The Call to Worship
The Call to Worship begins the public worship service and sets the tone for the entire worship service.  It reminds us who we are and why we gather together.  It can begin with a welcome or a passage of scripture or even a song.  If a welcome is given it should be followed by a scripture reading.  If a scripture is read first then one may follow it with a welcome and a couple of brief comments on the passage.  

It is best to then conclude in prayer seeking God’s blessing on the gathering.  It is to be welcoming, encouraging, can be centered on a theme, but most of all calling and reminding the people of the purpose for gathering.  It can be formally read or be very informal.  One can also tie it to the sermon topic if that is known ahead of time.  

The Confession of Sin 
The Confession of Sin is a time to remind us of our sinful nature (recall who we are apart from Christ), our continuing ongoing sinful actions, and of the abundant grace and forgiveness found in our Savior.   It is not to regain forgiveness; we are already forgiven.  It is not to pay penance (penalty) for our sins.  It is to remind us of what He has done and to keep us humble before God.  It is a time to repent (turn away from or renounce our sins).  

Elder Jim Deweese will be conducting a series of classes on "Marriage: Is it worth defending?" at the Ashland Grace Brethren Church.  The first class is to begin Jan. 30th at 7:00 pm.

GBC's promo for the event reads thus:

"Judge James DeWeese has a unique perspective on the judicial legislation that challenges God’s design.

 "Judge DeWeese has been taken to court twice for hanging a poster of the Ten Commandments in his courtroom. The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal on the case in 2006 when DeWeese was ordered to remove the poster, and he was in court again in 2010 over a newly redesigned version."

The history of nations is that they come and go.  They rise and enjoy a time of power.  Then they crash and fade into oblivion, only to be read about in history books.  Analysts have sought to understand what causes such things.  They like to find out what creates a world superpower.  What are the dynamics that cause one nation to boom and another to bust?  

The passage before us today sums up all that we need to know in regard to this.  It tells us what many scholars have come to find out only after long hours of dissecting data.  It all comes down to this:  A nation will stand or fall based on its growth in population.  

If a nation has a population that is growing, then it will be a nation that thrives in every way—economically, militarily, and culturally.  If it there is a downturn in the number of its citizens, then it is going to be a nation in decline.  Growing pains indicate that there is something systemically wrong with the country.  

In sum, when it comes to the international scene and who will be the head among the nations, it comes down to sheer numbers.  And this passage simply tells us that the future belongs to the fertile.

I. A King’s Honor
The passage starts out by saying that “In the multitude of people is the king’s honor.”  Literally it says that the multitude is the king’s ornament.  You know, a king is known for his crown.  It is that regal piece of apparel—that ornament—that distinguishes him with the honor of his royalty.  

This passage is saying that masses of people are the real distinguishing honor of a king.  The more people the more glorious will be his reign.  As these citizens multiply, his rule will become greater and greater.  His kingdom will become stronger and more powerful.

Each week we have this particular part of the service that we call “the confession of faith.”  It is not something you find in a lot of churches today.  In the main it is found in churches that are Lutheran or Reformed; you might say churches that are directly linked to the Protestant Reformation.

Being that it is somewhat unfamiliar to so many, I was asked to give a brief synopsis of why we have this as a regular part of our services.

There are a number of reasons why historically, this has been a regular practice in the church.  The primary reason is because the confession of faith is a form of oath taking; it is a vow that we take before God and man.

The Bible tells us that one of the things that is permitted in worship the taking of oaths and vows.  For instance, Deuteronomy 10:20 says, “You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.”

Or, we might think of the third commandment.  The third commandment says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord your God will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”  Of course, the opposite of that is that we are to take God’s name.  And as you take that name, you are to do so with love, reverence, and zeal.  The essence of the 3rd commandment is that you are to vigorously claim God as your own and assert before the world that He is your God.

Think of it this way, every time you recite the Apostle’s Creed you are not just articulating the church’s basic beliefs about the Triune God; in reciting those words you are publicly testifying that this particular God is your God. 

It used to be the practice in schools to say the pledge of allegiance every morning before they dug into their day.  When they did that what they were essentially doing was taking an oath.  They were pledging their allegiance to America and to her flag.

In the same way when we recite the creeds and confessions, we are making our pledge of allegiance.   When we stand with the congregation of Christ and give voice to these words we take an oath before God and man that we believe these things to be true and we have given our lives to the service of this God.

We have just updated our church email list to a new service.  Let us know if you did not receive a welcome message.  We will make sure you get put on the updated list.

The latest issue of the Providence newsletter has hit the web.  This issue is dedicated to the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the decision that legalized abortion in America.  

Inside you will have opportunity to reflect on the gravity of this occasion.  You will also have the chance to read stories that show how precious life is to the Christian. 

This coming Lord's Day there are a number of special events to be aware of due to it being Sanctity of Life Sunday.  

Our morning service will remember the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion by breaking from our regular series in Genesis to devote time to meditation and supplication for the issue of life.  

Then, in the evening, we encourage everyone to attend the Ashland Care Center's rally for life.  That event will take place at 6:30 pm at Ashland Brethren in Christ Church (2750 Mifflin Ave, Ashland)

Our congregation will once again be participating in the Operation Christmas Child program.  Throughout the year we will collect various items for children.  In December we will pack them in boxes so that they can be shipped around the world.

The boxes provide opportunities for children in many lands to hear the gospel and receive Bible teaching.

As the collection will be beginning soon, we wanted to give everyone a chance to see the items which we will be seeking.  You can obtain a list by clicking here.