Today’s author is PoP’s Music Coordinator, Milt Warkentien.
This past Sunday the theme was “God’s Work, Our Hands”, and we had a reflection and thanks from the Youth Group’s trip to Colorado. On the surface “God’s Work, Our Hands” seems like a pretty easy chore, but is it really?
There are so many questions that arise when I think about trying to do God’s work.
Julene shared some reflections from the youth and the part I was most struck by was the youth that said they overcame some of their fears to do their daily mission projects. Do we really need to come out of our “protective bubble” to do God’s work? If so, What are some fears you must overcome to be able to do God’s work?
Does one have to go on a “mission trip”, or to a local “service project” to be able to do God’s Work? If not, How can one of God’s work in their everyday activities?
What does doing God’s work mean to you?
I think that John 13:34 is a good place to start, “A new command I give you: Love one another.” How simple that sounds, all we have to do is love one another. Just sharing God’s love with one another isn’t to difficult, is it? Two simple sounding phrases, with so many questions and difficulties within.
How do we do God’s work with our hands? How do we love one another inspire of our differences?
When looking for music for this service I went back to some music that I’d used in past reflection services.
The Prelude was “Look What God is Doing” by Liles, Boris and Brown. I like this song because it says we are not alone in being God’s work, our brothers and sisters are also doing God’s work.
The opening hymn was “Go Make a Difference” by Angrisano and Tomaszek. Just think of what might be done if we all started each day by wanting to make a difference in the world.
Next we sang “Kyrie Eleison” by Larry Olson. In this song we pray to the Lord that we may live out God’s impassioned response to the hungry and the poor. Praying for the strength to be God’s work, there’s a novel idea 🙂
The anthem song was “Light the Fire” by William Maxwell. I hope you heard the words while you watched the slide show. I find the words so true, “My spirit is willing, but my flesh is so weak”. Is that true for you, too? Again a prayer is used for God to “Light the fire in my soul and fan the flame to make me whole”.
The post sermon hymn was “We Are His Hands” by Mark Gersmehl. I especially like the first verse of this hymn, “His spirit lives within us, glowing like a river, filling us with strength, so that we can reach out for our brothers, help one another. Again, we Are Not alone being God’s work. God is with us!! Our brothers and sisters are with us!! We can be God’s work!
The sending hymn was “This Little Light of Mine”. I LOVE this hymn! It’s fun and says so much, so simply. The light of Christ that is within me I need to let shine. Where must it shine, everywhere! Where does the light of Christ come from, Jesus! Again, we are not alone.
The postlude was “Dream Small” by Josh Wilson. I love this song as it says that simple moments can change the world. The chorus of this song is “Don’t but the lie you’ve got to do it all. Just let Jesus use you where you are one day at a time. Live well living God and others as yourself. Find little ways where only you can help. With His great love, a tiny rock can make a giant fall, dream small.”
God’s work, our hands”. It is possible for this to happen as God is alive in all of us. We all have gifts to share. What may seem like nothing may be the beginning to a greater thing!
My prayer for us is that we all believe that we CAN do God’s work and that we start each day trying to be a difference. I urge you to take time to listen to the different musical parts of Sundays service and let the words and music be a part of your devotions this week. I leave you with “Go Make a Difference” today.