Sunday, July 1, 2018

Worship on Sunday - July 1, 2018

Worship on Sunday, July 1 …  as we continue to explore the power of story in sharing and nurturing faith, we turn our attention to a vital role each of us is called to:  sharing the story of the Gospel in our own way, in our own place and time.

 ╬ Always be ready to share the hope that is within you! (1 Peter 3:15)  It is a part of our calling, as people of faith, the share the truth as God has revealed it to us.  To witness, to testify, to prophecy … to share the Gospel, especially with those who have not heard.  That can be challenging enough, but it is all the harder to do that important work of evangelism in a decidedly “short-attention-span” culture.  Could you do it, with a sparsity of language, ultimate impact in, say, seven words?


Readings and the Prayer of the Day are below.
Blessings to all!

 - Pr. Brad Highum
bhighum@abidinglove.org

 PRAYER OF THE DAY -----------------
God of all, your Word is life. Teach us to share the greatest of stories … the love story you are telling the world in your Gospel of redemption, healing and peace. Amen.

 READINGS ------------------------

 First Reading:  Numbers 11:24-30
24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.  26 Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." 28 And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, "My lord Moses, stop them!" 29 But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!"

 Psalm 57:5,6-11
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.  Let your glory be over all the earth.
7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast.  I will sing and make melody.
8 Awake, my soul!  Awake, O harp and lyre!  I will awake the dawn.
9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10 For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.  Let your glory be over all the earth.

 Second Reading:  Acts 1:1-11
1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."  6 So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

 Gospel:  Luke 1:1-4
1 Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.
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