"Ten Ways to Guarantee Unhappiness"

Call to Worship (Psalm 148)

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens. Praise God from the heights! Praise the Lord, you angels. Sing praise, you heavenly host! Praise the Lord, O sun and moon. Join in song, O shining stars! Praise the Lord, snow and rain. Blow loud, wind and storm! Praise the Lord, O trees. Dance with joy, O birds! Praise the Lord, women and men. Rejoice, children and rulers! Praise the Lord, weak and strong. Sing for joy, timid and bold! Praise the Lord, mothers and aunts. Give praise, grandfathers and cousins! Let all creation praise God’s name! Praise the Lord!

Opening Prayer (Revelation 22, John 13)

Alpha and Omega, you make your home with us, you dry our tears and quench our thirst, you are the tender love that welcomes all people. Like a mother, you nurture your children, giving them life, teaching them to love. Come and dwell among us, and make all things new.

Invitation to the Offering (Acts 11, John 13)

God has given us the gift of faith. Through this gift we see all people as God’s children. Respond to God’s generous love, that we may love one another as God has loved us. Let us share this love as we bring our tithes and offerings.

Prayer: Gracious and Loving God, we are grateful that you have called us together this day, drawing us from darkness to the glory of your light. May our spirits rejoice at the good news you have for us today. Open our hearts to your healing love, for we ask this in Christ’s Name. AMEN.

James 4:13-17 New International Version Boasting About Tomorrow 13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Benediction (John 13)

Jesus gave a new commandment: to love one another. Because Jesus loves us, we should love one another. Go forth to serve. Go forth to love. We go with God’s love and blessing. 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.