Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
January 18, 2004
Worship 10:00 am Sunday School for all ages 11:15 am

  Morning Praise (9:45 am)
  Announcements
  Prelude

*Call to Worship          "Awake, arise, O sing a new song"                             56

*Opening Prayer

*Hymn                              "Wonderful grace of Jesus"                                 150

  Scripture                                  Isaiah 54:9-10

  For Children                    "Banking on an Ark"
                                         (Pre-schoolers then leave for playful worship)

  Returning our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory

*Response                        "Grant us, Lord, the grace"                                  388

*Dedication

  Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise

  Song                                   "Fluye, Espiritu, Fluye"                                (insert)

  Pastoral Prayer

  Scripture                             1 Corinthians 12:1-11

  Message                               "God’s seasoning"

*Hymn                                  "There are many gifts"                                     304

*Benediction

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Opening Prayer

         You have awakened us, God. Your Holy Spirit has drawn us to this place, whether or not we have recognized your hand at work. These moments are all about you, as we open ourselves yet again to your work in us. Help us to stay awake, Lord, to keep our eyes on Jesus as we worship, to listen to your Word, to sing out of your grace.

         We confess that too often we operate solely out of our own ability. Too easily we think it’s all about "us." We thus live our days out of focus, unconnected to what’s really real, out of tune. Forgive us and live in us now, so that we can begin a brand new week singing and living your new song with wonder - awake and alive in Christ, rising up.

         This we pray in the name of the One who said, "I am the resurrection and the life." Amen!
   

For Children
"Banking on an Ark"

         I know that some of you know all about Heifer International. After all, you learned a song about "goats and pigs and cows and sheep," and sang it to us. Maybe you remember previous years when this has been a special project in our church. Perhaps your family really got involved, and gave money to go towards a particular animal. However, some of you may not know anything about Heifer International. So, I need some of you who do know about it to help me explain it to those who don’t know about it. Please help me.

         What is Heifer International? (Ask a series of questions to get the children to tell the story, such as:) Who started it? (Dan West, a Brethren farmer/peace activist) What’s the basic idea? (Giving a gift that keeps on giving) How? (An animal is given to someone in need with but one catch - that person continues the gift. If a heifer is given, the firstborn calf from this heifer is then given to someone else) etc. (If done right, the children will take over explaining it).

         Great. Thanks for helping me tell about Heifer International. Our special offering emphasis for the next month is going to this ministry. This year we’re going to do it a bit different from what we did last year. You see, up in our church attic, we’ve had a box of plastic arks banks we didn’t use up many years ago. HPI (that’s what it was called then), sent us more than we needed. So we saved them ... for now.

         These banks can sit on the table where your family eats, and every day you can add money to it. Now you know where that money will go. Maybe every day, when you sit together eating, you can talk about the special things that have happened that very day. For every good thing you can think of, the things you are thankful for, add a coin in the bank. It’s called counting your blessings. So many good things happen in a day that we often forget to really notice them. God is so good to us every day. We need to pass it on. Right.

         Okay, I’m putting you to work. We need to pass these arks out to everybody. Don’t worry, there are plenty of them - believe me. Let’s get started.
     

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

         You heard the call, folks. You know where the money is headed. You have an ark in which to bank it. If you fill it up before it’s time to return it, ask for another. The "due date" is "leap day" - Sunday, February 29^th. Of course, if you’re unable to be here on that date, you can bring it in the Sunday before or the Sunday after. On the 29^th we’ll have a special time to brink your ark forward. The important thing, though, is to pay attention to all God has done for you every day, the good stuff that usually far outweighs the bad. "My steadfast love shall not depart from you" (Isaiah 54:10), God promised long ago. Count your blessings, and give out of them. Pass it on. Pass it on.

         Now is time for "passing it on," in the form of our regular tithes and offerings. As you give, be thankful for your ark - your home, your family, your work, your school. Remember God’s rainbow promise. Simply pass it on... Ushers?
     

Dedication

         There is, indeed, a "grace" in giving, Lord. We "pass it on" not because we think we "ought" to, but because we "want" to. After all, you have first given everything to us because you wanted to, out of your "will," your "desire." Help us to grow in such grace-full-ness.

Looking to Jesus, your greatest gift. Amen.
   

Pastoral Prayer

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

Benediction