INVOCATION and SCRIPTURE
Dear Lord, help me to take time to meditate on your Word and let it penetrate into my heart. Take away everything that hinders me while I spend quiet, quality time in Your word, and prepare myself in my walk with You. Amen.
Geevetha Mary Samuel
Romans 14: 7-9
7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
John 15: 5-8
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Glory to You, O Lord, my God!
HYMN REFLECTION
Seeking to make more indigenous sacred songs available to Spanish speaking churches, The General Board of Discipleship published supplements to the 1963 Methodist Hymnal called Celebremos I and II. It was in Celebremos II, published in 1983, that “Pues Si Vivimos” (When We Are Living) (UMH #356) first appeared.
In brief, a member of the editorial committee, Gertrude Suppe, recorded and transcribed this single stanza Mexican folk song (author unknown) as presented by a woman after a chance meeting following a worship service in Los Angeles, CA. The song was translated into English by another committee member, Elise Eslinger, and submitted for inclusion in Celebremos II. Still another committee member, Roberto Escamilla, added three additional verses in Spanish. Finally, it was yet another member of that committee, George Lockwood, who translated stanzas 2-4, creating the full English version that we enjoy singing today.
The work put forth by this talented group of people gave us a biblically sound hymn of Mexican origin that beautifully describes they ways in which we are to walk with Christ. We are His in life and in death. While we walk this earth, we belong to God in giving and receiving, in joy and sadness, whether suffering or rejoicing. And so, through all of this life, we must seek the ways we can help and nurture one another “across this wide world.” For it is in reaching beyond ourselves in this way that we truly walk with, and belong to Him.
PRAYER
Generous and loving God, we come to you in thanksgiving, knowing that all we are and all that we have is a gift from you. In faith and love, help us to do your will. We are listening. Speak your words into the depth of our souls, that we may hear you clearly. We offer to you this day all the facets of our lives. We seek to be patient, to be merciful, to be generous, to be holy. Give us the wisdom and insight to understand your will for us and the fervor to carry out our good intentions. We offer our gifts of time, talent and possessions to you as a true act of faith, to reflect our love for you and our neighbors. Help us to reach out to others as you have reached out to us. Amen.
(edow.org)
Offered by Joche Wilmot, Director of Music Ministries