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Worship Devotion for January 24, 2021We are in the season of Epiphany. Set aside some time and space for this worship time. Do what you can to make it a sacred space and time. If you would like to join our zoom time for fellowship just watch for the zoom information sent with these devotion guides. A suggestion: find a way to play some music during this time to begin this worship time and/or to end it. You can also go to our webpage where there is a link to the Facebook page or go to the devotion page and there will be the recorded message of the week there or you can see it on You Tube that goes along with the devotion included here or you can go directly to our Facebook page, chapelofthevalleyumc. These are just aids to help you take some time to spend with God.Soul Alone Call to WorshipFor God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from God. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Let us trust our God at all times, O people; pour out your heart; God is a refuge for us. Come, let us worship!PrayerOur great God, we worship you because you alone are God. You are holy, majestic and full of power. We thank you that you hear our prayers. Thank you for listening when we cry out to you and that you want to hear from us. Receive this prayer today as an offering of praise. May all that we do and say and sing today be about you and for you. There is so much brokenness, O God. That is what we see -- uncertainty, despair, hopelessness and sorrow. We feel paralyzed by all that is out of order in this world. But, we don't want to give up. We don't want to stop believing that truth and goodness and love will prevail. So, give us strength to keep going and endurance to persevere. Let us know that you are always with us and may that assurance give us the confidence to be strong. Let us mourn with those who mourn, but let us also be people of hope, holding out faith that you are still present and active and your kingdom is still in our midst. Pour your peace over us, God. We trust in you.Holy and Loving God, we continue to see so many people who are sick and dying because of Covid and the pandemic, the numbers seem to just keep rising. We see more people losing their jobs, worrying about the basics such as food, a roof over their head, being able to see their families and friends. God come to us in this time. Lord, in this new year, we pray that through your grace, hearts can be softened, old hurts can be released and a door might be opened to reconciliation. Let your grace and love grow in us and move through us reaching our neighbors. We lift our joys and give over our concerns, those we have spoken and those in our hearts, to your tender care as we now pray the prayer Jesus taught us…. Our Father….Amen. Scripture Psalm 62:5-12For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.Music (read or sing along if listening to recording) We Are Not AloneWe are not alone, we are never alone, God is always with us, we are not alone.Through the darkest night, through the darkest night, God will be our beacon, through the darkest night.When we lose our way, when we lose our way, God will always lead us, when we lose our wayGod will help us stand, God will help us stand, we will find our courage, God will help us standWe are not alone, we are never alone, God is always with us, we are not alone.Words and Music by Jim Strathdee?2004 Desert Flower Music Devotion Soul Alone I feel I must tell you that I have written this particular devotion several times. I started writing and went one way and somewhere in the midst of it, decided that is not what I wanted to say. Then I tried writing something else and again deleted it all. I know there is an important message that God wants us all to here in these words at this time and I want to get it right. So, since the time is quickly coming to “press time” (or passed it actually,) I will just start typing and allow the Holy Spirit to work through me to get the message that we all need to read and/or hear.This psalm, attributed to David, is a song of confidence in God that instructs us and inspires us to fully and only trust in God. God, who is our steadfast, loving refuge when oppressive people or circumstances threaten to shake us up. One commentary says, “The psalmist cries out in anguish to God when his two-faced opponents assail him. As the psalm develops, there is a strong contrast between David's secure position in God and his enemies' insubstantiality.” Another colleague says, “This Psalm is for the asylum seeker, those who seek refuge from adversaries, those who yearn for security and stability.”The question David cries out amidst crisis prompts the big question of whether or not he (or actually us or anyone?) can trust and take refuge in God in the face of enemies? The answer is yes and yes! The only thing that offers true refuge is God who is the steadfast one.So what is this psalm? It is one part trust and one part instruction. To trust in the Lord, according to the Israel’s scriptures, means to trust in the Lord alone. The commentary continues with this, “Meaning, we have one God — and only one God. But, moreover, to have only one God is to know exactly, precisely, definitively to whom we entrust our lives — to God indeed! Thereby we are spared the confusion of those who either worship many gods — “whom shall we trust in this matter?” — or