EChurch@Wartburg – 8.2.15

Welcome to Our Gathering of EChurch@Wartburg

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Here Is Our Order of Worship


Prayer by Anselm, (1033-1109), archbishop of Canterbury and renowned theologian link

Lord, because you have made me, I owe you the whole of my love;
because you have redeemed me, I owe you the whole of myself;
because you have promised so much, I owe you all my being. 
Moreover, I owe you as much more love than myself as you are greater than I,
for whom you gave yourself and to whom you promised yourself. 
I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge;
let me know by love what I know by understanding. 
I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more,
and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you. 
Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of love. 
I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love.
Amen

Prayer for humble reliance upon God link
by Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), a German born monk who lived in Holland, author of the Imitation of Christ 

Lord, if you withdraw your hand, there is no grace.
If you cease to guide us, we have no wisdom.
If you no longer defend us, we have no courage.
If you do not strengthen us, our chastity is vulnerable.
If you do not keep a holy watch over us, our watchfulness cannot protect us.
By ourselves we sink, we perish; when you are with us, we are uplifted, we live.
We are shaky, you make us firm.  We are lukewarm, you inflame us.
Amen

We are pleased to share an inspirational message delivered last Sunday by Joseph Drueke, student pastor at Emmanuel Enid.  Joseph is having a tremendous impact on the lives of the youth at his church.

Scripture Reading: Acts 4:1-31 (NASB Bible Gateway)

As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.  And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Threat and Release

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.” And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.  And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,

‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
And the peoples devise futile things?
‘The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”  And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.


Prayer for Christ's light to shine through us link
by Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), foundress of the Missionaries of Charity 

Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go.  
Flood our souls with your spirit and life.  
Penetrate and possess our whole being, so utterly,  
That our lives may only be a radiance of yours.  
Shine through us, and be so in us,  
That every soul we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul.  
Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus!  
Stay with us, and then we shall begin to shine as you shine;  
So to shine as to be a light to others.  
The light O Jesus will be all from you, none of it will be ours;  
It will be you, shining on others through us.  
Let us thus praise you without preaching, not by words but by our example,  
By the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what we do,  
The evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.  
Amen. 


Benediction-Jude 1:20,21  link

Beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God,
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.  

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