Sunday, February 7, 2021 - Does God test us?

Theme - Curious Questions of God: Does God test us?

Prayer

Genesis 22:1-3, 10-13                                             Common English Bible Translation

After these events, God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” Abraham answered, “I’m here.” God said, “Take your son, your only son whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him up as an entirely burned offering there on one of the mountains that I will show you.” Abraham got up early in the morning, harnessed his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, together with his son Isaac. He split the wood for the entirely burned offerings, set out, and went to the place God had described to him. Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. But the Lord’s messenger called out to Abraham from heaven, “Abraham? Abraham?” Abraham said, “I’m here.” The messenger said, “Don’t stretch out your hand against the young man, and don’t do anything to him. I now know that you revere God and didn’t hold back your son, your only son, from me.” Abraham looked up and saw a single ram caught by its horns in the dense underbrush. Abraham went over, took the ram, and offered it as an entirely burned offering instead of his son. (Question: Have you ever not questioned something and wished that you had?)

Exodus 16:3-6

The Israelites said to them, “Oh, how we wish that the Lord had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Instead, you’ve brought us out into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “I’m going to make bread rain down from the sky for you. The people will go out each day and gather just enough for that day. In this way, I’ll test them to see whether or not they follow my Instruction. On the sixth day, when they measure out what they have collected, it will be twice as much as they collected on other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. (Question: How does God bless you?)

Matthew 4:2-7

After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.” Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.” After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.” Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.” (Question: What expectations do we place upon God and Christ?)

John 8:2-6

Early in the morning he returned to the temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and taught them. The legal experts and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. Placing her in the center of the group, they said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone women like this. What do you say?” They said this to test him, because they wanted a reason to bring an accusation against him. Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. (Questions: How do you react to the word test? What problems do you find with tests?)

2 Corinthians 13:4-7

Certainly he was crucified because of weakness, but he lives by the power of God. Certainly we also are weak in him, but we live together with him, because of God’s power that is directed toward you. Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Don’t you understand that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test. But I hope that you will realize that we don’t fail the test. We pray to God that you don’t do anything wrong, not because we want to appear to pass the test but so that you. Might do the right thing, even if we appear to fail. (Question: How do you think God interacts with you?)

Reflection Together

The Lord’s Supper

Invitation

Prayer of Thanksgiving 

Words of Institution

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

O Worship the King, All Glorious Above! – 41 GTG

O Lord My God – 625 GTG

O God, You Are My God – 743 GTG

Called as Partners in Christ’s Service – 761 GTG

Sunday, January 31, 2021 - What God is saving us from if life continues to be hard?

Theme - Curious Questions of God: What God is saving us from if life continues to be hard?

Prayer

Mark 8:27-29                                             Common English Bible Translation

Jesus and his disciples went into the villages near Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They told him, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets.” He asked them, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” (Question: Who is Jesus to you?)

Mark 8:31-33

Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: “The Human One must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead.” He said this plainly. But Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him. Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.” (Question: What is most difficult about following Jesus?)

Mark 8:34-9:1

After calling the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all those who lose their lives because of me and because of the good news will save them. Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? What will people give in exchange for their lives? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Human One will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Jesus continued, “I assure you that some standing here won’t die before they see God’s kingdom arrive in power.” (Question: What are the things you want to be saved from in life?)

Mark 12:28-34

One of the legal experts heard their dispute and saw how well Jesus answered them. He came over and asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus replied, “The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” The legal expert said to him, “Well said, Teacher. You have truthfully said that God is one and there is no other besides him. And to love God with all of the heart, a full understanding, and all of one’s strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself is much more important than all kinds of entirely burned offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered with wisdom, he said to him, “You aren’t far from God’s kingdom.” After that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.” (Question: How do you show love for God and love for others?)

Luke 17:20-21

Pharisees asked Jesus when God’s kingdom was coming. He replied, “God’s kingdom isn’t coming with signs that are easily noticed. Nor will people say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ Don’t you see? God’s kingdom is already among you.” (Question: What are some elements to living a life that reflects God’s love?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

God Welcomes All – 399 GTG

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling – 366 GTG

We Are One in the Spirit – 300 GTG

Take My Life – 697 GTG

Sunday, January 24, 2021 - How do we listen for God?

Theme - Curious Questions of God: How do we listen for God?

Prayer

Luke 9:28-33                                                                      Common English Bible Translation

About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes flashed white like lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him. They were clothed with heavenly splendor and spoke about Jesus’ departure, which he would achieve in Jerusalem. Peter and those with him were almost overcome by sleep, but they managed to stay awake and saw his glory as well as the two men with him. As the two men were about to leave Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it’s good that we’re here. We should construct three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” but he didn’t know what he was saying. (Question: What are the most confusing things that you’ve witnessed in life?)

Luke 9:34-37

Peter was still speaking when a cloud overshadowed them. As they entered the cloud, they were overcome with awe. Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him!” Even as the voice spoke, Jesus was found alone. They were speechless and at the time told no one what they had seen. The next day, when Jesus, Peter, John, and James had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. (Question: What do you think it means to listen to Jesus?)

Luke 9:38-43a

A man from the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to take a look at my son, my only child. Look, a spirit seizes him and, without any warning, he screams. It shakes him and causes him to foam at the mouth. It tortures him and rarely leaves him alone. I begged your disciples to throw it out, but they couldn’t.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and crooked generation, how long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” While he was coming, the demon threw him down and shook him violently. Jesus spoke harshly to the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father. Everyone was overwhelmed by God’s greatness. (Question: How have you experienced receiving and giving healing to others?)

Luke 9:46-48

An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Aware of their deepest thoughts, Jesus took a little child and had the child stand beside. Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever is least among you all is the greatest.” (Question: How have you been welcomed and then welcomed others in your life?)

Luke 9:57-60

As Jesus and his disciples traveled along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Human One has no place to lay his head.” Then Jesus said to someone else, “Follow me.” He replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and spread the news of God’s kingdom.” (Question: What excuses do you struggle with around listening to God?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Lord, the Light of Your Love Is Shining – 192 GTG

Spirit of the Living God – 288 GTG

Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness – 291 GTG

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah – 65 GTG

I, the Lord of Sea and Sky – 69 GTG

Quotes by author Linda McCullough Moore

“When God does speak to us there will be hints of confirmation: other people, circumstances, results from our obedience, fruits of that industry, and, sometimes more quietly, nudges that will not leave us – particularly nudges that are counter to our own inclinations; ideas that will not let us be; offers that we can’t refuse.”

