When you cannot attend in person worship, you may find inspiration to worship at home.
Worship at Home for Sunday, October 3, 2021
Dear Friends,
This Sunday is World Communion Sunday when we celebrate the sacrament of communion with Christians around the world. If you are following along at home, you may wish to celebrate communion with bread from another country.
If you need anything, please call me at the church office (437-2779) or my cellphone (573-832-2475). Please note that the church website is moving to a new server and is not fully functioning.
Announcements:
- The Dorcas meet tomorrow at 7pm.
- Bell Choir Practice on Wednesday at 4:15pm and Choir Practice on Wednesday at 6:30
- Proof the directory
- The CROP Walk will be on Sunday, October 10 at 2pm in Buschmann Park. I plan on blessing any pets that attend the CROP walk, so bring your pets to the walk!
Prayers and Blessings,
Pastor Stephanie DeLong
Scripture Lessons: Job 1:1, 2:1-10, Psalm 26, Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12, Mark 10:2-16
From our Global Ministries Partner Church in Armenia
Sermon: Job Man of Integrity
The book of Job begins like a fable, “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Jog. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil”. These words tell us that Job is a man of integrity. Job is also a wealthy man and was the greatest man among all the people of the East. (Job 1:2)
Job cared greatly for his three daughters and seven sons who often held feasts. So concerned is he about his sons and daughters that after they finished feasting together, he would send them off to be purified. Early every morning, Job would sacrifice a burnt offering on behalf of his children just in case they had sinned and cursed God in their hearts. “This was Job’s regular custom.” (Job 1:5)
Job was an incredibly careful person who did everything right! But in a little while his world is about to fall apart. When Job did everything in a manner that pleased God, he had everything a man could want. So why did things fall apart? It is easy to say that he must have done something wrong, but he didn’t.
It is human nature to believe that if we are good then nothing bad should happen to us. And then it does. It is human nature to suppose that people who experience difficult times have brought it upon themselves. So, we blame the victim. It is human nature to seek to assign blame when something bad happens. But what if there is no one to blame?
I think that we like to believe that if we are good are lives will be good, because we like to build up a false sense of security for ourselves. If someone has a health issue, they must not have taken care of themselves. Maybe, maybe not. If someone has financial troubles, they must not be good at managing money. Maybe, maybe not. The truth is sometimes bad things just happen. How a person with integrity manages disasters in his life, is the story of Job.
So just what happened to Job? Due to some heavenly debate between God and the Accuser (Satan) Job is being put to a test. Job is about to lose much of what is important to him. This is how the troubles begin, while Job’s sons and daughters are having a feast in the eldest son’s tent, the following happens:
- Sabeans attack as Job’s servants are plowing the fields. The donkeys are taken away. All the servants are killed except the one who makes the report.
- Lightning strikes and burns up the sheep and kills all the servants except the one who makes the report.
- Chaldean raiding parties steal all the camels and kill all the servants except the one who makes the report.
- A tornado strikes the tent where all the sons and daughters are feasting and kills everyone except the one who makes the report.
Job has lost his wealth, his crops, his sons and his daughters. Job grieved but does not blame God. Then Job loses his health.
Job’s wife who has also lost everything joins Job as he sits on the ash heap scratching his sores with a piece of broken pottery. They sound like a typical bickering couple as they mourn. She encourages Job to just curse God and get it over with. Job tells her to stop speaking foolishly. ‘’We take the good days from God—why not also the bad days?” (Job 2:10, The Message) Job maintains his integrity amid his loss.
We all have experienced loss in our lives. Loss of wealth, loss of livelihood, loss of loved ones and loss of health. Loss is painful. Sometimes, all we can do is sit on the metaphorical ash heap and scrape our sores. We might find ourselves bickering with our spouses. All of this is very much a part of being human.
Sometimes no matter how hard we try, how much we prepare or how much we care, life has other ideas. Tornadoes may hit our communities. We may find ourselves facing a difficult diagnosis. Sometimes our children die. It is easy to pass judgement on another’s suffering and pain. It is easy to give up when the pain is our own. The book of Job takes us on a journey through the suffering of another so that we might gain insight on dealing with suffering in our own lives.
On this World Communion Sunday, take a moment to reflect on suffering individually and globally. The pandemic has become a time of shared global suffering. When we take communion today, remember how we are not alone in our pain and fear. People everywhere have lost people they have held dear. As we participate the Sacrament of Communion today, mediate on all the Christians around the world sharing together in the sacrament which Jesus gave to us on the night of his betrayal and desertion. Jesus understands our pain. Other Christians understand out pain. We are in this together.
Prayer: God of who gives us so much help us to give thanks to you when what we thought of as ours is gone. May we be like Job and worship you in good times and in bad. May we be patient and loving with others who are experiencing trouble in their lives. May we welcome children and others who are considered powerless. May we rejoice with the Christians around the world in the sharing of communion this day. Amen.
From Global Ministries
Prayer list:
Ahna, Grandpa David, Virginia, Vic, Liz’s sister in law, Butch, Anonymous Cancer Patient, Linda, Pat, Laurie Lee, Gail, Brenda, Jeff, Bev, Mark, Dave, Peggy E., Shawn, Lindsey, Sue, Diann, Danna, Janet, Lisa, Joyce, Cheyenne, Katelyn, Michelle, Mary, Tricia, Don, Bob, Paul, Lilian, Corey, Uncle A. J., Grace, Dan, Marcie and Peggy concerning their guide dogs, Andrea, Jerry G., all who grieve, all who struggle with mental health issues and their families, Paul, fires in the western United States, Wendell and Betty, Kelly and Dale, Gavin, Bertha, Shirley, Mary, Rochelle, Jerry and all who have Covid, Haiti, Afghanistan, Jim, Sue, Bev and Elizabeth.
Prayers for the family of Gladys Garver who passed away on September 30, 2021. Her celebration of life will be held at Gottenstroeter Funeral Home at 1pm on Sunday.
