Call to Worship
Psalm 139:15-18 (CEV)

1 - "You have looked deep into my heart, LORD, and you know all about me.

2 - You know when I am resting or when I am working,

1 - and from heaven you discover my thoughts.

2 - You notice everything I do and everywhere I go.

1 - Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say,

2 - and with your powerful arm you protect me from every side.

1 - I can’t understand all of this!

2 - Such wonderful knowledge is far above me.

1 - Where could I go to escape from your Spirit or from your sight?

2 - If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there.

1 - If I were to dig down to the world of the dead you would also be there.

2 - Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean.

1 - Even then your powerful arm would guide and protect me.

2 - Or suppose I said, ‘I’ll hide in the dark until night comes to cover me over.’

1 - But you see in the dark because daylight and dark are all the same to you.

2 - You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body,

1 - and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me.

2 - Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt."

1 - I will praise you, Lord.

2 - I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.

1 - Stand and sing, O people of God. Alleluia.
                       

Opening Prayer

         You are, indeed, the "source of all our joy," O Lord. "Everything you do is marvelous!" Thank you for being so near, caring for us even when doubt clouds our way, when darkness prevents us from "marveling" over anything. Forgive us, God, for giving up too easily when it comes to living by faith, for letting go of your promises and, in the process, forgetting our own.
         Thank you for the second chances you give to us each and every day, that we might die to sin and rise with Christ. Help us this hour not only to "tell the wonders of your ways," but also to be open to them, that we might "glorify your name." Amen.
        

For Children
"God’s Thoughts"
Psalm 139:17-18

         This morning, I want to see how good you are when it comes to numbers. I know that the other week (instead of minutes in a day, I said there were 1,440 hours in a year) I messed up when it came to counting. I brought with me several sheets of paper with x’s on them, but I had made a mistake in counting those x’s. Do you remember? I do. Lots of people in the congregation were busy during the "Children’s Time" figuring out my mistake instead of listening. Maybe some of you were also. Well, now I want to test your skill at guessing how much of something is in a jar. Are you game?

         How about this jar? (Bring it out and show the children.) How many ______ are in it? (Play with the kids with the numbers. Ham it up, and eventually reveal the true answer. Do the same with the other jars. The one with something eatable, after the guessing is finished, give each child a piece to munch on. If you want, give the container to the one who had the closest guess, but be careful - have him/her give it to a parent immediately afterward.)

         Okay, I have one last jar. Let me show it to you. What is in it? That’s right - sand. Now, how many grains of sand are there in this jar? Anyone? Maybe we should show it to the congregation and see if there are any smarties out there who want a try. (Play the aggrieved person who was wrongfully derided for a previous mistake. Ham it up, with a wink and a grin.) Any guesses? Well, never know. You might be right, because I didn’t take the time to count these grains of sand. There were too many. Someone probably could if they had enough time and patience, but it wouldn’t be easy.

         Psalm 139 talks about how well God knows each and every one of us. God knows us inside and out. Before we think something, God already knows what we’re thinking. That’s what it says. It must take a lot to know everyone that way. That would take an awful lot of thoughts on God’s part. Well, the Psalmist says that God’s thoughts are more numerous than the grains of sand in - not this jar, but on - an entire beach. Can you imagine trying to guess how many grains of sand there are at Ocean City? Wow!

         The point is what? (Allow/prod the children to make their own conclusions. Don’t bop in with the "right" answer. Take one or more of theirs - which may be very profound - and let it be the "grain" of truth for the moment.) You know something, I wouldn’t want to try to count all your thoughts, either. As you head on to your choir time, or your preschool play, why don’t you think about how big God is, and how much God knows and loves you.

Thanks to our Wednesday morning Quilters
for their help in developing this lesson!
     

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

(after reading 1 Samuel 3:1-10:)

         Ponder this story of an old man and a boy who was willing to get up in the middle of the night - not once, but three times - when he thought Eli was calling him for help. Remember also the part of the story I didn’t read - in which a mother named Hannah is so thankful for God’s gift of a child that she returns this very gift to the Lord, offering Samuel to serve in the Temple with Eli. Think, also, of that old man, who realized the Lord was not calling out, "Eli, Eli." His God-given task became helping someone else to respond, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

         As you return your offering, consider where you fit in this story. Are you like Eli, able to release your claim on the future for the sake of helping someone else to hear God calling? Are you like Hannah, with a thankful heart able to let go of someone or something very dear to you for a purpose that is bigger than you can comprehend? Are you like Samuel, so willing to persistently care about somebody besides yourself that God can launch you on a mission beyond your wildest imagination? Allow your own thoughts on this scripture to become like grains of sand in God’s hands (alludes to the time For Children above), as you let go of your offering just now.

         Will the ushers come forward to receive what we have to give.
    

Dedication

         Lord, we still struggle to grasp what it means for our own "will" to "be lost" in yours. Even so, whether we are like Eli, or Hannah, or Samuel, help us to be drawn nearer to you, to be led where you call us. May your grace flow through the story of faith we are living today, in Jesus’ name. Amen.