29] him after her death, he knew me, but I didn't know him. I mean, he knew me really well. He told me about the last four sermons that I had preached, which is more impressive than any of
[00:13:46] you guys who were here. No, it was really touching, and just how he felt. He feels so strongly connected to this church. He never made it back here in person after COVID, struggling with some cancer, but what a soul, just salt of the earth man. And I just wanted you to,
[00:14:05] many of you never got the chance to meet him, but really a great family. And anyway, so the turnaround for his service is quick. It's two o'clock tomorrow at Hayworth Miller. And just want to keep Lisa and Tommy, his son and daughter and all of their family in our prayers. Okay. So
[00:14:24] I just wanted to share that with you.
[00:14:27] How about some prayer concerns that you might have brought with you today?
[00:14:31] Some joyous concerns?
[00:14:34] Yeah.
[00:14:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:14:48] All right.
[00:14:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:14:53] All right, so let's pray for Vivian, and I hope she can get that cleared up.
[00:15:00] Yeah.
[00:15:03] Yes.
[00:15:16] Sue Wilkerson has been in Vienna.
[00:15:20] What's it called?
[00:15:21] Vienna Village.
[00:15:22] Thank you.
[00:15:23] I thought that I was right, but it didn't sound right to me.
[00:15:25] And I visited her.
[00:15:28] Her son immediately called me after I visited, and he goes, I can't believe it.
[00:15:33] Somebody came and visited her, and we got your card and was all excited.
[00:15:37] She has struggled quite a while and has very severe dementia, but sounds like maybe in the last weeks right now.
[00:15:47] So let's remember Sue Wilkerson and their family.
[00:15:51] Yeah.
[00:15:53] Others?
[00:15:53] I understand that oh, who was it?
[00:16:08] Who was it?
[00:16:09] Somebody I told you about who had had a stroke Oh, thank you Yeah Steele Harry Steele had had a stroke, I understand two strokes maybe and actually took two trips to the hospital this past week
[00:16:27] He is back at home I want to remember Harry He's really had a hard row with some health issues Any others?
[00:16:36] Yeah.
[00:16:47] Awesome.
[00:16:47] All right.
[00:16:48] Daughter, granddaughter, coming for graduations.
[00:16:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:16:53] All right.
[00:16:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:16:56] Great news.
[00:16:57] Anybody else graduating?
[00:16:59] That's right.
[00:17:02] All right.
[00:17:03] Cool.
[00:17:04] Excellent.
[00:17:06] Matthew.
[00:17:12] It's hard to believe, isn't it?
[00:17:19] Any others?
[00:17:22] Well, Casey, if you'd lay down some music for us, we'll center ourselves and prepare ourselves for a time of prayer together.
[00:17:34] And gracious God, we give you thanks this day with a promise of your presence in this world.
[00:18:40] And when we're honest, we realize that we don't always feel it.
[00:18:44] We don't always remember.
[00:18:48] We often ignore it and we forget.
[00:18:53] But it is a great gift to us that your very presence has dwelt with us in flesh and blood, but also in spirit and word.
[00:19:07] and that you enliven this world.
[00:19:11] You are as close to us as the end of our nose.
[00:19:16] You are with us at all times and that if we can remember and if we can open ourselves to that, it makes all the difference.
[00:19:32] So we gather to center ourselves in you.
[00:19:42] We ask, oh God, that you bless us this day and as we gather at your table and as we celebrate the way you are present to us in the bread and cup, that you will help us become that body of Christ out into the world to share your love.
[00:20:08] God, it is sometimes hard for the knowledge of your presence and the awareness of your being in our midst to break through when the news sometimes is just so bad.
[00:20:22] The difficult news of warfare, the ongoing struggle of strife in our country, the divisions of people one from another the isolation of those who need your very presence we ask oh God that you waken us up once again
[00:20:52] you help us see past the difficulty and the wounds that are in the world and to recognize your healing presence in our midst help us to be a part of your actions in this world
[00:21:11] and to follow in your way.
[00:21:15] And this is our prayer, and we make it in your name.
[00:21:21] God, we pray for the family of Tom White.
[00:21:24] Pray for Vivian.
[00:21:28] Surround with your presence Sue Wilkerson.
[00:21:32] Give a healing touch to Harry Steele.
[00:21:36] And for all of our graduates, as they launch into a new life and world, we pray that your presence will enliven them and guide them.
[00:21:49] We make this prayer in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
[00:22:01] F-C-D-B-flat.
[00:22:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:22:03] Sits right in your voice, perfect.
[00:28:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:28:33] A gospel lesson. Comes from John chapter 14.
[00:28:39] Many of us have heard this read at times, at funerals, at least parts of it.
[00:28:47] And I'm going to read it for you, and we'll do some reflection on it.
[00:28:51] John chapter 14.
[00:28:55] Jesus said, Do not let your hearts be troubled.
[00:28:59] Trust in God. Trust also in me.
[00:29:02] In my Father's house there are many dwelling places, and if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
[00:29:09] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and I will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.
[00:29:17] And you know the way to the place where I am going.
[00:29:21] And Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going, how, can we know the way? And Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. And no one comes to
[00:29:32] the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. And Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father and we will be
[00:29:48] satisfied. And Jesus said to him, have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not
[00:30:00] trust that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Trust me that I am in the Father and
[00:30:15] the Father is in me. But if you do not, then trust me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you the one who trusts in me will also do the works that I do and in fact will do greater
[00:30:28] works than these because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
[00:30:45] The word of God for the people of God. Thanks. Would you pray with me? God, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of the hearts of all of us be acceptable in thy sight. O Lord, our rock
[00:30:59] and our redeemer. Amen. How does one prepare people that we are closest to for our absence?
