### Summary

Good morning, grace, and peace to you all. Today, we celebrate the season of Pentecost, a time of new birth and the winds of change. As I transition from my role as the campus minister for Campus to City Wesley Foundation, I reflect on the importance of campus ministry in shaping young adults' faith. Our scripture today is from John 3:1-17, where Nicodemus, a Pharisee, visits Jesus at night. Jesus tells him that no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above, emphasizing the need for spiritual rebirth.

Nicodemus initially misunderstands Jesus, thinking of physical rebirth, but Jesus clarifies that it is a spiritual transformation. This passage reminds us that the Spirit moves in mysterious ways, often beyond our control or understanding. Nicodemus' journey doesn't end with confusion; he later defends Jesus and prepares His body for burial, showing significant spiritual growth.

In our own lives, we often try to control the Spirit, but true transformation comes when we let go and allow the Spirit to guide us. This is evident in my experience with campus ministry, where I expected to teach but ended up learning and growing myself. The Spirit's work is unpredictable but always purposeful, leading us to unexpected places and new understandings.

As we navigate changes in our lives and ministries, we must remain open to the Spirit's movement. The landscape of higher education is changing, and so must our approach to campus ministry. We need to meet students where they are, both online and in person, offering not just spiritual growth but also personal development.

In conclusion, let us pray for the ability to hear and see the Spirit's movement in our lives and communities. May we be continually renewed and transformed, moving with the Spirit rather than against it. As we come to the table of communion, let us remember that Jesus' presence and invitation are freely offered to each of us, calling us to be transformed and to carry His love into the world.

### Key Takeaways

1. **The Necessity of Spiritual Rebirth**: Jesus emphasizes to Nicodemus that seeing the kingdom of God requires being born from above, a spiritual rebirth. This transformation is not a one-time event but a continual process of renewal, allowing the Spirit to guide and shape us. [29:05]

2. **The Unpredictable Movement of the Spirit**: The Spirit moves like the wind, beyond our control and understanding. We must remain open and flexible, allowing the Spirit to lead us to unexpected places and new insights. Trying to control the Spirit limits our spiritual growth and understanding. [38:31]

3. **Learning Through Service**: Often, we enter into ministry or service expecting to teach and guide others, but we end up learning and growing ourselves. This mutual transformation is a testament to the Spirit's work in our lives, continually shaping us through our interactions and experiences. [34:25]

4. **The Importance of Contextual Ministry**: As the landscape of higher education changes, so must our approach to campus ministry. Meeting students where they are, both online and in person, and addressing their holistic needs is crucial for effective ministry. This adaptability reflects the Spirit's dynamic nature. [45:50]

5. **Communion as a Means of Transformation**: Coming to the table of communion is an invitation to be transformed by Jesus' presence. It is a moment to renew our relationship with God, seek forgiveness, and be reminded of the Spirit's work in our lives. This sacrament calls us to carry Christ's love into the world. [50:27]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[26:33] - Introduction to Campus Ministry
[28:25] - Scripture Reading: John 3:1-17
[31:19] - Reflections on Campus Ministry
[33:37] - The Wind and Mary Poppins
[34:25] - Learning Through Service
[35:49] - Nicodemus' Journey
[37:40] - Controlling the Spirit
[39:10] - Fresh Expressions of Ministry
[40:35] - Misunderstanding Jesus
[42:14] - Continual Renewal
[43:20] - Spiritual Sensitivity
[45:17] - Changing Landscape of Higher Education
[48:04] - Discerning the Spirit's Movement
[50:27] - Communion and Transformation
[58:08] - Closing Prayer and Communion

### Bible Reading
- John 3:1-17

### Observation Questions
1. What does Jesus mean when He tells Nicodemus that no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above? ([28:25])
2. How does Nicodemus initially misunderstand Jesus' statement about being born again? ([28:25])
3. What are some examples from the sermon of how the Spirit moves in unpredictable ways? ([38:31])
4. How did Nicodemus' understanding and actions change from his first encounter with Jesus to later events in his life? ([36:45])

### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is spiritual rebirth necessary to see the kingdom of God, according to Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus? ([28:25])
2. How does the unpredictable movement of the Spirit challenge our desire for control in our spiritual lives? ([38:31])
3. In what ways did the pastor's experience in campus ministry illustrate the concept of learning through service? ([34:25])
4. How does the changing landscape of higher education impact the approach to campus ministry, and what does this say about the adaptability of ministry? ([45:50])

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced a significant spiritual transformation. How did it change your perspective or actions? ([28:25])
2. Have you ever tried to control the Spirit's movement in your life? What was the outcome, and how can you learn to be more open to the Spirit's guidance? ([38:31])
3. Think about a situation where you expected to teach or guide others but ended up learning and growing yourself. How did this experience shape your faith? ([34:25])
4. How can you remain open to the Spirit's movement in your current life circumstances, especially during times of change or transition? ([45:17])
5. In what ways can you meet the holistic needs of those you are ministering to, both online and in person? How can you adapt your approach to be more effective? ([45:50])
6. How does participating in communion help you to renew your relationship with God and be reminded of the Spirit's work in your life? ([50:27])
7. Identify one area in your life where you feel the Spirit is leading you to change or grow. What steps can you take this week to follow that leading? ([49:12])

Day 1: The Necessity of Spiritual Rebirth
Description: Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:1-17 highlights the essential need for spiritual rebirth to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, initially misunderstands Jesus, thinking He refers to a physical rebirth. However, Jesus clarifies that this rebirth is spiritual, a transformation brought about by the Holy Spirit. This spiritual rebirth is not a one-time event but a continual process of renewal, where we allow the Spirit to guide and shape us. This ongoing transformation is crucial for our spiritual growth and understanding. [29:05]

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV): "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to experience spiritual rebirth? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to transform these areas today?


Day 2: The Unpredictable Movement of the Spirit
Description: The Spirit moves like the wind, beyond our control and understanding. This unpredictability can be challenging, as we often try to control our spiritual experiences and outcomes. However, true spiritual growth comes when we remain open and flexible, allowing the Spirit to lead us to unexpected places and new insights. Trying to control the Spirit limits our spiritual growth and understanding. Embracing the Spirit's movement requires trust and surrender, recognizing that the Spirit's work is always purposeful, even if it is beyond our comprehension. [38:31]

John 3:8 (ESV): "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you are trying to control the Spirit's movement? How can you practice surrender and trust in the Spirit's guidance today?


Day 3: Learning Through Service
Description: Often, we enter into ministry or service expecting to teach and guide others, but we end up learning and growing ourselves. This mutual transformation is a testament to the Spirit's work in our lives, continually shaping us through our interactions and experiences. Serving others provides opportunities for personal growth, as we encounter different perspectives and challenges that stretch our understanding and faith. This dynamic of learning through service underscores the importance of humility and openness in our spiritual journey. [34:25]

Mark 10:45 (ESV): "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Reflection: Think of a recent experience where you served others. What did you learn from that experience, and how did it contribute to your spiritual growth?


Day 4: The Importance of Contextual Ministry
Description: As the landscape of higher education changes, so must our approach to campus ministry. Meeting students where they are, both online and in person, and addressing their holistic needs is crucial for effective ministry. This adaptability reflects the Spirit's dynamic nature, calling us to be innovative and responsive to the changing contexts in which we minister. By understanding and engaging with the unique challenges and opportunities that students face, we can offer more relevant and impactful support, fostering both spiritual and personal development. [45:50]

1 Corinthians 9:22 (ESV): "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some."

Reflection: How can you adapt your approach to ministry or service to better meet the needs of those you are trying to reach? What specific changes can you make today?


