Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021 - Giving Oneself Over to Joy

Theme: Giving Oneself Over to Joy

Prayer

Genesis 1:27-2:2 Created in Joy  Common English Bible Translation

God created in humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and master it. Take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, and everything crawling on the ground.” Then God said, “I now give to you all the plants on the earth that yield seeds and all the trees whose fruit produces its seeds within it. These will be your food. To all wildlife, to all the birds in the sky, and to everything crawling on the ground – to everything that breathes – I give all the green grasses for food.” And that’s what happened. God saw everything he had made: it was supremely good. There was evening and there was morning: the sixth day. The heavens and the earth and all who live in them were completed. On the sixth day God completed all the work that he had done, and on the seventh day God rested from all the work that he had done. (Question: What does it mean for you to be made in the image of God?)

Deuteronomy 33:1, 28-29a    Exodus into the Promised Land

This is the blessing that Moses the man of God gave the Israelites before he died. So Israel now lives in safety – Jacob’s residence is secure – in a land full of grain and wine, where the heavens drip dew. Happy are you, Israel! Who is like you? You are a people saved by the Lord! He’s the shield that helps you, your majestic sword! (Question: What do you need to do to have joy?)

Isaiah 61:1-4      Returning from Exile

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. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, planted by the Lord to glorify himself. They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore formerly deserted places; they will renew ruined cities, places deserted in generations past. (Question: What does joy look like for you?)

Matthew 28:1-10      Resurrection Joy

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel from the Lord came down from heaven. Coming to the stone, he rolled it away and sat on it. Now his face was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. The guards were so terrified of him that they shook with fear and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him. Now hurry, go and tell his disciples, ‘He’s been raised from the dead. He’s going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ I’ve given the message to you.” With great fear and excitement, they hurried away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. But Jesus met them and greeted them. They came and grabbed his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my brothers that I am going into Galilee. They will see me there.” (Question: Who helps you to have joy?)

 Luke 24:36b-44.   Going Forward

Jesus himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” They were terrified and afraid. They thought they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you startled? Why are doubts arising in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet. It’s really me! Touch me and see, for a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones like you see I have.” As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. Because they were wondering and questioning in the midst of their happiness, he said to them, “Do you have anything to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish. Taking it, he ate it in front of them. Jesus said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you – that everything written about me in the Law from Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Question: How do you share joy with others?)

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

Jesus Christ Is Risen Today – 232 GTG

The Day of Resurrection! – 233 GTG

Thine Is the Glory – 238 GTG

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today! – 245 GTG

Christ Is Risen! Shout Hosanna! – 248 GTG

Guiding Scripture for the Easter Season

Isaiah 33:2

“Lord, show us favor;

    we hope in you.

Be our strength every morning,

   Our salvation in times of distress.”

Easter Series: Sustainable Hope April 18th – May 16th

April 18th – Accessing what we Need

April 25th – Elevating Our Expectations

May 2nd – Cultivating the Practices that Matter

May 9th – Insight into Thriving

May 16th – Being a Hopeful Presence

Maundy Thursday, April 1, 2021

Theme: Jesus’ Final Hours through Questions and Scripture

Palm Sunday, March 28, 2021 - Confidence that we can Dance

Theme - Preparing to Dance: Confidence that we can Dance

Prayer

John 14:15-17                                Common English Bible Translation

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will send another Companion, who will be with you forever. This Companion is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can’t receive because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be with you. (Question: How have you learned what it means to love?)

John 14:18-21

“I won’t leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” (Question: When have you felt enveloped by love and when have you not?)

John 14:22-24

Judas (not Judas Iscariot) asked, “Lord, why are you about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered, “Whoever loves me will keep my word. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word that you hear isn’t mine. It is the word of the Father who sent me. (Question: How do you practice love for Jesus and love for God?)

John 14:25-27

“I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you. “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid. (Question: What are some of the most important lessons you have learned about love?)

John 15:9-14

“As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. (Question: How has love shaped our actions?)

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

All Glory, Laud, and Honor – 196 GTG

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna – 197 GTG

Ride On! Ride On in Majesty – 198 GTG

Filled with Excitement – 199 GTG

Live in Charity – 205 GTG

Guiding Scripture for Lent

Psalm 30:11-12

“You changed my mourning into dancing. 

