United Methodist Church of Kent Sermon Podcast

God leads people not into private religion but into a community of faith. This was true in the Old Testament; and in the book of Acts, the first thing that happens after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is that people join in a community of faith together – the church. Worship is necessarily social, because the response to God always joins us with one another.

Christian faith means becoming a part of a salvation story; therefore our worship involves telling the story, and moves in the cycle of church seasons through the central story of Jesus. We are invited to find our place in the story. The video “It’s Our Time” was created by Igniter Media and licensed by Sermon Spice.

The function of sacrifice in Biblical worship as a means of atonement. Ultimately, Christ is the final atonement for our sins and the way by which we can receive complete forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

Through Christ, the final high priest, we are all made into “priests” in that we all have direct access to God, and we are all called to be leaders in particular ways, to be instruments of God’s grace in the world.

Fire symbolizes multiple aspects of God. It is mysterious.  It is dangerous – one approaches with respect and caution! At the same time, it provides warmth and light, guiding one’s way through the dark. It is powerful. Thus Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) and said he would baptize with fire, which is what happened on Pentecost. Reflecting about all this gives us a fuller understanding of God and can inspire our appropriate response to God.

Food has played a role in all religions, sometimes as a form of offering, and sometimes as a means of fellowship. The Scriptures call for an authentic “holy meal” in communion with Christ, and we are also drawn to include the Lord at our table throughout the week.

Human beings have always been drawn to create sanctuaries, which are strikingly different from the space around them, and people have often devoted their greatest effort to those spaces (e.g. Stonehenge, cathedrals, the tabernacle/temple). Sanctuaries remind us that we need to “step aside” from our usual routine to direct our spirits toward God.

The Scripture calls us to “come into God’s presence” (Psalm 100:2).  But is not God always present?  Yes, but people are often preoccupied with other things. So the Scriptures urge us to “come awake” (Matthew, Romans, Ephesians) to God. Worship is a movement of awakening and lifting our heart to God. People may “believe in God,” but faith is never really alive until it is expressed in worship.

We close the prayer ascribing glory to God. This is based on the ancient Jewish practice of closing prayer with a doxology. The life of faith ultimately lifts glory to God.

Rev. Douglas Denton examines where God fits in the overwhelming feelings of helplessness we can all experience.