' I

"THE SECRET OF HIS SUCCESS"

A Sermon By

Rev. Philip A. c. Clarke

Park Avenue United t1ethodist Church 106 East 86th Street New York, New York 10028 June 11, 1989

'

"THE SECRET OF HIS SUCCESS"

Ii'JTR.ODUCTION We Americans have a warm place in our hearts for the under-dog. We ought to appreciate the story of Samuel Logan

Brengle. Brengle gave up an opportunity to pastor one of the largest churches in mid-America in order to join the ranks of the Salvation Army when that organization was just getting started here in the United States. One of his early assignments was in Danbury, Connecticut, where Brengle's entire congrega­tion often numbered less than a dozen people.

Determined to reach the people of Danbury with the Gospel, each evening Brengle marched up and down the streets singing, preaching and praising God.

One night, while marching with only two of his parishioners at his side, a large, lame black man and a little hunchback girl, Brengle and his "congregation" were bravely singing a song entitled, "We're the Army That Shall Conquer". Suddenly, the small group came abreast a large and imposing Methodist Church. As Brengle surveyed that impressive edifice a voice seemed to say to him,

"You fool, you! You might have been the pastor of a great Church like that. But here you are instead, the pastor of a lame man and a little hunchback girH"

For a moment his voice faltered and his resolve weakened. fut only for a moment. His thoughts turned to the many 1<10nderful ways that God had been dealing with him, and with a new sense of determination, he swung his arm vigorously and began leading his tiny band of two once again in singing, "We're the Army That Shall. Conquer". And on the three of them went!

DEVELOPMENT I wonder if St. Paul didn't sometimes feel as foolish as Samuel Logan Brengle did in those early days.

He, too, had been much respected among his own people. An educated man -a student of Gamaliel. He was a native of Tarsus - a city famous for the scholars and philosophers that it had produced. He was a Pharisee Hho through his zeal had acquired some authority among his fellow Jews. He was a brilliant writer -though he could not know at this point of his life that one day he would be perhaps the most influential writer who ever lived. And he was a Roman citizen -a matter of no small import. Chances are he would not have survived so long under any other circumstances.

He was a cosmopolitan man Trrho felt at home whether in the company of slaves or monarchs. Yet, here he Trras - one of the leaders of a despised sect. A rag­tag group that claimed that one Jesus of Nazareth had been raised from the dead. Because Paul had become an enthusiastic part of that sect he had been imprisoned, beaten, stoned, ship-~~ecked and had become a controversial outcast among his own.

To make matters worse, he encountered insults even among Christians. At first they were suspicious of his motives. After all, he had once persecuted their tiny band. Later it was because he took the Gospel to the Gentiles. Many of the early Christians would have restricted the Gospel to the Jews. Even later there would be ~alse teachers who would put Paul on the defensive as to his credentials and his fitness to speak for the "Body of Christ". It must have sometimes seemed awfully futile and frustrating to St. Paul to carry on.

- 2 -

And to make matters v1orse there 1.-ras that thorn in the flesh about which he wrote. Was it malaria? Some scholars think so. Others suggest epilepsy. "I have pleased with the Lord three times for it to leave me" said Paul. There was no medication to control such things back then. Some of history's greatest people have suffered from epilepsy, if that is what it was, but it is an uncomfortable affliction socially as well as medically.

What kept this little man going? Was it pride? No, he had discarded the last vestiges of pride long ago. Was it desire for profit? No, he earned his living as a tentmaker. He preached without thought of remuneration. What was it then? The anst.,rer is found in the second chapter of Galatians, verse 20.

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I novr live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for re."

SUBMITTED HIMSELF TO THE WILL OF GOD Paul, first of all, had submitted himself once and for all to the will

of God. Before Christ went to the cross, He knelt in a garden and prayed,

"Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from :He; never the less, Thy will not mine be done" •

In his own mind and heart, St. Paul had made that journey v.rith Christ.

There 1 s a new book on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer that is entitled, The Shame and the Sacrifice - an apt description of Bonhoeffer 1 s life. He W9\S a man who always loved preaching. On January 21st, 193L, Bonhoeffer preached to a German congregation in London and said to them,

"Thousands of church members and pastors today in our coun­try are in danger of oppression and persecution for their witness to the truth" he testified to that congregation.

