To watch this worship service on YouTube, click here.

Relationships can be messy. At DisciplesNet in this season we are continuing to look at how God calls us to right relationships: with God, with each other, and with creation. This week we come today to one of the most difficult passages to understand: the story of Abraham and his son Isaac and a incredibly difficult mountain they must climb. What happens next invites our own conversation about sacrifice, and about the eternal love of God for Abrahams now, including us, who are so numerous we are like the stars in the sky.

Worship is just under 30 minutes, with scripture, song, prayer, and an inspiring message from Pastor Bob. And as we do every week, our time together includes a time of communion (breaking of the bread) where you may choose to participate, or simply meditate as we tell of Jesus' invitation to "do this in remembrance of me." We believe that Christ extends the invitation to all, and that we come not because we are wholly righteous, but that we are redeemed.
If you would like to share with us at the table we ask that you prepare a piece of a type of bread for you, and a drink such as grape juice, wine, or water. As we pray, our prayers are given to extend to where you are.
If you are unable to eat or drink, you may want to use a symbolic gesture or mental symbol as you come together at this table of remembrance with us. (Scroll down for an Order of Worship)

We hope that as you join us for worship you will feel a blessing from being part. Please tell friends, family, and others you know about our online church that is here with doors that are always open, walls as wide as the world, and always room at the table.

ORDER OF WORSHIP:
1. Opening background music: “Ancient Words”
2. Welcome: Elder Susan
3. Opening hymn: “Wonderful Words of Life”
4. Prayer: Pastor Deb
6. Hymn: “Seek Ye First”
7. Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14 (NRSV) Pastor Anita
8. Message: “Father Abraham” Pastor Bob
9. Hymn: “What Does the Lord Require of You?”
10. Communion: Pastor Russ
11. Hymn: “In Remembrance of Me”
12. Sending out

If you would like to chat with one of our pastors, including talking more about belief in God, becoming a Christian or following Christ, or living as a disciple of Christ, please email us at pastor@disciplesnet.org, or contact us using the contact information on our website, disciplesnet.org, or our Facebook page, DisciplesNet Church.

INVITATION TO GIVING:
DisciplesNet Church is a not-for-profit church that exists to cross barriers and boundaries to share the Good News of God's redeeming love. We rely on the gifts of our online viewers as we continue to grow and extend our nets around the world.

We also extend the invitation for you to be part of the DisciplesNet ministry by giving a one-time gift, or ongoing, including a tithe. Even the smallest of gifts, like the mustard seed, has a way of growing in amazing ways to share God's word and the love of Jesus Christ. We have a giving page on our website, disciplesnet.org, and email address: giving@disciplesnet.org

ABOUT OUR DISCIPLES SHEEP:
You may notice in our videos that we have various stuffed sheep with us in worship. To us, these are not toys, but important parts of our church.
It happened this way: When we began producing worship as DisciplesNet in November 2010, one of the first problems we recognized was that when we are speaking to the people on the other end of a camera and internet, we cannot actually see the people to whom we were speaking. It was easy to speak to the other pastors in the room, but as we prayed and preached and spoke, we instead wanted to be reminded of the people for whom we were serving—including people whose best way to attend worship might be online. We wanted to be speaking to them---and as best we could hearing and telling their stories.

So, on a whim, we set some sheep that we’d used for a children’s sermon in front of our speakers, and found that helped! Before we knew it, their number was growing. They spilled over onto the table as we spoke. They have become dear to us and no longer children’s toys— but representations of all of the sheep of God’s pasture, all of God’s children—the real people like you, whom we may not be able to see in real life, but wish never to forget are there, and are each and everyone loved by God more than we can ever comprehend. Those sheep are why we are here.

God bless you, and thank you for joining us!

disciplesnet.org