Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
May 13, 2007
Worship 10:00 am, Sunday School 11:10 am

Mother’s Day

  Morning Praise (9:45 am)
  Announcements
  Prelude

  Call to Worship

*Hymn                           "When morning gilds the skies"                                644

*Opening Prayer

  Returning our Tithes and Offerings

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

  A Litany for Mother's Day                                                                (see insert)

  Scripture                                   Acts 16:9-15

  For Children                     " The Color Purple"

  Men’s voices united     "Gracious Spirit, dwell with me"                                507
                                                                    (verses 1,2,4,5)

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

  Hymn                                      "Peace, O God"                                 (see insert)

  Pastoral Prayer

  Scripture                                  John 14:23-29

  Message                            "Living the giving"

*Hymn                                "Great is thy faithfulness"                                     327

*Benediction                   (refrain to:) "Peace, my friends"                               Repp

*Postlude

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship

May God be gracious to us and bless us
                  and make his face to shine upon us,
         that your way may be known upon earth,
                  your saving power among all nations.
     Let the peoples praise you, O God;
             let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
         for you judge the peoples with equity
                  and guide the nations upon earth.
     Let the peoples praise you, O God; 
             let all the peoples praise you.       (Psalm 67:1-5, NRSV)

Please stand, O people, if you are able,
and praise the Lord with your "canticle divine."
Hymn #644, "When morning gilds the skies."
   

Opening Prayer

Open our hearts to you,
         O God,
         That we may listen
                  for the sheer sound of silence.

Open our hearts to you,
         O Christ,
         That we may practice
                  your presence in our lives.

Open our hearts to you,
         Holy Spirit,
         That we may be guided
                  into peace and service.

Open our hearts to you,
         Holy One,
         That we may love
                  as you love.

Open
         our
                  hearts.

Amen.

by Tara Hornbecker, Assoc. Professor of Ministry Formation
Bethany Theological Seminary, Richmond, Indiana
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085, "The Living Word Series"
   

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

        The 67^th Psalm concludes with these words:

         May this "end of the earth," this congregation, "revere" God just now with our tithes and offerings. As the plates are passed, would you also fill in and pass along the attendance pads located at the center aisle end of each pew? Thank you... Ushers?
   

For Children
" The Color Purple"

         I really like the Bible story we just heard. It’s about a man’s dream and a woman’s heart. The man’s name was Paul, and he was a traveling preacher. He went here and there telling people about Jesus. He walked about as far as he could, and then he came to the sea. He couldn’t walk on water, so he couldn’t travel any further on foot.

         That night he had a dream. Have you ever had a dream when you were sleeping? In Paul’s dream, he saw a man standing way on the other side of that sea. And the man said, "Come over here and help us." That was the dream. At least that all of the dream that is mentioned in the Bible. Maybe there was more to it. I know my dreams can be much longer, but sometimes I only remember a few things about them. Sometimes I don’t remember anything other than that I had a dream. How about you?

         Well, the next morning Paul didn’t just say, "hmmm, what a strange dream!" He was convinced that God was trying to tell him something in this dream. So he jumped on a boat and headed across that sea. He wanted to find that man in his dream and help him. As it turned out, though, the man in his dream apparently wasn’t a man. She was a woman. That’s right.

         On the other side of the sea, he didn’t find a "man," but he did find a group of women. They were praying together outside of the city of Philippi, down by a river. He sat with them, and shared about Jesus. He ended up being the answer to their prayer. You see, these women had prayed him across the sea. That’s right! Prayer can do that.

         There was one woman in that group who’s name was Lydia. Do you know anyone named Lydia? That’s right. Kinger’s cousin’s name is Lydia. I wonder if her mommy named her after this Bible character (did you, Eugenia?). Well, when Lydia in our Bible story heard about Jesus, her heart was wide open. She listened and believed. She became the first person baptized on the other side of that sea.

         Now I don’t know if she was a mother, but she had a "household," the Bible says. Her whole household, it says, also was baptized. And I want to believe that this family became the heart of the first church on the other side of this sea. Now, Lydia was a wise businesswoman. She sold fabric. Her specialty was purple cloth. Maybe something like this (hold up some purple fabric).

         I’ve cut some pieces of this cloth for you to take home with you. Maybe you can use it as a bookmark. Whenever you see this purple cloth, I’d like for you to remember Lydia in the Bible. Remember how her prayers moved Paul across the sea. Remember how God opened her heart. Remember how her family became followers of Jesus, the first believers on the other side of the sea. Pray with me.

         Thank you, God, for these children, for this Bible story, and for the color purple. Open our hearts to Jesus. Help us to pray. And, Lord, thank you for colorful dreams. Amen
   

Pastoral Prayer

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

Benediction

         [The refrain to Ray Repp's song, "Peace, my friends" (based on John 14:27), goes:]

"Peace I leave with you, my friends,
Shalom my peace in all you do.
"Peace I leave with you, my friends.
I give to you so you can give to others, too."

(listen to an mp3 of the whole song)

©1967 Otter Creek Music
CCLI #1347096