Sunday, Oct. 27: Sending you fed and blest...into life! (wk 7 of 7)

We come now to the fourth movement of our worship: Gathering...Word...Meal...Sending.  Although short, this movement “moves” us to put our worship into action.  We gather, are addressed and fed by God with word and sacrament, and then are blest and sent to serve...

Read the following in preparation for worship:

Numbers 6:22-27

1 John 4:11-21

Luke 10:1-11, 17-20

Saturday, October 26 – Sending 3

Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. ⁵ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. ⁶ Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. ⁷ Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. ⁸ Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, ⁹ and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
                                                                                                                            –Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NRSV)

Originally from God through Moses, and it’s wisdom and call are as important today as when Moses first spoke them to the people of God.

Research shows that family (mom is first!) is very important in passing on faith in God from one generation to the next.  As we are sent out from worship, we go home.  The disciples were commanded to start their work on home turf first.  Shouldn’t we?

Heavenly Father, give parents and other family the strength, wisdom, and joy to share you with their children.

Friday, October 25 – Sending 2

"Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  –Luke 24:46-47 (NRSV)

Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."                –John 20:21-23 (NRSV)  

In Luke and John Jesus’ sending of the disciples centers on repentance and forgiveness...and it begins on home turf.

God of mercy, help us to proclaim your forgiveness starting at home.

Thursday, October 24 – Sending

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."      –Matthew 28:16-20 (NRSV)

Jesus has been raised from the dead and he now commissions his followers to carry on his mission to all peoples around the world.  In Acts they begin on their home turf, Jerusalem, and work their way out from the center.

When we gather on Sunday morning, the final movement (and goal) of our worship is to be blessed and sent out into our ‘mission field’ to continue the mission Jesus commanded us all to take part in.

Talk to God about what part you are asked to play in God’s mission.

Wednesday, October 23 – Musical Praise

Then on that day David first appointed the singing of praises to the LORD by Asaph and his kindred.

O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name,

         make known his deeds among the peoples.

Sing to him, sing praises to him,

         tell of all his wonderful works. ...

Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

         Tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

         his marvelous works among all the peoples.

For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;

         he is to be revered above all gods. ...

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

         let the field exult, and everything in it.

Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD,

         for he comes to judge the earth.

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

         for his steadfast love endures forever.

                                    –1 Chronicles 16:7-9, 23-25, 32-34 (NRSV) 

      Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

      praise him in his mighty firmament!

Praise him for his mighty deeds;

      praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;

      praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with tambourine and dance;

      praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise him with clanging cymbals;

      praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the LORD!

            Praise the LORD!       –Psalm 150:1-6 (NRSV)
 

Everything gets into the praise of God...Enjoy!