    You took off my funeral clothes

      and dressed me up in joy

   so that my whole being

     might sing praises to you and never stop.

Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Practices to Focus upon During this Season of Lent and Beyond

1. Prayer – setting a time/alarm twice a day pray/converse with God

-Being open about struggles

-Talking to God about those we love

-Opening ourselves up to following God’s guidance and wisdom

1. Picking a book in the Bible. Reading a few verses every day.

-Asking questions, noting new insights

-Possible books: Ruth, Proverbs, Mark, Philippians, Colossians

1. Consuming something every day that helps one to thrive

-Books, Media, Music, Art, Conversations, Podcast, Exercise, Eating habits, etc.…

1. Checking in with different people every day

-Focusing on cultivating connections

1. Meditation – Silence

-Taking a few minutes every day to be silent

Holy Week Schedule

April 1st – Maundy Thursday (Online Only)

April 4th – Easter (Reservation Only) -  2 Worship Times. Please call the church office. Easter Service will also be online

     9:30am – Worship with Communion

    11:00am – Worship with Communion

Easter Theme: Giving Oneself Over to Joy

Easter Series:Sustainable HopeApril 18th– May 16th

Sunday, March 21, 2021 - Building, Rebuilding, Living Our Lives

Theme - Preparing to Dance: Building, Rebuilding, Living Our Lives

Prayer

Nehemiah 1:1-3                              Common English Bible Translation

These are the words of Nehemiah, Hacaliah’s son. In the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in the fortress city of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came with some other men from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. They told me, “Those in the province who survived the captivity are in great trouble and shame! The wall around Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire!” (Question: What are the things that have hurt, complicated, or destroyed the way we live?)

Nehemiah 1:4-6, 11

When I heard this news, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said: “Lord God of heaven, great and awesome God, you are the one who keeps covenant and is truly faithful to those who love you and keep your commandments. Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant, which I now pray before you night and day for your servants, the people Israel. “I confess the sins of the people of Israel, which we have committed against you. Both I and my family have sinned. “Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in honoring your name. Please give success to your servant today and grant him favor in the presence of this man! (Question: What is your response when you are confronted with having to change direction in your life?)

Nehemiah 2:1-5

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, the king was about to be served wine. I took the wine and gave it to the king. Since I had never seemed sad in his presence, the king asked me, “Why do you seem sad? Since you aren’t sick, you must have a broken heart!” I was very afraid and replied, “May the king live forever! Why shouldn’t I seem sad when the city, the place of my family’s graves, is in ruins and its gates destroyed by fire?” The king asked, “What is it that you need?” I prayed to the God of heaven and replied, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, please send me to Judah, to the city of my family’s graves so that I may rebuild it.” (Question: What gives you the energy to build or rebuild some aspect of your life?)

Nehemiah 2:11-15

When I reached Jerusalem and had been there for three days, I set out at night, taking only a few people with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God was prompting me to do for Jerusalem, and the only animal I took was the one I rode. I went out by night through the Valley Gate past the Dragon’s Spring to the Dung Gate so that I could inspect the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down, as well as its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I went to the Spring Gate and to the King’s Pool. Since there was no room for the animal on which I was riding to pass, I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I turned back and returned by entering through the Valley Gate. (Question: How have you discerned, which direction you need to take in life?)

Nehemiah 2:16-20

The officials didn’t know where I had gone or what I was doing. I hadn’t yet told the Jews, the priests, the officials, the officers, or the rest who were to do the work. So I said to them, “You see the trouble that we’re in: Jerusalem is in ruins, and its gates are destroyed by fire! Come, let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we won’t continue to be in disgrace.” I told them that my God had taken care of me, and also told them what the king had said to me. “Let’s start rebuilding!” they said, and they eagerly began the work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and made fun of us. “What are you doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?” The God of heaven will give us success!” I replied. “As God’s servants, we will start building. But you will have no share, right, or claim in Jerusalem.” (Question: What are the aspects of your life that you want to build or rebuild?)

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

Standing on the Promises – 838 GTG

Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken – 81 GTG

Great Is Thy Faithfulness – 39 GTG

I Will Call upon the Lord – 621 GTG

Guiding Scripture for Lent

Psalm 30:11-12

“You changed my mourning into dancing. 

