Worship
Service for October 22, 2023
Prelude
Announcements:
Call to Worship
L: Celebrate God’s love, which has been
poured into your life!
P: Forgiveness, encouragement, support, and
healing are gifts of God to us.
L: Reach out and care for those around you.
P: We will be people of peace and justice.
L: Shout for joy!
P: Sing God’s praises always.
Opening Hymn – Lead On, O King Eternal Hymn #447/724
Prayer of Confession
We are so easily pulled this
way and that way by those who would promise instant healing for all the world’s
woes. We want to have everything be
whole and happy, and we don’t know what to do, so we pay attention to those
voices that cry the loudest, whether they are voices of blame or promise. In our fearfulness, we love to place blame
for all our woes on the shoulders of a few people. In our anguish, we seek instant answers from
sources that are very unreliable. Lord,
help us. Turn us around. Help us know that You are our Lord and You
have provided much for us. You have
given to us abilities, and understanding, and ways in which we can be those who
would bring peace and justice. You have
blessed our lives. Heal and restore our
spirits, Lord, help us truly place our trust in You and to work in ministries
that uplift people. This prayer we offer
in Jesus’ name. (Silent prayers are
offered) AMEN.
Assurance of Pardon
L: The Lord has given to us given to us gifts
and abilities to work for peace and justice.
You are especially blessed by God.
Go into His world in confidence of God’s presence and love.
P: We are a forgiven people. Thanks be to God!
Gloria Patri
Affirmation of Faith/Apostles’
Creed
I believe in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the
third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on
the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge
the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the
resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN
Pastoral Prayer and Lord’s
Prayer
God of grace and mercy,
you created us to worship you and to love one another. You have never ceased to call us as individuals
and as nations to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly before you. We pray this day, O Lord, for all those who
speak out against injustice. Allow our
voices to blend with theirs to love one another, to speak up for one another
and to point out the injustices of the world.
We pray especially today for those who live in fear because of war due
to greed and hatred. Surround them with
your loving presence and protect them.
Put your word into our hearts, O God, move in us, and
change us so that we might become tools of your peace in all the places of
need. Teach us to be people of kindness,
so that this congregation, our community, and even our nation will be seen by
those who do not know or hear you, as a people of refuge, a shelter from the
storms of life, a sacred place of honor and respect for all people of the
earth.
This morning, we also pray for those who are sick and
encompassed with pain or suffering and those who care for them. Their burden is heavy Lord, as they make
difficult decisions, or struggle for each day’s breath. Comfort them Lord and renew their strength in
you.
We especially remember in prayer today….
Hear these prayers and
the desires of our own hearts, O God, in these moments of silence.
You alone, O Lord, can
turn our mourning into dancing and our tears into laughter…may we always
rejoice in your sovereign love as we pray together saying…Our Father who art in
heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our
debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. AMEN.
Hymn – Rejoice,
Ye Pure in Heart Hymn #145 Blue Hymnal
Scripture Reading(s):
First Scripture Reading – Psalm
99
Second Scripture Reading – 1
Thessalonians 1:1-10
Sermon – “A Thankful Heart”
At this time
of the year we are bombarded with holidays; Halloween, Thanksgiving, and
Christmas. For some of us, it can put us
into that cheerful holiday spirit. For
some others of us, it can make us a bit more cranky, especially when Christmas
decorations are up in the stores before Halloween has even arrived. And Thanksgiving seems to get neglected or
pushed aside as just a dress rehearsal for Christmas.
But the
hallmark of that middle holiday is all about being thankful. And, although we aren’t there yet to that
holiday, I don’t want to give it short shift this year. Instead, I want to emphasize it even more. Why?
Because, I think there are many things that threaten a spirit of
thanksgiving right now. Our world
continues to battle a variety of serious viruses, not just Covid, we’re still
struggling with racial injustice as a society, we’re into some political
turmoil like we’ve never seen in the US, climate change is seriously affecting
food production and devasting various communities, and wars are either ongoing
or erupting in impactful areas of the world.
When we look
at today’s scripture reading in the letter to the Thessalonica church, I don’t
think Paul would want us to ignore those harsh realities. But I think he would want us to be aware of
what God is doing in order to remain thankful to God for so many of the
blessings that crises sometimes threaten to overshadow.
For some
historical context: the church in Thessalonica was a new church, perhaps only
four or five months old. The church’s
members were new Christians whom either converted from Judaism or from
paganism, the generic term used in this context to mean all those who had no
particular faith or a more culturally region-based religion. Persecution from the Romans and from their
own people was also vigorously testing them as they began their new journey
into Christianity. So, we might expect
the Thessalonian Church to be wobbly and fragile in such a precarious
situation.
However,
Paul expresses enormous thanksgiving for and confidence in this church, as they
are rooted in their faith and, in spite of their situation, are firmly grounded
in faith, hope, and love. They directed
all their lives in the faith they had in God, the love they had towards one
another, and the hope that they have for the future. For Paul, these three things working together
are what distinguishes them from some of his other churches and mission sites. To Paul, this is the sign that the Spirit of
God is working in them. These three
virtues also produce concrete actions: faith in God produces good works, love
for others leads those works for our neighbors’ well-being, and hope produces
the kind of endurance that a young church needs. By imitating what they saw in Paul and the
other apostles, they became an example for others to follow as well.
