January 19, 2025
Spiritual Gifts
Words of greeting and GATHERING
Alexis Ward Owens
WELCOMING STATEMENT
RISE believes that God has open arms, and so should we. Our Creator wants us to love, accept and affirm every human being, including persons of every age, race, ethnic background, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, educational background, religion or creed, and physical or mental ability. We celebrate our diversity and recognize the sacred worth and dignity of all. Everyone is invited and encouraged to join us as we seek to follow Jesus with mutual respect, understanding, and love.
*Read more about “Why Pronouns Matter” HERE.
OPENING PSalm
Ps. 36:5-10 (NIV)
5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
10 Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.
Opening Songs
Brent Holl
“TURN TURN TURN”
~Pete Seeger
To everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to be born, a time to die,
a time to plant, a time to reap.
A time to kill, a time to heal,
a time to laugh, a time to weep.
To everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to build up, a time to break down.
a time to dance, a time to mourn,
A time to cast away stones,
a time to gather stones together.
To everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to love, a time to hate,
a time of war, a time of peace,
A time you may embrace,
a time to refrain from embracing.
To everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to gain, a time to lose,
a time to rend, a time to sew,
A time to love, a time to hate,
a time for peace, I swear it's not too late.
To everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
“Higher Ground”
~Johnson Oatman, Jr & Charles H. Gabriel
I’m pressing on the upward way,
new heights I’m gaining ev’ry day;
still praying as I’m onward bound,
”Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Lord, life me up and let me stand,
by faith, on heavens’ tableland,
a higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
My heart has no desire to stay
where doubts arise and fears dismay;
tho’ some may dwell where these abound,
my prayer, my aim is higher ground.
Lord, life me up and let me stand,
by faith, on heavens’ tableland,
a higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
I want to live above the world,
tho’ Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
for faith has caught the joyful sound,
the song of saints on higher ground.
Lord, life me up and let me stand,
by faith, on heavens’ tableland,
a higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
I want to scale the utmost height,
and catch a gleam of glory bright;
but still I pray till heav’n I’ve found,
”Lord, lead me onto higher ground.”
Lord, life me up and let me stand,
by faith, on heavens’ tableland,
a higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
Scripture Reading
1st Corinthians 12:1-11 (The Message)
1-3 What I want to talk about now is the various ways God’s Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. Remember how you were when you didn’t know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It’s different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say “Jesus be damned!” Nor would anyone be inclined to say “Jesus is Master!” without the insight of the Holy Spirit.
4-11 God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:
wise counsel
clear understanding
simple trust
healing the sick
miraculous acts
proclamation
distinguishing between spirits
tongues
interpretation of tongues.All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.
THEOLOGICAL Reflection
Chris Zepp
“Gifted”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What do you see as your own spiritual gifts? How are you using them? Do you feel your gifts are valued? Do you have gifts that are under utilized?
What spiritual gifts do you see in the others with whom you are conversing today? How do they benefit the common good?
What are the spiritual gifts that we tend to elevate and value most today? What gifts are undervalued? How can we best discover, embrace, and activate the spiritual gifts of everyone in our community for the common good?
Are spiritual gifts a purely “Christian” thing? Or more of a human thing? Does it matter? Are they for the common good of the faith community? Or for the common good of the larger community/world?
Song
“There are many gifts” (“Many Gifts”)
~Patricia Shelly
There are many gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are many works, but the same God,
and the Spirit gives each as it chooses.
Praise the Lord, Praise God.
Now one has the gift of wisdom,
another the calling to speak,
one the ability to comfort,
another the calling to teach
There are many gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are many works, but the same God,
and the Spirit gives each as it chooses.
Praise the Lord, Praise God.
A body has many members,
yet all work in unity.
The church is the body of Christ,
his arms, ears and eyes, hands and feet
There are many gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are many works, but the same God,
and the Spirit gives each as it chooses.
Praise the Lord, Praise God.
Not all are called to be prophets,
and not all are called to preach,
but all should aim for the best gifts
and love is the greatest of these
There are many gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are many works, but the same God,
and the Spirit gives each as it chooses.
Praise the Lord, Praise God.
Prayer lITANY
“Toward a Just and Beloved Community” (A Prayer Litany for Martin Luther King Sunday)
~Litany written by Rev. Dr. Bentley de Bardelaben, with inspiration and quotations taken from Vision of the Beloved Community, in Search for the Beloved Community: The Thinking of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Smith and Zepp), Dr. King’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, and Psalm 86. Expanded and adapted by CWZepp
Italics and plain type to be read by two readers.
Bold to be read by all.
Incline your ear, O God, and answer us,
for we are poor, hungry, naked, homeless, and sick.
