Let’s
Connect – Week of May 10, 2020
Opening Prayer:
God of Gods:
We come together this
evening to hear your good news, to hear of faith, hope and love ringing out
from your kingdom.
We know that doubt, fear
and hatred can shake even the strongest.
Shape us into faithful
hopeful people, fill us with your love that passes all understanding.
We pray this together in
the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
~ Adapted
from a prayer written by Carol Penner, and Posted on Leading in Worship. http://carolpenner.typepad.com/leadinginworship/
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12 & 13 selected verses (CEB)
If one part suffers, all the
parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with
it. You are the body of Christ and parts of each other.
Love is patient, love is kind,
it isn't jealous, it doesn't brag, it isn't arrogant, it isn't rude, it doesn't
seek its own advantage, it isn't irritable, it doesn't keep a record of
complaints, it isn't happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. Love
puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures
all things. Love never fails.
Now faith, hope, and love
remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:
13
Musing:
For my reflections on the passages from 1 Corinthians I want to
share something that Holley Gerth wrote as a prayer of commitment based upon 1
Corinthians 13.
Lord, Because love is patient…
Help me to be slow to judge, but quick to listen,
hesitant to criticize, but eager to encourage,
remembering your endless patience with me.
Because love is kind…
Help my words to be gentle and my actions to be
thoughtful.
Remind me to smile and to say “Please” and “Thank
You”
because those little things still mean so much.
Because love does not envy or
boast, and it is not proud…
Help me have a heart that is humble and sees the
good in others.
May I celebrate and appreciate all that I have
and all that I am,
as well as doing the same for those around me.
Because love is not rude or
self-seeking…
Help me to speak words that are easy on the ear
and on the heart.
When I’m tempted to get wrapped up in my own
little world,
remind me there’s a great big world out there
full of needs and hurts.
Because love is not easily
angered and keeps no record of wrongs…
Help me to forgive others as you have forgiven
me.
When I want to hold onto a grudge,
gently help me release it
so I can reach out with a hand of love instead.
Because love does not delight
in evil but rejoices with the truth…
Help me stand up for what is right and good.
May I defend the defenseless, and help the
helpless.
Show me how I can make a difference.
Because love always protects
and always trusts…
Help me to be a refuge for those around me.
When the world outside is harsh and cold,
may my heart be a place of acceptance and warmth.
Finally, because love always
perseveres…
Help my heart continually beat with love for You
and others.
Thank you for showing us what the word love
really means. Amen.
~ written by Holley Gerth, and posted on Taking it one step at a time. http://onestep87.blogspot.ca/
Closing prayer:
Doubt moves in and props its feet at the
hearth of my soul,
warming them on the coals of my
unbelief;
while faith rents
space for a few days in the summers of my life.
despair is the frayed, soft corduroy
jacket that fits comfortably on my shoulders
while hope is a hair
shirt I resist wearing.
impatience is the face I put on each morning in
order to greet the world,
while love is that
mask I wear occasionally,
removing it when i look in the
mirror, not recognizing myself.
which three will abide in me, O
God?
which three?
Amen.
The
agenda for the gathering is:
- Welcome
- Welcome
everyone in
- Do the
breathing exercise
- A brief
devotion
- Report about
what is happening
- We are
moving toward the eventual freedom to gather once again. But it will be
small steps. First very limited numbers will be allowed to gather. The
size of group will increase. BUT there will be a lot of restrictions and
requirements: safe distancing, no touching, cleaning and disinfecting
surfaces, masks, sanitizer, signs, on so forth. This will not be one day
we can’t gather and the next day we can. The CDC has good guidance for
religious groups to gather once we can so check them out. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/guidance-community-faith-organizations.html
- The Area
leadership will be issuing some guidance for reopening. Hopeful this will
happen in connection with tomorrow’s webinar. If you haven’t registered
yet go to the Cascadia website or check your email for last week’s
newsletter both places have the link for registering.
- Also,
building users will need to be prepared to follow all the same guidelines
and procedures you follow. I would suggest that as you figure out what
you will do, you begin to draft a building use agreement for covid-19
mitigation.
- Remember
why we do this, we do it to protect the most vulnerable and to save
lives. We are called to love others and to put their needs above our own.
- And I
remind you once again, the Greater Northwest Area Website has a lot of
resources to help you maneuver through these times, make sure and check
it out. https://greaternw.org/
·
A
time for Q and A
·
An
opportunity for you to share with me and each other, how is it with your soul?
·
Closing
blessing
God, grant
me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one
day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;
taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as
I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right if I
surrender to Your will;
so that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
(Reinhold
Niebuhr)
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