Day 5: Communion as a Means of Transformation
Description: Coming to the table of communion is an invitation to be transformed by Jesus' presence. It is a moment to renew our relationship with God, seek forgiveness, and be reminded of the Spirit's work in our lives. This sacrament calls us to carry Christ's love into the world, embodying the transformation we experience through communion. As we partake in this sacred act, we are reminded of Jesus' sacrifice and the ongoing work of the Spirit in our lives, calling us to live out our faith in tangible ways. [50:27]

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (ESV): "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."

Reflection: As you prepare to take communion, reflect on how Jesus' presence has transformed your life. How can you carry this transformation into your daily interactions and relationships?

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "The wind blows where it will. And we don't always see it, but we can hear the sound. We can see the effects the wind has. We can see the change in the way we hear people speaking, about God working in their lives and moving in their lives." [39:50](20 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "If you want to detect the Spirit, you have to be born from above. One of the things I love about this English translation of this passage is we get a sense of the miscommunication as it's translated in the English. Because Jesus is saying the same word, born from above, born again. It's the same word." [41:14](21 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Rebirth is a spiritual experience available to all, but perhaps most needed by religious people who might think they do not need it. Religion often becomes a matter of the correct observance of particular practices. When these practices become routine, they may actually serve to hinder spiritual sensitivity. A spiritual transformation in such situations is very much needed." [43:20](32 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "I think rather than thinking about this imagery of new birth, to me what it means to be born anew in the Spirit maybe looks more akin to living life in black and white versus living it in color. The ways that the Spirit can brighten up and enliven and make more vivid the work that is happening in this world." [44:35](29 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "In the midst of a season of transition, as I think about the ways that the Spirit is moving, I think about where God is calling us to go, where God is calling me to go. And for Campus to City, there is so much new things happening. The entire landscape of higher education is changing." [45:17](29 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


### Quotes for Members

1. "Have you all gone into places like that before, where you were ready to be the gift, and instead you received gift after gift after gift? That has been campus ministry for me. And it was kind of something I was thinking about as we think about the character of Nicodemus and the way he walks in to meet Jesus. Because I think he was expecting to be the gift, for a young rabbi who was starting to gather followers, to be able to help him as the member of the Sanhedrin and leader of the church, to be able to help Jesus navigate just this crazy world he found himself in. And instead, Jesus becomes the gift." [34:57](44 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "Nicodemus makes a crucial mistake when he starts with this aim of trying to control the narrative that Jesus is speaking. He says, You came, and we know you came, because of the signs you have done. And Jesus says, Nope, you have missed the point. If you did not come to this place under the cover of night because the Spirit has brought you, because you have felt that sense of who I am, because God has spoken it to you, then you have really missed what is going on here. These are not signs and wonders that God is present in." [40:35](50 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "And yet, if we think we have to do that one time, then we come to this passage thinking we know what it's all about and we miss it again and again. Because the winds can change. And if we are not continually renewed, to the sound of that wind, to the movement of that wind, to the smells and the senses that that wind brings, then we might miss some of the amazing work that the Spirit is doing." [42:43](35 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "Things like this happen all the time in our ministries. Those times where we embark on a journey thinking we're going to serve or be in a particular area and finding out later that God had something different planned. God had something new, something a little bit more wild, something a little bit more wonderful than we could expect." [39:10](26 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "And so in remembrance of these mighty acts we offer ourselves as living sacrifices asking that God would once again pour out God's holy spirit on us and pour out God's holy spirit on these gifts of bread and of juice that in this moment they would be made God's body and blood so that in the taking of these gifts we would have food for the journey as people who are going out carrying the love and presence of Christ within us all by your spirit make us one with Christ one with each other and one in ministry to all the world." [57:05](45 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Good morning. Grace and peace to you all on a beautiful Sunday. It is really wonderful to be back with you this week and to be able to celebrate just this season, this season of Pentecost, new birth, winds of change, and it is a whirlwind at my house right now. There's a whole room full of boxes. Nothing is where it should be, and yet I feel like I am in exactly the right place.

