"PETER'S TRIAL"

A Sermon By

Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke

Park Avenue United Methodist Church 106 East 86th Street, NYC 10028 Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 17, 1985'

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"PETER Is TRIAL"

INTRODUCTION One of the familiar scenes in the Passion story of our Lord involves Peter and his three denials. This morning I'd like

to take a closer look with you at this scene and let some of its tremendous meaning spill over and touch our lives.

The scene is set in this way. Jesus has been arrested and taken to the house of a man named Annas to be interrogated. From there He is taken to the house of Caiaphas where He is tried, and then on to the palace of Pilate to be sentenced.

Peter and another disciple follow this movement through the night, trying to stay close to Jesus without getting involved. And they get caught, at least Peter does. And he is asked, "Are you not a disciple of Jesus?"

DEVELOPMENT Now all four Gospels record the three denials of Peter, the fulfillment of the prediction of Jesus, that " ••• before the

cock crows, you, Peter, will deny Me three times." But of the four Gospels, only John separates the first denial from the other two, and in between he tells the story of the trial of Jesus.

He does that to make the point that there is not one trial, but two trials being held here. There is not only the trial of Jesus, but there is Peter's trial as well. We can see that in the way that John directs this drama. He moves from one scene to another, from Jesus being interrogated inside the building to Peter being questioned outside the building. In one trial a man is questioned about crimes that He did not commit, and He is found guilty; in the other a man is asked if he is a follo-v;er of Jesus, and he claims that he is innocent.

John structures the dialogue in these two scenes to underscore the same point. In the garden the soldiers come to arrest Jesus, and Jesus steps forward and says boldly, "I am He 11 • When the doormaid asks Peter if he is a follower of Jesus, Peter replies timidly, "I am not". Peter and Jesus are liked together in the form of the story itself, to make the point that this is Peter's trial just a.s much as it is the trial of Jesus. In one an innocent man lays down His life for others, and in the other a guilty man scrambles to save his life.

BUT THE STORY DOES NOT END THERE But the story does not end there. The story of Peter concludes in the last scene

of John 1 s Gospel, after the Resurrection. The disciples have gone back to their vocation of fishing, and again Jesus appears to them on the beach, thus re­capitulating that first encounter when He calls them originally to be His disciples. On the beach He cooks breakfast for them with fish and bread, and thus recapitulates the Last Supper.

You see, the past is being. replayed here. He calls them to be His disciples and then He eats the Last Supper with them again. And nov1 as the meal ends, He recapitulates the three denials of Peter.

Now John is rather ingenious the way he structures this scene. They're sit­ting around a charcoal fire, which recalls that night when Peter was warming Him­self with the soldiers by the charcoal fire, and where three times he was asked, "Are you a disciple of Jesus?" and three times he answered, "I am not". Listen to this dialogue and see if you can conclude anything else but that Jesus is for­giving Peter and giving him another chance.

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Jesus, staring into the coals, quietly asks, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" And Peter answers timidly, for the setting is not lost on him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you 11 • A second time Jesus asks, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" And Peter answers a second time, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You."

A third time Jesus asks, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me? 11 No mistaking now what Jesus is up to. He's recapitulating the three times that Peter denied Him, and He's forgiving Him for each one.

This time Peter says, "Lord, you know everything", and does that not mean, "Lord, you know what I did". And for the third time, Peter says, "Yes, Lord ••• You know that I love You!"

"Feed my sheep" Jesus says, which means, 11 Peter ••• you 1ve got your old job back. You're forgiven. You're Peter now, the Rock of the Church."

The Scripture won't speak to you until you can identify with the story. And who is there who cannot identify with Peter in that story? His real name is Simon bar Jonah, which means Simon, son of John, or Simon Johnson. But Jesus took one look at him and said, "You are Peter". The Aramic word He uses is 11 cephas". In Greek, the language of the New Testament, it reads "petros", so we have come to know him as Peter - the rock.

WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH PETER I've often felt that Peter is the easiest person for us to identify with in the whole story of

Jesus. We don't know if Jesus called Peter "rock" because he was dependable like a rock, or because he was dense, like a rock. He was a man of great potential, but a man of few results. Jesus called him a rock and a rock is de­pendable. A rock you can always count on. A rock will always be there. A rock .is immoveable. But when this rock was called upon to be faithful, it got up and ran away. This Peter is a bit of a moveable rock.

