Pastor Kim’s sermon this week in her series on forgiveness reflects on how the past can be a burden that drags like a dead weight.  Or it can give us the building materials to create a better and more generous future.

Sermon Notes:

#1  God forgives in order to invite us into ____________. God’s ___________________. Another name for this is the _______________________.

#2  What if the past we drag around beating each other up with could instead be a ______________________________________.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. ¹⁴ Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. ¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

#3 Do you not think it was clear that their new reality __________________?

#4 You assume a __________when you wrong me.  I assume an inclusive and even more important ___________when I forgive and ______________________________________.

Answers:

#1  God forgives us in order to invite us into God’s life, God’s abundant life.  Another name for this is the kingdom of God.

#2  What if the past could instead be a bridge to a bright and gracious future? 

#3  Do you not think it was clear that their new reality was a gift from God?

#4  You assume a power when you wrong me.  I assume an inclusive and even more important power when I forgive and refuse to remain hostage to your wrong.

The 2nd sermon in the series on forgiveness based on L. William Countryman’s book, Forgiven and Forgiving.  Before we can love others, we need to be able to love ourselves, and that means forgiving ourselves.  But God wants us to be transformed through God’s grace.   Based on Mark 2:1-12

Sermon Notes:

#1  God wants to give us a mind and heart like God’s own.  That mind/heart of God is never into ______________________ towards ourselves or towards our enemies.

#2 But God’s notion of justice, unlike that of some humans isn’t focused primarily on ___________________.  It is focused on ­­­­­­­­­____________________________________________

#3Jesus says to us I ­­­­­­­____________________________________________________________.

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Answers (view the sermon first):

1. revenge

2. punishment; new life and new creation

3. “I forgive you, now take up your mat and walk my way“

Pastor Kim’s initial sermon on the series on forgiveness, based in part on “Forgiven and Forgiving” by L. William Countryman. Below are her sermon notes:

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him;                                                    Matthew 2:3 NRSV

#1 The wise men remind us that: Jesus ______________________ and the good religious people and leaders of Jesus day  _____________!

⁴ John the baptizer appeared^a in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins….. ⁸ I have baptized you with^[b] water; but he will baptize you with^[c] the Holy Spirit.”            Mark 1:4-5 and 8  NRSV

⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved;^[d] with you I am well pleased.”                         Mark 1: 9-11

#2 Our Savior identifies with_________________________________________.

#3 God forgives everyone to undercut the worst temptation of good people: __________________________________.

answers (listen to the sermon first)

#1  “came for everyone”  and “missed it”

#2  “identifies with us rather than condemns us”

#3  “self-righteousness”

Pastor Kim’s sermon addressed when the excitement of Christmas wears off, or is mixed with disappointment, grief, or even anger.  The scripture was from Paul’s rather angry letter to the church in Galatia (Galatians 4: 4-7).  The congregation ended with this benediction that completed the sermon:

“When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.”                Howard Thurman

Lloyd Dugger, our musician from 2011 to 2016, reprised his role on Sunday, Dec 31st while he and his family were in Vermont with Shannon’s parents and siblings.  He sang Hymn 3066 “Still, Still, Still” for the offertory.