October 2, 2011
Seventeenth Sunday of Pentecost
World Communion Sunday
Psalm 25:1-2a, 4-5 NRSV
Psalm 84 NRSV
“Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations” by Robert Schnase
“I Give You My Heart”
Let us begin our time of discernment and renewal in prayer. May the Lord guide us in our journey this morning. . .
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Let us pray. . .
Loving and Gracious God, we thank you for this day that we may come into your sanctuary and worship you. We thank you that you are with us always and that you guide us on this journey of life. We pray to feel your presence with us as we hear the word you have for us this day. May your Spirit fall down upon us, may it mold us into the likeness of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Shape us into a congregation that not only worships you but into one that is passionate about and for you .Form us into a Fruitful Congregation that not only practices what we preach but is open to your Spirit of love and kindness. Speak Lord, your passionate people long to hear your voice. . . Amen.
Good Morning. . . I find it very interesting when I watch some of those church services on T.V. The people seem to have so much love and passion for God. They are there praising God with uplifted hands. It is as if they live and breathe the Spirit of God. You know those commercials for the “Songs4Life” CD’s. I have even been to some concerts that the people are singing with their hands raised, singing out their praises to God. What a moving moment that is for me. It really touches me right down to my core.
There are so many ways to worship or not to worship God. There are so many ways to bring honor to God in prayer. . . in song. . . in word and deed. In the reading from Psalms this morning, the psalmist is just reveling in God and his glory. The psalmist would rather be in the Lord’s house, in the Lords presence, than anywhere else in the world. The psalmist is happy and content in the loving arms of the Almighty God, the Father of all humankind and that is his whole source of being. To be that in-tuned, that much in love with God, how wonderful is that?
But that is not the end of this psalm of love and adoration. Listen to the rest of the Psalm. But I want you to listen. . . to feel what the psalmist is feeling. I want what the psalmist is feeling. I want you to close your eyes, take a deep relaxing breath and listen. . . Read the rest of Psalm 84 from the NRSV Bible. . .
Did you feel it? Did you feel the love and devotion to God? How lovely is the Lord’s dwelling place. . . how wonderful to be in His courts. . . to be sitting at His feet.
As we are on this journey of discovery, we are journeying with the book “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations” by Robert Schnase. We talked last week about Radical Hospitality and of how in order to show it, we need to practice it within our own walls. . . about how we need to show mercy and grace to each other in order to extend it beyond the walls of the church. This week, we are on the road of Passionate Worship.
You see, passionate worship connects people to God and also to each other. People who practice this come together with and expectancy. . . they expect to encounter God and Christ. They are not there “for the show” they are there to see, to feel, to hear the glory of God come down to them. They want to see Jesus in their midst. They give their whole heart and soul to God. Oh what a feeling. . . when God’s people are deliberate in seeking Him out!
God uses worship to heal the broken hearted, to mend relationships with others and with Him. Our hope is renewed and our faith is strengthened as we worship God with our whole selves. . . from the depths of our being! Passionate worship is a life changing event. How can we not change? We are so in love with and grateful to God that we can’t help but change.
Unfortunately. . . in this day and age. . . we have changed what our passion is. We have allowed society tell us what is worthy of our passion. . . we have compromised our values and that is a shame. There is nothing like a “good worship service” to give us a new perspective on life, to help us see more clearly what is important.
What needs to happen is that we, as Christians, need to fall back in love with our first love. We need to rekindle to love we have for God. In order to convey the love of God to the people around us we actually. . . now I’m stepping out on a limb here. . . but we actually need to be in love with God. In order to practice Radical Hospitality we need to practice it with God. . . be passionate with Him. . . allowing Him to rule our lives. . . and with others within the household of faith. . . what a concept. . . ! Is it really the passions of the world that matter or are our passions much more than that? What is it that we value most in the world? What are our Passions? What is it that means the most to you and to me? How will we...you and me. . . be that passionate lover that God so wants us to be? What are we willing to risk to let our passion be shown for the entire world to see? Who is the true lover of our souls?
Amen. . .
Worship Theme: “Intentional Faith Development”
Acts 2:42-47 (The Message Bible)
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (Common English Bible)
Psalm 103:1-5 (Common English Bible) (Call to Worship)
Unison Prayer:
“Loving God, we thank you for this day. Thank you for
your Word that guides and sustains us. As we hear
your Word may we rejoice in your loving-kindness and
goodness;
may we draw ever closer to you.
We pray for eyes to see you in the world,
ears to hear your whisper on the wind, and a heart that
is
moldable in your hands. All this we pray in the
name above all names, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Prayer of dedication (GBOD 2011, prepared for 10/9/2011
service)
and sermon, “Equipped for the Journey”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon
blog
meditation
blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
October 16, 2011
Nineteenth Sunday of Pentecost
&
Worship Theme: “The Practice of Passionate Worship”
Psalm 84:5-12
Psalm 84:1-4
Psalm 25:1-2a, 4-5 (Call to Worship)
Unison Prayer (GBOD 2011)
A
Prayer for World Communion Sunday
by Safiyah Fosua
Prayers of Dedication (GBOD 2005)
and sermon, “I Give You My Heart”
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
October 2, 2011
Seventeenth Sunday of Pentecost
World Communion Sunday
&
Worship Theme: “The Practice of Radical Hospitality”
Romans 15:1-7 (NRSV Bible)
Romans 15:1-13 (NRSV Bible)
James 1:22-25 (Common English Bible)
Psalm 118:28-29 (Common English Bible)(Call to Worship)
Sermon: “That’s Radical Man!”
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
September 25, 2011
Sixteenth Sunday of Pentecost
&First of Six part sermon series on
“Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations”
http://fivepractices.org/books/five-practices-of-fruitful-congregations/
and the book by the same name, by Robert Schnase,
http://methodistthinker.com/2009/01/14/bishop-robert-schnase-on-the-five-practices/, bishop of the Missouri Area of the United Methodist Church
http://www.moumethodist.org/page.asp?PKValue=777
All of my poems and photographs are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 40,580+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
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