Welcome to a Gathering of EChurch@Wartburg
Here Is Our Order of Worship
If you are new to EChurch, please click on this link for an explanation
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit Regarding Anxiety
"O Holy Spirit, give me stillness of soul in you.
Calm the turmoil within, with the gentleness of your peace.
Quiet the anxiety within, with a deep trust in you.
Heal the wounds of sin within, with the joy of your forgiveness.
Strengthen the faith within, with the awareness of your presence.
Confirm the hope within, with the knowledge of your strength.
Give fullness to the love within, with an outpouring of your love.
O Holy Spirit, be to me a source of light, strength and courage
so that I may hear your call ever more clearly
and follow you more generously."
~ William Browning link
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13:9 (NASB Bible Gateway)
Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
Let us join in the prayer of a brother from a distant time
"O Lord, who has mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of your Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore You,
a heart to delight in You,
to follow and enjoy You, for Christ's sake
Amen"
St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 339-397)-Creative Commons link
Benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
II Corinthians 13:14 link
Loved this sermon! I am strengthened by grace…but am also strengthened by your sermons, Wade. Thank you.
Thanks, Deb for the beautiful prayers and hymns. I’m especially fond of Amazing Grace.
Victorious,
Thanks! 🙂 I, too, am amazed by Deb and Dee and all the hard work they put into E-Church. The amount of time necessary to write, answer questions, research, and plan makes it difficult for me to see how they have time for anything else! Did I not know of their smarts and their abilities to multi-task, I might be concerned for their health. 🙂 Thanks, Deb and Dee!
Why do we tend to elevate and reward false teachings/teachers? Random pondering with this, but I really don’t understand it. Happens all of the time. Those that abuse and control their congregations get honored by those outside of their church. Makes no sense. Sorry, not such a great comment…just where I’m at. Hate it.
Tammy,
I believe institutional Christianity is not the same thing as personal Christianity. Our problems come from institutions that carry the name Christian, are established like a business or government with “top-down” authorities who tell people what to do, and it is difficult to integrate the teachings of Jesus that “he who is greatest among you will be servant to all” in an institution (and world) that rewards control, power, and authority. For what its worth.
thank you Wade for such a timely sermon.
I really like your preaching Pastor Burleson! Listening to you is beginning to be a habit. I also echo Pastor Burleson’s first comment of thanks to Dee and Deb. I appreciate all your efforts involved in this blog.
@ TW:
It has been such a privilege to connect with so many wonderful people around the world like you. 🙂
@ Wade Burleson:
You are so kind! Listening to your messages every week have helped me more than you will ever know.
Loved this sermon, Wade….Thank you!