In his sermon based on Rev. 22:1-6 at closing worship of the 219th General Assembly (2010), the preacher charged each member of the congregation in the plenary hall to go home and sit by the metaphorical River of Life and ask, “What would God have me do?”
The Rev. Chris Scruggs, Advent Presbyterian Church, Cordova, Tenn., challenged listeners to seek God’s guidance on their calling, whether it is with your life, church school class, congregation, neighborhood, or “even unto the ends of the earth.”
In rehearsing the story of his congregation's uncertainty in adding another mission program to their budget, Scruggs described exponential growth in supporting Living Waters for the World across the globe.
“Along the way, we’ve learned things about Presbyterians,” Scruggs said. “We are really good at installing water units, but we are not as good at sharing the gospel.”
Scruggs reminded the Presbyterians gathered that they are called, not to do good things for people, but to do good things with people and empower them to share the gospel, too.
Six-year-old Emma Nahr led the call to confession in a gentle and clear voice. Worship leaders and liturgists were from Plymouth (Minn.) Presbyterian Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis. Twin Cities Presbytery member, the Rev. Tammy Rider, wrote the liturgy, which included the prolonged sound of a rain stick between lines of the commissioning litany.
North Como Presbyterian Church, Roseville, Minn., shared their musicians for the service. The ensemble that led the song “Peace Is Flowing Like a River” sounded so good, Garrison Keillor would do well to invite them across the Mississippi to St. Paul to sing on tonight's broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion.