MORRIS-ROSENFELD ECUMENICAL SHARED MINISTRY
ORDER OF SERVICE FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2025
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 4
SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
Due to copyright limitations, we are unable to print the words to many of the songs. However, our musicians have chosen music to fit the scriptures. We invite you to look up the words in your worship book and ponder them. If you do not have a worship book, ponder the words of one of your favourite hymns and listen for God’s voice. Those who have the internet may find the songs on YouTube.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
To forgive another from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. As long as we do not forgive we pull them with us, or worse, as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies & then define ourselves as being offended & wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.
~Henri Nouwen~
Before we worship, we reflect…
“Love your enemies.” Jesus was not preaching hopeless idealism. He advocated a wise strategy for living in peace. “Love for enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote. “Jesus is not an impractical idealist; he is the practical realist. Our responsibility as Christians is to discover the meaning of this command and seek passionately to live it out.” Nelson Mandela put it this way: “I have never yet met an enemy whom I did not try to turn into a friend.”
TERRITORIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & PRAYER
We acknowledge we gather and worship on Treaty 1 Territory, the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Anishininew, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation.
Holy God, Source of Love, you are the Creator of all things. Help us to share justly the resources of this land. Help us to bring about spiritual and social change to improve the quality of life for all groups in our communities, especially the disadvantaged. Help young people to find true dignity and self-esteem by your Spirit.
May your power and love be the foundations on which we build our families, our communities and our Nation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
– Wontulp-Bi-Buya Indigenous Theology Working Group, 13 March 1997, Brisbane
CALL TO WORSHIP
God’s blessings surround us;
protecting us in times of trouble.
God’s love enfolds us;
and heals our deepest wound.
Let us worship the Christ who became one of us;
Let us bow before our Maker and Friend.
GATHERING SONG: VU 97 When A Star is Shining
CENTERING PRAYER
God of Light, you bless those who call upon your name. You consider the poor in body and spirit. You protect the lowly in times of trouble. When you are with us, we are never alone. No battle is too great, no discouragement too overwhelming. Though enemies encamp around us, you protect us with your host of heavenly angels. Look upon us and our worship. Remind us of your favour and grace. Receive us and what we do, for we come to you in Jesus’ name.
Minute For Mission – Hope in Action
After the initial response, and after headlines fade away, the emergency and urgency remain.
When we hear of a global emergency, our minds often jump to “How can we help?” Your gifts to Mission and Service enable partners to immediately get to work providing crucial basic needs: food, water, shelter, and medication. But after the initial response, and after headlines fade away, the emergency and urgency remain.
After the immediate shock fades, people living in the wake of a disaster can have difficulty imagining what life will look like down the road. In these times, hope is an essential, powerful force that gives us the motivation to move forward and inspires us to keep going.
Two years after the February 2023 earthquakes, people in Syria are still experiencing the devastating aftermath, exacerbated by civil war and other natural disasters. And Mission and Service partner the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues to be hard at work providing hope. From retrofitting buildings and providing medical equipment to education and trauma healing, MECC is dedicated to sustainable relief. In Aleppo, MECC rehabilitated four schools before the academic year began in September 2023, providing children with a safe place to learn.
Thank you for supporting the work of our Mission and Service partners. Your generosity is a beacon of hope during challenging times.
A NEW CREED
We are not alone; we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in Creation, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
God, source of all light, by your Word, you give light to the soul. Pour out on us the spirit of wisdom and understanding, that our hearts and minds may be opened to know your truth and your way. Amen.
READINGS AND PSALM
First Reading: Genesis 45: 3-11, 15
Many years after being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, Joseph reveals himself to them. Now the second-in-command in Egypt, Joseph reassures his brothers that God has used their evil intentions for good to preserve life during a devastating famine, and Joseph forgives them.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.
5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.
6 For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.
7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.
8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.
10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.
11 I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’ ”
15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.
Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40
1 Do not be provoked by evildoers; do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 For they shall soon wither like the grass, and like the green grass fade away.