Sunday, January 17, 2021 - Where is God when everything is falling apart?

Theme: Curious Questions of God - Where is God when everything is falling apart?

Prayer

John 16:19, 25-28                                                               Common English Bible Translation

Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, so he said, “Are you trying to find out from each other what I meant when I said, ‘Soon you won’t see me, and soon after that you will see me’? “I’ve been using figures of speech with you. The time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in such analogies. Instead, I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I’m not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. The Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and believed that I came from God. I left the Father and came into the world. I tell you again: I am leaving the world and returning to the Father.” (Question: How do you regularly connect to God?)

John 18:28-31

The Jewish leaders led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s palace. It was early in the morning. So that they could eat the Passover, the Jewish leaders wouldn’t enter the palace; entering the palace would have made them ritually impure. So Pilate went out to them and asked, “What charge do you bring against this man?” They answered, “If he had done nothing wrong, we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.” Pilate responded, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your Law.” The Jewish leaders replied, “The Law doesn’t allow us to kill anyone.” (Question: Have you ever felt like no matter how much good you do that things still fall apart?)

John 16:32

Look! A time is coming – and is here! – when each of you will be scattered to your own homes and you will leave me alone. I’m not really alone, for the Father is with me. (Question: When do you feel the most alone and when do you not? What makes the difference?)

John 18:33-38

Pilate went back into the palace. He summoned Jesus and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others spoken to you about me?” Pilate responded, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your nation and its chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus replied, “My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would fight so that I wouldn’t have been arrested by the Jewish leaders. My kingdom isn’t from here.” “So you are a king?” Pilate said. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born and came into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth. Whoever accepts the truth listens to my voice.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. After Pilate said this, he returned to the Jewish leaders and said, “I find no grounds for any charge against him.” (Question: How do you usually respond when things are falling apart?)

John 16:33

I’ve said these things to you so that you will have peace in me. In the world you have distress. But be encouraged! I have conquered the world.” (Question: How does God encourage you?)

Reflection Together

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Abide with Me – 836 GTG

Great Are You, Lord – 614 GTG

I Will Call upon the Lord – 621 GTG

To God Be the Glory – 634 GTG

Forever On Your Side - NEEDTOBREATHE

Quotes by Walter Brueggemann

“The world comes at us in destructive, pathological ways. From out of the chaos, however, comes this other voice rooted in memory. Comes the text shaping our future not in hostility but in compassion, not in abandonment but in solidarity, not in isolation but in covenant, not in estrangement but in well-being.”

“We must speak about death, not because we are excessively fascinated by it or because it is fun to talk about, but because in that Friday drama, Jesus knew who he was and gave himself in love for the sake of the world, gave himself to the poor, the needy, the despairing, but also for the wise, the strong, the controlling. And in his act of vulnerability, his power to love broke all the power of violence and brutality.”

“The world of despair believes that there are no new gifts, no fresh generosity, no possibility of newness or forgiveness, and so life becomes a zero-sum game to see who can stay the longest on top of the heap, all the while knowing that there will be no good outcome to the futile rat race. Well, here is the news. Out beyond that despair that sanctions road rage and violence against the poor and war and ruthless exploitation that leaves one exhausted if not half dead, there is an alternative world bodied in Jesus. It is a world of new gifts and fresh starts grounded in divine forgiveness and sustained by generosity. That world is on offer in this one who is about to be born among us.”

Sunday, January 10, 2021 - Responsibilities & Desires

Theme: Living In Between - Responsibilities & Desires

Prayer

Exodus 3:14-17                                                              Common English Bible Translation

God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. So say to the Israelites, ‘I Am has sent me to you.’” God continued, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how all generations will remember me. “Go and get Israel’s elders together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me. The Lord said, “I’ve been paying close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. I’ve decided to take you away from harassment in Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land full of milk and honey.’” (Question: How have you experienced God?)

Exodus 4:1-5

Then Moses replied, “But what if they don’t believe me or pay attention to me? They might say to me, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you!’” The Lord said to him, “What’s that in your hand?” Moses replied, A shepherd’s rod.” The Lord said, “Throw it down on the ground.” So Moses threw it on the ground, and it turned into a snake. Moses jumped back from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out and grab the snake by the tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a rod in his hand. “do this so that they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God has in fact appeared to you.”

(Question: Have you ever been hesitant to follow God? Why?)

Exodus 4:10-13

But Moses said to the Lord, “My Lord, I’ve never been able to speak well, not yesterday, not the day before, and certainly not now since you’ve been talking to your servant. I have a slow mouth and a thick tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives people the ability to speak? Who’s responsible for making them unable to speak or hard of hearing, sighted or blind? Isn’t it I, the Lord? Now go! I’ll help you speak, and I’ll teach you what you should say.” But Moses said, “Please, my Lord, just send someone else.” (Question: Have you ever wanted to run from responsibility because of feeling incapable?)

Exodus 4:14-17

Then the Lord got angry at Moses and said, “What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak very well. He’s on his way out to meet you now, and he’s looking forward to seeing you. Speak to him and tell him what he’s supposed to say. I’ll help both of you speak, and I’ll teach both of you what to do. Aaron will speak for you to the people. He’ll be a spokesperson for you, and you will be like God for him. Take this shepherd’s rod with you too so that you can do the signs.” (Question: What do you feel like you are incapable of doing? Why?)

Exodus 4:18-20

Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to my family in Egypt and see whether or not they are still living.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt because everyone there who wanted to kill you has died.” So Moses took his wife and his children, put them on a donkey and sent back to the land of Egypt. Moses also carried the shepherd’s rod from God in his hand. (Question: What gives you strength to address and move forward through your fears?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Open My Eyes, That I May See – 451 GTG

Be Thou My Vision – 450 GTG

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing – 475 GTG

Precious Lord, Take My Hand – 834 GTG

Go Down to the River to Pray – Allison Kraus 

Quotes by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.” 

