September 8, 2013 "SHAPING THE COMMUNITY OF GRACE"

AN AFFIRMATION OF FAITH BASED ON THE TRADITIONAL APOSTLES’ CREED *** Adapted by Rev. Dr. Amanda Burr
I believe in God, the all-powerful Sovereign of the Universe, the loving Abba, Father, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, God’s only Son, who was conceived by The Spirit of God and born of Mary.
Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. He was crucified, died and was buried.
On the third day, God raised Jesus from the dead.
I believe the risen Christ ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God Almighty.
From this throne Jesus shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the church universal, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and eternal life. Amen.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Dearest Lord, Most High God, our Creator and the Redeemer of the Universe we know we have the freedom to choose how we will spend our time on a beautiful Sunday morning. We have chosen to be here. We have chosen to worship you in the company of fellow believers sharing in and thus shaping this, our community of grace. We are looking for something when we come through those sanctuary doors. Maybe it is peace and quiet in the moments before everyone else arrives. Maybe it’s the opportunity to sing out at the top of our voice. Maybe it is our confidence in your presence with us, our trust that your spirit moving within us will ready us for the challenges that face us in the week ahead. And too, some of us may find ourselves persuaded realizing that positions and opinions we have held all of our lives are no longer defensible. Whatever we discover in this time of worship, precious Lord, shape us by your grace mercy and love. In the name of the Christ we pray.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFERING
During my first 3 months of training for the Peace Corps I lived in the city of Bogota, Colombia with a Colombian family. I had “two sisters and a brother,” all some years older than I and still living at home. The 4 of us lived in the apartment of their widowed mother along with a young girl they called “Muchacha.” Muchacha was not her name; it was her role. She was their servant, an uneducated girl from the country looking for a better life in the city. She slept on a makeshift cot in a clothes closet. Some nights the family made her spend the night locked up in their tienda in midtown Bogota to guard against break-ins. She had ½ a day off a week, and less than minimum wages, no health care benefits, or pension. I don’t remember her name. In her servitude I wonder what she hoped for.
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious and Loving God, pour your Spirit upon these tithes and offerings. Make them instruments of your graciousness and goodwill. May every ministry they support, every program they nurture, every comfort they provide bring glory to your name. We are indebted to you for our every breath and blessing of this life. We share what we have, not because of our indebtedness to you, but because of our gratefulness to you. We thank you Lord, in the name of the Christ. Amen.