At its heart, worship is about what we value most, what is worth our time and devotion. Impatient and anxious people sometimes make very foolish choices. In Exodus 32, when Moses is delayed on the mountain, the people are persuaded to create a false god to worship. How can we maintain our trust in anxious times?
Worship this week:
SATURDAY EVENING at 5:00PM
- A modified traditional worship service, generally less than 45 minutes. We gather the smaller chapel on the Front Street side of the building
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP
8:30 AM — Traditional Worship
- We gather in the main sanctuary for liturgical Lutheran worship, accompanied by the pipe organ and featuring our excellent choir.
9:30 AM Sunday School Classes
- Classes for age 3 and up are held throughout the building, while there is time for coffee and conversation in the fellowship hall.
10:30 AM — Contemporary Worship
- Led by our Praise Team we share contemporary Christian music, God’s Word and prayer in the sanctuary.
Devotions for this week:
Israel and the Golden Calf October 9, 2016
SHARE: What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?
READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding:
Sunday: Golden Calf, Exodus 32:1-14
Monday: God Calls Joshua, Joshua 1:1-11
Tuesday: Rahab Helps God’s People, Joshua 2:1-24, 6:1-27
Wednesday: Deborah Helps Barak, Judges 4:4-10
Thursday: Gideon Tests God, Judges 6:36-7:23
Friday: Samson and Delilah, Judges 16:1-31
Saturday: Ruth and Naomi, Ruth 1:1-22
TALK: Consider some of these ideas:
“Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, …’” And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people. Exodus 32:13-14
- How did the people move from the wilderness to the Promised Land?
- How does a peaceful crowd become a rebellious riot? How can we lead groups of people to behave faithfully and peacefully?
- What kinds of things take God’s place in your life? How can you rid yourself of false idols and follow only God?
- In an absurd response to Moses’ delay, the Israelites are persuaded to melt down their jewelry and form a golden calf to worship. Hmmm…what might God think of that?
PRAY: Your patience, O God, is never ending and your wrath quick to subside. Teach us to cast aside all that is false and turn to you alone, for the sake of Jesus, Amen.