Preserve our lives, for we are devoted to you;
save your servants who trust in you.
Dr. King’s work reminds us:
church and state must work together for the common good;
laws must establish justice for all,
but hearts must change for the Beloved Community to flourish.
We will do the work of justice for all;
We will open our hearts to an ever-expanding vision of community.
We will trust the Spirit of God to guide and move us between the present and the anticipated Realm of Justice.
You are our God; be gracious to your children,
for we cry out to you all day long.
Bring joy to the soul of your servants,
for to you, O God, we lift up our soul.
Dr King’s vision inspires us:
“We are tied together in a single garment of destiny caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”
We will work for a world where lives are enriched by difference;
where people of different genders, races, and sexual orientations
work together in Shalom for the good of the whole.
We will work for a nation where persons will be judged solely upon the content of their characters.
For you, O God, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
Give ear, O God, to the prayers of the marginalized;
listen to our supplications.
Dr. King’s words challenge us:
“…injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
We will listen to the cries of the poor;
we will stand in solidarity with those who suffer oppression;
we will take as our own the hopes of all who long for full human life;
we will create in our midst the Beloved Community with room for all, justice for all, joy for all, Shalom for all.
We will listen to the voice of the Christ,
who stirs about liberating all minds, hearts, and spirits.
In our days of trouble we call on you, for you will answer us.
There is none like you among the gods, O God,
nor are there any works like yours to the ends of the earth.
Teach us your way, O God, that we may walk in your truth.
Dr. King’s life inspires us:
“I still believe that one day humankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land…
I still believe that someday we shall overcome.”
We will overcome because of our faith & trust in God.
We will reach the goal laid before us without faltering.
We will never give up our hope for equality with one another.
We will live Dr. King’s dream into our reality.
O God, the times have changed, but we still reside in a world that is groaning with the birth pains of the Kingdom that Jesus proclaimed, and which Martin Luther King’s dream of a beloved community reminds us.
Some of the pains are fairly new in our time –
terrorism and gun violence that create a culture of fear and suspicion
a changing climate and decimated ecosystems that impact and threaten some more than others
lack of access to adequate health care and education for minorities, women, and the poor
But many of our ills are as old as time itself:
Poverty and hunger
Prejudice and hate
Disease and despair
Violence and oppression
Corruption and sin
O God, we know that you have another vision for our life together, and we long to be instruments of Jesus’ work in bringing your Kingdom to this world. So may your love continue to grow deeply in the lives of all who love you.
In the complexities of life, may we be a shelter for one another through the storms we face. May our mouths speak for justice in the lives of the oppressed. May our arms encircle those battered by the emotional toll of struggle and conflict. May our feet carry those ravaged by hatred and war to the places of sanctuary and shalom.
And may we indeed be instruments of your liberating love in this world,
until all are gathered into your Beloved Kingdom Community to live in justice, love, and peace.
May this be our prayer — Amen.
Offering and NOMOFOMO
One of our core values is, "God gives to us, so we give back." We're called to give as a joy-filled response to what we've been given. Your financial gifts make a tremendous difference in the lives of God's beloved in Harrisonburg and beyond. Whether it's helping to make sure children in our community have enough to eat, helping to respond to the mental health crisis in our community, or providing much needed backing for the operating costs of our spaces and staff — your gift is a part of God's dream and we are grateful for everyone who partners with us on this journey!
CLOSING SONG
“If I had a Hammer”
~Pete Seeger and Lee Hays
If I had a hammer,
I'd hammer in the morning,
I'd hammer in the evening,
All over this land,
I'd hammer out danger,
I'd hammer out a warning,
I'd hammer out love between,
My brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.
If I had a bell,
I'd ring it in the morning,
I'd ring in the evening,
All over this land,
I'd ring out danger,
I'd ring out a warning,
I'd ring out love between,
My brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.
If I had a song,
I'd sing it in the morning,
I'd sing it in the evening,
All over this land,
I'd sing out danger,
I'd sing out a warning,
I'd sing out love between,
My brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.
Well, I've got a hammer
and I've got a bell
and I've got a song to sing
all over this land
It's the hammer of justice
It's the bell of freedom
It's a song about love between
My brothers and my sisters
All over this land.
Parting Blessing
~Feasting on the Word Worship Companion, adapted
Friends we have all been given gifts, and each of us is a gift!
Now may the love of God’s Spirit,
flowing like water across the face of the earth
fill us with gifts for the common good
And the blessing of God –
Eternal Source, Fountain of Life, and Giver of Gifts –
Be with us always on the journey.
Now let’s go share our gifts all over this land!
REMEMBER - YOU ARE A GIFT!
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