“I discovered later, and I’m still discovering right up to this moment, that it is only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith. By this-worldliness I mean living unreservedly in life’s duties, problems, successes and failures. In so doing we throw ourselves completely into the arms of God, taking seriously, not our own sufferings, but those of God in the world. That, I think, is faith.”

Sunday, January 3, 2020 - Possibilities & Realities

Guest Preacher today is Rev. Paul Stunkel

Theme - Living In Between: Possibilities & Realities

Prayer

Deuteronomy 26:4-9

When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A Syrian refugee was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Matthew 2:12-22                                                          New Revised Standard Translation

Having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, the wise men left for their own country by another road. Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,

Wailing and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children;

She refused to be consoled, because they are

No more.”

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing 

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Gentle Mary Laid Her Child – 146 GTG

Joy to the World – 134 GTG

Infant Holy Infant Lowly – 128 GTG

Go, Tell It On the Mountain  - 136 GTG

In the Bleak Midwinter – 144 GTG

Sunday, December 27, 2020 - Celebration & Loss

Theme - Living In Between: Celebration & Loss

Prayer

Luke 2:25-27                                                               Common English Bible Translation

A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. He was righteous and devout. He eagerly anticipated the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he wouldn’t die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Led by the Spirit, he went into the temple area. Meanwhile, Jesus’ parents brough the child to the temple so that they could do what was customary under the Law. (Question: What are some things you want to accomplish in your life?)

Luke 2:28-32

Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said, “Now, master, let your servant go in peace according to your word, because my eyes have seen your salvation. You prepared this salvation in the presence of all peoples. It’s a light for revelation to the Gentiles and a glory for your people Israel.” (Question: What are things that help you find peace?)

Luke 2:33-35

His father and mother were amazed by what was said about him. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “This boy is assigned to the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that generates opposition so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your innermost being too.” (Question: Have you ever had a moment of celebration and pain?)

Luke 2:36-37

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, who belonged to the tribe of Asher. She was very old. After she married, she lived with her husband for seven years. She was now an 84-year-old widow. She never left the temple area but worshipped God with fasting and prayer night and day. (Question: What are practices that keep you centered?)

Luke 2:38

She approached at that very moment and began to praise God and to speak about Jesus to everyone who was looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. (Question: How do you celebrate in the midst of confusion?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Still, Still, Still – 124 GTG

Good Christian Friends, Rejoice – 132 GTG

O Come, All Ye Faithful – 133 GTG 

The First Nowell – 147 GTG

We Three Kings of Orient Are – 151 GTG

Quotes by Jürgen Moltmann

“Joy is the meaning of human life. Human beings were created in order to have joy in God. They are born in order to have joy in life. This means that the frequent questions – What am I here for? Am I of any use? Can I make myself of any use? – lose their point. There is no purpose and no utilitarian goal for which human life is required. There are no ethical goals or ideal aims with which human life has to justify itself. Life itself is good. Existence is beautiful and to be here is glorious. We live in order to live.”

“If a life is led in the light of Christ’s resurrection, we can recognize that there the power of death has been broken, and the powers of death have lost their rights over us. In the wonder of the resurrection a life becomes new. It is no longer a life leading to death; it is a life leading to the fullness that God has promised.”

Quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“By kindly powers protected wonderfully, confident, we wait for come what may. Night and morning, God is by us, faithfully and surely at each new born day.”

Quote by Walter Brueggemann

“We have so much relinquishing to do in order to come to God’s goodness. It is in relinquishing to God’s goodness that we come to gospel freedom. That relinquishing takes the form of open-handedness, and honesty, and joyousness, ready to live the good news fully.”

Quote by Marcus Borg

“To be saved is to be delivered/rescued from that which ails us. Salvation is also about more than deliverance and rescue: to be saved is to enter into a new kind of life – a life covenanted with God, the central theme of both the Old and New Testaments. Salvation is about deliverance and transformation.”

Christmas Eve 2020 - Lessons and Carols

Lessons and Carols

Pre Service Music

Welcome

Lighting of the Advent Candles: HOPE, PEACE, JOY, LOVE                        

One: Come, Deliverer of hope:

One: Come, Giver of peace: 

One: Come, Embodiment of joy:

One: Come, Transformative love:

 (Candles of HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE are relit)

Hymn 106              Prepare the Way, O Zion

Prayer for Guidance 

First Lesson

Genesis 1:26-31; 5:1-2     God Blesses Humankind

Poem                     People of Ceaseless Hope         by Walter Burghardt

Organ Solo      O Come, All Ye Faithful

Second Lesson

Jeremiah 31:31-34             A New Covenant

Carol 145                            What Child Is This                    

Organ Solo       Go Tell It On the Mountain

Third Lesson

Micah 5:2-4              The Glory of Little Bethlehem

Poem             Hush                by Lucina Hynett

Carol 121                       O Little Town of Bethlehem              

Fourth Lesson

Luke 1:26-35, 38               The Annunciation

Solo                   Mary Did You Know

Fifth Lesson

Matthew 1:18-23               Angel Appears to Joseph

Poem                             Touched by an Angel               by Maya Angelou

Carol 119                   Hark! The Herald Angels Sing           

Sixth Lesson

Luke 2:1, 3-7               Luke Tells the Birth of Jesus

Solo                    Joseph’s Lullaby

Seventh Lesson

Luke 2:8-16             The Shepherds Go to the Manger

Poem                       Ready for Silence                     by Madeleine L’Engle

Carol 115             Away in a Manger

Eighth Lesson

Matthew 2:1-12       The Wise Men are Led by the Star

Carol    God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

The Lord’s Supper

Invitation

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

 (please pick up the communion elements as you exit the building this evening)

Carol 122                                       Silent Night

(as Silent Night is played please light your glow sticks)

*****

Ninth Lesson

John 1:1-14           The Mystery of the Incarnation

Carol 134                    Joy to the World  

Benediction

Postlude

Sermon Series – Living in Between

December 27th – Celebration & Loss

January 3rd – Possibilities & Realities

January 10th – Responsibilities & Desires

Jan 17th– Feb 14thSermon Series – Curious Questions of God

Sunday, Dec 20, 2020 - Vision to Reality: How?

