McPhail Baptist Church
Sunday, May 17th 2020
"Praise My Soul The King of Heaven"
Sue Sparks
Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who, like me, His praise should sing?
Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him,
Praise the everlasting King.
Praise Him for His grace and favour,
To our fathers in distress;
Praise Him, still the same forever,
Slow to chide and swift to bless;
Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him,
Praise the everlasting King.
Angels, help us to adore Him;
Ye behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him;
Dwellers all in time and space,
Praise Him, praise Him, praise Him, praise Him,
Praise with us the God of grace.
Favourite Hymns
Ernie and Lynda Cox
BE STILL MY SOUL
Be still, my soul! The Lord is on your side:
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In every change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my sou! Your best, your heavenly Friend,
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul! Your God will undertake,
To guide the future as he has the past;
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul! The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.
THE OLD RUGGED CROSS
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross, where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true,
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then he’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where his glory forever I’ll share.
IT IS NO SECRET
The chimes of time ring out the news, another day is through,
Someone slipped and fell, was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strength, your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened for I bring news to you.
Refrain:
It is no secret what God can do,
What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.
With arms wide open, He’ll pardon you,
It is no secret what God can do.
There is no night for in His light, you’ll never walk alone,
Always feel at home, wherever you may roam.
There is no power can conquer you, while God is on your side.
Just take Him at His promise, don’t run away and hide.
Organ & Piano Duet
Sue Sparks and Ernie Cox
This version of “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” took many attempts in trying to sync the two audio tracks together, which, of course, were recorded remotely. There are a couple of places where the two instruments aren’t quite together, but I think you’ll appreciate the duet nonetheless!
Meditation: The Search for Beauty
Rev. Steve Zink
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John 13:34 (NRSV)
34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
John 14:15, 21 (NRSV)
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself
John 15:7-17 (NRSV)
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
1 John 4:8 (NRSV)
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.
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"Ordered To Love"
(John 13:34;14:15-21; 15:7-17)
Rev. Ernie Cox
A cake decorator was asked by a bride to inscribe I John 4:18 on a wedding cake. 1 John 4:18 says this: "There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear."
Unfortunately, the cake decorator didn't know the Bible very well. And so, instead of putting the words from I John 4:18 on the cake, “There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear,” the decorator wrote the words from the Gospel of John 4:18, and those words say, "You have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband."
Needless to say, the bride and groom were not very happy with the cake decorator.
But although the Bible reference on the cake was wrong, the bride and groom chose the right verse—“There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear.” Because there cannot be any fear in love. If there is, then it isn’t love. Love is something which cannot be commanded, yet, in our text, Jesus says: “This is my commandment, that you love one another.”
And so, the sermon title raises the question-- can we be ordered to love? Can a person be coerced or made to love someone else?
There’s a story about a man who was a great scientist, but he wasn’t very good with people, and especially with women. Women weren’t attracted to him, and so he lived a very lonely life. But one day he invented a potion, some kind of chemical that would cause a woman to fall madly in love with him.
And as luck would have it he came upon a beautiful, talented, good woman. He managed to get talking to her one day over coffee and slipped the chemical into her coffee while she wasn’t looking and instantly the woman fell madly in love with the lonely scientist.
Soon they were married. But in a short time the man became depressed, he wasn’t eating, his work as a scientist was lacking, he was actually dying. He was dying because he spent every waking moment trying to come up with some kind of test that would answer his agonized question: “Would she love me if it were not for the chemical?”
So, no, love can’t be commanded or brought about by a potion. But, what then did Jesus mean in ordering us, in commanding us to love when He said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another”? We’ve already said “no,” that love can’t be commanded.
But when Jesus commands us to love, there’s a sense in which we can say “yes,” that love can be commanded. And that’s when we do good for others. That’s what Jesus is commanding us to do. We might not always have a fuzzy feeling toward the other person, but if we’re followers of Christ, we’re commanded to do things for the good of others. As Kierkegaard said, “For the Christian, love is the works of love.”
