8/24 - Serving God

 This Sunday is special for more than one reason. Not only are we in Week Three of our series Knowing, Loving, and Serving God, focusing on Serving God, but we also celebrate the Blessing of the Backpacks, Briefcases, and Lunchboxes.

Don’t forget to bring yours to worship to be blessed!

On the surface, these items are ordinary—things we carry to school, work, or daily life. But in worship, we see them as symbols of calling—reminders of the places where God sends us to serve, to learn, and to be a light to others. Serving God isn’t only about what happens in the sanctuary; it’s about how our faith overflows into the world around us.

In Philippians 2:5–15, Paul gives us one of the clearest pictures of service in all of Scripture:

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…”

This isn’t a gentle suggestion—it’s a radical invitation to live with the humility, selflessness, and servant-heartedness of Christ himself. Jesus served not from a place of control or prestige, but by emptying himself—setting aside status, comfort, and recognition—so that others could experience the fullness of God’s love.

Our music this Sunday walks us step-by-step through this calling:

  • We Sing of Your Glory / Tuya Es la Gloria – reminding us who we serve.

  • Praise the Source of Faith and Learning – acknowledging that all wisdom and knowledge come from God, especially in verse 4:

    As two currents in a river
    fight each other’s undertow,
    till converging they deliver
    one coherent steady flow.
    Blend, O God, our faith and learning
    till they carve a single course,
    till they join as one, returning
    praise and thanks to you, the Source.

    This verse paints a living picture of service. Faith and daily life may sometimes feel like they’re pulling in opposite directions—but in God’s hands, they merge into one steady stream of purpose.

  • Take My Life that I May Be – turning that unified stream into a prayer: “Here I am, Lord—use all of me.”

  • Make Me a Servant – our choir’s offering right after Take My Life, personalizing the prayer: “Lord, let our music be an act of service, not performance.”

  • Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service – sending us out to see Christ in the needs of others.


This week, think about your own “two currents”—the places where your faith meets your daily responsibilities. Ask God to blend them into one steady stream of service. Whether you carry a hymnal, a lunchbox, or a laptop, let it all be an offering back to God, the Source of it all.

Blessings 

Music Tom 

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