So maybe he was not a rock because of his quality of dependability, but because of his sinking properties - like the time when he was out in a boat and saw Jesus and impetuously and eagerly, like a puppy spotting his master, jumped over the side of the boat trying to walk across the water to join Jesus, and sank - like a rock.

And later, at the Last Supper, he's dependable as a rock again. He says, "Lord, I will lay down my life for You". The next day, not even twenty-four hours later, a girl ••• a maid who worked for Annas, pulvarizes this rock with one easy sentence, "Are you not a disciple of this man, Jesus?"

And two more times he'll be asked the same question that day. The third time, as he denied it, the rooster raised his vTattled head and crowed at the rising sun, and the tears rolled down Peter's long face -like rain washing a rock.

Oh, I find it easy t9 identify with Peter. I'm aware of the many times Itve tried to follow Jesus ••• but not too close, because if you get too close, you get involved. He does not spare us that. When we get close to where He is on trial in this world, we're called to be· a witness. And if we get too close, we have to own up that we're followers of Him, and do the deed or say the word that He wants done or said. But like Peter, so often we don't do it.

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The story is told of a man walking onto a movie set and surprising W. C. Fields reading the Bible. Fields, who had a reputation for irreverence, vras embarrassed at being discovered doing something apparently so holy. He said, 11 I'm looking for loopholes. 11

Yes, we follow Jesus until we get close and then we are tempted to look for loopholes. We say He is not practical; therefore we will interpret Him for the realities of this world. We're tempted to run away and hide from the claims of God and the call of Christ.

tVhich::. r:S!ming~ me· _of . ..~.t<! story about a minister who had some calling cards made up and thought it would be nifty if he put a Bible verse on his calling card. And he thought about it for a while and then finally decided on the verse from John's Gospel that goes, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock ••• if any one hears my voice and opens.the door I will come to him. One day he went to call on a woman, knocked on the door and nobody answered and so he left his card, the~one with the verse on it. The next Sunday the woman was in Church, signed a visitor card and wrote a message to the minister on the back of the card that read ••• using a verse from Genesis ••• 11 I heard the sound of thee in the garden and was afraid because I was naked and hid myself."

Yes, often we're afraid and hide from the call of God and the sound of Jesus knocking on the door of our life asking us to say the word or perform the deed in IHs name.

Some of you will remember that a while back there was a flurry over what was called "contextual ethics", or "situational ethics". The argument was that you can't take principles with you into every situation. You have to let the context or the situation determine what your behavior will be. I suppose an argument could be made for that, but it is also true that sometimes we feel like loving and sometimes we don't. And sometimes we think forgiving fits the context and some• times we think it has no place. Sometimes we say morality is appropriate, and in other situations we say it isn't.

We may call that "contextual" ethics, and we may think it is new and chic and sophisticated, but it's been around a long time ••• ever since Peter decided that being faithful was OK for the Last Supper, appropriate for the Church, it was inappropriate and impractical for the real world. Oh, we're experts of that.

1rJe may think it's situational ethics, but most of the time it's "loophole" ethics.

We try to make Christianity relevant for the world in which 1-ve live, and we can get away with that until we discover that making His teaching relevant to the way the world is, is what Jesus steadfastly refused to do. When I see that I know I'm like Peter. I say one thing; and I tenc:l. up being ashamed of my timidity and cowardice.

FORGIVENESS OF JESUS That's why we need to know this: that the story of Peter does not end with his denials. It ends with

the forgiveness of Jesus. We need to know that even though Peter wouldn't stick with Jesus, Jesus never abandoned Peter. He comes to offer him forgiveness, and appoints this moveable rock the Head of the Church.

I finally came to the conclusion that Peter's story is in the Gospel - not to condemn us, but to save us. The story of Peter is there not to make us feel

----------------

guilty, but to forgive us. It's there, not to point out that v,re fall short ••• we know that, but to tell us that nobody measures up to the standard of Christian discipleship - not even Peter. Saint Peter was no Saint - not until after he died. While he was still struggling here on earth with you and me, he was doing just that ••• struggling here on earth, trying to do the right thing, and about half the time failing. Saying one thing and doing another. Vowing to do a bra~e thing and ending up ashamed of his cowardice.

I submit to you that record is there in the Gospel not to make you feel gu.ilty, but it's there to point out that as a member or the Church, you are in the company of those who fall short, but who also know they are forgiven.