"They have not sought th.is way out of pride or stubbornness. They must choose it - because God is too strong in them."

One of Bonhoeffer's students described him like this,

"Never did I discover in him anything low, undisciplined or mean."

Edward Robertson ends his book with the words of the camp doctor who did not really comprehend what Bonhoeffer stood for •••

"I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer ••• kneeling on the floor praying fervently to God. I was most deeply moved by the way this loveable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer ••• in the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God."

That camp doctor could easily have been describing St. Paul. "I have been crucified 1..rith Christ. ••" St. Paul was totally submissive to the will of God.

- 3 -

TOTALLY DEDICATED TO THE HORK GOD HAD FOR HIM And this meant, in the second place, that he was totally

dedicated to the work that God had for him to do. We encounter so few truly dedicated people. Perhaps you've seen this sign or one similar to it in an office or a factory that reads something like this,

"It has come to the attention of the management that employees have been dying on the job and either refusing or neglecti.ng to 'keel over'. This practice MUST stop. Since it is impossible for management to distinguish between death and the natural movements of some employees on the job, an uncomfortable situation is created when someone dies and gives no indication. O<Dten v-re have no way of knowing who is dead and who is alive until the whistle blows at 5 pm. Please give serious attention to this request.

The Management."

Perhaps you've encountered persons like that in your work. We all have. \-Je even have some people like that on the rolls of the church. Hhat a shame. Just think for a moment how much could be accomplished if Trre were truly and adequately committed.

It was early Sunday morning, October 30th, 1983, that a Mercedes truck laden with two thousand pounds of dynamite rolleci past security barricades and crashed into the lobby of the headquarters of the Eighth Marine Battalion in Beirut. Seconds later the terrorist drive ignited the explosives and the building collapsed. Two hundred and twenty-nine Marines died and eighty-one others were wounded. During a Press Conference that followed an investigation of the tragic incident, a reporter asked a General from the Pentagon how one man could get past such tight security and cause no damage. The General replied,

"In spite of our defensive weapons, it still is virtually impossible to stop those who are willing to die for what they believe in. 11

And how true it is! It is virtually impossible to stop those who are willing to pay the price for that which they believe. St. Paul was such a man. He feared nothing. Why? He had already been "crucified with Christ". The fear of death was no longer the debilitating hindrance it had once been. Neither was the fear of humiliation, or pain, or rejection. He helped turn the world upside down because he w~s totally commited to the ministry to which God had called him.

The Christian Church today faces a crisis of commitment. Many people tend to view the church like a filling station. They come once a week and get some spiritual fuel to take them through until the next Sunday, but as far as feeling a responsibility for being the Body of Christ ••• reaching out in service and wit­ness to the world, they have grown cold and unconcerned. This concept of being crucified with Christ is foreig~ to a large segment of our fellowship.

Sqnday is no longer the day when vre consecrate ourselves to God for a new v.reek that lies ahead, but rather the day when lo!e squeeze every possible ounce of pleasure out of a fading weekend.

- 4 -

"Our great-grandfathers called it the Holy Sabbath; Our grandfather, the Sabbath. Our fathers, Sunday. Today, we call it the weekend.

And thus we begin the week - -very Heak.

GRACE BEFORE GREATNESS Around the time of World War I there was a girl lrTith a lovely voice who couldn't afford vocal training. But

she kept on singing anyway, and gave such joy to the members of her little Philadelphia Church that they raised $126 in pennies, nickels and dimes and called it, "The Fund for Marian Anderson's Future".

So Marian Anderson started taking lessons and when she was 18 her High School teachers arranged an audition with a world-famous singing instructor. Again, the church folk raised money for lessons. The future looked bright, success assured. And then she failed.

A group who believed in her sponsored a concert in New York City's Town Hall. But Marian Anderson was not yet ready for Town Hall, either in experience or personal maturity, and the critics let her have it. She felt she could not take it. She felt she hae let down those who believed in her, supported her.