So thank you all for having me this morning. It's just a joy and privilege to be with you in my last week as the campus minister for Campus to City Wesley Foundation. If you are unfamiliar with Campus to City Wesley, we are your campus ministry. We serve students on campus at UNF, and we're serving students who are at JU, FSCJ, Flagler, and beyond as we serve students online.

I always say that campus ministry is the most important time for us to be in ministry with students. That launching, that figuring out kind of what the faith that y'all have formed them in and sent them with is going to be for themselves. And we are not leaving y'all in a lurch in this campus ministry. Our very own Ty Revel, who has been serving as assistant director, is stepping into the role of campus minister. He is amazing. He was formed himself at, you know, I was formed at the Gator Wesley Foundation, and he was formed at the FSU Wesley Foundation. But he is bringing gifts nonetheless.

I would have loved for him to have been with you this morning, but he actually is also transitioning into the role of first-time dad. He and his wife, Sam, will be welcoming their little boy any day now. And so they are getting ready for all that is ahead of them there.

So in the midst of the winds of change, I feel like it's a great time to cry out, "Come, Holy Spirit, come," as we read our scripture this morning. The scripture this morning is hopefully a familiar passage for you from John chapter 3, and we're reading verses 1 through 17.

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."

Jesus answered him, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."

Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"

Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"

Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you did not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

This is the word of God for us, the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Let's pray.

God, we give you thanks for the gift of your word. I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditation of all of our hearts would be pleasing to you, who is our rock and redeemer. Amen.

Well, I was recalling this morning what it was like to go into campus ministry five years ago. At the time, I was working in a local church, and I got the call from the district superintendent, as you do, that I was going to be appointed into campus ministry. And many in the church were disappointed about the change that was coming. But I had one congregant that I had gotten really close with who just very lovingly was like, "This is going to be such a good move for you because you're so young."

It was one of those things where I know that there was a compliment in there. But I have to tell you, working in campus ministry has never made me feel so old. Students that are going to be coming into school this year have had the same amount of time on earth as I've had since being in high school. So I'll let you do the math there. And my references have progressively not landed as each year has gone by.

And in a lot of ways, although I am classified as a millennial, I've felt a little bit different in that classification. A lot of that is because my parents, as I do myself, benefited greatly from the free childcare that was available through their parents. Can we say amen for the blessing of free childcare? Yes.

And so while my parents were actually getting their degrees in college, and I was getting watched by my grandparents, we didn't have Disney Plus or other streaming services. So I was left to the devices of public access television, which was basically just PBS, or the one drawer of VHS tapes that my grandmother had for young people.

This means that I fell in love with movie musicals. Does anyone love movie musicals? Okay, so like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Pete's Dragon, and did anyone love Mary Poppins? Mary Poppins, right?

And so I was thinking about, there's this verse in John 3, the wind blows where it will. And I thought about that wind that gets stirred up that brings Mary Poppins to Cherry Tree Lane so that she can become the nanny for those two young children. And I also thought about the other nannies standing in line and the way they got windswept out of the way, because I have felt that before, haven't you? The way the wind can whip us around.

And so because I have this kind of as my formation, these things that are important to who I am formed, sometimes I feel like my favorite things are actually things that are beyond those of my peers. Being raised by grandparents, or having their significant influence does change the way you view the world. And so it just adds another layer as I work with young adults.

It didn't mean that I didn't feel called to go into campus ministry. I want to make sure I make that clear, because I did. But one thing that's interesting when you feel called to go into a place is sometimes you are so excited about the things that you're going to get to teach them, from your unique perspective, from the ways that you see the world a little bit differently.

And yet, I feel like in that particular space, it has been a constant learning for myself. Have you all gone into places like that before, where you were ready to be the gift, and instead you received gift after gift after gift? That has been campus ministry for me.