Jesus appointed Peter to be head of the Church. The first President of this organization was a very human man who tried and failed, and who tried and failed, and tried and tried again. And you and I are no better. We are here not because of the wonderfulness of our virtue. We are here because of the plenti tude of His grace.

If we can only realize that, then we will come to Church for the right reason. We come here not to be congratulated on our righteousness. i!Je come here to be renewed in our lives. We gather here on Sunday, the day of our Lord's resurrection, to confess what Peter confessed to His Lora at the restrrrection. "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you" and to receive His forgiveness, to leave here and to begin again.

CLOSING ILLUSTRATION Several years ago Queen Elizabeth, in connection with her birthday celebration, presented some honors to a

number of people and included on that list was a man by the name of John Profumo.

Some of you may remember that about 18 to 19 years ago John Profumo was the center of a scandal that racked the British Empire. He was involved in a tawdry affair with a call girl who evidently had some connection with Russian spies. And when it was revealed, he compounded the sin by lying to the House of Commons. Then f.inally he went to the Prime Minister and confessed and resigned his cabinet post. Then he disappeared from the headlines. Very few knew where he was. But ke went to work in the slums of London as a social worker, worked with the oppressed and outcasts of society. And in 1977 Queen Elizabeth named John Profumo "Diatinguished Citizen" of her Kingdom.

This story of Peter is told not to remind us how far short we fall, but to remind us that no matter how many times we fall, we're forgiven. For Peter, who denied His Lord, not just three times, but many times, was not only made a "Distinguished Citizen" of the Kingdom of Jesus, but Jesus gave him the keys to the whole place.

PRAYER 0 God, as we stand and look at the person of Jesws, trying to enter into closer association with Him, and as we watch the wave of His

popularity begin to reced until there is not one soul left, help us in our feebleness and our fn ilures to stand loyal to Him who we know is the Truth, the Way and the Life.

We ask this knowing that He will help us; that He will understand our failures and make al<howance for our weakness and give us the opportunity to try again. Amen.

.J ....... ;, • .....

"PETER'S TRIAL"

A Sermon By

Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke

Park Avenue United Methodist Church 106 East 86th Street, NYC 10028 Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 17, 1985

--~---------~

II PETER Is TR IAL11

INTRODUCTION One of the familiar scenes in the Passion story of our Lord involves Peter and his three denials. This morning I 1d like

to take a closer look with you ~t this scene and let some of its tremendous meaning spill over and touch our lives.

The scene is set in this way. Jesus has been arrested and taken to the house of a man named Annas to be interrogated. From there He is taken to the house of Caiaphas <Ihere He is tried, and then on to the palace of Pi.l.ate to be sentenced.

Peter and another disciple follow this movement through the night, trying to stay 'close to Jesus without getting involved. And thejr get caught, at least Peter d,oes. And he is asked, "Are you not a disciple of Jesus?"

DEVELOPMENT Nmv all four Gospels record the three denials of Peter, the fulfUlment of the prediction of Jesus, that " •• obefore the

cock crGws, you, Peter, will deny Ne three times." But of the four Gospels, only John separates the first denial from the other- tvm, and in between he tells the story of the trial of Jesus.

He does that to make the point that there is not one trial, but two trials being held here. There is not only the trial of Jesus, but there is Peter's trial as well. l'lfe can see that in the <Iay that John directs this drama: ·He moves from one scene to another, from Jesus being interrogated inside the building to Peter being questioned outside the building. In one trial a man is questioned about crimes that He did not commit, and He is found guilty; in the other a man is asked if he is a follovrer of Jesus, and he claims that he is innocent.

John structures the dialogue in these two scenes to underscore the same point. In the garden the soldiers come to arrest Jesus, and Jesus steps forvrard and says boldly, "I am He". vlhen the doormaid asks Peter if he is a follower of Jesus, Peter replies timidly, "I am not". Peter and Jesus are liked together in the form of the story itself, to make the point that this is Peter's trial just a.s much as it is the trial of Jesus. In one an innocent man lays down His life for othe~s, and in the other a g':lilty man scrambles to sa VEl his life.

BUT THE STORY DOES NOT END THERE But the story does not end there. The story of Peter concludes in the last scene

of John 1 s Gospel, after the Resurrection. The disciples have gone back to their vocation of fishing, and again Jesus appears to them on the beach, thus re­capitulating that first encounter vrhen He calls them originally to be His disciples. On the beach He cooks breakfast for them with fish and bread, and thus recapitulates the Last Supper.