For over a year she wallowed in self-pity and v.TOuld not go near her teachers. Then one day her mother said to her,

"Harian, grace must come before greatness. Why don't you think about this failure and pray about it a lot ••• 11

Later, Marian Anderson, who helped many another young singer survive the kind of despair she tasted in that first bitter defeat, said,

"vJhatever is in my; voice, faith has put it there. Fa.ith and my mother 1 s words: grace must come before greatness. 11

Grace does come before greatness - crucifixion before coronation. Paul had such great influence in the world because he totally submitted himself to the will of God and was totally commited to the work, to the ministry to which God had called him.

OPENED HIMSELF TO GOD SO THAT GOD lrJOOLD USE HIM Even more importantly, St. 'Eaul so opened himself to

God that God could use him as an almost perfect instrument.

Soren Kierkegaard once told a parable about a certain rich man who bought a team of excellent, faultless horses. His own coachman was somewhat inept and undisciplined, but the rich man hoped that the quality of horses would offset this. After a few months, it was impossible to recognize the once proud horses. They were dull and drmmy, their pace inconsistent, their stamina gone. They de-veloped strange quirks and bad habits.

So this rich man called the King's coachman who knew the horses. After he drove the horses for a month and they ltlere familiar with his voice, they held the.ir heads high, their eyes -vmre bright and t>1eir pace beautiful.

- 5 -

The capacities and the possibilities 111ere there all pended on vrhose voice they heard directing their lives. St. Paul so heard the voice of God at work in his heart, he could write,

the time. It all de­Therein is the parable. directing his life that

11 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ ;,rho lives in me; and the life I novJ live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and ga ~,ce Himself for me."

It 1 s no wonder then that St. Paul not only persevered hut also became one of the mo~t influential men i-Jbo ever lived. His circumstances could not defeat him. His th:orn in his flesh could not defeat him. Powerful enemies could not defeat him. Even time could not defeat him. And today - 1900 years after his death -millions still read his writings and have life-changing experiences.

CLOSING Has your life seemed somewhat ineffective as of late? Perhaps you are not lbring the life God has called you to live. Perhaps

it is time for you to kneel in a Garden with Jesus and pray, 11 not my will, but thine be done". Maybe it is time you made a new commitment of your life to a ministery of love and service. Perhaps you need to open your life anew and let God direct you to a more effective way of living.

Back in the 4th century, Augustine - that eminent writer and theologian of the early Church said that there were three things he would like to have seen.

First: Jesus in the flesh. Second: Imperial Rome in all of its splendor. Third: St. Paul preaching.

PRAYER Make us sensitive to Your spirit in these quiet moments, dea.r God, on this lovely June Sunday. Speak in our hearts. Confirm and

strengthen within each of us the high resolve of this hour.

1rJe thank you for the gret'Jt spokesmen of our faith, especiall;>r Paul. He remember today how he yielded hj~self that the burden was not on him and that the word he spoke were the words of His Lord, Jesus ••• the very words of life and how he helped to change the world of his time and ours, too. Amen.

ANNOUNCr11ENTS: Sunday, June 11, 1989

I. GREETING I YI?J..T9~~

A. v.Te greet the visitors in the congregation this morning •••• pJPP.smt t.o hRve :v-ou spending thls hour with us. Make yourself known to us. Be free in the sharing of your name.

B. FHl out a visitor card. Sign a guest book. Jotn ns dovm­stairs for punch and cookies. Worship with us again ••• work with us, too, in the various prograrns of outreach.

C. The roots of this Church go deep in the soil of this }18.rt of the city •••• doing the Lord's work here since 1837. v!e minis-tAr in the name o.r Christ nnd it is in His loving spirit that ue greet you on this June Su mlay.

II. PARDON THE APPEARANCE

A. And do pard on the RppEa:rance of our sanctuary. We 1 re in the process nf r;iv ing it our 15-year 11 check-up" ••• restoring and re-decorating our place of worship.

B. Works is progressing nicely above.us. And so, too, is our Restoration Fund dri.ve. \1n 1re more than half way there with about 90 gifts and pledges totalling !t20,250. Our goal is $Lo,ooo. vie 1d like to "wrap up" the drive by the end of June. Our thanks to those who have already responded promptly a.nrl genorously.

III. PARISH CONCERNS

A. Don't forget to secure your ticket for our June 24th "All -Church" picnic ••• be getting in shape for that day in the suno See Doreen Horales, picnic coordinator, for your ticket. Tickets go on sale today.

