Sermon: Living with Grit and Grace

Living with Grit and Grace
Psalm 27: 1-14
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
January 26, 2020

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.

One thing I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.

Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
be gracious to me and answer me!
‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’
Your face, Lord, do I seek.
Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
If my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will take me up.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord! - Psalm 27: 1-14

It amazes me how alive God’s Word is. Holy Spirit has a unique way of meeting us where we are in the Scriptures. When we engage the biblical text and wonder what it might be saying to us on any given day, God’s Spirit opens a door for us to come and take a walk with God like a close friend.

Our psalm today immediately took me back to a particular season of ministry.

I was working with a group of eighth grade youth during confirmation. It was a five-month commitment for them to reflect on the baptismal vows that their parents and congregation took on their behalf. Together we studied what we believe about God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, the Sacraments, the church, prayer, and putting our faith into action.

Near the end of confirmation, the youth write a statement of personal belief. The youth share their statements with the elders on session before they claim the gift of faith as their own in worship. And one statement continues to stand out in my mind:

I believe that there is one God, existing in three people, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. I believe I should pray with God to give thanks and pray for others. I trust in him with my life. I have been baptized in his name and I belong to him, and with that I am proud. As I grow in knowledge, I am led to do the good things that God intends for me.

Deep words from a youth. And yet there is one sentence that gives me pause: I trust in him with my life.

The psalmist conveys the same poignant statement in our text today. He trusts God with his life. The psalmist has been weighed down with life’s difficulties. Anxiety and uncertainty have interrupted his life with inner chaos. People are talking and their words are bringing hurt like daggers. And yet the psalmist remains confident in God’s amazing grace.

Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana is a colleague in ministry. She is also a writer for Feasting on the Word commentary. She shares this insight on today’s text:

In the midst of confident assurances, the psalmist’s confident language is hard won. The psalmist has experienced real hardship and trusts God in spite of or perhaps because of those difficulties. This psalm strikes an authentic balance between God’s goodness and the gritty reality of our lives [1].

Have you ever met someone and said, “I want faith like that?” How do we find confidence like that youth? How do we find confidence like the psalmist? How do we find that authentic balance between God’s goodness and the gritty reality of life?

For many us the journey of faith begins with looking for God’s presence.

Maybe as a child your parent or grandparent brought you to church with the desire to pass on a legacy of faith. Your family member felt the Spirit’s nudge to plant the seeds of faith in you with the hope that they would take root and ground you in God’s love, goodness, and direction.

Sometimes it is the child or youth who asks “Please take me to church.” That child saw their friends and neighbors going to worship and they want to go too and see what it is all about. What makes them want to keep walking through that front door?. If it is food I want some. If it is love then I need some.

Maybe as an adult you discovered something is missing in your life and nothing seems to fill the void. Most of us long to have a life with meaning, purpose, and authentic relationships, therefore seeking God’s face in the sanctuary seems like a good start.

Communal worship is important, but it is not the only way we encounter God.

No matter how we begin seeking the light of God’s face, the gift of faith desires to take us on a journey. We are invited to walk and talk with God about the great joys and the deepest challenges of life. The Maker of heaven and earth created you and me to live in relationship with God and one another.

The God who calls you by name and claims you as God’s beloved child desires nothing more than for you to trust the Lord with your life. These days trust is hard won. Trust is not easily given. But God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and God’s ways are not our ways. God alone is trustworthy. And just like Paul, I am confident of this - the One who began a good work among you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

The life of faith is not easy. Having faith in God does not make our problems go away. But living without faith is that much harder. I remember the day years ago when I told God I did not need him anymore. I got this. And do you know what I got? I got nothing. Nothing but a dead end.

So take courage by living with grit and grace.

Take courage and seek Gods’ face (Psalm 27:8). Any solid relationship requires good communication, respect, and face time. Make it a priority to spend some quality time with God. Talk with God on that long drive. Take a walk with God as your spiritual companion. Sit next to an empty chair like you are talking with an old friend.

And then give God the gritty parts of your life. Name what you are afraid of. Tell God about the challenges that are overwhelming your heart and mind. Give it to God and then watch God guide you to take the next right step. God may not take away that problem, but God will certainly show you how to walk through the fire and not get burned. The more we trust God the more we will know that the gritty reality of life will never be more powerful than the Lord of our light and salvation!

