Scripture – NIV
Isaiah 42:1-9 –
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:
“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
Ephesians 2:11-22 –
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Bob’s thoughts:
I recently ran into a friend who sang with the praise team here at one time, and it reminded me that we haven’t visited for quite a while.
The first smile came from seeing a large wooden cross right inside the door. We were greeted and engaged in conversation and someone offered to bring us a cup of coffee. I was delighted to see the praise team gathered for prayer before the service.
Projected signage for restrooms would be helpful.
I didn’t realize the first song wasn’t one to sing along and didn’t recognize the lyrics; the rest were on the screen but we sat off to one side and it was hard to read at times. The pastor spoke with a mic but was easier to understand when he turned toward us.
For the children’s message, the pastor read to them “The Little Blue Truck” which even now I could probably still recite. It was a great message that the children grasped and finished well in good time.
There was a prayer of illumination before the Scripture, as it should be. The message dealt with social justice with compassion and care. We have somehow gotten to the point where everyone who doesn’t agree with us is a (fill in the blank). There seems to be no room for understanding.
I remember this service to be a lot darker and the music somewhat harsh so I was surprised to hear older praise music in a much brighter area.
Jan’s thoughts:
As we entered the building, the music floating down the hallway led us to the worship area.
It has been eight years since we visited this church and the Turning Point (contemporary) service has changed dramatically from what I recall the first time we were here. The room is filled with light and plenty of seating, including several large round tables, at which we chose to sit.
We were welcomed warmly by several folks who had also arrived early. They took the time to introduce themselves, told us about the church, and made sure we got a cup of coffee. Several people greeted us after worship as well. This degree of visitor hospitality is remarkable for a church with three services.
The praise team had a harmonious sound but I had trouble understanding the words both sung and spoken. We sat on the outskirts of the seating area because the speakers were not aimed in that direction, so perhaps that had something to do with it. Or maybe the very high ceiling, I don’t know.
This service was blessed to have the Children’s Message, and this day it was a reading of the children’s book The Little Blue Truck and a corresponding lesson about cooperation and being helpful.
The new Music Director was introduced to the congregation and she was welcomed with enthusiasm.
I was pleased the Prayer For Illumination was given before the reading of Scripture.
The message, entitled Belhar: Ministry of Reconciliation, was presented and explained in detail by the Associate Pastor, Rev. Ryan Pixton. He taught that the Belhar Confession was written in 1986 and added to the Book of Confessions in 2016. Crafted by the Dutch Reformed Mission Church in response to the ugliness of apartheid, it focused on unity, reconciliation, and justice. Their stated intent was that it not be heard as a theological debate, but as a cry from the heart; that there was no hidden agenda, just a recognized need for confession and redemption through Christ and a prayer for God to bring good from the situation.
It was enlightening and educational and I was glad we were led here.
Our prayer for this church:
Lord, we pray for Your constant enlightenment upon Your church May they continue to follow Your plans and direction. Amen.
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