God Gathers Us

Call to Worship - Psalm 40:1-5

To be read aloud by someone in your home
Psalm 40:1-5
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.
4 Blessed is the one
    who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare.

Opening Prayer

Take a moment to pause and pray a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking God for who He is and what He has done)

God Saves Us

Congregational Singing

We encourage you to sing - make a joyful noise! If you play an instrument, play! If you have some favorite hymns or choruses, pick one or two and sing! Or make use of other technology to play some music, and listen and sing along.
And if a suggestion helps, below are a couple songs you could use.

Congregational Prayer

Take a few moments to think about some of the others in the church body who you worship with each week. List them by name, either writing them down or sharing the names with others. You may want to scroll through the church directory if you have one.
Remember all those in our church and in our community who are working in the medical profession and their families. Again, if you think of particular names, write them down or share them with others.
Remember those who may be particularly vulnerable at this time - either physically vulnerable, or vulnerable to loneliness, anxiety, or temptation.
Now, take some time to pray for these you have thought of, and any others who the Holy Spirit brings to mind, thanking God for His care and for these precious brothers and sisters and lifting them up to the Lord.

Scripture Reading - Genesis 16:7-16

Read aloud this morning’s Scripture reading:
Genesis 16:7-16
7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”
11 The angel of the Lord also said to her:
“You are now pregnant
    and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
    for the Lord has heard of your misery.
12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
    his hand will be against everyone
    and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
    toward all his brothers.”
13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.
15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Sermon: where is god in this mess?

God Sends Us

Benediction

Romans 15:13 - “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”