You see,· the past is being replayed here. He calls them to be His disciples and then He eats the Last Supper with them again. And no<I as the meal ends, He recapitulates the three denials of Peter.

Now John is rather ingenious the way he structures this scene. They're sit­ting around a charcoal fire, which recalls that night when Peter was warming Him­self with the soldiers by the charcoal fire, and where three times he vras asked, "Are you a disciple of Jesus?" and three times he answered, "I am not". Listen· to this dialogue and see if you can conclude anything else but that Jesus is for­giving Peter and giving hirn another chance.

- 2 -

Jesus, staring into the coals, quietly asks, "Simon, son of John, do you love He?11 And Peter answers ti.midl;>r, for the setting is not lost on him, 11 Yes, Lord, you know that I love you11 • A second time ,Jesl!s asks, "Simon, son of John, do you love He? 11 And Peter answers a second time, "Yes, Lord, You kn0'.-1 that I love You."

A third time Jesus asks, ~:simon, son of John, do you love Me?" No mistaking nmv what Jesus is up to. He 1s recapitulating the three times that Peter denied Him, and He's forgiving Him for each one.

·This t·ime Peter says, "Lord, you know everything",· and does that not mean, 11 Lord, yoq knm1 vlhat I did". And for the third time, Peter says, "Yes, Lord.oe You knciw that I love You!"

"Feed my sheep11 <Tesus says, >1hich means, "Peter .. oyou •ve got your old job back. You're forgiven. You're Peter now, the Rock of the Churc.ho 11

. The Scripture won 1t speak to you until you can identify 1-rith the story. And

who is there who cannot identify with Peter in that story? His real name is Simon bar Jonah, which means Simon, son of John, or Simon Johnson. But Jesus took one look at him and said, "You are Peter11 • The Aranic i-rord He uses is "cephas". In Greek:, the language of the New Testament, it reads 11 petros 11 , so we have ·come to know him as Peter - the rock.

liJE CAN IDENTIFY !:liTH PETER I've often felt that Peter is the easiest person for us to identify with in the 1vhole story of

Jesus. We don't know if Jesus called Peter "rock" because he was dependable like a rock, or because he was dense, like a rock. He was a man of great potential, but a man of few results. Jesus called him a rock and a rock is de­pendable. A rock you can always count on. A rock will always be there. A rock is irrm10veable. But when this rock rrras called upon to be faithful, it got up and ran away. This Peter is a bit of a moveable rock.

So maybe he was not a rock because of his quality of dependability, but because of his sink1ng properties - like the time \-Then he was out in a boat and saw Jesus and impetuously and eagerly, like a puppy spotting his master, jumped over the side of the boat try·ing to walk across the water to join Jesus, and sank - like a rock.

And later, at the Last Supper, he's dependable as a rock again. He says, 11 Lord, I Hill lay down my life for You 11 • The next day, not even twenty-four hours later, a girl ••• a maid who worked for Annas, pulvarizes this.rock with one easy sentence, 11Are you not a disciple of this man, .Jesus?11

And two more times he'll be asked the same question that day. The third time, as he denied it, the rooster raised his wattled head and crowed at the rising sun, and the tears rolled dorm Peter's lon:g face - like rain washing a rock.

Oh, I find it easy to identify with Peter. I'm aware of the many times I've tried to follow Jesus ••• but not teo close, because if you get too close, you get involved. He docs not spare us that. When we get close to where He is on trial in this world, we're called to be a witness. And if we get too c:Lose, we have to own up that we 1re followers of Him, and do the deed or say the word that He wants done e e 't d

··---~ •• l..,_, - 3 -

The story is told of a man walking onto a movie set and surpr1s1ng W. C. Fields reading the Bible. Fields, who had a reputation for irreverence, 1r:a.s embarrassed at being discovered doing something apparently so holy. He said, "I'm looking for loopholes. 11

Yes, we follow Jesus until we get close and then we are tempted to look for loopholes. '1-le say He is not practical; therefore 1r1e will interpret Him for the realities of this world. ~-le 're tempted to run away and hide from the claims of God and the call of Christ.

Hhich · reminds me of a story about a minister -vrlio had some calling cards made up and thought it would be nifty if he put a Bible verse on his calling card. And he thought about it for a vJhile and then finally decided on the verse from John's Gospel that goes, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock.0oif any one hears my voice and opens the door I will come to hLvn. One day he 1-..rent to call on a woman, knocked on the door and nobody answered and so he left his card, the one with the verse on it. The next Sunday the wom~n was in Church, signed a visitor card and wrote a message to the minister on the back of the card that read ••• using a verse from Genesis ••• "I heard the sound of thee in the garden and was afraid because I was naked and hid myself."

