Sunday Worship, April 26, 2020 – Fragrant Offering

Instructions: The words and videos below are meant to be read and played in sequence, together forming one complete worship service. Begin by pressing play on the first video.

God Bless!

John Weasley once challenged the church to. . .

• Do all the good you can,
• By all the means you can,
• In all the ways you can,
• In all the places you can,
• At all the times you can,
• To all the people you can,
• As long as ever you can.

His challenge cuts straight to the dangerous simplicity of our faith.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus criticized the religious leaders for making faith too complicated, for focusing on the details, for making many and convoluted demands.

In contrast, Jesus said that the demands of faith should be simple.

To follow Jesus requires no complex rules or elaborate rituals. To follow Jesus is simply this: to do whatever good thing we can, whenever we can do it, to the full extent that we can do it…

This is the challenge to the Church…

And Let Us Pray…

Lord God, Creator, Redeemer,

We lift before you the concerns that we share with our world…

… with our nation …

… with our communities …

… our families …

… our friends …

… our neighbors …

… and ourselves …

Watch over us, and guide us in these times of uncertainty and fear, into your promise and your future.

Forgive us for all the wrong that we have done,

Willingly and unwillingly,

Knowingly or unknowingly.

Give us your grace, to resist tomorrow whatever temptation we have given into today,

To persevere in challenges we have yet to face,

To live beyond fear.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our example, Amen.

Now, I’m pleased to introduce my father, Pastor Norman Bude, and his message for this Sunday.

We cannot be neutral.

As the song is played, consider this. What does it mean for your life – right now? How do you free you tiny patch of this world from the weeds that have invaded it? How will you work with God to make a positive impact?

We do not control this world, only our own part within it. And maybe, if everyone did just do their own small part to make this world better, it would be enough.

So, in the week ahead, whether you go out, or stay in, remember the simple, world shattering challenge, to…

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

Amen.