word for the week
 
WORD for the Week for August 12, 2018
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost


Come and Worship!

WORD for Sabbath Beginnings | 8am Border Chapel 

Scripture Text: Galatians 6:2 (NRSV)

Worship Leader:  Rev. Dwight Haberman

Holy Communion: We come to the close of our engagement with the book, "God  Unbound ". We have considered how the church can minister in an anxious time that affects the church, ourselves and society. The author suggests "the strongest quality a congregation can exhibit in its community is to love well within and beyond the walls of the church... Our neighbors need our presence and our love. They need our humility. They need for us to be a church for them by bearing their burdens; in that way we will indeed 'fulfill the law of Christ'." I believe that we are up to engaging the call.

WORD for Sacred Journey | 8:30am Art Gallery

Scripture Text: Galatians 6:2 (NRSV)

Reflection: Exchange fear for hospitality. Love wisely. Show up for ourselves and our neighbors.

In a world where so many people are hungry to connect with something bigger than themselves, these are three practices author Elaine Heath suggests are necessary for the church to fulfill the law of Christ. This week in Sacred Journey, we conclude our series on God Unbound. At 8:30 worship and in Seeds of Celebration, we'll focus on how these practices can enliven our present community and help us carry the gospel to our neighbors who may be looking to connect in unconventional ways.

Question for reflection: Heath says that our work as the community of Christ must be supported by prayer that is more than a "shopping list" for God. She suggests using the monastic mindfulness or prayer of examen. How does following the way of Christ call us to pray like Jesus?

WORD for Traditional Worship | 10am Sanctuary 

Scripture Text: Galatians 6:1-10 (NRSV)

Preaching: Rev. Nate Melcher

Reflection: As we wrap up our summer sermon series, God Unbound: Wisdom from Galatians for the Anxious Church, we also come to the conclusion of Paul's letter to the young church in Galatia. Here, he reminds people to share one another's burdens and to not take oneself too seriously. These should be no-brainers! The Galatians should not need to be reminded of this and neither should we! And yet, here we are, living lives that can run into selfishness and self-elevation if we're not careful, intentional and communal. Jesus is the constant reminder that it's not all about us, it's all about giving ourselves away in the name of love. Who is the most selfless person you know? What does that look like? Who is the most humble person you know? What does that look like? And you? Where do you fit on the spectrum from selfish to selfless? If you can be honest with yourself and you still don't like where you are, partner with Jesus! Come and worship and hear witness from our Motown Mission trip team!

For the Children and Their Parents/Guardians: Some preschool and elementary classes designate all the students with a special job for maybe a week or month at a time. Have you ever had one of those jobs? What's your favorite? All of these special jobs help us learn to be helpers. The world needs more helpers! It's really easy to not help someone. But life isn't supposed to be easy! Do you know what helping someone is? It's good. Every time we get the chance to help, God asks us to pitch in and lend a hand! Do you have a special job in your family? What's a special job you want to try some day? When is it hard to help? When is it fun? When does it feel good? God loves it when you're a helper!

Worship Bulletin Archive


The Bible is in your hands...

You're invited to "dig deeper." Here are a handful of resources:

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church resources:
Worship Bulletins | online archive of HAUMC worship bulletins
Sermon Recordings | HAUMC Sacred Journey and Traditional Worship sermon recordings
Devotional Ministry | HAUMC seasonal daily devotional ministry

Scripture exegesis and commentary resources:
Bible Gateway | the Bible in hundreds of translations (NRSV, CEB, The Message, etc.)
BibleHub | parse out the original Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT)
Enter the Bible | historical/cultural context for each book of the Bible from Luther Seminary
Oxford Biblical Studies | historical/cultural context for each book of the Bible from Oxford
Working Preacher | read and listen to lectionary commentary from Luther Seminary faculty

Art and Music resources:
Art in the Christian Tradition | The Jean and Alexander Heard Divinity Library at Vanderbilt
Hymnary | a resource for both modern and traditional worship music and hymns
Sing for Joy | a worship music and hymn resource from St. Olaf College

 
 

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
511 Groveland | Minneapolis, MN 55403 
612.871.5303  |  spire@haumc.org  |  haumc.org