Theme: Envisioning New Realities - Vision to Reality: How?

Lighting of the Advent Candles (Love)

The journey of Advent is one of complexity that is supposed to lead us to the transformative love of the Christ child. As we come to this Sunday of love it is easy to skip over this word and hurry through the day. However, the love that the Christ child brings is “God’s love for human beings, and from this divine frontier-crossing love finds the strength to cross barriers itself, and to find the way even to the enemy. Love has pleasure in the other, in what is new.” (Jürgen Moltmann) A love that crosses barriers and invites us into new, transformative relationships.

Today we relight the candles of hope, peace, and joy with the recognition that we needed to be reminded how God is at work in our lives. (The candles of hope, peace, and joy are relit) Now we light the candle of love that reminds us that we belong to a God of love. (The candle of love is lit)

Prayer

Luke 1:39-45                                                                Common English Bible Translation

Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. With a loud voice she blurted out, “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her.” (Question: Who has been present in your life that showed you love?)

Luke 1:46-49

Mary said, “With all my heart I glorify the Lord! In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant. Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored because the mighty one has done great things for me. Holy is his name. (Question: Who helps you to know you are worthy of love?)

Luke 1:50-51

He shows mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors him as God. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations. (Question: What mercy do you need in your life?)

Luke 1:52-53

He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed. (Question: What needs do we feel go unmet and which ones are fulfilled?)

Luke 1:54-55

He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, just as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.” (Question: What stories have helped you to navigate your life in new ways?)

Reflection Together 

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Prepare the Way, O Zion – 106 GTG

Love Has Come – 110 GTG

Away in a Manger – 115 GTG (verse 2)

Once in Royal David’s City – 140 GTG (verse 1)

Angels, from the Realms of Glory – 143 GTG (verse 4)

Quotes by Rowan Williams

“We have grounds for hoping that our lives here within the complex system of created reality can show in some degree the gratuitous and generous love out of which everything comes, the love of the Creator in whose image we are made.”

“Love: an expression of the freedom to receive. Love: that which drives us to take time and to let go of anxiety. Love: that which permits us to be enriched and to be ‘given to’, made alive, to be breathed into. Not a passive thing, as some of those images might suggest, but a state of openness to joy.”

Quotes by Jürgen Moltmann

“It is the divine power of love that lifts people out of themselves and lets them forget their own ego. People are only concerned about themselves when they are frightened. But there is no fear in love.”

“In the flood of love, the whole joy of God is with us. That is why Paul is right when he says that without love the best human gifts and achievements, the most elevated religious feelings, and the wisest knowledge remain empty – ‘a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.’”

“The love of the Lord is compassion-the love of the liberated is joy. Compassionate love is love for those who are different, for the compassion is awakened not through beauty but through misery.”

Sunday, December 13, 2020 - Exile & Freedom: Understanding our Whys

Theme: Envisioning New Realities - Exile & Freedom: Understanding our Whys

Lighting of the Advent Candles (Joy)

Continuing on this journey through Advent we come to the day that symbolizes joy. The joy of God is not happiness but “is strength for living, the empowerment to love, the delight in creative beginning... God is joyful when those God has created rejoice over God’s grace and over Godself.” (Jürgen Moltmann)  We celebrate joy today not because everything is fine or that we have found a utopia to live in. Today we celebrate joy because no matter where we have been, no matter our experiences God is extending love and grace to us. 

Today we relight the candles of hope and peace, which envisions a reality where God is persistent in bringing peace into this world. (The candles of hope and peace are relit.) As we hold onto peace in this restless world we move forward into a joy given by God who is constantly seeking us out and encouraging us to live into new realities. (The candle of joy is lit.)

Prayer

Ezra 1:1-4                                                                      Common English Bible Translation

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia’ rule, to fulfill the Lord’s word spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Persia’s King Cyrus. The king issued a proclamation throughout his kingdom (it was also in writing) that stated: Persia’s King Cyrus says: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has commanded me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. If there are any of you who are from his people, may their God be with them! They may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel-he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And as for all those who remain in the various places where they are living, let the people of those places supply them with silver and gold, and with the goods and livestock, together with spontaneous gifts for God’s house in Jerusalem. (Question: How do you cultivate joy in your life?)

Psalm 126:1-3

When the Lord changed Zion’s circumstances for the better, it was like we had been dreaming. Our mouths were suddenly filled with laughter; our tongues were filled with joyful shouts. It was even said, at that time, among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them!” Yes, the Lord has done great things for us, and we are overjoyed. (Question: How do you celebrate joy?)

Isaiah 61:1-3a

The Lord God’s spirit is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release for captives, and liberation for prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and a day of vindication for our God, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for Zion’s mourners, to give them a crown in place of ashes, oil of joy in place of mourning, a mantle of praise in place of discouragement. (Question: What do you need to be released from to experience joy?)

Ezra 3:1-3

When the seventh month came and the Israelites were in their towns, the people gathered together as one in Jerusalem. Then Jeshua, Jozadak’s son along with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son along with his kin, started to rebuild the altar of Israel’s God so that they might offer entirely burned offerings upon it as prescribed in the Instruction from Moses the man of God. They set up the altar on its foundations, because they were afraid of the neighboring peoples, and they offered entirely burned offerings upon it to the Lord, both the morning and the evening offerings. (Question: How do you hold onto joy even when the world seems fearful?)

Isaiah 61:4

They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore formerly deserted places; they will renew ruined cities, places deserted in generations past. (Ps 126:4-6) Lord, change our circumstances for the better, like dry streams in the desert waste! Let those who plant with tears reap the harvest with joyful shouts. Let those who go out, crying and carrying their seed, come home with joyful shouts, carrying bales of grain! (Question: What are you willing to do to have joy?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout – 100 GTG

Angels We Have Heard on High – 113 GTG (verse 1)

Good Christian Friends, Rejoice – 132 GTG (verse 2)

Joy to the World – 134 GTG (verse 2)

Quotes by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

-“The joy of God has gone through the poverty of the manger and the distress of the cross; therefore it is invincible and irrefutable.”

