Prayer for Peace and Lighting of Peace Candle

This morning you are invited to think of a place or situation that is need of od’s peace and hold that in prayer.

Moment of Silence

 

Call to Worship

Leader: We are here because we have heard the call of

              Jesus in our lives.

People: We are here to challenge and support one

             another to rise up and follow.

Leader: We are here because we want to be God’s people.

People: We want to learn more about what it means to

             be the people of God.

Leader: We come, seeking to be moved, changed, and

            made whole by the Spirit of the living God.

All:      Let us open our hearts to the moving of the

           Spirit, and prepare to leave this place as true

           disciples of Christ.  Amen.

                                        -Ruth C. Duck,  Bread for the Journey

Opening Hymn – Longing for Light – VT 715

Sharing and Prayer

Blessing of the Offering

Children’s Story

Matthew 25:31-45

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³ and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ ⁴¹ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

Sermon by Chris Goodson and Karolyn Moore, McPherson Housing Coalition

To find out more about their work, please see

https://www.mcphersonhousingcoalition.org/

Brothers and sisters of mine are the hungry,
who sigh in their sorrow and weep in their pain.
Sisters and brothers of mine are the homeless,
who wait without shelter from wind and from rain.

Strangers and neighbors, they claim my attention.
They sleep by my doorstep, they sit by my bed.
Neighbors and strangers, their anguish concerns me,
and I must not feast till the hungry are fed.

People are they, men and women and children,
and each has a heart keeping time with my own.
People are they, persons made in God’s image,
so what shall I offer them, bread or a stone?

Lord of all living, we make our confession:
Too long we have wasted the wealth of our lands.
Lord of all loving, renew our compassions,
and open our hearts while we reach out our hands.

Confessing Faith  Menno Simons,

Together: True evangelical faith cannot lie dormant

    but spreads itself out in all kinds of righteousness

    and fruits of love;

It seeks, serves, and fears God in its inmost soul;

it clothes the naked;

it feeds the hungry;

it comforts the sorrowful;

it shelters the destitute;

it aids and consoles the sad;

it does good to those who do it harm;

it serves those who harm it;

it prays for those who persecute it;

it teaches, admonishes, and judges us with the Word of God;

it seeks those who are lost;

it binds up what is wounded;

it heals the sick;

it saves what is strong;

it becomes all things to all people.

Sending – VT 1058

May God bless you with a restless discomfort

about easy answers, half-truths,

   and superficial relationships,

so that you may seek truth boldly

   and love deep within your heart.

 

May God bless you with holy anger

at injustice, oppression,

    and exploitation of people,

so that you may work tirelessly

    for justice, freedom, and peace.

 

May God bless you with the gift of tears

to shed with all who suffer

    from pain, rejection, and starvation,

so that you may reach out to bring comfort    

    and transform pain into joy.

 

May God bless you with enough foolishness

to believe that you really can

    make a difference in this world,

so that you are able, with God’s grace,

    to do what others claim cannot be done.

-Ruth Fox, OSB (USA), 1985, © 1985 Ruth Fox

Prayer for Peace & Lighting of Peace Candle  VT 894

Leader: O Prince of Peace,  from peace that is no peace, from the grip of all that is evil, from a violent righteousness . . .

People: deliver us.

Leader: From paralysis of will, from lies and misnaming, from terror of truth . . .

People: deliver us.

Leader: From hardness of heart, from trading in slaughter, from the worship of death . . .

People: deliver us.

Leader: By the folly of your gospel, by your choosing our flesh, by your nakedness and pain . . .

People: heal us.

Leader: By your weeping over the city, by your refusal of the sword, by your facing of horror . . .

People: heal us.

Leader: By your bursting from the tomb, by your coming in judgment, by your longing for peace . . .

People: heal us.

All: Grant us peace. Amen.

Hymn  Low in the grave He lay  VT 333

Call to Worship 

Leader:  Alleluia! Christ is risen!
People:  Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Opening Hymn    Christ has arisen, alleluia! VT 341

Sharing and Prayer (see the beginning of the morning meditation attached to email)

Blessing of the Offering

Children’s Story – “Jesus Resurrection Children’s Lesson”

Hymn – Thine is the glory    VT 355

Scripture        Mark 16:1-8

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ² And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³ They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ⁴ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. ⁶ But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” ⁸ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Meditation   “Laying aside despair”      by Pastor Rose Marie (see attachment to email)

Hymn of Response      Christ is risen! Shout hosanna! VT 354

Benediction    VT 908

From all that is broken,

let there be beauty.

