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Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship O God, We gather together in your presence with expectation, hungry for an encounter with you, eager to hear your Word. Open our eyes and ears to the presence of your Holy Spirit. May the seeds of your Word, scattered among us this morning, fall on fertile soil. May they take root in our hearts and lives, and produce an abundant harvest of good words and deeds. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our teacher and our Lord. Amen. Christine Longhurst, re:Worship *Hymn 667 When Morning Gilds the Skies, verses 1 and 2 Prayer of Confession Loving Lord, you watch over us all our days. Help us to feel your presence today. We confess that we have allowed a host of concerns and frustrations to compete with your word and will for us. Remind us that you are not the author of confusion, but of peace. Guide our thoughts, strengthen our bodies, inspire holy intentions within us, that we might be faithful to you and gospel-bearers to our neighbors and families, strangers and friends. Response Take, O Take Me as I Am Words of Assurance Hear the good news- while we worry and fret, God is at work in our lives and in our world, that we might have a taste of God’s blessed kingdom, the realm of justice, freedom, mercy, and peace. Believe in the good news of the gospel: in Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven. Alleluia! Amen. First Reading Psalm 23 Moments With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 The Morning Message Years ago, there was a local theatre group called Community Players. They produced a few plays each year, usually at the Abbot Theatre, which was on 14th Street West, what we now call “Central City.” Community Players was supported by patrons who appreciated the art of live productions and the seasonal offerings were much enjoyed. One of our neighbors was always urging me to audition for children’s roles. She took me to some of the productions to stimulate my interest. It worked. When I was in fifth grade, CP advertized that their fall production would be The Bad Seed, an adaptation of a novel written by William March. I remember our neighbor coming to the house with the flyer she had just received and said I was going to audition for the role of Rhoda, the young girl in the story. She would take me. Well, fine. I’d never been in a play before, but, ok, I’ll go to the auditions. To my great surprise, at the end of auditions, the director stood to announce the cast. He did so by walking up to each person cast and handed them a script. He walked up to me and placed a script in my hand. What followed was about two months of work that eventually became a play and a love for live performances of all kinds. I loved it, especially rehearsals. The Bad Seed. To make a long and twisted story short, Rhoda, a girl in grade school, looks like perfection personified. Winsome, clever, pretty- with long, blonde braids, starched pinafore, shiny shoes with taps on the heels. Remember that detail. Rhoda was a fine student. Sharp and talented. On the last day of school, awards were given to outstanding students. Rhoda was expecting the coveted penmanship medal. When the winner was announced, that medal was awarded to Claude Daigle, a boy in her class. This angered Rhoda fiercely. She hated to lose. She acted out, taunting the classmate and leading him to a dock at the edge of an open body of water. We do not see what happens next, but, by the end of school picnic, little Claude was dead. While the other children played and adults chatted, he had drowned. Strange thing, though, he had marks on his hands and on his forehead that seemed strangely like the shape of the taps on Rhoda’s shoes. By now you’ve figured out the rest of the story. Rhoda stole the medal and hid it in her room. Eventually, Rhoda’s mother, Christine, discovers the medal and other items Rhoda has stolen over time. The awful truth of her daughter’s deadly deed becomes apparent. She quickly comes to the realization her beautiful, intelligent, well-behaved daughter, has a hidden darkness in her personality, in what we would call her soul or spirit. She could not feel empathy. She had no conscience, could only feel for herself, the center of her own world. Her interactions with others were largely motivated by what that person could do for her. She was manipulative and cruel. As Christine was coming to terms with this ugly truth, she began to wonder about what caused Rhoda’s abnormal behavior. She automatically thought of her own childhood. She was adopted. Christine’s parents welcomed her into their family, loving and nurturing her. She turned out happy and well adjusted. But given the problem with her daughter, she sought out more information from her father about her birth parents. What she discovered was she was the biological child of a serial killer. Christine began to wonder if the tendency toward anti-social behavior could be inherited. Had she passed the gene to her daughter? Some psychologists adhered to that theory. Fearing what her daughter was capable of doing in the future, Christine attempts a murder-suicide. It was, in her mind, the most benevolent thing she could do. She would put an end to the bad seed. Christine succeeded in taking her own life. Rhoda survived, charming and deceiving her way into the affection of her father and grandfather. In our text, Jesus says the kingdom of God is like a farmer who sows wheat in his field. At night, an interloper sneaks onto the property and sows weeds, bad seeds if you will, among the wheat. Now, for a little Greek lesson. The word for “weed” in Greek is “zizania.” It is a very particular type of weed that looks just like wheat as it grows. You could hardly tell the difference. It looks like wheat, it appears like wheat, but it is not wheat. It can fool you. The field grows up and the servants notice there are weeds growing among the wheat. They ask the farmer is he wants them to pull the weeds. “No, no no,” says the farmer. By doing so, you may pull up some wheat