Sunday, January 14, 2007
Church of ER ... Jan. 14, 2007. Preaching: Garry Wills. Worship leader: ER. Music: Joan Osbourne, Keith Green, Joseph M. Scriven, Charles C. Converse
All the churches in central Oklahoma were closed this morning because of the dangerous, icy weather. I dreamed that I did something like this.
--ER
ORDER OF WORSHIP
THE PRELUDE
"What if God Was One of Us" Joan Osbourne.
THE OPENING HYMN
"The Unseen Hand"
THE PRAYER OF CONFESSION
"Father-Mother-God, we know we see through a dark glass. When we are honest, we realize we hear through deafened ears, feel through numbed bodies and spirits, and speak with confused tongues -- because we are incomplete. Yet we look, listen, feel and speak anyway. With hope. In faith. Thank you for such habits, which come with Your Grace. In Christ's name. Amen."
SPECIAL MUSIC
"I Can't Believe It" -- Keith Green
SCRIPTURE READING
Romans 1:16-17
SERMON
"What is God's Faith in?"
"We normally think of our faith as having faith (pistis) in God. But Paul talks of God having faith (pistis). What is God's faith in? In himself? In his own words? In us? The last might seem the least plausible. How can he believe in us? But this problem reveals the inadequacy of our sense of trust. God takes us into his trust. There is no longer an estrangement. He promotes us into a partnership with him because we are members of his Son's mystical body. We trust him as sons. He trusts us as a father trusts his beloved children. This explains the difficult passage at Romans 1:17, 'from pistis to pistis.' If we already have trust, how do we move to get it? But if one of these is God's pistis, the passage makes sense: 'God's vindication is unveiled from [his] trust to [our] trust, it is written: "The vindicated will live from trust." ' Too often faith now means belief in a proposition, a dogma, the stand taken by a church. It is, instead, an active response to a Person, a trust in him."
-- from Garry Wills, What Paul Meant (New York: Viking, 2006), 183-184.
CLOSING HYMN
"What a Friend We Have in Jesus"
P.S.: Mama ER is steady as she goes today. They took the chest tube out yesterday afternoon. With the weather the way it is, and, quite frankly, me needing a break, I'm staying home and watching DVDs with Dr. ER, who isn't feeling well.
--ER
--ER
ORDER OF WORSHIP
THE PRELUDE
"What if God Was One of Us" Joan Osbourne.
THE OPENING HYMN
"The Unseen Hand"
THE PRAYER OF CONFESSION
"Father-Mother-God, we know we see through a dark glass. When we are honest, we realize we hear through deafened ears, feel through numbed bodies and spirits, and speak with confused tongues -- because we are incomplete. Yet we look, listen, feel and speak anyway. With hope. In faith. Thank you for such habits, which come with Your Grace. In Christ's name. Amen."
SPECIAL MUSIC
"I Can't Believe It" -- Keith Green
SCRIPTURE READING
Romans 1:16-17
SERMON
"What is God's Faith in?"
"We normally think of our faith as having faith (pistis) in God. But Paul talks of God having faith (pistis). What is God's faith in? In himself? In his own words? In us? The last might seem the least plausible. How can he believe in us? But this problem reveals the inadequacy of our sense of trust. God takes us into his trust. There is no longer an estrangement. He promotes us into a partnership with him because we are members of his Son's mystical body. We trust him as sons. He trusts us as a father trusts his beloved children. This explains the difficult passage at Romans 1:17, 'from pistis to pistis.' If we already have trust, how do we move to get it? But if one of these is God's pistis, the passage makes sense: 'God's vindication is unveiled from [his] trust to [our] trust, it is written: "The vindicated will live from trust." ' Too often faith now means belief in a proposition, a dogma, the stand taken by a church. It is, instead, an active response to a Person, a trust in him."
-- from Garry Wills, What Paul Meant (New York: Viking, 2006), 183-184.
CLOSING HYMN
"What a Friend We Have in Jesus"
P.S.: Mama ER is steady as she goes today. They took the chest tube out yesterday afternoon. With the weather the way it is, and, quite frankly, me needing a break, I'm staying home and watching DVDs with Dr. ER, who isn't feeling well.
--ER
Comments:
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Of course, someone did privately take issue with the "Father-Mother-God" thing.
:-)
Someone else also wrote privately:
"Dude, I barely pay attention when I'm IN church, don't expect me to read what I don't listen to."
And I replied: "Ha. Dat's betwixt you and da Lord. :-)"
:-)
Someone else also wrote privately:
"Dude, I barely pay attention when I'm IN church, don't expect me to read what I don't listen to."
And I replied: "Ha. Dat's betwixt you and da Lord. :-)"
My minister actually went ahead and had church (across the street from yours.) I just have major doubts that anyone joined him. Everything was called off for last night and today, and if it's still bad I'll be cancelling my GriefShare group Tuesday night.
ER:
You and your family are in my prayers. I keep stopping by to check on Mama ER and Dr. ER. And you.
Several of my Fort Smith friends are now in tune with your family. We're anxious and concerned. And confused. Because we hardly know ye. Somehow though, we've grown very fond of the whole cast of characters that make up your nest of loved ones.
Take care, neighbor.
You and your family are in my prayers. I keep stopping by to check on Mama ER and Dr. ER. And you.
Several of my Fort Smith friends are now in tune with your family. We're anxious and concerned. And confused. Because we hardly know ye. Somehow though, we've grown very fond of the whole cast of characters that make up your nest of loved ones.
Take care, neighbor.
# posted by 
: 9:36 PM
: 9:36 PM
I enjoyed attending service, thank you.
pistis sophia .... faith and wisdom...
both were shared today.
amen
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pistis sophia .... faith and wisdom...
both were shared today.
amen
# posted by : 10:05 AM
: 10:05 AM << Home