From what is torn, jagged,

ripped, frayed,

let there be

not just mendings

but meetings unimagined.

May the God in whom

nothing is wasted

gather up every scrap,

every shred and shard,

and make of them

new paths,

doorways,

worlds.

Prayer for Peace & Lighting of Peace Candle 

Christ, you wept over a city. We are in deepest despair. As we weep over the dead and injured

killed by guns, in anguish, we recognize the blood stains of hatred. We hear the sounds of fear,

the echoes of gunshots — once again, once again.

 

Christ, you came to bring us peace. We turn to you in overwhelming sorrow. How can

we end this nightmare of violence? How can we build a world of inclusion, of

solidarity? Give us the grace to reflect deeply and to work ceaselessly to heal the

hearts; to stop the guns; to cherish all God’s children.

 

Christ, you endured violent suffering to bring us light. We pray for the dead, may they

rest in peace. We pray for the wounded, may they find healing. We pray for our

nation, may we end the hate. We pray for our global family, may we learn we are one.

Amen.                                                                                       -Social Justice Resource Center

O Lord, Hear My Prayer Voices Together (VT) 685  

Call to Worship    VT 862

You who open doors and dismantle barriers, open our hearts to praise you, that we might live the full truth
of who we are, that we might live as neighbors and friends, no longer strangers and enemies; open our hearts to the transforming power of your love, that we might forgive and reconcile, making peace and learning war no more, that we might be your people, one body in one Spirit, to tell your grace to all the world. We pray in the name of the One who walked among us as brother and friend. Amen.

-Scott Haldeman (USA), © 2012 W. Scott Haldeman

Opening Hymn    Hosanna, loud hosanna VT 313

Sharing & Prayer (from Thursday’s email announcements)

Add your own prayers.

God of the journey, we dwell in your Presence through the abundance of  your steadfast love. Receive these words of joy and gratitude. (God of life . . . we give you thanks.)

God of the wilderness, in the morning we plead our case to you. Receive our prayers for those we love and for this beloved world. (God, in your mercy . . . hear our prayer.)

Blessing of the Offering

Children’s Story

Scripture        Mark 10:35-45; John 13:12-17

^{Mark 10:35} James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” ³⁶ And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” ³⁷ And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” ³⁸ But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” ³⁹ They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

⁴¹ When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. ⁴² So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. ⁴³ But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

^{John 13:12} After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Very truly, I tell you, servants^[a] are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Sermon   “Laying aside hate”            Pastor Rose Marie (see attachment to email)

Hymn of Response      Will you let me be your servant   VT 778

Benediction    VT 1056

God dearly loves us,
    and through Christ left us an example,
             that we might follow in his footsteps.
Christ is the light
             that has come into the world;
may God grant that this light
            shine around you,
   and that you walk in it. Amen.

 

Mayken Boosers (present-day Netherlands), 1564; adapt. Mennonite Worship and Song Committee, 2019

Prayer for Peace & Lighting of Peace Candle   

You are invited this morning to think of a situation in the world or in your own life where Christ’s peace is needed. Hold that situation in silent prayer before God.

 

-moment of silence-

 

Call to Worship    VT 859

God of every place,
some of us see you today from      
    mountains of joy and confidence,
    mountains of gratitude and praise.
Some of us seek you today
    from valleys of grief or doubt,
    valleys of loss or exhaustion.

And in all places,
    there you are with us,
    nudging us onward.

When we descend
from the heights,
    show us your presence
    on the ground.
When we rise from the depths,
    show us the light of your way.

Meet us all on the path
    made by Jesus.

Alissa Bender (Canada), © 2015 Alissa Bender

Presentation of Bible to Tucker

Tucker, it is our tradition to present new Bibles to 3rd graders, and this morning it is a special joy to present you with the gift of this Bible from our church. Our hope for you is you become acquainted with this new Bible, with the stories contained in it, the special verses and passages, and the words of Jesus and that it may become an important part of your Christian life.  Let’s close with a prayer: Our Heavenly Father, We ask that you bless Tucker and be with him as he grows in his Christian faith. Be also with our church as we strive to teach and be models of Christian love for him and others in our lives. We ask this in your name. Amen.

Opening Hymn    In the bulb there is a flower       VT 670

Sharing and Prayer – See Thursday’s announcements

Add your own prayers.

