God of All Time,
You have commissioned us, as Your faithful children, to be Your agents where we live, work and play. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world”. Often we miss the mark, O God, and we pray for forgiveness. Others are looking to us to see the love of Christ embodied in our actions and words. Others are looking to us as bearers of Your grace and peace. It is a huge responsibility, but it is also a joy to carry the Good News of Your acceptance and forgiveness into the world. Bless us, loving God, as we seek to be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN.
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Vacation Bible School begins tomorrow evening with a meal at 5:15 p.m. There will be activities and classes for all ages.
Come to worship today and bring a friend with you.
Look around when you come to church. We have the opportunity to welcome angels in our midst. Will you extend radical hospitality?
The scripture for today (we are in week 36 of our Bible readings) is Romans 12:1-8:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
The psalm for the week is Psalm 115:
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throats.
Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.
O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
The LORD has been mindful of us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;
he will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great.
May the LORD give you increase, both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to human beings.
The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any that go down into silence.
But we will bless the LORD from this time on and forevermore. Praise the LORD!
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
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