Call to Worship Adapted from Thom Shuman

 

When we stand at the edge of fear and worry,
God invites us to step into the waters of faith and trust.
When we stand at the edge of the world’s pain and need,
Jesus invites us to step into the land of humble service.
When we stand at the edge of our hunger and thirst:
the Spirit invites us to sit at the Table of grace.

God-ever-with-us:
you draw us near to your heart,
so that, cradled in compassion,
we might see the brokenness
of all who are around us.
Teacher-beside-us:
you draw us near to yourself,
so that, by following you,
we may discover the deep joy
of serving the broken of the world.
Spirit-within-us:
you draw near to us with your peace,
so that, reconciled and restored to God,
we may be the healers to a world shattered by despair.
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we draw near to you in this time,
we lift our praises to you and offer our lives to your service. Amen

 

Scripture Reading – Matthew 5:37 CEB

 

 

Song – Great Are You Lord

 

 

Scripture Reading – Matthew 24:13 CEB

 

 

Prayer of Petition and Intercession Adapted from Rev. Richard J. Fairchild

 

We are glad and rejoice forever in you, O God.
With joy we draw deeply from your well of salvation
And trust you as we endure all things in your strength.

 

Though the world has been gripped by trouble since early days,
and life has often been short and tormented,
you have given us a vision of a day beyond the terrors:
a day when the heavens and earth will be new again,
a day when the sound of weeping will give way to delight,
a time when all creation will live in peace
and people will long enjoy the fruits of their labors.
Help us to hold to that vision when the temples about us are falling,
and our world is shaken.
Strengthen us for the telling of your truth
and for keeping to your path,
that we might not weary in doing what is right,
but through endurance may gain our souls,
even as you desire for us to do.
Lord, hear our prayer….

 

As we pray for a new heaven and a new earth this day,
we especially are aware of those among us
and those beyond these doors who are in deep need of your peace,
of your healing touch, of your just and bounteous kingdom.

 

We pray for those who dwell in places of strife, need, and want….
Lord, hear our prayer….

 

We pray for those who have been bereaved in the past week….
Lord, hear our prayer….

 

We pray for those who are unemployed and those fearful of layoff or termination
and all those struggling with a burden in the workplace and the marketplace….
Lord, hear our prayer….

 

And finally, we pray for today for those of our brothers and sisters
those who are deprived of their basic human rights,
and those who are deprived of their lives
Lord, hear our prayer….

 

Let us give thanks to the one to whom we pray,
the one who brings both the snow and the sun;
the one  who heals this troubled world;
the sick; and those who turn to Him in faith;
the one who grants new life not only to us,
but to the creation itself….
Lord, hear our prayer….

 

Gracious God,

 

we pray to you in the name of the one who came to show us the way,
he who is our Lord and our Redeemer, our brother and our friend.
We pray to you as one family, even as he taught us, saying…
Our Father….

 

Scripture Reading – James 5:7-12

 

 

Video Sermon

 

Prayer Adapted from the Presbyterian Church in Canada

 

Your love is patient;
we give you thanks for all those who have been patient with us
and have taught and cared for us;
and we pray for the patience to love others
as you have loved us.

 

Your love is kind;
give us the courage to be kind to others
and to serve those with patience
who are so often unkind, rude, difficult to love, or our enemies.
They are your children and our sisters and brothers
and they were made in your image.

 

Your love is not pompous;
give us insight to speak the truth in love
and for the sake of your kingdom
and not out of a need to appear clever or right
and in all our relationships
give us the wisdom to listen far more than we speak.

 

Your love does not seek its own interests;
we thank you and pray for those who serve the poor and those in need,
who give tirelessly of themselves and who have much to do
and little time for themselves.

 

Your love is not quick-tempered;
we pray for those who are angry
and for the violent and their victims;
for children who fear, elders who are abused,
and people trapped in relationships that injure and harm.

 

Your love bears all things;
we remember before you those with heavy burdens,
many cares, much stress, and too little comfort and help.
Open our eyes to those around us and their needs
and give us the wisdom to offer help
without any prying or sense of superiority.

 

Your love never fails;
even death does not trespass on the breadth and depth of your love.
We thank you for those we have loved in this life
and who now dwell in the peace and joy of your presence
and let your comfort settle on those who are bereaved
or who are lonely this day.
In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen

 

Song –Great is Thy Faithfulness

 

 

Benediction 

 

Let us establish our hearts as we wait for the Lord to return. We must refuse to grumble against one another and remain steadfast in the face of adversity. Let us do this in faith. Do not be afraid to ask God to increase your patience. Do so because you desire to increase in your love for one another and your faith in the Lord. Amen.

 

Questions for Reflection

 

When are you likely to have patience? When is it easiest for you to exhibit patience? 

 

We live in a world of instant gratification. How do you combat that in your life? How is the movement towards ease (like Uber, the internet, texting, email) beneficial to society? How is it harmful?

 

What do we do with passages in Scripture that tell us that ay of the Lord’s return is near? Is Scripture reliable? It seems that James was wrong. How do you hold that in tension with God’s faithfulness? Was James wrong? 

 

Why is grumbling about others frowned upon in this passage? 

 

How do you reconcile the call to patience with the call to be people of justice in the world? When evil occurs, do we patiently wait it out or do we act in protest and  become agents of change? Do we let God do all the work? Is protest against evil grumbling or prophetic resistance?

 

Are Christians known for their honesty or for being as susceptible to deception and fraud as the “secular” world? Do Christians have an image or branding problem? Why or why not?