with the weeds. Leave it until the harvesters come. They will sort it out. They’re experts at it. They will bundle up the weeds and burn them.” This text could lead us in several directions. And as I read and studied this parable, the only way I ever heard this one interpreted was like a morality play. There are good people and bad people. They live alongside one another until such time as the final judgment. Then they will be separated and God will save the good seed, the faithful, the pious, the tithers, those who came to church every time the doors were opened. They are the wheat in our story. But, woe be unto the bad seed, the non-conformists, the doubters and infidels. They would be destined to burn in hell for all eternity. The weeds. And when the day of judgment comes, the wheat would cluck their tongues at the weeds and say with sick satisfaction, “I told you so.” Oh, my goodness. I just don’t think it’s that cut and dried. Literally. First, the farmer was not very troubled at the presence of weeds in his field. “Let them be. It’s someone else’s job to sort them out. We really can’t tell them apart, can we?” I let this thought rumble around in my head for a few days. We can’t really tell them apart. Is it possible to distinguish the wheat from the weeds? They grow in the same soil, draw nourishment from the same soil, water, and sunlight. In this month’s Christian Century magazine, I read an article I’ve been anticipating: the action taken by the Southern Baptist Convention to dis-fellowship-sever the relationship- between the national body of southern Baptist churches and those churches in particular that had female pastors or significant leaders. They were attempting to purify the denomination. Clearly, those who adhered to the ruling were labeled “wheat.” Those who did not comply and continued to have women in pastoral leadership, were deemed the “weeds.” Makes my head spin, too. But, that is the way that denomination chooses to govern itself and we have no standing there. Thankfully, the PCUSA adheres to a different understanding of who is qualified for service in the church. In A Brief Statement of Faith we affirm that the Holy Spirit calls both women and men to all ministries of the church. If a Presbyterian congregation tried to establish a “male only” pattern of calling pastors, elders, or deacons, there would surely be a mutiny. So, now who would be labeled “Wheat” and who are the “weeds?” We would reverse the labels. You can hardly tell the difference, right? They both meet weekly, usually on Sundays. They both pray, sing hymns, hear the Word read and proclaimed, receive an offering and leave with a blessing. They reach out to help and support others, hold VBS, dole out graham crackers and juice, and rest from their labors. Like Rhoda, the bad seed, we can hardly tell the adherents of one church from adherents of the other.. They look alike, have the same routines, send their kids to the same schools. I’m interested to see what fallout will come from this move by the SBC, the largest Protestant denomination in the world. At a church not far from here, a session grappled with an issue that has really caused a rift in the congregation. A child of the church, preparing for ordained ministry, has been asked to preach or lead a service of some kind. That is expected of candidates for ministry in our denomination. But, after deliberation, the session declined to approve the request to preach. Battle lines formed immediately. Any more information would reveal identities and that is beside the point. Those who supported the candidate’s request to preach obviously claim the wheat status. They see the session as weeds. Those who were not in favor of granting the request believe to do so would be hurtful to the congregation. They believed they were being faithful wheat. The whole thing is hurtful and damages the body. This does not honor God. And we can’t accuse either group of failure to love. One of my grandmothers loved me dearly and I loved her. But she didn’t support my call to ministry. “The Bible says a pastor is the husband of one wife. You can’t be the husband of any wife. I think you would make a good teacher.” Her proclamation had less to do with love and more to do with a faith that was based on fear of a punitive God. She was trying to keep me on God’s good side and making sure I had my fire insurance. The point is none of us is capable of judging who’s in and who’s out, who’s a faithful believer by following the rules and who is faithful by following the Spirit into the unknown. That is a job for God alone. Scripture tells us that God gave his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but, have everlasting life. For Christ did not come into the world to condemn the world, but, that the world through him might be saved. This I believe. In the end, love wins. Grace wins. It is God’s greatest desire. I pray it is so for all of us. Amen. *Hymn A Farmer In a Field Carolyn Winfrey Gillette *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Hymn 667 When Morning Gilds the Skies, verses 3 and 4 *Blessing May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship God of grace, you have given us minds to know you, and voices to sing your praise. Fill us with your Spirit, that we may celebrate your glory and worship you in Spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Hymn 645 Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above, Verses 1 1nd 2 Prayer of Confession Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings, and our offenses against you. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we are sorry for all we have done to displease you. Forgive our sins, and help us live in your light, and walk in your ways, for the love of Jesus Christ our Savior. