Thanksgiving Family Worship Service / With the table setting prepared the family is worshipping

 

 

Hymn / 460 (New Hymn 310, God’s great grace it is has brought us)

 

Prayer/ (Let us all pray)  Dear Lord! With Thanksgiving table set before us, thank you for allowing our family to worship you.  We confess, this year was lived by your guidance and love.  Lord, throughout the year, all of our families have been scattered with responsibilities of its own and the efforts of its own. Through you we have reaped the reward of our labor. There were times, when we had to weather the moments, and during those moments, we confess we have lived within the love of God. As well, throughout the year, thank you for assuring us with your grace. Going forward, guide us to live by your faith and hope and not to be shaken by circumstances.  

Please grant peace and consolation to those who are faced with hunger, war, pain and fear. And help us to share the pain. We ask that you be with us and Chicago Covenant church. We ask the Holy Spirit to lead the worship service and glorify the Lord. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen!

 

Scripture Reading / John 2: 1-11

The Word/ The words that we are reading together is about Jesus’s first miracle. 
Jesus performed his first miracle in front of entire family members.  Also, the focal point of this scene is about start of a family.

 

Of all the ceremonies in our lives, marriage is by the far the most elaborately and joyfully celebrated event.  During this festive event, wine should not run out.  In Israel, the wine is the most important part of festival.  For certain household, when wine runs out, the situation becomes a crisis.  With all of the guests present at the ceremony and at this climatic moment, Jesus attends the festive ceremony with his disciples. However, hosts only concern was the lack of wine during the ceremony and it posed a huge problem.  The host did not realize that Jesus would be able to resolve such crisis.

 

Jesus’s mother told Jesus about not having enough wine in the festive house and instructed the servants to do as Jesus said. As we all know, Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with ceremonial washing water to its brim. Everyone obeyed Jesus without questioning him. Then the servants brought the jar filled with water to the master of banquet to taste.  The master of banquet complimented generously.  During this climatic moment, when the joy and laughter was about to eminently fade away, instead everyone received greater added joy.

 

Today, while all of our family members are present, let us all think about why this passage has been shared.  After the harvest and gratitude, what are the things that are making us busy and anxious about? Are we the one’s that just ran out of wine? What are the things that are troubling our family? Let’s take the things that troubles us and lay it in front of Jesus.  Let’s all kneel and like the ceremonial water jar and bring ourselves closer to Christ.  Let’s lean our ears closer to Jesus and rely in him fully, in doing so, we will experience greater joy. 

The first miracle of Jesus was about experiencing happiness, joy and thankfulness within ceremony of Jesus Christ.  Today, let’s rediscover the festival of gratitude and joy in our own home.

 

This thanksgiving, our Lord wants all of us to show sincere gratitude and happiness towards him. This is not about harvesting bountiful crops or about wine.

Lord be the owner of our lives and guide us! Let’s give thanks to the Lord, who provides day to day love and grace.  Thank you Lord.

 

Hymn / 305 (New Hymn 559, All year in our home the spring breezes blow)

 

Lords Prayer / All of us