Worship October 4, 2020
Welcome
I welcome you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Opening Prayer
Hymn UMH # 277 Tell Me the Stories of Jesus (verses 1 and 2)
Scripture Luke 2:41-52
Creator God, you said that no person can live by bread alone. You said that your word is all we need to enter the land of the living. Dear God, we ask that your word becomes the light to our paths. May it be the cloud and pillar of fire that shows us the way in this desert of life. Speak Lord, speak. Amen.
Jesus in the temple at Passover
41 Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to their custom. 43 After the festival was over, they were returning home, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t know it. 44 Supposing that he was among their band of travelers, they journeyed on for a full day while looking for him among their family and friends. 45 When they didn’t find Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and putting questions to them. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed by his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were shocked.
His mother said, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Listen! Your father and I have been worried. We’ve been looking for you!”
49 Jesus replied, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he said to them.
51 Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother cherished every word in her heart. 52 Jesus matured in wisdom and years, and in favor with God and with people.
Hymn UMH # 601 Thy Word Is a Lamp Unto My Feet
Meditation
Good Morning!!! Guess what I have today….Books – all kinds of books! Let’s see what we have here
Oh two of my favorites,
- Teach Us, Amelia Bedelia, there is a funny story in here about Amelia Bedelia trying to teach a class at school – read pages 24-28
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
- Read the first page – Read first page
- Let’s see, I have “a gardening book” – I am not much of a gardener but I have the book because my nephew was the editor for Garden Rewards, members Insights and Ideas and both of our children are pictured in this book – show pictures
- This book is a “family cookbook” created in the early 2000’s. All the recipes were collected from my extended family members with many being old recipes from my grandmothers’. All the recipes include the “how to” directions and when done correctly some really good food is created.
- I also have a “who’s who type of book” … this is a favorite of mine because Rod and I got to meet the lady the book is written about.
Dorothy Molter was known at the Rood Beer Lady. She lived in the Boundary Waters and we visited her once.
We drank a bottle of the Root Beer she made and ate a candy bar while we visited with her. She was a special lady!
- This book is kind of a history book. It is my high school yearbook from the year I graduated.
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- Last year was my 45th-class reunion and both before and after the celebration I referred to this book many times. It really is the history of me and my classmates high school careers.
- Here is another how-to book … Wilderness Skills for the Boundary Waters.
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- When I first started to go to the BWCA I had no idea how to do it. This book teaches you how to plan your trip, what gear is needed, how to cook in the wilderness and so much more. It is a good “how to” book
Well…it looks like I only have one more book to share with you and it is a very special book….the Bible.
This is my new Wesley Study Bible. This bible includes all the scripture of other bibles plus study notes and John Wesley teachings.
This week Wesley Study Bibles were given to three confirmands at the Mora United Methodist Church. As the bibles were presented, I said to the youth.
Receive the Word of God.
Learn its stories and study its words.
Its stories belong to us all,
and these words speak to us all.
They tell us who we are.
They tell us that we belong to one another,
for we are the people of God.
The youth replied with…
We receive these Bibles with our hands, our hearts, and our minds.
Thank you.
We will read and study the Bible together.
Representing the congregation Rod and I said…
We rejoice in this step in your journey with God.
We pray God will guide you, your family, and us
as you use this Holy Bible in your home,
in your church school classes, and in our worship.
We will learn together and grow in our love for God’s Word.
And finally the youth said…
The Word of God is a lamp to our feet,
and a light to our path.
Thanks be to God.
Just like my Amelia Bedelia and Alexander books the bible the confirmands received has many stories, both serious stories and funny stories.
Just like my “cookbook and gardening” book, the Bible is a “how to” book. When we read and study the bible we learn how to live and how we should treat one another – for example, Ten Commandments.
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall make no idols.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
- Keep the Sabbathday holy.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet.
- And the commandment given to us by Jesus “To Love God and to Love your neighbor as yourself”
Just like I use my “how to books” to help me learn, we use the Bible to help us learn. I can use my bible to help me find answers to ALL of my problems.
My Root Beer Lady book and my yearbook teach history. If the stories of people are not written down, they are forgotten. I can be reminded of how Dorothy the Root Beer Lady lived by reading her book and I can look at my yearbook and be reminded of all the student and activities from my high school days.
The bible is our history and also tells us about our future.
I have many other books and some of them tell me just one story, but the Bible has lots of stories in it….can you remember what any of them are about?
The very first story is about creation and the first man and women
There is the story about Daniel and the Lion’s Den,
the story about Noah & the Ark,
the story about Mary & Joseph & Baby Jesus, and so many more…
One of the stories is about Jesus when he was about 12 years old
Jesus must have been having a great time with his friends! His family and a lot of other families were doing something special!
The whole group was walking all the way to Jerusalem—the biggest city most of them had ever seen.
Maybe like taking a young child to Minneapolis and watching them as they experience it for the first time. Cities are exciting.
