Greeting
Lighting of the Candles by the children (all of them, blow a couple of them out if there isn’t enough -- We circulate with the candles and the candlelighter so that the kids in wheelchairs can participate) and sing “This Little Light of Mine”
Worship Sequence number 61 in the Celebration Hymnal, litany based on Nehemiah 9:5-6, “Blessed be the Lord God Almighty” then “All Creatures of Our God and King”
Sermon -- Ask, Search, Knock – Matthew 7:7-11
Introduce the Decision bag: Green velvet bag that has stuff inside. How do you make decisions? One of my friends lent me her decision bag – Let’s see what’s inside.
Piece of paper labeled with a big One. So first, it says “make no decision at all.” Illustration: Paper or Plastic – Making no decision is really making a decision or sometime the decision is obvious – should I get gas? Let’s eat at Chick-Fil-A on Sunday….
Piece of paper labeled with a big Two: Look! A Quarter – flip a coin. Illustration: where are we going to lunch today? Heads for Mexican, tails for Italian – ah, heads! How about best two out of three. Some times we have the decision already made.
Piece of paper Labeled with a big Three taped to a Magic 8 Ball. Hey, look a Magic 8 ball! Let’s ask some questions. Should we go to lunch right now or wait until after worship? Should I hug Kelly? Sorta like the coin, huh?
Piece of paper labeled with a big four taped on my cell phone: Call a friend. Huh, she’s not at home. Oh yeah, she's at church. Well, I can call my interior decorator to see where we need to go to lunch. Wait – she can tell me what color to paint my walls, but she doesn’t know what I need for lunch. Maybe not a good idea.
Piece of paper with number five: taped to a key chain that says “Ask, Seek, Knock” Matthew 7:7-11
7 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Hmmm… I think she told me once that for the big decisions, I should pray to God.
(OK, at this point I’ll either a) wrap it up or b) talk about how asking is first, seeking is getting active about it and knocking is persistence. Ask – if you can’t get your answer, seek the answers in the scriptures, in others around you, in their prayer life and faith and knock on God’s door until you get an answer. It may not be the answer we want – But God gives good things to those who are faithful.)
Hymn of Response – Seek Ye First – Celebration Hymnal #713
Prayers of the People
Closing Sequence – Celebration Hymnal #703 – 705 – Litany based on Psalm 34:408, “God will Make a Way”, “It is Well with My Soul”
Benediction
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