Paul reminds us that we were created by God for purpose and meaning

READING

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

MUSIC

Here Is Love Vast As The Ocean, Abby Scott & Chris Eaton

I Want To Walk As A Child Of The Light, Union College Unionaires

Hold On, DEM

Religion offers many opportunities to set God aside, but Jesus invites to cut through that to the living God in our midst.

READING

Luke 20:27-38

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her."

Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."

MUSIC

Jesus On A Greyhound, Mark Fosson

Wade In The Water, Ike Ndolo

What A Friend We Have In Jesus, Hillbilly Thomists

God doesn't want empty piety, but hearts of love and service to others.

READING

Isaiah 1:10-18

Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord;

I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation - I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them.

When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like  crimson, they shall become like wool.

MUSIC

All Who Love and Serve Your City, Erik and Elisa Dunkin

Alleluia, Sing to Jesus, First Plymouth church, Lincoln, NE

Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Westwood Bluegrass Band

To follow Jesus requires that we see the world, and ourselves, in all truth and honesty

READING

Luke 18:9-14

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, `God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, `God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."

MUSIC

Just As I Am, River Pointe Church

The God of Abraham Praise, Sean Jackson

A Little Talk With Jesus, RH Harris and the Soul Stirrers

Jesus has empowered us to live lives of goodness and generosity

READING

Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, `Grant me justice against my opponent.' For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, `Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?

MUSIC

Onward Christian Soldiers, Brad Sondahl

Tell Out My Soul, St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast

Over in the Glory Land, Westwood Bluegrass Band

Jesus invites us into both a personal transformation and a life shared in community.

READING

2 Timothy 2:8-15

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David-- that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. The saying is sure:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he will also deny us;

if we are faithless, he remains faithful--

for he cannot deny himself.

Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.

MUSIC

The King Shall Come, Trevor Thompson

Kumbaya, Mil Marie Mougeno

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, Hillbilly Thomists

How much faith would be enough for us to pick up Jesus' work?

READING

Luke 17:5-10 New International Version (NIV)

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

MUSIC

I Sing A Song of the Saints of God, Victoria Zalipsky

Sinners Like Me, Brother Timothy Clark

We Need Love, The Relatives

 Good fortune is an invitation to generosity

READING

1 Timothy 6:6-19

There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time-- he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

MUSIC

Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, The VGK-Sarepta Children Choir at Bellville SDA Church

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, Reawaken Music

‘Tis the Gift to Be Simple, United Society of Shakers

We may not be culpable for the systemic evil that surrounds us, but we are too often complicit.

READING

Amos 8:4-7 

Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
and bring to ruin the poor of the land,

saying, "When will the new moon be over
so that we may sell grain;

and the sabbath,
so that we may offer wheat for sale?

We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,
and practice deceit with false balances,

buying the poor for silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and selling the sweepings of the wheat."

The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:

Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.

MUSIC

When the Saints Go Marching In, NOLA Brass Band

Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones, Yello Cello Music

Come My Way, My Truth,  My Life, Blackfriar Music

God can be hard to find in the noise and distraction; but is hard to miss in the small still moments of our lives

READING

Psalm 14

The foolish have said in their hearts, “There is no God.” All are corrupt and commit abominable acts; there is none who does any good.

The Holy One looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God.

Every one has proved faithless; all alike have turned bad; there is none who does good; no, not one.

Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers who eat up my people like bread and do not call upon God?

See how they tremble with fear, because God is in the company of the righteous.

Their aim is to confound the plans of the afflicted, but God is their refuge.

Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of the people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.

St Helena Psalter

MUSIC

Emmanuel, Darren Hodder

Shofar Prayer, Yamma Ensemble

My Wealth Comes to Me, Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore