Welcome/Call to Worship
Good morning! I’m Pastor Ashley Dargai To those here in the sanctuary and those joining us online: we are so glad you’re here!
This morning, we will sing songs of worship, pray together, hear from scripture and one another, as we move toward the pinnacle of our service: the table of our Lord, where we will take the bread and drink the cup in remembrance of our most Gracious Host, Jesus. The purpose of our time together each Sunday is to bring our hearts closer to the heart of God, so I invite you to participate in as much or as little in our prepared liturgy as your spirit is willing.
We welcome all sounds and smells from the youngest to the oldest among us. For our young ones, there is a coloring page and crayons for children to participate in worship as well as a designated area with toys in the back for families of little ones who need to move around and play to worship God. We believe that every age offers a unique perspective of the image of God, and we know that the energy and spirit of children can be different than adults and we consider that reality a gift.
There are visitor cards in the pew in front of you—if you arrived during the pandemic or later, of if you have moved and have not updated your info with the church, please fill it out and drop it in the offering plate when it goes by later in worship.
A couple of announcements before we begin:
If you’d like to join us for Sunday School at 10 AM on Sundays, you have a couple of options. There is an adult group meeting right now in the Seekers room that is reading Max Lucado’s Anxious for Nothing. There is another adult group beginning that will meet in the Heritage Chapel that will be studying Rachel Held Evans’ book, Wholehearted Faith. There is also a combined youth and children’s class that meets in the Parlor that is studying the big stories of the Bible.
If you’d like to volunteer at our next Food Hub, which is this Saturday, be sure to sign up online. The link can be found on Facebook or in our blast. You can also help with Food Hub by sponsoring a $15 dry good bag.
If you’re interested in joining a team from ACC to partner with Refugee Services of Texas, please let email the church office or let Nancy know.
To keep up with all the life we live together here at Azle Christian Church, make sure you follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our weekly e-blast and monthly newsletter. To sign up for the eblast and newsletter, go to our website, azlechristianchurch.org, and subscribe. There is also a live calendar on our website where you can see what we have going on each month. You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok, both at @azlechristianchurch.
We continue our Epiphany series today: Holy, Wholly, Holey, as we make ourselves comfortable on the plain as Jesus concludes his sermon. Today will be a little different—in lieu of a sermon, we will be participating in a scripture reading practice known as lectio divina. We’ll explain everything at that time.
Let’s pray to turn our hearts toward God for this hour.
Spirit of truth, open to us the scriptures, speaking your holy word through song, through the bread and cup, and through offering ourselves, and meet us here today in the living Christ. Amen.
Litany of Faith
One: Commit your way to the Lord; trust in God, and God will act.
All: God will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
One: Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for God.
All: Do not fret over those who prosper in their way,over those who carry out evil devices.
(From Psalm 37)
Pastoral Prayer
The Lord be with you.
For the month of February, which is Black History Month, we will be praying prayers from Black ministers and theologians. This morning, we borrow from the heart of Iyabo Onipede, a liberation educator and theology teacher in the Lee Arrendale State Prison for Women in Georgia. We will be praying an excerpt from one of her prayers.
Join me in prayer.
When the invisible “other,” obscured by the blinding mixture of power and privilege, asks to be seen as whole and human, to be heard as valuable and precious, to be received into the full fold of community, Lord, hear their prayers.
As we enter into the awareness of what abuse of power does to the abuser, as we acknowledge how we’ve abandoned those over whom we wielded our power, as we become aware of the neglect and the stinging isolation that we have caused, Eternal Repairer of the breach, make us whole again.
We recognize that though we may be afraid to trust one another and to move toward shared and mutual respect, we choose to dig deep and have faith. We yield to the Mystery that is at work. We each make the choice to share our newfound power within by reaching out to others, by showing love, by being empathic, by listening, by sharing wealth, by disclosing opportunities, by believing the best of one another. Waymaker, teach us how to relate to one another the way you intended.
