Filled, emptied, refilled

November 10, 2024 Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17 25th Sunday After Pentecost Filled, emptied, refilled Year B Prelude Greeting Call to Worship Call to Worship #1 L: Come, take your rest this day P: Lord, free us from the stresses we have endured this week. L: Come, put your minds at ease. P: Lord, ease the burdens and frustrations of our lives. L: Come. For this is the house of the Lord. It is here that you will find peace. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Opening Prayer Merciful God, some of us come this morning having worked our worried fingers to the bone. Some of us yearn for rest. Some of us come filled with fear, or struggling with anxiety. Renew in us a sense of confidence that you DO bring beauty, provide security, and offer us deep “shalom”/peace/rest. May the reading of scripture, the proclamation of Good News, our voices raised in songs of praise all work together to provide confidence in you, and in your desires for us and for this world. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith ad Giving) Song Love Divine, All Love Excelling UMH 384 A Sermon for All Ages The importance of loyalty Loyalty is an important trait to have in any relationship. It can be seen in Ruth and Naomi, who were loyal to each other despite being from different cultures. This lesson is a great way to teach kids about loyalty and how it can be important in their own lives. How loyalty can be applied to everyday life Loyalty is an important trait to have in life. It can be applied to everything from your relationships with family and friends to your job and your beliefs. In the Bible story of Ruth and Naomi, Ruth was a loyal friend to Naomi and did everything she could to help her. Naomi was also very loyal to Ruth and did everything she could to help her. This story shows us that it is important to be loyal to others, even when things are tough. The Bible is full of stories of loyal friends. Ruth and Naomi are two such friends. Ruth was a Moabite woman who was taken in by Naomi, an Israelite woman. Naomi was a widow who had lost her two sons in a famine. Ruth took care of Naomi and helped her to recover from her loss. In the end, Naomi and Ruth were able to return to their own people and culture, but they always remained loyal friends. This story is a great example of how being loyal to others can help us to recover from difficult times. (Ministry toChildren) Prayer for Transformation and New Life God of mercy and possibilities, forgive us for clinging to the measures of success and security in our world rather than trusting in the abundance of your creation. Help us to recognize the kindom coming and our role as participants in your realm. Liberate us from the bonds of consumerism, scarcity, and self-centeredness, and make us vessels of your love come alive in the world. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Words of Grace Beloved, you are inheritors of the kindom of God. You receive riches beyond compare. The Holy One journeys with you and enables you to grow in grace, peace, and contentment. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Scripture Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 Sermon Filled, Emptied, Refilled Song Blessed Be the Name UMH 63 (sing twice) Prayer God who redeems, ground us in your ethic of love, tune our ears to voices long silenced, open our heart to each other and particularly those who suffer, and help us attend to the many extraordinary ways you are pres- ent to us in this world. In this moment of prayer, we pause to give thanks for … Our lungs that fill with every breath, reminding us we are alive … Our hearts that beat within us, leading us to love and relationship … Our hands and feet that guide and support us in work and service … Our minds that contemplate your great mysteries through Word and worship … God of grace, we offer our prayers for the needs of others and commit ourselves to serve as we have been served in Jesus Christ. In this signifi- cant moment in the life of our nation, we pause to pray for … Those we have elected to the privilege of political leadership … Those who are exhausted from navigating divisiveness and hostile disagreement … Those burdened by a future full of uncertainty and change … Those in need of courage to embrace change and move forward … Merciful God, empower us to love and minister to all who are suffering. Break into our lives to reveal your eternal wisdom and your path of righ- teousness. Call us to journey together in common purpose and common mission, to be the Body of Christ in this, your world. (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri McDowell Ott) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Invitation to the Offering (Just print the title) O Lord, you graciously pour out your blessings on us. Your gifts surround us. Despite our abundance, help us see the widow’s gift, for we long to give as she did, gladly giving all she had. All we have is a gift from your hand. Help us loosen our hands, giving to work of this church on your behalf, for in giving freely to you, we gain the opportunity to live abundant lives! Offering Prayer or Communion Prayer or Great Thanksgiving Take this, the gifts of our hands, and the enterprise of our families, and bless and multiply them for the sake of your kingdom alone. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Sheri Jackson Monson) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook To live as God’s people of abundance, while not giving in to the pull of our culture, you’re going to need the power of the Holy Spirit. Lift your hands and hearts, in the name of the Father, who sustains us, and the Son, who instructs us, and the Spirit, who leads us. Go forth to love and serve the Lord— the one who loves the widow and the orphan. Sing the Lord’s song of hope in dry lands! (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Sheri Jackson Monson) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction When the needs of the world compel you, May the blessings of God assure you, May the abundance of God inspire you, and May the goodness of God embolden you To resist the systems of scarcity and To embrace a life of generosity, compassion, and mutuality In the presence of Creator’s abundance. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay)