Steinbach United

To commit ourselves to Jesus Christ - To communicate God’s love to others - To live our lives as servants of

God

“EPIPHANY” JANUARY 24,

The Way of the World and the Alternative of the Gospel

The Bible presents us with stories about human experience. The stories are told to permit insight and understanding about our freedom and our responsibility in history.

Persons of faith who devote a fair portion of time to reading the stories will discover a basic pattern at work. That pattern is indicated in the small drawing to the right. The details of the image are taken from the story of Israel’s Exodus from the social structures of Egypt by which they had been kept in bondage. The same pattern is found in the stories of Israel’s return to their own land after a lengthy exile in Babylon.

It is this pattern of liberation from diverse forms of social inequality, produced by an unjust balance of power, that stands at the heart of the gospel stories about Jesus during the time of Roman exploitation and oppression.

When reading and discussing the Bible we should be careful to avoid thinking that it is only about who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. We will be much better served when we accept that the Bible is primarily concerned with how we act while we are alive on this earth. In our time, as in all the great historical periods of the past, the abuse of power is the problem to be solved. Giving our very best effort to participate in working for justice at home and abroad we will discover that things do not need to be as they are. As each of us makes the decision to keep the way of God, the state of our own personal experience and the state of the world in which we live are positively affected and true healing takes root. Is there anything more important?

Sunday Morning Service – January 24, 2015 - “Epiphany”

Announcements and Sharing of Celebrations

Songs “O for A Thousand Tongues” VU 326“In Loving Partnership We Come” VU 603

Sharing and Learning “The Lord’s Prayer”

Reading Psalm 19 [responsive] VU 740

Song “When Pain of the World” VU 598

Reading Nehemiah 8: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Luke 4: 14-21

Reflections “Days of Decision”

Song “Will You Come and Follow Me” VU 567

Responsive Prayer “A Prayer of Confession and Thanksgiving”

Mission Minute “Healing in a Nuclear Zone”

Offering “What Can I Do?” MV 191

Song “To Show by Touch and Word” VU 427

Blessing and Passing the Peace

“Some believe it is only Great Power that Can Hold Evil in Check.  But that is not what I have found.  I have found that it is the Small Everyday Deeds of Ordinary Folk that Keep the Dark Forces at Bay.  Small Acts of Kindness and Love.” Gandalf

NEWS AND NOTES

Board Meeting - This Thursday – January 28th at 7:00PM.

Ed Silinski’s 70 Birthday – Everyone Welcome – come to the Breakfast Party Celebration on Saturday, January 30th in CE Building at 9:30AM.

Annual Meeting – Sunday, February 28th, directly following Worship Service.

Syrian Relief Contributions – The Government will be extending their deadline for Matching Donations to the end of February.

Annual Reports –Thanks to all that have already submitted their annual reports. Please send in all reports to the church office by January 31st. Thank you.

Subscription Renewals – Another reminder for you to renew your subscriptions to Observer ($25); and “The Upper Room” or “These Days” ($11) – Please stop by the church office or include in your offering. Thank you!

Regular Church Office Hours – Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00AM-2:00PM.