This blog is a record of the call to worship, Scripture readings, and prayers from our Sunday liturgies. If you are interested in writing something for the liturgy, or if you have a concern about any aspect of our liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.
Call to Worship
we have gathered to worship
the Living God
with our words
our thoughts
our attention
in the hope that our words,
our thoughts, and our attention,
would be shaped to mirror
those of Jesus
by the Spirit who dwells among us
who is making us a part
of God’s work in the world
Amen
Scripture
Exodus 19:2-8a
The Israelites had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”
So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
Romans 5:1-8:
Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person-- though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
Prayer
This week's Father's Day Prayer was adapted from a prayer on a blog called Ordinary Time, which I believe was adapted from a Father's Day mediation that was written by Kirk Loadman-Copeland
Holy God, whom we call Father, we give you thanks for the people who have been fathers to us, and we pray for all sorts and conditions of fathers.
For fathers who have striven to balance the demands of work, marriage, and children.
For fathers who, lacking a good model, have worked to become a good father.
For fathers who by their own account were not always there for their children, but who continue to offer those children, now grown, their love and support.
For fathers who have been wounded by the neglect and hostility of their children.
For fathers who, despite divorce, have remained in their children's lives.
For fathers who, as stepfathers, freely chose the obligation of fatherhood and earned their stepchildren's love and respect.
For fathers who have lost a child to death, and continue to hold the child in their heart.
For those who are about to become fathers for the first time.
For those men who have no children, but offer fatherhood to whomever might need it.
For those men who have "fathered" us in their role as mentors and guides.
And for those fathers who have died, but live on in our memory and in the communion of your Saints, whose love continues to nurture us.
For all of these, we give you thanks.
In the midst of the complexity of emotions that surround days like this, we ask that you would hold our joy and pain together and use us to care for one another.
We ask this of You who are both father and mother to us all, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.