- From the Jewish Scriptures: Genesis 28:10-19
- Psalm 121 (VU p.844)
- From the Gospel: Matthew 18:10-20
The hymns this week are:
- #245 Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpet
- #579 The Church is Wherever God’s People
- MV #1 Let Us Build a House (verses 1-4)
- #420 Go to the World
The Sermon question for this week is: Where and when is the church?
Early Thoughts: Only in special buildings on special days of course. Or not. Where else could/should it be?
Where else indeed?
The easy answer is to say that the church is in the world. Last week we talked about how the church is the Body of Christ, the community of faith. And that community can be found in many places. Or, as our hymn says:
The church is wherever God's people are praising,
singing God's presence for joy on this day
THe church is wherever disciples of Jesus
remember his story and walk in his way.
The church is wherever God's people are helping,
caring for neighbours in sickness and need.
The church is wherever God's people are sharing
the words of the Bible in gift and indeed.*
But how does that transfer into reality? How do we carry the church beyond our hour of worship or our meetings or our study groups?
The proof, so they say, is in the pudding. It is in how we live during the in-between times.
Join us this week as we explore where we see the church in our world. Help us discover the truth of a church who is called together not to stay in one place but to be sent back out. And of course we do the gathering and the going out secure in the truth that Jesus shared with his friends: where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, I am there. And where God is, there is the church.
--Gord
*Copyright 1959 Carol Rose Ikeler, used with permission under license #C6531 LicenSing--COpyright cleared music for churches
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