October 13, 2020 - Treehouse Ministries

Treehouse Living Room Worship

“Go with the flow”

Welcome to worship. God welcomes you here, as does this community. In tonight’s worship, you will be invited to offer a song, poem, essay, reflection, photograph, story, or letter (no more than one minute) around the theme of “Go with the flow” Be brave! This community is enriched by your sharing.

Welcome & Call to Worship

The earth has its kings, but God is ruler of all.
Praise God above all, the giver of life!
The mountains may tremble, the oceans may roar,
but God’s presence is more powerful
than the earth itself.
Come into God’s presence, for God is among us now.
O God, show us your glory; we seek your ways.
Come to the Rock, the God of life,
for God is present now.

Opening song – Take My Life, That I May Be (ELW 583)

   Take my life, that I may be
   consecrated, Lord, to thee;
   take my moments and my days;
   let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.

   Take my life, that I may be
   consecrated, Lord, to thee;
   take my moments and my days;
   let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect and use
ev’ry pow’r as thou shalt choose.

   Take my life, that I may be
   consecrated, Lord, to thee;
   take my moments and my days;
   let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King;
take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee.

   Take my life, that I may be
   consecrated, Lord, to thee;
   take my moments and my days;
   let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine;
take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.

   Take my life, that I may be
   consecrated, Lord, to thee;
   take my moments and my days;
   let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Opening Prayer

Loving, living God,
be among us now.
Show us your ways.
Guide our steps.
Live in us,
that we may be people of steadfast hope
and powerful giving.
Help us hear your words,
challenging us to give you
all the things that are yours.
Help us remember
that all we are and all we have
are gifts from you,
gifts to be shared in service and love.
Holy One among us,
help us be a holy people
who receive your word with joy
and live your message with love. Amen.

Reading: Matthew 22:15-22

¹⁵Then the Pharisees met together to find a way to trap Jesus in his words. ¹⁶They sent their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are genuine and that you teach God’s way as it really is. We know that you are not swayed by people’s opinions, because you don’t show favoritism. ¹⁷So tell us what you think: Does the Law allow people to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” ¹⁸Knowing their evil motives, Jesus replied, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? ¹⁹Show me the coin used to pay the tax.” And they brought him a denarion. ²⁰“Whose image and inscription is this?” he asked. ²¹“Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” ²²When they heard this they were astonished, and they departed.

Time of Sharing

Are we swayed by people’s opinions? Do we let others control and manipulate us to be what we know we aren’t? Sometimes it seems easier to go with the flow, than be who God created us to be. How do we live the life God gave us without listening to the voice of the others telling us we need to be something different?

Song – Jesus Loves Me (ELW 595)

Jesus loves me! this I know,
for the Bible tells me so;
little ones to him belong,
they are weak, but he is strong.

    Yes, Jesus loves me,
    yes, Jesus loves me,
    yes, Jesus loves me,
    the Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! he who died
heaven’s gates to open wide;
he will wash away my sin,
let his little child come in.

    Yes, Jesus loves me,
    yes, Jesus loves me,
    yes, Jesus loves me,
    the Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! he will stay
close beside me all the way;
when at last I come to die,
he will take me home on high.

    Yes, Jesus loves me,
    yes, Jesus loves me,
    yes, Jesus loves me,
    the Bible tells me so.