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness Hear the good news! The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might be dead to sin and alive to all that is good. I declare to you in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Be at peace. First Scripture Reading Psalm 85 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 11:1-13 Morning Message For a young family member, fresh out of law school, the stress of the courtroom, the imposing figure of the judge on the bench, the attorneys on the other side of the courtroom, the fate of her clients- was overwhelming. It was more pressure-filled than she had ever expected. She believed with her whole heart that she was doing a good and noble thing in representing the immigrant population in a major city. But, she quickly realized that people have different ideas about what good, noble, and neighborly mean. The bottom line is how well each attorney presents his or her case, playing by the rules. It did not often break her way. A few years into her career as a defense attorney, our girl changed direction and now does commercial real estate, which is supposed to be less stressful. It seems to suit her better. What is going on the opening scene of today’s scripture? A learned man, spit-polished and noble, with a spine seemingly made of steel and no compassion in his voice, has brought the courtroom to Jesus. The man, an expert in Mosaic law, stands up to test Jesus. Like the Pharisees, who were his colleagues, he wants to know if Jesus will use the Torah properly to answer the following question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life? Cite the chapter and verse please.” But this is Jesus. And this is the gospel of Luke. Anyone expecting or demanding a direct answer is bound to be disappointed. Jesus employs a different method of engaging this man. The Socratic method: answering a question with another question. “What is written in the law? He might also have asked, “What do you think is the answer?” How many times growing up did I ask my parents’ permission to do one thing or another, something I knew would challenge their idea of safety or expense or what was an appropriate activity for a teenager. Often, I could count on getting one of those looks that said, “You know the answer to that.” The lawyer responds with the prescribed answer: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus congratulates him on the answer, but, reels him in a little closer and we know, because we’ve heard the story so many times, that Jesus wants more. He wants all of us, as the scriptures say. “Do this and you will live.” And the man takes the bait. After all, he has a reputation to maintain. Maybe he will trip Jesus with this question: “Who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus begins to tell stories, and his stories are always packed full of meaning and this one doesn’t disappoint. Jesus puts his new lawyer friend in the story so he can’t miss the point. When our grandson was visiting for a few days, we entertained him for hours showing him all the videos of himself-from birth on-that were saved on our phones. A day or so later, he climbed up on our bed and said, “Fifi, let’s watch videos of me.” I’m not sure the man in our story would really want to watch videos of himself. But this is how Jesus tells the story: Two experts in the law walk by a man lying by the side of the road, beaten within an inch of his life. They know the commandments: to love God and neighbor. They memorized those verses as kids. But, even though they know them by heart, they don’t stop to help the man in need. No, they pass by on the other side. Their schedules were packed. They had no time to stop and render aid. Or maybe, they didn’t consider this man a neighbor at all. But then a third traveler comes by, and seeing the injured man, shows hospitality and kindness and mercy- all in generous measure. The Samaritan. The least likely character they expect. You know this- Jews and Samaritans had been at enmity for generations. Jews believed Samaritans were infidels. And yet, in Jesus’ story, who does the right thing? The Samaritan. The unlikely one. The one who is the theological enemy of the Jewish lawyer. But listen to this twist of a response: He doesn’t say the Samaritan. He says, “The one who showed him mercy.” It is the motive of the Samaritan’s ministrations that hit their mark with the lawyer. And we know, this is a matter of the heart. How many of our hearts were broken last July 4th when we heard the news of the sniper attack in Highland Park, Illinois during the annual Independence Day Parade? I couldn’t bear to watch the news coverage but I couldn’t walk away from it either. Where are the helpers, as Mr. Rogers would ask? Who is taking care of the people who abandoned those lawn chairs and purses and hats and baby strollers? Dear God, why? Why must innocent people die in such a savage, senseless way? And we pray for an end to this madness. Again. And then the stories started coming in about the victims. And then there were stories about the first responders…and the fellow by-standers, the neighbors, the merchants, the regular folk like you and me. A well-loved Highland Park tradition, one that was sheer frivolity with bands and fire engines and floats and candy tosses. It could very well be Barboursville. What could go wrong? Everything. The next morning, I saw a couple being interviewed who had been at the parade. They were not injured. During the attack, a young man came running up to them, thrusting his baby into their arms. Will you watch him? My wife was hit and I need to check on her. They exchanged phone numbers and the little boy stayed in the home and the arms of perfect strangers for hours. What trust. What neighborliness. What mercy. And then there was the couple that shielded their two-year-old son with their own bodies, literally laying down their lives for their child. There was no time for debate or consultation or background checking or anything else but the will to survive and trust. An uncommon amount of immediate action was taken that day that saved the lives of many. There were other similar violent scenes all around the country last summer when we learned that Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, had been shot. In the morning we learned he had died. Who will be neighbor to the Japanese? Abe was the first