Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
September 26, 2010
Worship 10:00 am              Sunday School 11:10am
 

  Beginning with Praise (9:50 am)              "Sing to the Lord of harvest"             98
  Announcements
  Prelude

  Call to Worship

*Hymn                                    "Great is the Lord"                                          87

*Opening Prayer

  From the Prophets                      Amos 6:4-7

  Confession Hymn           "Brothers and sisters of mine"                               142

  Our children and the Gospel Story

  Hymn                         (vs. 1-2) "O Master, let me walk with thee"                      357

  Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise
                                 (please be brief, and aware of God's listening presence)

  Hymn                         (vs. 3-4) "O Master, let me walk with thee"                      357

  Pastoral Prayer

  Returning our Tithes and Offerings

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

  Scripture                                 1 Timothy 6:6-19

  Message                                "Contentment" (mp3)

*Hymn                                        "Simple Gifts"                                 (see insert)

*Benediction

*Postlude

*Rise in body or in spirit

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship
Psalm 146

1 - Praise the Lord!

2 - Praise the Lord, O my soul!

1 - I will praise the Lord as long as I live;

2 - I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

1 - Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.

2 - Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God,

1 - God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them;

2- God, who keeps faith forever;

1 - God, who executes justice for the oppressed;

2 - God, who gives food to the hungry.

1 - The Lord sets the prisoners free;

2 - the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

1 - The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

2 - the Lord loves the righteous.

1 - The Lord watches over the strangers;

2 - he upholds the orphan and the widow,

1 - but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

2 - The Lord will reign forever,

1 - your God, O Zion, for all generations.

2 - Praise the Lord!

from the New Revised Standard Version,
copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
  

Opening Prayer

Praise the One who hears the cry of the poor,
  who lifts up the weak and gives them strength.
Praise the One who feeds the hungry
    and satisfies the longing of those in need.
Praise the One who holds with tenderness the orphan and widow
   and gives the stranger a land and a home.

Hymnal #37, Psalm 146:7-9,
adapted from More Than Words,
by Pat Kozak, C.S.J., and Janet Schaffran, C.D.P.
First edition copyright © 1986 Pat Kozak, C.S.J., and Janet Schaffran, C.D.P.;
second revised edition copyright © 1988. Crossroad/Continuum Publishing Company.
Also adapted from New Revised Standard Version
  

Preface to reading from the Prophet

The New Oxford Annotated Bible prefaces the Old Testament book of Amos, by noting that this prophet "was active in the first half of the eighth century BC, during the long and peaceful reign of Jeroboam II. In this period, Israel attained a height of territorial expansion and national prosperity never again reached. At the same time, this prosperity led to gross inequalities between rich and poor. Through manipulation of debt and credit, wealthy landowners amassed capital and estates at the expense of small farmers. The smallest debt served as the thin end of a wedge that lenders could use to separate farmers from their family land and personal liberty. Into this scene stepped Amos..."*

We will be reading from the 6^th chapter of this compilation of sayings by this prophet. As you listen, don’t automatically place yourself among the poor. Like our current economic woes, we have met the problem, and the face we see is partially our own. As Jesus said, “let those who have ears, listen.”

Amos 6:4-7

* from the New Oxford Annotated Bible
Augmented Third Edition
Michael D. Coogan, ed.
©2007 Oxford University Press
p. 1302
   

Our children and the Gospel Story

            Depending upon how many children come forward, divide the group up into the following parts:

Rich man, Lazarus, Dogs/Angels, Abraham

and have them act out the story of  Luke 16:19-31 as you read it.

¹⁹There was once a rich man who wore expensive clothes and every day ate the best food. ²⁰But a poor beggar named Lazarus was brought to the gate of the rich man's house. ²¹He was happy just to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. His body was covered with sores, and dogs kept coming up to lick them. ²²The poor man died, and angels took him to the place of honor next to Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³He went to hell and was suffering terribly. When he looked up and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side, ²⁴he said to Abraham, "Have pity on me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and touch my tongue. I'm suffering terribly in this fire." ²⁵Abraham answered, "My friend, remember that while you lived, you had everything good, and Lazarus had everything bad. Now he is happy, and you are in pain. ²⁶And besides, there is a deep ditch between us, and no one from either side can cross over."

            ²⁷But the rich man said, "Abraham, then please send Lazarus to my father's home. ²⁸Let him warn my five brothers, so they won't come to this horrible place."

            ²⁹Abraham answered, "Your brothers can read what Moses and the prophets wrote. They should pay attention to that." ³⁰Then the rich man said, "No, that's not enough! If only someone from the dead would go to them, they would listen and turn to God."

Pastoral Prayer

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

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

With the words of the Psalmist,
                              the prophet Amos,
                       and our Lord Jesus         ringing in our ears,
let us return to God our tithes and offerings, recognizing that
          for some of us      what we place in the plate
                 is stretching us financially and spiritually, and
          for others of us     our gifts are part of a long-range plan of faithful following.

Please pray with me:

prayer Copyright © 2010 David S. Bell.
Reprinted with permission from www.davidsbell.org
   

Benediction

As you head into this week, filled as it is with
            activities and responsibilities,
            bills and duties,
            deadlines and downtime,
            difficult people and collegial co-workers,
      be fully aware of the simple gifts of God
                  which are woven through each and every day.
Be content with what you have,
                           money-wise,
                           time-wise,
                           relationship-wise.
            There is treasure there.
Take hold of the life that is really life.
       Through  Jesus Christ, our Lord.
              Amen!