Worship - May 25, 2008

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
May 25, 2008
Worship 10:00 am, Sunday School 11:10 am

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving." (Matthew 6:30 - The Message)

Morning Praise (9:45 am)
Announcements
Prelude

Opening Hymn "Brethren, we have met to worship" 8
(no accompaniment on verse 4, watch leader)

*Call to Worship (overhead & back of bulletin)

*Song "Let the redeemed" (overhead)

*Prayer of Invocation

Scripture Isaiah 49:8-16a

Tercentennial Minute
"A Rush of Distant Thunder: Eyewitness to the Johnstown Flood"

Scripture Psalm 131

Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise
(please be brief, and aware of God’s listening presence)

Song "Grace like rain" (overhead)

Pastoral Prayer

Scripture 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

Dedicating our Tithes and Offerings

Offertory (Please sign the attendance pad and pass it on)

Response "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" 324

Scripture Matthew 6:24-34

Message "Distressing the furniture" (mp3 audio)

*Hymn "O God, in restless living" 557

*Benediction

*Postlude

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship
(Psalm 131, Isaiah 49, Matthew 6)

One:   This is what the Lord says:
           In the time of my favor I will answer you,
           and in the day of salvation I will help you.
All:     But we are worried and afraid.

One:   Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
           what you will eat or drink;
           or about your body, what you will wear.
All:     But our minds race and our hearts are anxious.

One:   Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness
           and all these things will be given to you as well.
All:     Help us quiet our souls; free us from our fears.

One:   The Lord says: I will not forget you!
           See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.
All:     We will not worry about tomorrow,
           for tomorrow will worry about itself.
           We will put our hope in the Lord
           both now and forevermore.

by Joan Daggett, Associate district executive/minister
Shenandoah District, Church of the Brethren
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085, "The Living Word Series"

Opening Prayer

Loving God, on whose hands we are engraved, we praise you for your steadfast love and protection. In this hour of worship, help us lay aside our anxiety and fears and put our trust in you. Amen.

Tercentennial Minute
“A Rush of Distant Thunder: Eyewitness to the Johnstown Flood”

At 4:07 PM on May 31, 1889 the residents of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, heard a low rumble that soon turned into a devastating roar. 14 miles upriver the South Fork Dam had burst, sending twenty million tons of water rushing towards the town at speeds of 40 miles an hour and more. 2,200 died and thousands more were rendered homeless by the disaster.

Many of the steelworkers in the town were of German ancestry which meant there were Brethren in the path of the flood. One of those who survived was Nannie Hanwalt Strayer (1863-1955) and her son Clarence who was four at the time. Years later she remembered:

"I was in the living room and noticed a rush of water with wood. As I looked, I saw people on parts of houses. I went to the rear and looked out of the bathroom window. All small buildings were swimming. All the houses around us were floating away….

"The houses on the other side of the street were all gone. The brick ones melted away. We thought our house would stand. Suddenly it was struck. The plaster came down. The front windows were broken. Water was rushing in upon us. Papa saw a hole and some light and climbed out; took Clarence up and then helped me get out of the drift wood….We were sailing with the wreckage but did not know we were moving. Fourteen people were on our roof….

"The men of our party went down and helped to arrange a path that we could craw out. All bridges were gone and our only way out was toward Green hill... Clarence and I were getting along very well, I thought. A man with two children came and took Clarence on his back….

"We did no weeping until we came to a battered tin room on which fourteen dead people were placed... A great crowd of people was gathered, waiting and watching for their friends. I felt ashamed to shed tears when we came to them. They had Clarence in their arms. They asked him where Papa and Mama were. He said, 'They are coming.' They knew we were alive."

And that's the Tercentennial Minute for May 25, 2008.

by Frank Ramirez, pastor of the Everett, PA Church of the Brethren
posted by permission
The Everett church graciously makes available these weekly vignettes from Brethren history
to all who are interested during this 300th anniversary year of our denomination.
Frank will be the guest preacher for our Homecoming on October 26, 2008
(this is our congregation's 100th anniversary year)

Pastoral Prayer

written closer to the time (if not at the moment)

Dedicating our Tithes and Offerings

Holy One, the Apostle Paul has reminded us that we are to be servants of Jesus Christ and stewards of your mysteries. We realize that being servants and stewards for the Kingdom is a challenging responsibility. We are unable to carry out this responsibility without your ever-present strength. We offer these tithes and offerings as we seek to be trustworthy stewards. Amen.

Written by David S. Bell, former Director of Stewardship with GBOD.
He currently serves as Vice-President of Stewardship with the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan.
You may contact him by visiting www.covenantquest.com.
Copyright © 2008 David S. Bell
Any local church, regardless of denominational affiliation, or any United Methodist organization
may reprint any or all of these prayers provided that the author is cited.

Benediction

Remember, brothers and sisters,
            that we are not furniture.
And even if we were,
      life adds enough nicks and bumps and wormholes,
            so that we don’t need to contribute more of our own.
Stop beating yourself with worry this week,
      and allow the One who cares for the birds of the air
                                                   and the lilies of the field
            to care for you, too.
                  Nudge anxiety to the side
                        and welcome in simple trust.
      As you let go and let God, seek first His kingdom.
            It’s closer than you think.
                  Amen?
                        Amen!