B. Note the meetings set for this week: Trustees on Monday night. Administrative Council on Tuesday. Finance Committee on Wednesday. eveningo

IV. OFFERING

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

V. ADULT FELLOWSHIP RETREAT

A. Some 20 members of our Adult Fellowship are sharing in a retreat this weekend ••• Shelter Island ••• they return later today ••• in our thoughts •••

ASTORAL PRAYER: June 11, 1989

ETERNAL SPIRIT~ WHO •• owhether we walk through green pastures, beside still waters, or through the valley of the shadow of death, canst be our guide and our helper -

BEHOLD US NOW - here in this sacred place of worship, seeking in a common prayer, light upon our separate ways, and strength and illumination within our individual lives •••

SEEK US OUT - one by one - in those special circumstances of personal need that have drawn us here to this sanctuary on this

Sunday morning. Help us now to "center down", to look up and to see life from higher ground. Remind us ••

HERE - lift up the unhappy souls into joy a.nd the discouraged souls into encouragement ••• the defeated souls into victory- and thus enable us:

"To fight the good fight, to keep the faith, to finish the course ••• "

BREATHE into our hearts, 0 God, goodwill and generosity. BREAKDOWN our stubborn prejudices. SAVE US from letting un-Christlike attitudes and actions take hold. FCRGIVE US that at times we can be such a part of the problems of

the world, and such a small fraction of its solutions. Cot-WORT US, LORD, where we are hurting.

REMiliD US - as we worship YOU - that we cannot fellowship with You if in our hearts we reject or neglect our brother who is in need. And so we pray for the hungry, the homeless, the hurt and helpless of our society. Sensitize our heart-sight that we may see those in need of helpo

HELP THOSE OF US who take Jesus seriously and who try to follow in His Way always to be -

Agents of His love. Pure in thought, gr~cious in speech, courageous in our actions.

Grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change - the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

ALL THIS we ask in the name and spirit of Christ, our Lord, in whom we see hope for ourselves and hope for our world.

J.

"THE SECRET OF HIS SUCCESS"

A Sermon By

Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke

Park Avenue United tfethodist Church 106 East 86th Street New York, New York 10028 June 11, 1989

' '

"THE SECRET OF' HIS SUCCESS"

IN'l1~HHJCTION We Americans have a warm place in our hearts for the under-dog. We ought to appreciate the story of Samuel Logan

Brengle. Brengle gave up an opportunity to pastor one of the largest churches in mid-America in order to join the ranks of the Salvation Army when that organization was just getting started here in the United States. One of his early assignments was in Danbury, Connecticut, where Brengle's entire congrega­tion often numbered less than a dozen people.

Determined to reach the people of Danbury with the Gospel, each evening Brengle marched up and down the streets singing, preaching and praising God.

One night, while marching with only two of his parishioners at his side, a large, lame black man and a little hunchback girl, Brengle and his "congregation" were bra.vely singing a song entitled, "We're the Army That Shall Conquer". Suddenly, the small group came abreast a large and imposing Methodist Church. As Brengle surveyed that impressive edifice a voice seemed to say to him,

"You fool, you! You might have been the pastor of a great Church like that. But here you are instead, the pastor of a lame man and a little hunchback girH"

For a moment his v0ice faltered and his resolve weakened. But only for a moment. His thoughts turned to the many vrorrlerful ways that God had been dealing with him, and with a new sense of determination, he swung his arm vigorously and began leading his tiny band of two once again in singing, "We're the Army That Shall Conquer". And on the three of them wentl

DEVELOPMENT I wonder if St. Paul didn't sometimes feel as foolish as Samuel Logan Brengle did in those early days.

He, too, had been much respected among his own people. An educated man -a student of Gamaliel. He was a native of Tarsus - a city famous for the scholars and philosophers that it had produced. He was a Pharisee t-rho through his zeal had acouired some authority among his fellow Jews. He was a brilliant writer -though he could not know at this point of his life that one day he would be perhaps the most influential writer who ever lived. And he was a Roman citizen -a matter of no small import. Chances are he would not have survived so long under any other circumsta.nces.

