Sunday, January 23, 2022 - Why doesn't God stop the pain?

Theme: Exploring the Seismic Questions – Why doesn’t God stop the pain?

“I also observed under the sun that the race doesn’t always go to the swift, nor the battle to the mighty, nor food to the wise, nor wealth to the intelligent, nor favor to the knowledgeable, because accidents can happen to anyone.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11)

Click for Sunday’s Playlist

Hymn    Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty   (In Person Only)

Welcome

 

Awakening to God’s Presence                   (In Person Only)

Hymn       Be Thou My Vision     (In Person Only)

Prayer for God’s Guidance

Isaiah 55:6-7                           Common English Bible Translation

Seek the Lord when he can still be found; call him while he is yet near. Let the wicked abandon their ways and the sinful their schemes. Let them return to the Lord so that he may have mercy on them, to our God, because he is generous with forgiveness. (Gen 8:21b-22) The Lord thought to himself, I will not curse the fertile land anymore because of human beings since the ideas of the human mind are evil from their youth. I will never again destroy every living thing as I have done. As long as the earth exists, seedtime and harvest, cold and hot, summer and autumn, day and night will not cease. (Question: What does being generous in forgiveness look like to you?)

Isaiah 55:8-9

My plans aren’t your plans, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my plans than your plans. (Romans 8:35) Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? (Question:  What are the things we think separate us from knowing God’s presence?)

Special Music              (In Person Only)

Isaiah 55:10-11

Just as the rain and the snow come down from the sky and don’t return there without watering the earth, making it conceive and yield plants and providing seeds to the sower and food to the eater, so is my word that comes from my mouth; it does not return to me empty. Instead, it does what I want, and accomplishes what I intend. (Ps 119:49-52)Remember your promise to your servant, for which you made me wait. My comfort during my suffering is this: your word gives me new life. The arrogant make fun of me to no end, but I haven’t deviated from your Instruction. When I remember your ancient rules, I’m comforted, Lord. (Question: How do we comfort ourselves when things are difficult?)

Isaiah 55:12

Yes, you will go out with celebration, and you will be brought back in peace. Even the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you; all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Romans 8:38-39) I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created. (Question: What does it mean to you to navigate the pains throughout your life well?)

Hymn         Amazing Grace.  (In Person Only)

Isaiah 55:13

In place of the thorn the cypress will grow; in place of the nettle the myrtle will grow. This will attest to the Lord’s stature, an enduring reminder that won’t be removed. (Ps 119:86-88) All your commandments are true, but people harass me for no reason. Help me! They’ve almost wiped me off the face of the earth! Meanwhile, I haven’t abandoned your precepts! Make me live again according to your faithful love so I can keep the law you’ve given! (Question: How do the great challenges of life change your perspective in what it means to live well?)

Reflection Together     (In Person Only)

Offering Ourselves to God

  During this time let us reflect upon the words of the Confession of 1967. The language has been modernized.

“God’s sovereign love is a mystery beyond the reach of one’s mind. Human thought ascribes to God superlatives of power, wisdom, and goodness. God has created humanity in a personal relation with Godself that one may respond to the love of the Creator. Life is a gift to be received with gratitude and a task to be pursued with courage. One is free to seek one’s life within the purpose of God: to develop and protect the resources of nature for the common welfare, to work for justice and peace in society, and in other ways to use one’s creative powers for the fulfillment of human life.

Special Music        (In Person Only)

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power 

and the glory, forever. Amen

Benediction

Closing Hymn   What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine  (In Person Only)

Annual Congregational Meeting

Hymn List

1 Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty

450 Be Thou My Vision

625 O Lord My God

649 Amazing Grace

837 What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine

Sermon Series: Exploring the Seismic Questions January 9th – February 27th

January 30th – Who is God?

February 6th – Where is God?

February 13th – Who is Jesus?

February 20th – What is our purpose?

February 27th – What does it mean to follow Jesus?