Sunday, September 30, 2018

Be transformed by the renewing of your minds

Worship on Sunday, September 30 …

We continue in our series – “Loving God, Loving Others” – turning our attention to loving God with the whole of our minds.
╬  “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds!”  It’s one of the most compelling invitations in all of Scripture.  And it shows the capacity God has crafted in each of us in the astounding power of intellect!  We have been given minds with which to explore and understand the world, in its infinite and infinitesimal wonder.  To know ourselves and to delve in the deeper truths of being.  To make meaning of life, to dream and imagine, to create.  God invites us to love with the whole of this amazing capacity of mind … to love God and to love others.  And God encourages us that we can be transformed, to know in new and deeper ways, by the continual renewal of our minds centered in that love.



 Below are the Prayer of the Day and Readings. 
I look forward to our gathering and worship together!

 - Pr. Brad Highum
bhighum@abidinglove.org

PRAYER OF THE DAY --------------------

 God of all, by the power of your Spirit, continue to refresh and renew our minds, that we may know and love you more completely, to know and love one another more deeply, and to live as your transformed people in the world you love.  Amen.

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

 First Reading:  1 Kings 3:9-14
9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?"  10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. 14 If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life."

 Psalm 77:11-15
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy.  What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

 Second Reading:  Romans 11:33-12:2
33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!  34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?"  35 "Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?"  36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.  12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 Gospel:  Mark 3:19-27
Then he went home; 20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind." 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons." 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.



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