Please Who?

Are we trying to please people or God?

Are we reaching out to the oppressed of our society? Or are we just trying to fill the seats?

Will we really learn to be faithful to what Jesus taught?

If we are the salt of the world, are we making sure our salt is spread worldwide?

Are we real in our lives?

Have we become authentic humans?

Do we just talk about God or are we willing to be with God?

Do we see Jesus as the “bridge” between people?

Will we build bridges or walls?

Do we welcome others or ignore them?

Do we bridge the chasms?

Treasure?

Where is our treasure?

Is it in things or in others?

Can we see God in the others around us?

Do we see the people who need help? Or are we blind to them all?

Will we be different and turn and serve the outsider who is ignored by all other people?

Are We?

Are we trying to please people or God?

Are we reaching out to the oppressed of our society? Or are we just trying to fill the seats?

Will we really learn to be faithful to what Jesus taught?

If we are the salt of the world, are we making sure our salt is spread worldwide?

When?

When was Jesus born into our world, really? So many accommodations have been made to convert people to Christianity that the real date has been lost. But what does it matter? It’s the spirit, the joy that matters and remembering To treat others with respect.

What is our real world? Are we looking at the world the way God does? Do we see what God does? Are we in the real world?

Love - A Defination

So many forms

Of love.

So many ways

To care

To love friends

And care what happens

To them.

To love someone

You have never seen

And to care

That they have a chance

For a better life.

To love family

And to pray for them

Each and every day.

To love husband or wife

And to seek the best

For him or her.

To love the world

And to try to leave it

Beautiful

For others to see

And wonder at.

To love God

Ever and always

And to seek

To have Him always

Nearby.

Love

My child, I have a word

For you;

Love.

Love all you see

As best you can,

And perhaps

A little more.

Let not others

Make you hate,

For hatred can maim

Or kill.

Give them love

And if you cannot,

Pray to God for help

That you might stronger be

And love

Might from you pour.

How Mighty

How mighty are your works, oh man!

Mighty are the works of your hands;

But besides the works of God,

They are nothing at all.

For the works of God,

The creations of His hands

Are the stars, the planets,

And everything that lives.

Even you, oh man,

Is created by God above.

How mighty are your works, oh man,

But mightier still the works of God!

Written 1964

Go to God

When depression hits you,

Go to God in prayer

And let that love

That is always there

Wash over you.

Don't delay,

Go right way,

For always in God

There is love enough

To help you live

And for all others

To have and know

They are all loved.

Why Is This Happening?

I do not have the words to say how much the events around this world of ours bother me.  There are too many wars out there, brought on because of differences.  There are too many homeless and too many without food to eat and money for needed medications.   And terrorism reigns, killing people who have not hurt anyone.  Why the lack of caring, why the hatred in so many cases, why are we turning away from so many people with needs?  Why??

Earth quakes!   Earthquakes all over!!  Dear God, the shattered lives!  Please help those affected by these earthquakes rebuild their lives to better lives than what they are now.  Be with those in Japan and Ecuador and help them know they are being thought of and cared for.  And be  with alll the people of the world, keeping them safe.  AMEN

God is Working Service of worship

Call to worship:

From sandy deserts

To the snow-capped mountains,

God is working - yet.

From the rolling plains

To the prairies:

God is working – yet.

Call to prayer:

There is beauty

All around us

That we do not see.

But God is working yet

Creating life all around us.

Prayer:

Loving God,

Forgive us

When we do not see

The beauty all around us.

Forgive us

When we destroy

Instead of preserving.

Forgive us

When we do not realize

That you are creating yet

Each and every day

God is near,

Forgiving us all

And loving us yet.

In all things

Can God’s hand be seen.

The world that we see

Is beautiful

And shows that

In all places

God is working – yet.

Charge:

Go out into the world

And look around you

To really see the beauty

And find where

God is working – now.

Benediction:

God’s peace and love

Be with you always

And remember:

God is working – always.

God Is Working

See the rugged,

Snow- capped mountains

Reaching for the sky.