Yes, often we're afraid and hide from the call of God and the sound· of Jesus knocking on the door of our life asking us to say the word or perform the deed in His nameo

Some of you will remember that a while back there was a flurry over what was called "contextual ethics", or "situational ethics". The argument -vras that you can't take principles with you into every situation. You have to let the context or the situation determine what your behavior "1-Till be. I suppose an argument could be made for that, but it is also true that sometimes we feel like loving and sometimes we don't. And sometimes we·think forgiving fits the context and some­times we think it has no place. Sometimes we say morality is appropriate, and in other situations 1-..re say it isn't.

We may call that "contextual" ethics, and we may think it is new and chic and sophisticated, but it's been around a long time ••• ever since Peter decided that being faithful was OK for the Last Supper, appropriate for the Church, it was inappropriate and impractical for the real 1-vorld. Oh, we're experts of that. ltle may think it's situational ethics, but most of the time it 1s "loophole" ethics.

-We try to make Christianity relevant for the world in which we live, and

we can get away with that until we discover that making His teachipg relevant to the way the world is, is what Jesus steadfastly refused to doo" When I see that I know I'm like Peter. I say one thing; and .I end up being ashamed of my timidity and cowardiceo

FffiGIVENESS OF JESUS That's why we need to know this: that the story of Peter does not end with his denials. It ends with

the forgiveness of Jesus. We need to know that even though Peter wouldn't stick with Jesus, Jesus never abandoned Peter. He comes to offer him forgiveness, and appoints this moveable rock the Head of the Church.

I finally came to the conclusion -that Peter's story is in the Gospel - not to condemn us, but to save us. The story of Peter is there not to make us feel

- 4 -_/ ; . .;,'•·

guilty, but to forgive us. It's there, not to point out that ve fall short ••• we knoH that, but to tell us that nobody measures up to the standard of Christian discipleship - not even Peter. Saint Peter v.Tas no Saint - not until after he died. V.Thi1e he was still-struggling here on earth with you and me, he rras doing just that ••• struggling here on earth, trying to do the right thing, and about half the time failing. Saying one thing and dojng anothEr. Vowing to do a bra'!Ze th i.ng and ending up asha;·ned of his cmrard ice.

I submit to you that record is there in the Gospel not to make yon feel guilty, but it's there to point out that as a member of· .th.Q Church, you are in the company "of those HhO fall short, but who also kiJOW they are forgiven.

Jesus appointed Peter to be he~.d of the Church. The first President of this organization was a very human man .who tried and failed, and who tried and failed, and tried and tried a;:;ain. And you and I are no better. 'de are here not because of the wonderfulness of our virtue. Vle are here because of the plenti tude of His grace.

If we can only realize that, then we will come to Church for the right reason. \ve come here not to be congratulated on our righteousness. Ue come here to be renewed in our lives. !:Je gather here on Sunday, the day of our Lor::d 's resurrection, to confess what Peter confessed to His Lore at the resttrrection. "Yes, Lord, you knm..r that I love you" and to receive His forgiveness, to leave here and to begin againe

CLOSING ILLUSTRATION Several years ago Queen Elizabeth, in connection with her birthday celebration, presented some honors to a

number of people and included on that list was a man by the narne of John Profumo.

Some of you may remember that about 18 to 19 years ago John Profumo was the center of a scandal that racked the British Empire. He was il1volved in a tawdry affair with a call girl who evidently had some connection with Russian spies. And v-rhen it was revealed, he compounded the sin by lying to the .House of Commons. Then finally he went to the Prime Minister and confessed and resigned his cabinet post. Then he disappeared from the headlines. Very· few knew where he was. But he went to work in the slums of London as a social vrorker, worked with the oppressed and outcasts of society. And in 1977 Queen Elizabeth named John Profumo "DiRtinguished Citizen" of her Kingdom •.

This story of Peter is told not to remind us how far short we fall, but to remind us that no matter how many times 1-1e fall, we're forgiven. For Peter, who denied His Lord, not just three times, but many times, was not only made a "Distinguished Citizen" of the K~gdom of Jesus, but Jesus gave him the keys to the whole place. · ·

PRAYER 0 God, as we stand and look at the person of Jesus, trying to enter into closer association with HiM, and as i-re watch the wave of His

popularity begin to reced until there is not one soul left, help us in our feebleness and our fr1 ilures to stnnd loyal to Him v1ho we know is the Truth, the Way and the Life.