of those who trust no gods — “in what shall I trust?”Looking at the first line of the scripture for the day, vs. 5, it says the Psalmist (David) waits in silence. Many of you who know me, knows that the idea of silence for any period is difficult and one that I am working on. Yet this period of silence is slightly different. The period of waiting "in silence" is an attentive one, not a passive one of doing absolutely nothing. And it's not total silence: David actively verbalizes encouraging words to people about God and words of praise to God. The "silence" is more a quiet inner confidence in God when fears arise. Then it follows that God is the source of David's hope." That is silence that I can understand and wholly do and rely on. I do have an inner confidence in God and God alone.Another important part of the part of the Psalm…Based on his own experience, David encourages his listeners to trust in God at all times. David confidently anticipates that God will act in his behalf against his tormentors. The verb has the sense of people's feeling secure or safe, as they place themselves confidently in God's good hands, during their present circumstances. Because we can put our full and complete trust in God, we can pour out our heart, our fears, our woes…all that we have to God. We can lean fully Him at all times. What a blessing! David twice affirms that God is our safe refuge. David calls God "my mighty rock" and "my fortress" and "my salvation." Because God is all these things to David personally, he asserts vigorously "I shall not be shaken." Is God our mighty rock, our fortress, our salvation? Do we put our whole trust in God? Can we take our comfort in God and God alone?These are important questions. They are important because we live in dangerous, transitional, uncertain times. We could lose everything we have and some already have. Our world could come tumbling down around us. But when is a person truly safe? A person is safe even in the vortex of physical danger, when his or her soul is safe. In furious days like our postmodern world, only anchoring our faith to “a mighty rock” — alone — will truly give us peace of mind and heart.How is it with your soul? Is it well with your soul? Do you put your trust in God and God alone? We tend to say we do and then go and hedge our bets as it were. We put our trust in our finances such as the equity in our house or in the stock markets….or we put our trust in keeping ourselves happy with possessions. Our happiness becomes what we put our trust in. And then when things fall, so do we.In the movie “Soul,” which is about a man who puts his whole being, his life, his trust one thing and one thing only. His whole life, where he puts his trust is to be a success by doing his passion which is playing in a jazz band. He basically stops living for anything else or seeing anything he does as valuable or really living. And then when he gets an opportunity to have a shot, he ends ups dying (actually in a coma) and going to the “Great beyond.” However, he cheats death and through trickery does get back to earth but not as himself but as a cat who is with another soul in his body. Through many events, he watches this other soul “live” as him and when he gets back into his own body finds disappointment in reaching his perceived perfect goal. It was empty. In the end he learns that he put his whole being, his trust in his “spark,” his passion and not in living. I won’t share the ending of the movie but it is interesting.When we put our trust in ourselves or in things it can all fail or fall at our feet. When we put our trust in God and God alone, we are promised of a place of safety and refuge, of hope and love. Our soul may be at rest…we may indeed say it is well with our soul.Music (to be sung or read) It is Well with My Soul When peace, like a river, Attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll;Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.RefrainIt is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul, It is well, it is well, with my soul.Though Satan should buffet, Though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control,That Christ has regarded My helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.RefrainMy sin—oh, the bliss of This glorious thought— My sin—not in part but the whole,Is nailed to the cross, And I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!RefrainAnd Lord, haste the day When my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;The trump shall resound, And the Lord shall descend, Even so—it is well with my soul.RefrainWords: Horatio G. Spafford, 1873. Music: Philip P. Bliss,1876 A Blessing for OfferingsWe invite you to take time to give thanks for offerings made. Again, you can make your tithes and offerings to the church by sending them in the mail, you can also drop it at the church during office hours or through Pastor office mailbox slot. You can also make a donation online at . There are instructions for each methodPrayer of ThanksgivingGod of extravagant love, fill our spirits with your love and place upon our hearts your call to serve all in the name of Christ. We ask that you dedicate our gifts and our lives to faithful service and ministry. Amen.Closing PrayerTrust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Spirit be with you all and those you love. Amen. ................
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