Worship this week

After vacation in Florida, I am back to update things. Our worship this week will consider the final covenant of the Old Testament, the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31.31-33. Other Scripture includes John 12.20-27, where some Greek speaking people come to see Jesus and Jesus speaks of his suffering. The psalm is Psalm 51: Create in me a clean heart, O God. God's new covenant with us is a covenant of the heart, through Jesus Christ. Here is a prayer for the week:
Almighty God of mercy and grace, create in us a clean heart and prepare us for the new covenant in Jesus Christ our Lord, so that we may see his gospel and follow his ways. We give you all honor and glory, Almighty God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Second Week in Lent

Usually this spot is updated on Friday, but I was out of town last Friday, so it is late. We are now in the Second Week in Lent and our worship last Sunday concerned the covenant of Abraham, that, by the extension of faith, we are all to be a part of: walk before God and be blameless. It is here that God changes Abram's name to Abraham and self-identifies to us as God-Almighty, in Hebrew, El Shaddai. Read Genesis 17.1-7. The gospel for the week is from Mark 8.31-36, a passion prediction, notably known as where Peter rebukes Jesus, and gets his own name change--to Satan! Jesus then goes on to remind all his disciples that to be a disciple is to carry our cross and follow his way. For Christians, to walk blamelessly before God is to carry the cross and go the way of Christ.

A prayer for the week:

God Almighty, from generation to generation you have established your covenant with those who are to walk blamelessly in your sight. Renew the covenant with us today, through our faith in Jesus Christ, who calls us to take our cross and follow for the glory of your Kingdom. Through Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit: One God. Amen.

Worship for Sunday

The Sundays for the next few weeks are the Sundays in Lent. Sundays are in Lent and not of Lent, as other seasons because the tradition of the Church is that Sundays are always a little Easter, no matter when they occur. The 40 days of Lent have never included Sundays. Even in Lent, or especially in Lent, we remember we are people of the Resurrection.

The Old Testament readings for Lent this year focus on Covenants, and this week we look at the Covenant with Noah, in reality, God's covenant with all creation. Our Scripture includes Genesis 9.8-11; the Gospel is Mark 1.12-15, Mark's very brief account of the Temptation and the beginning of Jesus' public ministry; and Psalm 25.

Prayer for the day for the First Sunday in Lent:

Lord God, you have bound yourself to us and to all Creation by eternal covenant. Move us by the Spirit to remember your ways, to resist temptation, and to accept the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit: One God. Amen.

Worship for Sunday

I missed posting last week--at our Conference Ministers' Convocation in beautiful and snowy Lake Junaluska.

This Sunday marks the 6th Sunday after Epiphany. Our readings for this week include 1 Corinthians 9.24-27, where Paul uses the illustration of athletic competetion to discuss the discipline needed in the practice of the Christian faith; Mark 1.40-45, Jesus heals a leper and Psalm 30, to which Eric has attached a response, I Exalt Thee.

Here is a prayer for the day:

Almighty God, in our worship we exalt your name and your faithfulness. Grant that we may run the race of faith with self-control and discipline, in order to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit: One God. Amen.

Worship for Sunday

This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany. In our worship we will hear Paul's discussion with the Corinthian church about some of their eating practices in 1 Corinthians 8.1-6, and also we will remember that Jesus is our authority for eating, listening and everything else; see Mark 1.21-22. Do those things we do, therefore, glorify God and give witness to our acceptance of the Lordship of Christ, or do we pursue our own agendas?

A prayer for this week:

Almighty God, great are your works for you are gracious and merciful, even to providing us food. Grant us wise and thankful hearts for your power and greatness. Guide us by the Spirit to study the ways of him who is our ultimate and final authority: your Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit: One God. Amen.

Worship for Sunday

This week is the Third Sunday after Epiphany. Our scripture for the week includes Jonah 3.15-, 10: Jonah's second call by God to preach to Nineveh, and the Nenevites' response--and God's response to their repentance; Psalm 62; about trusting our God who is for us refuge and salvation; and Mark 1.14-20, the call Jesus issues to James, John, Peter and Andrew: 'follow me,' as he begins the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.

A Prayer for the Day:

Almighty God, to you belong power and steadfast love with you there is refuge and salvation. By the Spirit, help us to hear your call to share the message of Jesus Christ who calls us to follow the way of the Kingdom and proclaim the good news. Through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit: One God. Amen.

Church Web Site

We have a new webmaster and he is at work on our web site. Jeremy has done a great job in rearranging and planning out how the site will look. The link to the church site has been added to the list of links on the side, or, go to it here: http://www.colonialheightsumc.org/