We ask this knowing that He will help us; that He will understand our failures and make almowance for our wenkness and give us the opportunity to try again. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Sunday, March 17, 1985

GREETING I VISITORS We're always delighted to welcome visitors to our services ••• and an invitation to worship with us on

other Sundays ••• to find a Church home here with us ••• is warmly and enthus­iastically offered.

To the visitors we say: be free in the sharing of your name with us. Fill out a visitor card and drop it in the offering plate. Or sign one of the Guest Books in the narthex as you depart. Join us on other Sun­days in our worship and fellowship. 1rJork with us in our programs of service to others in this community.

If time permits, join us downstairs in the Russell Room for a few minutes following the service ••• for coffee and some light refreshments. You worship in a Church whose roots are deep in the soil of this city, a Church that has been ministering here since 1837. This is the fourth building out of which this congregation has served. We minister here in the name of Christ and it is in His name and spirit that we bid you welcome on this March Sunday morning.

TODAY I SECOND HYMN Today's St. Patrick's Day and our second hymn, 11 The Saviour of the World" is sung to a familiar,

traditional Irish melody. Former members, Ruth and Freddie Daniel, first introduced this hymn to us about 13 years ago ••• we'll have a good time singing it. This is the Sunday to sing it. I would commend to you for reading •••

PARISH CONCERNS Our parish concerns are listed for you in the bulletin. Review those announcements carefully and share in the

programs and concerns that are mentioned.

Next Sunday will be a busy one for us.

First, we shall celebrate another of our "Each One, Bring One" Sundays. Invite someone to come along to Church with you next Sunday. It will help us and will help them, too, as they think about the Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations that are approaching. I think the flyer in the bulletin puts it so well. ••• invite someone to come along with you •••• and let 1 s fill the Church.

Our second Bake Sale will be a part of the coffee hour scene next week. Doreen Morales is coordinator for it •••• the proceeds help to under­gird the expenses connected with our June All Church Picnic.

And third, remember that we have a Pot Luck Supper - Hymn Sing -Travelogue - scheduled for Sunday evening. Jointly sponsored by the Education Committee and the Membership Committee, it should be a good evening of fellowship and food• Be in touch with Anne Davenport regarding your contribution for the food table.

( over )

- 2 -

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES Note the paragraphs regarding the need for workers and volunteers for the Yorkville Connnon Pantry

for next Sunday, the 24th, and also the need for helpers for the March 30th Runnnage Sale.

Dianne Keller, Rummage Sale Coordinator, reports that we don't have enough clothing for a runnnage sale ••• and if more isn't received in the next few days, we may have to postpone the Sale for another month. So, check your closets and bring in your contributions for the Sale.

STUDY OPPORTUNITIES Our weekly personal growth and study opportunities include (1) the Adult Bible Class which I am

teaching on a Sunday morning at 9:30, (2) the Lenten Personal Growth Series which meets also on a Sunday at 9:45 ••• with about 15 attending this morning. (3) And if the Hounds of Heaven on a Tuesday evening tempts you ••• mention this to George Leopold, the Leader for it, and we'll open the door for you.

SPECIAL APPEAL Today and next Sunday we shall re re ive your gifts for the ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING appeal •••• envelopes are

in the pews and will be there next Sunday as well.

We invite you to respond with a special gift. The need is so great •. our parish last year responded with about a $500 response. I hope we may do as well this year.

Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive". In this spirit, let us worship God with our morning offering.

"The Saviour of the World"

I cannot tell why He, whom angels worship, Should set His love upon the souls of men, Or why, as Shepherd, He should seek the wanderers, To bring them back, they know not how or when. But this I know, that He was born of Mary, Nhen Bethlem's manger was His only home, And that He lived at Nazareth and laboured, And so the Saviour, Saviour of the world, is come.

I cannot tell how silently He suffered, As with His peace He graced this place of tears, Or how His Heart upon the Cross was broken, The crown of pain to three and thirty years. But this I know, He heals the broken hearted, And stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear, And lifts the burden from the heavy-laden, For yet .the Saviour, Saviour of the world,.is here.

