BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//https://messiahofthemountains.org///NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.10.15// METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260715T004605UTC-9329NZuZCw@https://messiahofthemountains.org/ DTSTAMP:20260715T004605Z DESCRIPTION: \nWe gather each Sunday at 11:00 am for worship by singing hym ns\, hearing readings from the bible\, praying together and a celebration of Holy Communion. Communion is the spiritual bread our bodies need to liv e. All are invited to join us at the Lord's table to be fed by his heavenl y food\, There are no strangers in God’s house\, and if you choose to wors hip with us\, we would be honored by your presence.\nIntroduction\nGod’s w ord is like the rain that waters the earth and brings forth vegetation. It is also like the sower who scatters seed indiscriminately. Our lives are like seeds sown in the earth. Even from what appears to be little\, dorman t\, or dead\, God promises a harvest. At the Lord’s table we are fed with the bread of life\, that we may bear fruit in the world.\nPrayer of the Da y\nAlmighty God\, we thank you for planting in us the seed of your word. B y your Holy Spirit help us to receive it with joy\, live according to it\, and grow in faith and hope and love\, through Jesus Christ\, our Savior a nd Lord.\nAmen.\nFirst Reading: \nIsaiah 55:10-13 God’s word to Israel’s e xiles is as sure and effective as never-failing precipitation. Their retur n to the Holy Land in a new exodus is cheered on by singing mountains and by trees that clap their hands.\nPsalm:  65:[1-8] 9-13\nYour paths overflo w with plenty. (Ps. 65:11)\nSecond Reading:  \nRomans 8:1-11 There is no c ondemnation for those who live in Christ. God sent Christ to accomplish wh at the law was unable to do: condemn sin and free us from its death-dealin g ways. The Spirit now empowers proper actions and values in our lives and gives us the promise of resurrected life.\nGospel:  Matthew 13:1-9\, 18-2 3\nIn Matthew’s gospel\, both Jesus and his disciples “sow the seed” of Go d’s word by proclaiming the good news that “the kingdom of heaven is near. ” Now\, in a memorable parable\, Jesus explains why this good news produce s different results in those who hear. \n1  That same day Jesus went out o f the house and sat beside the sea.\n2  Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there\, while the whole crowd stood on the beach.\n3  And he told them many things in parables\, saying: “Listen ! A sower went out to sow.\n4  And as he sowed\, some seeds fell on a path \, and the birds came and ate them up.\n5  Other seeds fell on rocky groun d\, where they did not have much soil\, and they sprang up quickly\, since they had no depth of soil.\n6  But when the sun rose\, they were scorched \, and since they had no root\, they withered away.\n7  Other seeds fell a mong thorns\, and the thorns grew up and choked them.\n8  Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain\, some a hundredfold\, some sixty\, some thirty.\n9  If you have ears\, hear!”  \n18  “Hear\, then\, the parab le of the sower.\n19  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does n ot understand it\, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in th e heart\; this is what was sown on the path.\n20  As for what was sown on rocky ground\, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy\,\n21  yet such a person has no root but endures only for a w hile\, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word\, tha t person immediately falls away.\n22  As for what was sown among thorns\, this is the one who hears the word\, but the cares of this age and the lur e of wealth choke the word\, and it yields nothing.\n23  But as for what w as sown on good soil\, this is the one who hears the word and understands it\, who indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold\, in anot her sixty\, and in another thirty.”\n \nAfter the Sermon\, Holy Communion will be offered. Come as you are\, the gift of the Table of the Lord has b een prepared as Jesus has requested and now we are invited to the meal. Co me to the table like Peter\, with m ore enthusiasm than resolve and like J ames and John\, disappointed and the priorities of God’s reign. Come to th e table like Martha\, hosting and leading with confidence like Mary\, full of love and grief. Come to the table like Judas\, disillusioned and rebel lious and like Mary Magdalene\, faithful till the end. Come to the table\, because it is God who invites us and it’s God’s will that those who want to should meet God here.\nBlessing for the day (Our blessing is an adaptat ion of a Franciscan Prayer)\nMay God bless us with discomfort at a Easy an swers\, half truths and superficial leaderships so that we may live out Go d’s will deep in our heartland in our world.\nMay god bless with anger at injustice\, oppression and exploration and the environments that we may wo rk for justice\, freedom and peace.\nMay God bless us with tears to shed f or those who suffer from pain\, rejection\, hunger and war so that we may reach out with hands and hearts to help them\, walk with them and turn the ir pain into hope and joy.\nAnd may God bless us with enough foolishness t o believe that we can make a difference in this world\, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done. To bring justice\, peace\, hope and love to all children\, the poor and all others in any need.\nGod be your comfo rt\, your strength\;\nGod be your hope and support\;\nGod be your light an d your way\; and the blessing of God Creator\, Redeemer and Giver of Life\ , remain with you now and forever. https://messiahofthemountains.org/event s/event/658-7th-sunday-after-pentecost-year-a-worship-service-12-00-pm-ser vice-pastor-naomi-carriker DTSTART:20260712T150000Z DTEND:20260712T160000Z LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville \, NC 28714\, USA) SUMMARY:7th Sunday after Pentecost -- Year A - Worship Service - 12:00 PM Service -- Pastor Naomi Carriker URL:https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/658-7th-sunday-after-pen tecost-year-a-worship-service-12-00-pm-service-pastor-naomi-carriker END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260715T004605UTC-9336VxHg1K@https://messiahofthemountains.org/ DTSTAMP:20260715T004605Z DESCRIPTION: \nWe gather each Sunday at 11:00 am for worship by singing hym ns\, hearing readings from the bible\, praying together and a celebration of Holy Communion. Communion is the spiritual bread our bodies need to liv e. All are invited to join us at the Lord's table to be fed by his heavenl y food\, There are no strangers in God’s house\, and if you choose to wors hip with us\, we would be honored by your presence.\nIntroduction\nIt is a n age-old question: why is there evil in the world? In the parable of the wheat and the weeds Jesus suggests that both grow together until the harve st. With Paul\, we long for the day that all creation will be set free fro m bondage and suffering. Having both weeds and wheat within us\, we humbly place our hope in the promises of God\, and from the Lord’s table we go f orth to bear the fruit of justice and mercy.\nPrayer of the Day\nFaithful God\, most merciful judge\, you care for your children with firmness and c ompassion. By your Spirit nurture us who live in your kingdom\, that we ma y be rooted in the way of your Son\, Jesus Christ\, our Savior and Lord.\n Amen.\nFirst Reading: \nIsaiah 44:6-8 There are no other gods besides God: the word of the Lord does not fail to come to pass. We can trust in God\, through whom Israel—and we—are redeemed.\nPsalm: 86:11-17\nTeach me your way\, O Lord\, and I will walk in your truth. (Ps. 86:11)\nSecond Reading:   \nRomans 8:12-25 For Paul\, true spirituality means that we experience t he reality of the Spirit\, which enables us to pray as God’s children\, ke eps us in solidarity with creation\, and gives us unseen hope that God wil l liberate us and creation from bondage to death and decay.\n \nGospel:  M atthew 13:24-30\, 36-43\nJesus tells a parable about the coexistence of go od and evil in this world. God’s judgment will remove all evildoers and ca uses of sin\, but not until the end of human history.\n24  [Jesus] put bef ore [the crowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared t o someone who sowed good seed in his field\,\n25  but while everybody was asleep an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away.\n 26  So when the plants came up and bore grain\, then the weeds appeared as well.\n27  And the slaves of the householder came and said to him\, ‘Mast er\, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where\, then\, did these wee ds come from?’\n28  He answered\, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves sai d to him\, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’\n29  But he replie d\, ‘No\, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.\n30  Let both of them grow together until the harvest\, and at harv est time I will tell the reapers\, Collect the weeds first and bind them i n bundles to be burned\, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”  \n36  Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him\, saying\, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”\n37  He answered\, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man\;\n38  th e field is the world\, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom\; the weeds are the children of the evil one\,\n39  and the enemy who sowed them is the devil\; the harvest is the end of the age\, and the reapers a re angels.\n40  Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire\, so will it be at the end of the age.\n41  The Son of Man will send his ang els\, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all e vildoers\,\n42  and they will throw them into the furnace of fire\, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\n43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears li sten!”\n \nAfter the Sermon\, Holy Communion will be offered. Come as you are\, the gift of the Table of the Lord has been prepared as Jesus has req uested and now we are invited to the meal. Come to the table like Peter\, with m ore enthusiasm than resolve and like James and John\, disappointed and the priorities of God’s reign. Come to the table like Martha\, hosting and leading with confidence like Mary\, full of love and grief. Come to t he table like Judas\, disillusioned and rebellious and like Mary Magdalene \, faithful till the end. Come to the table\, because it is God who invite s us and it’s God’s will that those who want to should meet God here.