Worship Service

August 30th (Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

“WE GATHER TO PRAISE GOD AND BE CHRIST’S PEOPLE”

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

“A single day spent in your Temple is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a doorman of the Temple of my God than live in palaces of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:10)

Opening Hymns - “Christ Beside Me” ---------------------- 2166(TFWS) v. 1,2

Opening Prayer (Taught by Love, Lavon Bayler)

We tremble to think that the Source of all life, the Creator of all worlds, is in this place, observing our worship, knowing our innermost secrets, calling us by name. O God, we dare to call on you, to bow before you, to welcome your Word. We tremble to think what you might expect of us, for we remember what you expected of Moses. You sent him against the rulers of his people to win release from oppression. You sent him from the comfortable places he knew to plead for freedom amid threatening conditions. We dare to worship you, O God, knowing that you expect much of us. Amen.

Welcome & Announcements

Good morning! How are you today? Welcome to the worship of our Lord. Today is the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost. We believe and confess that we became God’s children through God’s power of love and grace. We believe we are saved. We believe that God loves us and he is always with us. That is why we want to keep our faith together and worship together.

1. Target Date for Return to In-Person Worship - With prayerful consideration, extensive planning, and input from church members and leadership areas, a plan has been made for a return to in-person worship beginning September 20. This first service will be held outdoors on the church lawn at 10:00 a.m. Preregistration and safety precautions as required by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment will be required for attendance. If weather and/or fire conditions prohibit an outdoor service, we will meet in the sanctuary. Please watch for further communication on this service. Written materials as well as a recorded service will continue to be available for those not attending in person. As has been the case until now, the (re)Launch Leadership Team and leadership and committees of the church will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in our local area. BUMC will follow the guidelines presented by the Mountain Sky Conference, State of CO and Larimer County guidelines as well as guidance and direction from our District Superintendent and Bishop.

2. On the Calendar:

UMW Executive Board meeting; Tuesday, Sept. 1, 4:00 p.m. in the Builder’s room

Caring Connections; Wednesday, Sept. 2, 9:00 a.m. in the library

Finance Committee meeting; Thursday, Sept. 10 6:30 p.m., place/format TBD

Trustee Meeting; Tuesday, Sept. 15, 7:00 p.m., place TBD

Church Council Meeting; Thursday, Sept. 17, 6:30 p.m., place TBD

3. Basement restriction: Due to safety protocols for the preschool, the trustees have implemented a policy whereas the basement, with the exception of the library, is not to be occupied by any church member or visitor at any time. This is in effect immediately, until further notice.

Passing the Peace of Christ: Please Greet Each Other in Jesus’ Name – “Peace be with you!”

Hymn - “If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee” ----------------- 142(UMH)

Prayers of Joy and Petition

It is time for us to open our hearts, and share our joys and concerns. We want to pray for one another. We can remember each other in our hearts and in our prayers.

Sharing - Please share your joys and concerns together. Please do not forget to “give thanks to God.”

Meditation – Together

Pastoral Prayer

Our gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we give you thanks with our whole hearts and sing your praise gladly. We praise you because you have exalted above all things. You alone show us steadfast love that never waivers and faithfulness that can be fully relied upon. Oh Lord, the reason we come to you today in prayer is because we have heard the good news that you are God. Because you have forgiven our sins and set aside your wrath, we know we can come to you in prayer and thanksgiving. We thank you today for salvation through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus. Our sins are cleansed and you welcome us into your presence.

Lord, we pray for the people who are in our hearts and minds. Please look down inside each of us and see all the needs that are there. We have many brothers and sisters who need your power of love. They are suffering from pain, sorrow, anguish, and loss. Many are facing serious physical, mental, and emotional challenges, and they need your healing touch. We believe that you can do everything about them. We are looking to you right now to meet those needs and bring healing, restoration, and forgiveness. We believe you are the only comfort for our sorrow and pain. Please lead us with your peace.

We pray for all our church members. Give wisdom and direction as we all seek to do your will and fulfill your purposes as your church. We want to be busy doing the things that are close to your heart and things that will count for eternity. Help us realize the truth of who you are and what you have done for us, and of who we are and what we are called to do for you. Help us keep our eyes focused on you. Help us see the needs around us and meet those needs in you. Make us a church that desires to love in both word and deed. Holy God, we trust you. We thank you for what will be. We thank you especially for your promises; for hope and a new and transformed life in Christ. Please empower us by your Spirit to respond fully to your love, to glorify and honor your name, and to love as your people. We pray in Jesus’ name.

