Last week we moved into a series on Worship. We describe worship at 519 as contemporary, built on an ancient pattern that begins with a time to Enter into the presence of God, Hear the proclamation of God’s word, Respond to that word with our lives, and then be Sent out on God’s mission.
After the acts of hatred displayed in Charlottesville by White Nationalists the past 2 days, I am humble to be here this morning talking about worship because worship takes many forms. As Tim shared with us last week, worship is when we gather in this place as a community. But worship is also when we go out. It is about not remaining silent. It is about condemning hate and sharing love. Worship is not just some ancient rituals, but a commitment to living the gospel- that ALL are children of God. But don’t make this feel paralyzed. You can act today even in simple ways. For example our brothers and sisters at The Peak this morning are making signs to show their love to our neighboring church, St. Mary’s AME. There is a vigil tonight in Durham you could attend. And when I talked yesterday with my children about what was happening in Charlottesville, and asked them to brainstorm ways with me that we could show love- my son, Davis, said, “We could be nice to everyone we meet today” and that seemed like a great idea to me.
So as we continue our conversation on what it means to worship this morning I have some questions that have been weighing on my heart.
Anyone here feel weary?
Anyone here this morning feel like you are not enough? Like you don’t measure up? Wondering why you can’t get it together like John over on Facebook or Sarah down the street? Feeling anxiety to be more. Do more.
Anyone here this morning feel like the guilt is a weight that you can’t unlock? Does it Leave you wondering why you keep making the same mistakes again and again. The same bad choices that you promised yesterday you were done with?
Anyone here this morning feel angry? At the world. At hate displayed and at those that won’t denounce it as such. At yourself. For all the things.
Anyone here this morning ever feel weary? Yeah, me too.
Me too. Maybe there’s comfort in not being alone.
And I hope that you know you can find comfort in this ancient but LIVING word. Hear These words this morning from Jesus spoken for you in Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Come to me all who are weary and burdened.
And here you are. You have come this morning to this place. You have gathered with your gifts, your gratitudes, your worries and your stories. You have gathered here to breath in the peace of God. To rest your weary souls. Your burdened hearts. Your tired minds.
When we enter into this holy space, this sacred ground, we begin each week with a Call to Worship- we enter into the presence of God. We don’t label it as such here at 519 like you might find in other churches with a weekly bulletin. But the Call to Worship is an opener- a beginning- a proclamation that we are here, gathered together, with the purpose of worshiping the Lord. The call to worship can take many forms- a prayer, a song, a scripture- but declares our collective intent. Here at 519 we usually enter in through song. This morning we sang the words...there is hope in your name.
No matter where you came from this morning and what you came in with and where you are going when we are done today, we are all here collectively at this very moment, worshiping together and even if our hearts aren’t into worshiping today, we all are breathing in.
My brother gave me a book this past Christmas, Peace in Every Step. And in this book I learned a bit more about breath prayer. While doing a breath prayer you say one thing while breathing in, another while breathing out. A dear friend of mine often uses the scripture from John 3, He must increase and I must decrease. One from the book that stuck with me is: Breathe in God’s Peace, Breathe out God’s smile. Breathe in God’s Peace, Breathe out God’s Smile. I dare you to try it and not smile after a few repetitions.
People on average take 26,000 breaths a day. It is the first thing we do at birth and the last thing we do in life. In fact, In Hebrew, the name Lord is representing by the letters YHVH
We would say YahWay but the letters together are said to be unpronounceable because they are the sound of breathing. Simply by breathing, The first thing we do at birth to have life, is say the name of God. and simply by breathing The last thing we do before we die, is say the name of God.
We are created from the breath of God. In Genesis we learn that, God created man and woman in his Divine Image from the dust of the ground and Breathed into us the breath of life. His breath. God created by breathing in. The divine breath is flowing through you. And it’s flowing through the person next to you. And it’s flowing through the person next to them. There is a holiness to the people all around us- in this place, and on each and every holy ground, each and every place you live and work and play.
So what does that mean for us? What does it mean for us here and what does it mean for us when we leave.
Before we leave each week, Owen or Graham give us a benediction. The Benediction ends our time together by declaring a blessing and a sending out. A breathing out to each of us so that we can breath out to each person we meet, remembering that they too are a container for the divine breath of god. Jesus tells us- whatever you do for them, you’ve done for me.
In the opening of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul reminds us of who we are and what we’re living for. He reminds to Enter into the presence of God and to be Sent out on God’s mission.
Ephesians 1:3-6:
How blessed is God! (Yahweh!) And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
Paul goes on to say (11-12):
It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.
Just breath all this in this morning: Bring your weariness to Jesus. Be reminded of who you are: You are an adopted son or daughter and that adoption brings God pleasure.
My husband, Jimmy and I have three kids, two are adopted from different continents than the one they now call home.Three children- each one a different race, coming from a different culture. But do you know what they call each other. Brother. Sister. I’m going in the ocean to play with my brother. My sister is driving me crazy. My sister will help me.
What if you called the guy at work who gets under your skin exactly what God says he is- brother, container of the divine breath. What if you called your neighbor- the one who put the sign in her yard for the person you would never vote for- sister, container of the divine breath. What if called the ‘other’- othered by their race, their religion, their gender, their disability, their sexuality- Brother. Sister., containers of the divine breath?
For You have been blessed WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING Of CHRIST. God’s grace has been lavished on you with wisdom and understanding. And in Christ we find out Who we are AND What we are living for. In Christ we live and move and have our being. YOUR LIFE IS A GIFT TO BE GIVEN FOR THE SERVICE OF GOD.
Breathe God’s Love in, Breathe God’s Smile Out
When we gather with our gifts and our stories to worship our God and to be filled up- and then we scatter and do not fight against the atrocities in this world, we are only half way breathing.
When we are apathetic to racism, sexism, any ism, we are only half way breathing.
When we chose our comfort, our security and our own convenience over the security and safety of others, we are only halfway breathing.
And breathing halfway leads to death.
So...
Gather here and remember during the call to worship to enter and breath in the love of God AND then remember to Feel the blessing of the benediction and be sent to breath out that same love.
Breathe in God's peace. Breathe out God's smile.
Breathe in I am loved. Breathe out you are too.
Breathe in I matter in the eyes of God. Breathe out black lives matter too.
Breathe in God's grace, Breathe out forgiveness to others
Breath in
Breath out
Breath in breath out
Breathing in God’s peace, requires breathing out of god’s smile. God’s love.
This morning for our response, we are going to take some time to sit and breath. While Graham comes up to play some music for us, I invite you to practice a breath prayer or you may want to just sit and listen. We also would love to breath with you and people are located at the back of the room and I will be over at the side if you would like to pray with someone today or we would love to pray for you. As you pray be reminded of Jesus’s words to you, “Come to me all who are weary”.
I’ll open our prayer together,
Heavenly father, thank you for creating us with your breath. Thank you for loving us. God, as your children, we are gathered this morning to worship. As we sit together the next few moments, please allow us to be open to your spirit, to your love, as we breath in your presence.
