Sunday, January 10, 2021 - Responsibilities & Desires

Theme: Living In Between - Responsibilities & Desires

Prayer

Exodus 3:14-17                                                              Common English Bible Translation

God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. So say to the Israelites, ‘I Am has sent me to you.’” God continued, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how all generations will remember me. “Go and get Israel’s elders together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me. The Lord said, “I’ve been paying close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. I’ve decided to take you away from harassment in Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land full of milk and honey.’” (Question: How have you experienced God?)

Exodus 4:1-5

Then Moses replied, “But what if they don’t believe me or pay attention to me? They might say to me, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you!’” The Lord said to him, “What’s that in your hand?” Moses replied, A shepherd’s rod.” The Lord said, “Throw it down on the ground.” So Moses threw it on the ground, and it turned into a snake. Moses jumped back from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out and grab the snake by the tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a rod in his hand. “do this so that they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God has in fact appeared to you.”

(Question: Have you ever been hesitant to follow God? Why?)

Exodus 4:10-13

But Moses said to the Lord, “My Lord, I’ve never been able to speak well, not yesterday, not the day before, and certainly not now since you’ve been talking to your servant. I have a slow mouth and a thick tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives people the ability to speak? Who’s responsible for making them unable to speak or hard of hearing, sighted or blind? Isn’t it I, the Lord? Now go! I’ll help you speak, and I’ll teach you what you should say.” But Moses said, “Please, my Lord, just send someone else.” (Question: Have you ever wanted to run from responsibility because of feeling incapable?)

Exodus 4:14-17

Then the Lord got angry at Moses and said, “What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak very well. He’s on his way out to meet you now, and he’s looking forward to seeing you. Speak to him and tell him what he’s supposed to say. I’ll help both of you speak, and I’ll teach both of you what to do. Aaron will speak for you to the people. He’ll be a spokesperson for you, and you will be like God for him. Take this shepherd’s rod with you too so that you can do the signs.” (Question: What do you feel like you are incapable of doing? Why?)

Exodus 4:18-20

Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to my family in Egypt and see whether or not they are still living.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt because everyone there who wanted to kill you has died.” So Moses took his wife and his children, put them on a donkey and sent back to the land of Egypt. Moses also carried the shepherd’s rod from God in his hand. (Question: What gives you strength to address and move forward through your fears?)

Prayers of the People and 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 sins, as we forgive those who sin 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

Blessing

Song List (to listen to from wherever you get your music)

Open My Eyes, That I May See – 451 GTG

Be Thou My Vision – 450 GTG

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing – 475 GTG

Precious Lord, Take My Hand – 834 GTG

Go Down to the River to Pray – Allison Kraus 

Quotes by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility.” 

“I discovered later, and I’m still discovering right up to this moment, that it is only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith. By this-worldliness I mean living unreservedly in life’s duties, problems, successes and failures. In so doing we throw ourselves completely into the arms of God, taking seriously, not our own sufferings, but those of God in the world. That, I think, is faith.”