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Gettysburg United Methodist Church July 7, 2021

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Gettysburg United Methodist Church July 7, 2021 Gettysburg United Methodist Church July 7, 2021 nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. Isaiah 55:1-11 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, (NRSV) so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Ho, everyone who thirsts, 10 For as the rain and the snow come down from come to the waters; heaven, and you that have no money, and do not return there until they have come, buy and eat! watered the earth, Come, buy wine and milk making it bring forth and sprout, without money and without price. giving seed to the sower and bread to the 2 Why do you spend your money for that which eater, is not bread, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my and your labor for that which does not mouth; satisfy? it shall not return to me empty, Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and delight yourselves in rich food. and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, Meditation my steadfast, sure love for David. 4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples, Read Ephesians 2:1-10 a leader and commander for the peoples. Grace describes the way God relates to us, and with 5 See, you shall call nations that you do not all people. Grace is an undeserved gift that can’t be earned, which we do not merit, of which we are to- know, tally unworthy. Grace is God’s absolutely free gift to and nations that do not know you shall run us. Grace accepts us where we are and loves us be- to you, cause we are. “But God proves his love for us in that because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) Israel, for he has glorified you. God’s grace begins working in our lives when God reaches out to seek a relationship with us. Remem- 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found, ber Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep? (Lk. 15:1-7) call upon him while he is near; There was a shepherd who had one hundred sheep. 7 let the wicked forsake their way, When one of them was lost, he left the ninety-nine and the unrighteous their thoughts; behind and went looking for the lost one, not stop- ping until he found it. That’s how God’s grace works let them return to the Lord, that he may have in our lives. When we go astray (and all of us do — mercy on them, “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have all and to our God, for he will abundantly turned to our own way.” Is. 53:6a), we break our rela- tionship with God. It’s not possible for us to restore pardon. (Continued on page 2) 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 1 “Amazing grace, . (Continued from page 1) Once we’re reconciled with God, God’s grace contin- ues to work in us and through us. Grace teaches us that relationship on our own, just as a lost sheep to see others through the eyes of Christ, to accept can’t find the way back to the flock—that’s why we them as they are, to try to understand them and see need God’s grace. the world through their eyes. Grace empowers us to love others as ourselves, and to work for freedom, The Good Shepherd comes looking for us even be- peace, and justice for all people. Grace has prepared fore we know who he is. It’s grace that reaches out good works in advance that God wants us to do. to us when we don’t realize our need to reach out Grace can transform our character to make us more to God. It’s grace that shows us that our lives are like Jesus—more loving, more joyous, more peace- empty without a relationship with Christ. Grace ful, more accepting of others, and more willing to tells us that God loves us as we are and desires a give and accept help. Grace brings us together with relationship with us. Grace informs us that God other people as we learn to love and forgive. The loves and forgives us no matter who we are, what grace that continues to work to transform our lives we’ve done, or how far away we’ve wandered from and uses us to transform the world is called Sancti- God. Grace convicts us of our sin, and convinces us fying Grace. that Jesus died to forgive our sin and reconcile us with God. The grace that leads us along the road to Do you recognize the ongoing work of God’s grace faith is called Prevenient Grace, meaning the grace in your life? Do you know his love and see his hand that goes before. at work? God is always gracious to us. May he teach us to treat others with grace equal to the grace God God’s grace continues when that relationship be- has shown us. comes real, when we say “yes” to God’s grace, and find a loving relationship with God. It’s nothing we can earn or merit or achieve for ourselves. It’s the Prayer gift of God’s grace. Remember the story of the Most gracious God, we thank you for your unfailing Prodigal Son? (Lk. 15:11-32) The younger son love for us. When we go astray, you seek us as a begged to receive his inheritance early from his fa- shepherd seeks lost sheep. You restore our relation- ther, went to a foreign land, and wasted it in extrav- ship with you, and enable us to restore our relation- agant living. When it was all gone, he had nothing, ships with others. You work through us to help oth- not even food to eat. He thought that he could go ers and to transform the world. Give us faith to ac- back to his father, and maybe his father would ac- cept your grace, and help us to see your presence in cept him as a servant. He no longer believed that he our lives. deserved to be called a son. But his father wel- comed him with open arms as his son, and celebrat- Give us the strength to be gracious to others. Teach ed his return, even though the son had done noth- us to accept others as they are, to see their needs ing to deserve it. That moment when he received and concerns, and to reach out to them in love. his father’s embrace was an act of grace, an act that Equip us to work for peace with justice in the world. restored his relationship with his father even We pray especially for people with health concerns, though it was undeserved. for people who have lost family members and friends, and for people who face any kind of materi- So it is with God and us. Grace leads us to faith in al or spiritual need. Heal them and make them whole Christ; faith is our acceptance of God’s offer of re- in the power of your grace. We pray for America, pentance and forgiveness (we’re saved by grace and for all the nations of the world, for the preserva- through faith). For some of us this act of reconcilia- tion and increase of freedom and peace. tion happens at a particular moment in time; for others it may be a gradual process. Either way, it’s May your grace guide us every day. Fill us anew with an act of God’s grace. The aspect of grace that rec- the joy and peace of your Holy Spirit, that we may onciles us with God is called Justifying Grace. worship you in all that we say and do; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2 . how sweet the sound.” Adams Rescue Mission Weekly Prayer Concerns Golf Tournament To add someone to this prayer list, please call the Join the 7th Annual Golf Tournament to benefit the church office. Adams Rescue Mission at The Links at Gettysburg This week’s list (as of 7/6/2021) is: on September 18. Register online at www.adamsrescuemission.org. Sponsorship op- Rodney Truscott portunities still available. Call Heidi with questions Penny Daugherty 717-334-7502 x 26. Scott Bowers Imogene Hunt’s brother Florence Davis Mary Fleming Ben Fisher Rev. Meredith Ball Family and friends of Charles Reeder (Cathy Libera’s father who passed on 6/27) Chuck and Rochelle Lutz Judy Woolston Erin Voss (Bill & Dale Shade’s niece) Members in Assisted Living / Skilled Care Homes: Edith Bulman (SpiriTrust Lutheran, York); Shirley Hammond (Morning Glory, Little- stown); Missy Legay (Moul Home, York); Peg- gy Reynolds (Quincy-cottage, Waynesboro); Gloria Swingler (Country Meadows- Bountiful Blessings apartment, Mechanicsburg ) Members with Limited Mobility: Once again we are in need of more shampoo, tooth Butch Carter, Betty Cook, Joyce Dye, Barbara paste and dish liquid for this program. Any dona- Evans, Pearl Keckler, Raymond Koenig, tions can be placed in the labeled bin near the office Chuck Lutz, Ruth Anna Polley, Wilma Schai- doors. Thank you so much. ble, Betty Schulteis, June Spencer Car Wash Change to Weekly Mailings The participants of the Bountiful Blessings program Since we have resumed using worship bulletins on will be providing a free car wash, from 9:00 – noon Sundays, these devotional mailings will be biweekly on Saturday, July 17th, to you, the congregation of (instead of weekly) for July and Aug.
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