Morning Worship, 7/24/11

They say what goes around, comes around.   Have you found that to be true in your life?  Do the good things you do find their way back around to you?  What about the bad?  Some people call it karma.  We in the Christian faith call it the Golden Rule.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

For that scoundrel Jacob, what goes around does indeed come back around.  The tables have turned in an instant.  Jacob, who was the trickster, now becomes the tricked. 

Enjoy! 

Morning Worship, 7/17/11

Jacob stumbles into the region of Haran, finding a "thin" place where the veil between heaven and earth is especially thin. There, he finds a ladder (or a staircase) descending from heaven and filled with angels coming down to earth. The big question is...why? For what purpose does it exist?



Enjoy! 

Jacob offers Esau what seems to be a terrible deal, yet Esau takes it. When you are offered a deal, how do you decide whether or not to take it? What goes into your decision-making process?



Enjoy! 

A Call to Action from the Presbytery of WV Peacemaking Team

A call has been made for all people of faith to be in prayer for South Sudan as they become an independent nation on July 9^th.

Consider sharing the following prayer, A Prayer for South Sudan and Forgiveness written by PCUSA Mission Co-worker Aliamma George,  with your congregation and ask them to be in prayer with and for the people of Sudan on this historic occasion!

A prayer for South Sudan and forgiveness

Our loving Heavenly Father,
We come before you to ask your forgiveness and seek your direction and guidance for South Sudan.
Lord, we know that bitterness and resentment are like toxic thorns in our soul, sapping our mental process, thought-life, will, motivation, and joy of our life.
Remind us that we will be the prisoners of our strongholds if we cannot forgive our brothers and sisters.
Help us to remember that forgiveness is the deliberate act of the will to pardon another individual or self whether we like it or not.
Thank you for your word that we receive forgiveness in the same manner that we forgive others.
Help us to work out the torments of forgiveness with you alone our God and the other person, we are making the list of persons and situation causing troubles in South Sudan.
Intervene with the formation of the new Government and give us peace in South Sudan.
In Jesus Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

Rev. Claire L. Butler

Staff Rep. Social and Ecumenical Ministries Committee

Presbytery of West Virginia

cbutler@wvpresbytery.org

304-744-7634

304-932-7546

Morning Worship, 7/3/11

On this Independence Day weekend when we celebrate our political and personal freedom, I ask you a theological question: Why did God give us our freedom?



Enjoy!