Worship resources for September 11, 2022

September 11, 2022 Fourteenth Sunday of Pentecost Luke 15:1-10 COMMENTARY I am directionally challenged. Living in rural Illinois before I had GPS in my car, I lost hours trying to find my way through the expansive cornfields where every road, every turn, looked exactly the same. Now, with GPS in my car and my phone, I am overly reliant on technology that doesn’t always recognize construction detours or closed roads. And once I know how to get where I’m going, my passenger should not try suggesting a different, more direct route. Changing routes means possibly getting lost again. And nothing feels more frustrating, vulnerable, exhausting, and defeating than losing your way. In Luke 15:1-10 Jesus shares two of a series of three parables about the nature of God to a gathered crowd. Before we get to the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11, we hear about the lost sheep and the lost silver coin. These two parables make a strong theological claim — not so much about those who are lost, but about the commitment of the one who does the searching. Neither the sheep nor the coin does anything to get themselves out of the mess. When separated from his shepherd and flock, a sheep hunkers down in fear, making him even harder to find. When a coin rolls off the table into a dusty corner, it doesn’t shine any brighter to alert the seeker of its whereabouts. It’s helpless, dependent on the one seeking to be found. These parables teach about our God who is relentless in these search and rescue missions, a God who will not rest until we are found. You can find the rest of the commentary on our website. An order of worship for Sept. 11, 2022. This liturgy is free to use. The mystery and comfort of God’s choosing— a Uniform Standard Lesson for Sept. 11, 2022, by Richard Boyce. Looking beyond the 99 — Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale Horizons' Celebrating Sabbath Lesson 2— Rosalind Banbury IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Called to imagine "Rather than deny our own capacity to help, let us explore the resources we have and imagine new ways we might meet the needs before us." — Teri McDowell Ott Churches use property and resources to care for the houseless Who is our neighbor? — John Cleghorn What is the future of pastoral leadership in the PC(USA)? Responding to an article previously published by the Outlook, Lee Hinson-Hasty ponders the future of pastoral leadership. Are we asking the right questions? Are we looking at the right data? Are we investing in future leaders? — Lee Hinson-Hasty Faith-based and other relief efforts underway to assist Pakistan flood victims ‘The humanitarian situation is terrible and could deteriorate without immediate international intervention,’ said Asif Shirazi, Islamic Relief’s country director in Pakistan.— RNS What’s in store for the next GA? Gregg Brekke reports on the path forward to the PC(USA)’s 226th General Assembly (2024), and how these initial decisions were made. Transitional ministry is for everyone Thomas Wesley Moore IV was called to be an interim pastor within five years of his ordination. He shares the assumptions he had to overcome to accept God's invitation, and why working with churches in transition is important.  Billy Schurr retires Pittsburgh Theological Seminary prepares for fall conference: Missional Leadership in a Time of Disruption The Rev. David Hunter McAlpin, Jr., among a string of five McAlpins to serve on the Union Theological Seminary Board of Trustees, dies at 94

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