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Did you ever watch a movie with someone or look at a picture with someone and see completely different things? Yet you both are really right. Did you ever think about the fact that it’s day here and across the ocean it is night. If someone were to ask us if it is day or night, we answer with what it is at the time but someone else across the way is asked at the same time and they answered opposite, both are correct. One of my friends who is currently in Afghanistan called me one night. Well it was night here but he just got up and it was daylight there. The Egyptians in the scriptures had night but the Israelites on the other side of the pillar had light. How can that be we ask. How can we be experiencing one thing when someone else is experiencing something else and we are in the same room? When we run umuck into a situation that we might be uncomfortable or the news might not be good - how can we see light when all we feel is dark and fear? We go into a turmoil and question God as to why? Why do we have to go through this? Why are you doing this to me? We get personal and we get in God’s face and we get angry. As time goes on and we work our way through whatever the turmoil might be and we come out on the other side of it we find ourselves in the light, we see that God has really watched over us and protected us. The Egyptians describe the pillar as dark, the Israelites describe it as light. How can that be? They are both right and why - because God has caused this to occur. God has sent the same pillar as both a pillar of light and a pillar of darkness. In our lives we often don’t see the Big Picture. We often don’t see everything that we are supposed to see because we don’t open our eyes and we don’t let ourselves go any further than the first words that are uttered that we don’t like and we don’t want to hear. We may end up in an argument with someone because they give their perspective and we know ours. We don’t want to listen to them and put all the information together to really see the whole picture. Blinders are a lot easier to put on than face the music, listen with our heart and our ears, not our mouth and our ears. Just because we see and hear the same thing we don’t always do just that. Each person has their own perspective, their own way of viewing a situation, their own way of seeing and even tho they see or hear the same thing and differ, we can both be right. There are always two sides to experience. How one person may handle it and how another may, might be two completely separate ways, but are they wrong - not necessarily. God has given us all the gift of our own selves. These people were wandering in the desert, they were trying to escape harm and slavery and God protected them. In life we often don’t see the big picture, the whole picture. Just as in our lives we don’t often see the beauty of a picture of our lives or those around us because we choose to look at the bad side, the side that shows the scars, the misery, the pain, the suffering, the darkness, the sickness, the insecurities, the troubles, the fear - the dark side of the pillar. If we take the time to look beyond the face, the dirt, the grime, the pain, and into the heart - ahhh then we see the pillar of light. Once we give ourselves a chance, we see beyond one side of the pillar and into the other side. What we see may be dark on the outside but light on the inside. We may judge ourselves or others because we didn’t or we don’t look at the right side of the picture, we didn’t or we don’t look beyond what the naked eye can see. There are so many intricate parts and threads that weave us into who we are and who those folks around us are. And I challenge you to try and break the dark side that is so easy to see and experience and let yourself be open and free to see what God and the Holy Spirit are trying to show you. I want you to look at not only yourselves, but those who walk beside you. It is always easier to jump on board with our own opinion and our own view but God calls us to visualize him in everything and everyone. He calls us to be those whom he has called together to open our minds and seek the face of God. God calls us together to be one with him. He calls us to a time that we shut out the everyday hubbub of the world and focus on him. He calls us to a quiet place where we can hear him and see him. We say, how do we do that? How do we remove that dark pillar that is hanging over us and in front of us and see the light of God when we are suffering and struggling. God is love and God is power. He has more power over us than we want to know. He has more power to bring us around to the light side of the pillar, if only we will let him. Don’t you think if God carried the children of Israel through the waters of the Sea and protected them from the enemy, that he too will part the seas of your life and carry you or lead you through the enemies in your life and keep you safe and secure. Our God is limitless. Our God is powerful. Our God is awesome. Our God can show us both sides of the pillar. He can show us dark and he can show us the light. He can show us all the same picture and we all see it and handle it differently, yet we may all be correct in what we see. What we learn from God is that looking at the big picture and seeing all points of view or all sides of the story, are important when we find ourselves in conflict and struggle. We grow from our conflicts, we grow from our struggles, we grow from our pillars in life, whether they be pillars of light or pillars of darkness. God calls us to see both sides of the pillar. He calls us to find a balance between the pillars in our lives. When we have something happening in our lives where do we turn? Do we see the dark side or the light side? When we think of the turmoil of 9/11 and people ask - “Where was God on that dark and dreary day?” We can answer in truth that God was there. He was in those stairwells, he was in those planes, he was in those buildings, he was in those people who perished and also in those people who didn’t, he was with those families who sat and waited and mourned and shook with fear. He continues on with our service personnel in foreign lands and their families. God is there to part the sea and lead us to the light. God is the ultimate. God is the almighty. God is the power over all the earth. Let us give thanks and praise to him. Let us greet him and take him with us always that we might be able to see his pillar of light shining through the darkest moments and recesses of our lives. Thanks be to God for showing us both the light and the dark.
