We are gathered today on the occupied territory of the Sana and Tonkawa People who have stewarded this land for generations.
Taizé Worship
Welcome to worship at Treehouse. Tonight we will worship in the style of the Taize Community in France, an ecumenical monastic community committed to peace. This style of worship is quiet and contemplative, with a “grand silence” in the middle for your own prayer, meditation, or reflection. Allow your spirits to settle into the mystery and stillness of this worship. God welcomes you here tonight.
PSALM: Psalm 32
1Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven,
and whose sin is put away!
2Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt,
and in whose spirit there is no guile!
3While I held my tongue, my bones withered away,
because of my groaning all day long.
4For your hand was heavy upon me day and night;
my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
5Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not conceal my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
6Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble;
when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
7You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
8“I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go;
I will guide you with my eye.
9Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding;
who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will not stay near you.”
10Great are the tribulations of the wicked;
but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
11Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord;
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.
GOSPEL: Matthew 4:1-11
1Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’ ”
11Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
The Grand Silence
You are invited to enter into a time of silence, prayer, and contemplation. If you are unsure how to do this, you might a) try speaking to God as if speaking to a friend; b) quiet your mind by slowly repeat a phrase from one of the songs or readings from tonight; or c) allow your mind to wander back over your day, asking yourself where you felt most full of life and where you felt most drained, then considering how God was present in both of those experiences.
Prayers
Lord, help us say no
when the voices speak of building up investments
in the things of the world
when you want us to invest ourselves
in the ways of heaven
Lord, help us say no to the world
and yes to you
Lord, help us say no
to what the world tells us we need
in the accumulation of stuff
when you want us to let go the stuff
and rely on you instead
Lord, help us say no to the world
and yes to you
Lord, help us say no
to the quick fix and ready-made answer
that patches the cracks
when you long for us to take a lifetime
to live and explore the questions
Lord, help us say no to the world
and yes to you
Lord help us say no
to throwing money at every problem
of feeding the hungry with direct debts
when you wish we would live in a more equal relationship
with those who are hungry in the world
Lord, help us say no to the world
and yes to you
Lord help us say no
to the easy way the world wants
that involves no pain or hardship
when you call us to carry crosses
and trust the love that bears all
Lord, help us say no to the world
and yes to you
Lord help us say no
to conflicts that show humanity at its worst
in blitz and repression
when you know we can live
ways that show the magnificence of humanity
Lord, help us say no to the world
and yes to you
Lord help us say no
to a faith that speaks empty words
and is borne by hollow actions
when we know of a word
that brings the fullness of life
and is carried by actions shaped by justice
Lord, help us say no to the world
and yes to you
Sending Prayer
Whatever wilderness the Spirit has brought you to:
walk in boldness, as a beloved child of God
walk in peace, under the shelter of the Most High
walk in faith, knowing Christ walks with you. Amen.
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