Worship - June 29, 2009

Come, Holy Spirit,
come to us and among us;
come as the wind and cleanse;
come as the fire and purge;
come as the dew and refresh;
convict, convert, consecrate,
until we are wholly thine.

original source unknown
from For all who minister,
Brethren Press, c1993, p. 89

Responsive Confession

Leader: Almighty God, Spirit of purity and grace
                 whose dwelling is with the humble and contrite heart,
                     hear your children's confession of sin and grant us mercy.
             For all that has been evil in our lives;
                 for unholy thoughts and impure motives,
                 for any scorn of goodness, trifling with truth,
                     and indifference to beauty,
                 for being petty when we could have been gracious,
People: forgive us, O God.
Leader: For lack of love toward you,
                     whose love has never failed;
                 for doubt in your providence,
                 for acts of ingratitude,
                 and for disobedience to visions we have been able to see,
People: forgive us, O God.
Leader: For the wrong we have done our neighbors;
                 for silence in the face of war,
                 for neglect of charity and failure in justice,
                 for forgetfulness of other's pain,
                 and for advantage taken of another's weakness,
People: forgive us, O God.
Leader: For our faulty following of the Master;
                     our slow faith in his power to save,
                     our timid, hesitant answers to his call of service,
                     our insensibility to the meaning of the cross;
                 for all that mars our discipleship
                     and makes it difficult for others to believe in him,
People: forgive us, O God.
Leader: May God, who is almighty and merciful
                 forgive our sins,
                 empower us to overcome temptation,
                 and enable us to love as Jesus loved.
People: AMEN

Hymnal #691 - adapted from a litany of repentance,
Edward K. Ziegler, The Adventurous Future,
ed. Paul H. Bowman, © 1959 Brethren Press.

Praying together

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

For Children
"Somewhere Today"

Drawing from last week's time with the children, one of my favorite things to do with my own children when they were little was to read them a book. We'll see if the children remember me saying this. Then we'll do just that with Shelly Moore Thomas' book from our church library.

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

It was the apostle Paul's desire for the believers in Corinth that they excel in generosity. If he were writing to us today, would that be his encouragement also? Yes, the economy is not what it was, but are we not still rich in comparison to most of the people on this earth? As the plates are passed, I encourage you to read what Paul Grout, 2002 moderator of our denomination, has written. Then be prepared to pray the prayer at the bottom of his meditation.

Ushers?

(back of bulletin)
Embracing the Way of Jesus

Within this section of scripture, the apostle Paul is appealing to followers of Jesus who have material wealth to consider those who have little. "He became poor" is a reference to Jesus. Paul is invoking a Jesus-like surrender of material well being, and, make no mistake about it, he is not just looking for justice. This is about saving souls. He is calling for believers to embrace the way, truth, and life of Jesus. This is about feeding the hungry and saving the well fed.

Jesus in fact only appeared poor to a world whose values were so different from his own, values that he sought to transform through his life. Jesus embraced a wealth that neither moth, rust, nor the Dow Jones stock index could affect.

As the economy on which so much of our hope has relied continues its decline, the foundation of our trust is being tested; "I am testing the genuiness of your love" (2 Cor. 8:8). As the illusions of security crumble around us, so too will the hungry and homeless. Until we begin to understand more clearly the connection between the transformation of our souls and our care for others, our lives will remain incomplete. We are in this together more completely than we can imagine.

Jesus became poor, and introduced and entered into the new reign of God. In his love he invites us to join him.

by Paul Grout, oblate
A Place Apart Putney, Vermont
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085, "The Living Word Series"

Dedication

Loving God, open our hearts to the hungry, the homeless, and all those experiencing poverty, injustice, oppression, division, violence, and war. We are beginning to understand that we cannot be free to be fully alive until all are free to be so. Amen.

by Paul Grout, oblate
A Place Apart Putney, Vermont
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085, "The Living Word Series"

Benediction