Call to Worship
Matthew 5:1-12 NRSV

1 - "When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain;

2 - "and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.

1 - "Then he began to speak, and taught them."

2 - We begin worship this morning with his words from the hillside. Listen!

1 - "Blessed, how happy!, are the poor in spirit,
                for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2 - "Blessed, how happy!, are those who mourn,
                for they will be comforted.

1 - "Blessed, how happy!, are the meek,
               for they will inherit the earth.

2 - "Blessed, how happy!, are those who hunger
                                                         and thirst for righteousness,
               for they will be filled.

1 - "Blessed, how happy!, are the merciful,
               for they will receive mercy.

2 - "Blessed, how happy!, are the pure in heart,
               for they will see God.

1 - "Blessed, how happy!, are the peacemakers,
               for they will be called children of God.

2 - "Blessed, how happy!, are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
               for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

1 - "Blessed, how happy!, are you when people revile you
                                                                   and persecute you
                                                                  and utter all kinds of evil
                                                     against you falsely on my account.

2 - "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, 
               for in the same way they persecuted the prophets
                        who were before you."

1 - Blessed are you!

2 - Happy are you!

1 - Lift up your voice and sing!

Opening Prayer

         Upon this hillside we gather, Lord God. May your Word be spoken and heard. May your joy - the blessed happiness of the life you freely offer - be our joy. May what we say this hour be more than mere words upon our lips. Through your Holy Spirit, create in us a new heart, a new longing to become what you desire us to be. We thank you and praise you, in the name of our greatest teacher, our dearest friend, our Lord and Savior - Jesus Christ. Amen.

Children’s Time
"Would you like the recipe?"

         I have a three-by-five card with me that is a really wonderful thing to have. Can you guess why? (You may get some ideas, but don t spend too much time with it at this point.) No, you haven’t got it yet. Let me tell you how I got the card, and that may help.
         I was at a dinner a few weeks ago, and when it was over, the people served the most fantastic cake I have eaten in my entire life. It was unbelievable! When I finished eating, I looked for the man who baked it and asked if I could have the recipe. Now can you guess why this card is important? Right. David got it right off. It is the recipe. If I follow it, then I can enjoy the same fantastic cake again and again, whenever I want. How does that sound to you? (The children usually can identify with dessert with no difficulty at all!)
         Now, I think what I did was a pretty normal thing. I experienced something that was very good—the cake. Then I thought I would like to have more of it, so I went to the one who knew how to put it together and asked how to do it. Does that sound logical to you? (The children should have no problem staying with the thought or making the transfer.) Patti agrees, and everyone else seems to think so, too. It is only logical that if someone has the very best, that person would be the one to go to for the recipe.
         In fact, that is why we spend so much time talking about Jesus, or retelling the things he taught. Being with Jesus is a lot like going to that dinner. When we get to know him, we discover that he offers the very best kind of life. He says that he came to give us a life that is full - right to the top! When we see that life offered, it is as if we were looking at the cake - we begin asking for the recipe. How do we put it together so we can have the same kind of life? Do you know what Jesus did? He left us the recipe! We can find it in lots of places in the Bible, but I would like you to look at one special place. It is called the Beatitudes. Sit down with your parents tonight and read it, thinking of it as a recipe for living a Christian life of joy and service. Talk about what it means and about how you can follow it in your daily actions, and see what happens. God’s promise is that you will have the most fantastic life you could possibly imagine.

from Moore, Harvey D. & Patsie S,
The Mysterious, Marvelous Snowflake, pp. 51-2

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

         Listen to these tough words from the Psalms:
                      (Read Psalm 15)
         That’s a tough list! Were you listening? As you return your offering, ponder those words. How are you doing in living them out? ... Will the ushers come forward to serve?

Prayer

         O Lord, who may abide in your tent, indeed? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Like "Jack and Jill" we climb up the hill of faith, and so often we tumble right back down. Were it not for Jesus, we would be lost at the bottom. In him we find your grace in living and giving, in rising above ourselves with your large and free Spirit, in offering more of ourselves than we ever thought possible. Thank you. Amen.