Sunday, January 12, 2020

Worship Prayers January 5

CENTERING PRAYER* *J. Birch, faithandworship.com

May this eternal truth be always on our hearts, that the God who breathed this world into being, placed stars into the heavens and designed a butterfly's wing, is the God who entrusted his son to the care of ordinary people, became vulnerable that we might know how strong is the wonder of Love. A mystery so deep it is impossible to grasp. A mystery so beautiful it is impossible to ignore.

CALL TO WORSHIP*

God of light and God of night, Creator of seed and mountain, raindrop and fountain,
We bring our offering of praise.
God of right and God of might, lover of child and childless, rich and homeless,
We bring our offering of praise.

Come. Let us worship our Creator together.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

God of all glory, you look from heaven and see us as we are—not worthy to kneel at your

feet, not ready to welcome your way. Forgive us, gracious God. In Christ, stoop down to

save us; loosen the ties that bind us to sin and set us free to love and serve you; in Jesus’

name. (Silent Confession)

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Scripture for January 12

Genesis 33:1-11 New International Version (NIV)

Jacob Meets Esau

33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2 He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.

Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”

6 Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down.7 Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.

8 Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”

“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said.

9 But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

10 “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. 11 Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted,Esau accepted it.

New International Version (NIV)

The reconciliation of Jacob and Esau by Peter Paul Rubens in Schleißheim State Gallery

Friday, January 10, 2020

Daily Prayers January 10

Missouri Botanical Garden

I appeal to you, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Daily Readings for Friday, January 10, 2020

Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven that he might rule over all things as Lord. Keep the church in the unity of the Spirit and in the bond of peace; bring all creation to worship at his feet, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Clothe us with the power promised from on high, and send us forth to the ends of the earth as heralds of repentance and witnesses of Jesus Christ, firstborn from the dead. Merciful God, strengthen us in prayer that we may lift up the brokenness of this world for your healing, and share in the saving love of Jesus Christ. We pray for those in positions of authority over others, the lonely and forgotten, children without families or homes, agents of caring and relief. (Add your prayers.) Amen.

May God in endless mercy bring the whole church, the living and departed, to a joyful resurrection in the fulfillment of the eternal kingdom.

(Opening sentences, prayers, and blessings are from the Book of Common Worship. Readings are from the daily lectionary in Daily Prayer. Both are published by Westminster/John Knox Press.)

Thursday, January 9, 2020

The Story, Chapter 1

Pastor Dave went live to talk about chapter one of The Story on Wednesday at noon. This is meant to be interactive, so please feel free to ask questions. We're planning on doing this every Wednesday at noon and hope you will join us as we journey through the Bible together. Please feel free to join in the conversation by posting your questions in the stream, on Facebook or in e-mail dburgess@discoverstmark.com

Click here if the video doesn't appear.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Go-Getters

The Go-getters meet at church during the winter months. They had a wonderful time at Christmas with a delicious lunch and warm fellowship. (see photos below)

They will be meeting again January 14 at 11:30 AM. Please notify J. Graves, S. Tharp or N. Sutch if you plan to attend.

Romans 12:13 New International Version (NIV)

13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Epiphany

"And look: The star, which they saw at its rising, preceded them until it came to the place where the child was and stood still above it. And, seeing the star, they were exultantly joyful. And, entering the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary and, falling down, made obeisance to him; and, opening their treasure caskets, they proffered him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh."

Matthew 2, 9-10. The New Testament, A Translation by David Bentley Hart

The season of anticipation turned to the celebration of the birth, and has now arrived at that moment of recognition, of understanding, of the significance of the light that has led us here. After our own long journeys through the preoccupation of the holidays, are we still exultantly joyful at seeing the star? Do we fall down in obeisance, or exhaustion? Do we have any gifts left for the child?

In my own life this has played out in many different ways, from the Magi, the Star, Herod, and the flight into Egypt conflated into the celebration and pageantry of the season (true confession, my 12-year-old portrayal of Balthazar in a living nativity was done in blackface, and I thought it was cool at the time) to a growing awareness of the complexity, and tragedy, of the story. Celestial manifestation, news of a new King brought by highly respected envoys, shocking the old King, fulfillment of prophecy, subterfuge, worship, divine warnings, flight, and slaughter of innocent children. I grew up the son of an Astronomer, and I've always loved his interpretation of the story. I'll include a link to his 1982 presentation of The Christmas Star below. Listening to it again this year I've been reminded that, like the seasons coming back to this point each year, the story returns in our lives as well if we look for it, and that we too can be exultantly joyful when we find it.