[00:31:16] What would you say to those in your life who know you best, whose life is tied up with yours?
[00:31:25] what would you say to them so that they could face the future without you?
[00:31:30] What is it that you want to pass on to them to make sure that they understand some last words that might help them in the future without you?
[00:31:43] John chapter 14 begins a very long sermon of Jesus at the Last Supper.
[00:31:48] It is his parting words.
[00:31:51] He's preparing the disciples for the coming crisis of his suffering and death, but also for his return in the resurrection and ultimately for his taking leave from a bodily dwelling on the earth itself.
[00:32:08] Things are about to change and Jesus has some things he wants to pass on to the disciples.
[00:32:16] These parting words for his close companions, they're meant to be remembered and to bolster them in future times of trial, to be a comfort in the face of the coming crisis.
[00:32:27] As one commentator put it, Jesus is handing out commands and promises left and right.
[00:32:38] You know, we often hear these words at a funeral, our graveside service, especially the first phrase, Do not let your hearts be troubled. I go to prepare a place for you.
[00:32:51] But you know, throughout the words of this passage, of this sermon, on the surface, Jesus, he seems to welcome a dialogue with the disciples who are asking him questions.
[00:33:04] I mean, you know, presumably he's doing this at the Seder meal, right?
[00:33:09] And questions are asked during the Passover feast.
[00:33:13] You know, there's four questions that are placed, and each time it's an explanation about why we celebrate the Passover feast.
[00:33:21] Jesus, though, is quick to answer these questions of the disciples, these questions of bewilderment and he does so these emphatic statements he does it with a tone that doesn't really open it up to conversation but instead kind of closes it for many of us
[00:33:42] some of jesus's answers to the questions some of his phrases in here are often airlifted and thrown at people in ways and it causes me to have a lot of questions.
[00:33:58] Jesus says, I am the way and the truth and the life. We just sang about that. But then he says this, no one comes to the Father except through me.
[00:34:07] I'm going to have to call up Rabbi Mark and tell him.
[00:34:12] You're not even going to get close to God the Father because, you know, you don't believe in him. I'm going to have to call my Buddhist friend Jisan and tell her, you know, all that
[00:34:21] deep practice of compassion that she has, you know, what are we going to do about these kind of statements that Jesus makes?
[00:34:33] Makes me ask questions, you know?
[00:34:38] Jesus also says, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do.
[00:34:42] In fact, will do greater works than these.
[00:34:46] Greater works than Jesus?
[00:34:49] You mean healings?
[00:34:51] You mean Jesus fed thousands of people are we going to feed tens of thousands?
[00:34:57] Jesus walked on water.
[00:34:59] Does this mean we get to run on the water or maybe dance?
[00:35:04] Seems absurd, doesn't it?
[00:35:10] Jesus says, I will do whatever you ask in my name so that my Father may be glorified in the Son.
[00:35:16] If in my name you ask for anything, I will do it.
[00:35:23] Anything?
[00:35:25] Do we get three wishes like a genie?
[00:35:28] I mean, if that's the case, can you make me rich?
[00:35:33] Is that the way Jesus works?
[00:35:35] As long as we tag your name on it like some magic word, does that mean that we can start wars in this world and call them holy wars?
[00:35:45] Sounds like appropriating your name for our cause.
[00:35:49] I mean, wasn't that prohibited in the third commandment, taking your name in vain?
[00:35:55] I don't know about you.
[00:35:56] Maybe you're all okay with everything that Jesus says, but oftentimes those phrases are often lifted out of there and the absurdity bothers me and I have questions.
[00:36:10] This sermon, this parting words of Jesus goes on for three long chapters, chapter 14, 15, 16, and then in the 17th chapter, he starts a prayer and it just goes on for the whole chapter.
[00:36:22] He spends a lot of time explaining himself, responding to the question of faith that people are probably not even ready to open up themselves to or even to ask.
[00:36:34] And when the explanation comes from Jesus, it is filled with paradoxes and mystery, and he says it with an urgency and an emphatic clarity, but it's not clear.
[00:36:49] With every answer Jesus provides, the disciples, myself included, often fall silent and just kind of scratch their heads.
[00:37:00] I give an exercise sometimes when I get youth that are in a confirmation class.
[00:37:05] You know, they're getting ready for their confirmation service and one of the things I have them do is to write a credo.
[00:37:13] That word credo, it's Latin for creed.
[00:37:16] It's where we get the word creed from.
[00:37:18] It means I believe.
[00:37:21] We sang about that today too.
[00:37:23] What is it that we believe about God, about human beings and about the relationship between God and human beings.
[00:37:31] If you can name those three things, what you believe about God, what you believe about human beings, and the relationship between God and human beings, that's your theology.
[00:37:41] You could write it down.
[00:37:42] Try it sometime.
[00:37:43] By writing down what it is that you believe, if you get a hold of one of the United Methodist hymnals, you might go back to the back of the book and you'll find all the affirmations of faith that we use.
[00:37:56] You know, the Apostles' Creed, a creed from the United Church of Canada, a couple of Methodist creeds in there.
[00:38:03] You don't get one creed that tells you all the answers.
[00:38:06] No, what you get is a bunch of creeds that give you a wide span of language to explain sort of the mystery of faith.
[00:38:18] There's wisdom there.
[00:38:20] Not one creed can explain it all.
[00:38:23] It's a good exercise to think about what it is that we believe.
[00:38:26] Asking questions helps us discern our thoughts away from some very sloppy and sometimes very dangerous theology.
