The Christian life, rightly lived, is a struggle. Should we do this, or should we do that? What does God want from us? No matter what we do, we know that many times we fail to accomplish what we set out to do. God does not require perfection of us, but rather discipleship, not flawless behavior but faithful action. Through everything, God goes with us to guide and uphold us. Therefore let us, with confidence, worship the God of loving guidance.

The English poet William Wordsworth wrote that the world is too much with us, and in the opening stages of an inevitably long political campaign, already it is starting to feel that way. Today we shall be thinking about ethics in politics, and how we as voters are affected by that very important and complicated subject. God guides us, as He guides all people, through the circuitous political paths of government along which all peoples must pass. Let us therefore, with expectant and eager hearts and minds, worship God.

Time, like Old Man River, just keeps rolling along. Today we look at King David in old age, and we contemplate ourselves as we approach old age in various stages. Do we see ourselves as going it alone, or do trust that God goes with us each step of the way? As we get older, do we feel more or less connected to God and to everyone else? Before we get too old and infirm to act, does it behoove us to decide what actions we should take? God walks beside us. Let us therefore, with the confidence of advancing years, worship God.

When God created the human race, He created us in families. Much of who we are is determined by what we were taught as young children and as youth. In our adulthood, most of us establish families of our own. Today we seek the blessing of God as we contemplate the life of David’s family long ago and of our own families today. Therefore let us, with confidence, worship the God who established the original and most important of genuine family values.

Two hundred and thirty-nine years ago, on a steamy July day in Philadelphia, a few dozen men gathered to sign a document which declared they had become independent from the empire which had established their existence 169 years earlier. Three thousand years ago a king committed a grievous sin. Today we gather to thank God for the United States of America, and for the wisdom of the king who knew he must move beyond his sin if he was to become the monarch God wanted him to be. Let us, with confidence, worship the God of all hope-filled new beginnings.

All around us we see beauty: the beauty of the ocean and beach and sky, of fairways and trees and lagoons, majestic birds and animals, dainty butterflies and intricate insects. It is God who created most of the beauty we see, but He also gave humanity creative abilities as well. Today we shall ponder how we humans are doing as the sole stewards of God’s terrestrial creation, the planet we call Earth. Therefore let us, with chastened confidence, gather together to give praise and thanks to our Creator-God.

Today is Mother’s Day, and on this day we recall with deep gratitude the love our mothers showed us, and the sacrifices they made on their behalf. We also remember those women for whom motherhood is more of a burden than a blessing, but who struggle as best they can properly to nurture their children. Through it all we remember the God who alone has made possible the institution of the human family, our creator and redeemer. Let us therefore, with confidence, worship God.

Each day of our lives, but especially in all the days in which we worship, we need to be open to the call of God, beckoning us to do what we alone can do to consolidate His kingdom in His world. There is no one incapable of performing service to God, and no one capable of doing everything God needs to be done. Therefore let us today listen for the voice of God moving in our hearts. Let us, with confidence, worship God.

The life of Jesus is a story told by four different men in four different ways almost two millennia ago. Our lives also would be described by us and others in different ways. Today we shall think about the narratives of our existence, and what these narratives mean to us, to others, and to God. We are grateful to God for our lives, and we seek His guidance to lead them as best we can. Therefore let us join together to worship the God who has granted us the gift of life with all its richness, possibilities, and pitfalls.

The apostle Paul asked how people are to hear God’s word without a preacher, and how can anyone preach unless that person is sent by God. Today we shall focus upon preaching and preachers and sermons, considering how it is that God speaks to us in our uncertainties and ambivalence by means of the speech of mere humans. In human words we can discern God’s Word. Therefore, hoping again to do so, let us with renewed confidence, worship God.

When we gather for worship, we do so as Christians, but also as American Christians. When other Christians in other nations worship, they do so as citizens of their own countries. Nevertheless, the God we worship is a God of all peoples, of the entire ever-expanding universe. It behooves us objectively to try to see the biggest picture possible, rather than simply an American picture or a Christian picture. Therefore let us, with an expanding confidence, worship God.

Labor Day represents a natural and annual change of pace. Summer is almost over, and a new program year begins for nearly everyone. Today we are thinking about what labor means, and about what are different kinds of labor. As Christians, we are workers for God, and theoretically if not actually, everything we do should be a labor of love on behalf of our Creator and Sustainer. Therefore, let us, with confidence, worship the God who calls us to our work.

We gather to worship the God whom we are convinced makes Himself known to us. But how does He do that? Does He do it individually, or collectively, or both? Today we shall consider how God reveals His nature and His will to us by means of history, and we shall ponder what that means. We are forever grateful that God makes Himsdelf known to us at all, when it is not incumbent on Him to do so. Therefore let us, with confidence, worship the God of self-revelation.

Church people the world over have a common purpose and goal and experience. Who we are and what we think are strongly influenced by our Christian upbringing and background. But millions of Americans do not share that background, and therefore may be almost oblivious to overt Christian values. We thank God for the influence which Christendom has had in our nation’s history and evolution, but we cannot take its continuation for granted. Nevertheless, we gather in confidence to worship the God who makes us part of the fabric of American Christendom.

All over the world, people of strong convictions do battle with one another over religion, politics, economics, and foreign policy. Is something that seems right for one time therefore right for all times? The debate goes on, because the debaters care deeply about they believe and think. This morning we shall ponder the nature of orthodoxy, and what leads us to think we are right when we do think we are right. As we do so, let us gather together in confidence to worship the God of Israel.

We live lives that are not characterized by perfection, but often by uncertainty, unhappiness, and chaos. Things happen, and we wonder why. In the midst of all our tentative realities, God rules, and God reigns. We are never alone in the exigencies which inevitably befall all of us. Therefore we gather each week in praise of a God who creates us, a Sustainer who guides us, and a Redeemer who brings us ultimately back to Himself. Let us therefore, with confidence, worship God.

The world is made up of all kinds of people, most of whom are relatively good, but some of whom are obviously quite bad. Therefore some have more sins to repent of than others. Nevertheless, God loves everyone equally, and loves each of us as though there were only one of us to love. A God such as that is like no one else we have ever known, and such a God deserves our undying thanks and praise. Therefore let us, with growing confidence, worship the God of universal love.

Two hundred thirty eight years ago some men gathered in a hot and humid room in Philadelphia to declare their independence from the colonial power which had initially sponsored them in the American colonies. This weekend once again we celebrated our nation’s self-proclamation of its freedom. This morning we consider what that means in 2014, and we seek God’s wisdom and direction in the midst of major issues facing us. Therefore let us, with Christian confidence, worship God.

Everyone who ever lived has marveled at the very gift of life, with all its richness and zest and possibilities. But also, everyone who has ever lived either has died or shall die. Is death to be feared, or affirmed? Is it an enemy, or a friend? Circumstances greatly affect the answers to those questions. But in the midst of life and death God is with us, to guard us and strengthen us and to receive us to Himself. Therefore, with Christian confidence, let us worship the God of life and life eternal.