Japanese official to visit Pearl Harbor. What happens to those steps into diplomacy that are so hard won? Much closer to home, I heard and saw a story on our local news that really inspired me. Wsaz TV awards a “Ho,etown Hero” award each week to a person in the viewing area who has done some outstanding service. This week’s Hometown Hero was a man in Nitro, Greg Savilla. For years, Mr. Savilla has devoted himself to planting and tending summer flowers around the building and grounds of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. It is beautiful. The parish priest says it’s a real ministry, it draws people out, people who pass by during fall, winter, and spring, but, who literally stop to admire the flowers and express gratitude to the gardender. What makes this story even more remarkable is that Greg Savilla was born with spina bifada, a disorder that creates great physical challenges. Mr. Savilla has overcome a lot to succeed at this major gardening project. His work has drawn the neighborhood together. His work, what we could really call his ministry, doesn’t stop there. Knowing how difficult life with spina bifada can be, he has organized an annual spina bifada camping experience for children, expanding his and his church’s understanding of just who is their neighbor. Who is your neighbor? Who is in need of God’s mercy and how can you deliver a generous portion of it? The lawyer asks an essential question. Maybe the most consequential question: What must we do to inherit eternal life? Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. Do this and we will live. May it be so for all of us. Amen. * 175 Seek Ye First *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Loving God, having received your grace in the redemption of Christ Jesus, we live strengthened in the faith, with lives overflowing with gratitude. From the depths of our hearts, we offer to you the very best we have-time, talent, and treasure. May our offerings be a sign of our true devotion and thanksgiving. Amen. *Hymn 645 Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above, Verses 3 and 4 *Blessing May the God of peace make you holy in every way, and keep your whole being- body, mind and spirit, free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness! Come into God’s presence with singing! For the Lord is a gracious God, whose mercy is everlasting, and whose faithfulness endures to all generations. *Hymn 634 To God Be the Glory Prayer of Confession Holy and merciful God, In your presence we confess our short-comings and our offenses against you. You alone know how often we have sinned, in wandering from your ways, in squandering your gifts, in forgetting your love. Have mercy on us, Lord, forgive our sins and help us live in your light and walk in your ways. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you all, in the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Be at peace. First Scripture Reading Psalm 145: 8-14 Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Morning Message Anne Lamott is a gifted writer and I would call her a genious at practical theology. She is not a minister or religion professor in the traditional sense. Yet, the way Anne writes is like venturing into the mighty redwood forest of life…looking up the length of an ancient tree to its distant leafy canopy, inviting us to catch a glimpse of God. While she has written many books and regularly contributes to periodicals and magazines, makes personal appearances, and is frequently on tour inspiring new writers…she has not always enjoyed success. Far from it. Here’s what she says in a recent blog post: “Thirty-seven years ago, July 7, 1986, I got clean and sober. It is the great miracle of my existence, from which everything I love about life has sprung. I had published three books, had a great persona and reputation, and everyone knew and loved me-my soul felt like Swiss cheese, full of holes, toxic and nuts, until I had that first cool refreshing beer of the day, just to get the flies going in one direction. …I was dirt poor and could not go off somewhere and clean up. And I had run out of any more good ideas, which is what grace looks like sometimes. But God is such a show-off, and I fell in with some kind people who were sober, who wondered if I might be sick and tired of being sick and tired, and if so, if I needed a ride. I was broke for the first five years but I had a luscious little boy, and these people I’m telling you about. I was happier than I had ever been. They’re the exact same people who will be there for you with rides and cookies and wisdom and loyalty and love that will blow your mind Some of them are here today, and if you reach out to them, they will respond. You never have to hurt like you’re hurting now, and you will never again be alone.” Anne was living in the San Francisco Bay area. Walking through town one Sunday morning, pregnant and scared and hungry, she heard the singing of an African American gospel choir coming from an ordinary-looking storefront church. She recognized a few words of their song: Jesus. God. Love. The sounds were so compelling, that she opened the door and slipped in incognito. Or so she thought. You can’t be anonymous in the community of faith. But she tried. She slipped in and out of the church a few times in the weeks that followed. After she attended several times, comfortable with what happened in worship and the faces more familiar, she cracked the door a little on her life. She was immediately embraced. Her yet-to-be-born child was embraced. One woman saved all the dimes she got from week to week and gave those to Anne. She says those dimes saved her from starvation some weeks. It served as food for her body as surely as worship in a storefront church, hearing and feeling the energy of the gospel choir, being inspired, challenged, forgiven, and loved by the pastor and everyone else. Once she was worn out and weary, afraid of the future, afraid of childbirth, nearly penniless, and the church opened its arms wide and took Anne in, and she found rest. It transformed her life. Being