Lord’s Prayer

Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.

Scripture Reading ----------------------------- “Exodus 3:5-15” -------------------------------- Dave Keagle

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

Sermon --------------------------------------- “Who Am I?” ------------------------------------- Rev. KyeongSu Jung

Today’s text is a story that God called Moses. One day, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law and he came to God’s mountain called Horeb. At that time, God called Moses and gave him a mission. God said, “I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt. I have heard their cry. I will bring my people out of Egypt into a country where there is good land. Now, go to the Pharaoh! I am sending you to lead my people out of his country.” God proclaimed that he will liberate his people from slavery and will lead them into the good land that he promised to Abraham.

It was an amazing proclamation because God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God called Moses for that. It was the meaning that God had chosen Moses to use him for God’s plan of Israel’s liberation. However, Moses did not give thanks to God for his calling. Instead, he showed a response of unbelief. He asked, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? I am not the person for a job like that!” It meant, “You got the wrong person for your plan. You made a mistake.”

“Who am I?” It is a very interesting expression. Why did he ask, “Who am I?” Was it because he did not know who he was? In other words, did he lose his memory? From here, we can find a very important truth that we have to realize as God’s people and God’s children. When God called Moses, he hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. It means that Moses knew who God was. But he asked, “Who are you?” Although God already said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” he said, “When I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

Why did he ask that? It is related to the Israel people’s life and situation. When Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt, all the Israel people moved to Egypt. They had a peaceful life. They prospered and enjoyed their lives. However, their situation changed. The Bible said, “Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt.” (Exodus 1) The new king oppressed the Israelites. Finally, they were enslaved. The Israelites experienced how God led them and how God blessed them. But, after they became slaves, their experiences and memories of who God was to them and what He had done for them had faded away. Naturally, they forgot who they were and how they had to live. That is why Moses was concerned and asked, “What shall I tell them when they ask me?”

And it was the same for Moses. Moses was a son of the house of Levi. That is, Moses was also a descendant of Abraham. Although he was raised in the palace as the son of a princess, he was one of God’s people. Moreover, his nurse was his mother, Jochebed. His mother taught Moses who he is and faithfully brought him up with the Hebrew spirit. Moses had learned his identity from his mother; that is why he recognized the Hebrews as one of his people after he had grown up. While he had lived in the palace, his life was great. He thought that he could do everything that he wanted as the prince. He even regarded himself as a helper, ruler, and judge of the Israel people. But, after he killed the Egyptian officer, his life changed. Moses had to run away because Pharaoh heard of this and tried to kill him.

He left Egypt with huge disappointment and frustration. Although he wanted to enjoy his authority, fame, and power as the leader of the Israel people, the people did not accept him and he was abandoned. For 40 years, he had to live in the Midian desert as a shepherd without any hope and vision. He just spent his life from day to day. Therefore, the reason why he asked “Who am I” was because he had no confidence as God’s people. He had no conviction that he could do something for his people. What he wanted to say was actually, “When I was the Prince of Egypt, I could not do anything for my people. They did not accept me as their helper and leader. Now, I am just a shepherd. I am nothing. What can I do?” With deep despair, Moses described himself as “a disqualified loser” who already experienced failure. From a human perspective, he was a loser. But, God was different. God called Moses because He knew that “It is time.” During 40 years, Moses was trained to have the virtue of humility in the school of the Midian wilderness. Because God saw that Moses had been trained and was ready to serve his people, he called Moses.

Yes, God called Moses and proclaimed “You are my people. You are my servant to work for my plan of liberation of Israel.” That is why God said, “Do you want to know who I am? I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God recognized Moses as His servant who He personally chose for his plan of liberation. How amazing is that? It was an amazing pronouncement for Moses. However, he had another problem; fear. There were two reasons he ran away from Egypt. First was Pharaoh. Pharaoh tried to kill him. He said, “I cannot go. If I go back to Egypt, Pharaoh will kill me.” When Moses was in fear, God comforted him, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” It was a realistic answer. Moses could go back to Egypt without any concern about Pharaoh.