\nBle ssing for the day (Our blessing is an adaptation of a Franciscan Prayer)\n May God bless us with discomfort at a Easy answers\, half truths and super ficial leaderships so that we may live out God’s will deep in our heartlan d in our world.\nMay god bless with anger at injustice\, oppression and ex ploration and the environments that we may work for justice\, freedom and peace.\nMay God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain \, rejection\, hunger and war so that we may reach out with hands and hear ts to help them\, walk with them and turn their pain into hope and joy.\nA nd may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world\, so that we can do what others claim cannot be d one. To bring justice\, peace\, hope and love to all children\, the poor a nd all others in any need.\nGod be your comfort\, your strength\;\nGod be your hope and support\;\nGod be your light and your way\; and the blessing of God Creator\, Redeemer and Giver of Life\, remain with you now and for ever. https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/659-8th-sunday-after- pentecost-year-a-worship-service-12-00-pm-service-pastor-naomi-carriker DTSTART:20260719T150000Z DTEND:20260719T160000Z LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville \, NC 28714\, USA) SUMMARY: 8th Sunday after Pentecost - Year A - Worship Service - 12:00 PM S ervice -- Pastor Naomi Carriker URL:https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/659-8th-sunday-after-pen tecost-year-a-worship-service-12-00-pm-service-pastor-naomi-carriker END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260715T004605UTC-9342T0Nr1k@https://messiahofthemountains.org/ DTSTAMP:20260715T004605Z DESCRIPTION: \nWe gather each Sunday at 11:00 am for worship by singing hym ns\, hearing readings from the bible\, praying together and a celebration of Holy Communion. Communion is the spiritual bread our bodies need to liv e. All are invited to join us at the Lord's table to be fed by his heavenl y food\, There are no strangers in God’s house\, and if you choose to wors hip with us\, we would be honored by your presence.\nIntroduction\nAs Solo mon prays for wisdom\, we seek to more deeply know the treasures of faith. In today’s gospel Jesus offers everyday images that reveal to us the reig n of God: a tree that becomes a sheltering home\, yeast that penetrates an d expands\, a treasured pearl\, a net that gains a great catch. Even as we seek the riches of God’s reign\, the great surprise is that God’s grace f inds us first!\nPrayer of the Day\nBeloved and sovereign God\, through the death and resurrection of your Son you bring us into your kingdom of just ice and mercy. By your Spirit\, give us your wisdom\, that we may treasure the life that comes from Jesus Christ\, our Savior and Lord.\nAmen.\nFirs t Reading: \n1 Kings 3:5-12 Because Solomon did not ask for long life\, ri ches\, or the defeat of his enemies\, God gave him what he asked for: wisd om to govern the people well.\nPsalm: 119:129-136 When your word is opened \, it gives light and understanding. (Ps. 119:130)\n \nSecond Reading:  \n Romans 8:26-39 These words celebrate the depth of God’s actions for us. Th rough Christ’s death for us and the activity of the Spirit praying for us\ , we are fused to God’s love poured out in Jesus Christ. Nothing\, not eve n death itself\, is able to separate us from such incredible divine love. \nGospel:  Matthew 13:31-33\, 44-52\nThroughout Matthew’s gospel\, Jesus a nd his disciples proclaim the good news that “the kingdom of heaven is nea r!” Here\, Jesus offers several brief parables that explore the implicatio ns of this announcement for people’s lives.\n31  [Jesus] put before [the c rowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field\;\n32  it is the smallest of all the seeds\, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a t ree\, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”   \n33  He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast t hat a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”  \n44  “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field\, which a man found and reburied\; then in his joy he goes and sell s all that he has and buys that field.  \n45  “Again\, the kingdom of heav en is like a merchant in search of fine pearls\;\n46  on finding one pearl of great value\, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.  \n47  “ Again\, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea a nd caught fish of every kind\;\n48  when it was full\, they drew it ashore \, sat down\, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.\n49  So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate t he evil from the righteous\n50  and throw them into the furnace of fire\, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  \n51  “Have you unders tood all this?” They answered\, “Yes.”\n52  And he said to them\, “Therefo re every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”\n \nAfter the Sermon\, Holy Communion will be offered. Come as you are\, the gift of the Table of the Lord has been prepared as Jesus has requested and now we are invited to the meal. Come to the table like P eter\, with m ore enthusiasm than resolve and like James and John\, disapp ointed and the priorities of God’s reign. Come to the table like Martha\, hosting and leading with confidence like Mary\, full of love and grief. Co me to the table like Judas\, disillusioned and rebellious and like Mary Ma gdalene\, faithful till the end. Come to the table\, because it is God who invites us and it’s God’s will that those who want to should meet God her e.