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Where Are You, God?

WELCOME TO TODAY'S WORSHIP SERVICE


January 24, 2010


Where Are You, God?

Open your Bible


Light a candle




OPENING SONG
On Eagle's Wings 

READINGS
From the Bible:

1 Corinthians 12:12-31 (New International Version)

12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[b]? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desire[c] the greater gifts.
And now I will show you the most excellent way.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Corinthians 12:13 Or with; or in
b. 1 Corinthians 12:30 Or other languages
c. 1 Corinthians 12:31 Or But you are eagerly desiring


From Swedenborg: 

True Christianity, 412

A community is like a person.  In fact, the people who make up the community form a single body, i a sense.  They are differentiated from each other like the parts of a single body. ...Love for a comunity is a fuller form of love for ourneighbor than love for a single individual.



 

MESSAGE

Where Are You, God?

 

 Where was God during the earthquake that devastated Haiti just over a week ago?

In this season of Epiphany, we look for God to be revealed. How is God revealed to us in a devastation such as the earthquake?

Is God in the earthquake?

Last week, an American preacher  said that the whole country of Haiti is “cursed” because its founders made a “pact with the devil” some 200 years ago.

Would God curse a people? We talk about natural disasters as “acts of God,” as though God wills them to happen to certain people at a particular time. We say that events are “God’s will.” Do we really mean that God wills disaster to happen?

Swedenborg tells us that God has give free will to humanity, and honors that free will.  We are free to choose our actions. But God does not single out individuals or communities to suffer.

 

Is God in poverty?

Nearly 80 percent of Haiti’s population lives in abject poverty. How is this possible?  One preacher wrote last week? 

Years ago I read a book called Hunger for Justice. The author, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, described walking through the streets of Calcutta and being overwhelmed by the poverty and suffering of there. A moral outrage started welling up inside of him. How could this happen? Jack started yelling at God. How could you allow this to happen God? As he thought more deeply about the situation he realized that in the suffering and poverty of the poor God was yelling at him and all of us, and at our institutions and governments that tolerate situations like this to occur.

 

 Is God in our actions?

Is God in the rescue attempts?  Is God in the food and water and medicine that are being delivered to the Haitian people?  Is God in the rescue of orphans?

Swedenborg says that our acts of charity are the Divine in action.  God's spiritual love merges with our physical wisdom, and this union is expressed through our acts of love.

God is in who we are and what we do.

God is in the healing:

Every action of love helps in the healing.  Each $1 donated; each prayer given.


Art can be used for healing as well.  Here is an organization that helps children heal through art:


Funkor Child Art Centre is a part of Initiative for Rural & Sustainable  Development (IRSD) a registered (Reg:RS/ICT/145,dated Islamabad 1992 Societies ACT), private non- profit , non political voluntary organization.Funkor uses the medium of arts to extend children’s outlook and awareness of the concepts of environment and heritage protection, human rights, equality, tolerance and peace. Funkor is committed to promoting art among children and generating healthy and creative activities for children from a broad spectrum of society. Funkor is made up of an urdu word fun meaning art and kor a pushtu word meaning house, in other words an art house for children. Art is a luxury not many children can afford in Pakistan. Art activities are non-existent in schools for the children from the lower income group. A minority of privileged children going to private schools have art as a subject, but for the majority of children belonging to the under privileged sections of society art is a luxury they cannot afford. Art activity is a very entertaining event for children who have never experienced the joy of painting. 



God is with all of those who suffer.

God is with you at this very moment. 

How do you feel God at work in your life today?

CLOSING SONG
Here I Am, Lord

 

 

Now extinguish your candle                       




 
And close the Bible.       


Go in peace; knowing that every loving action we take is part of God's work with us.

 
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