Worship August 14, 2021

Let us worship!

Praise the Lord!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart!

Great are the works of the Lord.

Full of honor and majesty are God’s many works.

                                                                      Adapted from Psalm 111, verses 1 through 3

A prayer to center you

God of all creation,

from the beginning of our very beings you desired relationship with us.

You breathed the breath of life in us.

You knit us together and you desired good for us.

Despite your love and care for us, we turn from you too often.

We try to break relationship with you and depend too often on our own ways.

We ignore our neighbor.

We act in our own best interest out of pride, ego, and selfishness.

Help us to turn from our own desires and ways.

Open us to your calling that we may act not in unwise ways but in ways that enhance the time that we have been given by your gracious hand. 

Turn our hearts to you with thanksgiving for the many wonders we have been given and open us to the direction of precious Son, Christ Jesus.

Amen

EPHESIANS, CHAPTER 5, VERSE 15 THROUGH 20

 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.  So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,  as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts,  giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection:

Last week we looked at what it is to speak in truth.  This brought up how hard it is to know what the truth is anymore in a world where truth has become so flexible.  Today’s Scripture bring up an even harder thing to determine, understanding the will of God.  O, how I wish that was easy to determine.  Think how easy life could be if we always knew, without a doubt, what God’s will was for us.  How easy life could be if we knew what the faithful decision was each step of the way from choosing which toothpaste to pick to knowing which school to go to, what to major in, what job opportunity to take, who to marry, when to have kids, if we should have kids, where they should go to school, when to retire, what to do after you retire….the list could go on and on.

I hate making decisions.  Back in pre Covid times, the discussion of where to eat supper could sometimes feel like World War three as our family hashed out the decision.  While only one of us is an extremely picky eater, all four of us are extremely hardheaded and stubborn.  To top that off, three out of four of us hit hangry pretty fast with very little warning, so the time of choosing a place to eat can become ugly fast.  Therefore, I am one of those people who would love a road map to life that eliminated any decision-making opportunity. 

While a world of predestination would be my ideal situation (or atleast it feels that way on this side of things), it is not what we get.  God has given us the freedom to act and decide on our own, for better or for worse.  But luckily God has not abandoned us to make the decision with no help.  I have found some guiding points that have been helpful along the way.

God has given us the Scriptures to help guide and lead us on our path.  Now, the Bible is a lengthy and complicated book and can often be contradictory and confusing.  I have found that the simplest guiding post for me (and that I have tried to instill in my littles) is the greatest commandment. 

Matthew 22:36-40

36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

I find myself often asking when faced with hard choices two questions;  Does this path honor God and does it show love to my neighbor?

These simple questions have often helped me to make wise decisions.  They have helped to guide my moral compass and to help me sleep well at night.  Does this action honor God and does it show love toward my neighbor? 

There was a sign a few weeks back at a church that pass almost daily that read, “the Bible is the road the map, Jesus is the way.”  Back when I was younger, “WWJD” was all the rage.  What Would Jesus Do?  It was posted on shirts and hats and the ever-popular rubber bracelets, you name it and you could have it with the letters WWDJ on it.  A simple reminder to think of what God would want us to do in any situation. 

Jesus displayed in his life love, grace, and kindness to all people.  Jesus lavished the love God on all those who reached out to him, all those who came to him in need and in want.  Jesus showed love to the least of those among us, those who lived on the outskirts of society, those who were not welcomed with open arms by the community.  Jesus shared love with the people who were sinners, who were different, who faced difficulties.  Jesus acted with grace and kindness to those who needed him. 

Let us be careful how we live and if we mess up, which we will, let us err on the side of grace, love, and kindness to ALL. 

We find ourselves still in evil days, where hatred and self interest too often rule.  Where many will push others down to lift themselves up, where people are willing to turn away those who are in need and hurting out of fear or pride or ego.  But we must be wise.  We must be followers of Christ who are faithful to the Scriptures and we must love God and love our neighbor, even in the midst, or especially in the midst of these evil days!

To me, right now, loving my neighbor looks like wearing a mask in public.  Right now, in these evil times, honoring God looks like being fully vaccinated.  Right now, I know that Jesus would have gotten a shot, worn a mask, given space and lived with grace.  I hope we can all move with such wisdom and care in these crazy days. 

 

Thinking it through…

WWJD…

Where do you look to find guidance when faced with hard choices?

Do you have a guiding principle that helps guide you in your life?  What is it?

What do you think Jesus would do these days?

What steps can you take to better reflect the love of God and the actions of Jesus in your everyday life?

 

Word in action

Do one thing this week that reflects a wise decision that makes the most of your time in the midst of these strange and difficult times.

Prayer of sending

Holy God,

Give us your wisdom and your grace.

Guide us as we go from this time and place and show us how we can model your lives you’re your calling and your ways.

Free us from the desires of man and give us the strength to act with courage in ways that show love to our neighbor and display the grace of Christ towards others.

Amen

Going out.

Go out into the world, renewed and revived by the word of God.

and in all that you do, may the love of Christ Jesus uphold you,

the peace of God sustain you and may the Holy Spirit guide you each step of the way

Let all God’s people say: AMEN