The Celebration of the Gospel

 August 31, 2014 —12th Sunday after Pentecost

The burning bush

God is trying to get your attention.  Are you listening?
What is the burning bush God places before you?

We have no bulletin today.  There are no written instructions for this.  We just have to listen to God….

CALL TO WORSHIP

* SONG   God of the Sparrow  Blue hymnal #122

CHILDREN’S TIME

___________ We Attend to the Word___________

PRAYER

OLD TESTAMENT   Exodus 3.1-15
[God appears to Moses and calls him to help God set the Iraelites free from slavery in Egypt.. ]

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then God said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And God said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, “I have seen the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, “What is this God’s name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” God said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.’ ” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

* PSALTER   Psalm 1
[The blessing of living in harmony with God.

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; 
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on God’s law they meditate day and night. 
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper. 
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 
Therefore our wickedness will not stand in the judgment,
nor sin among us, for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of wickedness will perish.

GOSPEL     Matthew 16.21-26
[Jesus sees the struggle ahead, and invites us to share it with him.]

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.  For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

SERMON

SONG   Open My Eyes  Blue hymnal #454

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
THE PRAYER OF JESUS.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

PASSING THE PEACE

NEW TESTAMENT      Romans 12.9-21
[The shape of a life of faith.]

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

OFFERING OUR GIFTS

* OFFERING SONG   Doxology     Blue hymnal #94

PRAYER
Gracious God, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. Blessed, led and accompanied by Jesus, we go out into the world to bear his presence to all people, to be Christ for the sake of the healing of the world, in the power of your Spirit. Amen.

THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
SONG   Open Our Eyes   Black hymnal #2086

* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE   We stand and sing to our neighbors:

May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.

POSTLUDE

[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candle in the corner.]