3 Put your trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and find safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord, who shall give you your heart’s desire. R
5 Commit your way to the Lord; put your trust in the Lord, and see what God will do.
6 The Lord will make your vindication as clear as the light and the justice of your case like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently. Do not be provoked by the one who prospers, the one who succeeds in evil schemes.
8 Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; do not be provoked; it leads on-ly to evil. R
9 For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord shall pos-sess the land.
10 In a little while the wicked shall be no more; even if you search out their place, they will not be there.
11 But the lowly shall pos-sess the land; they will delight in abun-dance of peace.
39 But the deliverance of the righteous comes from you, O Lord; you are their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 You, O Lord, will help them and rescue them; you will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them, because in you they seek refuge. R
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
In the Apostles’ Creed, we speak of the “resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Using the metaphor of a planted seed and the story of Adam, Paul preaches passionately about the mystery of following Christ’s perfect life into eternity.
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?”
36 Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
37 And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.
38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.
43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
44 It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.
45 Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46 But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual.
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48 As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven.
49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.
50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
Jesus continues to address a crowd of his disciples. He invites his followers to shower radical love, blessing, forgiveness, generosity, and trust even on enemies and outsiders. Living in harmony with God’s intent brings the reward of overflowing blessing.
27 “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.
30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven;
38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
HYMN: VU 100 When Jesus Comes to Be Baptized
SERMON
A sermon on Radical Love. Adapted from a sermon by Pastor Kim Gilliland of Cottam United Church in Cottam, Ontario.
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…
Luke 6: 27 (NIV)
FOLLOW ME
The gospel of Jesus is a radical gospel. A couple of our Bible study groups have recently finished the video series “Red Letter Christianity”. It’s the study by Tony Campolo In that series, all Tony looks at is the red letters in the Bible. If you’re not familiar with red letters, they are found in some Bibles where Jesus’ words are highlight by being printed in red.
When you read the red letters of the Bible, you realized just how radical Jesus’ words are. What you discover is that Jesus was not heavy into theology. He left that to some of the apostles like Paul and James and John who wrote a lot about theology. Jesus’ words were more about how to live out that theology, live out what we believe, how to follow him in practical ways in everyday life. So while Paul talked a lot about justification and sanctification all Jesus really said was, “Follow me,” and then proceeded to lay out how to do that. That’s what the red letters do. With them, Jesus tells us how to follow him, faithfully and humbly.
How radical are Jesus’ words? Listen to what he says in Luke 6:27-28 (NIV): “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” That’s pretty radical. Think about what you just read. Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you? What’s that all about? How do you love your enemies? How do you do good to those who hate you? I suppose that we might understand that on an intellectual level. That’s relatively easy. As a concept, we can all love enemies. We can all do good for those who hate us. It’s a great concept. Yes, of course we should do that. Jesus did it. So should we.
But then it happens. It happens to you. Someone has hurt you. Someone is against you and what you want to do. Someone is standing in your way. Or, let’s ramp it up; someone hurt one of your children. And maybe you can love someone who hurt you but how do you ever love anyone who hurts your kids? That’s when it becomes real. That’s when you have to try to turn a concept into reality. Suddenly, it’s not so easy. But then there are Jesus’ words, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Those are red letter words. Those are Jesus’ words. We’re called to live them out in our lives. But how do we do that when it’s just so much easier to hate and curse and mistreat those who have done the same to you.
If you think that’s radical, if you think that’s hard, hold on because it’s about to get worse. In Luke 6:29-30 (NIV) there are more red letters. Jesus says this: “If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” What do you think? Do you think that’s radical?
If someone slaps you, what’s the first thing you want to do? You want to slap them back, don’t you. I know that’s what I want to do. When someone hurts me, I want to hurt them back. I want revenge. But then there are those red letters where Jesus tells us about radical love. And what if someone takes something that belongs to you. “Hey you took my coat. No problem. Would you like a shirt too?” Is that what we do? Or do we say, “That’s mine! Give me back my coat!”
