I Hate, I Despise Your Festivals, and I Take No Delight in Your Solemn Assemblies But

“I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies… But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.” Amos 5:21, 24

www.riverofhopehutchinson.org 10 November, 2013

Worship at 10:30am and 5:30pm

*You Are Welcome * whoever you are

Music To Prepare Us For Worship

Gathering Songs

2 3 Welcome, Worship Orientation 101, River of Hope Updates Our attempt to be sure you know what’s going on to fully participate in worship. Prior to worship, please ask Pastor Laura to make any announcements, including prayer requests.

You Are Here Clipboards Your being in worship is important. You’re here – we’re glad. Take a minute to fill one out (both sides) even if you attend here every week. Then put it in the offering plate later on as it passes by. Prayer requests can be made on the other side of the form.

No Longer Strangers Prayer Creator God, you made us to love others. Help us to see you, God, in all other people, including and especially those we would call stranger or other or different or not one of us. Re-create us as we learn to love all people. Amen.

Meet Someone New Today, talk to each other about your reactions to the snow earlier this week! If you are visiting, you are not obligated to go and meet someone new. Really, it’s the responsibility of the people who feel comfortable here to get out of their seat and come to meet you.

Greetings of grace through God, Jesus Christ, & the Holy Spirit As people learning to follow Christ, to be disciples (disciple means learner) we greet each other in the confidence of the grace and mercy we experience through the community of God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. It reminds us who we are. (Because we tend to forget.)

The amazing grace of Jesus, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit is with all of you. And also with you.

Lord, you despise, Our selfish ways, and our relentless pride. Yet you delight, When we put the needs of others before our own needs. Lord, you despise, Our self-righteous judgments of others, and our unwillingness to look critically at

4 ourselves. Yet you delight, When we lift others up, and when we work to change our ways. Lord, you despise, When we withhold freedom, and shut our doors to those who suffer. Yet you delight, When our hearts burn with compassion for all who are in need. Lord, you despise, When we hoard rights and possessions, and block others from access to those same rights and possessions. Yet you delight, When we, in our privilege, open our hearts and hands, and welcome the outcast and marginalized. Lord you despise, Hollow worship and empty rituals. Yet you delight, When our hearts sing your praise, our lips speak your truth, and our hands do your work. Delight in us today, Lord, We delight in you. Amen.

Reading the Word Reader: We hear our story and God’s story from Amos 1:1-2; 5:14-15, 21-24 from The Message translation of the Bible.

Reader: The Message of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa, that he received on behalf of Israel. It came to him in visions during the time that Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam II son of Joash was king of Israel, two years before the big earthquake.

ALL: God roars from Zion, shouts from Jerusalem! The thunderclap voice withers the pastures tended by shepherds, shrivels Mount Carmel’s proud peak.

Seek good and not evil— and live! You talk about God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, being your best friend.

ALL: Well, live like it, and maybe it will happen. Hate evil and love good, then work it out in the public square.

Maybe God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, will notice your remnant and be gracious.

5 “I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me?

ALL: Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness— rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.

Reader: Our story and God’s story, to be continued. ALL: Thank you, God!

Children Sermon followed by Playing in the Word All ages of kids are invited to come up front for children sermon. Then ages 3-K will go out for the duration of the sermon to continue playing in the word with 2 adults. They will return during the song after the sermon time. This is completely up to you and your child.

Sermon

So what? What’s the connection between worship and my life; this Good News and my life?

6 Pray

7 Prayers for others It is critical that when we gather, we not only pray for ourselves but for the world, even and especially people we don’t like. It is much more difficult to hate someone you pray for. If you feel like it, read through The Weekly (the blue document) prayer concerns during this time.

Prayers petitions will conclude with: God of mercy Your response is work out your peace and justice.

Offering This is the time where we join millions of Christians around the world in worshiping God through giving of financial resources. These resources are used to further God's activity already at work in the world. If you are a first-time worshiper here today, please know that there is no expectation around your giving; simply give as the Holy Spirit leads you or let the plate pass you by. For those who worship here regularly, your joyful giving supports all we do to bear witness to God's activity here at River of Hope, in Hutchinson, and beyond. Thank you for your generosity.

