Description
The readings this week express a longing for God and an experiencing of God in different ways.
In 1 Kings we read how Elijah, in fear, cries out to God and experiences God in the sound of sheer silence. The Psalmist describes their deep longing for God in terms of “as a deer pants for water, so my soul longs for you” and, despite their downcast soul, expresses their hope in God. The Galatians reading emphasises how through faith we belong to Christ. In Luke 8 we read of a demon possessed man who is transformed by Jesus. He wants to stay with Jesus, but Jesus tells him to go and tell others. We, too, can be changed through our longing for, and experiences, of God. We, too, can tell others about our experiences and encounters with God.
Longing for God uses sound, silence, water and words to bring us into worship. Experiencing God in Unexpected Ways is a dramatic reading of the Luke text that helps begin to explore the reading. In Go and Tell we will explore our own experiences of God and how we can tell others about them. The Waiting Before God resource provides multiple suggestions and ideas for congregation members to experience some solitary quiet time waiting on God during the service.
In addition to offering general ideas that can be used for any church anniversary, Celebrating a Church Anniversary also includes specific ideas for Uniting Churches who may choose on this particular Sunday to mark the beginning of the Uniting Church.