Do you know where I see this most often, where I see people fighting about their possessions? I see it in families. People disagree about who belongs to what and what belongs to who and how much everyone should have. I see it when it comes to which kid gets a drumstick at Christmas dinner. I see it when it comes to whose turn it is to use the family car on Friday night. And I see it most often when it comes to wills. People get so hung up on who gets what out of the estate. I understand that because when it comes to estates, we aren’t just talking about stuff; we’re often talking about stuff with sentimental or emotional value. We’re talking about things that you really can’t put a dollar value on. Their value is at a much deeper level and that means that the hurt is at a much deeper level and that’s often why it is so hard to love in those situations.
I remember my mother and my Aunt Ruth who were only a year apart in age, my mother being the oldest. One day when they were in their early teens they were both given an identical ring by my grandparents. Somewhere along the line, one of them lost her ring. My mother claimed that Aunt Ruth lost her ring and then took Mom’s. Aunt Ruth claimed that Mom lost hers and was trying to say that Aunt Ruth took hers to replace the one she lost. My mother said, “Baloney,” and she said it rather emphatically. This whole thing, of course, could have been avoided had my grandparents not made the mistake of giving them the exact same ring – parents, you have been warned.
The thing that amazed me is that fifty years later, they were still arguing about who lost the ring. I remember thinking, “Why does this matter anymore.” But every now and the topic of this ring would come up. Finally, one day, I said, “So where is this ring? I’d like to see it.” They both sort of looked at me because neither one of them had any idea where it was. Apparently, it was lost too.
The good thing about that is that my Mom and Aunt Ruth did not let those lost rings get between them. They always maintained a close sisterly relationship. But that’s not true of all families some of which are split apart by these things. We all know of families in which sisters don’t talk with sisters and brothers don’t talk with brothers and where parents have disowned children and children refuse to communicate with parents because of some real or perceived wrong. And what does Jesus say to that? Let’s look again at the red letters: “Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” Radical love.
DO UNTO OTHERS
Let’s go on. Jesus now throws a zinger into things. In Luke 6:31 (NIV) he says: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” What’s that called? It’s the golden rule. It sounds pretty simple. But, again, is it? Jesus’ radical love can be challenging to say the least.
Do to others as you would have them do to you. What does it actually mean? Let’s try to define it. First of all, remember the context what Jesus said immediately before this. He said to turn the other cheek. He said to that if someone takes your coat to give him your shirt. He said to give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Does that make any sense? Yes it does and I’ll tell you why.
Remember that Jesus says that if we want to follow him we must live that out in life of radical love. So, we’re not talking about the expectations of society here. We’re talking about what Jesus expects.
If someone slaps you, what does that mean? Sometimes it means that that person is a jerk but sometimes it means that there’s something wrong and that person just lost it and you were an easy target. That may not be the way we are supposed to treat each other but the problem is that we live in a fallen world and stuff like that happens.
People don’t normally act like that for no reason. Usually, they do things like that in response to something in their own lives. And if that’s true than will it do anyone any good for you to slap them back? No, it won’t. That’s why Jesus says to turn the other cheek. It’s not actually to give the person the opportunity to slap you again although that could happen. It’s more about giving us a chance to pause and think about how best to respond with Jesus’ radical love.
Striking them back will only escalate things. But radical love does not tell us to make things worse. Radical love tells us to make things better by doing to others what you would have them do to you. And think about this; if that was you slapping someone, how would you want them to respond? Would you want them to strike back or would you want them to pause and try to understand what’s going on inside of you? People don’t usually strike out for no reason and as followers of Jesus, living out his radical love, it is far more faithful to try to bring healing to that person’s life than to bring more violence. Maybe in a very altruistic way, you pausing and not striking back is the first step in ending the cycle of violence in another person’s life. Isn’t that what you would like if you were in that person’s shoes? Do to others as you would have them do to you. That’s pretty radical. Jesus expects a lot of us.
I also need to say, however, that this does not apply in an abusive relationship. No one should ever stay in a place where their safety is in jeopardy. What I’m talking about is situations where you can be a conduit of God’s healing grace in the life of someone who needs to experience it.
And what about that person who takes your coat or something else that belongs to you? How do we understand that? I guess the first place to start is to ask why the person needs your coat in the first place. Maybe the person is cold. Maybe the person is desperate to find a coat for one of their children and they can’t afford one. They don’t have one so they take yours.
