|
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Psalm 19:1-6 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; Yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong person, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat, *Hymn 634 To God Be the Glory Prayer of Confession God of justice and righteousness, your call beckons us: to live faithful lives, to turn from wickedness, to walk in your ways. Yet it is easy to turn aside: to speak a thoughtless word, to ignore those in need, to strike out in anger, to forget your ways. Forgive us. Implant your word in our hearts, and cleanse us from all evil. By the power of your love, save us, that we might fully love and serve you. Amen. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness God’s word has the power to save us. God has anointed us with gladness, forgiven and freed us, to live holy and joyful lives. Alleluia! Amen. First Reading Psalm 81:1, 10-16 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading Luke 14:1, 7-14 Morning Message I love to travel and it has been my great good fortune to go on some really nice trips. Most of them have been with my husband and his choirs. I am richly and undeservedly blessed. Once on a return trip from New York City our bus broke down. We pulled into something close to a park and ride and waited for another bus to arrive that would safely carry us back to Ona. When that replacement bus pulled up, one of the fathers accompanying us stood and announced in an authoritative voice, “Gentlemen, we have a job to do. Meet me outside.” And with that he exited the bus. And every male passenger and some of the women, followed him. Some had been asleep when we stopped, some had been playing cards, many had been doing homework. The response was immediate. They laid aside whatever they were doing in order to dis-embark and help transfer the contents of the bus’s storage compartment to that of the replacement bus. We were soon on our way. The textbooks and the cards came out and the pillows were plumped as if we had never been inconvenienced, and the guys, mostly, had never climbed into the cold and dirty storage compartments of two tour buses to get the job done. As I was preparing this message, I was reminded of a sermon by Rev. Dr. John Claypool, an Episcopal priest who is regarded as an excellent preacher, author, and authority on issues of practical ministry. I’d like to share his words about this story in Luke’s gospel. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. The day the bus broke down, everyone on it was exhausted. And growing a little tired of each other. We’d had a great trip. We had seen a Broadway show, an off-Broadway show, an opera at the Met, toured several museums, gone to the top of the Empire State Building, visited the Statue of Liberty, and I can’t remember what else. The only destination we cared about by Sunday afternoon was home. And I think that’s what Jesus was pointing to in our text. We all come from different circumstances, but, we are all citizens of one kingdom, one fellowship. We have one destination and we are united around one purpose. Our home is with Jesus and the work to which he has called us is to usher in the kingdom whenever and wherever the opportunity appears. Could be at a wedding, or in a classroom, or waiting in line at the grocery store, or when the bus breaks down. It really doesn’t matter what the situation is. What is important is our response. “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to God’s purpose.” *Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed p. 35 *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn 607 Doxology Prayer of Dedication God of light and beauty, every gift is from you. Even our ability to give is a blessing of your love. We offer what we have and what we are that you may use our gifts to give birth to a world of peace and understanding, where none are in need, and all are drawn into your embrace. Amen. *Hymn 692 Spirit, Open My Heart *Blessing In everything, let us offer our thanks to God. In our darkness and questioning, in our relief and rejoicing, in the assurance that God holds us in love, that we may cheerfully serve others, replacing fear with the hope born of Eternal Love. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Joshua 24:15 Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. *Hymn 321 The Church’s One Foundation Gathering Prayer O, Lord, our God, wellspring of all that is, you are the sea on which we float, the wind that fills our sails, the storm that buffets, the calm that brings us peace. Open our ears to hear your word, our eyes to see your beauty, our hearts to be warmed by your love. Free us from the bonds of sin and selfishness, and make us over to be bearers of your joy and peace. Amen. Hymn Take, O Take Me As I Am First Reading Psalm 71:1-6 Time With Our Young Disciples Second Reading Luke 13:10-17 Morning Message We find Jesus doing one of the things he does best…he’s teaching. That’s appropriate for this time of year. We have all been students, some of us have been teachers, and we are all interested in our young people who are off to school in this season. We pray for their success and we want to support them as they travel thru this stage of life. In Jesus’ day, the temple was the place of worship. The synagogue is the place of instruction. And Jesus is in the synagogue. Before we know it, a problem emerges: A woman has entered who is bent over by what the scripture calls a “spirit that had crippled her for over eighteen years.” Let’s take a moment to visualize this woman and what she must have looked like. Bent over to such an extent that she could not stand up straight. Can we imagine what that must have felt like? I imagine it would be painful. And how would she even see where she was going? How could she talk to people, shop in the market, cook