[00:38:34] Whenever the youth do this, they get annoyed with the assignment, you know, because they've never been asked to talk about what it is that they believe.
[00:38:41] They're not even sure themselves.
[00:38:43] They often try to guess what I want them to say, right, like copy the creeds, you know, word for word.
[00:38:49] But I'm quick to ask them, I said, you know, before you write that out, what do you mean by that?
[00:38:53] I mean, why do you believe that?
[00:38:58] Why is it important?
[00:39:01] I mean, how would people that are not of our faith react to the way in which your beliefs?
[00:39:08] This either gives them permission to start asking some questions, questions that a lot of young people are kind of carrying around with them.
[00:39:15] They don't even know it.
[00:39:16] And for the first time, they often try to think themselves.
[00:39:19] Or it just frustrates them because they can never find an end to the assignment because that really is the point.
[00:39:27] The point is to revise that belief system so that the deeper we go, the more connected we are, the more wisdom that we pick up.
[00:39:39] We want to be better with our language about it.
[00:39:43] I remind the youth sometimes that, you know, there are ways, we have words that define faith.
[00:39:50] And one of those words of faith is belief.
[00:39:54] And oftentimes when we talk about belief, we're thinking about what we know in our heads.
[00:40:01] But there's another word for faith definition that would be trust.
[00:40:06] Make it a verb.
[00:40:07] And this is what we experience in the heart.
[00:40:14] You know, as people say, the longest journey you'll ever take is from the head to the heart.
[00:40:20] Sometimes we get that mixed up.
[00:40:22] No one comes to the Father but through me.
[00:40:29] This is not a doctrine test or a mission imperative.
[00:40:32] It's not a command, but it is an invitation.
[00:40:37] It's an invitation.
[00:40:40] Diane Butler Bass notes that the text was frequently used to prove Christian exclusion.
[00:40:45] That's what this is.
[00:40:47] But she says what they fail to see when they're making that statement to say that no one comes to the Father but through me is that they fail to see the context.
[00:41:00] The context, the framing of the passage.
[00:41:03] Because earlier, Jesus frames it in this poetic, mysterious, inclusive invitation.
[00:41:11] And not only is it an invitation, but it's an invitation into what she calls sacred multiplicity.
[00:41:19] Jesus says, in my Father's house, there are many dwelling places.
[00:41:27] Isn't that cool?
[00:41:28] Many dwelling places.
[00:41:29] There was a room for me and for you.
[00:41:34] And some of you, I'm sorry, but the way you believe, you know, I'm not sure about that.
[00:41:40] There's room for everyone.
[00:41:44] It's a radically inclusive embrace that Jesus is announcing.
[00:41:48] We all have a place in God's house, no matter what the gatekeepers of the faith say.
[00:41:56] Jesus is announcing this divine hospitality, inviting us to a place of dwelling with the very sacred presence.
[00:42:05] At the very beginning of John's Gospel, before we even hear about Jesus, before he comes on the scene, we hear about Jesus.
[00:42:20] And it's in that poem called the Logos Hymn.
[00:42:23] We've talked about that.
[00:42:25] In the Logos Hymn, it begins at the very beginning, right?
[00:42:30] Just like a new creation.
[00:42:31] In the beginning was the Word, with a capital W, right?
[00:42:35] That's the Logos.
[00:42:36] And the Word was with God.
[00:42:39] and the Word was God and the Word, capital W, became flesh and dwelt among us.
[00:42:47] Do you know that in the Greek language of the New Testament that phrase dwelt among us?
[00:42:53] You know what it literally is?
[00:42:56] Pitched its tent among us.
[00:42:59] Isn't that cool?
[00:43:00] Jesus came and just pitched a tent right on your front yard.
[00:43:06] A temporary shelter.
[00:43:11] God not only creates our earthly home in the beginning but God comes and pitches God's tent right in our home.
[00:43:22] And through all of Jesus' confusing words throughout this chapter, he's simply trying to get at this truth.
[00:43:31] He wants us to know it, but he doesn't want us to just parrot it back like we meant.
[00:43:37] He wants us to know it in the head and heart, to know this thing, that God is our home.
[00:43:48] Diane Butler Bass shares these words.
[00:43:51] These are for you, Dawn.
[00:43:52] You'll like this.
[00:43:53] The whole universe is God's dwelling.
[00:43:57] Earth, a very small, uniquely blessed corner of that universe, gifted with unique natural blessings, is humanity's home.
[00:44:06] And humans are never so much at home as when God dwells with them.
[00:44:13] Isn't that nice?
[00:44:15] She says, you know, this is just the truth of things.
[00:44:20] Scripture whispers this and teaches this and proclaims it from the book of Genesis to the final page.
[00:44:31] We have to remember the context of these passages.
[00:44:34] They're hard. They're hard to wrestle with.
[00:44:37] And oftentimes they're used to weaponize and to guard the boundaries of the faith.
[00:44:41] And Jesus was not really big on that in any way, shape, or form.
[00:44:47] There was no litmus test for his grace and love.
[00:44:52] It flowed out of him to sinners and saints alike.
[00:44:57] The context and the framing of Jesus' parting words, it's not that we will know something with our heads, but that we're going to learn to trust it with heart and soul.
[00:45:08] Does Jesus give commands? Yeah.
[00:45:10] Commands and promises? Yeah, commands.
[00:45:13] I mean, you know, the fact that God's dwelling is with us, that should give us some direction in life, some imperatives, like how to treat our neighbors.
[00:45:23] and strangers that might be immigrants in our land, or maybe our enemies even.
[00:45:29] Jesus has something to say about all of that.
