Sunday Sept. 8, 2024
Call To Worship:
Esther 4:13-14
Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”
Songs:
Bind Us Together
Bind us together within your love
Bind us together within your holy love
As we shared in our sorrows we will share in your joy
Bind us together in love
[Verse]
Bind us together and be our peace
Bind us together and be our perfect peace
Though the tempest may rage we will rest in your joy
Bind us together in peace
[Verse]
Bind us together and give us hope
Bind us together and give us endless hope
Though our tears were our bread We will feast in your joy
Bind us together in hope
[Verse]
Bind us together and make us one
Bind us together and make us truly one
In your love in your peace in your hope in your joy
Bind us together as one
In your love in your peace in your hope in your joy
Bind us together as one
In The Valley (Bless The Lord)
Verse 1
When the path that I feared
Is the way He has set
And I long to give in and retreat
Still to Jesus I hold
As I face every step
For the Lord he will give me His peace
Chorus 1
Bless the Lord, He will give me His peace
Bless the Lord, He will give me His peace
And if I should remain in the valley today
Bless the Lord, He will give me His peace
Verse 2
When the road that I tread
Fills my heart with despair
And it seems like my grief has no end
Still to Jesus I hold
Who will walk with me there
And the Lord he will give me His strength
Chorus 2
Bless the Lord, He will give me His strength
Bless the Lord, He will give me His strength
And if I should remain in the valley today
Bless the Lord, He will give me His strength
Verse 3
On the road that You walked
With the weight of the cross
All my pain and my sorrow You held
So to You I shall hold
You redeem every loss
For my Lord You have given Yourself
Chorus 3
Bless the Lord, for He gives me Himself
Bless the Lord, for He gives me Himself
And if I should remain in the valley today
Bless the Lord, for He gives me Himself
The Earth is Yours
Your voice it thunders
The oaks start twisting
The forest sounds with cedars breaking
The waters see You and start their writhing
From the depths a song is rising
Now, it's rising from the ground
Holy, holy, holy, holy Lord
The earth is Yours and singing
Holy, holy, holy, holy Lord
The earth is Yours
The earth is Yours
Your voice it thunders
The ground is shaking
The mighty mountains
Now are trembling
Creation sees You
And starts composing
The fields and trees
They start rejoicing
And now it's rising from the ground
Now it's rising from the ground
Hear us crying out
Hear us crying out
Holy, holy, holy, holy Lord
The earth is Yours and singing
Holy, holy, holy, holy Lord
The earth is Yours and singing
Holy, holy, holy, holy Lord
The earth is Yours
The earth is Yours
The earth is Yours
Goodness of God
I love You, Lord
For Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
'Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest night You are close like no other
I've known You as a Father
I've known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God, yeah
'Cause all my life You have been faithful, oh yes You have
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I surrendered now
I give You everything, oh Lord
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me (oh yeah, oh yeah)
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I surrendered now
I give You everything
Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me
And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
I'm gonna sing
All my life You have been faithful
(All of my life You've been faithful)
All my life You have been so, so good
(So good with every breath)
every breath that I am able
(Every breath I'm able)
I will sing (I'm gonna sing)
Of the goodness (of the goodness of God, yes I am)
I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
Teaching: Holy Spirit: “So What”
Esther 4:1-3
When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes and went through the city, wailing with a loud and bitter cry; 2 he went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 In every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and most of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Esther 4:11
“All the King’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that, if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law; to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to someone may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for 30 days.”
Esther 4:13-14
“Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”
Esther 4:16
“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the King, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”
Communion:
Head up to the front to take communion.
Once you take communion head back to your seat and reflect on the following question:
What are your “so what” questions right now?
Where in your past have you seen God at work and near you?
Who is someone you can go to in order to ask for a “word from the Lord?”
How will you pray and fast this week to seek out God?
Benediction:
Move among us, Spirit,
and gather us together with you.
Take our many selves—
our lives, our loves, our ideas,
our questions, our speech, our silence—
and unite us as your people.
Give us the gifts of presence, transformation and guidance,
so that even as we dream your dreams and see your visions,
we may be able to witness to your presence
in our common life.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.—(2 Corinthians 13:14)
Amen.