In God’s final judgment of all people through Christ, many will be surprised to hear that they personally ministered to Jesus in and through their works of mercy done to others. Opening Hymn: Jesus Shall Reign Closing Doxology: We Praise Your Name! Alleluia!
OPENING WORDS / CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 90:1-2)Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations; you have been our home throughout all the ages. You were there before the world was made and will be forever. From everlasting to everlasting you are God. PRAYER OF THE DAY (1 Thessalonians 5:5, Matthew 25:14-30)O God, the gift of your Son is the…
Jesus tells a parable that is particularly relevant for us during this strange and unique time. He speaks of ten guests at a wedding where ALL were ready for a wonderful event, but only HALF were ready for the wait that preceded it. The “foolish” (according to Jesus) were prepared for a party, but the “wise” were prepared for unexpected and long…
Jesus warns of the “dark side” of leadership. Leaders who do not practice what they preach, are merciless toward others, flaunt their piety, and crave recognition, honor, and superior standing find themselves at odds with God’s kingdom. Like Jesus, the greatest leader shall be the humble servant. Opening Hymn: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Closing Doxology: Praise God from Whom All…
This jam-packed service begins with a special word from our Wisconsin Conference Minister, Franz Rigert, followed by an update concerning the India Gala. In today’s message, Jesus reveals the two commands at the heart of his teaching: Love God supremely, and love others as we love ourselves. All other divine commands are simply a footnote to these two commandments. Opening Hymn: Sun…
After experiencing God’s renewed commitment to journey with wayward Israel, Moses asks to see God’s glory. God promises to reveal the divine glory, but warns that Moses cannot see the Divine Face, for such an unmediated gaze on the Divine would be lethal to Moses. God then promises to protect Moses from this direct gaze. Moses then receives a revelation of God’s…
Days after entering into covenant with God, the people of God craft an idol while Moses is away on Mount Sinai. God threatens to destroy the people, but Moses intercedes on their behalf and God relents. This story has much to teach us about our proneness to idolatry and about what faithful and faithless leadership looks like. Opening Hymn: For the Beauty…
There is a great difference between what we can do, will do, and should do. What we “can” do reveals our freedom to choose between either good or bad options. What we “will” do expresses our ability to volitionally make decisions for ourselves. What we “should” do stems from an entirely different foundation – it has to do with an ethical guideline…
In today’s story, Jesus seeks to overcome the “confirmation bias” of his interlocutors who seek to trap him with their “gotcha question”. Confirmation bias is the tendency to take in only data that confirms a prior conviction and to discount information that does not conform to what we already believe. We are all guilty of this at times, and the danger is…
All of us are in exile. Some (if not most of us) are in the wilderness. The fears and the frustrations of the desert quickly lead to complaints and murmurings. In today’s story, the people of God grumble in the wilderness and God responds, not with anger, but with the gracious provision of manna. Though the wilderness is not comfortable, easy, or…