-“Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.”

Quotes by Jürgen Moltmann

-“Joy is strength for living, the empowerment of love, the delight in a creative beginning. It wakes us up, and makes us alive from within.”

-“Real joy is feeling about life, but fun is a superficial experience; joy is lasting and enduring, and puts its stamp on one’s whole attitude to life. Joy is fulfilled time; fun is short-lived and serves to pass the time, as they say. The feeling about life behind the party-making, fun society is probably boredom and a certain contempt for life. Real joy stimulates the soul, makes relationships flourish, makes the heart light and limbs nimble, mobilizes undreamed-of powers, and increases confidence.”

Quote by Brené Brown in Daring Greatly

“…research participants consistently described both joyfulness and gratitude as spiritual practices that were bound to a belief in human connectedness and a power greater than us… Participants described happiness as an emotion that’s connected to circumstances, and they described joy as a spiritual way of engaging with the world that’s connected to practicing gratitude.”

Sunday, December 6, 2020 - Creating Identity: Who are you?

Theme: Envisioning New Realities - Creating Identity: Who are you?

Lighting of the Advent Candles (Peace)

As we continue to envision new realities in this Advent season we turn our focus today to Peace. Peace is more than being quiet or finding a period of rest. “Having peace means having a homeland in the unrest of the world; it means having solid ground under one’s feet. Though the waves may now rage and break, they can no longer rob me of my peace.”  - (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) Today we relight the candle of hope, which symbolizes how God has not quit bringing new possibilities in the world. (The candle of hope is relit) Now we light the candle of peace, that challenges us to ground ourselves in God as the world is restless around us. (The candle of peace is lit.)

Prayer

Deuteronomy 29:2-6                                                    Common English Bible Translation

Moses summoned all Israel, saying to them: You’ve seen with your own eyes everything the Lord did in Egypt, to Pharaoh his servants, and all his land – the great trials your eyes witnessed, these awesome signs and wonders! But until this very moment, the Lord hasn’t given you insight to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear. I’ve led you in the wilderness forty years now; neither the clothes on your back nor the sandals on your feet have worn out. Neither have you eaten bread nor drunk wine or beer during this time-so that you would know that I am the Lord your God. (Question: Does your experience of God change who you are?)

Deuteronomy 29:9-12

So then keep the words of this covenant and do them so you can succeed in all you do. Right now, all of you are in the presence of the Lord your God – the leaders of your tribes, your elders, and your officials, all the Israelite males, your children, your wives, and the immigrants who live with you in your camp, the ones who chops your wood and those who draw your water – ready to enter into the Lord your God’s covenant and into the agreement that the Lord your God is making with you right now. (Question: How do you think the presence of God changes you?)

Deuteronomy 29:13-15

That means the Lord will make you his own people right now – he will be your God just as he promised you and just as he swore to our ancestors: to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I’m not making this covenant and this agreement with you alone but also with those standing here with us right now before the Lord our God, and also with those who aren’t here with us right now. (Question: What is at the foundation of your identity?)

Exodus 23:10-13

For six years you should plant crops on your land and gather in its produce. But in the seventh year you should leave it alone and undisturbed so that the poor among your people may eat. What they leave behind, the wild animals may eat. You should do the same with your vineyard and your olive tree. Do your work in six days. But on the seventh day you should rest so that your ox and donkey may rest, and even the child of your female slave and the immigrant may be refreshed. Be careful to obey everything that I have said to you. Don’t call on the names of the other gods. Don’t even mention them. (Question: How do you make room for rest in your life?)

2 Peter 3:9, 11b-12a, 14-15a

The Lord isn’t slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to change their hearts and lives. What sort of people ought you to be? You must live holy and godly lives, waiting for and hastening the coming day of God. Therefore, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found by him in peace – pure and faultless. Consider the patience of our Lord to be salvation. (Question: How does understanding who you are impact how you live?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

O Lord, How Shall I Meet You – 104 GTG

Comfort, Comfort Now My People – 87 GTG

Now the Heavens Start to Whisper – 94 GTG

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – 119 GTG (verse 3)

You and Your Heart – Jack Johnson

Build My Life – Pat Barrett

Learning to Fly – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Quotes by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Prince of Peace – where God comes in love to human beings and unites with them, there peace is made between God and humankind and among people.”

“Having peace means knowing oneself, borne knowing oneself loved, knowing oneself protected; it means being able to be still, quite still. Having peace with people means being able to build unshakably on their faithfulness; it means knowing oneself at one with them, knowing oneself forgiven by them. Having peace means having a homeland in the unrest of the world; it means having solid ground under one’s feet. Though the waves may now rage and break, they can no longer rob me of my peace.”

Sunday, November 29, 2020 - On the Move - Where?

Theme: Envisioning New Realities: On the Move - Where?

Lighting of the Advent Candles (Hope)

Advent is a time of waiting, of slowing ourselves down so that we might notice how God is entering our lives. As we wait this day we have hope. Not a hope that is equated to optimism but a hope that is of God. “Hope is not a head trip or a heart trip; it is a body trip of putting one’s body at risk for the sake of new possibility... Hope is the deep religious conviction that God has not quit.”– (Walter Brueggemann)   

Today we light the candle of hope, which symbolizes the new possibilities brought to us in the Christ child. (The candle of hope is lit)

Prayer

Genesis 12:1-3                                                                  Common English Bible Translation

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s household for the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation and will bless you. I will make your name respected, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, those who curse you I will curse; all the families of the earth will be blessed because of you.” (Question: How has your life been blessed and how do you bless others?)

Genesis 12:4-9

Abram left just as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Now Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all of their possessions, and those who became members of their household in Haran; and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as the sacred place at Shechem, at the oak of Moreh. The Canaanites lived in the land at that time. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I give this land to your descendants,” so Abram built an altar there to the Lord who appeared to him. From there he traveled toward the mountains east of Bethel, and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshipped in the Lord’s name. Then Abram set out toward the arid southern plain, making and breaking camp as he went. (Question: Have you ever had to leave behind something that was comfortable? What was most challenging about doing it?)

