OPENING TO GOD Thomas Merton land to the place called Sh’khem, to the oak of Moreh.

The
Quote for Reflection: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. Kena‘ani were then in the land.
Authentic spiritual life calls us to feel what we feel, I cannot see the road ahead of me.

even when what we feel is uncomfortable or painful. YHWH appeared to Avram and said, “To your descendants I
I cannot know for certain where it will end. will give this land.” So he built an altar there to YHWH, who
Authentic spiritual life calls us to speak truth, Nor do I really know myself,
even when we'd rather pretend had appeared to him.
And the fact that I think I am following Your will
there are no difficult truths to be spoken. He left that place, went to the hill east of Beit-El and pitched
Does not mean that I am actually doing so.
Authentic spiritual life calls us to pursue justice, his tent. With Beit-El to the west and ‘Ai to the east, he built an
even when we'd rather imagine that if we close our eyes But, I believe that the desire to please You altar there and called on the name of YHWH.
to injustice it will simply go away on its own.  does in fact please You.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
 Then Avram journeyed on by stages, continuing toward the
Rachel Barenblat, “The Velveteen Rabbi” Negev.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this You will lead me by the right road,
Though I may know nothing about it.
We Gather as God’s People Therefore I will trust You always
 We Respond to God’s Word
Though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
REFLECTION Handle with Care
HYMN The God of Abram Praise UMH 116 I will not fear, for You are ever with me

And You will never leave me to face my perils alone. HYMN Father, We Have Heard You Calling W&S 3150
CALL TO WORSHIP based on a Ghanian prayer
We have come from different places and gathered here, today.
 PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We Listen for God’s Word
We have gathered to worship the Journeying God
Who led Avram and Sarai to a new land;
 PRAYER FOR THE WEEK What Kind of Faith?
Who led the people from Egypt to freedom. Each morning or evening, read Genesis 12:1-9. Reflect on
HEBREW SCRIPTURE Genesis 12:1-9 some of the questions below:
You who are poor in spirit, why have you come?
 Now YHWH said to Avram,
To hear good news.
 What kind of faith does it take to embark on a journey,
‘Lech Lecha—’
especially a journey not of our choosing?
You who are brokenhearted, why have you come?
 Go forth into yourself,
To heal our hearts.
 out of your country What kind of faith does it take to make the first step and then
away from your relatives, another and another?
You who are captive, why have you come?

and your father’s home. What kind of faith does it take to clamp down our fears and
To hear words of freedom.

Go to the land that I will show you. boldly go?
You who are prisoners, why have you come?

I will make you a great nation, What kind of faith does it take to embrace what is new and
To be released from what binds us.

I will bless you. different, unfamiliar or downright scary?
You who mourn, why have you come?
 I will make your name great, What kind of faith does it take to journey with God into the
To receive comfort.
 and you will be a blessing. unknown, with a spring in our step and a song in our heart?
Fellow travelers, we are welcome here in this place. I will bless those who bless you,
What kind of faith?
and whoever curses you, I will curse.
SPIRITUAL Give Me Jesus W&S 3140 Through you every family on earth will be blessed. OFFERING & DOXOLOGY
So Avram went, as YHWH had said to him, and Lot went with
PASSING THE PEACE
him. Avram was 75 years old when he left Haran. Avram took
YOUNG PEOPLE’S MESSAGE
his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, and all their possessions We Are Sent Into God’s World
which they had accumulated, as well as the people they had
acquired in Haran; then they set out for the land of Kena‘an ANNOUNCEMENTS
TAIZÉ In God Alone W&S 3135
and entered the land of Kena’an. Avram passed through the
BENEDICTION
 Essex Eats Out Schedule Here are people, places, & concerns folk have recently lifted
up. Please keep them in your prayers at home.
Sept 21 - St James Sept 28 - EUMC Please call or email the church office to add to the prayer list.

Birthdays & Anniversaries Ongoing Prayers Lifted Up Last Sunday

Tim Eve - student dealing with cancer

Avram & Sarai

September 20 - Sean Hennessey
Lenore Eve- Delaney & friends
Calendar Michael Parker Sally - granddaughter Carly, healing of
Tuesdays: Pastor is In- The Nest Coffee Shop 10am - noon Keenan body, mind & soul
Church Office noon- 2:00 pm Arlitha Joanne - strength, friend’s addiction
Mt Mansfield Bible Study 2 pm, begins Oct 2 Callie
Bob - Ginger, healing from broken bone
Grace Naylor
Thursdays: Church Office noon- 2:00 pm Anne Kennison Heidi - Brenda & family, death of Taylor
Gloria McKeen
Sun, 16 Sep: Sunday School Begins, 10:00 am
Mary Willard
All-Church Update Meeting after Worship Norma Strickland
Judy & Diezela
Mon, 17 Sep: Questions of Faith Begins Session One Matthew C.
in the Parlor, 7:00 pm. Elissa & Leif
Tue, 18 Sep: Trustees Meeting 7 pm Greg
Paula DeMichele
Fri, 21 Sep: WoWW Widows’ Luncheon, Hoagies, 11:30 am Don Strickland
Ellie Uckele
Mon, 24 Sep: Monday Companions Begins at Eve’s home on
Cole
Brown’s River Road. 7:00 pm
Harley
Tue, 25 Sep: Pastor-Parish Relations Meeting 7 pm Gordon Mitchinson

