"A Bildad Mentality"

Call to Worship  (inspired by Ps 99)

Come!  Let’s worship the Lord our God! God’s name is mighty!  God establishes equity. So we come to praise God, who is lifted up over all peoples.  Remember!  God both avenges wrong-doing, and forgives.  We offer our hearts to this One who is holy!

Opening Prayer

Mighty God, you spoke words of blessing from the cloud to Moses, words of blessing for your beloved son, Jesus. Speak your blessing to us this day as we gather to praise you.  Lift us up and fill us with your blessing,  so your presence might pour forth through us to encourage our weary and dis-spirited world.

Invitation to the Offering

Matthew records the remarkable story of God breaking into that moment, claiming Jesus as God’s own Son and instructing the disciples to listen to Jesus.  And the three disciples responded with fear!

You may find fear a first response to your desire for super generosity.  However, Jesus spoke into the moment, with the familiar words, “do not be afraid”.

Today, I want to speak those words to you, as well.  Do not be afraid to respond in gratitude, with super generosity, to your own moment of recognizing the amazing blessing we’ve received: this gift of life.   It will not last forever, so I encourage you to respond with gratitude, as you offer your most generous gifts for Christ’s work here and to the ends of the earth.

Prayer (Exodus 24, Matthew 17)

Glorious, mysterious, and shimmering with light, you know our hearts, our triumphs, and our disasters. Take us as we are; love us as we are; join with us and transform us into your holy ones. Amen.

Job 8:1-10 New International Version Bildad 8 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 2 “How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind. 3 Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? 4 When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin. 5 But if you will seek God earnestly and plead with the Almighty, 6 if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your prosperous state. 7 Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be. 8 “Ask the former generation and find out what their ancestors learned, 9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow. 10 Will they not instruct you and tell you? Will they not bring forth words from their understanding? Job 8:20-22 New International Version 20 “Surely God does not reject one who is blameless or strengthen the hands of evildoers. 21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. 22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tents of the wicked will be no more.”

Benediction (2 Peter 1, Matthew 17)

Walk in light and truth. See the light of Christ in every face. Be the light of Christ to all you meet.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.