The second was the Israel people. When he was the prince, he killed the Egyptian officer to protect the Israel people. But people did not accept him. On the contrary, they said, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing us as you killed the Egyptian?” He was completely an outsider to the Israelites. It was a natural thing that he feared becoming the leader of the people who disregarded him. Therefore, the meaning of “Who am I” was Moses’ honest confession that “It is an awful thing to go to see Pharaoh. Besides, are you asking that I have to fulfill the mission to liberate Israel people from slavery? How?” So, God added one more thing. It was a fundamental answer. God promised, “I will certainly be with you.” “I will be with you.” God promised that He would never abandon him or disregard him. It was God’s pronouncement that He would give power to Moses.

We can see in the Bible what Moses did after he heard this wonderful proclamation and promise. Moses delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and led them about 40 years while living in the wilderness. Under his leadership, Israel people experienced wonderful things. With God’s power, Moses performed “The ten plagues” and divided “The Red Sea.” In the wilderness, God gave water when the people were thirsty and manna when they were hungry through Moses’ leadership. When the Israel people arrived at Mount Sinai, the Lord called Moses. Moses went up and received the “Ten Commandments.” God established a covenant with his people and gave decrees and laws that they must follow as God’s people. It became the basic principle of Israel people’s life and Moses became a symbol of the Torah. That is why Moses has been regarded as one of the greatest leaders and prophets in Israel history.

Here, we can realize that “I will be with you,” was God’s most favorite expression to empower his people. In the Bible, we find that God promised the very same thing. God promised to Isaac, “I will be with you and will bless you” when he was in a difficult time with the Canaanites. (Genesis 26) When Jacob was having a hard time with his uncle Laban, God said, “Go back to your home. I will be with you.” (Genesis 31) When Joshua was in fear after he was nominated as Moses’ successor, God proclaimed, “Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) When they were in fear and concern, God always promised, “I will be with you.” When they were in trouble, frustration, and disappointment, God always proclaimed, “I will be with you.” When Jesus’ disciples were in fear, Jesus also promised, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) With this promise, Christians could have power and they could keep their faith for the Lord.

It is the same for us. Let’s think about us. How about us? For about 5 months, we could not gather together for worship services. We could not praise God’s name together in our sanctuary. We are still struggling against this terrible pandemic situation. Because of these hardships and difficulties, many people are in trouble and disappointment. But we do not want to be in frustration and fear, because we believe our Lord is with us. When Moses asked, “Who am I” with concern, fear, and frustration, God answered, “Do not you know who you are? You are my people and my children. I will be with you wherever you go, whatever you do, and whomever you meet because I love you and you are mine.”

Whenever you are in trouble, whenever you are in a hard time, please hear God’s lovely and powerful voice, “You are not alone my son and my daughter. I will be with you.” Please believe the truth that God is with us now, here, and forever. When we believe this amazing promise and proclamation, we can enjoy his power within us. We can defeat Satan’s power and can keep our spiritual journey as God’s people. I pray we can confess our weakness to our Lord who wants to give us his power. I pray we can hear Lord’s lovey voice of promise that “I am with you.” I pray we can be empowered with the power of the Holy Spirit and confidently testify, “I am a Christian” instead of “Who am I.”

Let’s pray. Loving God, thank you for giving us this time to worship you. Thank you for giving your wonderful message of love. We give thanks to you because you came here to show your love and to save our lives. And, you promised you will be with us always, even to the end of the age when we believe you as our Lord and Savior. Whenever we are in trouble and fearful, and when doubt is coming up and we ask “who am I?” you continuously say, “You are my people, my children. I saved you. You are mine.” Because we believe in your promise and proclamation, we want to keep our faith in you. We want to keep our spiritual journey. Please help us have confidence that we are God’s people. Please help us enjoy your power in our spiritual journey. Please help us testify “I am a Christian. I am God’s child” not “Who am I” and go forward together as the wonderful faith community. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Offertory – “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” ------------ 94 (UMH)

Offertory Prayer (Taught by Love, Lavon Bayler)

May our offerings be an expression of genuine love that reflects your love for us, O God. We seek to honor you as we serve one another in Christ’s name. We reach out to overcome evil with good. Direct our use of the resources you entrust to us that we may not only contribute to the needs of the saints but also devote our lives to the building of a peaceable worldwide community in which all are valued. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Closing Hymn - “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” ----------------------------- 462(UMH)

Commission and Blessing

We believe the grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ,

And the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Great is our God, and greatly to be praised.

May the Lord continue to bless us and keep us.

May the Lord continue to make his face shine upon us and be gracious to us.

May the Lord continue to look upon us with favor and give us peace.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Amen.