Sharing and Prayer

God of the journey, we dwell in your Presence through the abundance of  your steadfast love. Receive these words of joy and gratitude. (God of life . . . we give you thanks.)

God of the wilderness, in the morning we plead our case to you. Receive our prayers for those we love and for this beloved world. (God, in your mercy . . . hear our prayer.)

Blessing of the Offering

Children’s Story – “We Plant a Seed”

Scripture        John 12:20-33

⁰ Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³ Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵ Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰ Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people^[a] to myself.” ³³ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

Sermon   “The Death of a Seed”       by Dr. Jim Somerville, Pastor of Richmond First Baptist Church, VA

Copy and paste this link on your browser for the sermon: https://asermonforeverysunday.com/tag/john-1220-33/

Hymn of Response      Now the green blade rises   VT 353

Benediction    VT 1066

May the Christ who walks
   on wounded feet
   walk with you on the road.
May the Christ who serves
   with wounded hands
   stretch out your hands to serve.

May the Christ who loves
   with a wounded heart
   open your hearts to love.
May you see the face of Christ
   in everyone you meet,
   and may everyone you meet
   see the face of Christ in you.

Prayer for Peace & Lighting of Peace Candle   

You are invited this morning to think of a situation in the world or in your own life where Christ’s peace is needed. Hold that situation in silent prayer before God.

 

-moment of silence-

Call to Worship    VT 1024

Leader: There is no scarcity. There is no shortage.

 No lack of love, of compassion, of joy in the world.

 There is enough. There is more than enough.

 Only fear and greed make us think otherwise.

 No one need starve.

People: There is enough land and enough food.

Leader: No one need die of thirst.

People: There is enough water.

Leader: No one need live without mercy.

People: There is no end to grace.

Leader: And we are all instruments of grace.

People: The more we give it, the more we share it,

  the more we use it, the more God makes.

Leader: There is no scarcity of love.

• Rosemarie Freeney Harding (USA), ca. 1990, © 2015 Duke University Press

Opening Hymn    For God So Loved Us      VT 158 (HWB 167)

two versions, one in English, one in German

Sharing and Prayer

God of the journey, we dwell in your Presence through the abundance of  your steadfast love. Receive these words of joy and gratitude. (God of life . . . we give you thanks.)

God of the wilderness, in the morning we plead our case to you. Receive our prayers for those we love and for this beloved world. (God, in your mercy . . . hear our prayer.)

Lord, Listen to your children praying        VT 682    HWB 353

Blessing of the Offering

Children’s Story – “How can we fight fear?” CQ Kids

Scripture        Matthew 6:25-34

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,^[j] or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?^{[k] 28} And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³² For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But strive first for the kingdom of God^[l] and his^[m] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Sermon   “Laying aside our fear”      Pastor Rose Marie

Hymn of Response      Sing a new world into being (tune of Joyful, joyful we adore thee) VT 809 (HWB 71)

Benediction    VT 1062

Live without fear:
your Creator has made you holy,
has always protected you,
and loves you as a mother.
Go in peace to follow the good road,

and may God’s blessing
be with you always.

• Clare of Assisi (Italy), ca.13th c.

Prayer for Peace & Lighting of Peace Candle   

You are invited this morning to think of a situation in the world or in your own life where Christ’s peace is needed. Hold that situation in silent prayer before God.

-moment of silence-

Call to Worship    HWB 683                                                

Praise the One who hears the cry of the poor,

who lifts up the weak and gives them strength.

Praise the One who hears the hungry

and satisfies the longing of those in need.

Praise the One who holds with tenderness the orphan and widow

and gives the stranger a land and a home.

We join with you, God, in sharing your love and compassion to all.

Opening Hymn    We Sing to you O God    Sing the Journey 1/Voices Together 80

Sharing and Prayer – See Thursday’s announcements in your email

Jesus, Rock of Ages              HWB 515/ Voices Together 622

Scripture        John 9:1-15

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  ⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.  ⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was.  Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”  But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”  ¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.  ¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”  ¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.  “I don’t know,” he said.  ¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. ¹⁴ Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. ¹⁵ Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

Sermon

For sermon, by Meghan Larissa Good, teaching pastor at Trinity Mennonite Church in Phoenix, AZ, please copy and paste this link in your browser. Scroll down to Episode Five – Elemental: The End of Religion. You can either listen to the audio, or watch the video.

http://www.trinitymennonite.com/elemental?fbclid=IwAR3Nthk29BraHdY9ziAMb6lc7hLtO7M4ej_ZMHiITvnSqE8HPr__GxCV4-I

Hymn of Response      God whose purpose is to kindle         HWB 135/Voices Together 152

Benediction    STJ 16 (unison)

Christ has no body now on earth but yours:

yours are the only hands with which Christ can do his work,

yours are the only feet with which Christ can go about the world,

yours are the only eyes through which Christ’s compassion

can shine forth upon a troubled world. Christ has no body on earth now but yours.

