PAUSE FOR REFLECTION
“Now to God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to God’s power that is at work within us….”
― Ephesians 3:20
CALL TO WORSHIP | W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk
The prayer of our souls is a petition for persistence;
not for the one good deed, or single thought,
but deed on deed, and thought on thought,
until day calling unto day shall make a life worth living.
OPENING HYMN | Love Divine All Loves Excelling
“All In” HYMN
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
CHRISTIAN READING | Matthew 13:31-33; 17:20-21
Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?””Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
THEME MUSIC | Detroit Youth Choir ‘Glory’ – featuring IndigoYaj
SERMON
“Living By Faith”
By Rev. Don Ludwig
Click here to read Pastor Don’s Sermon.
Sharing the Peace
- Looking back on your life, is there a time that you would describe as a “tipping point”?
- In what area of life, do you need the faith of a mustard seed?
- Do you have faith for a brighter future in America? Why or why not?
GUIDED MEDITATION & PRAYER
CORPORATE PRAYER
Good and gracious God, It is easy to get so caught up in the business and troubles of our own lives, that we forget we are called to be transformers for justice in this world. There is so much pain, so much loneliness, so much sickness, so much loss, so much injustice in this world that it can sometimes seem like “just the way things are.” Let us never forget that Creation contains the possibility of heaven on earth, a fellowship of humanity. May we not only confront injustices but comfort those who suffer, today and always. Amen.