We acknowledge that the opposite of love is not hate; it is neglect. We acknowledge that we are incomplete without your healing. We acknowledge that we have not understood, and we release false knowledge. We accept the sacred gift of resilience that is present where there has been abuse and suffering.
Eternal Peacemaker, we bow in awe before you. Stir in us compassion for one another. Counsel us to see one another as wholly human. Teach us to embrace the preciousness of all creation. Create in us empathy as we hear one another’s lived experiences. Plant in us a sustaining wisdom that brings healing and reconciliation. Seal in us that eternal hope that is rooted in you. In the Sacred Holiness that created us, redeems us, and sustain us, we humbly ask that you, Our Great Love, hear our prayer.
We ask it in the name of our brother and redeemer Jesus, who taught to pray…
Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
Sermon
This morning, we are doing something a little different for a sermon. We will be engaging in a contemplative practice similar to a lectio divina practice. If you don’t know what lectio divina is, no worries. I will explain it.
Lectio Divina is a practice of reading scripture not for learning something practical or theological, but rather to allow the Living Spirit of Christ to speak to us through a word, a phrase, a pause. It lets the text be the text as it speaks to our own hearts.
We will begin by taking a moment of silence to invite the Holy Spirit into our encounter with the text. Then we will read the scripture in 3 different translations, pausing in between each one to sing in response to the word. For our fourth and final reading, we will do a responsive reading together and then conclude with song. Nicole, do you want to explain the music portion?
(Nicole gives music plan)
The scripture and its various translations are an insert in your bulletin. For our readings, you can follow along or close your eyes. To begin, we will take a moment of silence to invite the Spirit into our reading. I will begin our first reading afterward, which is on the back of your bulletin.
Luke 6:27-38 (NRSV)
27 “But I say to you that listen, 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 begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do 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 hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But 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 he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
“Brother” verse (brother)
Luke 6:27-39 (CEB)
27 “But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t withhold your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks and don’t demand your things back from those who take them. 31 Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you.
32 “If you love those who love you, why should you be commended? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, why should you be commended? Even sinners do that. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, why should you be commended? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be paid back in full. 35 Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have a great reward. You will be acting the way children of the Most High act, for he is kind to ungrateful and wicked people. 36 Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate.
37 “Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.”
“Brother” verse (sister)
Luke 6:27-38 (MSG)
To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more payback. Live generously.
31-34 “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
35-36 “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.
37-38 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”
“Brother” bridge
Luke 6:27-38 (Responsive Reading)
One: But I say to you that listen: love your enemies.
Right: Do good to those who hate you.
Left: Bless those who curse you.
All: Pray for those who mistreat you.
Right: If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.
Left: From anyone who takes away your coat, do not withhold even your shirt.
One: Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.
All: Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Right: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
Left: For even sinners love those who love them.
Right: If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?
Left: For even sinners do the same.
Right: If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you?
Left: Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
All: But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.
One: Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
All: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Right: Do not judge, and you will not be judged.
Left: Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Right: Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Left: Give, and it will be given to you.
One: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap;
All: for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.
One: I say to you that listen:
All: Love your enemies.
This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
“Brother” reprise (brother, sister, mother, father)
Stewardship Moment
There are many ways to support and resource the ministries of Azle Christian Church: Venmo, giving online, or the offering plate. I also invite you to bring nonperishable items for our Little Free Pantry. The collection shelves for the pantry are in the Fellowship Hall right outside the kitchen.
The deacons are going to hand these plates over during our final song, starting at the front row and they just to need make their way to the back where a deacon will collect them. You can drop your offering, an “I gave online card,” or an information card.
Invitation
If you’d like to become a member of this faith community, or if you’d like to become a disciple of Jesus, please talk with me after service or sometime this week.
Benediction:
Please rise in body or spirit for our benediction, the final song, and the Doxology.
We have sung the songs of faith.
We have heard the challenges of scripture.
Let us go now,
continuing our sacred journey
in an attitude of service and grace.
Let us love our enemies
and pray for those who do us harm.
And the presence of our God goes with us. Amen.