Sunday, May 26, 2019

In My Name May 26, 2019

Worship on Sunday, May 26 …

In this culmination of our focus on ONOMA, we engage the most challenging understanding of all! 
click here to listen to the late service 

click here to listen to the early service 

click here for Sermon Audio Only

click here for Childrens Sermon Audio Only

╬  In My Name In all our exploration of the “onoma” – the true essence and character revealed in “name” – there are few expressions more powerful and more mystifying that the one Jesus makes in our Gospel today:  “Ask anything of the Father in my name, and he will give it to you.”  As the time of the Eastertide is fulfilled, our study brings us to this astounding revelation and its meaning for our lives.  To what it says about Jesus, and what it reveals about OUR “onoma.”
Below are the Prayer of the Day and Readings.  Sermon and Reflection Slides are attached.  PLEASE NOTE:  I have switched the First Lesson Reading for this week!


 Blessings to you all as we fulfill the time of the Eastertide!

- Pr. Brad Highum

bhighum@abidinglove.org

PRAYER OF THE DAY ----------- 

 God of all, in your Son your fullness is revealed.  Teach us the power of his name and the calling you place on each of us:  to embrace the onoma of your Christ as our way of being, our true identity in you.  Amen.

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

First Reading:  Isaiah 56:5-8

5 I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.  6 And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant — 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.  8 Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.

Psalm 20

1 The Lord will answer you in the day of trouble!  The name of the God of Jacob protect you!

 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion.

 3 May he remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices.

 4 May he grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your plans.

 5 May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

 6 Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand.

 7 Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.

 8 They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.

 9 Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer us when we call.

Second Reading:  Colossians 3:12-17

12 As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Gospel:  John 16:22-28
22 So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.  25 "I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
Posted by at

Sunday, May 19, 2019

What is in a Name? 5-19-2019

Worship on Sunday, May 19 …


╬  “What’s in a name?”  A great deal, in fact!  Scripture is filled with names – of people and of places – with profound meanings.  And it is full of stories of re-naming as significant events or revelations of character take place.  The word “onoma” translates from the Greek as “name” but means so much more.  Onoma expresses the character, the essence and fullness of what is named.  We see examples of true onoma emerging in the lives of Jacob/Israel, Saul/Paul, Simon/Peter.  God re-names as God consecrates people to new purpose.  We, in turn, wield considerable power as we name the world around us!

  Below are the Prayer of the Day and Readings. 

 Blessings to you all in the Eastertide!

 - Pr. Brad Highum
bhighum@abidinglove.org



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

God of all, by the power of your Spirit you are naming us.  In calling us to share life and ministry in you, you are calling forth the fullest expression of ourselves, of our identity rooted in you.  Shape us according to your goodness and grace.  Amen.

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

First Reading:  Genesis 32:22-31

22 The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24 Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." 27 So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." 28 Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." 29 Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

Psalm 113

1 Praise the Lord!  Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord.

 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore.

 3 From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.

 4 The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

 5 Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,

 6 who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?

 7 He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

 8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.

 9 He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.  Praise the Lord!

Second Reading:  Acts 9:19-29

For several days Saul was with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God." 21 All who heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?" 22 Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.  23 After some time had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night so that they might kill him; 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.  6 When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

Gospel:  Matthew 16:13-19

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Posted by at

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Ongoingness May 12, 2019

Worship on Sunday, May 12 …

Naming is a part of the “ongoingness” creation … from the very beginning! 
╬ In the Beginning Naming and the power of names have been a meta-narrative in Scripture, from the Creation forward.  God calls forth life and nests humanity in the garden of creation.  Man and woman, Adam and Eve.  God spends a delightful day bringing creatures to Adam to see what he will name them.  We see the emerging onoma of Abram/Abraham and of Sarai/Sarah as God’s calling on them transforms their lives.  And we engage the depth of meaning in God choosing “a place for God’s name” … where God will dwell among the people.

 Below are the Prayer of the Day and Readings. 

 Blessings to you all in the Eastertide!

 - Pr. Brad Highum
bhighum@abidinglove.org

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

 God of all, in naming us as your children, blessed and beloved, you give us a new birth in a new creation.  Inspire us to embrace our calling to proclaim and live out your name – your onoma – in all the earth: Grace, Justice, Peace, Compassion.  Amen.

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

 First Reading:  Genesis 2:15-23
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."  18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner." 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken."

 Psalm 68:4-10
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds — his name is the Lord — be exultant before him.

 5 Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.

 6 God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land.

 7 O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness,

 8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

 9 Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad; you restored your heritage when it languished;

 10 your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

 Second Reading:  Genesis 17:1-8,15-19
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous." 3 Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4 "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God."

15 God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, "Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "O that Ishmael might live in your sight!" 19 God said, "No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac.

 Gospel:  Luke 24:44-49

 44 Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
Posted by at

Sunday, May 5, 2019

ONOMA - The power of Naming May 5, 2019

Worship on Sunday, May 5 …


As we go deeper into our exploration of ONOMA – the power of naming – we engage with a multitude of names for GOD that are revealed in Scripture! 
╬ Names of God The Scriptures are filled with myriad names for God, from the gift of God’s name to Moses in the wilderness – “I AM” – to the “abba” that Jesus lovingly introduces to his followers.  The word “onoma” translates from the Greek as “name” but means so much more.  Onoma expresses the character, the essence and fullness of what is named.  In revealing names to us, God reaches to us in love to share identity, understanding and unity. God is constantly making God-self known in deeply meaningful ways.  God’s onoma, the fullness of God, has been revealed in Christ and is being called forth in all humanity.

 Below are the Prayer of the Day and Readings.  


 Blessings to you all in the Eastertide!

 - Pr. Brad Highum

 bhighum@abidinglove.org

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

 God of grace, in your Name is revealed the wholeness and fullness of you.  We reach to you, seeking to name the wonder that is you.  Imprint your name upon us that we may truly become your people and live in the Kingdom you are calling forth in the world.  Amen.

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

 First Reading:  Exodus 3:1-15

 1 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up." 4 When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then he said, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." 6 He said further, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.  9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 He said, "I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain."  13 But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I Am Who I Am." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I Am has sent me to you.'" 15 God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you':  This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

 Psalm 138
1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;

 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.

 3 On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.

 4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth.

 5 They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.

 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.

 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me.

 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

 Second Reading:  Revelation 22:1-6

 22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.  6 And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place."

 Gospel:  John 14:1-7
14 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."  
Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)