You could be angry about that or you could ask why the person needs a coat. And here’s the more important question for you; if they need a coat and you have one, why didn’t you just give it to them? Maybe you didn’t because if you did then you’d be cold. And if that were the case, why didn’t you go with them to try to find another solution to their problem? Maybe someone else has a coat. Or maybe there’s a charity that gives coats to people who need them. Jesus’ radical love calls us to look out for each other and to look after each other. And sometimes that means finding a coat for someone on a cold winter’s day. After all, if you needed a coat, would you not appreciate it if someone offered to help you find one? That’s why Jesus tells us to do to others as we would like them to do to us.
BEING MERCIFUL
Let’s go on to Luke 6:32-34 (NIV) in which Jesus says something else about radical love: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.”
This is where it gets tough again because Jesus is reminding us of something. First of all, he states what I think is the obvious. It’s just so much easier to love those who love you. It’s so much easier to do good for those who do good for you. It’s so much easier to lend something to someone if you’re pretty sure that they are going to give it back. That’s the easy part but it’s not radical because even sinners do that. Jesus calls us to go beyond what sinners do and follow him, live the life that he wants us to live with a radical love.
That radical part comes in the next verses, Luke 6:35-36 (NIV), where Jesus says, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
This is the part where Jesus finally explains what this is all about. This is payback time. This is the reason why we do to others as we would like them to do to us. “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Why do these things? Jesus gives us two reasons. First, because if we do than we will receive a reward. What that means is that Jesus sees what we do for others and honours that both in this world and then next.
But that’s not the big reason. The big one is because God is kind to the wicked and the ungrateful. And if God is kind to them, than we should be kind to them too. It’s part of doing to others as we would have them do to us. It’s part of following Jesus faithfully and sharing that radical love. Because Jesus treated others that way, so should we.
It’s not easy to love your enemy. It’s not easy to do good to those who hate you or pray for those who mistreat you. It’s not easy to turn the other cheek or let people take things that belong to you. It’s not easy to be kind and merciful to the ungrateful and the wicked. But that’s what Jesus calls us to do because that’s what radical love means. And that reminds me of a story.
The Rev. Dale Lang was the priest at St. Theodore’s Anglican Church in Taber, Alberta. On April 28, 1999 – (almost over) twenty years ago now – his son, seventeen-year-old Jason, went off to class at W.R. Myers High School just like he did every day of the week. But that day would be different. On that day, a fourteen-year-old student walked into the school with a sawed off .22 and opened fire, killing one person and wounding another. The person he killed was Jason Lang. Jason’s family’s life was changed forever.
With that in mind, what does it mean to do to others as you would have them do to you? What does it mean to be merciful? What does it mean to live the radical love that Jesus talks about? What did it mean for Jason’s father Dale?
I cannot imagine the mental and spiritual anguish that he must have been experiencing but even in the midst of all of that pain, he felt Jesus’ presence. While he had every right to be angry and resentful and bitter, he also knew that was not Jesus way and so five days later, at his son’s memorial service, Dale Lang went on TV and publicly forgave the boy who had killed his son.
In the years that followed, The Rev. Dale Lang has spoken and written many times about what the experience was like for him and his family. I want to share part of one article that I found especially appropriate today. He said, “I forgave the young man who murdered our son and I still don’t know how I did it… It’s not about practicing forgiveness, it’s about living in that relationship with Jesus Christ – that’s where forgiveness can flow out of us… I don’t want to be a person who is always trying to forgive. My job isn’t to forgive people who hurt me. My job is to know Jesus Christ…to surrender my will.” That’s radical love borne out of faith in Jesus and his healing power.
Love your enemy. Do good to those who hate you or pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you turn your other cheek to them also and if someone takes your coat give him your shirt as well. Do to others you would like them to do to you and great will be your reward because God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. That’s the radical love that Jesus calls us to live.
https://cottamunitedchurch.ca/sermon/radical-love/
Sharon’s Musings on this sermon and the scripture
Now this is where I want to add my thoughts about this Red Letter directive from Jesus.