Take courage by having a teachable spirit (Psalm 27:11). The Bible tells us that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness so that everyone who belongs to God maybe proficient, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3: 16-17).

Get in God’s Word and let Christ our Teacher lead the way. God’s Word will always lead you and I on a level path. And that path is the same one our spiritual ancestors walked. Scripture tells us the story of God’s faithfulness throughout all humanity.

Take courage from the support of others. Everyone needs a tribe – a place where you find belonging, connection, and share the real grit of life. As your pastor, my hope is that all who walk through our doors may know THIS community of faith as your tribe. The Holy Spirit gathers us together to encourage one another and build up each other as the body of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

The church is not to be a stained glass masquerade, where we show up and our face says everything is ok. Here we share what is not right and where we are struggling. Here we ask one another for prayer and we share in whom we have hope.

But the Holy Spirit also sends us out into this beautiful yet broken world to help others find ways to live with grit and grace.

That means when the body of Christ is scattered, we come alongside that neighbor in real physical need and in real and tangible ways we embody the good news that God has not forsaken them.

We also come alongside our neighbors who need nothing but who are spiritually hungry. I am learning through some here that we are to come alongside our neighbors and ask what they are looking for. They may not find a connection to this church, but we can certainly be a support to help them look for God’s presence and find an authentic faith community.

God’s grace takes the grit of our lives and works through it to refine our faith and trust in God alone. Our choir embodied this good news earlier this morning with that beautiful anthem, Amazing Grace – Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come / Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

However gritty your life might be, may grace lead you home.

In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.

Sources Referenced:

[1] Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), p. 274.

Sermon: Where Is Jesus Staying? (Psalm 40: 4-5, 9-10; John 1: 29-42)

Where Is Jesus Staying?
Psalm 40: 4-5, 9-10; John 1: 29-42
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
January 19, 2020

Happy are those who make
the Lord their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after false gods.
You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be counted.

I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
see, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O Lord.
I have not hidden your saving help within my heart,
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation. - Psalm 40: 4-5, 9-10

The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’

They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’

They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter). - John 1: 29-42

Whenever a friend calls me to say that she or he will be in my neck of the woods on a specific date, usually the first question out of my mouth is, “Where are you staying?” I want to make sure that I can connect with my friend face to face. And if nothing pressing is on the family calendar, then Doug and I want to open our guest room so we can spend time together and catch up.

You do this too, don’t you? We long for that relational connection, don’t we?

John the Baptist had been preparing the people of God to notice when Jesus the Christ came into their neck of the woods. John was also preparing his disciples. Together they were baptizing with the water of repentance so that all of Israel might recognize the Messiah, God’s Anointed One. Not only would the Messiah bring salvation and deliverance, but God’s only Son would restore and renew the relational connection between God and humanity.

Can you imagine Jesus Christ coming into your neck of the woods and walking right past you? John the Baptist told the two disciples who were standing beside him, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36). Look! Jesus is in the neighborhood!

John’s disciples were captivated, nonetheless. This rabbi would be teaching about the kingdom of God which shines light into the darkness, brings hope into our despair, and promises to fill our lives with God’s grace (John 1:4, 5, 16). Therefore, John’s disciples followed Jesus. And it intrigues me that the first question the disciples ask Jesus was, “Teacher, where are you staying?” (John 1:38).

A disciple had to know where their rabbi was staying. According to ancient Jewish tradition, a disciple would live in the presence of the rabbi day in and day out. Studying under a rabbi meant that a disciple would become daily acquainted with all the rabbi’s ways of praying, thinking, and living.

And so, to ask where Jesus was staying was a critical question in a disciple’s formation.

You see these new disciples of Jesus had the opportunity to follow him and learn just what Jesus was doing in the neighborhood. And then they went to tell others.

This weekend we are remembering The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King was quite prophetic in preparing the way for delivering our black sisters and brothers from racial injustice. King’s work to end racism still marches on today. It is King who said from a Birmingham jail cell, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

If we were to ask King where Jesus is staying, he would say that wherever love struggles beside the oppressed to break down the walls of hostility, bigotry, and racial injustice then that is where Jesus is staying.

