June 6th Virtual Worship
Music Ministry Team: Kristin Petty, Dwight Huntley, Matthew Leone, Rene Vazquez
Worship Team: Sarah Haas, Marc Hayden
Technology Team: Michael Kendall, Mark Raker, Jerry Weissinger
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Key Notes from the reading & sermon:
This We Believe: We Trust God, the Creator
From the UCC Statement of Faith
You call the worlds into being, create persons in your own image, and set before each one the ways of life and death. You seek in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin. You judge people and nations by your righteous will declared through prophets and apostles.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.
[Reading above - Romans 1: 16-23]
Paul begins his letter to the Romans with a healthy dose of reality: the world of humanity is a mess, and no one is without guilt and responsibility. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (3:23). People who lack faith have rejected the revelation of the God of creation. People of faith talk a lot about God but have failed to keep the Divine commandments. Paul uses the opening chapters of his letter to make clear our need for the good news he will share next in this ancient letter.
Questions for Reflection:
Paul lists some of the problems produced by our failure to live-up to God’s covenant in 1:29-31. It is one thing to see others in that list but since we have all fallen short of God’s way, can you honestly see yourself in that list?
How does owning your shortcomings make you feel? Why is confession a necessary part of forgiveness and reconciliation? How does putting things right grow from taking responsibility?
In the last year, many of us began to be honest about the systems of injustice that are built into our society. Can you name some of those societal systems that fail to achieve “liberty and justice for all”? What are the problems these systems perpetuate? What steps can be taken to restructure our society in the graceful and peaceful ways of Christ?