so grateful for their help, she has stayed faithful to this church, which, I’m happy to report, is Presbyterian USA, under the leadership of a dynamic pastor. With drinking and drugging behind her, she knows she will always hear a message that echoes with a note of grace. California is a long way to go to find inspiration, but, I may have to figure out a way to tap into that energy, that sense of hope and optimism. The last several weeks have been challenging, if not, downright hard. I have become a little weary. The AC at our house was on its last leg and company was coming. Two of our family members were hospitalized. Ed had eye surgery and I am facing another eye procedure. And, with all of you, we are experiencing a period of loss and grief. Like a hot humid summer with no rain, I could use those showers of blessings they used to sing about at my grandmother’s church. Soon after I spoke those concerns aloud on Friday morning, a prayer that kind of sounded like, “Help!” my phone started ringing and pinging. Offers of help, offers to do whatever it takes to care of things here and at home began pouring in. I was able to see things a little more clearly and figure out the way forward. Showers of blessing had arrived at 167 Iroquois Trail. And that’s the way it is when we are weighed down with concerns, questions, doubts, needs, burdens- and remember to turn to God and to recognize God working through others. Help may not come in the way or in the shape of what we expect, but be assured, God’s storehouse is never empty and never closed. May you find it so for yourselves. *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 580 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Blessed are you, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have these gifts to share. Accept and use our offerings and our lives for your glory and for the service of your kingdom. Amen. *Hymn 694 Great God of Every Blessing *Blessing Go out remembering all God has done for you. Break down the walls of hostility and proclaim peace. Have compassion for all, including yourself. And may God be with you wherever you go. May Christ Jesus heal you and refresh you. And may the Holy Spirit encircle you and give you strength. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship A Litany for Independence Day As we remember the birth of our nation, and the gifts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, let us offer our thanks and prayers to God, giver of all good things. For the women, men, and children who braved the long journey by sea to come to this new world. For the tribes and nations who inhabited this land for generation upon generation. For patriots who dreamed of, and labored for, a free nation. For the men and women who laid the foundations of our democracy, and who pledged liberty and justice for all. For those who built this country brick by brick, road by road, and town by town. For the brave soldiers who have left hearth and home to serve our country, for all who paid for our freedom with their very lives. For the innovators and artists, poets and teachers, farmers and factory workers, for all who labor and provide for the common good. For those who protect our community in emergencies and for all who work to restore order. For the exquisite beauty of this land, with its peaks and valleys, coasts and deserts, fields and meadows. For our own community, for those who came before us in this place, and for our neighbors near and far. Lord, we pray for these United States, that we might always be a nation which defends and promotes liberty and freedom, truth and justice. That we might always be a nation where all are free to worship and pray. That we might be a beacon of freedom to all those who live under the shadow of terror and hopelessness. That those who are elected to govern and lead would look to you for wisdom and guidance, and carefully guard the public trust. That we would be a people who repent from our sins, and who always return to you and to your ways. Gracious God, Father of all the nations, bless and defend us and our land, prosper the work of our hands, and increase in us your courage, grace and compassion. Hear our prayer, O Lord, our rock and our salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Hymn 454 God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand Prayer of Confession Gracious God, our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips fear to tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past we cannot change, open to us a future in which can be changed, and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image, through Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Lord. Amen. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Declaration of Forgiveness Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life is gone and a new life has begun. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel: in Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven. Alleluia! Amen. Time With Our Young Disciples Scripture Reading Isaiah 58:1-12 Morning Message *Hymn 453 Battle Hymn of the Republic, Verses 1 and 2 *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 * Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Almighty and merciful God, from whom comes all that is good, we praise you for your mercies, for your goodness that has created us, your grace that sustains us, the discipline that corrects us, your patience that has borne with us, and your love that has redeemed us. Receive our gifts, offered in humility and gratitude, that the world may know, love and serve you. We give in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Hymn 453 Battle Hymn of the Republic, Verses 3 and 4 *Blessing Go out into the world in peace; have courage; hold onto what is good; return no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak and help the suffering; honor all people; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. *Postlude |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
July 2024
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