
GATHERING TO PRAISE GOD Sunday, September 19, 2021
Prelude
Praise Song
Welcome
The People Gather
L: Despite hardship, our ancestors dared to dream God sized dreams.
All: Praise God for hope-filled dreams.
L: Do it again Lord. Dream big dreams through us today!
All: Praise God for new dreams for our church.
L: Invisible God, be visible through our faith today.
All: Praise God who empowers us with faith to see what others miss.
L: Will we stop pursuing our dream because of obstacles?
All: No! Our God through the power of the Holy Spirit will help us overcome all the things that stand in the way. Come now Lord, and fulfill your dreams in us today.!
Hymn Open My Eyes UMH 454 v. 1,2,3
The People Pray
We draw near to you, O God, Source of all dreams, and ask you to draw near to us.
Teach us your wisdom from above, that we may bear good fruit in our lives.
Root us in your love which flows like living water, that our dreams may not wither. Amen.
Special Music
The People Confess Their Sin
You speak to us, but we do not listen or understand. The Scriptures are read and the Word preached, but we rarely pay heed or obey. You call us to declare who Jesus is for us, but we can’t seem to get the right words out. Our tongues engage before our brains do. We want so much to be a people who are faithful to your word and led by your guidance, but we are so easily distracted by the siren’s songs. Forgive us when we are quick to speak and slow to understand. Forgive us when we do not hear your wisdom in all the ways you speak to us. Forgive us when we do not even try to truly understand what it means to be your disciples. Lead us back to the path of wisdom and life, that we may truly live. Amen.
God’s Words of Assurance
Those who listen to the words of God will dream like Jesus for your Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven.. Know that our God never ceases to reach out in love and forgiveness, guiding to a dream for our church, calling us to claim our true as beloved sons and daughters of the living God, not puppets for the Empire.
The Word of God for the People of God
Scripture Genesis 40:2-41:43
2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief wine steward and the chief baker,3 and he put them under arrest … in the same jail where Joseph was imprisoned. 4 The commander of the royal guard assigned Joseph to assist both of them. The wine steward and the baker had dreams one night, and each man’s dream had its own meaning. 6 When Joseph met them in the morning, he saw that they were upset. 7 He asked, “Why do you look so distressed today?”
8 They answered, “We’ve both had dreams, but there’s no one to interpret them.”
Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Describe your dreams to me.”
9 The chief wine steward described his dream to Joseph: “In my dream there was a vine right in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. When it budded, its blossoms appeared, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, crushed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 Joseph said to him, “This is the dream’s interpretation: The three branches are three days. 13 After three days, Pharaoh will give you an audience and return you to your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just the way things were before when you were his wine steward. 14 But please, remember me when you are doing well and be loyal to me. Put in a good word for me to Pharaoh, so he sets me free from this prison.”
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “It was the same for me. In my dream, there were three baskets of white bread[a] on my head.17 In the basket on top there were baked goods for Pharaoh’s food, but birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”
18 Joseph responded, “This is the dream’s interpretation: The three baskets are three days. 19 After three days, Pharaoh will give you an audience and will hang you from a tree where birds will peck your flesh from you.”
20 Three days later Pharaoh gave a party for all of his servants. Before all of his servants, he gave an audience to the chief wine steward and the chief baker.21 He returned the chief wine steward to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But the chief baker he hanged, just as Joseph had said would happen when he interpreted their dreams for them. 23 But the chief wine steward didn’t remember Joseph; he forgot all about him.
41 Two years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing near the Nile. 2 In front of him, seven healthy-looking, fattened cows climbed up out of the Nile and grazed on the reeds.3 Just then, seven other cows, terrible-looking and scrawny, climbed up out of the Nile after them and stood beside them on the bank of the Nile. 4 The terrible-looking, scrawny cows devoured the seven healthy-looking, fattened cows. Then Pharaoh woke up… Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. 8 In the morning, he was disturbed and summoned all of Egypt’s religious experts[b] and all of its advisors. Pharaoh described his dreams[c] to them, but they couldn’t interpret them for Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief wine steward spoke to Pharaoh: A young Hebrew man, a servant of the commander of the royal guard, was with us. We described our dreams to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us, giving us an interpretation for each dream. 13 His interpretations came true exactly: Pharaoh restored me to my position but hanged him.”
14 So Pharaoh summoned Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, but no one could interpret it. Then I heard that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.”
16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It’s not me. God will give Pharaoh a favorable response.”
17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile. 18 In front of me, seven fattened, stout cows climbed up out of the Nile and grazed on the reeds. 19 Just then, seven other cows, weak and frail and thin, climbed up after them. I’ve never seen such awful cows in all the land of Egypt. 20 Then the thin, frail cows devoured the first seven, fattened cows. 21 But after they swallowed them whole, no one would have known it. They looked just as bad as they had before. Then I woke up… I told the religious experts,[e] but they couldn’t explain it to me.”
25 Joseph said to Pharaoh, God has announced to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven healthy cows are seven years, and the seven healthy ears of grain are seven years. It’s actually one dream. 27 The seven thin and frail cows, climbing up after them, are seven years. The seven thin ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, are seven years of famine. 28 …God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are now coming throughout the entire land of Egypt. 30 After them, seven years of famine will appear, and all of the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land. 31 No one will remember the abundance in the land because the famine that follows will be so very severe. 3 God will make it happen soon.
33 “Now Pharaoh should find an intelligent, wise man and give him authority over the land of Egypt. 34 … During the good years that are coming, they should collect all such food and store the grain under Pharaoh’s control, protecting the food in the cities. 36 This food will be reserved for the seven years of famine to follow in the land of Egypt so that the land won’t be ravaged by the famine.”
37 This advice seemed wise to Pharaoh and all his servants… Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, no one is as intelligent and wise as you are. 40 You will be in charge of my kingdom,[g] and all my people will obey[h]your command. Only as the enthroned king will I be greater than you… So Pharaoh installed him over the entire land of Egypt.
Message Interpretation of Dreams
Pastoral Prayer
The People Bring Their Gifts
There are baskets in the back or use your online app
The People Go into The World
Praise Song
Benediction
Organ Postlude