King also knew that Jesus is present in our own backyards to confront our complacency with the way things are in the world. King once preached, “Everywhere and at all times, the love ethic of Jesus is a radiant light revealing the ugliness of our stale conformity… Christ gives us an imperative to live differently” [1].

Do you know what is the biggest obstacle to the coming of God’s kingdom? It is not unbelief. It is complacency. It is indifference.

Therefore, Jesus Christ is also on the move to open our eyes to see that faith calls us to step out of our comfort zones. Jesus calls us to follow his example and participate in God’s work of love conquering hate and light overcoming darkness. Jesus wants our faith to be rooted in relational connection.

This past week I have started asking a few individuals where they see God at work in Lancaster County. One person immediately connected God’s work with the grants our county has received to develop a treatment program for those struggling with opioid addiction. Her insight pointed out that Jesus lived among women and men who were marginalized for not having their lives together. And today Jesus is staying close to those with addictions to bring hope and freedom.

A community leader in the non-profit sector connected God’s work among the youth in Lancaster county. As a person of faith, this leader has seen Lancaster residents and volunteers become more compassionate for the youth who are not afforded opportunities for a bright future. Community volunteer work and prayer are shining God’s light into the darkness and turning despair into hope.

The Holy Spirit is nudging us to talk to our neighbors and ask, “Where is Jesus staying in Van Wyck and in Lancaster County?” Where is the light of God’s love shining into the darkness? Where is God's hope empowering people to rise from despair? Where is the good news of Jesus Christ opening the eyes of the spiritually blind? Where is the voice of justice for those who are oppressed? What news article have you read recently where you said, "Only God could make that happen!"

It is important for us to reflect on this because knowing where God is at work will be a part of our year long process of discernment and visioning and also a part of our all-church small group study. It is also important for us to reflect on this because the places where God is at work in our community are the places that Jesus Christ invites us to come and see. What will Jesus want to reveal to us?

You and I have the opportunity to come and see what is breaking God’s heart. You and I have the opportunity to learn more from Jesus’s teachings about light, hope, grace, compassion, and new life. You and I have the opportunity to join Christ’s ministry of transforming the world, creating a beloved community, and then telling others about what God is doing.

I would be remiss if I did not connect the Psalmist’s words from our text today. The Psalmist saw God at work and inspires us: “I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation. I have not restrained my lips. I have not hidden your saving help in my heart. I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation” (Psalm 40: 9-10).

If you and I desire to be disciples of Jesus Christ, then we need to know where Jesus is hanging out in the community. It is critical in our formation as disciples of Jesus Christ. We need the insight of our neighbors and community leaders so that we might see God’s work through their eyes and hear their stories. If it takes a village to raise a child, then it also takes a village to see the Kingdom of God revealed. It takes a village to build the kingdom with God.

This week I will be meeting with some of our local clergy to ponder this very question. Therefore, this week I challenge you to ask two others in the community, “Where is Jesus staying? What is God doing in our community and in our backyard?”

You may be surprised to discover where God might be at work.

In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.

Sources Referenced:

[1] The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings” (Boston: Beacon Press, 2012), p. 13

Sermon: The Voice of Purpose and Direction

The Voice of Purpose and Direction
Psalm 29; Matthew 3: 13-17
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
January 12, 2020

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
worship the Lord in holy splendor.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king for ever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace! - Psalm 29

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’

But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he consented.

And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ - Matthew 3: 13-17

I keep the picture on my desk so that I will remember. The year was 2006. Doug and I are standing with our daughters at the front of the church sanctuary with our pastor, Dr. Tom Kort. All five of us had big smiles.

Doug and I were new members of the Presbyterian Church – two years in. It was Baptism day for our oldest daughter Devon, who was just five years old. She had been asking questions about baptism and said, “I want Jesus in my heart.” We were so excited for this new beginning in her young life.

We met with the pastor and presiding elder before the worship service to go over the details of the Sacrament. Devon looked at me and asked ever so shyly, “Will Dr. Kort hold me in his arms and carry me down the aisle like he does with the babies?” It was a precious question. She had been paying attention to the baptisms of babies. That image of the pastor holding the baby during the Sacrament and then walking the child down the church aisle for all to behold had captivated her.

Our pastor smiled and said, “Well Devon, you are a little bit bigger than the babies that I baptize. But I will hold your hand and I will walk beside you down the aisle to introduce you as the newest baptized member of God’s family.”