I cannot tell how He will win the nations, How He will claim His earthly heritage, How satisfy the needs and aspirations Of East and West, of sinner and of sage. But this I know, all flesh shall see His glory, And He shall reap the harvest He has sown, And some glad day His sun shall shine in splendour tvhen He the Saviour, Sa·~.riour of the world, is known.

I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship, When, at His bidding, every storm is stilled, Or who can say how gfeat the jubilation When all the hearts of men with love are filled. But this I know, the skies will fill with rapture, And myriad, myriad human voices sing, And earth to heaven, and heaven to earth, will answer; At last the Saviour, Saviour of the world is King!

William Young Fullerton 1857 - 1932

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A L E N T E N 0 P P 0 R T U N I T Y

Personal Growth: An Adult Forum

Five Sundays in Lent 1985 9:45 - 10:45 A. M.

DATE

February 24 :

March 3:

March 10:

March 17:

March 24:

The Third Floor

TOPIC AND DISCUSSION LEADERS

"Growing In Marriage" Kathleen and David Kilbride Doreen and Larry;Morales

;-::'

"Single In NYC" Linda Burtch Rod Hoover John_ Hornaday

"Growing Up In NYC" - For Par~~ts of Young Children Alix and John.Lornbardo

"Growing Older In NYC" Liz Benton

"Growing In Your Job" Charlene Ray

Sponsored by the Education Committee of PAMC

Join us as we discuss and search for Christian solutions to everyday problems.

ANTHEM: "Alas, Poor World, Thou Mockest Me"

"Alas, poor world, thou mockest me; That I do know most certainly, But still I must perceive Thee. Thou faithless world, thou art not true; In pain and woe, I know that too, The fires of hell shall grieve thee. Thy good, thy worth cannot prevail; In death, in need they all shall fail; Thy wealth is but an empty tale; God grant that I may leave thee."

ANTHEM: "At the Cross, Her Station Keeping"

"At the cross, her station keeping, stood the mournful mother weeping, where He hung, the dying Lord. For her soul, of joy bereaved, bowed with anguish, deeply grieved, felt the sharp and piercing sword. 0 how sad and sore distressed now was she, that mother blessed, of the sole begotten One.

Deep the woe of her affliction, when she saw the crucifixion of her ever glorious Son. Jesus, may her deep devotion stir in me the same emotion, fount of love, re­deemer king, that my heart, fresh ardor gaining, and purer love attaining, may with Thee acceptance find."

ORGAN POSTLUDE

The organ postlude - a final offering of our praise to God - is played after the Benediction. Time permitting, we invite you to share in the beauty of it.

PICK UP YOUR COPY

Be sure to pick up your copy of the March news sheet. Copies are by the door in the narthex as well as on the table in the Russell Room.

"HOUNDS OF HEAVEN"

The "Hounds of Heaven" study group meets on a Tuesday evening at 6:30 in Fellow­ship Hall. The Meaning of Service by Harry Emerson Fosdick is the "text book" for the weeks ahead. George Leopold is leader and new members are always most welcome.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

The Finance Committee will meet on Thursday evening, March 21st, at 7 pm in the downstairs Russell Room.

A BAKE SALE

The second of three Bake Sales to help with the expenses of our June 21st All Church Picnic will be held next Sunday as a part of the coffee hour.

NEW MEMBERS TO JOIN

New members will be received into the fellowship of the Church in April. Persons interested in strengthening a tie with the Church this Spring are invited to be in touch with Mr. Clarke.

COMMON PANTRY

Call Lucy Dinnes, our Coordinator for the Yorkville Common Pantry, about lending a hand every fourth Sunday of the month in the packaging and the distribution of food parcels. Lucy's home number is 940-7540 and her work number is 289-7715.

We're asked to contribute fruit for the month of March - canned or packaged. Bring in your contribution and drop them in the brown bushel basket in the west vestibule. We'll handle things from that point on.

A MARCH RUMMAGE SALE

The date of our March Rummage Sale is Saturday, March 30th. Diane Keller is the coordinator for this sale. Call Dianne at home - 876-2037 - or at work - 404-4057 - if you can lend a hand with the many prepara­tions involved in a Rummage Sale.

Clothes are needed. Check your closet and see if you have something good to con­tribute to this March sale.

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING

Envelopes for the special One Great Hour of Sharing appeal are in the pews this morning. They will be there again next Sun­day. We invite you to make a gift to this outreach appeal which has been observed in the churches of America since 1949.