Genesis 12:10-15

When a famine struck the land, Abram went down toward Egypt to live as an immigrant since the famine was so severe in the land. Just before he arrived in Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know you are a good-looking woman. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife,’ and they will kill me but let you live. So tell them you are my sister so that they will treat me well for your sake, and I will survive because of you.” When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw how beautiful his wife was. When Pharaoh’s princes saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s household. (Question: Have you ever had the experience of thinking the” grass is greener on the other side”?)

Genesis 12:16-13:1

Things went well for Abram because of her: he acquired flocks, cattle, male donkeys, men servants, women servants, female donkeys, and camels. Then the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What’s this you’ve done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ so that I made her my wife? Now here’s your wife. Take her and go!” Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram, and they expelled him with his wife and everything he had. Abram went up from Egypt toward the arid southern plain and his wife, with everything he had, and with Lot. (Question: Have you ever wished you hadn’t traveled somewhere?)

Mark 13:32-37

“But nobody knows when that day or hour will come, not the angels in heaven and not the Son. Only the Father knows. Watch out! Stay alert! You don’t know when the time is coming. It is as if someone took a trip, left the household behind, and put the servants in charge, giving each one a job to do, and told the doorkeeper to stay alert. Therefore, stay alert! You don’t know when the head of the household will come, whether in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster crows in the early morning or at daybreak. Don’t let him show up when you weren’t expecting and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: Stay alert!” (Question: Who are the people or what are the things that made you change your direction in life?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Prepare the Way, O Zion – 106 GTG

People, Look East – 105 GTG

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear – 123 GTG (verse 4)

Hope – Jack Johnson

The Fire Never Dies – Jessie Early

O Come, All Ye Faithful - Pentatonix

Quotes by Walter Brueggemann

“Rather, hope is the conviction, against a great deal of data, that God is tenacious and persistent in overcoming the deathliness of the world, that God intends joy and peace.”

“Christians find compelling evidence, in the story of Jesus, that Jesus, with great persistence and great vulnerability, everywhere he went, turned the enmity of society toward a new possibility, turned the sadness of the world toward joy, introduced a new regime where the dead are raised, the lost are found, and the displaced are brought home again. We draw our hope from the breathtaking memory of this Jesus!”

Sunday, November 22, 2020 - Being an Encouragement

Theme: Finding Our Way Together - Being an Encouragement

Prayer

Acts 16:25-27                                                                 Common English Bible Translation

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. All at once there was such a violent earthquake that it shook the prison’s foundations. The doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose. When the jailer awoke and saw the open doors of the prison, he thought the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword and was about to kill himself. (Question: What fears take over your life?)

Acts 16:28-30

But Paul shouted loudly, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all here!” The jailer called for some lights, rushed in, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He led them outside and asked, “Honorable masters, what must I do to be rescued?” (Question: How do you respond when someone shares their fears with you?)

Acts 16:31-34

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your entire household.” They spoke the Lord’s word to him and everyone else in his house. Right then, in the middle of the night, the jailer welcomed them and washed their wounds. He and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his home and gave them a meal. He was overjoyed because he and everyone in his household had come to believe in God. (Question: What are pieces of encouragement that you have tried to give to others?)

Acts 16:35-37

The next morning the legal authorities sent the police to the jailer with the order “Release those people.” So the jailer reported this to Paul, informing him, “The authorities sent word that you both are to be released. You can leave now. Go in peace.” Paul told the police, “Even though we are Roman citizens, they beat us publicly without first finding us guilty of a crime, and they threw us into prison. And now they want to send us away secretly? No way! They themselves will have to come and escort us out.” (Question: How do you hold in tension accountability and encouragement?)

Acts 16:38-40

The police reported this to the legal authorities, who were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. They came and consoled Paul and Silas, escorting them out of prison and begging them to leave the city. Paul and Silas left the prison and made their way to Lydia’s house where they encouraged the brothers and sisters. Then they left Philippi. (Question: How do you encourage others even when you might be struggling?)

Reflection Together

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Benediction

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – 263 GTG

Come, Christians, Join to Sing – 267 GTG

O God, You Are My God – 743 GTG

Rescue Story & Chain Breaker – Zach Williams

Starting Over – Chris Stapleton

Sunday, November 15, 2020 - Finding Beauty in our Differences

Theme: Finding Our Way Together - Finding Beauty in our Differences

Prayer

Acts 10:1-6                                                                       Common English Bible Translation

There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion in the Italian Company. He and his whole household were pious, Gentile God-worshippers. He gave generously to those in need among the Jewish people and prayed to God constantly. One day at nearly three o’clock in the afternoon, he clearly saw an angel from God in a vision. The angel came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Startled he stared at the angel and replied, “What is it, Lord?” The angel said, “Your prayers and your compassionate acts like a memorial offering to God. Send messengers to Joppa at once and summon a certain Simon, the one known as Peter. He is a guest of Simon the tanner, whose house is near the seacoast.” (Question: What does it take to get your attention?)

Acts 10:9-16

At noon on the following day, as their journey brought them close to the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted to eat. While others were preparing the meal, he had a visionary experience. He saw heaven opened up and something like a large linen sheet being lowered to the earth by its four corners. Inside the sheet were all kinds of four legged animals, reptiles, and wild birds. A voice told them, “Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!” Peter exclaimed, “Absolutely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke a second time, “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.” This happened three times, then the object was suddenly pulled back into heaven. (Question: What are some perspectives that you need to let go of?)

Acts 10:17-23

Peter was bewildered about the meaning of the vision. Just then, the messengers sent by Cornelius discovered the whereabouts of Simon’s house and arrived at the gate. Calling out, they inquired whether the Simon known as Peter was a guest there. While Peter was brooding over the vision, the Spirit interrupted him, “Look! Three people are looking for you. Go downstairs. Don’t ask questions; just go with them because I have sent them.” So Peter went downstairs and told them, “I’m the one you are looking for. Why have you come?” They replied, “We’ve come on behalf of Cornelius, a centurion and righteous man, a God-worshipper who is well-respected by all Jewish people. A holy angel directed him to summon you to his house and to hear what you have to say.” Peter invited them into the house as his guests. The next day he got up and went with them, together with some of the believers from Joppa. (Question: Who are you willing to listen to in the midst of change?)

