Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
January 23, 2011
Worship 10:00 am              Sunday School 11:10am
 

  Beginning with Praise (9:50 am)            "Bless'd be the tie that binds"             421
  Announcements
  Prelude

*Call to Worship                   "The Lord is my Light"                          (see insert)

*Praying Psalm 27:1-6 in Unison                                         (pew Bible, pg. 477)

*Hymn                         "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"                               37

  Reading Together Psalm 27:7-14                                       (pew Bible, pg. 478)

  A moment of Silence

  Hymn                        "Seek ye first the kingdom of God"                             324

  Thoughts on the Word

  Scripture                             1 Corinthians 1:10-18

  Hymn                        (vs. 1) "In the cross of Christ I glory"                           566

  Story Sermon                       "Mary’s Picture"
                                                         (text version    .mp3 audio)

  Hymn                           "Heart with loving heart united"                               420

  Prayer for Christian Unity                                                        (back of bulletin)

  Scripture                                     Isaiah 9:2-4

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

  Prayer Song                 (vs. 3-4) "Help us to help each other"                           362

  Pastoral Prayer

  Scripture                                 Matthew 4:12-23

  Responding with our Tithes and Offerings

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

*Hymn                            "Jesus Christ, God's only Son"                                40

*Benediction

*Rise in body or in spirit

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship

  

Praying Psalm 27:1-6 in Unison
(pew Bible, pg. 477)

¹The LORD is my light and my salvation;
   whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
   of whom shall I be afraid?

²When evildoers assail me
   uttering slanders against me,
my adversaries and foes,
   they shall stumble and fall.

 ³Though a host encamp against me,
   my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
   yet I will be confident.

 ⁴One thing have I asked of the LORD,
   that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
   all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
   and to inquire in his temple.

⁵For he will hide me in his shelter
   in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
   he will set me high upon a rock.

⁶And now my head shall be lifted up
   above my enemies round about me;
and I will offer in his tent
   sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

(Revised Standard Version)
 

Reading Together Psalm 27:7-14
(pew Bible, pg. 478)

⁷Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
   be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸Thou hast said, "Seek ye my face."
    My heart says to you,
   "Thy face, LORD, do I seek."
 ⁹Hide not thy face from me.

Turn not thy servant away in anger,
   thou who hast been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
   O God of my salvation!
¹⁰For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
   but the LORD will take me up.

¹¹Teach me thy way, O LORD,
   and lead me on a level path
   because of my enemies.
¹²Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
   for false witnesses have risen against me,
   and they breathe out violence.

¹³I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD
   in the land of the living!
¹⁴Wait for the LORD;
   be strong, and let your heart take courage;
   yea, wait for the LORD!

(Revised Standard Version)
  

Thoughts on the Word

            In the scripture we are about to hear, the apostle Paul begins his call for unity in the church at Corinth, an appeal that would be spread over several chapters. Many of us fondly remember chapter 13, his encouragement to focus upon the most important gift: Love. Apparently the good folks in the Corinth church had a hard time really loving each other. Mind you, they were creative and gifted people, but they struggled when it came to their relationships with each other. They quarreled over major and minor things. They disagreed – for instance – about those who had shared the good news with them, each person following the teachings of their own favorite preacher instead of following Jesus.
  
            This morning's message, based upon what Paul had to say to the church in Corinth, is in the form of a story. Actually, I wrote this story over 20 years ago. Therefore, don’t try to imagine someone here being the pattern for any of the characters I came up with. I did, however, have certain persons in mind from various congregations I’ve served, but I hadn’t been here yet. Of course, maybe you’ll see someone you know in one or more of them, perhaps even yourself.
 
            You know, Jesus had a habit of telling stories in which people could recognize others, or themselves. I don’t claim my story to be on a par with his. I just ask you to open your imagination and hear some gospel in it. I had considered illustrating it with some of you pretending to be certain characters, but thought better of it. Sometimes the imagination is better than any picture projected upon a screen. For now, let’s listen to the apostle Paul.
  

Prayer for Christian Unity

God of us all, in Jesus Christ you have called us to be disciples. We pray for your other disciples from whom we are separated. Forgive us our arrogance for seeing our way as the only way. Give us the grace to learn of you through others. May your church be one in the Sprit, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

by Mary Jessup Springfield, Illinois
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085, "The Living Word Series"
  

Pastoral Prayer

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

Responding with our Tithes and Offerings

When Jesus invited Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to become “fishers of men,” do you think they knew that the people they would one day catch in God’s net would become people with whom they would one day need to get along? Had they known that, for instance, a smart aleck Pharisee by the name of Saul, who was at first a fiery adversary of the church and later an apostle pushing that same church to reach further than it thought it should; had they known Paul might be in that net, do you think they would have been so eager to cast it?

When we choose to follow Jesus, we live with the consequences. We become a brother or sister of those with whom we might not normally choose to associate. You cast the net and live with the catch, even when they smell fishy. It sounds a bit foolish, but that’s the way of the cross. The church isn’t an afterthought. It is how God works in this world, drawing together people who don’t necessarily get along with each other, and creating a community of faith.

Ponder that as you respond with your offering. Allow your gift to become your “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to “follow me.”

Ushers?
  

Benediction

As we bring this service to a close, remember:

            It is not we who chose Christ,
                        but Christ who chose us.

            We were not here because of our goodness
                        but because of Christ’s grace.
 
            We were not here to enlighten ourselves,
                        but to allow Christ to enlighten us.
 
            Finally, we do not go our separate ways alone,
                        but in the company of the Spirit
                        who has great things in store for us.

            Grace, mercy and peace, from God most wonderful,
                        will be your benediction today and always.
                                    Amen!

by Bruce Prewer, Uniting Church in Australia, adapted