Getting Ready for Sunday

First things first, our text for Sunday comes from Psalm 78.19-31 and John 6.1-40. We will be focusing almost exclusively on John 6, but the Psalm 78 passage serves as background and there are overall wonderful connections. As you get ready you might want to think about what the numbers 5000, 5, 2, and 12 symbolize in John's gospel. You can also think about why the people want to make Jesus king.

The theme for the morning is American Jesus: Revolutionary Jesus

As you walk in Sunday morning breath in, hopefully you will smell fresh baked bread (see John 6 for the reason why). Make sure you get a piece of bread as you walk in to the auditorium.

Enjoy as well the sounds of the season in the courtyard as Terry Carter's band plays.

Our service start with two carols of the season. Notice the richness of the words as they describe both Jesus, his work, and who he is as both human and divine. The last song of the set celebrates Jesus as our redeemer. The words of the song are:
You have redeemed my soul
From the pit of emptiness
You have redeemed my soul
From death
You have redeemed my soul
From the pit of emptiness
You have redeemed my soul
From death

I was a hungry child
A dried up river
I was a burned out forest
And no one could do anything for me
But You put food in my body
Water in my dry bed
And to my blackened branches,
You brought the springtime
Green of a new life
And nothing is impossible
For You

Pay close attention to these words as we will connect with them in the last part of the message as we talk about Jesus' revolution of life that overcomes death.

After the songs we will spend time in prayer. Adam and I will be picking up more of the service, including this prayer than we normally do because Pastor Tom is sick and Jodi is filling in for him teaching the 101 class.

The offering is next. Rather than the offering being a pause in the service it is actually a time when we participate in worship by giving to God in a very concrete way. The Psalmist asks, "what shall I render to the Lord for all his gifts to me?" His answer is to bring a sacrifice to God. So our worship, if it is full, brings a sacrificial offering to God.

We will again go to God in prayer for the needs of our world and ask him to open our hearts and minds to his word.

When the prayer is done get ready for a bit of the Beatles Their song "Revolution" begins the message:
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right

The song revolution introduces our desire to have a revolutionary Jesus--but on our terms.

We will end our message with prayer and then join in more songs of the season.

See you Sunday!