Why is this important to do? It is not just about what this forgiveness can lead to for your enemy but what it does for you.
One of my guiding missives is something I saw in a parcel delivery store of all places.
On the wall was a poster that said:
Watch your thoughts, they become words;
watch your words, they become actions;
watch your actions, they become habits;
watch your habits, they become character;
watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
I believe Jesus recognized the peace that can come from not holding on to the anger and rage we can feel for those who have harmed us.
I would also offer this. There is a saying attributed to the Buddha or Alcoholics Anonymous – you can take your pick as to its likely source. It goes like this:
“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”
There’s an interesting Buddhist twist on all this. Gems of Buddhist Wisdom (1996) from the Buddhist Missionary Society; it contains the following: “Hatred is like a poison which you inject into your veins, before injecting it into your enemy. It is throwing cow dung at another: you dirty your hands first, before you dirty others.”
I also want to share that one of the most profound books I ever read was “When Bad Things Happen to Good People?” by Rabbi Harold Kushner.
In this 1981 book he describes one of God’s greatest gifts to us – the gift of free will.
In the last pages of the book – which focuses on the story of Job and the author’s own experience of his young son dying of a degenerative disease – the author poses these questions:
Are you capable of forgiving and loving the people around you, even if they have hurt you and let down by not being perfect? Can you forgive them and love them, because there aren’t any perfect people around, and because the penalty for not being able to love imperfect people is condemning oneself to loneliness? And if you can do these things, will you be able to recognize that the ability to forgive and the ability to love are the weapons God has given us to enable us to live fully, bravely, and meaningfully in this less-than-perfect world?
I leave these questions with you.
HYMN OF THE MONTH: Voices United 354 In Old Galilee When Sweet Breezes Blew
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Your blessings, O God, flow to us like a river of hope washing over our cares and concerns. We thank you for your presence in our lives. When we call you are there. When we are blinded, you enable us to see. When we are deaf, you open our ears. By your love, you invite us to enter into life fully and freely in Jesus’ name. God of Grace.
Hear our prayers.
We offer thanks for your many gifts. For warmth and sunshine, cool evenings and crisp winter snow, for forests and trees, buildings and structures. We thank you for our health care systems, educational programs, and clean drinking water. God of Grace
Hear our prayers.
Thank You for your limitless unconditional love which gives us the assurance that you are available to us at any time. Remind us daily that you will never leave us or stop loving us for we are always safe within your care. God of Grace
Hear our prayers.
There is much for which we can give thanks. We, also, lift up our concerns for the world. We pray for peace in the Middle East, in the Ukraine and Russia, in Sudan and all parts of our fragile world. Enable nations to put aside their pride for the cause of global security. Give us the courage to resist the temptation to make beasts out of those with whom we disagree. God of Grace
Hear our prayers
We pray, finally, for those who are sick at home or in hospital. We think, especially of Pastor Leslie; Dexter Morgan & family; Bishop Geoffrey Woodcroft – Diocese of Rupert’s Land; Jean Lewis and family; Pat Rempel; Claudia Schmidt; Martha Ganske and family; Pat Eidse.
Bless them with your healing touch and fill them with your Spirit. All of these prayers, we lift to you in Jesus’ name. God of Grace
Hear our prayers
We entrust our prayers to you, O God, in the sure and certain hope that your promise is revealed among the people.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
SENDING SONG: Voices United 87, I Am The Light of the World
BENEDICTION
We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to end war;
For we know that You have made the world in a way that man must find his own path to peace, within himself and with his neighbor.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end starvation
For You have already given us the resources with which to feed the entire world, if we would only use them wisely.
We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to root out prejudice;
For You have already given us eyes with which to see the good in all men, if we would only use them rightly.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end despair;
For You have already given us the power to clear away slums and to give hope, if we would only use our power justly.
We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to end disease;
For You have already given us great minds with which to search out cures and healing, if we would only use them constructively.
Therefore we pray to You instead, O God, For strength, determination, and willpower.
To do, instead of just to pray, To become, instead of merely to wish.
Rabbi Jack Riemer
THREE-FOLD AMEN / POSTLUDE