Gathering Music
“En La Lucha”
Words/Music: Mark Miller
En la lucha hay vida
En la lucha esperanza
En la lucha hay vida
Siempre hay siempre hay esperanza
Cantamos en la lucha
Cantamos por la justicia
Cantamos por nuestras vidas
Siempre hay siempre hay esperanza
Centering Words
Juan Martinez
From Roddy Hamilton, Mucky Paws
The enemy:
love them.
The oppressor:
walk the mile with them.
The Master:
turn the other cheek to them.
This doormat faith
seems too much to bear
in a world where those who bully
always seem to win.
The enemy:
imbalance them with love.
The oppressor:
shame the law that oppresses.
The Master:
turn the cheek as an equal.
This rebellious faith
seems too much to bear
in a world where those who bully
are loved back to justice by the bullied.
But this is heaven’s revolution,
and we are called into it.
Come let us worship love’s rebel, Jesus.
Opening Song
“How Firm a Foundation”
- How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God’s excellent word!
What more can God say than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled? - “Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. - “When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. - “When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
my grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. - “The soul that on Jesus still leans for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.”
Responsive Scripture – Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40
Shan Gao
Leader: Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers,
People: for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
Leader: Trust in God and do good; live in the land, and enjoy security.
People: Take delight in God, and God will give you the desires of your heart.
Leader: Commit your way to the Almighty; trust in God, and God will act.
People: God will make your vindication shine like the light and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
Leader: Be still before God, and wait patiently; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.
People: Refrain from anger and forsake wrath. Do not fret–it leads only to evil.
Leader: For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for God shall inherit the land.
People: Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
Leader: But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
People: The salvation of the righteous is from God; God is their refuge in the time of trouble.
All: God helps them and rescues them; rescues them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in God.
Scripture Reading – Luke 6:27-36
Jennifer Lundberg
6:27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; 28 bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. :29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. :30 Give to everyone who ask of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. :31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
:32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. :33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. :34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive payment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. :35 Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for God herself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. :36 Be merciful, just as your Abba is merciful.
Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.
Anthem
“Teach Me to Fly” – Lindy Thompson and Mark Miller
Seminary Choir
Sermon
“In the Midst of Pain, I Choose Love”
Prof. Mark Miller
Musical Response
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Beth Quick & Prof. Mark Miller
Servers: Hawk Ricketts, Marcell Okito
(adapted from M. Jade Kaiser, enfleshed)
The Holy One be with you
And also with you
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the One who guides our life together.
It is our joy to offer gratitude and praise.
God, you never promised us that way would be clear. You have, however, created us in your image – the image of One who is Wisdom, who is Love, who is Courage. You breathed your life into us with the assurance that we have, within and around us, everything we need to be your faithful people. Though we sometimes act in disregard for your call on our collective life, still you show up with and for us, relentlessly.
And so we join with all the saints who have gone before in gratitude for your abiding presence:
Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and love
all that is, is full of your glory
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of Love
Sacred is your presence and blessed is Christ with us.
Through the life of Jesus we saw an example of what it means to navigate an uncertain path, practice creative ministry, and face with courage and compassion all the barriers that work against your Spirit on the move.
Jesus lived and breathed a ministry rooted in your Love for all people.He prioritized the lives of those who are suffering and showed us what it looks like to be with and for one another, even under great distress. Though evil attempted to silence his proclamation of an all inclusive Kindom of God, not even death could keep Love from growing.
In the midst of pain, we choose Love.
On the night in which he was arrested, he gathered among friends for a meal.
He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread and shared it with his disciples saying,
“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Drink from this, all of you; this is the cup of the new covenant. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
And so, in remembrance of Christ with us, and in the assurance of your Love persistent, we offer our lives, our ministries, and our church in the service of your healing work as we affirm our commitment to choosing your way, O God:
In the midst of pain, we choose Love.
Pour out your Spirit on this community and these gifts. Make them a taste of your Kindom through Christ with us, that we might leave the Table both nourished by your Love and still hungry for justice for all your people.
In the midst of pain, we choose Love.
Amen.
Sharing in the Bread and Cup
Songs During Communion
“I Choose Love” – Lindy Thompson/Mark Miller
In the midst of pain, I choose love.
In the midst of pain, sorrow falling down like rain,
I await the sun again, I choose love.
In the midst of war, I choose peace.
In the midst of war, hate and anger keeping score,
I will seek the good once more, I choose peace.
When my world falls down, I will rise.
When my world falls down, explanations can’t be found,
I will climb to holy ground, I will rise.
In the midst of pain, I choose love.
In the midst of pain, sorrow falling down like rain,
I await the sun again, I choose love.
“This I Believe” – Adam Tice/Mark Miller
This I believe,
and so I pray:
that nothing, nothing, nothing
can take God’s love away.
No ruler’s law,
and no distress,
no, absolutely nothing
can make God love us less.
And this I know,
that come what may,
still, nothing, nothing, nothing
can take God’s love away.
No sword, no pow’r,
no rise or fall,
no, absolutely nothing
can change God’s love at all.
Wider than the sky
and deeper than the sea,
stronger than the mountains
is your love,
your love for me.
Through present pain,
or coming day,
no, nothing, nothing, nothing
can take God’s love away.
No war or plague,
no plot or fraud,
no, absolutely nothing
can stop the love of God.
Wider than the sky
and deeper than the sea,
stronger than the mountains
is your love,
your love for me.
Blessing
Prof. Mark Miller
Sending Song
“Hope Will Not Fail”
Bjorlin/Miller
Hope will not fail, no, hope will not fail.
Though anguish and apathy seem to prevail,
No, hope will not fail; hope, hope will prevail.
Peace will not fail, no, peace will not fail.
Though vengeance and violence seem to prevail,
no, peace will not fail; peace, peace will prevail.
Believe in the coming, the coming of peace!
Though vengeance and violence seem to prevail,
No, peace will not fail; peace, peace will prevail.
Joy will not fail, no, joy will not fail.
Though mourning and misery seem to prevail,
No, joy will not fail; joy, joy will prevail.
Believe in the blessing, the blessing of joy!
Though mourning and misery seem to prevail,
No, joy will not fail; joy, joy will prevail.
Love will not fail, no, love will not fail.
Though hatred and hopelessness seem to prevail,
No, love will not fail; love, love will prevail.
Believe in the power, the power of love!
Though hatred and hopelessness seem to prevail,
No, love will not fail; love, love will prevail.
Drew Theo Chapel 