He was a cosmopolitan man t-rho felt at home whether in the company of sJaves or monarchs. Yet, he~e he was - one of the leaders of a despised sect. A rag­tag group that claimed that one Jesus of Nazareth had been raised from the dead. Because Paul had become an enthusiastic part of that sect he had been imprisoned, beaten, sto~ed, ship-~~ecked and had become a controversial outcast among his own.

To make matters worse, he encountered insults even among Christians. At first they were suspicious of his motives. After all, he had once persecuted their tiny band. Later it was because he took the Gospel to the Gentiles. Many of the early Christians would have restricted the Gospel to the Jews. Even later there would be false teachers who would put Paul on the defensive as to his credentials and his fitness to speak for the "Body of Christ". It must have sometimes seemed awfully futile and frustrating to St. Paul to carry on.

~ , . - 2 -

And to make matters worse there vras that thorn in the flesh about which he wrote. Was it malaria? Some scholars think so. Others suggest epilepsy. "I have pleaaed with the Lord three times for it to leave me" said Paul. There was no medication to control such things hack then. Some of history's greatest people have suffered from epilepsy, if that is what it was, but it is an uncomfortable affliction socially as well as medical~.

vfuat kept this little man going? Was it pride? No, he had discarded the last vestiges of pride long ago. \r.Tas it desire for profit? No, he earned his living as a tentmaker. He preached without thought of remuneration. What was it then? The anm.,rer is found in the second chapter of Galatians, verse 20.

"I have been crucified with Christ. It i.s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I nmr live in the flesh I live hy faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

SUPNITTED HIMSELF TO THE WILL OF GOD Paul, first of all, had submitted himself once and for all to the will

of God. Before Christ went to the cross, He knelt in a garden and prayed,

"Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, Thy will not mine be done".

In his own mind and heart, St. Paul had made that journey l'rith Christ.

There's a new book on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer that is entitled, The Shame and the Sacrifice -an a.pt description of Bonhoeffer's life. Hew's a man who always loved prea.ching. On January 21st, 193!1, Bonhoeffer preached to a German congregation in London and said to them,

"Thousands of church members and pastors today in our coun­try are in danger of oppression and persecution for their witness to the truth" he testified to that congregation.

"They have not sought this way out of pride or stubbornness. 'They must choose it - because God is too strong in them."

One of Bonhoeffer's students described him like this,

"Never did I discover in him anything low, undisciplined or mean."

Edward Robertson ends his book with the words of the camp doctor who did not really comprehend what Bonhoeffer stood for •••

"I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer ••• kneeling on the floor praying fervently to God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovea.ble man prayed, so devout and so certa.in that God heard his prayer ••• tn the almost fifty yE.'lrs that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely suhmissi ve to the will of God."

That camp doctor could easily have been describing St. Paul. "1 have been crucified with Christ •• •" St. Paul was totally submissive to the will of God.

- 3 -

TOTALLY DEDICATED TO THE WORK GOD HAD FOR HIM And this meant, in the second place, that he was totally

dedicated to the work that God had for him to do. ~Te encounter so few truly dedicated people. Perhaps you've seen this sign or one similar to it in an office or a factory that reads something like this,

"It has come to the attention of the management that employees have been dying on the job and either refusing or neglecting to 'keel over'. This practice HUST stop. Since it is impossible for management to distinguish between death and the natural movements of some employees on the job, an uncomfortable situation is created when someone dies and gives no indication. O<fi'ten lore have no way of knowing who is dead and who is alive until the whistle blows at 5 pm. Please give serious attention to this request.

The Management."

Perhaps you've encountered persons like that in your work. \-Te all have. 1:/e even have some people like til at on the rolls of the church. l-Jhat a shame. Just think for a moment how much could be accomplished if lore were trul~r and adequately committed.

It was early Sunday morning, October 30th, 1983, that a Mercedes truck la.den 'llrith two tho\lsand pounds of dynamite rollerl past security ha.rricades and crashed into the lobby of the hAact0uarters of the Eighth Marine Battalion in Beirut. Seconds later the terrorist drive ignited the explosives and the building collapsed. Two hundred and twenty-nine Marines died and eighty-one others were wounded. During a Press Conference that followed an investigation of the tragid incident, a reporter asked a General from the Pentagon how one man could get past such tight security and cause no damage. The General replied,

"In spite of our defensive weapons, it still is virtually impossible to stop those who are l-Tilling to die for what they believe in."

