A Harvest of Loving Kindness

Good Morning and Welcome to Worship! Worship is often the first place that new people come into contact with this growing community of faith. And so, if you are joining us for the first time, I say to you what is said every Sunday: You are welcome here. Here is a place where all are welcome. For such is the love of God for God’s Very Good Creation.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below; praise God above, ye Heav'nly host: praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

God of the first and the last, give us the strength of mind, that we might walk the path of discipleship without waisting our time thinking about who is more important. Instead, guide our thoughts and our emotions that we may be like your son who taught the world a new relationship with you, welcoming all with hospitality and love. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

God of understanding, through the Word read and proclaimed, and through your Word incarnate, Jesus Christ, you give us the direction we need and show us that there is nowhere else to go but to you with our joys and concerns. We pray for our world that too often follows the advice of wickedness that leads to war, to violence, to conflict between ethnicities, to fear.

We pray for the women in this world who, as payment for their devotion and love as capable wives, daughters, sisters, girl-friends, mothers, receive rejection, abuse, heartbreak and hate.

We pray for relationships that are brokenly conflicts and dispute, by murder and deceit, and that cannot find a way back to restoration and healing.

We pray for our children who have been called the first in God’s heart and kindom but are not welcomed, loved or spoken to.

We believe in you, God of justice and mercy, and we ask, trusting in your power, to heal wounded hearts, to restore the brokenness of the world, and to lead us to everlasting peace. Amen.

Your Word is our wisdom; it gives us insight, strength, and courage. Open our hearts and our minds this day, that we might receive what you want to give. Speak, Lord! Your People listen! Amen.

James 3:13-4:8 ¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. ¹⁵Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. ¹⁶For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. ¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. ¹⁸And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. ¹Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? ²You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. ⁴Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, “God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? ⁶But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- minded.

Give yourself a moment right now and each day in the coming week to sit quietly with your eyes closed. Visualize Jesus kneeling down, opening his arms, and bringing you closer to his heart. Let yourself be a child who is welcomed. What do you notice?

We have been made capable of being good stewards of what God has given us. Let us, with gratitude in our hearts, give from what has been given to us, by grace. Amen.

Dave Albulario, tenor John Fluker, pianist

O Great Gardener, We are like trees planted by streams of water that yield their fruit in season and prosper in you. We are grateful for all that you have provided, and we dedicate our first fruits to you and to the work of your church, now and forever. Amen.

May God who watches over all, give you the gifts needed to be a disciple. May Jesus the Christ, who welcomes everyone, give you the loving heart of a child so that you can welcome others unconditionally. May the Holy Spirit, who gives us the understanding we need to love God and to love others, give us unselfish and generous hearts, to heal relationships and to live in peace. Amen.