Worship Leader: Melana Janzen
Speaker: Trent Voth
Music: Bob Loewen, Lori Unger
Technical Team: Ted Steenburgh/ Brad Lepp
Ushers: Ginny and Herb Buckwalter
Order of Service
Pre-Service – Opening Prelude
Gathering Hymn VT #25: Brethren, We Have Met to Worship
Introduction, Welcome, and Land Acknowledgement
Land Acknowledgment Poster
Welcome Litany – Richard Rohr
Call to Worship
Prayer
VT #3: Gathered Here
Joy & Concerns / Congregational Prayer – Peter
Song (Song of the Month) VT #199: God, You Search Me
Giving with Gratitude
Scripture Readings Mark 8 – 11-21, Psalm 81
Time with the Children – Tobi
Song VT #68: Akekho
Sermon “…in the Form of a Question”
Hymn VT #553: How Many Times We Start Again
Announcements
Benediction/Sending
VT #745 God, Whose Giving
Lobby Time
Scripture this week
Mark 8: 11-21
11 The Pharisees showed up and began to argue with Jesus. To test him, they asked for a sign from heaven. 12 With an impatient sigh, Jesus said, “Why does this generation look for a sign? I assure you that no sign will be given to it.” 13 Leaving them, he got back in the boat and crossed to the other side of the lake. 14 Jesus’ disciples had forgotten to bring any bread, so they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 He gave them strict orders: “Watch out and be on your guard for the yeast of the Pharisees as well as the yeast of Herod.”
16 The disciples discussed this among themselves, “He said this because we have no bread.” 17 Jesus knew what they were discussing and said, “Why are you talking about the fact that you don’t have any bread? Don’t you grasp what has happened? Don’t you understand? Are your hearts so resistant to what God is doing? 18 Don’t you have eyes? Why can’t you see? Don’t you have ears? Why can’t you hear? Don’t you remember? 19 When I broke five loaves of bread for those five thousand people, how many baskets full of leftovers did you gather?”
They answered, “Twelve.” 20 “And when I broke seven loaves of bread for those four thousand people, how many baskets full of leftovers did you gather?” They answered, “Seven.” 21 Jesus said to them, “And you still don’t understand?”
Psalm 81
81 Rejoice out loud to God, our strength!
Shout for joy to Jacob’s God!
2 Take up a song and strike the drum!
Sweet lyre along with harp!
3 Blow the horn on the new moon,
at the full moon, for our day of celebration!
4 Because this is the law for Israel;
this is a rule of Jacob’s God.
5 He made it a decree for Joseph
when he went out against the land of Egypt,
when I heard a language I did not yet know:
6 “I lifted the burden off your shoulders;
your hands are free of the brick basket!
7 In distress you cried out, so I rescued you.
I answered you in the secret of thunder.
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8 Listen, my people, I’m warning you!
If only you would listen to me, Israel.
9 There must be no foreign god among you.
You must not bow down to any strange deity.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up from Egypt’s land.
Open your mouth wide—I will fill it up!
11 But my people wouldn’t listen to my voice.
Israel simply wasn’t agreeable toward me.
12 So I sent them off to follow their willful hearts;
they followed their own advice.
13 How I wish my people would listen to me!
How I wish Israel would walk in my ways!
14 Then I would subdue their enemies in a second;
I would turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would grovel before me,
and their doom would last forever!
16 But I would feed you with the finest wheat.
I would satisfy you with honey from the rock.”