for her family? Jesus immediately sized up the situation and asks her to come to him, and proclaims that she has been set free from her ailment. He lays hands on her and immediately she stands up straight, and began praising God. Years ago, I was introduced to a woman that I imagine looked much like the woman here in the text. Elderly, quite bent over, in fact, I’m not sure she could see much more than the ground beneath her feet as she shuffled along. But, she did walk, with help. She walked into church every Sunday of the world, assisted by her son, who was devoted to her. I watched him walk her to a pew in the sanctuary and gently get her settled with some pillows supporting her back. Some time later, a church member shared with me that her condition was a result of what we used to call a “communicable disease.” Her husband had served in one of the branches of the armed forces during World War 1, and upon his return, had passed the disease on to his wife. I think we could rightly say, that is quite a cross to bear. Not only does this real-life woman have a physical deformity which has greatly diminished her quality of life, she bears the scars of small-town gossip and shame. How humiliating it must have been that everyone in the whole community knew her business. I’m sure I would stare at the ground, too. But, she was a woman of faith surrounded by a faithful congregation. In that, she found her strength. In our text, Jesus reaches out and touches the bent-over woman. And she has two responses: she stands up straight and she praises God. And for that, she is scolded. The synagogue leader just saw her as an interruption, and completely missed the miracle that has been performed right before their eyes, In his best authoritative voice, he proclaims that there are six days of the week to take care of tasks considered work. And he admonishes the woman, and the gathered church, and Jesus, to come on those days if they wanted healing. Clearly, he saw this whole episode as interference and a definite offense to Jewish law. A real Robert’s Rules kind of guy. But, consider this: it doesn’t say anywhere in the text that this woman asked for help. It is Jesus who sees her, really sees her, and reaches out to heal her. The text says she has been crippled by a spiritual ailment. We could speculate on what that could be. If she were a resident of this community today, what problem could have bent her, broken her? Age and infirmity, for sure. Many of us can relate to the troublesome physiological changes brought on with each passing birthday. Maybe she suffers from isolation. That’s perfectly plausible, too, as we approach three years of this Covid era. Or maybe it’s poverty, or hunger. Maybe a member of her family has fallen into addiction, which we know affects the whole family. Maybe she suffers a mental or emotional condition that prevents her from raising her head high enough to look into the eyes of another living, breathing human being. Maybe she is too beaten down to even ask for help. We don’t know. But we do know that she came to the right place. Jesus saw her, even though he was actively engaged in teaching, and her life and her need touched him, which prompted Jesus to reach out and free her from her oppression. Now, if such a miraculous moment happened here, I expect we would all be on our feet, jumping and leaping and praising God. Well, we’re Presbyterians. It would be orderly praise, right? But, here’s what’s important: The kingdom of heaven is breaking in, in spite of nay-sayers. Miracles don’t happen every day. We still have diseases and conditions and social ills, but Jesus has come to remind us that it won’t always be that way. There is a kingdom coming, a realm in which there is no pain or sorrow or suffering, and here’s a little glimpse. He even invites us to join him in ushering in this kingdom in whatever we way we can. The synagogue president missed that teachable moment. But Jesus zeroes in on it. “Hey, tell me, which one of you doesn’t water your animals on the Sabbath?” Untying a rope, journeying, drawing water, all these things were considered work under the law. Work is prohibited on the Sabbath. Why is it ok to do those things. but you want to condemn this act and this woman who has received an extraordinary blessing? She has suffered for nearly twenty years, not twenty minutes or days, or months, from something that has interrupted her life. And you can’t tolerate a brief detour in the agenda?” And he’s just winding up. Jesus does something that really floors me. He calls them a name: hypocrites. Insulting, but it fits. His opponents wouldn’t reform, but, many recognized the moment for what it was, and were full of praise. I caught a story on the local news recently about a graduation ceremony for those students in Cabell County who fell short of meeting graduation requirements in the spring, but who now had met the requirements. This was possible because they attended summer school and completed the work required to be granted a diploma. It was a high moment. You could see the smiles and hugs. You could just feel the joy. When was the last time you saw your high school diploma? It was probably only one of the diplomas, or certificates or awards or accolades you have received in life. But, sadly, not everyone succeeds in this ol’ world. Some kids have to slay dragons before they ever get to school in the morning. I’m sure that could be said of some of these graduates. Jessica, our secretary, worked with a student all summer in order to get him to that finish line. He had a multitude of problems his senior year that interfered with his schoolwork. But, school personnel rallied around him, as they did others, and he finished his work successfully. He graduated. Jessica says he worked very hard all summer, and not only does he have a diploma, he will start nursing