Fri, 28 Sep: Essex Eats Out at EUMC, 5:30 pm

Sun, 7 Oct: World Communion Sunday

Sat, 13 Oct: Mission Soup Supper, for COTS, VT Refugee

Resettlement Program and other local missions,
$10 tickets, 5:00 pm at ECUMC

Essex Center United Methodist Church

Announcements essex_umc@comcast.net tel. 878-8304
www.essexumc.com
Helping Refugee families: there is a red box in the fellowship Ministers: the entire congregation Lay Leader: Joshua Knox
hall for collecting gently-used preschool-sized clothing, Equipping Pastor: Rev. V. Mitchell Hay
especially winter clothing & coats. cell tel. 881-3268 (feel free to call) mitchellhay@comcast.net
Office Manager: Heidi Evans
Essex Center
United Methodist Church
Parking. Our parking lot can get quite busy, please consider Organ: Kathryn Parker Piano: June Packard
parking across the street for Sunday Service, this will allow those Song Leader: Dana Thomas Projection: Sam Evans
with small children and those that can’t walk as far to park close Greeters - Ron & Linda Deming
by the church. Ushers - John & Patty Mitchell, Clare Noble 16 September 2018 17th Sunday after Pentecost
 The Immigrant’s Creed The Immigrant’s Creed The Immigrant’s Creed
(Presbyterian Church, modified) (Presbyterian Church, modified) (Presbyterian Church, modified)

I believe in Almighty God,
 I believe in Almighty God,
 I believe in Almighty God,


who guided the people in exile and in exodus, who guided the people in exile and in exodus, who guided the people in exile and in exodus,
the God of Abraham and Sara in Canaan, the God of Abraham and Sara in Canaan, the God of Abraham and Sara in Canaan,
the God of Joseph in Egypt,Naomi in Moab, Daniel in Babylon,
 the God of Joseph in Egypt,Naomi in Moab, Daniel in Babylon,
 the God of Joseph in Egypt,Naomi in Moab, Daniel in Babylon,

the God of foreigners, sojourners, aliens, and immigrants. the God of foreigners, sojourners, aliens, and immigrants. the God of foreigners, sojourners, aliens, and immigrants.

I believe in Jesus Christ,
 I believe in Jesus Christ,
 I believe in Jesus Christ,


a displaced Galilean refugee,
 a displaced Galilean refugee,
 a displaced Galilean refugee,

who was born away from his people and his home,
 who was born away from his people and his home,
 who was born away from his people and his home,

who fled his country with his parents when his life was in danger,
 who fled his country with his parents when his life was in danger,
 who fled his country with his parents when his life was in danger,

and returning to his own country suffered the oppression
 and returning to his own country suffered the oppression
 and returning to his own country suffered the oppression

of the tyrant Pontius Pilate, the servant of a foreign power,
 of the tyrant Pontius Pilate, the servant of a foreign power,
 of the tyrant Pontius Pilate, the servant of a foreign power,

who then was persecuted, beaten, and finally tortured,
 who then was persecuted, beaten, and finally tortured,
 who then was persecuted, beaten, and finally tortured,

accused and condemned to death unjustly.
 accused and condemned to death unjustly.
 accused and condemned to death unjustly.

But on the third day, this scorned Jesus rose from the dead,
 But on the third day, this scorned Jesus rose from the dead,
 But on the third day, this scorned Jesus rose from the dead,

not as a foreigner but to offer us citizenship in heaven. not as a foreigner but to offer us citizenship in heaven. not as a foreigner but to offer us citizenship in heaven.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
 I believe in the Holy Spirit,
 I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the eternal immigrant from God’s kingdom among us,
 the eternal immigrant from God’s kingdom among us,
 the eternal immigrant from God’s kingdom among us,

who speaks all languages, lives in all countries,
 who speaks all languages, lives in all countries,
 who speaks all languages, lives in all countries,

and reunites all races. and reunites all races. and reunites all races.

I believe that the church is the secure home
 I believe that the church is the secure home
 I believe that the church is the secure home

for the foreigner and for all believers who constitute it,
 for the foreigner and for all believers who constitute it,
 for the foreigner and for all believers who constitute it,

who speak the same language and have the same purpose. who speak the same language and have the same purpose. who speak the same language and have the same purpose.
I believe that the communion of the saints begins
 I believe that the communion of the saints begins
 I believe that the communion of the saints begins

when we accept the diversity of the saints. when we accept the diversity of the saints. when we accept the diversity of the saints.

I believe in the forgiveness of sin, which makes us all equal,
 I believe in the forgiveness of sin, which makes us all equal,
 I believe in the forgiveness of sin, which makes us all equal,

and in reconciliation, which identifies us more
 and in reconciliation, which identifies us more
 and in reconciliation, which identifies us more

than does race, language, or nationality. than does race, language, or nationality. than does race, language, or nationality.

I believe that in the resurrection
 I believe that in the resurrection
 I believe that in the resurrection

God will unite us as one people
 God will unite us as one people
 God will unite us as one people

in which all are distinct
 in which all are distinct
 in which all are distinct

and all are alike at the same time. and all are alike at the same time. and all are alike at the same time.

Beyond this world, I believe in life eternal
 Beyond this world, I believe in life eternal
 Beyond this world, I believe in life eternal

in which no one will be an outsider
 in which no one will be an outsider
 in which no one will be an outsider

but all will be citizens of God’s kingdom,
 but all will be citizens of God’s kingdom,
 but all will be citizens of God’s kingdom,

which will never end. Amen. which will never end. Amen. which will never end. Amen.