August 2024 Newsletter – Pastor’s Page
Happy August Church!
For the last few weeks we’ve been focused on the series “Worship with Rejoicing.” In the summer – when many of our regular routines and rhythms change – the ins and outs of our worship service remain the same. We gather, we pray, we hear scripture, we receive a blessing to be sent forth. The life of King David shows us that worship is not just something we do, but central to who we are as God’s people. Despite his unflattering moments, David’s life was focused on listening for God’s direction and serving God with humility and love.
My hope for this series is that we will see how the worship service – that one hour a week or a couple times a month in the pews – connects with the way we organize the rest of our time for God. Yes, we gather for worship, but we also gather as families, friends and neighbors throughout the summer. Do we notice that God is among us in those gatherings, too, not just Sunday morning? Are we vulnerable and gracious with one another when we gather?
When we pray in the morning or evening, do we realize that our intercessory prayers for others are connected to the intercessory prayers we offer each Sunday morning? Does the Call to Worship – an invitation to see myself and others from God’s perspective – stick with me as I go about my life Monday thru Friday? Wherever we go, and whatever we do, we are Christ’s hands and voice. Our worship on Sunday ripples through our lives and our loved ones all week long.
If you are looking for a way to help you God live at the center of your life, I offer these two prayers from our United Methodist Hymnal. Try them for a few days and notice your spirit. The first prayer works well for the early morning hours:
New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us a desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
The other prayer works well in the late afternoon or early evening:
We praise you and thank you, O God, for you are without beginning and without end. Through Christ, you created the whole world; through Christ, you preserve it. You made the day for the works of light, and the night for the refreshment of our minds and bodies. Keep us now in Christ; grant us a peaceful evening, a night free from sin; and bring us at last to eternal life. Through Christ and in the Holy Spirit, we offer you all glory, honor, and worship, now and forever. Amen.
I look forward to worshipping with you in the weeks ahead.
Blessings,
Pastor Jared