And it was kind of something I was thinking about as we think about the character of Nicodemus and the way he walks in to meet Jesus. Because I think he was expecting to be the gift, for a young rabbi who was starting to gather followers, to be able to help him as the member of the Sanhedrin and leader of the church, to be able to help Jesus navigate just this crazy world he found himself in. And instead, Jesus becomes the gift.

Now sometimes we don't actually see that from this story. I've often heard the way that we talk about Nicodemus specifically in this story, kind of teased as the person who didn't quite get it. We note the fact that he visited Jesus at night. And so sometimes we view that as an embarrassment or a secret that he would want to visit Jesus when no one could see him.

And we laugh at the way he is confused and makes these remarks about being born again and the word picture he creates of having to be a full-grown adult crawling back into the womb to be born a second time. But what sometimes we forget is that his journey doesn't actually end here. That we actually get a few more mentions of Nicodemus and the way that he grows.

And we hear in John 7 the ways that he is hearing people start to begin to identify Jesus as the Messiah and the ways that he is defending Jesus. And after Jesus' death that he brings 75 pounds of myrrh and aloe so that he can do work that actually was meant for the women to do but to intimately wrap and prepare Jesus' body for burial after his death, even on the Sabbath when he shouldn't have. That is remarkable character growth.

That is someone who has been completely changed and transformed and has received a gift in this first meeting with Jesus. Now I don't want us to get ahead of ourselves into Nicodemus' redemption story. I just want to make sure that we place that in the context of this first experience.

What I think is interesting is I wonder what Nicodemus' original aim of that meeting was. And the only thing I can come up with, the only reason why I feel like Nicodemus would have come to Jesus and would have been trying to get on his good side is that maybe he was trying to control Jesus. What is the message that Jesus is spreading? How can we use it for our benefit or gain?

And I think as much as we wouldn't care to admit this, that we're a lot like this too. That sometimes the Spirit feels so wild. And yes, there is wonder in it, but sometimes it feels like it would be easier to control it a little bit. It would just feel a little bit easier if we could direct it to the aims that we were hoping the Spirit would be addressing and transforming.

Things like this happen all the time in our ministries. Those times where we embark on a journey thinking we're going to serve or be in a particular area and finding out later that God had something different planned. God had something new, something a little bit more wild, something a little bit more wonderful than we could expect.

In my first church, that was their idea to create a fresh expression of a family church. The idea being that on Sunday evenings when parents are extremely busy, if we serve a meal, parents and children could come to a special worship service and be able to prepare for the week with one less thing to worry about in the meal.

But something happens when you serve a meal at church. The people who come to eat are people who are hungry. And so our family church serves a meal, slowly changed into a dinner church. A place where unhoused people in the community were coming to find food and friendship, sometimes a shower, and a community that they could be a part of.

The Spirit blows where it will. And we don't always see it, but we can hear the sound. We can see the effects the wind has. We can see the change in the way we hear people speaking about God working in their lives and moving in their lives.

Nicodemus makes a crucial mistake when he starts with this aim of trying to control the narrative that Jesus is speaking. He says, "You came, and we know you came, because of the signs you have done." And Jesus says, "Nope, you have missed the point. If you did not come to this place under the cover of night because the Spirit has brought you, because you have felt that sense of who I am, because God has spoken it to you, then you have really missed what is going on here."

These are not signs and wonders that God is present in. This is God that you are speaking to. He doesn't say that, but we hear it in the subtext, right? Because John knows exactly where we're going with this. And he says, "If you want to detect the Spirit, you have to be born from above."

One of the things I love about this English translation of this passage is we get a sense of the miscommunication as it's translated in the English. Because Jesus is saying the same word, born from above, born again. It's the same word. But we hear this miscommunication where Jesus is having one conversation and Nicodemus is having a completely different one, right? And they're missing each other.