From time to time in other sermons, I’ve often quoted some insightful lines from Dr. Johnson; “Kindness is always in our power, but fondness is not.” Jesus, in effect, commands me to be kind. But fondness cannot be commanded.
We can be kind and should be kind to others in need of kindness. But it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to be fond of everyone to whom we try to be kind. I know some people I’m not terribly fond of, and they’re not terribly fond of me!
But if we’re to follow the command of Jesus to love one another, then we will be kind when someone is in need of kindness, but if we’re not terribly fond of the person, then as Anne Lamott says, we can be kind without necessarily asking the person to lunch!
When Jesus was asked what is the great commandment, He didn’t mention keeping the Ten Commandments or keeping the six hundred and thirteen laws the Jews were required to follow. Jesus reduced those laws essentially to two laws: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul, and your neighbour as yourself.”
And then in our text from John’s gospel, Jesus says: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. Jesus wasn’t trying to do away with the Ten Commandments or say that none of the six hundred and thirteen laws didn’t matter. Rather, He was trying to teach his followers that true religion comes from the inside, not just from some kind of external law book of do’s and don’ts.
Someone put it this way. There’s a park somewhere in Europe where next to some lovely flower beds, there’s a sign written in three languages:
In German the sign says; “Picking flowers is forbidden.”
In English the sign says; “Please do not pick the flowers.”
In French the sign says; “Those who love flowers will not pick them.”
The first two signs give a kind of legal warning not to pick the flowers. But the third sign, “Those who love flowers will not pick them,” is not so much a warning but a reminder that love keeps the flowers from harm. That it’s not law but love that should keep the flowers intact.
Similarly, those who love God will be motivated to keep the commandments, not just because of what the law says, but more out of genuine love for God.
Now, let me take you to another verse on love that comes not from the gospel of John, but from the letter, 1 John 4:8, where it says: “Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
Now I’ve read and heard that verse many times. But notice carefully what the verse doesn’t say. It doesn’t say, “Whoever does not love (God) does not know God.”It simply says that the person who does not love, does not know God.
Now, here’s my point. Over the 71 years of my life, I’ve come across and known some grim, sour, cantankerous, mean, stingy, up-tight, too religious, narrow-minded, rule-book Christians who were not known for their love. I grew up with some of them.
The great theologian Paul Tillich also grew up with some of the same kinds of people. And from out of that experience he wrote this: That, “He who loves God is also able to love life. This is not the same as to love God. Because for many pious people in all generations, the love of God is the other side of the hatred for life.”
As I say, I’ve known Christians like that. My mother used to say of them, “They’re so heavenly-minded they’re no earthly good.” And why were they of no earthly good? Because they didn’t love life. They could see that Jesus loved God, yes, but they failed to see that He also loved life.
And that’s one of the reasons for why we love Jesus, because He wasn’t just religious, He was real. He wasn’t fixated on getting people to heaven, He was more focused on getting heaven into people.
And even though Jesus wasn’t a glutton nor did He drink too much, His detractors labeled Him a glutton and wine-bibber. But He wasn’t labeled those things because He went to church twice on Sunday, and never missed a prayer meeting!
He was labeled those things because He loved people, and enjoyed being with them. And that’s why so many millions love Jesus, because He loved God, He loved people, and He loved life.
Again, I quote our verse from 1 John: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” You see, here’s the thing: Some Christians who claim to know God, don’t seem to know much about love.
In our family we have a niece who is Buddhist. We also have a daughter-in-law who doesn’t have any religion, and isn’t sure she believes in God. But our niece and our daughter-in-law, are two of the most loving persons we’ve ever known. And when we see their love in action, what we see is God working through them.
So, I don’t worry about who has the right Christian credentials, who has made a proper confession of faith, who believes all the right doctrines, rather I believe that wherever there is love, there is God, and the rest I leave to God.
It seems to me that in a world such as ours, and especially in these trying times, what is needed more than anything, is compassion. “He said to the disciples, I have compassion for these people, they’ve been with us for three days and they nothing to eat.” “Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man…”
Our American friends are badly served by a President who seems to be incapable of showing empathy and compassion to his fellow Americans, which is sorely needed in America’s time of national crisis.
