Call to Celebration
Come and worship the Most High, our shelter from the storm.
We will trust our God, for we are loved.
God delivers us from temptations and troubles.
We will trust our God, for we are embraced just as we are.
God heals us when disaster strikes.
We will trust our God and commit to help those struggling in the aftermath.
God protects those who call out for help.
We will trust our God! For it is God who offers eternal life, here and now.
God reveals to us the fullness of authentic wholeness.
We will trust our God, for we are loved.
Amen.
Offertory
Brothers and sisters in Christ, wealth, status, and success are uncertain, but we can trust God’s abundant provision and God’s desire that we enjoy what we have. Let us respond by working for justice, living generously, and sharing with others. Let us commit to giving with joy and laughter. Let us believe that when we give it is not because we must but because we are loved. May we be reminded this morning of the words of our sister, Maya Angelou: “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” Blessed be the God who gives in a multiplicity of ways…honors the giver…and liberates our soul. Amen.
Service September 25th
Scripture Lesson
Matthew 18: 15-20 (The Message Version)
15-17 “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.
18-20 “Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.