Pastor Kristi A. Webster
The Great Thanksgiving - Kristi Webster
L: The Lord be with you.
P: And also with you.
L: Lift your hearts to the Lord.
P: Surely we shall lift them to the Lord.
L: Come into His presence and be still.
P: We come into His presence with silence and meditation seeking His presence and will for our lives.
L: We come with things on our minds, our hearts and souls as we seek answers.
P: We come wandering in the wilderness of our lives and sometimes feel lost, alone and afraid and wonder why we have been led to or through where we are.
L: The Lord God gave us His Son that when we are lost, alone, afraid, and living in fear that we might turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face where the things of the world disappear and the earth will grow strangely dim.
P: We come giving thanks and praise to our God who loves us so much that he gave his only Son on the cross to die so that we might live. What a precious sacrifice that was. We come giving thanks for a God who is always with us.
L: We are called to be Light and let your Light shine through us so that others might see for
P: Once we were a people wandering in darkness and sin but God sent his Son to live and suffer and die so that we might have Light and that we might see the other side of the pillar.
L: Let us pray: O Almighty Loving, Giving, and Faithful God we come this morning giving you thanks and praise for all that you have given to us. We often get wrapped up in our everyday lives and forget or ignore you and leave you out, but because you love us and care for us, even when we turn our back on you, you are still God. You are still there. You still love us. You still care for us. You still are more ready to hear than we are to talk. You alone are Holy. You alone are the One who can save us from ourselves. You are the One who has brought Light into this world of darkness, in which we live, and to You we give thanks and praise.
P: It is by grace that we have been saved through faith and not of our own doing but of yours, O God. You made us. You created us in Jesus Name that we might do good works, let your light shine before men and show the world the life we have in you. You heal us. You love us. You give us hope as we look to the Cross that your Son died on because you loved us so much. You walk with us in our time of sorrow and remembrance. You hold out your hand to us so that we never have to be afraid, just reach out and hold on to your hand.
L: As we look toward the cross and we experience the days before your Son died we see Jesus and his twelve disciples seated around a table sharing a meal, talking, laughing, enjoying the company of one another and then Your Son took the bread in His hands and lifted it - the room became still - and He raised it toward Heaven, He gave thanks to you, He broke it in half and then into pieces and gave it to his disciples and said:
P: Take, eat. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
L: And then as the meal was coming to a close and his time on earth was growing shorter, He took the cup as it sat before him, He raised it up and once again the room became still - He gave thanks to God the Father, and then He passed the cup to each of them and said:
P: this cup is poured out for you. It is the cup of the New Covenant. It is my blood poured out for you. Whenever you drink this, remember me and give thanks.
L: May this bread be the body of Christ for us and may this cup be the Blood of Christ for us. May it be the Holy Food that our body craves as we seek Him out in this time of remembrance and this time of life that goes faster and faster. We pray, O God, that these gifts might bring us strength, courage, a deeper faith and encourage us to love you more as you pour out your spirit upon these gifts of bread and wine.
P: We pray, O God, that this cup of salvation and this bread of Life might join us together as one body in Christ. We pray that it might create a desire within us to spread your Light and Love to all your people. Father we give you thanks as you taught us to pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
Come to the table that has been set before you and take, eat, and drink of the body and blood of Christ. Jesus Christ was born, died, was buried, but on the third day He rose into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. His body was broken so that our body might be made whole. His blood was shed and poured out that our sins might be washed away and forgiven. Come to the table of grace and be filled.
Outdoor Worship September 11, 2011
Prelude-Time to Prepare Yourselves for Worship
Welcome and Announcements
Greeting: The Lord be with you – And also with you.
*Call to Worship in Song/Ministry of the Acolyte
Morning Prayer
Psalm 46
Gloria Patri
Hymn
OUR LINK TO PRAYER
Lifting Our Joys & Concerns
TFWS #2215 – “Cares Chorus”
Pastoral Prayer
“The Lord’s Prayer” - Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
Presenting Our Gifts to God
*Hymnal #95 - “Doxology” -
*Prayer of Thanksgiving
Children’s Time
Hymn of Preparation –TFWS # – “”
Prayer of Illumination: Open wide the window of our spirits, O Lord, and fill us full of light; open wide the door of our hearts, that we may receive and entertain thee with all our powers of adoration and love. Amen.
Gospel Lesson –Exodus 14:19-31; 15:1b-11;20-21
MORNING MESSAGE
911 Tribute
Litany& Prayer
Patriotic Songs- America & America the Beautiful 696 & 697
Holy Communion
*Closing Song – Hymnal #– “”
*BENEDICTION
(Hymnal #389)
*”I’m Not Leavin’ Hymn” – written by Steve Muzyk