And how true it is! It is virtually impossible to stop those who are willing to pay the price for that which they believe. St. Paul was such a man. He feared nothing. Why? He had already been "crucified with Christ". The fear of death was no longer the debilitating hindrance it had once been. Neither was the fear of humiliation, or pain, or rejection. He helped turn the world upside down because he was totally commited to the ministry to which God had called him.

The Christian Church today faces a crisis of commitment. Many people tend to view the church like a filling station. They come once a week and get some spiritual fuel to take them through until the next Sunday, but as far as feeling a responsibility for being the Body of Christ ••• reaching out in service and wit­ness to the world, they have grown cold and unconcerned. This concept of being crucified with Christ is foreig~ to a large segment of our fellowship.

Sunday is no longer the day when vre consecrate ourselves to God for a new '!.<reek that lies ahead, but rather the day y,rhen r,re squeeze every possible ouncP of pleasure out of a fading weekend.

- 4 -

"Our great-grandfathers called it the Holy Sabbath; Our grandfnther, the Sabbath. Our fathers, Sunday. Today, we call it the weekend.

And thus we begin the week - very weak.

GRACE BEFORE GREATNESS Around the time of World i'!ar I there was a girl with a lovely voice who couldn't afford vocal training. But

she kept on singing anyway, and gave such joy to the members of her little Philadelphia Church that they raised $126 in pennies, nickels and dimes and called it, "The Fund for Marian Anderson's Future".

So Marian Anderson started taking lessons and when she was 18 her High School teachers arranged an audition with a world-famous singing instructor. Again, the church folk raised money for lessons. The future looked bright, success assured. And then she failed.

A group who believed in her sponsored a concert in New York City's Town Hall. But Marian Anderson was not yet ready for Town Hall, either in experience or personal maturity, and the critics let her have it. She felt she could not take it. She felt she had let down those who believed in her, supported her.

For over a year she wallowed in self-pity and VTould not go near her teachers. Then one day her mother said to her,

"Harian, grace must come before greatness. Why don't you think about this failure and pray about it a lot •• •"

Later, Marian Anderson, who helped many another young singer survive the kind of despair she tasted in that first bitter defeat, said,

"Whatever is in my: voice, faith has put it there. Fa.ith and my mother 1 s words: grace must come before greatness."

Grace does come before greatness - crucif~ion before coronation. Paul had such great influence in the world because he totally submitted himself to the will of God and was totally commited to the work, to the ministry to which God had called him.

OPENED HIMSELF TO GOD SO THAT GOD vJCULD USE HIM Even more importantly, St. Paul so opened himself to

God that God could use him as an almost perfect instrument.

Soren Kierkegaa.rd once told a parable about a certain rich man who bought a team of excellent, faultless horses. His mm coachman was somewhat inept and undisciplined, but the rich man hoped that the quality of horses would offset this. After a few months, it was impossible to recognize the once proud horses. They were null and drowsy, their pace inconsist~nt, their stamina gone. They developed strange quirks and bad habits.

So this rich man called the King's coachman who knew the horses. After he drove the horses for a month and they v1ere familiar with his voice, they held their heads high, their eyes were bright and t,l,eir pace beautiful.

..-.' • 'V ...

- 5 -

The capacities and the possibilities vrere there all pe ndert ory Hh ose voice ther heard directing their lives. St. Paul so h~a.rcl the voice of God at work in his heart, he could write,

the time. :r:t all de­Therein is the parable. directing his life that

"I have heen crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I n<Thr live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and ga,·e Himself for me."

It 1 s no wonder then that St. Paul not only persevered hut also became one of the moqt influential men vmo ever lived. His circumstances could not defeat him. His thorn in his flesh could not defeat him. Powerful enemies could not defeat him. Even time coulrl not defeat him. And today - 1900 years after his death -millions still rear! his writings and have life-changing experiences.

CLOSinG Has your life seemed somewhat ineffective as of late? Perhaps you are not livir~ the life God has called you to live. Perhaps

it is time for you to kneel in a Garden with Jesus and pray, "not my will, but thine be done". Haybe it is time you made a new commitment of your lifE: to a ministery of love and service. Perhaps you need to open your life anew and let God direct you to a more effective way of living.

