Bulletin 9.14.25
"For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100:5
Reflection Before The Service
Reflection Before The Service
What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.
-Emil Bruner (1889-1966)
Who will unravel this tangle? Nature confutes the skeptics, and reason confutes the dogmatics. What then will you become, O men! who try to find out by your natural reason what is your true condition? You cannot avoid one of these sects, nor adhere to one of them.
Know then, proud man, what a paradox you are to yourself. Humble yourself, weak reason; be silent, foolish nature; learn that man infinitely transcends man, and learn from your Master your true condition, of which you are ignorant. Hear God.
-Blaise Pascal, Pensées, (compiled 1670)
If you would be growing Christians, be humble Christians. It is observed in some countries, as in France, the best and largest grapes, which make wine, grow on the lower sort of vines; so the humble saints must grow in grace. 'God giveth grace to the humble.'
Would it not be an encouragement to a citizen, to hear his prince say to him, "You will honor and please me very much, if you will go to my gold mine, and dig as much gold for yourself as you can carry away"? So, for God to say, "Go to Word, worship, the Sacraments, prayer, and get as much grace as you can, dig out as much salvation as you can; and the more happiness you have, the more I shall count Myself glorified!"
- Thomas Watson (1620-1686), A Body of Divinity (lightly modernized; emph. added)
The Call To Worship
The Call To Worship
The One-Hundredth Psalm— A Psalm For Thanksgiving.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and we not ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.
(Prayer)
Reflection Before The Service
What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.
-Emil Bruner (1889-1966)
Who will unravel this tangle? Nature confutes the skeptics, and reason confutes the dogmatics. What then will you become, O men! who try to find out by your natural reason what is your true condition? You cannot avoid one of these sects, nor adhere to one of them.
Know then, proud man, what a paradox you are to yourself. Humble yourself, weak reason; be silent, foolish nature; learn that man infinitely transcends man, and learn from your Master your true condition, of which you are ignorant. Hear God.
-Blaise Pascal, Pensées, (compiled 1670)
If you would be growing Christians, be humble Christians. It is observed in some countries, as in France, the best and largest grapes, which make wine, grow on the lower sort of vines; so the humble saints must grow in grace. 'God giveth grace to the humble.'
Would it not be an encouragement to a citizen, to hear his prince say to him, "You will honor and please me very much, if you will go to my gold mine, and dig as much gold for yourself as you can carry away"? So, for God to say, "Go to Word, worship, the Sacraments, prayer, and get as much grace as you can, dig out as much salvation as you can; and the more happiness you have, the more I shall count Myself glorified!"
- Thomas Watson (1620-1686), A Body of Divinity (lightly modernized; emph. added)
The Call To Worship
The One-Hundredth Psalm— A Psalm For Thanksgiving.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and we not ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.
(Prayer)
14/09/25