Music During Offering Kids – the big watering can up front is to receive your offering. Let it clunk into the bottom of the can – it’s a joyful noise!

AND – help bring the meal to the table and help set the table. Gather at the back of the worship space and follow the ushers up to the front.

Meal As the kids help set the table, they make a circle around the table and lead the congregation in the table prayer written by Martin Luther: Let’s pray: Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest. And let these gifts to us be blest. Amen.

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving The Lord is with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Words to bless the meal

8 The Lord’s Prayer You are invited to join hands with those around you in prayer. If you are not the hand- holding type, then simply fold your hands in front of you or hang onto this bulletin as you pray.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and forever. Amen.

Invitation to The Meal You are welcome to Christ’s table – without exception. If you believe God’s grace and mercy are found at this table through Jesus Christ, you are welcome. Children of all ages are welcome, too. “He welcomes sinners and eats with them,” said the religious insiders in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15. When we gather at the table we always have to imagine it's getting bigger, making room for the likes of you and me, friends and strangers.

The ushers will help you come to communion. There will be 2 lines down the center aisle. Simply hold out your hands to receive the bread and then dip it into the cup of non-alcoholic wine. There is gluten-free wine and bread available. Just ask.

Singing During the Meal

9 10 Prayer After Eating Let us pray: O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son. By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing & Sending Therefore, Go! God sends us into the world, to accept the cost and to discover the joy of discipleship. Therefore go! Carrying with you the peace of Christ, the love of God, and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, in trial and rejoicing. Amen

11 Why does our church exist? What is our purpose? We go out to transform lives through Jesus Christ.

Sending Song

Kids! Come play a rhythm instrument!

Go in peace – serve the Lord! Thanks be to God!

Music to Send You Out

River of Hope Lutheran Church is the ELCA church in town. We are a purposefully intergenerational community who is following Jesus out of the building into the world where we live. We are learners (disciples) and practice-ers. Our worship is a safe place to practice a dangerous gospel. And, believe us, it takes practice. Your questions, critical thinking, doubts and imperfect lives are welcome here. In fact, no matter your status in society (divorced, never-been-to-church, gay, straight, old, young, cranky, liberal, conservative, questioning, recovering, allergic-to-church, smart-alecky…) you’ll fit right in and then you’ll be sent out to share that same love, that same welcome.

Helpful Information Worship Style – We are an intergenerational community. (That’s a fancy word for young and old.) We sing hymns, we sing songs. We pray ancient words and words that are new to us. We actively practice faith during worship. Sometimes it’s beautiful. Sometimes it’s awkward. Sometimes it’s both. It always “counts” as worship. Then we try it again next week.

Communion - Everyone is welcome -- without exception. Ushers will invite you forward. Receive the bread into your open hand and then dip the bread into the non- alcoholic wine. Children are welcome to commune or receive a blessing - we’ll leave that decision to parents. Just indicate to us if you’d like your child to receive communion.

Is there a nursery? Yes. It is located in the hallway just outside our worship area.

Bathrooms – They are located just outside the worship space. Worship – Did you notice kids and teenagers, moms and dads, old and young helping to lead worship? We hope so. Participating in worship knows no age limit. Worship is one place and just one way we practice being Christians. It helps prepare us for living as Christians. Go ahead. Try it. No perfection expected – just practice. Exit Strategy – Nervous to stand in line and talk to the pastor? Just introverted enough that you’d like to slip away? Ok. Slip out a side door. Or scoot behind the line of people out the door. No one will be offended, really. We hope you met someone today, but not at the risk of you’re fleeing in fright from too much attention.

If you keep up with brands, then you should know we are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). We’re pretty pleased about this.

Cast of Characters – Pastor Laura Aase, Mission Developer: 320-583-8005 Shyann Krumrey, Office Administrator: 320-587-4414

13 Jim Nelson, Worship & Music Curator: 320-552-9734