Go now in joy to serve the world, showing compassion and love to all.

Prayer for Peace & Lighting of Peace Candle   

You are invited this morning to think of a situation in the world or in your own life where Christ’s peace is needed. Hold that situation in silent prayer before God.

-moment of silence-

Call to Worship        

God calls us away from the tumult of the world, that we may focus our thoughts on things that are lasting.

In God’s presence we see our lives more clearly; the broken pieces are put back together.

God calls us out of loneliness into a life of community.

Worshiping together, caring about one another, we find out what it means to be truly human.

But God will send us back into the world’s confusion and busyness, its brokenness and isolation.

We will go with serenity and joy strengthened to be God’s servants, the bearers of peace.

• Paul J. Flucke, Bread for the Journey

Opening Hymn  Be Thou My Vision           HWB 545/VT 549

Sharing and Prayer (on sermon)    and Blessing of the Offering

Children’s Story        “I Am A Good Listener: Teaching children the importance of listening”

Scripture        James 1:19b, 26; 3:2;  Proverbs 10:19

^{James 1:19} You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen.

^1:26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.

^3:2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle.

^{Proverbs 10:19} When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
    but the prudent are restrained in speech.

Sermon   “Laying Aside the Need to be Heard” – Pastor Rose Marie

Hymn of Response  If that Isn’t Love, Then What Is?

Words and music by Rose Marie Zook Barber

Refrain: For the greatest commandment, we are told,  came down to us from days of old.

But now, from Jesus’ point of view, it has not one part, but has two:

 

It is loving the Lord God with all of our being, adjusting our focus to God’s way of seeing.

It’s clothing the naked; it’s drink for the thirsty. It’s working for justice so no one goes hungry –

if that isn’t love, then what it?

 

It is patient, it’s kind, it’s not rude or demeaning regardless of whether or not we’re agreeing.

It’s honoring God’s presence in all of creation and greeting our differences with celebration –

if that isn’t love, then what it is?

 

Refrain: For the greatest commandment, we are told, came down to us from days of old.

But now, from Jesus’ point of view, it has not one part, but has two:

 

It is loving our sister, it’s loving our brother. It’s listening respectfully to one another.

It’s worshiping, praising, adoring, receiving. It’s loving the Lord God with all of our being –

if that isn’t love, then what is? If that isn’t love, then what is?

Benediction  

God of love, you have called us into the church. Thank you for opportunities to grow in understanding and concern for one another. May our congregation be an incarnation of your love within and beyond these church doors, wherever there is loneliness, injustice, or misunderstanding; through Christ our Head, and the Holy Spirit our Strength. Amen.                                                                                  – Ruth C. Duck, Bread for the Journey

We will be celebrating communion this morning. Before you begin, you may want to gather a piece of bread or cracker and some juice or water for participation in communion later in the service.

Prayer for Peace & Lighting of Peace Candle    Voices Together (VT) 1048

Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations. Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect.

Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows. Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken.

Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly, so that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender, or skin color.

Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness, so that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors.

And let the light of the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbors.

Let the earth nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty. And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven. Amen.

-moment of silence-

 

 

Call to Worship         Voices Together (VT) 869

Group 1: We are a covenant people, called to God by God, generation through generation.

Group 2: We are a covenant people, called to Jesus by Jesus, losing our life to gain our life.

Together: We are a covenant people, called to church by the church, weaving together the strong and the weak, the stranger and the friend.

Group 1: Renamed.

Group 2: Reborn.

Together: Renewed. We gather ourselves in the community of believers. We gather ourselves with you.

Presentation of Bible to Charley

Charley, it is our tradition to present new Bibles to 3rd graders, and this morning it is a special joy to present you with the gift of this Bible from our church. As a Christian Education Commission, Dayle, Cora, Rose Marie and I (Donna) have chosen this Bible, the New International Version Adventure Bible. In addition to the standard writings, this Bible has a number of fun features to highlight passages, verses, and themes. (Show her)

Words to Treasure/Did you Know?/Life in Bible Times/People in Bible Times

Our hope for you is you become acquainted with this new Bible, with the stories contained in it the special verses and passages, and the words of Jesus and that it may become an important part of your

Christian life. We have asked your parents to come and read to you a verse or a passage that is special to them and then we will close with a prayer.