Acts 10:25-31

As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in order to honor him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Get up! Like you, I’m just a human.” As they continued to talk, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them, “You all realize that it is forbidden for a Jew to associate or visit with outsiders. However, God has shown me that I should never call a person impure or unclean. For this reason, when you sent for me, I came without objection. I want to know, then, why you sent for me.” Cornelius answered, “Four days ago at this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon, I was praying at home. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me. He said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayers, and your compassionate acts are like a memorial offering to him. (Question: Have you ever found it hard to listen to someone you consider to be different than yourself? Why was it hard?)

Acts 10:34-36, 44-46a

Peter said, “I really am learning that God doesn’t show partiality to one group of people over another. Rather, in every nation, whoever worships him and does what is right is acceptable to him. This is the message of peace he sent to the Israelites by proclaiming the good news through Jesus Christ: He is Lord of all! While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. They heard them speaking in other languages and praising God. (Question: What is hard and easy about embracing the diversity of others?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

God of Great and God of Small – 19 GTG

In Christ There Is No East or West – 317 GTG

God Welcomes All – 399 GTG

Where is the Love? – Black Eyed Peas

Treat People With Kindness – Harry Styles

Sunday, November 8, 2020 - Navigating Hard Conversations

Theme: Finding Our Way Together - Navigating Hard Conversations

Prayer

Matthew 20:17-20                                                              Common English Bible Translation

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve aside by themselves on the road. He told them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Human One will be handed over to the chief priests and legal experts. They will condemn him to death. They will hand him over to the Gentiles to be ridiculed, tortured, and crucified. But he will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus along with her sons. Bowing before him, she asked a favor of him. (Question: Have you ever been interrupted at a crucial moment?)

Matthew 20:21

“What do you want?” he asked. She responded, “Say that these two sons of mine will sit, one on your right hand and one on your left, in your kingdom.” (Question: Have you ever wanted to be special or treated differently than other people?)

Matthew 20:22-23

Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink from the cup that I’m about to drink from?” They said to him, “We can.” He said to them, “You will drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom my Father prepared it.” (Question: How do you handle uncomfortable situations?)

Matthew 20:24-28

Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave – just as the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.” (Question: How do you navigate conversations where there is anger or resentment?)

Matthew 20:29-34

As Jesus and his disciples were going out of Jericho a large crowd followed him. When two blind men sitting along the road heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Show us mercy, Lord, Son of David!” Now the crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But they shouted even louder, “Show us mercy, Lord, Son of David!” Now the crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But they shouted even louder, “Show us mercy, Lord, Son of David!” Jesus stopped in his tracks and called to them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord, we want to see,” they replied. Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they followed him. (Question: How do you experience and give healing after tough conversations?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

O Day of Rest and Gladness – 393 GTG

For Everyone Born – 769 GTG

We All Are One in Mission – 733 GTG

Voices - Switchfoot

Stuck In a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of – U2

These Hard Times – NEED TO BREATHE

Sunday, November 1, 2020 - Letting Go & Holding On

Theme: Finding Our Way Together - Letting Go & Holding On

Prayer

Luke 15:1-6                                                                         Common English Bible Translation

All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ (Question: What perspectives stop you from seeing something new?)

Luke 15:7-10

In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives. “Or what woman, if she owns ten silver coins and loses one of them, won’t light a lamp and sweep the house, searching her home carefully until she finds it? When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life.” (Question: What are the things you need to let go of so that you might change your relationships and how you live?)

Luke 15:11-16

Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the inheritance.’ Then the father divided his estate between them. Soon afterward, the younger son gathered everything together and took a trip to a land far away. There, he wasted his wealth through extravagant living. “When he had used up his resources, a severe food shortage arose in that country and he began to be in need. He hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from what the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything. (Question: How have you squandered opportunities because you were holding too tightly to what you wanted to do?)

Luke 15:17-20a

When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough food, but I’m starving to death! I will get up and go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Take me on as sone of your hired hands.”’ So he got up and went to his father. (Question: Have you ever had to let go of being right or something else in order to help your relationships?)

Luke 15:20b-24

“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. His father ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him. Then his son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly, bring out the best robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! Fetch the fattened calf and slaughter it. We must celebrate with feasting because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. (Question: What have you had to let go of that in turn changed your life in new ways?)

Celebration of the Saints

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling

Lord, Prepare Me

Called as Partners in Christ’s Service

All the Saints

Runnin’ – Pharrell Williams

Time to Move On – Tom Petty

Prodigal Soul - Switchfoot

Sunday, October 25, 2020 - Listening for Hope

Theme: Listening for Hope

Prayer

Luke 5:1-3                                                                          Common English Bible Translation

One day Jesus was standing beside Lake Gennesaret when the crowd pressed in around him to hear God’s word. Jesus saw two boats sitting by the lake. The fishermen had gone ashore and were washing their nets. Jesus boarded one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, then asked him to row out a little distance from the shore. Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. (Question: What hopes do you have for those you love?)

Luke 5:4-5

When he finished speaking to the crowds, he said to Simon, “Row out farther, into the deep water, and drop your nets for a catch.” Simon replied, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. But because you say so, I’ll drop the nets.” (Question: How do you give hope to others?)

Luke 5:6

So they dropped the nets and their catch was so huge that their nets were splitting. (Question: What are some hopes you have had through the years that were realized?)

Luke 5:7-10a

They signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They filled both boats so full that they were about to sink. When Simon Peter saw the catch, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Leave me, Lord, for I’m a sinner!” Peter and those with him were overcome with amazement because of the number of fish they caught. James and John, Zebedee’s sons, were Simon’s partners and they were amazed too. (Question: How does having a perspective of hope change your day?)

Luke 5:10b-11

Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will be fishing for people.” As soon as they brought the boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus. (Question: How does your experiences impact your hopes?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Will You Come and Follow Me

Live into Hope

This Is My Father’s World

Difference Maker – NEED TO BREATHE

Listen – The Goo Goo Dolls

Able – Pharrell Williams

Quote by author Vaclav Havel

“Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good.”

