Greet One Another

Before you get into this morning’s service , take a few moments to reach out to a couple people from the extended Church community – maybe a friend or family member who worships with another local church in another place. Send a text message, write a short email, or even make a call (remember when phones were used ONLY for phone calls…?!). If it doesn’t feel too unnatural, consider including these words (or some variation of them) as part of your greeting:

May God bless you and keep you today.

Call to Worship

The final words of the Gospel of Matthew are Jesus’ words to his disciples. They are words that remind us of who God is, who we are, and what we are called to be about as his people:

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

If you are meeting with others, read the following responsively as a prayer and call to worship:

We are here to worship you, God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We bring all that we have and all that we are to this moment of worship,
acknowledging your love, grace, and mercy to us.
Accept our worship, our praise, our thanksgiving and our adoration. Free us from the burden of our sin, and from the lure of those distractions which steal our attention away from You.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us –
So that we may experience anew your call to share with all people the good news of Jesus Christ, the One who came to seek and to save the lost among all people. Amen.

Songs of Worship

Be the Center
Jesus be the center
Be my source
Be my light
Jesus

Jesus be the center
Be my hope
Be my song
Jesus

Be the fire in my heart
Be the wind in these sails
Be the reason that I live
Jesus
Jesus

Jesus be my vision
Be my path
Be my guide
Jesus

Jesus be my vision
Be my path
Be my guide
Jesus

Be the fire in my heart
Be the wind in these sails
Be the reason that I live
Jesus
Jesus

Be the fire in my heart
Be the wind in these sails
Be the reason that I live
Jesus
Jesus

Be Thou My Vision
Be thou my vision O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me save that thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping thy presence my light

Be thou my wisdom and thou my true word
I ever with thee and thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father thy child shall I be
Thou in me dwelling and I one with thee

Riches I heed not nor mans empty praise
Thou mine inheritance now and always
Thou and thou only first in my heart
High King of heave my treasure thou art

High King of heaven my victory won
May I reach heavens joy O bright heavens sun
Heart of my own heart whatever befall
Still be my vision O ruler of all

Heart of my own heart whatever befall
Still be my vision O ruler of all

Kids’ Lesson

Prayers of Confession

The object lesson Julia gave (which is a good one for adults too!) reminds us to pay attention to those things in our life we may have prioritized above or before God himself and our call to be disciples of Jesus.

Where have you allowed the stuff of life (big things, medium things, or little things) to become competition to God ? What is, rather than being another context or situation in which you love and live for God, actually crowding Him out?

What has occupied your thoughts? What have been the preoccupations of your mind lately?

Consider these things, maybe jot down a few thoughts about anything specific that needs to be addressed, then take a physical posture of humility (ie. kneeling, bowing low, holding your hands palms upward in front of you) and pray aloud:

We are sorry, God; hear our repentance for our wayward handling of life. We have squandered time, hoarded money, avoided challenges, and used others. We have borne waiting grievously, illness stubbornly, trials reluctantly, and responsibility half-heartedly. We have doubted your care, mistrusted your providence, distorted your power, and ignored your love. We have neglected our discipleship, injured our relationships, sabotaged our fellowship, and underrated your forgiveness. Forgive us now, we pray, and let us try again, sensitive to your Spirit and committed to your will. Amen.

Offering

The long journey of wonder and obedience is characterized by both receiving and giving. We acknowledge today that work and strength are both gift and responsibility. A portion of the return we receive in wages and gifts belongs to God, who first gave us the gifts of life, strength, and salvation. So we give freely with thanksgiving.

May god make both these gifts and their givers increasingly fruitful for His Kingdom purposes.
Amen.

Sermon

Reflection and Response

Numbers 12 reminds us, as Erik said, that God’s promises aren’t just for individuals but for an entire community. The Christian life – the Kingdom life – is a life together. Think: team sport. The wins and the losses are shared.

For the next few minutes, pray for your faith community. Allow yourself to role the images of their faces before your mind’s eye. Remember their names before God. And pray using these prompts:

• Pray for someone who is frustrated, bitter, angry, or questioning God’s ways and wisdom. Ask God to speak peace to them and remind them of His love for them.
• Pray for someone who is sick or afflicted. Ask God for their healing, and for his merciful help.
• Pray for someone who seems trapped by a sense of guilt, or the weight of the consequences of their own sin or misjudgement. Ask God to give them a deep sense of freedom through the Holy Spirit.
• Pray for someone who is in a season of waiting – someone who is held up, stuck, or in a holding pattern. Ask God to give provision and patience.
• Give thanks to God for where you have seen His goodness – not just in your own life but specifically in the lives of others. Name the special kindnesses you’ve noticed God offer to those around you (that may have even provoked a twinge of jealousy in your own heart).
• And listen. Listen for the guidance of God on how you can practically, tangibly be involved in restoring and refreshing the people in your church and your community with whom you walk the long journey.

Benediction