August 23, 2020

 Morning Worship Text: August 16, 2020

Ordinary Time - A Season for Spiritual Growth
Before we begin, gather a candle or small light, your Bible, a cross,  a piece of bread and a cup of juice or water. Place them at the center of a calm area in your home and gather comfortable seating for all who will join you. Place your phone, tablet  or computer where you can see and hear it. You may want to connect a charger, rather than rely on battery. Add something to your worship center today that reminds you of a time when you felt God's presence helping you.

Welcome

Musical Meditation

Focus

Lighting the Christ Candles      We light our candles or lights.
Voice One: In the beginning, God said,
Voice Two: "Let there be light," and there was light!
Voice One: We light these candles today,
Voice Two: Because God is with us in this time and in all these places!


Call to Worship  

Voice One: If it had not been God who was on our side,
Voice Two: the troubles of our world would have swallowed us whole.
Voice One: If it had not been God who was on our side,
Voice Two: the sorrows of our times would have swept us away.
Voice One: Are any among us suffering?
Voice Two: Come, let's pray together.
Voice One: Are any among us cheerful?
Voice Two: Come, let's find ways to make joyful noise!
Voice One: Are any among us sick?
Voice Two: Come, let's find the oil for healing.
Voice One: Our help is in our God,
Voice Two: the One who made heaven and earth.
Voice One: Call upon God, creator and rescuer.
Voice Two: God is on our side.
 
~ adapted from a prayer posted on the Worship Elements page of the Ministry Matters website. https://www.ministrymatters.com/

Invocation    We pray together in unison.
Lord God, Maker of heaven and earth, we gather together in Your name. We come as living sacrifices, to offer You our worship and thanksgiving, our praise and our prayers. Come among us, living Lord. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, transform our hearts and minds so that we may recognize Your presence, hear Your voice, know Your will, and walk in Your way. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

— written by Christine Longhurst, https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2011/08/opening-prayer-proper-16a.html
Scripture:  Exodus 1:8-2:10

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews[a] you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.”

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months.  When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it.  When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses,[b] “because,” she said, “I drew him out[c] of the water.”

Footnotes: Exodus 1:22 Sam Gk Tg: Heb lacks to the Hebrews, Exodus 2:10 Heb Mosheh, Exodus 2:10 Heb mashah

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Sermon


Invitation to the Table The bread and cup and placed on the table for the Lord’s Supper.

Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.

Prayer of Communion Elders this month are Will Bondurant and Judy Halstead.


Words of Institution We break the bread and lift the cup as the words are spoken.
The Lord's Supper We share in the bread and cup as we hear the music.


Prayer of Thanksgiving "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.  Amen.


Prayers of the People
Holy God, before time you named us
Through time you redeem us
You call us, precious in your sight
May we love as you love.

Holy One, through the turbulent waters
Make us steady, your hands
Holding strong the fragile and weak
May we love as you love.

Gracious God, may the fruits of our lives
be food for the hungry, bread
clothing, shelter, fire, water, Word
May we love as you love.

God of justice, remove the chaff
Of our lives that keep us from
Hearing, following, Your call
May we love as you love.

Loving God, take this day our fears our
Worries, distractions, and all
Turn them into wheat, heart food
May we love as you love. Amen
~ written by Terri and posted on RevGalBlogPals. http://revgalblogpals.blogspot.ca/



Challenge for Discipleship

Blessing     We speak in unison.

The Light that was in one place and at one time, is now in all places and all times, for God has placed the light in us.   We abide in peace!