Love is a gift from God. Song of Solomon is a celebration of the passionate love shared between two people. The entire book suggests that this kind of love is a gift from God.

Worship with Holy Communion  this week:

Saturday  at 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday at 8:30 a.m. traditional worship

10:00 a.m. Contemporary worship

Devotions for this week:

Love & Passion                 Song of Solomon                 August 1-2, 2015

Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Song of Solomon 8:6

Song of Solomon is a celebration of physical, passionate love. It lifts up love as a gift from God that endures all of life’s challenges.

Read: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding of Sunday’s text. After the reading, ask the follow-up questions.

Sunday, Song of Solomon 2:10-13; 8:6-7, Love and Passion

Monday, Song of Solomon 3:1-5, Love’s Dream

Tuesday, Song of Solomon 3:6-11, The Groom and His Party

Wednesday, Song of Solomon 4:1 – 5:1, The Bride’s Beauty

Thursday, Song of Solomon 6:1-13, The Bride’s Beauty

Friday, Song of Solomon 7:1-9, Expressions of Praise

Saturday, Song of Solomon 8:8-14, Homecoming

• What is the nature of these texts? What is the main focus?
• What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?
• How is physical love viewed in your community? Where is it exemplified? Where is it scorned? Why?
• How do you express love for another? How do you know you are loved?

Do: By acting on what we learn, we make God’s word come alive. Do the following activity this week.

Keep a journal of the shows you watch regularly on TV. How is sexuality portrayed in the shows you watch? Discuss with your household where your values are consistent with what you view in your favorite shows and where they conflict.

Bless:    May God bless your love relationships. Amen.

Worship this week with Bishop Mary Froiland preaching:

Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. traditional worship

10:00 a.m. contemporary worship

11:00 a.m. potluck meal in fellowship hall

(If weather is too warm, we will move to the air conditioned fellowship hall.)

Devotions for this week:

For everything there is season                                         July 25-26, 2015

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.                                                                                                                             Ecclesiastes 3:1

For every human experience, there is a time and a place for the experience to occur. Even though we would prefer to live only in the happy moments, all of the moments of our lives are a precious gift to be experienced fully.

Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding of Sunday’s text. After the reading, ask the follow-up questions.

Sunday, Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; 3:1-17, For Everything There Is a Season

Monday, Ecclesiastes 3:9-15, The God-Given Task

Tuesday, Ecclesiastes 4:9-16, The Value of a Friend

Wednesday, Ecclesiastes 5:1-20, Reverence, Humility, and Contentment

Thursday, Ecclesiastes 6:1-12, The Frustration of Desires

Friday, Ecclesiastes 9:1-12, Take Life as It Comes

Saturday, Ecclesiastes 11:1-10, The Value of Diligence

• How is wisdom compared to other values in these readings?
• What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?
• What do you think of the writer’s words that there are times for both the positive things in life and the negative? How can we honor all the times of our lives?
• What is the most difficult thing you have had to face? Where was/is God in your struggle?

Choose a story from the news that touches your heart. Discuss your concerns with your household or with a friend. Pray daily for all the people involved in the story, whether they are victims, witnesses, or perpetrators.

Close your devotion with a blessing.

May God bless every season of your life. Amen.

Wisdom thrives when knowledge of God is sought. The gift of wisdom is happiness. The seeking of God leads to a deeply embedded joy.

 Worship this week:

Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

               10:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship
Devotions for this week: 

The Gifts of Wisdom                                                             July 18-19, 2015

Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold;
for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

                                                                                    Proverbs 8:10-11

Wisdom is the knowledge of God. Before God created anything, God made sure that knowledge of God was the foundation of all things. Knowledge of God is woven into the fabric of creation itself, and wisdom is the unfolding of that knowledge into our awareness.

Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding of Sunday’s text. After the reading, ask the follow-up questions.