    You took off my funeral clothes

      and dressed me up in joy

   so that my whole being

     might sing praises to you and never stop.

Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Practices to Focus upon During this Season of Lent and Beyond

Prayer – setting a time/alarm twice a day pray/converse with God

-Being open about struggles

-Talking to God about those we love

-Opening ourselves up to following God’s guidance and wisdom

Picking a book in the Bible. Reading a few verses every day.

-Asking questions, noting new insights

-Possible books: Ruth, Proverbs, Mark, Philippians, Colossians

Consuming something every day that helps one to thrive

-Books, Media, Music, Art, Conversations, Podcast, Exercise, Eating habits, etc.…

Checking in with different people every day

-Focusing on cultivating connections

Meditation – Silence

-Taking a few minutes every day to be silent

Lenten Series: Preparing to Dance     February 21st – March 28th

Mar 28th – Confidence that We can Dance

Holy Week Schedule

April 1st – Maundy Thursday (Online Only)

April 4th – Easter (Reservation Only) -  2 Worship Times. Please call the church office. Easter Service will also be online

     9:30am – Worship with Communion

    11:00am – Worship with Communion

Easter Series: Sustainable Hope

Sunday, March 14, 2021 - Navigating the Uncomfortable

Theme - Preparing to Dance: Navigating the Uncomfortable

Prayer

Esther 4:1-3                                  Common English Bible Translation

When Mordecai learned what had been done, he tore his clothes, dressed in mourning clothes, and put ashes on his head. Then he went out into the heart of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly. He went only as far as the King’s Gate because it was against the law for anyone to pass through it wearing mourning clothes. At the same time, in every province and place where the king’s order and his new law arrived, a very great sadness came over the Jews. They gave up eating and spent whole days weeping and crying out loudly in pain. Many Jews lay on the ground in mourning clothes and ashes. (Question: What is your initial response when facing something difficult?)

Esther 4:4-8

When Esther’s female servants and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen’s whole body showed how upset she was. She sent everyday clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of mourning clothes, but he rejected them. Esther then sent for Hathach, one of the royal eunuchs whose job it was to wait on her. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was going on and why he was acting this way. Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square in front of the King’s Gate. Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him. He spelled out the exact amount of silver that Haman promised to pay in the royal treasury. It was in exchange for the destruction of the Jews. He also gave Hathach a copy of the law made public in Susa concerning the Jews’ destruction so that Hathach could show it to Esther and report it to her. Through him Mordecai ordered her to go to the king to seek his kindness and his help for her people. (Question: How do you respond when someone is in pain?)

Esther 4:9-11

Hathach came back and told Esther what Mordecai had said. In reply Esther ordered Hathach to tell Mordecai: “All the king’s officials and the people in his provinces know that there’s a single law in a case like this. Any man or woman who comes to the king in the inner courtyard without being called is to be put to death. Only the person to whom the king holds out the gold scepter may live. In my case, I haven’t been called to come to the king for the past thirty days.” (Question: Have you ever feared taking action even though it was the right thing to do?)

Esther 4:12-14

When they told Mordecai Esther’s words, he had them respond to Esther: “Don’t think for one minute that, unlike all the other Jews, you’ll come out of this alive simply because you are in the palace. In fact, if you don’t speak up at this very important time, relief and rescue will appear for the Jews from another place, but you and your family will die. But who knows? Maybe it was for a moment like this that you came to be part of the royal family.” (Question: Have you ever felt like you were in the right place at the right time to take action even if it was difficult?)

Esther 4:15-16

Esther sent back this word to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are in Susa and tell them to give up eating to help me be brave. They aren’t to eat or drink anything for three whole days, and I myself will do the same, along with my female servants. Then, even though it’s against the law, I will go to the king; and if I am to die, then die I will.” (Question: What gives you courage when navigating really hard situations?)

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

Will You Come and Follow Me - 726 GTG

I Need Thee Every Hour – 735 GTG

Guide My Feet – 741 GTG

Arise, Your Light Is Come! – 744 GTG

Guiding Scripture for Lent

Psalm 30:11-12

“You changed my mourning into dancing. 

    You took off my funeral clothes

      and dressed me up in joy

   so that my whole being

     might sing praises to you and never stop.

Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Practices to Focus upon During this Season of Lent and Beyond

1. Prayer – setting a time/alarm twice a day pray/converse with God

-Being open about struggles

-Talking to God about those we love

-Opening ourselves up to following God’s guidance and wisdom

1. Picking a book in the Bible. Reading a few verses every day.

-Asking questions, noting new insights

-Possible books: Ruth, Proverbs, Mark, Philippians, Colossians

1. Consuming something every day that helps one to thrive

-Books, Media, Music, Art, Conversations, Podcast, Exercise, Eating habits, etc.…

1. Checking in with different people every day

-Focusing on cultivating connections

1. Meditation – Silence

-Taking a few minutes every day to be silent

Lenten Series: Preparing to Dance     February 21st – March 28th

Mar 21st – Building, Rebuilding, Living Our Lives

Mar 28th – Confidence that We can Dance

Sunday, March 7, 2021 - A Healing Perspective

Theme - Preparing to Dance: A Healing Perspective

Prayer

2 Kings 5:1-4                                  Common English Bible Translation

Naaman, a general for the king of Aram, was a great man and highly regarded by his master, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. This man was a mighty warrior, but he had a skin disease. Now Aramean raiding parties had gone out and captured a young girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master could come before the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his skin disease.” So Naaman went and told his master what the young girl from the land of Israel had said. (Question: What are the things you want to be healed in your life?)

2 Kings 5:5-7

Then Aram’s king said, “Go ahead. I will send a letter to Israel’s king.” So Naaman left. He took along ten kikkars of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. He brought the letter to Israel’s king. It read, “Along with this letter I’m sending you my servant Naaman so you can cure him of his skin disease.”  When the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes. He said, “What? Am I God to hand out death and life? But this king writes me, asking me to cure someone of his skin disease! You must realize that he wants to start a fight with me.” (Question: How have you been part of someone’s healing process?)

2 Kings 5:8-10

When Elisha the man of God heard that Israel’s king had ripped his clothes, he sent word to the king: “Why did you rip your clothes? Let the man come to me. Then he’ll know that there’s a prophet in Israel.” Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots. He stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent out a messenger who said, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored and become clean.” (Question: Have you ever been afraid of the healing process? Why?)

2 Kings 5:11-12

But Naaman went away in anger. He said, “I thought for sure that he’d come out, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the bad spot, and cure the skin disease. Aren’t the rivers in Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all Israel’s waters? Couldn’t I wash in them and get clean?” So he turned away and proceeded to leave in anger. (Question: Have you ever struggled with the actions that it takes to be healed?)

2 Kings 5:13-15

Naaman’s servants came up to him and spoke to him: “Our father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? All he said to you was, ‘Wash and become clean.’” So Naaman went down and bathed in the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said. His skin was restored like that of a young boy, and he became clean. He returned to the man of God with all his attendants. He came and stood before Elisha, saying, “Now I know for certain that there’s no God anywhere on earth except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant.” (Question: How have you found healing in your life?)

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

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah – 65 GTG

There is a Balm in Gilead – 792 GTG

What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine – 837 GTG

Take My Life – 697 GTG

***********************************************************

Guiding Scripture for Lent

Psalm 30:11-12

“You changed my mourning into dancing. 

    You took off my funeral clothes

      and dressed me up in joy

   so that my whole being

     might sing praises to you and never stop.

Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Practices to Focus upon During this Season of Lent and Beyond

1. Prayer – setting a time/alarm twice a day pray/converse with God

-Being open about struggles

-Talking to God about those we love

-Opening ourselves up to following God’s guidance and wisdom

1. Picking a book in the Bible. Reading a few verses every day.

-Asking questions, noting new insights

-Possible books: Ruth, Proverbs, Mark, Philippians, Colossians

1. Consuming something every day that helps one to thrive

-Books, Media, Music, Art, Conversations, Podcast, Exercise, Eating habits, etc.…

