Minister: Rev. Olon M. Lindemood

October 29 and 30, 2011

Psalm 122

Song of Praise and Prayer for Jerusalem

A Song of Ascents. Of David.
¹ I was glad when they said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’
² Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
⁴ To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
⁵ For there the thrones for judgement were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
‘May they prosper who love you.
⁷ Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers.’
⁸ For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.

 

TO BE A DISCIPLE IS TO WORSHIP!

Being a Disciple of Jesus Christ means that we will:

Gather

Graze

And Glory!

GATHER!

A song writer says it best:

God is here! As we his people

meet to offer praise and prayer,

may we find in fuller measure

what it is in Christ we share:

Here, as in the world around us,

all our varied skills and arts

wait the coming of His Spirit

into open minds and hearts

Lord of all, of Church and Kingdom,

in an age of change and doubt,

keep us faithful to the gospel,

help us work your purpose out.

Here, in this day's dedication,

all we have to give, receive;

we who cannot live without you,

we adore you! We believe.

IN WORSHIP TOGETHER we Gather for to survive… Jesus said … Where two or three are gathered… there am I, In your midst!

Dr. Alex Tang:

Components of worship

1. Entering God's presence

2. Enjoying God's presence

3. Listening to God

4. Responding to God and the community of faith

5. God's empowering

TO BE A DISCIPLE IS TO WORSHIP!

“Yes Lord… we who cannot live without you, we adore you, we believe…”

(Remember Yogi Berra … noted for silly statements in the baseball world…)  Listen to three of his thoughts… wonderful wisdom that might say something to us as we gather to worship?

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you might end up some place else.”

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."

"I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early."

We gather … because it is easier to travel together … than alone … together we grow in Christ’s love…

GRAZE

TO be here is to share the joy of this pasture…

Grazing is part of the laying down in green pastures…

Come with me in your imagination… Up into the air … imagine the edge of a pasture … the corner of a pasture … there is a fence… and in the corner … it connects with three other pastures… four pastures… and from the sky… each of the fences has a cow with it’s head through the fence grazing into the next pasture … The grass is always greener in the next pasture… (no) when we come together for worship we live into the Lord’s pasture here…

Friends graze on these scriptures:

Here is this week’s list of scriptures … ready…

Scriptures for remembering:

• Psalm 53: 2  ‘God looks down from heaven on humans
  to see if there are any who are wise,
  who seek after God.’
• Psalm 105: 1-4  ‘O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
  make known his deeds among the peoples.
  ² Sing to him, sing praises to him;
  tell of all his wonderful works.
  ³ Glory in his holy name;
  let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
  ⁴ Seek the Lord and his strength;
  seek his presence continually.’
• Psalm 95:6-7 ‘O come, let us worship and bow down,
  let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
  ⁷ For he is our God,
  and we are the people of his pasture,
  and the sheep of his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice!

• Psalm 84: 1-4 ‘How lovely is your dwelling place,
  O Lord of hosts!
  ² My soul longs, indeed it faints
  for the courts of the Lord;
  my heart and my flesh sing for joy
  to the living God.

³ Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
⁴ Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.

• Matthew 18 ²⁰For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’  Jesus Said!

Together we graze on the beauty of the Lord’s love.  Together we worship…

SING:

Let us praise God together on our knees, (on our knees)
Let us praise God together on our knees. (on our knees)
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

GLORY!

Together we glory in our tenacious Lord’s love…

We sometimes worry that we will be forgotten… we may be

Michael Franti Sings:

Hey World don’t give up on me:

hey world

what you say

should i stick around for another day or two
don't give up on me
i won't give up on you
just believe in me like i believe in you…

I Was There To hear Your Borning Cry

"I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
to see your life unfold.
I was there when you were but a child,
with a faith to suit you well;
In a blaze of light you wandered off
to find where demons dwell."

"When you heard the wonder of the Word
I was there to cheer you on;
You were raised to praise the living Lord,
to whom you now belong.
If you find someone to share your time
and you join your hearts as one,
I'll be there to make your verses rhyme
from dusk 'till rising sun."

In the middle ages of your life,
not too old, no longer young,
I'll be there to guide you through the night,
complete what I've begun.
When the evening gently closes in,
and you shut your weary eyes,
I'll be there as I have always been
with just one more surprise."

"I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
to see your life unfold."

We Glory in the knowledge that God has been with us in every moment!

I will continue to strive for my relationship to Christ to be characterized by these commitments:

I will arrive at Worship Spiritually prepared to praise God.

I will be passionate about worship as a true priority of my life.

Worship will continue in my home as I praise and glorify God.

I will participate in our music ministry, to share my praise to God.

I will look forward to, and anticipate worshiping God each week.

I will introduce myself, and warmly greet those who sit around me.

In worship, I find strength, power and direction to face the week ahead.

Bad weather, sports or holidays will not keep me from attending.

As worship visitors arrive, I will go out of my way to greet them.

I will not simply observe, but fully participate in worship.

I will prepare on Saturday, arriving early and ready to worship.

Yes, I will never miss worship.

Yes, I will attend worship four times a month.

Yes, I will attend worship three times a month.

Yes, I will attend worship twice a month.

Yes, I will attend worship once a month.

Yes, I will attend worship three to six times a year.

No, I am not ready to make a worship attendance commitment.

TO BE A DISCIPLE IS TO WORSHIP…

We gather

We graze

We Glory…

"I was there to hear your borning cry,

I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
to see your life unfold."