See the deep, green valleys

Laying far beneath

See the rolling plains and prairies

Stretching onward mile by mile

See all the signs and know;

God is working – here.

See the trees growing upward

See the green grass beneath.

See the glowing flowers

With all the colors

Of the rainbow.

Look all around you now

And know that again:

God is working – here.

See the small streams

And the wide rivers

Flowing onward to the sea.

See the wider sea

And the restless waves

Beating on the shoreline.

See all this and remember:

God is working – here.

See the people gather,

Young and old, short and tall.

See them in all colors

And all persuasions

Mixing freely all around.

See all of this

And always remember:

God is working – here.

Feel the wind a blowing

Wherever it will

See the rain coming down

Always upon one and all.

See the bright sun shine

Every day, even through the clouds.

Look around you day by day

And know that always and ever:

God is working – here.

A Promise

There is a promise in the wind

And it will come true

For I have all eternity

To see it through.

There is a promise

Written on the sky,

A promise of a better life

For you, for me, for everyone.

The promises in the wind, on the sky,

Says that there is a place

For everyone to fill

And no one else

Can take that place.

A life to live,

And love to have,

This is the promise

That is written on the sky

And blows in on the wind.

God is There

Psalm 23
God is with me,
There to protect
And to show me
Which way to go.
In good times
Or in the bad,
God is there
And will not
Leave me alone.

Isaiah 56:1-8
God is there for me
And for all people
From all nations
Who come together
In love and fellowship,
Loving one another.
Many are called
From other places
To be here
Where God is,
Where love is.

Matt 28:18-20
As God is there for us,
We are called
To go out to the world
And tell all people
Of the love of God
Shown us in Jesus.

Acts 2:1-4
And God's Spirit
Descends on me,
Leading me to go
And tell the world
Of the love
That is there for them.

Acts 10:9-15
The message
That I was given
Is this:
God's Love
Is for all people
And no one
Will be turned away.
All people are loved
And all are God's!

Light of God

Psalm 4:6-8

The Light of God

Is with us now.

No longer do we

Need to dwell

In the darkness,

For God is there

And where God is

Is light and joy,

And always

We can dwell

In peace and safety.

Isaiah 60:19-20

Because God is near,

There will come a time

When we will have

No need of sun or moon,

For our God

Will be our light

And glory forever

And joy and love

Will be ours.

Matt 5:14-16

The light of God

Is in us all.

Let your light shine,

Showing all the world

Who our God is,

And how much

We are loved.

Eph 5:8-10

As we once

Lived in darkness,

We now live

As Children of the Light.

Let that light shine

So that no one

Can deny that God

Is always with us.

Light

Psalm 27:1

The light of God

Is always with me,

Therefore I don’t need

To be afraid of anything,

For God is my strength

And my light.

Isaiah 60:1-3

Stand up and see,

The light of God

Is come to you.

Let it shine

Through the darkness

And all people

Will come to it.

Matt 1:4-9

And the light

Has come to us

To break up

The darkness,

And all people

Can come

To dwell in that light.

I John 1:5-7

God is our light.

If we dwell with God,

There is no darkness

Anywhere near us.

If we walk

In the light,

Jesus is with us,

For He is the light,

There for all

Who would walk

With Him.

God is Near

Psalm 139 :1 -6

Oh my God,

You are always near.

You know completely.

Who I am,

And always

Dwell with me.

I do not understand

Such a love

As that.

Psalm139:7 -10

There is nowhere

That I can go

That you are not

With me.

You are always near

To show me

Which way to go

And you will never

Let me go on alone.

Psalm 139:11-16

Even the darkest

Of the nights

Cannot hide me

From you.

And it is you

Who created me,

And made me

Who I am today.

Psalm139:17-18

Awake or asleep ,

You, oh God,

Are with me.

I cannot comprehend

Such a love as that

And what the number

Of your ideas are.

Matt 22:37-40

And I come to this,

Loving you with all

That I am.

And because you

Made all that its,

Loving my neighbors

As I love myself.

