Worship ServiceJuly 12th (Sixth Sunday after Pentecost)

“WE GATHER TO PRAISE GOD AND BE CHRIST’S PEOPLE”

MOUNTAIN SKY CONFERENECABINET WORSHIP FOR NEW APPOINTMENT YEAR

Gathering Music - “Harvest Time” - (Music provided by Joe Mazza)

Invocation - Rev. Chris Carr (Superintendent, Trinity District)

Gospel Reading - Rev. Jeff Rainwater (Superintendent, Congregational and Community Vitality);Rev. Mark Calhoun (Superintendent, Wyoming District)

Hear now God’s word of grace and peace. According to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 10, verses 40-42: Whoever welcomes you, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous. And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward. This is the Word of God for the people of God. Praise be to God.

Children’s Message - Rev. Annie Arnoldy (Superintendent of Leadership Development and Director of Connectional Ministry)

Hymn - “ O God, Our Help in Ages Past” ----------- 117(UMH)

Scripture Reading - Rev. Tezenlo Thong (Superintendent, Peaks and Pikes Peak District) The Scripture Text from the Old Testament for us for this day comes from Psalm chapter 89 verse 1 to 4 and 15 to 18. Let us hear the Word of God.

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’” Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn. Indeed, our shield[e] belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.This is the Word of God for the people of God. Amen.

Message ---------------------------------- “Missed Connections” ------------------------------ Bishop Karen Oliveto

I like to read. A lot. Ever since I was a child, one of my favorite weekly activities has been my trip to the public library to check out several books to get lost in. I have a very vivid memory as a small child of trying to figure out how to read. My parents were sitting at our kitchen table looking at the newspaper. I knew they were able to read what was on the page, but how? I remember staring at the page and straining and even crossing my eyes, trying to get those hieroglyphics to make sense. I was so frustrated that I couldn’t read. That memory is imbedded so deeply within me that years later I realized what part of the paper my parents were reading that night; the classifieds. Those pages of the paper that are so distinct from all the others with their tiny, tinier, tiniest type of the whole paper. To this day, whenever I read a paper, I always love perusing the classifieds. It’s not like I’m looking for anything, but it’s more a sense of victory over that early mystery of the classified hieroglyphics. When I was in high school, I discovered an even more intriguing section; the missed connections. You know what I’m talking about, ads that say things like, ‘You were discussing whether you need to buy that orange top, because it’s a little too orange-ie. I mentioned that it’s a good color on you. I hope you remember me!’ This is my favorite: ‘I was using the unisex bathroom in the subway when you walked in. You looked to be in your early 20s with long blond hair. You screamed and ran out, but when we made eye contact, I somehow felt there was a deeper connection and want to apologize and maybe explore it more. If you can tell me the subway as well as the color of shirt I had on, I will know it’s you. Also, sorry for accidently going on the floor when I made that jerk-reaction. You scared me when you opened the door. Hope to see you! I hope you see this; I’d love to see you again!’ All these missed connections. We have them every day. Each day, even while we are practicing physical distancing, people cross our path; people with wisdom, humor, something to teach us. And yet, most of the time, it’s all missed connections.

Several years ago, I did a funeral that I’ve never forgotten. At the start of the funeral, there were three people in the room. Three people. And what I was struck by was that the grief in the room was not so much that the man had died, but rather the grief was for not getting to know him better while he was alive. The grief was not for the death, but for the missed life; the missed connection that could never be reclaimed. Never reconnected through a personal ad or any other way. Missed connections; I have a hunch that they are more prevalent now in the 21st Century than ever before. It’s not just because there’s more people to miss, but because we, at least those of us in the United States, have turned from a community-based society to that of an individualistic one. We are certainly seeing that as wearing a mask to protect others from Covid-19 has become politicalized instead of simply what people do in a healthy community, that they do for one another, to keep each other safe. We’ve lost the sense that we’re all in this together and instead are like those on a sinking ship; it’s every person for themselves. We miss each other all the time. One day, I was traveling on public transportation, I had my ear buds in and was so engaged in the game I was playing (okay, it was Candy Crush) that I was playing on my cell phone that I didn’t realize the train had stopped and there was a man who had collapsed and was lying on the floor; I didn’t realize that until paramedics entered the train. Talk about missed connections! We’ve lost a sense of connection and instead, have become a community of strangers. I’m not sure if it’s possible to have connection if we remain strangers. In fact, there’s a huge disconnect in this present age; there’s more food, more material goods, more capacity for sharing what we have than ever before, yet instead of feeling a sense of abundance, that there really is enough to go around, we’ve created a sense of scarcity, which creates a fear of the other. A fear of strangers who can and may take it away from us. What a strange evolutionary path we humans have been on! There was a time, especially in places of scarcity, when the culture demanded hospitality toward strangers. In the Bible, the book of Hebrews reminded its readers, do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that, some have entertained angels without knowing it. This was a time of much scarcity; food and water were hard to come by, and finding it was essential for the travelers’ survival in the arid environment. The cultural ethic of the time was to welcome the stranger as an honored guest. This ensured the survival of the stranger as well as the host; the stranger required the host’s kindness for survival and the host had to trust the stranger as that who was welcomed into their home. Leaving the stranger outside created hostilities that would endanger the host. There was a mutuality that bordered on a mystical presence; for by welcoming the strangers, some have entertained angels without knowing it. It’s time we moved from missed connections and return to welcoming the stranger. Imagine how different, how rich and full our lives would be, if we put down fear and embraced this ethic of hospitality. What if undocumented persons were treated with dignity instead of treated as an unwelcomed import? What if black and brown young people were welcomed into stores as potential customers rather than immediately met with suspicion? What if physical distancing was embraced as a sign that we see one