A POT LUCK SUPPER AND HYMN SING

A Pot Luck Supper and Hymn Sing will be held next Sunday evening at six o'clock in Fellowship Hall. All are invited. Be in touch with Anne Davenport regarding your contribution for the food table.

ADULT FELLOWSHIP

"Thank Goodness It's Friday" outing is "in the works" for Friday, March 29th, af­ter work at the Manhattan Brewery, located at the corner of Broome Street and Thompson Street. For further details, contact John Hornaday at 410-1193.

PARK AV ENUE UN IT ED METHODIST CHURCH

I 06 E ast 86th Street

:'lew York, N. Y . 10028

AT 9-6997

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke ...... . ..... ... . .. . .. .... ~1in ister

~ J r. L~ndon \Voodside .............. Organist-Choir Director

~lr. Jack Schmidt ............ ... ........ Business Manager

:\ Is. Diane Coloton .. . ..... . .............. . ..... . Secretary

:\I iss Anna-L iisa Rintala . . . ..... ....... . .. . .. . . .. Secretary

:\Irs. Judith Keisman .. ......... .... ... . Day School Director

:\Jr . Fernando ~l iranda ... . ............. . ....... Custodian

GE ERAL OFFICERS

La) :\I embers, Annual Conference ...... Mr. Edward J Brown

Mrs. Joyce Gartrell

President, Board of Trustees ...... . ... . . .. . Miss Lynn Bruhn

Chairman, Administrative Council ..... . .. Mr. Leroy Coffman

Chairman, Education Committee ........... ~ l r. William Bell

Chairman, Fellowship Committee .. ..... Miss Helen Wilkinson

Chairman, Finance Committee ......... l\1 r. Edward ]. Brown

Chairman, Church Property Committee .. ~Jr. D oug Heimbigner

Co-Chairmen, Membership Committee ... . . .. Mr. Frank High Miss Pam Hubby

Chairman. Ou treach Committee ........ . . Miss E lizabeth Berg

Chairman, \Vorship Committee ........ . ... Miss Lynn Bruhn

Co-Chairmen. Day School ....... :\lr. and Mrs. J effrey Hughes

Chaim1an, Ushers .. ... . . . .... .. ...... .. Mr. Larry Morales

Superintendent , Sunday School ... . .... .. :\liss Anne Da\enport

PARK AVENUE

UNITED METHODIST CHU RCH

ORGAN CALL TO WORSHIP

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT March 17, 1985

ORDER OF WORSHIP 11 A. M.

"Benedictus"

HYMN NO. 19 "Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones" PRAYER OF CONFESSION (seated)

Couper in

God of our life, we confess in company with one another and before Thee, that we are wayward and less than faithful servants. We have loved things and used people; remembered slights and forgotten kindnesses; called on Thee in trouble and ignored Thee at other times; praised Thee in word and failed Thee in deed; allowed the present age to mould us and left untapped the power of the age to come. Deal with us after Thy mercy for we are sorry for our sins and earnestly seek Thy pardon through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

SILENT MEDITATION - WORDS OF ASSURANCE - LORD'S PRAYER

*** PSALTER "The Lord Is Your Keeper" GLORIA PATRI AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

*** ANTHEM "Alas, Poor World, Thou Meekest Me" SCRIPTURE John 18: 12 - 27 PASTORAL PRAYER PARISH CONCERNS ANTHEM "At the Cross, Her Station Keeping" PRESENTATION OF THE OFFERING WITH THE DOXOLOGY

No. 595 No. 792 No. 740

Brahms Page 942

Wood

LAY READER

We welcome Elrna D. Reingold to the Lectern today. A native of Pretoria, South Africa and a graduate of the University of Pretoria with a degree in the History of Art, Elma first came to New York City as Cultural Attache for the South African Consulate. Married and mother of four­teen month old Catrina, Elrna joined our church in December of this past year.

ALTAR FLOWERS

The flowers on the altar today are in loving memory of Arthur and Elizabeth High given by their son, Frank.

USHERS

The ushers today are James Padilla, Anthony Alvarez, Richmond Bates, Gary Kunishima, Ernest Nieratka and Yoshito Oda.

AN INVITATION

Coffee and tea will be served in the Russell Room following the service. Members and friends are invited to share in these moments of warm fellowship made pos­sible for us today by Michele Arnold, Kathy Buck, Dorothy Davis and Doreen Morales.

CHURCH SCHOOL AND NURSERY CARE

Sessions of Church School for children are offered on Sunday rnorninqs from eleven to twelve. Nursery care