WORD for the Week for August 11, 2019
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost
A 9-week worship series: The Gift of Wonder
Week 7
The Gift of Wonder: 

This summer, get to know God in a new way. Experience The Gift of Wonder in our 9-week summer worship series beginning June 30.

Can you imagine a God who dances with shouts of joy, laughs when you laugh, loves to play, enjoys life, and invites us to join in the fun? In this series we will explore what it means to delight in God, to set our imaginations free, to return to the rhythm of life, to cultivate gratitude, and more.

Using the book The Gift of Wonder by Christine Aroney-Sine as our guide, every week we will try a new practice for opening ourselves to awe and wonder–to God. Spend the season deepening your wonder in God at Hennepin.
COME AND WORSHIP
Sabbath Beginnings – Sacred Journey – Traditional Worship
WORD for Sabbath Beginnings 8am
Scripture Text: John 21:4-8 (NRSV)

Worship Leader: Rev. Dwight Haberman

Holy Communion : Lots of surprises as we experience God. Can you imagine Jesus telling some professional fishermen where to put their nets, and them obeying? It is important to be open to God’s ways.

WORD for Sacred Journey 8:30am
Scripture Text: Psalm 65

The Story: Gratitude Scavenger Hunt - The Community
 
Reflection: Cultivating delight and wonder begins with cultivating gratitude… for our lives, our community, our relationships, even our challenges. Taking intentional time to excavate the various circumstances of our daily life can lead us to uncover new reasons to be thankful, and in turn, alter the way we think, function, and live in the world. This week in Sacred Journey we take a gratitude scavenger hunt based on the Psalms. Together we’ll explore the levels and stages of gratitude and see what creative inspiration arises from our journey. It’s worship with and without words… it’s thankfulness in the midst of challenge, and it’s The Gift of Wonder , expressed in our own life language. Invite a friend to share the journey… all are welcome!
WORD for Traditional Worship 10am

Preaching:    “Surprise! See Things Differently” – Rev. Frenchye Magee

Reflection: This week in worship, we’ll explore how to cultivate our sense of wonder and delight by answering God’s invitation to see things differently. Our lives are a work of spiritual and existential artistry, and like all artists, we have the potential to experience major shifts in development just by expanding and changing our perspectives. When we do, invariably we find that our ideas about God, our spiritual practices, and the way we experience each other in community expand. Our ability to envision the world through God’s perspective of blessing and compassion also grows. Most importantly, our capacity to transform the world increases and the possibilities to bring healing and joy to all areas of creation become boundless. Jesus calls this shift prophetic and blessed! As you prepare for Sunday, take time to ask where (when, how, why, or even whom!) you are being asked to see differently. Are you willing to be surprised by beauty? Are you ready to expand your transformative imagination for the sake of wonder and join the company of the prophets?


WORSHIP BULLETIN ARCHIVE

The Bible 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
WORD for the Week offers people an opportunity to prepare their hearts and minds for worship.
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WORD for the Week is a ministry of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church.