There's a new and revitalized energy in this church community. This new, revitalized energy is rising week after week, month after month. This new, revitalized energy is a spirit we not only see; it's also something we hear. By word of mouth, more and more are sharing news of the good things happening here in Harford. More and more are coming to know, or are coming to know again, that this is a God-driven church with momentum; this is a God-given church with purpose, and heart. And we are not stopping. Instead, we are following. We are following Christ as those disciples we read about this morning are following Christ.

Here disciples James and John, the sons of Zebedee, don't sit back. Take a look again at verse thirty-five. These two come forward. They don't come on all casual. They don't chill. They, like you, get up in the morning. They come to Jesus like we come to church. And, more specifically, they, like you, get Jesus as Messiah and are pumped by it. They are rocked by it. Like Philadelphia Phillies left-handed starting pitcher Cole Hamels, they've got their game on. They are in the zone. With a relationship like we have with Jesus, and I know our relationship here with Jesus is strong and true—they come to this statement, this request.  We're still at the top with verse 35. They say what? Right. Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.

Most of us, when having a conversation with Jesus, aren't that assertive, or forward-sounding. But in their relationship with Jesus, these two are onto something. These two want something. Like us, these two make their requests known.

That's right, we are like these two. Through prayer and petition, we, too, make our requests known. With both conviction and trust in the Lord, we, like those brothers, put it out there. Maybe it's put out there with less demand and more decorum, but we say what we want.

And one prayer we've made known, one prayer we've prayed for over these past seven, eight or nine years, is young people. Isn't that right? Hasn't one of our prayers been for young people to come (or come back) and be a part of who we are?  Level the playing field here. Think about it. Yes, we've had other prayer requests, but, truly, hasn't that been the single, most specific, heart-felt prayer we, as a congregation have had?

The answer is yes, that has been our prayer. And our prayer is being answered.

Some of you were not able to be with us last Sunday when our confirmands were confirmed. Some of you missed when the Spirit of God filled this sanctuary with the presence of the divine perhaps even if you were in a pew this past Sunday.

But it was here. Here. Like those two sons, James and John, you have made your request known—and it's been granted. Through the Spirit, our prayer has been answered.

Now what?

Let's keep our eye on the future by keeping clear what it is that we are to do, and that is serve others.

You'll see what I mean about keeping focus on the future by serving others when, for a moment, I take us back to Heritage Sunday. Heritage Sunday came two Sundays ago, October 4^th. In our sermon, we raised our super seniors, those who've been members of our church for 50 or more years. These pillars of our family through their time, tears, prayers, determination, faith, ability and vision, have enabled us—still today—to get where we are. Like those before them, they have laid out their dreams for the future and, still so active and present today, continue to work, continue to pray, and continue to see what this church and its campus can become, and that's to a place of glory to God.

Think about it. In a church that's almost 210 years old, a lot of people before all of us have made it possible for us to have what we have today—a place to know God, be in community, and live in service. They made their prayers known. They wanted a church. They wanted a church where people could come and grow in faith, hope, and in charity. Their prayer was answered. We have this church. They had their eyes on the future. By realizing they were to be servants of the same God we worship, by putting to work the same scripture we have heard this morning, they made this place possible. Think about it. They made this worship space possible and they never knew us.

It is time for us to make this place possible for those we do not know. Like our super seniors and those that have gone on before them, we too, need an eye on the future. We, too, need to build what will not necessarily be used by us, but by those in the future.

There is no doubt we are following God. How do we know this? We know this because we've arrived at a good place, not by our will, but by God's.

And God, through Jesus, makes it clear what we should do. Look again at scripture. How are we going to succeed in laying out the future for this church? It's right here in the latter half of verse 43. Find verse 43, about half a sentence in. How are we going to build a future for this church?  Listen as you follow along. The answer is here. Find it and follow it with your heart. Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be a slave of all.

I know you strong-shouldered New England types. I know you country and small town types. I know you because, don't forget, I am one of you. Stalwart, stubborn, determined and hardworking, our eye is on the prize. We care about Christ and we care to not only build but also maintain a Christ-centered community here in this much loved sanctuary. And for us to do this, the words are right here. We are to be servants. We are to be slaves of all.

I've talked a lot about building. Yes, by building I mean we need new walls, and we do need more walls and more space, but really, the building I'm talking about comes from our hearts. See, it's here. And it's been here. We know what we are to do. We didn't need this scripture, though it doesn't hurt any of us to be reminded that we are to put others first. We know that our joy comes not when we listen to our own fear and doubt, it's not when we focus or fixate our on wallets, it is not when we use earth-based thinking instead of God-centering acting; no, we know our true joy comes when we serve others.

Our scripture is clear. We gain only when we serve others, even if those 'others' are people we have not yet met. We gain only when we serve others even if those 'others' are our confirmands and other young voices. We gain only when we serve others, even if those 'others' may, dozens of years from now, know us only by our work

While the stewardship season is upon us, the message today is not saying to just throw another twenty in the plate. Instead, God is sharing through his Son that in this kingdom where we drink from the cup that Jesus drinks from, we are to be servants. We are to be a slave to all. It's not this preacher saying give, give, give. It's this scripture.

Our prayers have been answered in that there's a return of the spirit here. Our prayers have been answered in that there's a return of momentum, and that truly, our M&M series isn't just for the kids and candy; no, our ministry is on the move.

Our prayers have been answered, now what? Given what we've been given servants, it is time for our ministry to move.

Here is an example of servants whose ministry moves. Here's an example where a community went out not to serve themselves, but others. The name of this community is the Good Shepherd United Church of Christ.

This UCC church in Arizona said goodbye to cramped meeting spaces. Now it accommodates a growing mix of groups, classes and events. In addition, the sanctuary, which seats about one hundred more than capacity here, has been completely repainted.

See, they are not serving themselves, they are serving others. Hear that this worship family, like ours, hears God talking with them. Hear that this worship family, like ours, knows what it means to live out this scripture and be, truly, servants to all.

"We have chicken dinners, spaghetti dinners, and the chili fest," the Rev. Randy Mayer points out, adding that between the congregation and other groups, "we host one or two big dinners a month from September through May."

This project met challenges. There were struggles, but with capital campaign donations from the congregation and money borrowed from the national United Church Cornerstone Fund, which serves United Church of Christ ministries, this church is being a place of service to others.

Let this church—this holy place where you have come to know God, scripture, fellowship, commitment and renewal—be a place where we can be service to others. Let this place be to others what it is to us: a place to be family. To do so servants, build. Tear down an old wall. Open a space for a new window. And this old wall and new window I talk about isn't a building. It is renovation and improvement within your own heart.