[00:45:36] But the very least, it should be about our need to practice divine hospitality to make a world where God would feel at home, to recognize that if God's presence is really among us, it changes the way we are with one another.
[00:45:55] Don't forget the framing.
[00:45:56] It's built on the earlier promise.
[00:45:58] Do not let your hearts be troubled.
[00:46:02] Trust in God.
[00:46:06] Christ is preparing a place, a place for all of us in the Father's house where there are many dwelling places.
[00:46:14] And this is the good news.
[00:46:20] In the name of our Creator, our Sustainer, and our Redeemer.
[00:46:25] Amen.
[00:46:40] Eddie, Mary Jo, Carolyn, Jennifer, They'll come up and join us.
[00:46:47] I don't know if you knew this, but Carolyn and Jennifer and Ollie sometimes, they just like get communion and then they just take off.
[00:46:58] Like, you know what?
[00:46:58] We don't even know where they went.
[00:47:00] No, we do know where they went.
[00:47:01] They're going to the kids.
[00:47:03] And all the kids that are gathering with Jessica and serve them communion.
[00:47:07] I just wanted you all to be aware of that.
[00:47:10] Friends, we gather at the table.
[00:47:12] where, yes, we know about Jesus' dwelling and he gifted us with this meal to remember that his presence dwells among us at all times.
[00:47:25] And so if you will join with me in this.
[00:47:28] The Lord be with you.
[00:47:29] And also with you.
[00:47:30] Lift up your hearts.
[00:47:31] It is right and good and a joyful thing to give praise and thanks to God for the very presence here at this table and in our midst.
[00:47:43] We remember Jesus who came into this world as the Word made flesh, who pitched his tent and dwelt among us, who came in a special way to a table with disciples, who called them and gave them final words
[00:47:59] so that they would entrust this being with him as he was with God.
[00:48:06] When they knew him, they knew suddenly God, and they felt his very presence in their midst.
[00:48:14] And it was at the table when Jesus gathered with them that he took bread, he gave thanks to God, he broke the bread, he gave it to the disciples and he said, take, eat, this is my body
[00:48:27] which is broken for you.
[00:48:29] Do this in remembrance of me.
[00:48:33] When the supper was over, Jesus took the cup and after giving thanks to God, gave it to his disciples and said, drink from this all of you this is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many
[00:48:43] for the forgiveness of sin do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me and so we who gather here at this table we come trying to remember that we are in god's dwelling place
[00:49:00] that the word itself is sacred because of god's presence and to we take these gifts from the earth inside of ourselves, knowing that even within ourselves is the dwelling place of God.
[00:49:15] Fritz, would you join with me as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray?
[00:49:20] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:49:25] Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:49:30] Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom
[00:49:45] and the power and the glory forever.
[00:50:14] I don't see any strangers here today and I know you all know the instructions I don't even need to give them to you.
[00:50:20] You'll come, we'll take by intinction if you choose to get some gluten-free wafers we have some of those and also some individual cups for any that need it.
[00:50:31] So I invite you, friends, and remind you that this is not the table of our congregation or the table of our denomination.
[00:50:38] This is the table of Jesus, which means all of you are invited to come.
[00:50:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:50:42] My friends, go from this place.
[00:57:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:57:26] Remember that this is the place where God dwells, but especially for all of us being attentive to that very presence.
[00:57:39] Go from this place and be filled with new wine so that you may be of love to someone else.
[00:57:46] Go with God who goes with us.
[00:57:48] In the name of our creator, our sustainer, and our redeemer.
[00:57:51] Amen.
[00:00:00] Happy Sunday, you guys. If y'all would stand as you're able. Come to the center aisle. Look, make yourself look a little bigger.
[00:00:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:00:48] Yes, see. Christ be with y'all. Y'all take a moment to pass the peace.
[00:08:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:08:44] Good morning, friends. Oh, wow. There we go. I welcome all of you to this service. Hi, I'm Jennifer, and I'll be sharing announcements today.
[00:08:52] so we also have some people visiting us via live stream so we hope that you also find this worship service meaningful to all of you at home if you're visiting us here in person today
[00:09:05] we would love to stay in touch with you thanks for coming in in the pews there's a visitor card it's really simple and easy to fill out so if you have it please just add some basic information
[00:09:16] there or you can even scan the qr code to share your information there we just want to know that you're here, and perhaps be in touch with you. If you'd like to attend the funeral service for Tom
[00:09:26] White, it will take place tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the Hayworth Miller Funeral Home. And also, please don't forget to get your geranium orders in. They're due tomorrow, or before tomorrow, so I guess maybe tonight, 11.59 p.m., so get them in. You can find order forms near the exits,
[00:09:44] or you can use the QR code in the bulletin. Again, they're due tomorrow, so let's not forget.
[00:09:50] Okay. Um, I also want to, I don't know anybody, anybody. Um, uh, also I invite everyone to please mark your calendars for a really special service. It's going to be May 17th. I'm super excited
[00:10:03] because it's going to be outside over in the playground in the green area there. Um, hopefully we're blessed with a beautiful day like we have today. Um, we're just going to have one worship service that day. So it's going to start 15 minutes earlier for us. So 11 AM. Um, and again,
[00:10:19] it's going to be outside. There's going to be great music. There's going to be kids. There's even going to be a cookout following the service. So come ready to eat and fellowship and just have
[00:10:29] a great time. Also, Hope Du Jour is this Tuesday, May 5th. So if you eat lunch or dinner out, a percentage will go to Crisis Control Ministry. So it's an invitation to everybody to eat out on
[00:10:41] a weeknight. Also, I would like to invite Eddie Foster up for a quick announcement to share.
