What Remains

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.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

God of Wisdom, you work for vindication and justice for your creation, and you call us to work with you to fulfill that purpose. The God of Love hears our desire to serve and says, “I am here.”

We pray for the church and for all who work to bring justice to the oppressed.

We pray for peace with justice among nations, religions, and people.

We pray for those suffering in places torn by war and natural disasters.

We pray for those who are bent over by oppression, especially women, immigrants, natives, people of color, and our LGBTQIA siblings.

We pray for those living with long-term illness who are longing for relief.

God of healing love, through Jesus you have come to us and shown us the way of renewal and restoration. Empower us now that we may do your work in the world and bring your Kin-dom into hand. Amen.

Ever-present God, you walk with us as you have the generations before us. By your word give us wisdom, by your Spirit, grant us restoration, and set us free to serve you in love. We ask this in the name of the one who has shown us your way — Jesus the Christ. Amen.

¹⁰ Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” ¹³ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. ¹⁴ But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured and not on the Sabbath day.” ¹⁵ But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it to water? ¹⁶ And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” ¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame, and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things being done by him.

Jesus healing the woman who is bent over on the Sabbath reveals the deeper truth of the way of Jesus; the way of Jesus is not the way of the temple. The way of Jesus is not the way of the Law of the ten commandments. Jesus elsewhere sums up the commandments into two — Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Given that these are the commandments that remain — and that they shift the conversation from what we ought not to do to what we ought to do; What do you feel God is calling you to do now? How do you know it is God who is speaking?

Mindful of the generosity of God and the awareness that all we have has been given, let us respond with the offerings of our lives and labor. Amen.

Lord of the Sabbath, we rejoice in offering you these gifts, that our lives may show forth the wondrous healing of your love in the world. Amen.

May the love of God sustain you; May the peace of God protect you; May the hope of God enlighten you This day and forevermore. Amen.