Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
September 24, 2006
Worship 10:00 am, Sunday School 11:10 am

  Morning Praise (9:45 am)
  Announcements
  Prelude

  Unison Call to Worship                                                                          811

*Hymn                             "Come, thou Almighty King"                               41

*Opening Prayer

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

  Hymn                          "Breathe on me, breath of God"                           356

  Pastoral Prayer

  Scripture                                   James 3:13-18

  Commissioning our Church Board                                                          795

  Scripture                                 James 4:1-3, 7-8

  For Children                    "A Lesson from God"
                      (Our younger children then leave for bell practice & Sunday School)

  Returning our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory

*Doxology (119A)

*Dedication

  Scripture                               Matthew 21:23-32

  Message                         "By what authority?"
                                  Dr. Donald Booz, District Executive
                            Mid-Atlantic District Church of the Brethren

*Hymn                                  "Renew your church"                                  363

*Benediction

*Postlude

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Unison Call to Worship
Psalm 1

Blessed are those
      who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
            or take the path that sinners tread,
            or sit in the seat of scoffers;
      but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
            and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
      which yield their fruit in its season,
      and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

The wicked are not so,
      but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
            nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
      for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
            but the way of the wicked will perish.

Hymnal #811
New Revised Standard Version
vs. 1a is from Revised Standard Version
   

Opening Prayer

         Grant, O God, that thinking, we may think your thoughts; that speaking, we may speak your word; that singing, we may sing to your praise; that hearing, we may hear your truth; and that willing, we may make your will our own, so that walking forward at the end of our worship, we may walk in your love and your peace, and departing from one another, not depart from you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

from For All Who Minister, ©1993, Brethren Press, p. 85 
by Roy Pearson, Hear our Prayer. ©1961 McGraw-Hill, Inc.. New York, N.Y. adapted
   

Pastoral Prayer

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

Commissioning our Church Board

         This week, your church board will "officially" meet for the first time in a new year. I say "officially," because we have been at work already since we reorganized last June. It’s good, however, to mark a beginning, and ask God for what we need to fulfill the tasks to which we have been called. We need all of you to help commission us.
         Let me read off the names of the persons who make up your 2006-2007 church board. Please stand as your name is read. Dividing up responsibilities, those on the board who focus on the inner growth of this church are ________, ________, ________, and ________, who serves as chairwoman of this "Nurture" commission. Those who look outward and lead us in "Witness"-ing our faith are ________ (chairwoman), ________, ________, and ________. Caring for the needs of our facility and otherwise encouraging us to grow as "Stewards" of what God has given, are ________, ________, ________, and ________, who leads this group. ________, as church clerk, keeps track of our discussions and decisions. ________ maintains our finances as Treasurer. ________, our financial secretary, is the one who confidentially records and reports back to you your giving - which comes in handy at tax time.
         These are persons whom you have called to help lead this church. By the way, I currently serve as chairman of this board. Would you join in a commissioning of this leadership team? Turn in your hymnal to #795 in the back...

People:   In company with all your faithful people in every age,
                      we have called out those with gifts for your service, O God.
                Fill them with the love of Christ
                      and the power  of the Spirit
                            as they carry out the church's ministry.

                Those commissioned:
                Grant us wisdom, patience and hope when we falter.
                Give us joy in serving your church
                      and keep us faithful to this calling.

  ALL:     For the ministries taking form within us
                      and for all the callings yet to be,
                      we praise your name, O Lord! AMEN

Hymnal #795, ©1992 The Hymnal Project.
Last paragraph by Gail Anderson Ricciuti,
adapted from "Litany of Praise and Hope,"
Women's Prayer Services;
ed. Iben Gjerding and Katherine Kinnamon,
©1983 World Council of Churches,
published in a North American edition, 1987,
by Twenty?Third Publications,
P.O. Box 180, Mystic, CT 06355.
   

For Children
"A Lesson from God"

Our resident children's storyteller, Ed Lewis, writes:

         I was blessed when I was a boy to be so big. The smaller children seemed to always get picked on. No one would want to fight someone as big as me. One day that all changed. I was at my bus stop and one of my friends said that Victor (another boy at my stop) had called my sister a bad name. Victor was not a very nice boy and a lot of people didn't like him. When I asked him if he called my sister a name, he said "no". I started walking toward him and he backed away. The power that made him scared of me made me feel strong and the other kids were saying "get him, Ed." He started running and I chased him.
         When the bus pulled up we all got on and he sat on one side of the back of the bus and I sat across from him. My friends were pushing me to fight him and beat him up. We both stood up. He hit me in the mouth very hard and I fell to my seat bleeding. I had never fought before, and this really hurt. I was in shock. Victor was feeling th power over me that I had over him earlier and he didn't want it to stop. He said, "Get up!" I was scared and said, "No! I had enough." The bus pulled up in front of the school and we got off the bus. Victor said, "I’ll finish this when we get home."
         The bus ride home from school I was scared that I was going to be beat up. I felt like my life was over. When the bus pulled up at the bus stop Victor jumped off and said, "Come on out and I'll finish this." Someone else on the bus jumped out (Darrell, who did not like Victor) and started a fight with him. I ran home. That happened to be the last day of school. All that summer I stayed close to home, to afraid to go out. When the next year of school came around, I found out that Victor had moved away.
         I look back now and realize that God had taught me an important lesson. God did not like me picking fights with others and he showed me how afraid that Victor must have felt when I was bullying him. Even though I went through a lot more fear over a longer period of time, I learned how wrong it was to have power over some one else. Just like the golden rule, I will never treat someone that way unless I want to be bullied myself. Believe me! I never want to be bullied again. I know God loves me, because he taught me this lesson so well!
   

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

         "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:43-45)

Ponder these words of Jesus as you return your offering. Ushers?
   

Dedication

         We are grateful, O God, that you are at work within us, nudging and stretching us, and causing us to grow, and to think. Grant us wisdom for the challenges of life, when who we are may be called into question. Help our response to flow out of your love for us.
         Bless these offerings toward your kingdom work through us, Lord. Bless, also your servant, brother Don Booz, as he brings us your message this morning. As you have centered his thoughts in preparation, so focus our minds and hearts as we listen. Keep nudging and stretching us as we seek to be doers of your Word. Thank you for the ministry of our district, with whom we are in partnership. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
   

Benediction