[00:10:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:10:47] Good morning. Kelly sometimes calls me the angel of death.
[00:11:02] No, but I am pleased to inform you today that Pastor Kelly has been reappointed here at Ardmore for another year.
[00:11:09] Thank you.
[00:11:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:11:11] Come forward. Y'all, this is Kate Hafer. You all know her. You should.
[00:11:30] She's been coming here pretty regularly. Kate Hafer is graduating from Wake Forest University.
[00:11:35] She's finishing her master's degree.
[00:11:38] She's already heading for a job.
[00:11:40] She's from Pennsylvania.
[00:11:41] Where are you going?
[00:11:42] You're going back up to Pennsylvania?
[00:11:43] Forget it.
[00:11:43] Oh, New York City.
[00:11:44] She's going to New York.
[00:11:46] Like that.
[00:11:48] So I had Kate and Molly Stewart come and help serve communion earlier, but I asked her if she'd just come up here and just say hello to you guys and just, you know, we wish her well.
[00:12:00] And so glad that she came and graced us with her presence.
[00:12:04] And when she comes back to visit, she can kind of let us know, you know, how things are.
[00:12:10] But she's, yeah, she's going into the workforce like that, you know.
[00:12:13] So anyway, I'm just so proud of you, Katen, and I wish you well, okay?
[00:12:18] So there you go.
[00:12:19] Give her a hand.
[00:12:24] All right.
[00:12:25] I did this backwards, but let me tell you about a prayer concern, and that is about a family of Tom White.
[00:12:32] We've been praying for Tom the last few weeks, mostly because he had had hospice called in with his family and died very peacefully, very comfortably.
[00:12:49] I saw him about 10 days ago at home.
[00:12:52] I know that Eddie was his Stephen minister, and he stopped calling Eddie his Stephen minister.
[00:12:58] He called him his buddy, which is cool.
[00:13:01] and I want to Eddie remind me because Lisa his daughter shared with me a biography that he wrote so it's like a collection of all those stories that he's been you know putting in your ear for
[00:13:15] you know when all your visits you know with him but Tom was really neat I had this lovely experience with him his wife died Sarah and I never got to meet her and when I went to visit
[00:13:29] him after her death, he knew me, but I didn't know him. I mean, he knew me really well. He told me about the last four sermons that I had preached, which is more impressive than any of
[00:13:46] you guys who were here. No, it was really touching, and just how he felt. He feels so strongly connected to this church. He never made it back here in person after COVID, struggling with some cancer, but what a soul, just salt of the earth man. And I just wanted you to,
[00:14:05] many of you never got the chance to meet him, but really a great family. And anyway, so the turnaround for his service is quick. It's two o'clock tomorrow at Hayworth Miller. And just want to keep Lisa and Tommy, his son and daughter and all of their family in our prayers. Okay. So
[00:14:24] I just wanted to share that with you.
[00:14:27] How about some prayer concerns that you might have brought with you today?
[00:14:31] Some joyous concerns?
[00:14:34] Yeah.
[00:14:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:14:48] All right.
[00:14:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:14:53] All right, so let's pray for Vivian, and I hope she can get that cleared up.
[00:15:00] Yeah.
[00:15:03] Yes.
[00:15:16] Sue Wilkerson has been in Vienna.
[00:15:20] What's it called?
[00:15:21] Vienna Village.
[00:15:22] Thank you.
[00:15:23] I thought that I was right, but it didn't sound right to me.
[00:15:25] And I visited her.
[00:15:28] Her son immediately called me after I visited, and he goes, I can't believe it.
[00:15:33] Somebody came and visited her, and we got your card and was all excited.
[00:15:37] She has struggled quite a while and has very severe dementia, but sounds like maybe in the last weeks right now.
[00:15:47] So let's remember Sue Wilkerson and their family.
[00:15:51] Yeah.
[00:15:53] Others?
[00:15:53] I understand that oh, who was it?
[00:16:08] Who was it?
[00:16:09] Somebody I told you about who had had a stroke Oh, thank you Yeah Steele Harry Steele had had a stroke, I understand two strokes maybe and actually took two trips to the hospital this past week
[00:16:27] He is back at home I want to remember Harry He's really had a hard row with some health issues Any others?
[00:16:36] Yeah.
[00:16:47] Awesome.
[00:16:47] All right.
[00:16:48] Daughter, granddaughter, coming for graduations.
[00:16:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]
[00:16:53] All right.
[00:16:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:16:56] Great news.
[00:16:57] Anybody else graduating?
[00:16:59] That's right.
[00:17:02] All right.
[00:17:03] Cool.
[00:17:04] Excellent.
[00:17:06] Matthew.
[00:17:12] It's hard to believe, isn't it?
[00:17:19] Any others?
[00:17:22] Well, Casey, if you'd lay down some music for us, we'll center ourselves and prepare ourselves for a time of prayer together.
[00:17:34] And gracious God, we give you thanks this day with a promise of your presence in this world.
[00:18:40] And when we're honest, we realize that we don't always feel it.
[00:18:44] We don't always remember.
[00:18:48] We often ignore it and we forget.
[00:18:53] But it is a great gift to us that your very presence has dwelt with us in flesh and blood, but also in spirit and word.
[00:19:07] and that you enliven this world.
[00:19:11] You are as close to us as the end of our nose.
[00:19:16] You are with us at all times and that if we can remember and if we can open ourselves to that, it makes all the difference.
[00:19:32] So we gather to center ourselves in you.
[00:19:42] We ask, oh God, that you bless us this day and as we gather at your table and as we celebrate the way you are present to us in the bread and cup, that you will help us become that body of Christ out into the world to share your love.