school this week. So, he has a diploma and a future. The Herald- Dispatch carried this same story and quoted one young man who attended the ceremony with his child in his arms. He moved me to tears. What we probably take for granted, he truly prized. He said, he could go on now, with his head held high. No longer bent over or broken, but having been changed. He did the work, but, I want to believe that he was helped by kingdom people, whose desire is that all God’s children can stand up, heads held high, and praise God. *Affirmation of Faith A Brief Statement of Faith, PCUSA, 1991 We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life. The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to love God and neighbor, binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church. The same Spirit, who inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls women and men to all ministries of the Church. In a broken and fearful world, the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” *Hymn 581 Gloria Patri Sharing Our Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings Offertory *Hymn Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Almighty God, from whom all blessings flow, may you find us ever-thankful for the abundance of your gifts. Accept these offerings as signs of our thanks and praise. May they serve to strengthen our commitment to know, love, and serve you this and every day. Amen. *Hymn 462 I Love to Tell the Story *Blessing And now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and always. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship What shall we return to the Lord for all the good things God has done for us? We will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. *Hymn 267 Come, Christians, Join to Sing Prayer of Confession Merciful God, you pardon all who truly repent and turn to you. We humbly confess our sins and ask your mercy. We have not loved you with our whole hearts, nor have we loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have not done justice, loved kindness, or walked humbly with you. Have mercy on us, O God, in your loving-kindness. In your great compassion, cleanse us from sin. Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. Do not cast us away from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from us. Restore to us the joy of your salvation and sustain in us a bountiful Spirit. *Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance 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. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace. Amen. First Reading Psalm 80 Pew Bible p. Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Pew Bible p. Morning Message At the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, ten refugee athletes from four countries competed together as the Refugee Olympic Team. Among them were two swimmers, two judokas, a marathoner, and five medium-distance runners. Ten young women and men who fled their home countries in search of competition. Ten talented athletes who never gave up. Their participation was a tribute to the courage and perseverance of all refugees. As part of the commitment to aiding potential elite athletes affected by the world refugee crisis, the International Olympic Committee asked National Olympic Committees around the world to identify athletes with the potential to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games. Such candidates would then receive funding from Olympic Solidarity to assist in their preparations and qualification efforts. Forty-three promising candidates were identified and ten were eventually selected to make up the first-ever refugee team. Serving as a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide and bringing global attention to the refugee crisis, they marched and competed under the Olympic flag. Their athletic prowess and resilience was a tribute to the courage and determination of all refugees- at a time when the number of people displaced by violence and persecution was at the highest level since World War II. What an inspiration. They entered a process with hopes and dreams and I’m sure, not a little anxiety. Did they know exactly what they would encounter? Did they anticipate sacrifices or danger ahead? We don’t know. What we do know is that they stepped out on a global stage, trusting in the help of strangers, for a global cause. It is with that sense of hope that I read this Hebrews text. It’s not a very pretty story, is it? It recalls the fates of the faithful, many who suffered and died for the cause of Christ. By word and deed, time and space, the faith was passed on through the villages and towns and across oceans and deserts, and up unforgiving mountains, and into dense dark jungles, until the gospel came to us. In our text, the author lifts up some of our most courageous heroes and heroines of the faith. If we would go back and read their stories, we would find some unlikely characters for bearing the banner of Christ, and yet, God used them to lead others to freedom, to fight enemies of God and God’s people, to find a homeland, and more. For example, take Gideon. He was an altogether reluctant warrior. He lacked confidence in his own ability and asked the Lord to prove it was really the Lord talking to him at all. (Judges 6:8) Barak refused to go to battle without Deborah at his side, which you know was not the norm in that day. But, for all his courage, for his willingness to put his life on the line, he learned that at the end of this battle the honor would go to someone else. (Judges 4). And yet he stepped up for God. Samson may well have been strong in body, but we have to wonder if he weren’t a little lacking in his intellect.