This Sunday’s Worship: November 15
(Sunday, November 15 At 11 AM, Live-Streamed On Zoom)
Scripture:
Selections from Job Chapter 38 and 42; Mark 8:34-38
Hymns:
Gather Us In
Take up Your Cross, the Savior Said
We Give Thee but Thine Own
Take My Life
Service Preview (Online):
Sermon Title: “The Art of Losing Graciously” by Rev. James Reisner
“A rich self has a distinct attitude toward the past, the present, and the future. It surveys the past with gratitude for what it has received, not with annoyance about what it hasn’t achieved or about how little it has been given. A rich self, lives in the present with contentment. It still strives, but it strives out of satisfied fullness, not out of the emptiness of craving. A rich self looks toward the future with trust. It gives rather than holding back in fear of coming out too short, because it believes God’s promise that God will take care of it. ... A rich self gives, because its life is “hidden with Christ” in the infinite, unassailable, and utterly generous God, the Lord of the present, the past, and the future.”
Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge:
Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace
I’m sure we can all think of a time in our lives when we have observed a poor loser. It isn’t a pretty sight.
The Bible is filled with people who contend with God. Jacob wrestles with an angel in the night. Job argues against his harsh circumstances and asserts his righteousness before God. The Psalmist often laments her condition and pleads to God for redress of her complaints.
In the Bible, and in our faith, it is appropriate to contend with God. We are allowed our complaints, and God counts them as prayers. Yet, the end and aim of all our wrestling with God is to lose.
Jesus said, “those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.” In the process of losing to God, we lose our fears and hatreds, our resentments and anger, our dread and our defeat, we lose our past wounds and the scars left by them. What we gain is life itself. As St. Francis prayed, “it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.”
Next Sunday, November 22nd will be a celebration of the completion of our annual stewardship drive and our Capital Campaign: “Rebuild, Renew, Rejoice!” As part of celebration, we will have our traditional Just Thanks luncheon after church. After worship we will gather in small groups on Zoom as we would gather down stairs for a Just Thanks meal. We hope the moment will allow people to greet and converse with one another in a way that social-distancing has prohibited. We commend that we all bring a meal and share as if we were sitting around tables in the Assembly Room on any other Sunday before Thanksgiving.
About Online Worship
We will gather by ZOOM (feed available starting about 10:45 AM). At the moment, Pastor Reisner and a few others broadcast from the church sanctuary while worshipers will be invited to sign on ZOOM.
Directions on how to connect and participate in virtual worship will be sent via a group.io e-mail. If you are unfamiliar with ZOOM we recommend you read up a little before the service. We will set an informal and experimental mood, ask forgiveness as we stumble along our way in a new medium. It will be fun.
We will set an informal and experimental mood, ask forgiveness as we stumble along our way in a new medium. It will be fun.
For more information on TPPC's coronavirus response, access the TPCC Coronavirus Update page.