[00:20:08] God, it is sometimes hard for the knowledge of your presence and the awareness of your being in our midst to break through when the news sometimes is just so bad.
[00:20:22] The difficult news of warfare, the ongoing struggle of strife in our country, the divisions of people one from another the isolation of those who need your very presence we ask oh God that you waken us up once again
[00:20:52] you help us see past the difficulty and the wounds that are in the world and to recognize your healing presence in our midst help us to be a part of your actions in this world
[00:21:11] and to follow in your way.
[00:21:15] And this is our prayer, and we make it in your name.
[00:21:21] God, we pray for the family of Tom White.
[00:21:24] Pray for Vivian.
[00:21:28] Surround with your presence Sue Wilkerson.
[00:21:32] Give a healing touch to Harry Steele.
[00:21:36] And for all of our graduates, as they launch into a new life and world, we pray that your presence will enliven them and guide them.
[00:21:49] We make this prayer in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
[00:22:01] F-C-D-B-flat.
[00:22:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:22:03] Sits right in your voice, perfect.
[00:28:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:28:33] A gospel lesson. Comes from John chapter 14.
[00:28:39] Many of us have heard this read at times, at funerals, at least parts of it.
[00:28:47] And I'm going to read it for you, and we'll do some reflection on it.
[00:28:51] John chapter 14.
[00:28:55] Jesus said, Do not let your hearts be troubled.
[00:28:59] Trust in God. Trust also in me.
[00:29:02] In my Father's house there are many dwelling places, and if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
[00:29:09] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and I will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.
[00:29:17] And you know the way to the place where I am going.
[00:29:21] And Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going, how, can we know the way? And Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. And no one comes to
[00:29:32] the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. And Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father and we will be
[00:29:48] satisfied. And Jesus said to him, have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not
[00:30:00] trust that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Trust me that I am in the Father and
[00:30:15] the Father is in me. But if you do not, then trust me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you the one who trusts in me will also do the works that I do and in fact will do greater
[00:30:28] works than these because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
[00:30:45] The word of God for the people of God. Thanks. Would you pray with me? God, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of the hearts of all of us be acceptable in thy sight. O Lord, our rock
[00:30:59] and our redeemer. Amen. How does one prepare people that we are closest to for our absence?
[00:31:16] What would you say to those in your life who know you best, whose life is tied up with yours?
[00:31:25] what would you say to them so that they could face the future without you?
[00:31:30] What is it that you want to pass on to them to make sure that they understand some last words that might help them in the future without you?
[00:31:43] John chapter 14 begins a very long sermon of Jesus at the Last Supper.
[00:31:48] It is his parting words.
[00:31:51] He's preparing the disciples for the coming crisis of his suffering and death, but also for his return in the resurrection and ultimately for his taking leave from a bodily dwelling on the earth itself.
[00:32:08] Things are about to change and Jesus has some things he wants to pass on to the disciples.
[00:32:16] These parting words for his close companions, they're meant to be remembered and to bolster them in future times of trial, to be a comfort in the face of the coming crisis.
[00:32:27] As one commentator put it, Jesus is handing out commands and promises left and right.
[00:32:38] You know, we often hear these words at a funeral, our graveside service, especially the first phrase, Do not let your hearts be troubled. I go to prepare a place for you.
[00:32:51] But you know, throughout the words of this passage, of this sermon, on the surface, Jesus, he seems to welcome a dialogue with the disciples who are asking him questions.
[00:33:04] I mean, you know, presumably he's doing this at the Seder meal, right?
[00:33:09] And questions are asked during the Passover feast.
[00:33:13] You know, there's four questions that are placed, and each time it's an explanation about why we celebrate the Passover feast.
[00:33:21] Jesus, though, is quick to answer these questions of the disciples, these questions of bewilderment and he does so these emphatic statements he does it with a tone that doesn't really open it up to conversation but instead kind of closes it for many of us
[00:33:42] some of jesus's answers to the questions some of his phrases in here are often airlifted and thrown at people in ways and it causes me to have a lot of questions.
[00:33:58] Jesus says, I am the way and the truth and the life. We just sang about that. But then he says this, no one comes to the Father except through me.
[00:34:07] I'm going to have to call up Rabbi Mark and tell him.
[00:34:12] You're not even going to get close to God the Father because, you know, you don't believe in him. I'm going to have to call my Buddhist friend Jisan and tell her, you know, all that
[00:34:21] deep practice of compassion that she has, you know, what are we going to do about these kind of statements that Jesus makes?
[00:34:33] Makes me ask questions, you know?
[00:34:38] Jesus also says, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do.
[00:34:42] In fact, will do greater works than these.
[00:34:46] Greater works than Jesus?
[00:34:49] You mean healings?
[00:34:51] You mean Jesus fed thousands of people are we going to feed tens of thousands?
[00:34:57] Jesus walked on water.
[00:34:59] Does this mean we get to run on the water or maybe dance?
[00:35:04] Seems absurd, doesn't it?
[00:35:10] Jesus says, I will do whatever you ask in my name so that my Father may be glorified in the Son.
[00:35:16] If in my name you ask for anything, I will do it.
[00:35:23] Anything?
[00:35:25] Do we get three wishes like a genie?
[00:35:28] I mean, if that's the case, can you make me rich?
[00:35:33] Is that the way Jesus works?
[00:35:35] As long as we tag your name on it like some magic word, does that mean that we can start wars in this world and call them holy wars?
[00:35:45] Sounds like appropriating your name for our cause.
[00:35:49] I mean, wasn't that prohibited in the third commandment, taking your name in vain?
[00:35:55] I don't know about you.