Even more exiting was the fact that they were going to Jerusalem to celebrate their favorite holiday: Passover!
At Passover, the Jewish people remembered how God saved their ancestors from being slaves in Egypt. There was always lots of food and games and special prayers.
Since Jesus was 12, he didn’t have to walk with his parents; he could walk with his friends and they could fool around and tease each other and have fun.
Well, on the way home, after Passover, Jesus’ parents didn’t see him, but maybe they figured he was walking with his friends.
Or maybe Mary thought Jesus was with Joseph and Joseph thought he was with Mary.
They walked a whole day before they discovered that Jesus had been left in Jerusalem!
Whenever I read this passage from Luke 2, I can just see Mary and Joseph going to the members of the caravan and asking, “Where’s Jesus?”
When you heard this story couldn’t you just see Mary and Joseph re-entering Jerusalem and walking up and down the streets, looking for Jesus.
His mom and dad had to go all the way back to Jerusalem and it took them three days to find him! Imagine how it felt to not know where your child was for three days!
Well, Jesus’ mom was glad he was safe, but she was irritated at him too. Here is what she said: “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.”
She’s upset with him. One of the lessons in this story is that Jesus knows what it’s like to mess up and even upset other people.
He did it himself! Jesus understands what it means to be a human.
So, he apologized. He said he thought she would know that he would be in the Temple asking the religious leaders questions about God.
Jesus and his parents returned home, and we don’t read anything else about Jesus childhood.
The Bible says that as the years went by, Jesus grew taller and wiser and that people liked him; and so did God.
Jesus knows what it’s like to be young and small and old and tall. He knows how we feel!
Do you remember your first bible? I watched a you tube story about a little girl receiving her first ever bible.
The children were lined up and when each was called forward they were given a gift of money from their teacher Grandma Debbie.
The last to come forward was a little girl. Grandma Debbie told the little girl that she had something special for her and it was something she had really wanted. Grandma Debbie then presented her with a bible and the child burst into tears and immediately reached in for an embrace.
Grandma Debbie said “your mother told me that you wanted your own bible so you wouldn’t have to ever return it, so this is yours to keep. The child just continued to cry as the other children gathered around for a group hug.
Do you remember your first bible? I do not but I remember the first time I received a bible that had real meaning.
It was the last week in February 1993. A friend gave me this Good News Bible.
In addition to giving me this gift she had also written a message to me. Now I own many bibles, but this is the one I cherish the most.
Once the Mora confirmands opened the box their bibles came in the first question I heard was “it is for me and do I get to keep it”.
As our time together continued more was discovered about the bibles. For example there was some ohh/ahs about the silver on the page edges.
At one point the maps in the back were discovered and all the youth immediately turned to those pages.
Will they remember many years from now receiving this bible, I don’t know but do know that the words and meaning of scripture will always be there for them no matter if it comes from their confirmation bible or someone other bible.
This week open your bible, find a story, take in the words and ask God for understanding. Take a journey through your bible, God will be with you all along the way.
God is with us always and forever. Amen
Let Us Pray:
Pastoral Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Lord, you know that I sometimes get tired and distracted in my spiritual development. Forgive my past times of spiritual laziness and stir in me a holy passion to be conformed and grow ever more fully into the person you want me to be.
We pray all these things in the name of the Lord that journeys with us through the darkest of valleys and helps us to find new life along the way, Jesus the Christ, who taught us to pray as one, saying…
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as 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
Communion and Prayer of Thanksgiving
On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,
now and forever. Amen.
The body of Christ, given for you. Amen.
The blood of Christ, given for you. Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us.Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Offering
In the church of Jesus Christ, we take our gifts and we bless them, knowing that our gifts are stronger when blessed and offered to God, we can serve the needs of this community and the world around us- from victims of disaster to the hungry and homeless in our midst- our gifts matter.
Christ calls us to give and to give abundantly. We give, and by some miracle, our gifts become blessed and are transformed into acts of mercy, justice, and grace.
Prayer of Dedication
Giver of all good things, as we offer these gifts to you, open our eyes to see more clearly all that we have been given and all that we have to give. Stretch our capacity to give of ourselves: our love, our companionship, and our material resources, wherever they are needed. Amen.
HYMN UMH #557 Blest Be the Tie That Binds (verses 1 and 4)
Benediction
People who have been found, loved, and forgiven, go into God’s world bringing messages of peace, love and hope to all you meet. Be prepared for lives of service, helping others in all kinds of needs and situations. Go in peace. AMEN.
Announcements
- Lawn Chair Worship continues (weather permitting) at 10:30 Sunday mornings in Mora.
- Ogilvie continues at 9am each week.
- Online worship and mailings continue so if you have health conditions that put you at a higher risk for contracting the COVID virus, please allow yourself the privilege of staying home.
- Mora Council meets Thursday at 6:30pm
- Graveside service for Vern Kaufert is Oct. 18 2pm at Oakwood in Mora