Abraham Lincoln lost a good friend, a Colonel William McCullough in the Civil War. William McCullough was 49 when he was shot dead by a Confederate soldier. Lincoln took it hard. But in his grief he took a piece of Executive Mansion stationery and wrote the following words to William McCullough’s daughter.
“Dear Mary: It is with deep grief that I learn of the death of your kind and brave Father. I am anxious to afford some alleviation of your present distress. Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You cannot now realize that you will ever feel better.
And yet it is a mistake. You are sure to be happy again. To know this, which is certainly true, will make you some less miserable now. I have had experience enough to know what I say; and you need only to believe it,
to feel better at once.
The memory of your dear Father, instead of an agony, will yet be a sad sweet feeling in your heart, of a purer, and holier sort than you have known before.
Please present my kind regards to your afflicted mother. Your sincere friend, A. Lincoln”
President Lincoln was shot on a Good Friday. And as was said of him, “Many people recognized in him ‘A Man of Sorrows,’” much like Christ himself. And as was said of Jesus, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them.”
I finish in telling of a mother whose son was being ordained to ministry, and about to go off to his first church. Before he went, his mother put her hands into his and said to him: “Son, you might go far in the church, and one day you might end up as minister of a very important church, but never forget son, wherever you go, and whatever you do, “Say a good word about Jesus.”
If we know and love Jesus, it’s not hard at all to say a good word about Him, is it. For He is the one who says to us—“My command is simply this: Love each other, as I have loved you.”
Thanks be to God. Amen.
"Holy, Holy, Holy"
Sue Sparks
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
Coping with the Corona Crisis
(A series of responses from our McPhail congregants)
The Greene Family
All of us are confined to our homes. How are you spending your time?
As for me (Daily), business as usual. Matter of fact I’ve been working like 12 days in a row. Since we have 5 positive cases at the retirement home that I work at, now we have to take extra precautions such as wearing a mask, gown and shield. Devante has been laid off since April. He’s with the kids every day and drives me to work every morning. He spends more time with the kids. The girls have a lot of fun with their father.
How are you staying connected?
Most of the time, I Facetime my mother and we talked every day. Denalia would Facetime her grandmother in Utica, NY. My mother will drop by the house to give her granddaughters juice boxes or when she cooked my favourite dishes. That's pretty much it.
Some people have stopped following the Coronavirus news, suffering
from an overload of information, much of it not encouraging. How are you handling all the news?
I have stopped following the Coronavirus news since the US has a death toll of 5000. Even at work, my co-worker will turn on the news. I don’t have cable which is a good thing. I am tired of hearing about the news. I just want this to be over so things can go back to normal.
Have you been able to find a silver lining in the current situation?
I think the silver lining in this current situation is that I get more hours close to full time at work and got a $4 raise this week. Plus Devante is home every day with the kids. We spend more time together as a family.
What things do you especially miss?
The things that I missed most would be going out to eat. The month of March was very hard for me to cope since we eat out so often at least once or twice a week. I also missed going to church and dressing up with my family.
Benediction
Ernie and Lynda Cox
May the Lord, mighty God,
Bless and keep you forever;
Grant you peace, perfect peace,
Courage in every endeavor.
Lift up your eyes and see God's face,
Full of grace forever;
May the Lord, mighty God,
Bless and keep you forever.
Did you know you can mail in your regular financial contributions to McPhail? Faith communities, along with cultural institutions and many businesses have had to close temporarily. Nevertheless, normal operational expenses continue as usual. In the light of this, do please consider continuing your support of McPhail by mailing your offering to: 249 Bronson Ave, Ottawa, ON. K1R 6H6
Ernie-Steve-Linda-Sue-Daily-Divine-Devante-Denalia Thank you for sharing this time with the Warrens.
ReplyDeleteI didn't recognise Sue Sparks version of Holy, Holy, Holy. As always a wonderful Sunday service but miss being in church. Blessings everyone!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful all around. Very nice to see inside and outside of the church, as well as pews. Love all the music and duets. So look forward to returning.
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