A New Day Burgeons - Poem by Raymond A. Foss

Bursting forth, blooming before our eyes
not some truly gradual even, unfurling
more like water boiling, suddenly, urgently
seemingly going from water to steam
so is the day, burgeoning, suddenly upon us
presenting itself as fact, changed from the night
into the brightening day

Bursting forth, the Spirit, changing our lives
inexplicably, invisibly, profoundly
our lives not like before, rising on heavenly wings
our spirits soaring from the lift
the transforming of the Spirit within
changing us forevermore, different
unlike what we were the moment before
a new life, a new creation
into a new day burgeoning with promise

June 15, 2009 to June 17, 2009
The Epistle Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17
Sermon, “New Beginnings”, by Pastor Ruth L. Foss
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
June 14, 2009
Call to Worship:
It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name,
O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your
faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your
deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of
your hands. (Psalm 92:1-4 NIV)
Unison Prayer:
Loving God, we thank you for this day that we may come into
Your house and worship You. We ask that Your Holy Spirit
would fall down upon us gathered here so that we may
understand all that You would have us hear this day.
We thank you for the Spirit that you have gifted us with.
We pray that our worship would be pleasing in Your sight.
This we pray in the strong name of Your Son, Lord Jesus Christ.
Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 16:6-13
*Prayer of Dedication (unison)
Heavenly Father, you have offered us such abundance.
We are so very blessed. Yet, we often think that we have so little.
Some of us may even feel as though our gift is too small.
Thank you for reminding us that even our mustard seed-sized
gift may grow beyond our individual possibility. So, today we
place before you all amounts of gifts – some quarters from
children, some $1 bills from adults, some larger bills and
checks – knowing that you transform our scarcity into your
abundance. Thanks be to God. Amen. (GBOD)