Dack in the L.th century, Augustine - that eminent writer and theologian of U1e early Church said that there were three things he would like to have seen.

First.: Jesus in the flesh. Second: Imperial Rome in all of its splendor. Thi.rd: St. Pau 1 preaching.

PRAYER Make us sensitive to Your spirit in these '1Uiet moments, dear God, on this lovely .June Sunday. Speak in our hearts. Confirm and

strengthen within each of us the high resolve of this hour.

'de thank you for the gre~.t spokesmen of our fai.th, especialljr Pa.ul. He remember today how he yielded himself that the burden rr~as not on him and that the word he spoke were the words of His Lord, Jesus ••• the ''ery 1.rords of life and how he helped to change the. world of his time and ours:, too. Amen.

ANTHEM: "Prayer to the Holy Spirit"

"Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly guest, descend with gifts divinely blest; make Thee a temple in my heart, grant me Thy grace, and ne'er depart. 0 hallow Thou each passing hour, renewing faith, increasing power; in sorrow, need; Thy comfort send, and blessed p~ace when life shall end."

ANTHEM: "The Heavens Are TeL~ing"

The words of this anthem are a para­phrased version of Psalm 19. Psalm 19 is found on page 473 in the Bible in the pews.

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.

FOR THOSE WHO SING

During June, choir rehearsals ~ill be held on Sunday mornings at ten o'clock.

PICK UP YOUR COPY

Be sure to pick up your copy of the June issue of our monthly news sheet, "A Word In Edgeways". 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" meet on Tuesday evening at 6:30 in Fellowship Hall. Come and share in the study of Dieterich Bon­hoeffer's book, The Cost of Discipleship. George Leopold is class leader.

ALDERSGATE CLASS

The Aldersgate Class meets on Wednesday evening for Bible study in Fellowship Hall at 7:30 pm. Carl Condra is class leader.

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE

Tickets - costing $5.00 - are now on sale for the June 24th All Church Picnic. See Doreen Morales, Picnic Coordinator, for yours. This is a major fellowship event of our Church for the year and all are encouraged to get in shape and plan to come.

MEETING THIS WEEK

The Board of Trustees will meet on Monday evening, June 12th, at 6:00 pm in the Ryan Barry Room.

The Administrative Council will meet on Tuesday evening, June 13th, at 7:30 pm in the Russell Room. All members are urged to be present.

The Finance Committee will meet on Thurs­day evening, June 15th, at 7:30 pm in the Russell Room.

SHARE WORD WITH US

The Committee on Nominations and Person­nel will be meeting Tuesday, June 20th, to begin work on our 1990 committee personnel •.

You're invited to "pass ·word on" to the minister if you have a special interest in a particular committee assignment. It's help­ful to have people serving the Church in their area of interest and•expertise.

Committee assignments can include the following areas: Day School, Education (Sunday School), Fellowship, Finance, Mem­bership, Outreach, and Worship.

We also need people working in such areas as the Church Fair, the Coffee Hours (Hosts and Hostesses) and Church Ushering.

Let us hear from you as the Committee on Nominations and Personnel begins its summer work of enlisting people and putting together our 1990 working committees.

And many thanks to all who are hard at work this year in so many different areas. Many hands make light work.

"HIGH ABOVE US"

The restoration and redecoration of our sanctuary is going forward nicely "high above us". Within a week or two, you'll soon be able to see the miracle of trans~ formation that is taking place. We're right on schedule.

And gifts to the "If Our Walls Could Speak" restoration fund drive are coming in nicely. Members, friends, former members and non-resident members are all responding with generous contributions. Indeed, a wonderful miracle is in the making.

The goal for our Restoration Fund appeal is $40,000. To date, 91 gifts have been gratefully received. They total $20,428.00.

' In other words, we're half way there! Use the pledge card in the pews if you

wish to make a pledge of support. Or, if you wish to make a gift today, make sure your check carries a designation of "Restoration Fund". When people yoke their lives and their faith in determination to­gether, great things happen!

