"Look Live"

Call to Worship (Psalm 63)

Lord, you are our God. We will praise you with joyful lips. Lord, you are our God. Our souls thirst for you. Lord, you are our God. We behold your power and majesty. Lord, you are our God. We will bless you all of the days of our lives.

Opening Prayer (Luke 13)

Gracious and eternal God, you call us into a new way of being, and give us so many second chances in life. May your love wash over us, as we turn toward you from our sinful ways. Mold us as your people in new and powerful ways, that we may be true disciples of your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.

Offertory

n Luke 13, Jesus tells of a man with a barren fig tree in his vineyard.  That man was annoyed, and eager to get the tree cut down and carted away.  However, the one who cared for this tree and the others in the vineyard, pleaded for enough more time and an opportunity to provide manure (“rich dirt” some folks say) for the tree.

Do you recognize our church in this parable?  Are we a fully fruitful tree, bearing fruit for the world?  Or would you see we’re more like this fig-less tree?

Let those who are bearing fruit share our morning offering as a symbol of our fruitfulness.  And let those who are currently without fruit commit to seeking ways to be made fruitful.

Prayer (Psalm 63)

Gentle and loving God, our souls cling to you like a newborn baby clings to its mother. Give us this day the Bread of life, that as we feast at your table, our souls may be filled with your praise, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Numbers 21:4-9 New International Version The Bronze Snake 4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,[a] to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” 6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

Benediction

Turn to the Lord, for God is good. We have found new life in Christ! Repent of your sins and find God's forgiveness. We have found new life in Christ! Go forth as new creatures, able to serve and quick to love. We have found new life in Christ!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.