Call To Worship
God, whose imagination saw all
that is good, beautiful, and loving,
continues to see us as beloved
children in the divine family.
The Word which called forth
the stars in every universe,
speaks to us of giving ourselves
through the baptismal life.
The Spirit, which moved over creation,
breathing life into all things,
fills us with peace and patience,
with hope and healing to share.
by Rev. Thom M. Shuman
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Hymn This Is My Father's World
Provided by Fountainview Academy students
reminding us "that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet."
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Call to Confession
Trusting in God's grace, let us confess our sin.
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 tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgement.
Set us free from a past we cannot change; open us to a future in which we can be changed; and grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image, through Jesus Christ the light of the world. Amen.
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Assurance Of Forgiveness
Our righteousness is found in Christ alone, a gift of God by faith.
Beloved of God, believe the goof news: through the grace of Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.
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Prayer for Illumination
Holy , Holy, Holy One, guide us by the Spirit of truth to hear the Word of life you speak, and to give all glory, honor, and praise to your threefold name. Amen.
Scripture
Psalm 19:1-4
Heaven is declaring God’s glory;
the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.
One day gushes the news to the next,
and one night informs another what needs to be known.
Of course, there’s no speech, no words—
their voices can’t be heard—
but their sound[
a
] extends throughout the world;
their words reach the ends of the earth.
Matthew 28:16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go.
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When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted.
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Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth.
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Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
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teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
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In her sermon "We Don't Much", Rev. Sue Eaves offers a message of assurance and challenge as she engages the mystery of the Triune God.
We can offer hope, strength, and understanding to those who suffer; and why, because we know God is the One who is eternally creating, sustaining, and saving. God never lets the last word be despair...And right now in the midst of the chaos and fear that fill our world, where hate can seem to be gaining the upper hand, where bullies of all kinds are out in force, we and the world need community as we have never needed it before. As Christians we are the carriers of the story of the nature and capacity of community. Our vocation is to make the divine community real.
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The Rev. Dr. J Herbert Nelson, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA) provides a fitting charge to us this week. This is not a sermon, but it is a message on the "ethic of love" that powers and challenges the church in response to systemic racism, informing us "there is work to be done."
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Prayers of the People
(
adapted from
Revised Common Lectionary Prayers copyright © 2002)
Holy, holy, holy God,
in calling forth creation from the void,
revealing yourself in human flesh,
and pouring forth your wisdom to guide us,
you manifest your concern for your whole universe.
You invite us, as your people,
to gather the world's needs into our hearts
and bring them before you.
(
please lift up prayers for personal concerns and needs, the concerns and needs of your congregation, local community, nation, and world, remembering: those whose lives are lost to pandemic as well as acts of violence; those who hunger for bread and those who thirst for justice; all impacted by hatred, racism, or ideals founded on superiority of one over another; those who speak out against wrong doing; those in fear and those who seek peace.)
Holy, holy, holy God,
fill us with strength and courage,
with discernment and compassion,
that we may be your instruments of justice and love in this world, that it may be on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
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Not a traditional hymn, Jason Mraz provides a contemporary blessing for all people.
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Charge and Benediction
from Reflections for Ragamuffins by Brennan Manning
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What the world longs for from the Christian religion is the witness of men and women daring enough to be different, humble enough to make mistakes, wild enough to be burned in the fire of love, real enough to make others see how unreal they are.
Jesus, son of the living God. Anoint us with fire this day. Let your word not shine in our hearts, but let it burn. Let there be no division, compromise, or holding back. Separate the mystics from the romantics, and goad us into that daredevil leap into the abyss of your love.
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