Quote by Rowan Williams

“Hope goes beyond the assumption that I am only what I see or know. It tells me more than I realize, in the eyes of God, for good or ill.”

Quote by Anne Lamott

“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.”

Sunday, October 18, 2020 - when we are overwhelmed by suffering/pain

Theme: The Art of Falling Apart - Jesus: when we are overwhelmed by suffering/pain

Prayer

Luke 23:26-27                                                                Common English Bible Translation

As they led Jesus away, they grabbed Simon, a man from Cyrene, who was coming in from the countryside. They put the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus. A huge crowd of people followed Jesus, including women, who were mourning and wailing for him. (Question: What are the things that cause you the most distress?)

Luke 23:28-31

Jesus turned to the women and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Rather, cry for yourselves and your children. The time will come when they will say, ‘Happy are those who are unable to become pregnant, the wombs that never gave birth, and the beasts that never nursed a child.’ Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ If they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (Question: Have you ever felt like the world was falling apart?)

Luke 23:32-34

They also led two other criminals to be executed with Jesus. When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” They drew lots as a way of dividing up his clothing. (Question: How do you respond to others when you are in pain?)

Luke 23:35-38

The people were standing around watching, but the leaders sneered at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he really is the Christ sent from God, the chosen one.” The soldiers also mocked him. They came up to him, offering him sour wine and saying, “If you really are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Above his head was a notice of the formal charge against him. It read “This is the king of the Jews.” (Question: How do you respond to people when they say cruel things?)

Luke 23:39-43

One of the criminals hanging next to Jesus insulted him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” Responding, the other criminal spoke harshly to him, “Don’t you fear God, seeing that you’ve also been sentenced to die? We are rightly condemned, for we are receiving the appropriate sentence for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise.” (Question: Who are you when you are suffering?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Love divine, All Loves Excelling

O for a World

Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2

Fight On, Fighter – for King & Country

Some Nights – Fun.

Sunday, October 11, 2020 - when we hate being wrong

Theme: The Art of Falling Apart - Peter: when we hate being wrong

Prayer

Mark 14:27-31                                                     Common English Bible Translation

Jesus said to them, “You will all falter in your faithfulness to me. It is written, I will hit the shepherd, and the sheep will go off in all directions. But after I’m raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else stumbles, I won’t.” But Jesus said to him, “I assure you that on this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But Peter insisted, “If I must die alongside you, I won’t deny you.” And they all said the same thing. (Question: Have you ever been overconfident about something?)

Mark 14:66-68

Meanwhile, Peter was below in the courtyard. A woman, one of the high priest’s servants, approached and saw Peter warming himself by the fire. She stared at him and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t understand what you’re saying.” And he went outside into the outer courtyard. A rooster crowed. (Question: Have you ever been fearful about sharing who you are with others? Why?)

Mark 14:69-72

The female servant saw him and began a second time to say to those standing around, “This man is one of them.” But he denied it again. A short time later, those standing around again said to Peter, “You must be one of them, because you are also a Galilean.” But he cursed and swore, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” At that very moment, a rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered what Jesus told him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down, sobbing. (Question: Have you ever regretted your decisions? How did you move forward?)

Acts 2:14, 22, 36-37

Peter stood with the other eleven apostles. He raised his voice and declared, “Judeans and everyone living in Jerusalem! Know this! Listen carefully to my words! Fellow, Israelites, listen to these words! Jesus the Nazarene was a man whose credentials God proved to you through miracles, wonders, and signs, which God performed through him among you. You yourselves know this. Therefore, let all Israel know beyond question that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the crowd heard this, they were deeply troubled. They said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” (Question: How do you allow your experiences especially when you’ve been wrong to change how you handle situations?) 

Acts 2:38-41

Peter replied, “Change your hearts and lives. Each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you, your children, and for all who are far away – as many as the Lord our God invites.” With many other words he testified to them and encouraged them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Those who accepted Peter’s message were baptized. God brought about three thousand people into the community on that day. (Question: How do you move forward with others after you have been wrong?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Rock of Ages, Cleft for me

Just as I Am, without One Plea

Lord, the Light of Your Love Is Shining

Rise Again – NEEDTOBREATHE

People Change – for King & Country

Sunday, October 4, 2020 - when we are trying to be nice and change our lives

Theme: The Art of Falling Apart - Jesus: when we are trying to be nice and change our lives

Prayer

Luke 7:36-38                                                    Common English Bible Translation

One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. After he entered the Pharisee’s home, he took his place at the table. Meanwhile, a woman from the city, a sinner, discovered that Jesus was dining in the Pharisee’s house. She brought perfumed oil in a vase made of alabaster. Standing behind him at his feet and crying, she began to wet his feet with her tears She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured the oil on them. (Question: Have you ever wanted to do something extremely kind for someone else? Why?)

Luke 7:39

When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw what was happening, he said to himself, if this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. He would know that she is a sinner. (Question: Have you ever been judgmental about someone else because you thought you knew who they were?)

Luke 7:40-43

Jesus replied, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher, speak,” he said. “A certain lender had two debtors. One owed enough money to pay five hundred people for a day’s work. The other owed enough money for fifty. When they couldn’t pay, the lender forgave the debts of them both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the largest debt canceled.” Jesus said, “You have judged correctly.” (Question: What are the things you want to be forgiven for in your life?)

Luke 7:44-47

Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your home, you didn’t give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has poured perfumed oil on my feet. This is why I tell you that her many sins have been forgiven; so she has shown great love. The one who is forgiven little loves little.” (Question: How difficult is it to be kind to someone who is judging you?)

Luke 7:48-50

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other table guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this person that even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Question: How does being kind change your life?)

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever.  Amen

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Standing on the Promises

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Lord, I Want to Be a Christian

Who Am I - NEEDTOBREATHE

Hard Times – The Wild Feathers

Quotes by author Brené Brown

“You’re imperfect, and you’re wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.”

“Vulnerability is not weakness. And that myth is profoundly dangerous.”