[00:35:56] Maybe you're all okay with everything that Jesus says, but oftentimes those phrases are often lifted out of there and the absurdity bothers me and I have questions.
[00:36:10] This sermon, this parting words of Jesus goes on for three long chapters, chapter 14, 15, 16, and then in the 17th chapter, he starts a prayer and it just goes on for the whole chapter.
[00:36:22] He spends a lot of time explaining himself, responding to the question of faith that people are probably not even ready to open up themselves to or even to ask.
[00:36:34] And when the explanation comes from Jesus, it is filled with paradoxes and mystery, and he says it with an urgency and an emphatic clarity, but it's not clear.
[00:36:49] With every answer Jesus provides, the disciples, myself included, often fall silent and just kind of scratch their heads.
[00:37:00] I give an exercise sometimes when I get youth that are in a confirmation class.
[00:37:05] You know, they're getting ready for their confirmation service and one of the things I have them do is to write a credo.
[00:37:13] That word credo, it's Latin for creed.
[00:37:16] It's where we get the word creed from.
[00:37:18] It means I believe.
[00:37:21] We sang about that today too.
[00:37:23] What is it that we believe about God, about human beings and about the relationship between God and human beings.
[00:37:31] If you can name those three things, what you believe about God, what you believe about human beings, and the relationship between God and human beings, that's your theology.
[00:37:41] You could write it down.
[00:37:42] Try it sometime.
[00:37:43] By writing down what it is that you believe, if you get a hold of one of the United Methodist hymnals, you might go back to the back of the book and you'll find all the affirmations of faith that we use.
[00:37:56] You know, the Apostles' Creed, a creed from the United Church of Canada, a couple of Methodist creeds in there.
[00:38:03] You don't get one creed that tells you all the answers.
[00:38:06] No, what you get is a bunch of creeds that give you a wide span of language to explain sort of the mystery of faith.
[00:38:18] There's wisdom there.
[00:38:20] Not one creed can explain it all.
[00:38:23] It's a good exercise to think about what it is that we believe.
[00:38:26] Asking questions helps us discern our thoughts away from some very sloppy and sometimes very dangerous theology.
[00:38:34] Whenever the youth do this, they get annoyed with the assignment, you know, because they've never been asked to talk about what it is that they believe.
[00:38:41] They're not even sure themselves.
[00:38:43] They often try to guess what I want them to say, right, like copy the creeds, you know, word for word.
[00:38:49] But I'm quick to ask them, I said, you know, before you write that out, what do you mean by that?
[00:38:53] I mean, why do you believe that?
[00:38:58] Why is it important?
[00:39:01] I mean, how would people that are not of our faith react to the way in which your beliefs?
[00:39:08] This either gives them permission to start asking some questions, questions that a lot of young people are kind of carrying around with them.
[00:39:15] They don't even know it.
[00:39:16] And for the first time, they often try to think themselves.
[00:39:19] Or it just frustrates them because they can never find an end to the assignment because that really is the point.
[00:39:27] The point is to revise that belief system so that the deeper we go, the more connected we are, the more wisdom that we pick up.
[00:39:39] We want to be better with our language about it.
[00:39:43] I remind the youth sometimes that, you know, there are ways, we have words that define faith.
[00:39:50] And one of those words of faith is belief.
[00:39:54] And oftentimes when we talk about belief, we're thinking about what we know in our heads.
[00:40:01] But there's another word for faith definition that would be trust.
[00:40:06] Make it a verb.
[00:40:07] And this is what we experience in the heart.
[00:40:14] You know, as people say, the longest journey you'll ever take is from the head to the heart.
[00:40:20] Sometimes we get that mixed up.
[00:40:22] No one comes to the Father but through me.
[00:40:29] This is not a doctrine test or a mission imperative.
[00:40:32] It's not a command, but it is an invitation.
[00:40:37] It's an invitation.
[00:40:40] Diane Butler Bass notes that the text was frequently used to prove Christian exclusion.
[00:40:45] That's what this is.
[00:40:47] But she says what they fail to see when they're making that statement to say that no one comes to the Father but through me is that they fail to see the context.
[00:41:00] The context, the framing of the passage.
[00:41:03] Because earlier, Jesus frames it in this poetic, mysterious, inclusive invitation.
[00:41:11] And not only is it an invitation, but it's an invitation into what she calls sacred multiplicity.
[00:41:19] Jesus says, in my Father's house, there are many dwelling places.
[00:41:27] Isn't that cool?
[00:41:28] Many dwelling places.
[00:41:29] There was a room for me and for you.
[00:41:34] And some of you, I'm sorry, but the way you believe, you know, I'm not sure about that.
[00:41:40] There's room for everyone.
[00:41:44] It's a radically inclusive embrace that Jesus is announcing.
[00:41:48] We all have a place in God's house, no matter what the gatekeepers of the faith say.
[00:41:56] Jesus is announcing this divine hospitality, inviting us to a place of dwelling with the very sacred presence.
[00:42:05] At the very beginning of John's Gospel, before we even hear about Jesus, before he comes on the scene, we hear about Jesus.
[00:42:20] And it's in that poem called the Logos Hymn.
[00:42:23] We've talked about that.
[00:42:25] In the Logos Hymn, it begins at the very beginning, right?
[00:42:30] Just like a new creation.
[00:42:31] In the beginning was the Word, with a capital W, right?
[00:42:35] That's the Logos.
[00:42:36] And the Word was with God.
[00:42:39] and the Word was God and the Word, capital W, became flesh and dwelt among us.
[00:42:47] Do you know that in the Greek language of the New Testament that phrase dwelt among us?
