Worship - June 23, 2013

Worship Order for Sunday

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
June 23, 2013
Worship 10:00 am

“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?” (Psalm 42:1-2)

Beginning with Praise (9:50 am) "There is a place of quiet rest" 5
Announcements
Prelude "The Glory of God in Nature" Beethoven

*Beginning with a prayer (Psalm 63:1-4 in unison) 686

*Hymn "Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing" 110

Listening to the voice of God 1 Kings 19:9-15

Response "Peace, be still, and know that I am God" (insert)

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

Response "Peace, be still, and know that I am God" (insert)

Pastoral Prayer

With Children "How long can you be quiet?"

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

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

Video "Jesus Calms the Storm" (Luke 8:22-25)

Scripture Luke 8:26-39

Message "After the demons leave"

*Hymn "I know not why God’s wondrous" 338

*Benediction

*Postlude "Allegro moderato" DeMonti

*Rise in body or in spirit

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Beginning with Prayer

O God, you are my God.
I seek you, my soul thirsts for you;
            my flesh faints for you
            as in a dry and weary land
            where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
      beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
      my lips will praise you.
So will I bless you as long as I live;
      I will lift up my hands and call on your name. AMEN

Hymnal #686 - Psalm 63:1-4,
adapted from the New Revised Standard Version

Listening to the voice of God
1 Kings 19:9-15

We turn to the story of the Elijah in the book of Kings. In these verses, Elijah seems hardly the prophet of power he is portrayed as being in the previous chapter. Instead of boldly facing into trouble, he is running away in fear. He heads a day’s journey into the wilderness to escape. However, in the larger story of our God, the wilderness is where you face into your fears. It was where Moses, himself a refugee from Egypt, encountered God in a burning bush, and was sent back to Pharaoh by the great “I am who I am.”

Along the way of his escape, Elijah sat down under a solitary broom tree and asked that he might die. But God had other plans, and gave him food and drink for his journey, and sent him through forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb. On that mountain he came to a cave, and spent the night there. This is where we pick up the story. Listen.

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”

¹¹(The voice of God) said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; ¹²and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

(pause for a moment)

¹³When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁴He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” ¹⁵Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram.

scripture text is from The New Revised Standard Version,
copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved

Pastoral Prayer

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

With Children
“How long can you be quiet?”

Have you ever tried to see how long you can hold your breath? Why don’t we try it right now, to see who of us can hold it longer? One caution: please don’t pass out on me… Ready, set, take a deep breath, go!

You are pretty good! How about this, how long can you run in place, really fast? If you don’t mind, I’ll sit this one out. My knee is not working as well as it should. Ready, set, go!

The next challenge is sort of like the first, but instead of holding your breath, how about if we see who – with one breath – can yell the loudest and longest? No fair taking a second breath. Are you up to this? Okay. To prepare, let’s take some deep breaths… Now, ready, set, go!

Are you tired yet? Last challenge: let’s see how long you can be quiet. What? That’s not the same? … I know, coming to church on Sunday is sort of like a challenge to see how long you can be quiet. It’s hard, isn’t it? You may not want to come sometimes because you often have to sit still and be quiet.

I agree that we could use a bit more active stuff in church, even in worship. But, you know, there is something to being quiet that is important. The Bible says that there is a time for everything, that there is a time to be silent and a time to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:7). There is something we can’t do when we’re talking, something we can’t do when we’re doing all sorts of active stuff that takes energy, like holding our breath, or running in place, or yelling. That something is to listen. I mean really listen.

I have a different sort of challenge that I want you to take with you this week. It’s a challenge to listen for God to speak. I believe that God speaks to us all the time. Are we paying attention? Are we listening? It’s not always with words that God speaks. In fact, it may be in the quietest voice we ever hear that God speaks, even in silence. This means that in order to hear God, we need to be quiet. I want to tell you, it’s not easy.

God speaks in the Bible, but we have to really quiet ourselves and listen. God speaks to us in nature, but we have to really quiet ourselves and listen. God speaks to us in friends, but we have to really quiet ourselves and listen. God speaks to us in people who aren’t yet our friends, but we have to really quiet ourselves and listen. God speaks to us in ________ (invite children to fill in the blanks, and end each with: “but we have to really quiet ourselves and listen.”

Well, that’s my challenge to you this week. Let’s see how long you can be quiet … and listen!

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

Enough words, folks. Now is a time to gather our offering. As we do so, can we quiet ourselves and listen? Does God speak in an offertory? Ushers, please come and help us.

Video
“Jesus Calms the Storm”
(Luke 8:22-25)

from Work of the People

Benediction

Amid all the demons and stresses of life,
            the deadlines,
            the due dates
            the difficult situations,
            the rough relationships;
in the middle of whatever has the power
                  to through you off kilter;
            whatever makes you want
                  to hit the highway and run,
            or whatever keeps you from moving
                  like a chain that binds;
      may the still, small voice of God speak.
            Listen, and be sent.
      May Christ set you free
            to joyfully, gracefully continue his work –
                  simply, peacefully, together.
                        Amen