And for a lot of us, we read this passage and if we are in this place, I imagine we have experienced one of the main gifts we've heard from this passage. This sense that God's justifying grace has come into our lives and we have been born anew through that justifying grace. And that is something to be thankful for. Amen?

Amen? Like Jesus has made a way, has cloaked us and covered us with grace so that our relationship with God can be present and real and active and new and we can sense the Spirit at work. And yet, if we think we have to do that one time, then we come to this passage thinking we know what it's all about and we miss it again and again.

Because the winds can change. And if we are not continually renewed, to the sound of that wind, to the movement of that wind, to the smells and the scents that that wind brings, then we might miss some of the amazing work that the Spirit is doing.

One of the scholars I was reading for this passage said, "Rebirth is a spiritual experience available to all, but perhaps most needed by religious people who might think they do not need it. Religion often becomes a matter of the correct observance of particular practices. When these practices become routine, they may actually serve to hinder spiritual sensitivity. A spiritual transformation in such situations is very much needed."

And this is where Nicodemus is at. Those spiritual routines and rituals have helped him get to this particular place and he misses the spiritual sensitivity. And we can do that too.

I think rather than thinking about this imagery of new birth, to me what it means to be born anew in the Spirit maybe looks more akin to living life in black and white versus living it in color. The ways that the Spirit can brighten up and enliven and make more vivid the work that is happening in this world.

And by being aware of the Spirit, we maybe can't see where the wind is going, but maybe we can move in it instead of getting windblown or maybe even windburned.

In the midst of a season of transition, as I think about the ways that the Spirit is moving, I think about where God is calling us to go, where God is calling me to go. And for Campus to City, there are so many new things happening. The entire landscape of higher education is changing.

You've heard bits and pieces of those things that are coming together. You know that COVID has changed the way that people learn. You know that student loans and the ways that young people are thinking about their finances moving forward has changed the way that they think about or embrace higher education.

You have heard about the ways that there is more need for different kinds of gifts, different kinds of professions in the world, and sometimes a four-year degree isn't the exact same as it was when I was going off to college and it was 100% expected that that's what I would do. Things are changing.

And as a result, Campus to City has to be able to change. It has to be able to reach students where they are, or maybe not students, but just college-aged young adults who are at that crucial time in their life where they are being told they're an adult because they can vote and they're 18 and they can take out loans that are going to change their entire future, and yet so many times they don't feel like they know how to adult because they don't know exactly how to do the laundry yet or how to make the call themselves to the doctor to make that appointment.

It is a really confusing and difficult time, and you're expected to make so many important decisions. And this is a time where as the wind blows, leadership is asking the question of where are students and where can we meet them?

A lot of times it's online because that's where relationships are starting these days for students as they build community in virtual space before they get comfortable enough to start building that community in physical space or to be able to meet them where they are on campus and to be able to offer not just spiritual growth, although that is important, but to offer some opportunities for personal growth as well through leadership development, through conversations about how you handle relationships in your lives, and for me, most importantly, through those one-on-one conversations, where we can ask those deep questions of how is your soul and what is the last thing you heard God say, so that we might be able to enter into and help them discern that the Spirit is blowing and discern what is wind and what is God present and alive around them.

I don't know where the wind is blowing here at Fleming Island United Methodist Church. I know there have been great seasons of transition because we have all gone through COVID. That's been a huge season of transition.

But because God is doing something new in all of our communities and asking us to discern where the wind is blowing, to know how the community around us is changing or growing, to know what it is that the community is thinking about, is burdening us, because we know that when those moments bring us before Jesus, that we don't just get answers to our questions, instead we get invitations to transformation.

That's what we're hoping for. That's what we're looking for. And if we can be born anew, if we can be born from above, maybe we can just get a sense of the way the Spirit is blowing. So we might be able to dance and move with the wind instead of against it.

Let us pray.

God, new every morning is your love. Oh, great God of light. And all day long you are working for good in this world. Your spirit blows where it wills. And we pray for the ears to be able to hear its sound. We pray for the eyes to be able to see its movement and the ways that it changes the world around us.

