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2020-10-25 Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost Worship Online or In-Person Resources

By October 21, 2020October 23rd, 2020Intersections, Sermons

2020-10-25 Worship Online

Worship Guide (v1) for October 25, 2020

Readings October 25, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 4-7 for October 25, 2020

Children’s Worship Ages 8-12 for October 25, 2020

 

This week is the perfect time to join in our worship online or in-person. We simplified our online service and made it even easier to participate, and viewing does not require a Facebook account! Join the video stream on Facebook Live (www.facebook.com/coldspringchurch) or, if you don’t have internet access, use our New call in number: +1 (929) 205-6099. Enter Meeting ID: 875 2479 7260.

Share Your Experience!

You have found a place to encounter God and people who care about you – just as you are, right where you are, anytime. Once you and your family are ready, share the picture with us by posting to Facebook #ColdSpringChurch or Instagram #coldspringchurchnj. You may want to subscribe to our weekly Connections email newsletter. Sign up here!

Worship and Message theme:

Welcome to this week’s Worship Online and Worship In-person experience at Cold Spring Church. Take a look at the graphic to the right. When we say “Please, God” (with a comma), we are typically asking God for something. With a comma, it’s a prayer. But when we delete the comma and say, “Please God,” we are making a statement, describing a task to please God. Our purpose as followers of Jesus is to please God, and this week we will consider how we express our faith to turn prayer into our life’s purpose in how we live. Pleasing God is our worthy purpose!

At the entrance to many harbors, there are two leading lights. One would think that the two signals would confuse the boat pilot. But the fact is, the pilot’s priority is to keep the two lights aligned. As long as the two lights are in line, the boat is safe. Life is complicated, but God had also given us two lights that keep us aligned when Jesus said to love God and love others as ourselves. When we keep them in line, we move forward in our life. But there’s more to life than moving in the right direction. We need the right motivation, too.

In the message, “Please God: Editing Our Faith, Aligning Our Life,” we will connect Jesus’ affirmation of the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:34-46) with Paul’s admonition to edit our faith’s motivation (1 Thessalonians 2:1-8). While we attempt to love God and neighbor because we are commanded to do so, we must be sure of what motivates our behaviors. Do we expect our neighbor to respond in kind or thank us, or be transformed by our love and efforts? Do we constantly look for ways for God or others to please us? Like the political leaders and religious crowds we will read about in worship, we also try to protect our interests, advance our success, ensure particular outcomes that make us look good, and bolster our security and power. We do this in the church, too. This week let’s edit our faith’s motivation as we align our love for God and neighbor with a newfound motivation to glorify and please God!

Music Preview:

Our countdown music this week includes a hymn we introduced last week titled the Image of God. After our prelude celebrating the Reformation with Martin Luther’s A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, we read/sing In an Age of Twisted Values, which many might say describes our life and times today though written in 1995. One of the ways followers of Jesus can show alignment with God as a good neighbor is to express care for others. We want to be thoughtfully empathetic and responsive to a broad range of human needs in our community, country, and the world. This hymn is a potent reminder of the Gospel-values that need a fresh expression by the Church. We conclude worship with a virtual choir singing A Mighty Fortress Is Our God with 176 voices from 34 countries led and arranged by David Wesley. Long before Issac Watts began to add music to the Psalms during the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther had already done so when he created the text and tune for this, his most famous hymn, based on Psalm 46. Chants influenced Luther’s metrical versions and style heard in religious communities and folk and regional music in bars and other social gatherings of his day.

Welcome Back!

While we continue to worship online every week, we are excited to welcome all who are able and comfortable to worship in-person in our historic Red Brick Church on Sundays at 10:30 AM. Last week about 25 people safely worshipped together. Your safety, health, and wellness are our our top priority. West Jersey Presbytery approved our session’s re-opening plan and our pastor, staff, and teams have worked hard to prepare for your arrival. Following the guidance from the CDC and health officials, we have implemented safety protocols, and designed an approximately thirty-minute worship experience that will be spiritually energizing and safe for you, your family, and other worshippers.

Pre-registration is encouraged but not required to attend worship. If you’d like to worship in person, you may contact the office 609-884-4065 or email hello@coldspringchurch.com.
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