PARK AVENUE

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 106 East 86th Street

New York , N.Y. 10028 AT 9-69CJ7

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke . ..... .... ... ... .. . .... . . Minister

Mr Lyndon Woodside .... . . . . .. .... Organist-Choir Director

Mr. Jack Schmidt . . . . .. . ... . . . . . . . . .. .. Business Manager

Mrs. Judy Ferland .. ...... . . . ..... . .... . ..... . . Secretary

Mrs. Judith Keisman . .... ... .. ... ... .. Day School Director

Mr. Roberto Meriles . .. ..... . ......... . .. .... . Custodian

GENERAL OFFICERS

Lay Members, Annual Conference . .. . ...... Mr. William Bell Mr. Edward J. Brown

President , Board of Trustees . .. .. . ...... .. . Mr. William Bell

Chairman , Administrative Council .... .. .. Mrs. Bobbie Heron

Chairman, Education Committee .... . . .. . Mrs. Kathy Simms

Chairman, Fellowship Committee . . . . . .... .. Mrs. Pat Henry

Chairman, Finance Committee .... . ... ... Mr. Larry Morales

Co-Chairmen, Membership Committee . .. .. . Mrs. Ann Bryant Mr. Robert Gardner

Chairman , Outreach Committee . . . . . . .. .... Miss Janet Ernst

Chairman, Worship Committee .. . .... Mr. Michael Schaffield

Co-Chairmen, Day School . .... .. ... . Mrs. Alix Lombardo & Anette Lewis

Chairman, Ushers . . . . . . . . . . ... .... . ... .. Ms. Effie French Mr. Len Williams

Superintendent , Sunday School ..... .. . .. Mrs. Hollis Galgano

PARK AVENUE

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

ORGAN

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST June 11, 1989

ORDER OF WORSHIP 11 A. M.

"Aberystwyth" CALL TO WORSHIP HYMN NO. 45 "This Is My Father's World" PRAYER OF CONFESSION (seated)

v. Williams

0 God, our Father, who hast set forth the way of life for us in Thy beloved Son, we confess with shame our slowness to learn of Him; our reluctance to follow Him. Thou hast spoken and called and we have not given heed. Thou beauty hath shone forth, and we have been blind. Thou hast stretched out Thy hands to us through our fellows, and we have passed by. Forgive us our transgressions. Help us to amend our ways and in Thine eternal goodness direct what we shall be, in the name and power of Thy Son, 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 SCRIPTURE PASTORAL PRAYER PARISH CONCERNS

"Prayer To The Holy Spirit" Galatians 2: 15 - 21

No. 595 No. 792 No. 740

Lundquist Page 1013

ANTHEM "The Heavens Are Telling" Beethoven PRESENTATION OF THE OFFERING WITH THE DOXOLOGY HYMN NO. 275 "Sweet Hour of Prayer" SERMON "The Secret of His Success" Mr. Clarke HYMN NO. 248 "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" BENEDICTION ORGAN "Hyfrydol" V. Williams

*** Interval for Ushering

,

LAY READER

We welcome Bruce F. Evans to the lectern today. A native of Newfoundland, a graduate of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia with a MBA in Business Administra­tion, Bruce is a manager in Real Estate Financing with the Bank of Montreal. Here in the church he is an usher, a coffee hour host and serves on the Outreach Committee.

ALTAR FLOWERS

The flowers on the altar today are given by Doreen and Larry Morales "in celebration of our friends at Park Avenue United Methodist Church and our eighth wedding anniversary, June 13th."

GREETERS AND USHERS

The greeters today are Lillian Bates and Bob Gardner . The ushers are Susan Langley, Lil and Richmond Bates, Cary Danford, Michael Hajek, and Ann and Chuck Neal.

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 warmth made possible for us today by Jacque Notestine, Vicki Jandron, Sharon Johnson, Lynn Mac?hane, Dee Schaffield, Bert Williams and Linda Quinn.

CHURCH SCHOOL AND ADULT BIBLE CLASS

Sessions of Church School for children are offered Sunday mornings from ten-thirty to twelve. Nursery care for infants and toddlers is available on the fourth floor in the Day School Room.

The Adult Bible Class meets on Sunday morning at 9:30 am in Fellowship Hall. Charles Wire is leading the class in the study of the book of Romans.