Our Heavenly Father, We ask that you bless Charley and be with her as she grows in her Christian faith. Be also with our church as we strive to teach and be models of Christian love for her and others in our lives. We ask this in your name. Amen.

Opening Hymn  What is this place HWB 1/VT 10

Sharing and Prayer (On the top of the sermon attache to this email)

Children’s Story        “The Log and the Speck”

Scripture        Matthew 7:1-5

7 “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. ² For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. ³ Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye?’ ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your own eye.

Sermon   “Laying Aside Judgment” – Pastor Rose Marie (see attached)

Hymn  There’s a wideness in God’s mercy HWB 145/VT 156

(video is a different tune and slightly different words…but words are included)

Communion

Prayer of confession STS 172

Before I share in Jesus’s life in bread and wine, I recognize the sorry things within: these I lay down.

(silent prayer)

 

The words of hope I often failed to give, the prayers of kindness buried in my pride, the signs of care I argued out of sight: these I lay down.

(silent prayer)

 

The narrowness of vision and of mind, the need for other folk to serve my will, and every word and silence meant to hurt: these I lay down.

(silent prayer)

 

Of those around in whom I meet my Lord, I ask their pardon and I grant them mine, that every contradiction to Christ’s peace might be laid down. these I lay down.

(silent prayer)

 

Lord Jesus Christ, companion at this feast, I empty now my heart and stretch my hands, and ask to meet you here in bread and wine which you lay down. Amen.

 

Reading from 1 Corinthians 11: 23 -26

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

 

Blessing for the bread –

Holy God, we pray your blessing on this sacred symbol of Christ’s body. May we receive and partake of this bread in faith, recalling the life and death of Jesus Christ. Increase our gratitude and obedience. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.

Take the bread in your hand – As we eat this bread, may we affirm our faith in words first spoken by Christians many centuries ago: “The bread which we break is the communion of Christ, our Lord.”

Eat your bread, remembering.

 

Blessing for the cup –

Holy and loving God, we pray your blessing upon this sacred symbol of the blood of Jesus the Christ. Our hearts are lifted in thanksgiving for love poured out. As in faith we drink this cup, may your forgiveness and your divine spirit be poured afresh into our lives through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Take the cup in your hand – In humble thanksgiving and joy for life so freely given, we repeat once again our statement of faith: “The cup which we drink is the communion of the Christ, our Lord.”

Drink the juice, remembering.

 

After Communion prayer – O God, you are never far from us. You reach out and touch as through your Spirit, through symbols, and through the hands of those we love. We are deeply grateful to have a place at your table and to share in this sacred food. By your grace may we continue on our pilgrimage, carrying into all of life the saving love of the Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Hymn of Response  Put peace into each other’s hands     STJ 87/VT 485

Benediction   VT 946

In deep gratitude for this moment, this meal, these people both gathered and spread apart, we give ourselves to you. Send us to live as changed people because we have shared the Living Bread and cannot remain the same.

Ask much of us, expect much from us enable much by us, encourage many through us. So God may we glorify you as inhabitants of earth and citizens of heaven. Amen.

Sherri Sinders – quilt, Linda Ediger – banner, Sara Stucky – painting, David Toews – ceramic turtle, Pastor Rose Marie  – poetry book, Randall Kaufman – cross, altar display – Nancy Krehbiel & Kathy Sawatzky

Prayer for Peace & Lighting of Peace Candle   

Helene McLeod, England Timeless Prayers for Peace

Enfolded in your love, O mother God, may we be freed from fears we dare not name or face; may we release the tears that we hold back in case our hearts will drown in grief for past or future sorrow, and in your arms may we find peace and strength to live each precious day; there may be no tomorrow. You made us to be loved and loving; though it hurts when we reject your love, you love us still. Your arms outstretched ache to embrace and hold us while you whisper: all is well; fear not, all shall be well. All we need do is to take the gift of love and grace you offer, and lay our head upon your shoulder, let go of all that frightens and confuses and lose our fear and find deep peace in your enfolding, loving God, our Mother.