(Judges 16). Jephthah, though described as a mighty warrior, essentially traded the life of his only child, his daughter, for a military victory. (Judges 11). David was the ideal king for the nation of Israel, but he committed adultery and arranged the death of Bathsheba’s husband so he could take his place. (2 Samuel 11:1-12, 25). In Joshua 2, we read the story of Rahab. She was a Cannanite woman living in Jericho. Before the conquest of Jericho, Joshua sends two men as spies to see the land. They cometo Rahab’s house for lodging. The king, hearing that they are at Rahab’s house, demands that she give them up, which would mean certain death. Rahab defies the king and and rescues the Israelites. She hides them under the flax drying on her roof, She lets the men out through her window, which is in the town wall. She asks that she and her family be spared once the Israelites attack Jericho. The spies give her a crimson thread to hang from her window, telling her to gather her family and wait inside the house. So long as they stayed inside the house marked with the red thread, they would be spared. And indeed they were. And for all her courage and ingenuity, we almost always call this woman, “Rahab, the Prostitute.” As if her profession rendered her faith defective. All these characters were less than perfect. That gives me hope and confidence. Today’s problems and challenges are deep and complicated and we wonder if have the skill or the will or the strength or the intellect to address many of them. Well, the truth is, we don’t have the resources to resolve all the world’s threats. But, God’s people are everywhere across the globe, lacing up their shoes for whatever race is set before them. We are a cloud of witnesses, going wherever God’s Spirit leads. A few months ago I met Callie, a twenty-seven-year-old immunologist working at Wake Forest Medical School. Callie works long hours and weeks, and is joined by a number of other young laboratory scientists who are investigating childhood diseases. They then build medical models to eradicate the diseases. Callie’s from Australia, a home she hasn’t seen for over two years, thanks to the pandemic. Still, her spirit is kind and cheerful and sociable, and sometimes, wistful. She misses her family. She misses her home and walks along the near-by beach. Callie’s race has far to go. Kind of like the Marine Corps Marathon. But her life has meaning and quality while she works toward her goal. Her purpose is clear and noble. She has others with whom to share it. She has been a wonderful friend to my daughter and I believe that gift is mutual. What about your race? What is God setting before you? What is God setting before us? Sometimes we have to just think about the race we will run today and how we will approach it. Maybe that’s even too long. Before I realized I had Covid, I had started out on a grocery trip. When I couldn’t push the buggy to the front of the store, I called my husband for help. I was short of breath and close to tears. He came immediately, took over, and sent me home. He finished my race that day. Those ten Olympic athletes had no country, no funds, no voice, no entry into the premier event for which they had trained. Until people with vision and compassion and courage and strength stepped up to make it happen. The great crowd of witnesses, of which scripture speaks. As we look toward the goal that is set before us in the near or distant future, we are called to keep our eyes focused on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who gave his very life that we might live. I’m no athlete. But, I will lift high his flag, his cross, my whole life long. And I’m hoping you will, too. *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 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 for your glory and for the service of your kingdom. Amen. *Hymn 846 Fight the Good Fight *Blessing Go now, with your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Lay aside the ways of sin, bring forth a harvest of justice and righteousness, and run with perseverance the race that is set before us. We go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen. *Postlude Prelude
Welcome and Announcements Call to Worship Isaiah 40:31 Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. We come to worship the holy One who meets us where we are. We come to open ourselves to God, who lifts us up. *Hymn 32 I Sing the Mighty Power of God Prayer of Confession and Old Testament Reading Psalm 130 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Men: Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! Women: If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, who could stand? But, there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. All: My soul waits for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning. More than those who watch for the morning. Hymn 698 Take, O Take Me As I Am Assurance of Forgiveness O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities. Believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Be at peace. Time With Our Young Disciples Gospel Reading Luke 12:13-21 Morning Message It was on a Christmas Eve in the mid-1960’s that I learned the ugly truth about my dad and my three uncles on that side of the family. They were thieves. Their crime? They conspired to ruin Christmas Eve for the rest of us who had gathered that night. My grandmother always hosted Christmas Eve dinner at her house. Everyone contributed, but, she took on the biggest part of the meal preparation. And, though all the dishes were good, one thing was all by itself…her graham cracker pie. Truly. I’ve sampled graham cracker pie every time I’ve encountered one since 1974 and none can compare. There were always graham cracker pies on Christmas Eve. The best. But back to the theft. To insure that they would get enough pie to satisfy their appetites, the men in the family had absconded with the graham cracker pies. After all, there were cake and cookies a-plenty on the dining room