I want to
emphasize this once more: this church had three virtues going for it. They dedicated their lives in the faith they
had in God, the love they had toward one another, and the hope that they have
for the future. Those three things
worked together to create a church of enormous significance; an example to all
other churches.
In his
letter to them, Paul surrounds all this with a spirit of thanksgiving for
them. He begins his letter, “We always
give thanks for all of you and remember you in our prayers.” In her November 28, 2003 article entitled,
“Gratitude Grows as Salutary Habit,” Jane Lampman writes about thanksgiving:
“For many Americans, Thanksgiving is their favorite holiday. Gathering at the
table with family and friends in memory-filled tradition. Plenty of soul-satisfying food. And, the special feeling that comes from
sharing gratitude.
“‘Thanksgiving has always been a favorite: It’s a time for
gratitude and a holiday we haven’t messed up!’ says Susan Kirby, a California
mother of two. That feeling is garnering
a lot more attention these days, and not just during the fourth week of
November. A universal experience and a
component of many religious traditions for centuries, gratitude is being
recognized not simply as a desirable virtue, but also as an essential element
to wholeness and well-being.
“As latecomers to the concept, scientists are now engaged
in long-term research that has already confirmed a host of beneficial outcomes,
from healthier, more satisfying lives to greater vitality and more generous
outreach to help others. ‘We’re seeing
how concrete the effects of a grateful focus are.’ says Robert Emmons, a leading
psychologist in the field. And people
from many cultures are seeking ways to make gratitude a more conscious daily
attitude that shapes their experience…
“Gratitude research is part of the growing field of
positive psychology, which focuses on the strengths of human beings. In simple terms, it’s an empirical test of
counting one’s blessings. ‘We’re trying
to find ways to measure the healing power of gratitude in people’s lives.’ says
Dr. Emmons, a professor at the University of California, Davis. They’re also studying the causes of and impediments
to gratitude and developing methods to help people cultivate it.
For example, ‘the simple act of keeping a gratitude journal
on a regular basis seems to have so many different effects. People feel closer to God, sleep better, feel
more connected to others, and make more progress toward important personal
goals.’ They also report fewer symptoms
of illness and higher levels of energy than do those in control groups.”
As the apostle Paul reflects on the congregations he has
established, visited, or is about to see for the first time, he never hesitates
to declare his assessment of the state of any one Christian community. The congregation in Galatia, for instance,
has compromised the gospel with a cramping legalism, confusing faith in Jesus
Christ with moral achievement and ritual observance. Paul tells them bluntly they have denatured
the gospel, turning wine into water. At
the other extreme, Christians in Corinth have come to think that faith in
Christ entails no moral commitment whatsoever.
He tells them sadly they are a disgrace.
The Christians in Thessalonica, however, Paul has found
exemplary; he can hold them up as a model for all of Asia Minor. While he has a few suggestions to make, Paul
has no major criticism. In fact, he
glows over them, telling them that they are his “glory and joy” (1
Thessalonians 2:20).
Paul glories
in the Christians in Thessalonica because “in spite of persecution” they
“received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit” (1:6). The Thessalonians quickly see that the light
now enlightening them simultaneously provokes resentment among those who prefer
to cloak themselves and their work with darkness. He who is the light of the world is just
that: the world’s only hope. Yet, just
as Jesus Christ had found throughout his earthly ministry—from the day his
birth announcement provoked the slaughter of the infants to the day his trial
found the crowds preferring the release of Barabbas—so the Thessalonian
Christians rejoiced at their intimacy with their Lord even as they knew their
proximity to him would bring upon them what the world had visited upon him:
trouble. Like him, however, they
remained unyielding in their confidence in God, undiminished in their joy, and
undeviating in the kingdom work to which they now knew themselves appointed.
What
happened in Thessalonica will unfailingly happen elsewhere when the gospel is
brought in word and the Holy Spirit supplies power and unalterable conviction,
even as Jesus Christ continues to flood his people with his joy amid their
hardship. However, through it all, there
is thanksgiving.
Paul gives
thanks for each of them. Let us remember
that through our darkness, through all of our struggles, through anything that
could be thrown our way to deter us from the course of following Christ in
faith, embrace one another in love, and having hope for the future, there will
always be thanksgiving for the blessings we are to one another and that we’ve
received from God.
Offertory –
Doxology –
Prayer of Dedication –
Generous
God, receive these gifts, only a portion of all You have given to us. Receive them as a sign of our gratitude for Your
many blessings: food and shelter, family and friends, and all we need to
sustain daily life. Receive these gifts
also as a sign of our commitment to serve You through our worship, our words,
and our actions. Strengthen us always to
do Your work in the world that through us others may come to know Your love and
grace. AMEN.
Closing
Hymn – Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us Hymn #688
Brown
Hymnal
Benediction –
We have gathered as community to worship God. Now our service of praise and thanksgiving
continues in the world. God empowers our
outreach wherever we go. Now we scatter
to bless others. Go in peace.
Postlude
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