November 25 service

If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,

And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.

I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,

‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.

Bruce quoted this song at the beginning of the service.  Line 3 is what my student workers would call "an epic fail".  The stars don't influence luck.  Their role is to proclaim the glory of God!  A better choice for song lyrics that carry the thought would have been to use "A Mighty Fortress".

"The Word they still shall let remain nor any thanks have for it;

He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit.

And take they our life, goods, fame, child and wife,

Let these all be gone, they yet have nothing won;

The Kingdom ours remaineth."

November 15, 2009

The service was quite long - but it did not seem long at all.  Jeff did a great job of holding our interest, story telling, and relating the stories to the work of the Spirit of God in our midst.

I was concerned before the service how the technical parts would go, because there was a PowerPoint and a DVD for the children's sermon, a video (.avi) for during the offering, and another DVD for the announcements at the end of the service. 

The PowerPoint came in, and it was in Office 2007 format.  The projection computer has office 2003 - not compatible.  I took it to the office computer.  That one has Office 2000!  I had also brought my laptop along, so I ran out to the car and got that so I could transfer the PowerPoint to 2003 format.  Hurdle number one successfully cleared!

The DVDs came in line fairly easily.  I took care of the projector input switching up front, and Becky handled getting things running from the booth in back. Hurdles two and three.

The last item was the .AVI for during the offering.  This was a video from YouTube.  I knew that the chances of a working wireless network connection were at best about one in ten.  So I had captured the video at home and converted it to AVI format.  Indeed, the computer did not connect wirelessly on Sunday.  When I tried to run the AVI, however, the computer could not keep up with it.  It would hang part way through.  So I had to quick learn the song.  I am glad that I had played through the file a number of times getting the video capture!  So we did the offering song live rather than running the video.

I think it is time to replace the projection computer.

And it all came together.  God is faithful!

Scripture for November 8

Galatians 3:26-4:7 (New International Version)



Sons of God

26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 4

1What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. 4But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba,[a] Father." 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

November 1 - Galatians 3:1-14

The scripture was as follows:

 

1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

 

6Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."[a] 7Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."[b] 9So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

10All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."[c] 11Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."[d] 12The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them."[e] 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."[f] 14He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Songs were:

• Kindness
• I Give You My Heart
• Empty Me
• Live For You
• Light the Fire Again
• You Are My King
• All I Really Want
• Your Grace is Enough

Points to ponder:

• What was the main thing that you think God was wanting to do on Sunday?
• How did the worship time an message strengthen each other?
• Were there particular songs that especially touched you?
• Were there other elements of the time that either enhanced or distracted?
• It was Reformation.  Did our service pick up on this?  We didn't sing "A Mighty Fortress".  Is that OK?

These are just a few questions to consider.

My own thought is that whether or not we sang a hymn which might be expected on Reformation Sunday is less important than that we have our ears attentive to what the Spirit of God is speaking to us.