Dr. Kort’s voice was rather reassuring that he would guide this beloved child of God with purpose and direction.

The Gospel according to Matthew lifts up the day of Jesus’ baptism so that we will remember. John the Baptist was chosen by God to prepare the way of the coming of the Lord. John was baptizing with the water of repentance for the reason that Jesus Christ might be revealed to Israel (John 1:30).

But on this fateful day as John’s cousin Jesus approached, John was shaking in his camel hair vest. John was not worthy enough to carry Jesus’ sandals. Who was he to baptize the lamb of God, the One who takes away the sin of the world? (Matthew 3:11; John 1:29). John felt he and Jesus should switch places because Jesus is the One who baptizes with Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11).

And yet is was Jesus’ voice that assured John of God’s purposes and direction. John was to baptize Jesus to fulfill all righteousness in accord with God’s will (Matthew 3:15).

You see God delighted in his only Son, his chosen servant to bring God’s plan of salvation. In baptism God put his Spirit upon Jesus to establish justice in all the earth (Isaiah 42:4). Through the person and work of Jesus Christ, God gave the people of God a new covenant to restore us to right relationships, to open the eyes of the blind by God’s amazing grace, to set the prisoners free for those who sit in darkness, to bring forth new things proclaiming God’s glory (Isaiah 42: 6-9).

As Jesus rose up from the waters of Baptism, he was anointed for ministry with God’s purpose and direction. The Maker of heaven and earth proclaimed his excitement for this new beginning with the words, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). What a precious moment that creates a new identity for every follower of Jesus Christ.

Baptism connects us as a chosen family; not only in the local church but more so in the church universal. By water and Holy Spirit, we are claimed in God’s love that will never let us go. We die to sin and rise up as a new creation in Jesus Christ. We are adopted into God’s great family of faith. We are called to continue Christ’s ministry of love, reconciliation, justice, and peace. And yet our common calling is not solely about belonging and believing. It is about being transformed by the grace of God. It is about being the hands and feet of Christ to join God in transforming the world.

Today we will reaffirm our baptisms as a congregation to remember it is the Lord’s voice that gives our lives purpose and direction.

You may remember when I was called to be your next pastor in August of 2015. The Sunday I was to be installed I invited this church to remember our baptisms to mark a new beginning in ministry. As you know it is not just the minister who does ministry, but it is all of us working together.

Today we are recommitting ourselves to give ourselves fully to follow Jesus. This act of faith is to mark our preparation for a year of discerning the Lord’s purposes and direction for our church.

The Spirit is inviting each of us to give ourselves fully to prayer, to discern God’s mission, and to plan godly goals. We will be praying for God to open our eyes and notice what God is doing in our community. We will be praying for God to reveal what God’s mission is in the surrounding community and what our church’s unique role is within it. We will also be prayerfully planning godly goals to reach towards – that includes discerning together how God is calling us to use our beautiful acreage for God’s purposes.

We will begin this process of discernment in February as a whole church. First, we will gather for an enrichment weekend on a Saturday and Sunday in February. Secondly, we will engage in a 10 week- all church study and discussion in small groups as Lent begins at the end of February. Third, we will harvest the ideas shared in the small groups to map out God’s purposes, direction and mission. The session and I will continue to communicate the process and dates as we finalize them. We will be working with my colleague in ministry, The Rev. Dr. David Brown. His voice will reassure us of God’s purposes and direction in this year of discernment and visioning.

It will take all of us to discern the voice of God, the ministry of Jesus Christ, and the nudges of the Spirit for our chosen family. This is an exciting time of ministry and yet I know that a year of intentional discernment may make us a bit nervous too. And that is ok.

I would be remiss if I did not say that this church is no stranger to the visioning process. Van Wyck Presbyterian has long been a forward thinking church who has done the work of vision and discernment. It is a strength of this congregation.

May we listen for God’s reassuring voice hovering over the baptismal waters. The Lord goes ahead of us to give blessings and strength to his people.

In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.

Sermon: Word of Intention (John 1: 1-18)

Word of Intention
John 1: 1-18
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
January 5, 2020
Epiphany Sunday


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. - John 1: 1-18

It has been said, “A day without intention is a day wasted.” Without intention, our actions have no gainful impact. You and I know all too well that our intentions and actions so easily become misaligned. As a new year begins, many of us feel the need to make a few small repairs to our hearts and minds.