[00:42:53] You know what it literally is?
[00:42:56] Pitched its tent among us.
[00:42:59] Isn't that cool?
[00:43:00] Jesus came and just pitched a tent right on your front yard.
[00:43:06] A temporary shelter.
[00:43:11] God not only creates our earthly home in the beginning but God comes and pitches God's tent right in our home.
[00:43:22] And through all of Jesus' confusing words throughout this chapter, he's simply trying to get at this truth.
[00:43:31] He wants us to know it, but he doesn't want us to just parrot it back like we meant.
[00:43:37] He wants us to know it in the head and heart, to know this thing, that God is our home.
[00:43:48] Diane Butler Bass shares these words.
[00:43:51] These are for you, Dawn.
[00:43:52] You'll like this.
[00:43:53] The whole universe is God's dwelling.
[00:43:57] Earth, a very small, uniquely blessed corner of that universe, gifted with unique natural blessings, is humanity's home.
[00:44:06] And humans are never so much at home as when God dwells with them.
[00:44:13] Isn't that nice?
[00:44:15] She says, you know, this is just the truth of things.
[00:44:20] Scripture whispers this and teaches this and proclaims it from the book of Genesis to the final page.
[00:44:31] We have to remember the context of these passages.
[00:44:34] They're hard. They're hard to wrestle with.
[00:44:37] And oftentimes they're used to weaponize and to guard the boundaries of the faith.
[00:44:41] And Jesus was not really big on that in any way, shape, or form.
[00:44:47] There was no litmus test for his grace and love.
[00:44:52] It flowed out of him to sinners and saints alike.
[00:44:57] The context and the framing of Jesus' parting words, it's not that we will know something with our heads, but that we're going to learn to trust it with heart and soul.
[00:45:08] Does Jesus give commands? Yeah.
[00:45:10] Commands and promises? Yeah, commands.
[00:45:13] I mean, you know, the fact that God's dwelling is with us, that should give us some direction in life, some imperatives, like how to treat our neighbors.
[00:45:23] and strangers that might be immigrants in our land, or maybe our enemies even.
[00:45:29] Jesus has something to say about all of that.
[00:45:36] But the very least, it should be about our need to practice divine hospitality to make a world where God would feel at home, to recognize that if God's presence is really among us, it changes the way we are with one another.
[00:45:55] Don't forget the framing.
[00:45:56] It's built on the earlier promise.
[00:45:58] Do not let your hearts be troubled.
[00:46:02] Trust in God.
[00:46:06] Christ is preparing a place, a place for all of us in the Father's house where there are many dwelling places.
[00:46:14] And this is the good news.
[00:46:20] In the name of our Creator, our Sustainer, and our Redeemer.
[00:46:25] Amen.
[00:46:40] Eddie, Mary Jo, Carolyn, Jennifer, They'll come up and join us.
[00:46:47] I don't know if you knew this, but Carolyn and Jennifer and Ollie sometimes, they just like get communion and then they just take off.
[00:46:58] Like, you know what?
[00:46:58] We don't even know where they went.
[00:47:00] No, we do know where they went.
[00:47:01] They're going to the kids.
[00:47:03] And all the kids that are gathering with Jessica and serve them communion.
[00:47:07] I just wanted you all to be aware of that.
[00:47:10] Friends, we gather at the table.
[00:47:12] where, yes, we know about Jesus' dwelling and he gifted us with this meal to remember that his presence dwells among us at all times.
[00:47:25] And so if you will join with me in this.
[00:47:28] The Lord be with you.
[00:47:29] And also with you.
[00:47:30] Lift up your hearts.
[00:47:31] It is right and good and a joyful thing to give praise and thanks to God for the very presence here at this table and in our midst.
[00:47:43] We remember Jesus who came into this world as the Word made flesh, who pitched his tent and dwelt among us, who came in a special way to a table with disciples, who called them and gave them final words
[00:47:59] so that they would entrust this being with him as he was with God.
[00:48:06] When they knew him, they knew suddenly God, and they felt his very presence in their midst.
[00:48:14] And it was at the table when Jesus gathered with them that he took bread, he gave thanks to God, he broke the bread, he gave it to the disciples and he said, take, eat, this is my body
[00:48:27] which is broken for you.
[00:48:29] Do this in remembrance of me.
[00:48:33] When the supper was over, Jesus took the cup and after giving thanks to God, gave it to his disciples and said, drink from this all of you this is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many
[00:48:43] for the forgiveness of sin do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me and so we who gather here at this table we come trying to remember that we are in god's dwelling place
[00:49:00] that the word itself is sacred because of god's presence and to we take these gifts from the earth inside of ourselves, knowing that even within ourselves is the dwelling place of God.
[00:49:15] Fritz, would you join with me as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray?
[00:49:20] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:49:25] Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:49:30] Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom
[00:49:45] and the power and the glory forever.
[00:50:14] I don't see any strangers here today and I know you all know the instructions I don't even need to give them to you.
[00:50:20] You'll come, we'll take by intinction if you choose to get some gluten-free wafers we have some of those and also some individual cups for any that need it.
[00:50:31] So I invite you, friends, and remind you that this is not the table of our congregation or the table of our denomination.
[00:50:38] This is the table of Jesus, which means all of you are invited to come.
[00:50:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:50:42] My friends, go from this place.
[00:57:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:57:26] Remember that this is the place where God dwells, but especially for all of us being attentive to that very presence.
[00:57:39] Go from this place and be filled with new wine so that you may be of love to someone else.
[00:57:46] Go with God who goes with us.
[00:57:48] In the name of our creator, our sustainer, and our redeemer.
[00:57:51] Amen.
