Fourth Sunday of Advent - C

For June 7, 2026:

• Trust Issues by Dean Feldmeyer based on Genesis 12:1-9 and Romans 4:13-25.
• Second Thoughts: Trusting the Promise in Everyday Life by Nazish Naseem based on Romans 4:13-25.
• Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Chris Keating, and Katy Stenta.
• Worship resources by George Reed.

Call to Worship:
Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners." In our worship today let us examine ourselves to discover whether we are the righteous, or sinners who need to repent.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, I'm probably no worse than anyone else and perhaps better than some.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, I see other people who regularly flout your laws and I think that is terrible.
Christ, have mercy.

Contents
What's Up This Week
"Called not From but To the Tax Office" by Alex Gondola
"Praise the Lord, Make Melody to Him" by Alex Gondola
"Not My Home" by Craig Kelly


What's Up This Week

BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Genesis 12:1--9 (C)
God calls Abraham to leave his homeland and go to the country that God had promised him. God pledged Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation. Abraham obeys God by setting out with his aged, barren wife and his nephew, Lot.

Lesson 1: Hosea 6:3--6 (RC); Hosea 5:15-6:6 (E, L)

Whenever the "new" bumps up against the "old" there is bound to be friction. It happens within the community where we live. Someone -- an elected leader or would-be community change agent -- comes along with a new idea, seeing new possibilities for the future, and there is a vocal hesitation. "Why should we change?" the long-time residents complain.

There's an old rock and roll song titled, "I Don't Need No Doctor." The song, like so many of the era, is a song of unrequited love. The lyric, screamed out by a number of rock bands over the years, says, "I don't need no doctor, 'cause I know what's ailing me." And what's ailing the singer, of course, is the deprivation of the object of his affection. He is smitten, out of control in the painful, bittersweet carnival ride of adolescent love. "I don't need no doctor, 'cause I know what's ailing me." I remember many years ago swaying to the sounds of this song at a very loud outdoor concert.

In his stimulating book, The Dynamics Of Belief, the beloved former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Chattanooga, Don Harbuck, tells the story of a thirteen--year--old boy. Life for this young lad had been difficult. He and his younger brother had not only suffered through the loss of their mother, but they had borne the burden of an alcoholic father and his abject irresponsibility. In fact, the two boys often had nothing to eat. They lived on the berries they picked and the rabbits they killed and cooked over an open fire. Life for them was difficult, at best.

Down through the centuries, philosophers and theologians have come up with a number of classical "proofs for the existence of God." The truth is that these "proofs" are not likely to convince anyone who is determined not to believe in God. But they can be helpful guides to experiencing God for people who want to believe. Most of the proofs for the existence of God focus attention on the things that exist and the things that happen in the world around us and reason that there must be someone who is making those things happen.

First Lesson: Genesis 12:1-9
Theme: Go, Come, Be A Blessing

Call To Worship
Leader: Go!
People: Come!
All: Be a blessing!
Leader: We hear the word "blessing," and know it as a special word for someone else, certainly not for us. Then a person whom we respect tells us, "You are a blessing," and we ponder those words. Turn now to someone near you. Quietly say to each other, "You are a blessing." During this time of worship consider how, indeed, you are a blessing.

Collect

Hymns
My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less (UM368, PH379, NCH403, CBH343)
The God Of Abraham Praise (NCH24, PH488)
For The Beauty Of The Earth (CBH89, UM92, PH473)
Softly And Tenderly Jesus Is Calling (CBH491, UM348)
Heal Us, Emmanuel, Hear Our Prayer (UM266)
This Is A Story Full Of Love (CHB315)
When In Our Music God Is Glorified (PH264)
Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing (LBW499, NCH459, PH356)

Anthems
God Of The Promise, Richard Hillart, Augsburg, SATB

When I sit down to plan the worship services for this Sunday, I will start by penciling in John H. Sammis' hymn, "Trust And Obey." If Sammis had chosen to devote individual verses in his hymn to biblical characters, he could easily have included some that we will read about this week.

If you want to know how to get me to sing, though of course I am not sure that anyone would want me to be singing, just get out one of the old favorite hymns like "Standing On The Promises."

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Who can tell me what this compass does? (Let them answer.) A compass always points north. It always knows which way is north. Sometimes I get mixed up. If I'm in a strange place and get turned around, I might think that south is north or east is north. If I have a compass, then I can always tell which way is north. It always points in the same direction. Does anyone know which direction a compass will point? (Let them answer.) It will always point north. Some cars even have a compass built in the dash so that the driver can always tell which way is north.

Good morning! Have you ever seen one of these? (Let them answer.) Yes, this is a container of medicine. There are probably some in the medicine cabinet at your home. Have your parents ever told you anything about this kind of medicine? (Let them answer.) Yes, I'm sure they have told you never to open one of these vials, and, for sure, not to eat any. Why do you think they tell you that? (Let them answer.) Yes, this medicine is for a particular sickness, and if you take it when you don't need it or take too much, you might get sick and you might even die!