God’s greatest desire is that our intentions and actions will be aligned with his. The Gospel of John proclaims God’s divine intentions and actions. In the beginning “the Word,” the personal wisdom and power of God, held the intent to enter our human experience. God’s intentions were to reveal that God is not distant, but chose to know humanity’s “joy, pain, suffering, and loss” [1]. The eternal nature of God became flesh to show all creation and humanity the Lord’s unconditional and unparalleled love.

The Gospel of John tells us that the Word is the person and work of Jesus Christ. My commentary says, “Light and life are the two ways the Word expresses itself in the world” [2]. In Jesus Christ, God’s intentions act to shine light into the darkness and to bring life from nothingness and even death.

When our lives are touched by Jesus Christ, then we receive God’s power and purpose. From his fullness we receive grace upon grace.

Today we celebrate Epiphany. The twelfth day of Christmas draws near on Monday January 6, therefore, we affirm our faith in God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the star guided the magi to discover the Christ Child.

But the Gospel of John wants us to focus upon another layer of the story. The light and love of God’s intentions in Jesus Christ are at work to speak a new revelation of truth into our lives.

The mysterious and creative light and love of God go ahead of us to make all things new. Instead of making a New Year’s resolution, Epiphany offers a spiritual practice of prayerful reflection in this new year with a star word (a word of intention). This spiritual practice has been occurring in the Presbyterian Church for about 30 years.

Star words work like this: Every person in worship will have the opportunity to receive a paper star. Each star has a different word written on it. You do not get to pick the word that you prefer, rather the star word chooses you. The word on your star may be God’s way of revealing a new truth about the light and love of Christ. The spiritual reflection of a star word holds the hope of realigning our intentions and actions with God’s.

The word of intention that chose me last year was “Respect.” I have to be honest – the word disappointed me. I felt that I was already respectful to others; what could I learn from that word, “respect”?

Using Scripture as my guide, I considered how I respect my parents, my spouse and those in authority. As many of us shared insights into the meanings of one another’s star words, three people told me that they interpreted the word “respect” as “respecting myself.” And your insight and interpretation did something to me.

If we are to love God with all our being and love our neighbor as ourselves, then yes- that means I must love and respect myself too. Self-resect made me really consider how I perceive my self-worth. Therefore, I began to set some personal boundaries of self-respect and also set expectations of how I want to be respected. My word of intention has been both humbling and empowering.

A disciple among us shared her star word revelation: My word was “judgement”. As I thought about that word and the different ways that we use judgment in our lives, I reflected on what kind of judgment is used in everyday situations. My prayer has been for better judgment in my decisions. I have also been thinking about judgment in regard to other people and other situations. How have I judged others? It has made me look more closely at how I view the world. To be able to look into someone’s eyes and look beyond what is on the surface has been a revelation for me.

Another disciple shared her star word reflection: My word was "encourage" and I thought it was too easy. I enjoy encouraging people, but this year I've gained a whole new appreciation for the word. What has really stayed on my mind has been the kind of encouragement my church family has given me during a difficult year. A year of disappointment, sadness, and health issues have been offset by sweet words, hugs, delightful visits to our home, and much, much love. But our church family is like that! Encouraging others is just something we do naturally!

When we engage a word of intention as a spiritual discipline, we are inviting God’s Spirit to reflect the character of Jesus Christ through you and me in a new and life-giving way.

This morning we will come forward to the Lord’s Table to receive the bread of life and the cup of salvation. The gifts of God symbolize the life and love that Jesus Christ gives to us from manger to grave and in his saving death and resurrection.

These gifts are given to light the way forward with the fullness of God’s grace. The bread and the cup strengthen and nurture our faith as we begin a new leg of this spiritual journey together as Christ’s disciples.

As we taste the goodness of God, let God’s word of intention choose you. There is a new revelation of truth that Christ desires to speak into our lives.

Just imagine how the Word of God’s wisdom and power might dwell in us and empower us to be more Christ-like!

In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.

Sources Referenced:

[1] New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary: Volume VIII, Luke, John (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 445.
[2] New Interpreter’s Bible: Volume VIII, p. 445.