Morning Blend, 2.28.21

GATHERING MUSIC

Take This Life

(Refrain) Take this life as I live and all I have to give;

Take this life as a worship offering. (repeat)

SCRIPTURE LESSONS

PSALM 22:23-31

²³ You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

²⁴ For he has not despised or scorned

the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

but has listened to his cry for help.

²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

before those who fear you^[a] I will fulfill my vows.

²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied;

those who seek the Lord will praise him—

may your hearts live forever!

²⁷ All the ends of the earth

will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

will bow down before him,

²⁸ for dominion belongs to the Lord

and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—

those who cannot keep themselves alive.

³⁰ Posterity will serve him;

future generations will be told about the Lord.

³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness,

declaring to a people yet unborn:

He has done it!

MARK 8:31-38

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The Way of the Cross

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

FAMILY REFLECTION

Click HERE to download the Children's Bulletin.

Let's Wonder Together...

• I wonder what it means to follow Jesus.

• I wonder how Jesus’ teachings turn everything inside out.

• I wonder how to live with curiosity, love, and patience for myself and others.

Visit the SACRED STORYTELLING PAGE for Godly Play and Worship Connections.

CLOSING SONG

The Summons

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?

Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?

Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?

Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?

Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?

Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,

And admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Will you love the “you” you hide if I but call your name?

Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?

Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around

Through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true when I but call your name!

Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.

In your company I’ll go where your love and footsteps show.

Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.