We ask for the hope that we might be able to welcome what the Spirit will do in the lives of each of us and in the ministries we share together in the church. We ask these things in your holy name. Amen.

Personally, I find no more important place to come seeking transformation than the table. While I might be able to speak what I hope are words from Jesus, this is the table over which Jesus presides. Jesus' presence here, Jesus' invitation here is something that is offered freely to each one of us.

Now, I don't know about you, but usually before coming to the table, the dinner table, I'm asked to wash my hands. And so before we come to Jesus' table, we take a moment to be able to wash our hands. We offer prayers of confession and renew the relationship we have with Jesus.

So if you'll join me and let's take some time to pray together. I'll begin silently so you might be able to consider your own confessions and close us out together.

Merciful God, we come to you this morning as people who are in need of your renewal and rebirth. We come as clay and we pray that you would do your work again, forgiving our sins and redirecting us to the ways that the Spirit is moving in our lives. We humbly ask for your forgiveness and love and connection. Amen.

Jesus came to us while we were still sinners and that proves God's love for us. And so in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Amen.

The Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right. It's a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to God the Father when there was nothing but void and chaos and wild.

That God looked over the deep and ordered, speaking in new life, separating light, separating the atmosphere from the cosmos, separating water from land and creating inhabitable space, filling it with every kind of plant and tree, things that would bring forth fruit and things that would bring forth joy and flowering and beauty, filling the land and the sea and the skies with every kind of animal that God had made and called it good.

God was not done yet, forming from the dust of the ground something in God's own image and something enlivened by God's own breath, humankind. And in that relationship and the relationship that we would have with all of God's creation, God called it all very good.

There was an intimate relationship with God. We walked with him in the cool of the day. We accepted the boundaries and the good things that God provided for us. We asked God questions, but sometimes God's love can feel a little bit too much for a mere human. And when God's love remained steadfast and our love turned away, God continued to pursue.

God continued to love. God continued to find ways to connect with us, whether that was mediated through holy space in tabernacles and in temples in which priests would make relationship right, whether that was through the words of prophets that would be able to speak the words that we could not hear, whether that was through kings that might be able to lovingly lead us as they followed their own king of kings.

And ultimately, when all of these methods were close enough, God embraced our own form, becoming human God's self, fully human and fully divine, loving and leading and feeling with us in the person of Jesus.

Jesus formed close relationships with us and showed us how to form close relationships with God. On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, he gave thanks to the Father for it and blessed it and broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, "Take, eat. This is not bread; this is my body given for you for the forgiveness of sins. Every time you eat of it, do it in remembrance of me."

And when the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to the Father for it, blessed it and shared it with his disciples, saying, "This is not wine; this is my blood poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Every time you drink of it, do it in remembrance of me."

And so in remembrance of these mighty acts, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, asking that God would once again pour out God's holy spirit on us and pour out God's holy spirit on these gifts of bread and of juice, that in this moment they would be made God's body and blood so that in the taking of these gifts we would have food for the journey as people who are going out carrying the love and presence of Christ within us all.

By your spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final victory and we feast with him at his heavenly banquet.

Through your son Jesus Christ, through your holy spirit and in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.

Just a moment we will be serving these elements of bread and juice. I'll invite the servers to come forward so that we can prepare the table. I did want to make mention that if you are in need of gluten-free elements or if perhaps you would prefer pre-packaged elements, those will be available for you in the center, but all are welcome to come.

The day of Christ broken for you and commune, and we'd love for you to close us in prayer.

Yeah, well if you'll pray with me. God, we give you thanks for your presence here and the ways that your spirit blows through this place and also blows out throughout the world and our communities. Pray that you would carry us into the places you would have us go.

We pray that you would transform us into the people that you want us to be so that we might see the world transformed as disciples for you. In your holy name we pray. Amen.