Sunday, Proverbs 8:1-11, 22-36, The Gifts of Wisdom

Monday, Proverbs 9:1-6, Wisdom’s Feast

Tuesday, Proverbs 9:13-18, Folly’s Invitation and Promise

Wednesday, Proverbs 10:1-32, Wisdom of Solomon

Thursday, Proverbs 13:1-25, Wisdom of Solomon

Friday, Proverbs 18:1-24, Wisdom of Solomon

Saturday, Proverbs 20:1-30, Wisdom of Solomon

• What values do these readings lift up?
• What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?
• How do these proverbs shape the way community is supposed to act? Does your community share and follow these values? Why or why not?
• What values shape your daily behaviors?

God’s wisdom was present even at the time of creation. Make a list of 2-3 of your favorite things that God has created. Do some research online to see how your favorite things contribute to the well-being of creation.

Close your devotion with a blessing.

May God bring wisdom into your words and actions. Amen.

Sometimes people find themselves in search of the good life; what will make them happy? Too often people believe they will find happiness in the acquiring of possessions: more money, a bigger house, grander vacations. But these can lead to further distress, as each of these must be managed and protected. Proverbs suggests that happiness can be found in a simpler life: acting out of love, kindness, compassion, honor, loyalty, faithfulness.  This week we begin a series which looks at he wisdom tradition in the Bible — Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

Worship this week

Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

10:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship – Outside if weather permits (fellowship hall if too hot or rainy)  Music will be led by our synod youth band, and we will have a special blessing for our youth attending the National Gathering in Detroit.

Devotions for this week:

Trust & Honor God                                                      July 11-12, 2015

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight. Proverbs 3:5

Proverbs, a book of instruction on right living, lifts up the virtue of wisdom. People who seek wisdom and righteousness receive happiness and contentment. People who live foolishly receive punishment and discontentment. A happy life comes from knowledge and fear of the Lord.

Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding of Sunday’s text. After the reading, ask the follow-up questions.

Sunday, Proverbs 1:1-7; 3:1-8, Trust and Honor God

Monday, Proverbs 1:20-33, The Call of Wisdom

Tuesday, Proverbs 2:1-15, The Value of Wisdom

Wednesday, Proverbs 3:13-18, The True Wealth

Thursday, Proverbs 4:1-9, Parental Advice

Friday, Proverbs 4:10-27, Admonition to Keep the Right Path

Saturday, Proverbs 7:1-27, The False Attractions of Adultery

• What do these texts have in common? What are they trying to teach?
• What social norms are still consistent with the words of wisdom from the Proverbs? What social norms are contrary? How do you reconcile the differences?
• What are some of today’s words of wisdom that roll off your tongue? What do they mean?

Write down 5 sayings, quips, quotes, or advertising slogans that are common in your community. Write down what they mean and whether or not they are consistent with God’s words. Rewrite them so that they reflect the values you hold as a household.

Close your devotion with a blessing.

May God strengthen you with trust and honor. Amen.

Look at all the Lord has done! We can praise God with our whole selves because of God’s goodness.  All good things are possible only because we have a loving and faithful God!!

Worship this week:

(No Saturday worship this week )

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

10:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship

Devotions for the week:   A Song of Praise – Psalm 146       July 5, 2015
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. Psalm 146:1-2
The Lord does all good things that we cannot or will not do. No matter what we do or where we are, God remains faithful and acts diligently within this world. We can praise God for the miraculous and merciful things God does for God’s children.
These psalms of praise describe the many things God has done that are worthy of praise.
Sunday, Psalm 146, Psalm of Praise
Monday, Psalm 33, Psalm of Praise
Tuesday, Psalm 47, Psalm of Praise
Wednesday, Psalm 65, Psalm of Praise
Thursday, Psalm 103, Psalm of Praise
Friday, Psalm 114, Psalm of Praise
Saturday, Psalm 149, Psalm of Praise
• What do these praise psalms praise God for?
• Where do you see God working in the world? What has God done in your community/culture that deserves praise?
• Does praising God require feeling like praising God? Can we praise God when we’re feeling empty, sad, or angry? What would that look like?
Go to the website, upworthy.com. Find one or two stories that inspire you. Share them with others. Let the stories change you. Do something different with your life this week that is inspired by the stories you found.
Close your devotion with a blessing. Bless yourself or other members of your household. May God bless you with a voice for praise. Amen.