1. Checking in with different people every day

-Focusing on cultivating connections

1. Meditation – Silence

-Taking a few minutes every day to be silent

Lenten Series: Preparing to Dance     February 21st – March 28th

Mar 14th – Navigating the Uncomfortable

Mar 21st – Building, Rebuilding, Living Our Lives

Mar 28th – Confidence that We can Dance

Sunday, February 28, 2021 - Living through Grief

Theme - Preparing to Dance: Living through Grief

Prayer

Genesis 37:1-4                                Common English Bible Translation

Jacob lived in the land of Canaan where his father was an immigrant. This is the account of Jacob’s descendants. Joseph was 17 years old and tended the flock with his brothers. While he was helping the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, Joseph told their father unflattering things about them. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was born when Jacob was old. Jacob had made for him a long robe. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him and couldn’t even talk nicely to him. (Question: Have you ever been jealous of someone or a situation? Why?)

Genesis 37:5-8

Joseph had a dream and told it to his brothers, which made them hate him even more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had. When we were binding stalks of grain in the field, my stalk got up and stood upright, while your stalks gathered around it and bowed down to my stalk.” His brothers said to him, “Will you really be our king and rule over us?” So they hated him even more because of the dreams he told them. (Question: Have you ever felt like you weren’t living up to a particular standard? Why?)

Genesis 37:12-13, 18-22

Joseph’s brothers went to tend their father’s flocks near Shechem. Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers tending the sheep near Shechem? Come, I’ll send you to them.” And he said, “I’m ready.” They saw Joseph in the distance before he got close to them, and they plotted to kill him. The brothers said to each other, “Here comes the big dreamer. Come on now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns, and we’ll say a wild animal devoured him. Then he will see what becomes of his dreams!” When Reuben heard what they said, he saved him from them, telling them, “Let’s not take his life.” Reuben said to them, “Don’t spill his blood! Throw him into this desert cistern, but don’t lay a hand on him.” He intended to save Joseph from them and take him back to his father. (Question: What actions do you regret? Why?)

Genesis 37:29-35

When Reuben returned to the cistern and found that Joseph wasn’t in it, he tore his clothes. Then he returned to his brothers and said, “The boy’s gone! And I – where can I go now?” His brothers took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a male goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the long robe, brought it to their father, and said, “We found this. See if it’s your son’s robe or not.” He recognized it and said, “It’s my son’s robe! A wild animal has devoured him. Joseph must have been torn to pieces!” Then Jacob tore his clothes, put a simple mourning cloth around his waist, and mourned for his son for many days. All of his sons and daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, telling them, “I’ll go to my grave mourning for my son.” And Joseph’s father wept for him. (Question: What are the ways you’ve experienced grief outside of losing someone you love?)

Genesis 45:16-18a, 25-28

When Pharaoh’s household heard the message “Joseph’s brothers have arrived,” both Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Give your brothers these instructions: Load your pack animals and go back to the land of Canaan. Get your father and your households and come back to me. So they left Egypt and returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They announced to him, “Joseph’s still alive! He’s actually ruler of all the land of Egypt!” Jacob’s heart nearly failed, and he didn’t believe them. When they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, Jacob recovered. Then Israel said, “This is too much! My son Joseph is still alive! Let me go and see him before I die.” (Question: What are some ways your grief through life has changed you?)

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

My Life Flows On – 821 GTG

There Is a Place of Quiet Rest – 824 GTG

Just a Closer Walk with Thee – 835 GTG

When Peace like a River – 840 GTG

Quote by David Kessler

“Each person’s grief is as unique as their fingerprint. But what everyone has in common is that no matter how they grieve, they share a need for their grief to be witnessed. That doesn’t mean needing someone to try to lessen it or reframe it for them. The need is for someone to be fully present to the magnitude of their loss without trying to point out the silver lining.” 

Guiding Scripture for Lent

Psalm 30:11-12

“You changed my mourning into dancing. 

    You took off my funeral clothes

      and dressed me up in joy

   so that my whole being

     might sing praises to you and never stop.

Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Practices to Focus upon During this Season of Lent and Beyond

1. Prayer – setting a time/alarm twice a day pray/converse with God

-Being open about struggles

-Talking to God about those we love

-Opening ourselves up to following God’s guidance and wisdom

1. Picking a book in the Bible. Reading a few verses every day.

-Asking questions, noting new insights

-Possible books: Ruth, Proverbs, Mark, Philippians, Colossians

1. Consuming something every day that helps one to thrive

-Books, Media, Music, Art, Conversations, Podcast, Exercise, Eating habits, etc.…

1. Checking in with different people every day

-Focusing on cultivating connections

1. Meditation – Silence

-Taking a few minutes every day to be silent

Lenten Series: Preparing to Dance     February 21st – March 28th

Feb 28th – Living through Grief

Mar 7th – A Healing Perspective

Mar 14th – Navigating the Uncomfortable

Mar 21st – Building, Rebuilding, Living Our Lives

Mar 28th – Confidence that We can Dance

Sunday, February 21, 2021 - Recognizing New Possibilities

Theme - Preparing to Dance: Recognizing New Possibilities

Prayer

Ezekiel 37:1-3                                Common English Bible Translation

The Lord’s power overcame me, and while I was in the Lord’s spirit, he led me out and set me down in the middle of a certain valley. It was full of bones. He led me through them all around, and I saw that there were a great many of them on the valley floor, and they were very dry. He asked me, “Human one, can these bones live again?” I said, “Lord God, only you know.” (Question: What are the things over the last year that has worn you out?)

Ezekiel 37:4-6

He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, Dry bones, hear the Lord’s word! The Lord God proclaims to these bones: I am about to put breath in you, and you will live again. I will put sinews on you, place flesh on you, and cover you with skin. When I put breath in you, and you come to life, you will know that I am the Lord.” (Question: What are the things that energize you?)

Ezekiel 37:7-8

I prophesied just as I was commanded. There was a great noise as I was prophesying, then a great quaking, and the bones came together, bone by bone. When I looked, suddenly there were sinews on them. The flesh appeared, and then they were covered over with skin. But there was still no breath in them. (Question: How do you encourage and build others up?)

Ezekiel 37:9-11

He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, human one! Say to the breath, The Lord God proclaims: Come from the four winds, breath! Breathe into these dead bodies and let them live.” I prophesied just as he commanded me. When the breath entered them, they came to life and stood on their feet, an extraordinarily large company. He said to me, “Human one, these bones are the entire house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely finished.’ (Question: What kind of energy do you bring to situations in your life?)

Ezekiel 37:12-14

So now, prophesy and say to them, The Lord God proclaims: I’m opening your graves! I will raise you up from your graves, my people, and I will bring you to Israel’s fertile land. You will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you up from your graves, my people. I will put my breath in you, and you will live. I will plant you on your fertile land, and you will know that I am the Lord. I’ve spoken, and I will do it. This is what the Lord says.” (Question: How do you want to be encouraged and how can you encourage others when you feel defeated?)

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

Breathe on Me, Breath of God – 286 GTG

This is My Father’s World – 370 GTG

O for a World – 372 GTG

Here in This Place – 401 GTG

Ash Wednesday Service 2021

Theme - Preparing Ourselves to Dance: My heart celebrates

Prayer of Preparation 

Genesis 1:3-5                                Common English Bible Translation

God said, “Let there be light.” And so light appeared. God saw how good the light was. God separated the light from the darkness. God named the light Day and the darkness Night. There was evening and there was morning: the first day.

Genesis 2:7-8                                   

The Lord God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life’s breath into his nostrils. The human came to life. The Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east and put there the human he had formed. 

Job 42:2-6

I know you can do anything; no plan of yours can be opposed successfully. You said, “Who is this darkening counsel without knowledge?” I have indeed spoken about things I didn’t understand, wonders beyond my comprehension. You said, “Listen and I will speak; I will question you and you will inform me.” My ears had heard about you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I relent and find comfort on dust and ashes.

Prayer for Moving Forward

Psalm 139:7-12

Where could I go to get away from your spirit? Where could I go to escape your presence? If I went up to heaven, you would be there. If I went down to the grave, you would be there too! If I could fly on the wings of dawn, stopping to rest only on the far side of the ocean – even there your hand would guide me; even there your strong hand would hold me tight! If I said, “The darkness will definitely hide me; the light will become night around me,” even then the darkness isn’t too dark for you! Nighttime would shine bright as day, because darkness is the same as light to you!

