Thou shalt know Christ when he comes,
not by any din of drums,
nor the vantage of his airs,
nor by anything he wears
neither by his crown
nor his gown
but his presence known shall be
in the holy harmony
that his coming makes in thee.
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.
Our worship
service this morning is centered upon the theme of "Peace."
Tomorrow has been designated as an "International Day of Prayer
for Peace," and you are invited to become involved.
Peace … Some
folks think that “peace” is the absence of conflict. However,
whenever two or more people are gathered, rest assured there is
usually some disagreement among them. The first definition of
"conflict" in Webster's dictionary is simply, "1. disagreement."
In Latin, the word "conflict" is made up of "con" or "with" and
"flictus" or "to strike," as in "to strike" with a fist.
Disagreement can escalate to violence. One answer is to run away
from conflict, but that can lead to a lonely existence. The
other is to fight, with words or actions, to make everyone agree
with you … or else. Are these our only options, fight or flight?
Let's turn to
the Gospel story for today and learn from Jesus about another
way. This scripture has two parts. In the first is a description
of God’s peace-maker, the "Son of Man," who does something
different from fight or flight in order to make
peace. These words must have been a bit confusing to those first
disciples who had yet to see it lived out.
The second
part of this Gospel story alludes to a disagreement among his
disciples. Jesus answers this conflict with a little child.
Listen.
They left that place
and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know
where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said
to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands
of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."
But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask
him about it.
They came to Capernaum. When he
was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on
the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had
argued about who was the greatest.
Sitting down, Jesus
called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he
must be the very last, and the servant of all."
He took a little
child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he
said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in
my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me
but the one who sent me."
Our little children are invited to come forward now and join
____________ for a story about how "Sharing makes for Peace."
For
Children "Sharing
makes for Peace"
Our storyteller will connect with our little ones with a peace
story.
Pastoral Prayer
written closer to the time (if not at the
moment)
Returning
our Tithes and Offerings
Our worship leader will take the opportunity to share, as one of the
members of the cabinet which planned this event and as a participant
in it, about the Church of the Brethren
Young Adult Conference which took place May 23-25. She will then
invite the congregation to respond to God's blessing with our tithes
and offerings as we watch the below video, which was commissioned
for this conference.
Video/Offertory Blessed to be a Witness
If you're having trouble viewing the video,
click here, or
here.
Dedication
Yes, Lord, I am
blessed to be a witness. We are blessed to be witnesses. Thank
you for your vision which has led us in the past, and for your
energy which has made the impossible possible. Thank you for
all, including (and especially) young adults, who long to be a
blessing in this world. May this offering be a part of our
response to your calling.
"God of both day and night,
show us your way. Shape us. Inspire us. Lead us. Move us."
In your name we pray. Amen.
second paragraph quotes the above
video by Kay Guyer
Benediction
God may we be instruments of your peace
today
In a world divided by war and strife
May we be your reconcilers
In a world of hurt and pain
May we be those who care for our enemies
In a world that kills and maims
May we be those who heal and restore
God lead us with your peace
Through the pathway of your love
To the promise of your kingdom,
The blessing of God be upon you.
The blessing of the God of life.
The blessing of Christ be upon you.
The blessing of the Christ of love.
The blessing of the spirit upon you.
The blessing of the spirit of peace.
The blessing of the triune God be yours,
now and evermore.
International Lesson: Adult
Bible Studies
from The United Methodist Publishing House
(click "supplemental resources" and "current events supplement"
under both the "Student" and "Teacher" sections in the left hand column)