Order, Words, & Voices
09.22.24, Family, Genesis 37:3-34
Order
Pre Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close
Lighting of Christ Candle/Participatory Prayer Rick
Songs Because He Lives (Amen) 7027887 Lynn/Linda/Pato
Graves Into Gardens #7119174
Passage/Prayer Genesis 37:3-34 Renee
Song Jesus Does 7205247 Lynn/Linda/Pato
Impact/Message All Tribes Church Geary/Impossible x2 Rick
Music Jesus Does 7205247 Lynn/Linda/Pato
Community Rick
Closing Peace Rick
Closing Music Cornerstone 6158927 Lynn/Linda/Pato
Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close
- Please record message on camera memory card.
- On the message Video Leave Room above Speaker’s head for the instagram post.
- Screen Share for entire message
- Beth, notice note on the Opening candle participatory prayer
Christ Candle/Participatory Prayer: (Slides) (Lynn playing/team standing)
Note – There is a separate slide for leader and response each time.
Leader: O God, we recognize that for many, including Christians, partisan identity has become more important than identity in Christ.
Response: Too often, the two are indistinguishable. Lord, let this not be true of us.
Leader: For those who identify themselves, or are identified by others, with a color, whether it be political or skin pigmentation, may they, may we, not put those affiliations above You, O God or confuse those identifiers with You, O God.
Response: May ours be voices of truth from within reminding all of Jesus’ words, ‘Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’.
Leader: Grant us wisdom and discernment, as you have promised to those who ask.
Response: We, and this world in which we live, are in desperate need of your guidance.
Leader: We pray for unity, a unity established through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Response: May we along with the churches throughout our city and world, choose to not be torn apart by political divisions or political idolatry.
Leader: May we be a people who, together, discern truth over deceit and commit to work out our faith in the realm of falsehoods and lies. May we be outraged at abuse and bold in the face of fear. May we choose to live like Jesus whose colors were compassion, mercy, and love.
Response: May our engagement with society be led by our faith, may our path be the path of goodness and righteousness.
Leader: Amen.
Response: Amen.
A Prayer for Civic Renewal, Borrowed from the 2024 Asian American Christian Collaborative (AACC)
Music (Slides) Lynn/Linda/Pato
Because He Lives (Amen) 7027887
Verse 1
I believe in the Son
I believe in the Risen One
I believe I overcome
By the power of His blood
Chorus
Amen amen
I’m alive I’m alive because He lives
Amen amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
(Because He lives)
Verse 2
I was dead in the grave
I was covered in sin and shame
I heard mercy call my name
He rolled the stone away
Bridge
Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives ev’ry fear is gone
I know He holds my life
My future in His hand
Ending
Because He lives
Graves Into Gardens #7119174
Verse 1
I searched the world but it couldn’t fill me
Man’s empty praise and treasures that fade
Are never enough
Then You came along and put me back together
And every desire is now satisfied here in Your love
Chorus
Oh there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You
Verse 2
I’m not afraid to show You my weakness
My failures and flaws
Lord You’ve seen them all
And You still call me friend
‘Cause the God of the mountain
Is the God of the valley
There’s not a place
Your mercy and grace won’t find me again
Bridge
You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You’re the only one who can
Bridge
You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can
Passage (Slides) Genesis 37:3-18 Renee
Seventeen year old Joseph was pasturing the flock with his brothers and, at the end of the day, Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.
Israel, Joseph’s dad, loved Joseph more than his other sons. He had even made Joseph a robe of many colors which he did not do for his other sons.
The brothers could not help but see their father’s blatant favoritism. Because of this, they hated Joseph and could not speak peacefully or kindly to Joseph.
Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers they were even more outraged. He said, “I have dreamed that we all were binding sheaves in the field, and suddenly my sheaf arose and stood upright. And your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”
The brothers said, “Are you going to reign over us? Are you going to rule over us?” This just made them hate Joseph even more.
Then, Joseph dreamed another dream and, again, he told his brothers saying, “I have dreamed another dream. This time, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
When Joseph told the dream to his father and brothers, Israel rebuked him and said, “Am I, your mother, and even your brothers going to bow ourselves down to the ground before you?” This angered the brothers, but his father kept what Joseph said in mind and did not forget it.
Later, when Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem, Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the flock at Shechem I will send you to them to check on them and you will send me word.”