John 1:3-5; 8:12

Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light. Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

Psalm 16:8-11

I always put the Lord in front of me; I will not stumble because he is on my right side. That’s why my heart celebrates and my mood is joyous; yes, my whole body will rest in safety because you won’t abandon my life to the grave; you won’t let your faithful follower see the pit. You teach me the way of life. In your presence is total celebration. Beautiful things are always in your right hand.

Symbol of Ashes & Life

The rocks this evening are the color of ashes but notice the words imprinted them. As we take a rock this evening let us hold onto it, meditate upon the word we receive and commit to experiencing that word during Lent.

Prayer for Possibilities 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

There Is a Balm in Gilead – 792 GTG

Precious Lord, Take My Hand – 834 GTG

I Danced in the Morning – 157 GTG

I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light – 377 GTG

Come! Live in the Light! – 749 GTG

Goodness is Stronger than Evil – 750 GTG

Light Dawns on a Weary World – 79 GTG

Be Thou My Vision – 450 GTG

Questions for Discussion

What are the things you want to change in your life that you have control over?

What are the things that you need to let go of from this past year?

What have you come to value over this year?

What things do you hope to take with you from 2020?

How have you experienced God in the last year?

How do you want to experience God in 2021?

Practices to Focus upon During this Season of Lent and Beyond

1. Prayer – setting a time/alarm twice a day pray/converse with God

-Being open about struggles

-Talking to God about those we love

-Opening ourselves up to following God’s guidance and wisdom

1. Picking a book in the Bible. Reading a few verses every day.

-Asking questions, noting new insights

-Possible books: Ruth, Proverbs, Mark, Philippians, Colossians

1. Consuming something every day that helps one to thrive

-Books, Media, Music, Art, Conversations, Podcast, Exercise, Eating habits, etc.…

1. Checking in with different people every day

-Focusing on cultivating connections

1. Meditation – Silence

-Taking a few minutes every day to be silent

Sunday, February 14, 2021 - How is God with us?

Theme: Curious Questions of God - How is God with us?

Prayer

Matthew 3:13-17                                                           Common English Bible Translation

At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River so that John would baptize him. John tried to stop him and said, “I need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?” Jesus answered, “Allow me to be baptized now. This is necessary to fulfill all righteousness.” So John agreed to baptize Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him. A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him.” (Question: Where have you encountered the Spirit of God?)

John 14:23-27

Jesus answered, “Whoever loves me will keep my word. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word that you hear isn’t mine. It is the word of the Father who sent me. “I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. The companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you. “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid.” (Question: What have you learned from God?)

Acts 13:46-52

Speaking courageously, Paul and Barnabas said, “We had to speak God’s word to you first. Since you reject it and show that you are unworthy to receive eternal life, we will turn to the Gentiles. This is what the Lord commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles, so that you could bring salvation to the end of the earth.” When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the Lord’s word. Everyone who was appointed for eternal life believed, and the Lord’s word was broadcast throughout the entire region. However, the Jews provoked the prominent women among the Gentile God-worshippers, as well as the city’s leaders. They instigated others to harass Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their district. Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from their feet and went to Iconium. Because of the abundant presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, the disciples were overflowing with happiness. (Question: How have you relied upon God during difficult times?)

Romans 14:12-18

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. So stop judging each other. Instead, this is what you should decide: never put a stumbling block or obstacle in the way of your brother or sister. I know and I’m convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is wrong to eat in itself. But if someone thinks something is wrong to eat, it becomes wrong for that person. If your brother or sister is upset by your food, you are no longer walking in love. Don’t let your food destroy someone for whom Christ died. And don’t let something you consider to be good be criticized as wrong. God’s kingdom isn’t about eating food and drinking but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ this way pleases God and gets human approval. (Question: Have you ever gotten caught up in something insignificant and then missed something wonderful?)

1 John 3:14-19

We know that we have transferred from death to life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The person who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that murderers don’t have eternal life residing in them. This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. But if someone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but refuses to help – how can the love of God dwell in a person like that? Little children, let’s not love with words or speech but with action and truth. This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts in God’s presence. (Question: When have you experienced God’s presence?)

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

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee – 611 GTG

Standing on the Promises – 838 GTG

We Will Go Out with Joy – 539 GTG

Prayer for the Week

God of my life, as I experience this day may I notice your presence, may I notice where you are guiding me. Give me the strength and wisdom to follow. Amen. 

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.”