And in this ,

I fulfill

All your laws ,

And you will

Stay always near me.

I Sing!

Psalm 23
God is always with me
In good times and bad,
And when trouble tmreatens
To overwhelm me,
I turn around
And find that God is there.
Always, I am safe
And always loved.

Psalm 33:1-3
I sing for joy
Of God, my creator!
My voice is raised
In melody
To tell all the world
Of my God,
Who loves me
And all people!

In the Dark

In the dark of the night

I begin to feel

That no one cares.

There is no answer

To my pleas,

And it seems

No one to hold

My hand.

I am ignored

When I call for help

Or reach out

To try to help others.

Is there any person here

Who will care for me?

It seems sometimes

Only God is there!

In the dark of the night,

I find myself wondering.

In the light of day,

I remember

That there are always

Folks who care.

A Special Love

Friends may come and friends may go

Sometimes friends we hardly know.

Sometimes friends will help us grow

Or they just take what they want and then they go.

Special loves are found in reaching out in honesty

In caring how you feel inside, knowing things you try to hide.

Little things that can’t be bought or sold,

More valuable than gems or gold,

Some special little part of me that no one in the world will see.

CHORUS: So lean on me and I’ll lean on you

In times when you don’t want to walk alone

Share with me and I’ll share with you

Until the time when God will take us home.

There are things that no one else will see

Things that matter just to you and me.

Precious feelings knowing someone cares.

I look at you and wonder what I see

And wonder what it is you see in me.

Someday the world will hear our songs;

They’ll know we shared the rights and wrongs.

CHORUS:

Added:

This verse is by me for all my friends. Thanks to Jerry Browning for permitting me to use his song. Note: may not fit with his music.

And special friends like you

Are far more valuable than the finest gold,

And are to be kept close at hand.

So come and walk the world with me

And tell me all of your deepest cares,

As I tell you of mine.

And when we are parted in this world,

I will look for you on that farther shore,

Knowing God’s love will take you there.  

Rejoice

Psalms 34:1-3

Rejoice and praise God

At all times;

Let all those who were

Pushed aside

Come together, rejoice

And extol the name

Of God!

Rejoice!

Isaiah 35: 1-2

The land itself

Will rejoice,

Burst into blooms,

And sing for joy

When God’s glory

Comes to be seen.

Come, let us all

Join the song of praise

And rejoice!

Luke 15:6

Rejoice,

For what was lost

Has been found!

Come, sing and dance

And rejoice with me!

Philippians 4:4

Come, rejoice!

Sing and dance

And rejoice,

For God is always

Near us all!

Rejoice!

Serve God

Joshua 24:14-15

I will be faithful

And go where

God leads me.

There will be

No other gods

Around me,

For God has been

Always with me.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

God will be with me

And has written

A new covenant

With me.

It is always there

Within my soul

So that I will never

Forget that God

Is there, within.

Amos 5:14-15

And God will be

Always with me

If I seek the good

For all people.

I have been commanded

To seek

The best justice

And to turn away

From all evil.

Mark 8:34-38

Come and serve God

With your whole life

And do not hold

Anything back.

Give everything,

Your whole life

And do not turn away.

Luke 1:46-55

I am the servant

Of a loving God,

Who has chosen me

To be a messenger.

And I lift my voice

In song in praise

To my God,

Who loves

All creation.

Luke 4:16-19

I am in service

To God

Who has told me

To tell the good news

To all people.

And this is

The good news –

God is there

For all people.

I Corinthians 12:12-26

As a servant of God,

We are all a part

Of the body of Christ,

And I cannot do

Without any of the others

Who do the work.

We are called to learn

To work together.

II Corinthians 5:16-21

And as we serve God,

We are called

To lead all people

Onward to Christ

So that all

Might know God

And the love

That is there

For everyone.

Ephesians 2:8-10

The gift of God’s love

Is ours to have,

And we dare not

Brag about this

For God’s love

Is there for all people.

Colossians 1:15-20

As we serve

This God of love,

We find that

Jesus has been here

To give love

To all people.