Joseph said to his father, “Here I am, I’ll’’ go.”
Joseph went from Hebron to Shechem. As he wandered the fields looking a man told him, “They have gone to Dothan.’” So he headed towards Dothan.
When the brothers saw Joseph coming, they conspired to kill him.
Join me in the prayer of Jesus,
Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses, while 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
Music (Slides) Lynn /Linda/Pato
Jesus Does 7205247
Verse 1
Who tells the sun to rise every morning
Colors the sky with the shades of His glory
Wakes us with mercy and love
Jesus does
Verse 2
Who holds the orphan comforts the widow
Cries for injustice feels every sorrow
Carries the pain of His children
Jesus does
Chorus
So we sing
Praise to the Father who gave us the Son
Praise to the Spirit who’s living in us
When I was a sinner He saved me from who I was
(‘Cause) that’s what Jesus does
Verse 3
Who understands the heart of the sinner
Showers His grace over all our mistakes
Washes us clean with His blood
Jesus does
Verse 4
Who sings the song of sweet forgiveness
Who stole the keys to hell and the grave
Who has the power to save
Jesus does
Bridge
Oh what a Friend
Oh what a Savior
He’s always been good
He’s always been faithful
He came to my rescue
When I needed Him most
And saved my soul
Impact Celebration/Prayer Rick (Slides)
[Slide] Neal Foster and Peace Catalyst
[Slide] PC mission is to equip and mobilize Christians for collaborative peacebuilding across lines of difference. Equipping Christians to be peacebuilders in their everyday relational and social contexts, inviting them to connect across lines of difference . As these relationships grow, we identify common goals in collaborative opportunities to meet fundamental needs, heal wounds, build trust, and work together to create and sustain safe, just, and vibrant societies.
Peace Catalyst is not a political organization, in fact they seek to do the work of peace among all peoples regardless of view point. Their mutual belief is Jesus’ peace ministry. Peace Catalyst is committed to the Church and its peacebuilding vocation to mobilize Christians to form transformative and collaborative relationships which act as catalysts for positive change in our communities and our world.
[Slide] Prayer – The Gaza Call – An Open Letter to Christian Leaders, Churches, and Theologians in the West. Link for you to read the call is found on the first page of our Web Page – Click on ‘The Gaza Call’ go to ‘gfnorman.com’
Message Rick (Slides)
[Title Slide]
Fiddler on the Roof, primary character Tevye attempts to reconcile the change that is going on in his world while still holding to the past.
‘Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset. Is this the little girl I carried? Is this the little boy at play? I don’t remember growing older, when did they?
When did she get to be a beauty? When did he grow to be so tall? Wasn’t it yesterday that they were small? One season following another laden with happiness and tears. One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears. Sheldon Harnick/Lewis Bock Jerrold
Changing times, letting go of traditions, moments when life does not make sense, losing loved ones, releasing pain, memories fading into the distant past.
Hannah, family ancestry. While at the same time new traditions form, new seasons of life arise and absorb our lives, sometimes undetected til we look at old pictures, remember passed loved ones, discover loved ones we never knew.
All the while, every season bears heavy on our present lives, sometimes for good and sometimes bad. Sometimes each season is an essential element to that season and sometimes it is an essential element of who we have become and who we are to be.
And, sometimes, maybe all the time, we better understand the present when we do recognize those times, places, people, events, and even feelings of the past. This is especially true as we look back through the big picture seasons of the, again, big picture relationship of God and Humans. And then attempt to recognize those same moment in our small picture lifes. I think the apostle Paul was in a memory moment himself when he wrote to the believers in Rome, reminding himself as well as this diverse .
‘By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of Jesus. We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand — out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. We continue to praise even when we’re overwhelmed by troubles, because we know how troubles develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. Knowing that we’re never left feeling shortchanged. The truth is, we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives! Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to get ourselves ready. Even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. God put his love on the line for us by giving his son while we were of no use whatever to him. Now that we are set right with God, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing relationship with God. Romans 5:1-11, MSG
As the apostle Paul speaking to the believers in Rome, a faith community who have a diverse faith background that often has a difficult time navigating the diversity of each person’s past moments. This alongside the current moment where all their moments have come into the same moment.