Call to Worship

Come together, everyone and bring your stories and sing your songs and share in the Spirit. Let your feelings paint the sky like a rainbow of banners and ballrooms. Let your thoughts fill the air and come to life in bodies of sounds ringing out like a song to which the whole world will be dancing. And let even the silence speak with a thousand voices in tribute to our loving, living God and in celebration of our lives – the priceless gift God has given us.   –John W. Howell          

Reprinted by permission of the publishers from Touch Holiness, ed. Ruth C. Duck and Maren C. Tirabassi. ©1990 by The Pilgram Press.

 

Opening Hymn  When in our music, God is glorified  HWB 44

Sharing and Prayer (see top of sermon)

Offering Prayer

God of the Fertile Fields  HWB 390

Children’s Story – “The Art of Biblical Poetry”

Scripture        Psalm 139:1-18

¹ O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.
³ You search out my path and my lying down,
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it.

⁷ Where can I go from your spirit?
    Or where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light around me become night,”
¹² even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is as bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
¹⁵     My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
    all the days that were formed for me,
    when none of them as yet existed.
¹⁷ How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
    I come to the end—I am still with you.

Sermon   “Spirituality through the written word” – Pastor Rose Marie (see attachment)

Hymn of Response  Take my life and let it be   HWB 389

Benediction    STS 157

Bless the work of our hands, O God.

Bless the hands that move earth, plant seed and harvest, hands with calluses and dirty fingernails, strong hands.

Bless the hands that drive cars and trucks and forklifts, hands that spend time on computer keyboards, capable hands.

Bless the hands that manufacture and create, working wood and metal and plastic, practical hands.

Bless the hands that wash, mop and scrub, hands that know what to do with soap, determined hands.

Bless the hands that play instruments and hold paintbrushes, hands that are creative tools, artistic hands.

Bless the hands that cook and feed, heal and nurture, hands with a gentle touch, loving hands.

Bless the hands that give away money or food, hands that are always trying to be empty, Christ-like hands.

Our hands do the work of your hands, O God our Creator. Amen.

Spirituality and the Arts 4: Visual Arts

Sherri Sinders – quilt, Linda Ediger – banner, Sara Stucky – painting, David Toews – ceramic turtle, Pastor Rose Marie  – poetry book, Randall Kaufman – cross, altar display – Nancy Krehbiel & Kathy Sawatzky

Prayer for Peace & Lighting of Peace Candle

With so much sadness and loss in our world right now, collected from and increasing since last year; with the turmoil in our world and in our lives right now, this morning we come to God asking for peace for ourselves as we walk this journey.

Hear these words from Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? ² My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. ³ The Lord will not let your foot be moved; the One who keeps you will not slumber. ⁴ The Lord who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. ⁵ The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. ⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. ⁷ The Lord will keep you from all evil; the Lord will keep your life. ⁸ The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore. Amen.

– moment of silence –

Call to Worship         HWB 670

Our God, we gather to worship you, the One who creates all things.

For the gift of creation, we give thanks.

We gather to worship you, the One who brings salvation through Jesus Christ.

For the gift of redemption, we give thanks.

We gather to worship you, the One who sustains us by the Spirit.

For the gift of your presence, we give thanks.

We bring to you our offerings of thanks and praise for all your gifts.

We worship you – our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Amen.

Opening Praise  All creatures of our God and King   HWB 48

Words by St. Francis of Assisi

Sharing and Prayer (see attachment to the email)

Children’s Story – “Does God care about art?”

Scripture        Exodus 31:1-11

The Lord spoke to Moses: ² See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: ³ and I have filled him with divine spirit, with ability, intelligence, and knowledge in every kind of craft, ⁴ to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, ⁵ in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, in every kind of craft. ⁶ Moreover, I have appointed with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have given skill to all the skillful, so that they may make all that I have commanded you: ⁷ the tent of meeting, and the ark of the covenant, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, ⁸ the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, ⁹ and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, ¹⁰ and the finely worked vestments, the holy vestments for the priest Aaron and the vestments of his sons, for their service as priests, ¹¹ and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the holy place. They shall do just as I have commanded you.

Sermon   “Spirituality through visual arts” – Pastor Rose Marie

Hymn of Response  We give thee but thine own  HWB 384 (This hymn was most likely intended to be specific to money, but can also be thought of as our gifts of creativity and art!)

Benediction    STJ 160

As water falls on dry tea leaves and brings out their flavor, so may your Spirit fall on us and renew us, so we may bring refreshment and joy to others. Amen.