\nBlessing for the day (Our blessing is an adaptation of a Franciscan Pr ayer)\nMay God bless us with discomfort at a Easy answers\, half truths an d superficial leaderships so that we may live out God’s will deep in our h eartland in our world.\nMay god bless with anger at injustice\, oppression and exploration and the environments that we may work for justice\, freed om and peace.\nMay God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer fr om pain\, rejection\, hunger and war so that we may reach out with hands a nd hearts to help them\, walk with them and turn their pain into hope and joy.\nAnd may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world\, so that we can do what others claim cann ot be done. To bring justice\, peace\, hope and love to all children\, the poor and all others in any need.\nGod be your comfort\, your strength\;\n God be your hope and support\;\nGod be your light and your way\; and the b lessing of God Creator\, Redeemer and Giver of Life\, remain with you now and forever. https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/660-9th-sunday -after-pentecost-year-a-worship-service-12-00-pm-service-pastor-naomi-carr iker DTSTART:20260726T150000Z DTEND:20260726T160000Z LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville \, NC 28714\, USA) SUMMARY:9th Sunday after Pentecost -- Year A - Worship Service - 12:00 PM S ervice -- Pastor Naomi Carriker URL:https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/660-9th-sunday-after-pen tecost-year-a-worship-service-12-00-pm-service-pastor-naomi-carriker END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260715T004605UTC-9347ouls7u@https://messiahofthemountains.org/ DTSTAMP:20260715T004605Z DESCRIPTION:Messiah of the Mountains collects contributions and give to the local Feed-A-Child of Yancey County. Please contribute if possible.\nFeed -A-Child Yancey County was founded in the Fall of 2007 by Robert and Glend a Wyatt to provide healthy snacks for kids who need food over the weekends . Volunteers pack and deliver the snacks to the schools that have identifi ed children in need. The schools send the bags home with the children on F ridays. https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/665-feed-the-childr en DTSTART:20260802T145900Z DTEND:20260802T150000Z LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville \, NC 28714\, USA) SUMMARY:Feed the Children URL:https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/665-feed-the-children END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260715T004605UTC-93482rgroD@https://messiahofthemountains.org/ DTSTAMP:20260715T004605Z DESCRIPTION:Messiah of the Mountains collects contributions and give to the Reconciliation House.\nReconciliation House Mission.  Our mission is to p rovide physical assistance to families in crisis situations\, in many case s\, long-term suffering and financial poverty.\nA crisis may be defined as :\nHome fire or weather related disasters such as floods or storms\nMain b readwinner out of work due to job layoff\, injury\, or illness\nFamilies c aught up in generations of poverty due to minimal education and illiteracy \nDisabled and elderly people who cannot make ends meet on low\, fixed inc omes\nSingle parents trying to raise small children alone\nIndividuals who are under employed raising families on or barely above minimum wage\nSeas onal workers who cannot get work during the cold weather months Individual s who are transient\, homeless\, or stranded.\nPlease contribute if you ca n. https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/671-reconciliation-house DTSTART:20260719T145800Z DTEND:20260719T145900Z LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville \, NC 28714\, USA) SUMMARY:Reconciliation House URL:https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/671-reconciliation-house END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260715T004605UTC-9350PI1u1o@https://messiahofthemountains.org/ DTSTAMP:20260715T004605Z DESCRIPTION:Council Meeting: Council members will meet with the Pastor to d iscuss business of the church. https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/ev ent/683-council-meeting DTSTART:20260714T140000Z DTEND:20260714T160000Z LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville \, NC 28714\, USA) SUMMARY:Council Meeting URL:https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/683-council-meeting END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260715T004605UTC-9351tvCuwI@https://messiahofthemountains.org/ DTSTAMP:20260715T004605Z DESCRIPTION:We gather after service the first Sunday of the month for fello wship and enjoy the food members have brought to share. https://messiahoft hemountains.org/events/event/693-pot-luck-sunday DTSTART:20260802T160100Z DTEND:20260802T180000Z LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville \, NC 28714\, USA) SUMMARY:Pot luck Sunday URL:https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/693-pot-luck-sunday END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR