Sermon for March 23, 2016

Welcome: Rev. Neal Locke, First Presbyterian Church

Good morning, and welcome. I love preaching here in this church, where some of my earliest memories as a child are listening to the sermons of the Rev. Don L. Foresman, who was a pastor here during the 1980s. Rev. Foresman went on to become the district Superintindent for El Paso, and then in the late 90's he retired to his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where I happened to be attending college at the time. I ran into him once at a conference. He remembered me, asked about grandparents, Betty and Ruben Larson (members here), and then we talked for awhile about the church and ministry. At the end of our conversation, he walked with me over to the conference bookstsore, picked up and paid for a little red booklet, which he handed to me. It was called "The Christian as Minister." He said to me, "I want you to read this. I think God might be calling you into ministry as a pastor." Rev. Foresman was the first person to tell me that.

Last April, after a lifetime of faithful service to God's kingdom, Don Foreseman went home to be with the Lord. So as I find myself once again in this beautiful sanctuary, where it all began, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to express my gratitude to him, and to this church that nurtured me and my family for many years.

And since I got to pick the hymns today, I also couldn't pass up the opportunity to sing my favorite Methodist hymn, which for some unfortunate reason, has been neglected by my Presbyterian peers.

Prayer: Rev. Neal Locke

Lord, you have said that the grass withers and the flower fades, but your word endures forever. Open our hearts and minds today to the message you would have us receive. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, our rock, and our redeemer.

John 13:21-30

21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” 22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” 25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

A Rough Year for Bad Guys

Hymn: The Old Rugged Cross Benediction: Rev. Neal Locke Postlude: Rick Garven