another fully and that it’s a way to show that we truly love our neighbors as ourselves? Imagine that world of extravagant hospitality; how divisions would fall away and we delight in the unexpected gifts brought by strangers who we connected with. When we dare to welcome the stranger, we’re all transformed. We keep our uniqueness, but the strangeness of the other wears off; the colors and hues of the world become more brilliant- something to marvel at. What we have matters less than what we share. Byron Sherwin, the student of the great philosopher Abraham Heschel, remembers a time when his teacher taught him about how we all change when we dare to welcome the stranger. As was the custom, the members of Heschel’s seminar would escort him home after the late evening class he conducted. Though the distance from the seminar to Heschel’s home was only eight blocks, the trip usually took an hour, he said. He said, ‘we would walk a few steps, and he would turn and discuss a point with us for a few minutes, and we would repeat this process until we arrived at his apartment house. One evening, as we walked, a tall, young haggard-looking blond woman with two teeth missing and black welts under her eyes approached us. She told us that she was unemployed and earned money as a prostitute, that her child was taken from her, that her husband used to beat her and that she had recently been confined to a hospital, which we all recognized as a psychiatric hospital. One of us’, he said, ‘offered her money, perhaps because that was what she wanted. Or, perhaps to get rid of her. Suddenly, Hershel took her arm, asked her name, continued talking to her, and we all walked on. A block later, we met a rider and her husband, both of whom knew Heschel. Heschel introduced us and the woman to his friend and her husband, both of whom looked strangely at the woman and Heschel. Heschel was undaunted. Holding her arm, he said simply, ‘she is my friend.’ He began talking to the rider and her husband. Then, that woman put her hand to him and with a tear in her eye, she said, ‘thank you’ and continued to walk down Broadway.” Hospitality turns strangers into friends and transforms our lives in the process.

This is the first Sunday of a new appointment year. We United Methodists have a tradition that requires welcoming the stranger. Today, many of our churches are meeting new pastors for the first time. Other churches are preparing for yet another year with the pastor they’ve had. We pastors have pledged to the itineracy; that is, we know our assignment is year to year. Even knowing that goodbye is always looming, we are called to join the community to which we are appointed to fully, and without hesitation. We are to love with our whole being, and weather the pain of departing when it is time for us to move to another church. To both pastor and parishioner, Jesus gives a mandate: anyone who welcomes you, welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet, as a prophet, will receive a prophet’s reward. And whoever welcomes a righteous person, as a righteous person, will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will not lose their reward. How we enter into relationship together: pastor and parishioner, church member and visitor, is a reflection of our faith commitment to Jesus Christ (or lack of it). As you begin the new appointment year, may you live into the Gospel’s demands of radical hospitality and deep generosity. It’s time to move from missed connections and create community. It’s time to open ourselves to those around us, and not only take notice of them, but welcome them into our lives and allow ourselves to be welcomed into theirs. It’s time to stop being afraid of one another. And it starts today. Let the loving start. May we offer hospitality to one another; share the abundance of what we have with one another, and be surprised to find that there have been angels amongst us all the time.

Prayers for New Beginnings - Rev. Deb Christine (Superintendent, Montana East District)

Offering - Rev. Jan Witman (Superintendent, Montana West District)

Prayers of the people - Rev. Elizabeth McVicker (Superintendent, Utah District)(From “Praying Our Goodbyes” by Joyce Rupp)The prayer of one who is moving on. It is spoken from the first person, so please join me in that spirit. Quoting from book: “I give you praise, God of my journey, for the power of love, the discovery of friends, the truth of beauty. For the wonder of growth, the kindling of fidelity, the taste of transformation. For the miracle of life, the seed of my soul, the gift of becoming. For the taste of the little dyings, which have strengthened me for this moment. For the mystery of journey, the bends in the road, the pauses that were fresh. For the faith that lies deep enough to permeate discouragement and anxiety. I give you thanks, God of my journey, for all I

have learned from the life of Jesus, of how to say goodbye. For those who have always stood near me and given me spiritual energy, for your strength on which I can lean, and your grace by which I can grow. For the desire to continue on, for believing that your power works through me. For being able to love so deeply, so tenderly, so truly. For feeling my poorness, my emptiness, my powerlessness. For believing that you care for me in my vulnerability. I ask forgiveness, God of my journey, for holding on too tightly, for refusing to be open to new life, for fighting off the dying that’s essential for growing. For insisting that I must be secure and surreal. For ignoring your voice when you urged me to let go. For taking in all the goodness; of being reluctant to share it. For doubting my inner beauty. For resisting the truth of my journey home to you. I beg assistance out of my journey to accept that all of life is only on loan to me. To believe beyond this moment. To accept your courage when mine fails. To recognize the pilgrim part of my heart. To hold all of life in open hands. To treasure all that is gift and blessing. To look at the painful parts of my life and to grow through them. To allow your love to embrace me on the empty and lonely days. To receive the truth of your presence. To trust in the place of forever. Hello. Amen.”

Sending Forth Song - “ In the Midst of New Dimensions” (Music by Dave Merkel)

Benediction/Sending Forth - Rev. Paul Kottke and Rev. Jessica Rooks (Outgoing Superintendent, Mile High Metro District and Incoming Superintendent, Mile High Metro District)