PAUSE FOR REFLECTION
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
— Frederick Buehner
CALL TO WORSHIP Don Mclean, Vincent (Starry Starry Night)
Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer’s day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colours on the snowy linen land
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free
They did not listen, They did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now
OPENING HYMN “For the Beauty of the Earth”
HEBREW READING Isaiah 40: 25-26
To whom then will you compare me,
Whom shall I be like? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?
God who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of God’s great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
CHRISTIAN READING Matthew 25:1-13
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
THEME MUSIC VIDEO Don Mclean, Vincent (Starry Starry Night)
SERMON
“Where Gladness and Hunger Meet“
Rev. Don Ludwig
To read the sermon text, click here.
GUIDED MEDITATION AND PASTORAL PRAYER
Karuna (compassion) meditation mantra
May I find release
May I find peace
May I be at ease
May you find release
May you find peace
May you be at ease
May you (in the global sense) find release
May you find peace
May you be at ease
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Starhawk, Dreaming the Dark
Community,
Somewhere, there are people
To whom we can speak with passion
Without having the words catch in our throats.
Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us,
Eyes will light up as we enter, voices will celebrate with us
Whenever we come into our own power.
Community means strength that joins our strength
To do the work that needs to be done.
Arms to hold us when we falter.
A circle of healing. A circle of friends.
Someplace where
We can be free. A-men.
RESPONSIVE HYMN “It is Well with my Soul”
MINUTE FOR MISSION, OFFERING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
As we reflect on all of our blessings, individually and as a community, may we consider how we may give of ourselves so that the work of Christ’s love and peace may continue throughout our world.
(Please contact staff@southmin.org, to discover simple ways you may give electronically or via mail. Thank you for supporting the staff and on-going ministries of Southminster Presbyterian Church).
DOXOLOGY
Through all our living, we our fruits must give.
Good works of service are for offering.
When we are giving, or when receiving,
We belong to God.
We belong to God.
We belong to God.
We belong to God.
FINAL BLESSING & BENEDICTION John Lewis
“Walk with the wind, brothers and sisters,
and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.” A-men.