I think to better understand we need to start by defining those key moments in our own bill picture faith. Five key moments in the history of our faith. A very general look and a very simple assessment of these seasons of our faith.
- Creation, UnContested Obedience, Man Hand in Hand with God
- Desert, Exit from the Garden, Knowledge of Good and Evil without Understanding of Good and Evil. Chaos in the Desert, Everyone lives for Self, No Awareness of the Needs of Others, No Love only Self
- The Law, Gift of Understanding of How to Live/Relate/Worship/Die
- Navigating Knowing and Understanding, Putting ‘Knowing’ into Practice
- The Cross and Empty Tomb, Life/Death, Life Full, Eternity
Desert Season of Faith
- No Law
- Chaos, anything goes mentality
- People ‘officially’ on their own, they had walked away from God. Yet, unofficially we still see God, and to see God recognized.
- Cain is sent away for the first murder, complains that the punishment is too great for the crime, God gives him protection
- God is recognized as being Eve’s helper in conception and in birth
- God gives creation a second chance after evil that brings about flood, Noah’s family and animals provided protection.
- Following flood, God proclaims, “I’ll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I’ll never again kill off everything living as I’ve just done. For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, Summer and winter, day and night will never stop.”
- God protected people from themselves at Babble
- God gives a nonbeliever, a promise, using him to be blessing to all the families of the earth.
- Forgives and grows Abraham in his huge mistakes, notices Sarah and makes promise to her.
- Begins the wave of his promise. Battles victories. Hope…in dessert, in chaos..
- To Abraham and Sarah – Child, Grand child, Grand children…
- Many other stories of God’s presence prior to the Law.
Joseph. Living before the law, but knew right from wrong in a usable way.
- Joseph, somehow, someway, navigated the desert time in different way than anyone else.
- Annoying and Entitled child, young person, Arrogant Dreamer, Chaos
- Painful Time of Education and Awareness, Landed in Pit Young Adulthood
- Adulthood, put Eduction into practice, lived out of Conviction
- Purpose, Forgiveness, Practice, Hero
- Life, Family, Peace
Joseph’s Seasons of Physical, Emotional, Intellectional, Social, Life as we All Experience. – God was knowingly present
Joseph managed to not consider himself as being in the desert time but somehow live in the promise – even though he was before the time of the law
Fluff. Hard Times. Be Fluffy. LOVE
God delights in us. God cheers for us. God loves us. God desires that we thrive, that we grow into, that we succeed, that we truly live.
Fluff. God desires us to grow up. God cheers as we navigate each seasons, God, God delights when we succeed, God has a tear of Joy in his eye when we fall down and then pick our self up, God excitedly tracks us when we take an inspired and scary risk no matter how small it may be. God is our greatest fan and walks with us so he can help us see the joy of where we have landed.
‘I like you as you are. I think you turned out nicely.’ – Mr. Rogers
“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind. Luke 6:35-36
Music (Slides) Lynn /Linda/Pato
Jesus Does 7205247
Verse 1
Who tells the sun to rise every morning
Colors the sky with the shades of His glory
Wakes us with mercy and love
Jesus does
Verse 2
Who holds the orphan comforts the widow
Cries for injustice feels every sorrow
Carries the pain of His children
Jesus does
Chorus
So we sing
Praise to the Father who gave us the Son
Praise to the Spirit who’s living in us
When I was a sinner He saved me from who I was
(‘Cause) that’s what Jesus does
Community (Slides) Rick
- Fall-Advent Sermon Series, ‘My Eyes Have Seen”, – Next Sunday- 09.29.24, Pass-Over, Exodus 12:1-13, 13:1-8
- CC Crop Walk, Sunday, October 20, 2:00pm, Ruby Grant Park (register for team Grace Fellowship on Web page)
- Instagram, GF link on website (follow @gracefellowshipnorman)
Closing Peace (Slides) Rick
Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.
Response: And also with you.
Closing Music Lynn/Linda/Pato
Cornerstone CCLI Song # 6158927
Verse 1
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name
Chorus
Christ alone cornerstone
Weak made strong in the Saviour’s love
Through the storm He is Lord
Lord of all
Verse 2
When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
My anchor holds within the veil
Chorus
Christ alone cornerstone
Weak made strong in the Saviour’s love
Through the storm He is Lord
Lord of al
Order, Words, & Voices 