"God IS In THE Gate

Call to Worship (Psalm 130)

Out of the depths I cry to you. Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that we might serve you with reverence. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in God’s word I put my hope. Israel, put your hope in the Lord and in God’s unfailing love. Out of the depths I cry to you. Lord, hear my voice.

Opening Prayer (John 6, Psalm 130)

O Bread of heaven, come down. Come down and fill us with your Spirit— for your Spirit satisfies like no other. We hunger and thirst for you this morning and long to be nurtured in your love and forgiveness. So we come to this sacred time and place, where our hungers are finally and fully satisfied as only your bread can do. We will wait and listen for your leading in this hour. Amen.

Invitation to the Offering (Psalm 130, John 6)

Freely we have received. Thus, we freely give: grace upon grace. Let us express our love and appreciation to God, by extending the grace and mercy of God to a hungry world.

OPENING PRAYER

Lord, we come to you this day with so many things going on in our lives. Some of these things are wonderful and cause us to rejoice. However, there are far too many things that cause us fear and anxiety. Humbly we wait for your presence with us. We need your healing touch. Feed us with the bread of life, that we may hunger no more. Strengthen us to do your will, for it is in Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN.

2 Samuel 18:5-9 New International Version

5 The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders. 6 David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7 There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men. 8 The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword. 9 Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.

15 And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.

31 Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.” 32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.” 33 The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”[a]

BENEDICTION, BLESSING

Having been filled by the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, go forth into this world where hunger and thirst persist. Bring the healing, life-sustaining, nourishing word of God and the peace and love of Jesus Christ. Offer the transforming witness of the Holy Spirit 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. Go in peace and may God’s peace always be with you. AMEN.