buffet. “Let them eat cake!” I’m sure one of them must have exclaimed. Dinner was served and enjoyed. Then my grandmother suggested we hold off on dessert until we opened our Christmas presents. There was an immediate whine from the kids’ table. She relented and said it would be ok to help ourselves to one of the giant sugar cookies from the buffet. Soon after, the living room was covered with paper and ribbon, the kids playing with new toys. My grandmother handed each of the women their gifts, then said to the men, “Boys, you’ll have to help me with your gifts.” And she led them to a closet where she removed four graham cracker pies…and handed one to each of them. I can still hear the laughter bursting from my mom and my aunts as they realized what had happened. And I can still see the sheepish expressions on the men’s faces. They were busted. Grandmother had been onto them the whole time. And the most remarkable thing of all was that she never scolded or shamed them for their transgression. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down with us and enjoyed a piece of purloined pie that had suddenly shown up. In total, there were six pies on the table that night. More than anyone could eat. Where some had anticipated scarcity, there was abundance. I always cringe when this text comes up in the lectionary. I may not grow wheat or build barns to hold it on our property, but, I have far more stuff than I need. In fact, I have more than I can ever use or even keep track of. Speaking only for myself, I think it could be classified as sinful. We know the folly of the man in Jesus’ parable. How much you identify or don’t identify with him is a matter of examining your own conscience. I’m the last person in the room to judge. Which is why I’d like to set the parable aside for a moment to consider the deeper issue Jesus raises: “This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” It is awkward to preach about wealth, money, possessions, legacies. And yet, one scholar says that one out of every ten verses in the gospels is about the human quest for treasure, power, or position. The Greek word for greed is “pleonexia.” It means the “insatiable desire for more.” In our culture, earning, spending, saving, investing are all vital components to our economy. At times of economic peril, we may be encouraged to spend, get some more money circulating for everyone’s benefit. Recently I mentioned something about my iphone needing a new screen and my husband immediately said I was due for an upgrade and we should go shopping for a new phone. This is life as we know it today. All of which contributes to the tension demonstrated by Jesus’ warning. Rev. Kate Wesch, a married mother of two, says that she spends considerable time listening to her own worried voice, the one fretting about car payments, insurance, the price of feeding a family of four, medical bills, piano lessons, school trips. You know the litany. You’ve lived it, too. But, sometimes, in a moment of quiet, she hears another voice, this one more urgent than the other: she says all the stuff in the world can’t drown out the voice of God reminding her to nurture her soul, to seek the purpose for her life and how she can be rich toward God. Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor says about this parable: “My guess is that every person here has a different purpose, a different way of being rich toward God. Some people really do need to quit their soul-deadening jobs and find work that is richer in purpose. But a whole lot of other people could wake up to the purpose that is available to them in their lives right now. One of the saddest things in the world is to talk with someone who believes that what he or she does is small change in God’s pocket, not even worth counting. As far as I can tell, there is no such thing.” Our family has had a few furry friends over the years. One was a collie. A collie with fleas. What a mess. We could not get ahead of the fleas. This was before the flea plus heartworm medication was available. We had to call in an exterminator. One day when the technician was treating our house, I said, “When I get to heaven I’m going to ask God why he created fleas. They can’t possibly serve any pupose.” To which the technician just smiled and said, “Well ma’am, when I get to heaven, I’m going to thank God for my job.” No vocation is small change in God’s pocket. Taylor goes on to say, “The world is in need of mending and no stitch is too small. It is possible to pick up straw for God, to diaper a baby, or roof a house or sit in a wheelchair and be a friend for the love of God. The important thing is to sense how your life and God’s life are flowing in the same direction…” and if they are not, then set your intentions to “help God mend the world and mend you while you are at it. Until then, if you have to be greedy, be greedy for love. Be greedy for justice, and wisdom, and significance. That way, when it comes time to show God what is in your treasure chest, there won’t be any doubt in either of your minds that, (just like those pies,) you are rich, rich, rich.”* Barbara Brown Taylor. “Treasure Hunt: Luke 12:13-21.” *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 606 Doxology *Prayer of Dedication Lord of abundance, help us who have received so freely from you, to give as freely in our turn, and so, have the pleasure of giving as well as the joy of receiving. Amen. *Hymn 838 Standing On the Promises *Blessing Go out and imitate God, living in love. Put your hope in God’s Word and let your own words be truthful and constructive. Though sin may stir your anger, never let anger cause you to sin. And may God always hear your voice. May Christ Jesus raise you to new life; and may the Holy Spirit nourish you for the life of love and grace. Amen. *Postlude |
PastorCinda Harkless Archives
July 2024
|