Prayer-

Dear God, help us shine with your love in our hearts for all the world to see and share. Amen.

Christmas Star Dr J W Northrip 1982 Click here if the video doesn't appear below.

Christmas Star Dr J W Northrip 1982

John Northrip

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Worship Prayers for Dec. 29

CENTERING PRAYER*

The Work of Christmas Begins

When the carols have been stilled,

When the star-topped tree is taken down,

When family and friends are gone home,

When we are back to our schedules

The work of Christmas begins:

To welcome the refugee,
To heal a broken planet,
To feed the hungry,
To build bridges of trust, not walls of fear,
To share our gifts,
To seek justice and peace for all people,
To bring Christ’s light to the world.

CALL TO WORSHIP

One: Creator God, Who burst the universe into life and is in every atom and every soul,

MANY: We rejoice that You are in our midst right now.

One: We break off from the frazzle and the dazzle of daily life to focus on You,

MANY: to re-calibrate our tired engines, to recover our lost perspective, and renew our sense of purpose.

One: We open our hearts to Your love, our minds to Your wisdom and our souls to Your presence.

MANY: Let us be fully present for You and wholehearted in our worship today.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION Adapted from Church of Scotland

God, our parent, You gave us life and You gave us the blueprint for how to live. Yet, despite the framework You made for us, we often turn away and, instead, fall back on our own exhausted resources. And so, we don’t lead the lives You would have us live. In our action and inaction, we are not the friends and neighbors that we should be. Yet You love us. You embrace us and our muddled humanity. You never abandon us. You offer us renewal, the promise of a fresh start, and the certainty of salvation. And so, today, we offer You our confession. We remember – and rejoice at – Your offer of redemption through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Silence for personal confession.

For the sermon of Pastor M.P., click here.

*by Michael Dougherty, a variation on Howard Thurman’s ‘When the Song of the Angels is Stilled’

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Scripture for January 5

Genesis 1:1-5 New International Version (NIV)

The Beginning

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

New International Version (NIV)

Friday, January 3, 2020

Daily Prayers January 3

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out

laborers into his harvest.

Daily Readings for Friday, January 3, 2020

O God, you are the well-spring of life. Pour into our hearts the living water of your grace that we may be refreshed to live this day in joy, confident of your presence and empowered by your peace. Protect your people, O God, and keep us safe until the coming of your new dawn and the establishment of your righteous rule. By your Holy Spirit, stir up within us a longing for the light of your new day, and guide us by the radiance of Jesus Christ your Son, our risen Lord. Almighty God, guide the nations of the world into ways of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Compassionate God, your Son gives rest to those weary with heavy burdens. Heal the sick in body, mind, and spirit. Lift up the depressed. Befriend those who grieve. Comfort the anxious. Fill all people with your Holy Spirit that they may bear each other's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Add your prayers.) Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, remain with you always.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Church-Wide Bible Study

Church-Wide Bible Study on THE STORY

COME FOR THE BIRTH, STAY FOR THE STORY.

Christmas might be the most wonderful time of the year, but if we only celebrate Christ’s birth, we are missing the rest of The Story. Need a New Year's Resolution? How about joining us in this unique Bible study.

St. Mark is kicking off an exciting new adventure in 2020 as we study The Story together. This book presents the Word of God in an engaging format, reading like a novel.

The unique program covers the Bible in 31 weeks of sermons and corresponding curriculum for children, teens, and adults.

Children (ages 3- 10) will experience The Story curriculum in Sunday School.

Youth (teens) begin their study on Wednesday, January 8.

There is a separate book for each age-range of participants in this Bible study.
Please contact the church office to reserve your copy of The Story for Adults, Teens, Children, and Little Ones.

Copies of the main book are available for purchase for $5- See Pastor Dave.

We look forward to walking through all of the Scriptures with you in the coming year.