In Home Worship (for individuals, couples, families, friends, phone groups, etc.)Sunday, June 21, 2020-Saturday, June 27, 2020

Pastor Jen & Pastor Michael

Please click here for ONLINE WORSHIP: OcalaWestUMC.com

Opening PrayerEternal God, turn and be gracious to us, for the road is long and we are weary. We feel beaten down by the trials of life and need your strength to sustain us. Show us your favor, and offer us your blessing, that we may abide in faithfulness and not be put to shame. Comfort us, O God, and revive our souls. Grant us the endurance to take up our cross, and follow the difficult roads in life. Amen.

Contact Susan: susan@OcalaWestUMC.com or 352-854-9550

Happy Father’s Day to all the MEN in our congregation! We HONOR you!

Thank you for seeking faith and love and sharing faith and love.

Hymn This is My Father’s World

This is my Father's world, And to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres. This is my Father's world: I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas-- His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world: The birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white, Declare their Maker's praise.

This is my Father's world: He shines in all that's fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world: O let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.

This is my Father's world: Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad!

Old TestamentYou, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me…Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead. ~Psalm 86:5-7, 11-13

Meditative Thought

Great are the works of God’s hands. Wondrous are the blessings of Christ’s love. Holy are the works of God’s Spirit.

Prayer Concerns & Praises

Take a moment to consider your own joys and concerns, those of your loved ones, those of our church and community…

Holy One, your words cause us to tremble: “nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered,

and nothing secret that will not be known.” There is much in our lives

that we wish to hide from others, even ourselves. We fear those who kill the body,

while ignoring those who kill the soul. Teach us once more, O God,

that your Son came to bring us life— even if turned son against father,

and daughter against mother. Remind us of our higher calling, and the promises you offer

of life in your realm which has not end. Amen.

Hebrews 1:1-2:4 (text for reflection questions below)

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,“You are my Son; today I have become your Father”?

Or again,“I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,“Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 In speaking of the angels he says,“He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.” 8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;     a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions     by anointing you with the oil of joy.” 10 He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,    and the heavens are the work of your hands.11 They will perish, but you remain;    they will all wear out like a garment.12 You will roll them up like a robe;    like a garment they will be changed.But you remain the same,    and your years will never end.” 13 To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

2 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Reflection Questions (based on Hebrews 1:1-2:1-4) 1. Consider a time when you witnessed a gift being received and it moved everyone

who observed the giving and receiving. Why were people moved by this gift?

2. Hebrews 1:5-11 offers God’s voice to His Son. Reviewing these verses, what is so amazing about Jesus, the only Son of God?

3. Each of these affirmations from God the Father to the Son, referenced above, are quotations from the Old Testament psalmist and prophets. Why do you believe this is significant?

4. Instead of WWJD—What would Jesus Do, the writer of Hebrews wants us to ask, What does Jesus deserve for who He is and what He has and is doing for each of us? What does Jesus deserve from each of us?

5. The root problem for many of us is that we simply forget Jesus when we are away from worship or an actual church sponsored event. When we forget Jesus, we also tend to stop living for Jesus. What might help us live mindfully daily of Christ and Christ’s gifts?

6. According to the writer of Hebrews, we all need to pay close attention to Christ, lest we drift away. Think of a time in your own life when you knew you had drifted some from Christ and daily living for Christ. What helped you recalibrate and come back on course?

7. Pastor Jen mentioned two questions to test for drift:1. Do you fit Jesus into your life or have you allowed Jesus to reshaped your

whole life?2. Do you gear your efforts to improving your own life or do you co-labor with

Christ for the improvement of others’ lives? Consider both of these questions—is there one that tugs at your heart and life today? Please explain.

8. When did Jesus become more than just a name to you? Since that time, what circumstances and what people have inspired you to know Christ more fully?

9. Review Hebrews 1:2-4. Which qualities of Jesus are you beginning to appreciate more and more?

10. Review Hebrews 2:1-4. God gifted Christ to us and we have been gifted salvation through Christ. How has God sought to express and affirm this gift of salvation in Christ?

Ocala West United Methodist Church 9330 SW 105th St Ocala, FL 34481 352-854-9550 www.OcalaWestUMC.com

The Hard Work of LOVE, Part II We are called to love God and one another. We are to see the very image of God in each other. We are to build and encourage one another. We are to offer a witness of Christ’s love and be ambassadors of reconciliation on God’s behalf. We are to continue Christ’s work on earth; and we are to be led by the Holy Spirit. We remember the fruit of the Spirit begins with love.

Yet, if we are truthful, we do not always feel loving towards others. Sometimes people have hurt us, and we do not want to love them. Sometimes we are afraid of a person or a group of people. Sometimes, people make us feel uncomfortable. Sometimes, we have been told things about a person or a people or we assume things about a person or a people that makes us want to avoid them. Sometimes, we look upon others’ sins as too great and we withdraw the possibility of our loving them. Sometimes, we do not understand or respect others’ choices because we do not believe they would ever be our choices, so we choose not to love them.

How do we begin this hard work of love? The hard work of love begins in prayer and with a stance of humility.

We seek God first and we seek to grow our relationship with God because God is love. We humbly admit to God and to ourselves that we do not love as God the Father loves or as Jesus loves or as the Spirit calls us to love. We ask God to teach us to love, to give us the courage to love, to inspire us to love, to give us a desire to love, and to grow within us a love that is reflective of God’s nature.

In prayer, we also thank God for loving us and our loved ones. When we think of ourselves, our friends and our family, we humbly realize that we have been loved by God even when we did not act very lovable. We humbly remember that Christ took on our sins and that of our loved ones on the cross. If it were not for the love, forgiveness, grace and mercy of God—where would we be today? As we remember that God has consistently loved us and our loved ones despite our action or inaction, we also remember that every person in this world is someone’s loved one and every person in this world is loved by our God with the very image of God within them.

We choose to love because God loves. Even when it is hard—we humbly pray and then, we act and speak and witness to God’s love by loving.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ~1 John 4:7-8

Summer Bible Reading Plan

You are invited to join us in the reading of the book of Hebrews throughout this Summer. Beginning the week of June 14th and

extending to September 6th.

We will preach weekly on the book of Hebrews.

New Summer Sermon Series “Better: Better Hope. Better Life. Better Future.”

(based on the book of Hebrews)

We all long to hear the words, “Soon, things will get better!” The book of Hebrews enlarges our understanding of the

greatness of Christ while inviting each of us to experience a better HOPE, a better LIFE and a better FUTURE!

Summer Reading Plan

Hebrews 1:1-14 (6/14-6/20)

Hebrews 2:1-18 (6/21-6/27)

Hebrews 3:1-19 (6/28-7/4)

Hebrews 4:1-16 (7/6-7/11)

Hebrews 5:1-14 (7/13-7/18)

Hebrews 6:1-20 (7/20-7/25)

Hebrews 7:1-28 (7/27-8/1)

Hebrews 8:1-13 (8/3-8/8)

Hebrews 9:1-28 (8/10-8/15)

Hebrews 10:1- 39 (8/17-8/22)

Hebrews 11:1-40 (8/24-8/29)

Hebrews 12:1-29 (8/31-9/5)