St. Paul’s United Church of Christ

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

August 25, 2019

10:30 am

 

Journeying together toward deeper faith, justice, and love for all

 

~ GOD GATHERS US ~

 

LIGHTING THE CANDLES                              

 

PRELUDE                               Come Holy Ghost, Lord God                     by Armsdorf

                                                          Canon in D-Major                             by Pachelbel

                                                                                                            Geoff Olson, organ

RINGING THE BELLS

 

WELCOME  |  JOYS & CONCERNS  |  SINGING BOWL

                                                                               Cindy Mueller, Interim Lead Minister

 

*GATHERING SONG           O My Soul, Bless Your Creator                              STUTTGART

 

*CALL TO WORSHIP                                                                                                    

One  We gather to praise you, O God,

All     You are a fire we cannot touch. You are a song we cannot quite sing.

One  You are a sea whose bottom we cannot search and a sky clouded over in endlessly changing patterns.

All     But, even so, your fire warms us, your song stirs us.

One  Your waters wash us and quench our thirst. You shine on us and in us.
And we praise you.                                                                            

 

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A WOMAN AND A LEADER OF THE SYNAGOGUE

 

INTERLUDE

 

~ ACKNOWLEDGING OUR HUMANNESS AND GOD’S GRACE ~

 

PRAYER OF LONGING (all)

Sometimes we are so certain of what is possible. Sometimes we assume situations cannot change, that we cannot change. O God, sometimes we must make you laugh with what we are so sure of. Or perhaps we make you weep. In this time of silence, dear God, show us our false assumptions. Teach us that where we see inflexibility, you may see possibility. Where we see endings, you may see beginnings. Open our eyes to what you would have us see.     ~ see credits,below

 

Please continue in silent prayer and meditation

 

SILENT MEDITATION & INTERLUDE                                    Diana Carlson, piano

 

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE & UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

One  The good news of the gospel is that we do not face anything alone.
In our fears, in our joys, in our routines, God is present with us.

As we turn and begin again,

All     We know God loves us and we are forgiven! Amen.         

 

*PASSING OF THE PEACE

 

Offer a smile, a handshake, or a hug as a sign of the peace of Christ

 

*SUNG RESPONSE                     Masithi (Sing Amen)                                                     #30

                                                          All sing three times

(Sing amen) Amen, we praise your name, O God.

(Sing amen) Amen, we praise your name, O God.

(Sing amen) Amen, Bawo, amen, Bawo, amen, we praise your name, O God.

 

~ HEARING SACRED STORIES OF FAITH ~

 

A SPECIAL TIME WITH YOUNG PEOPLE                 Hannah Campbell Gustafson

 

BLESSING ONE ANOTHER

Children             God be with you,

Congregation    And also with you.

 

Young people may return to sit with their families

 

INTERLUDE

 

A READING FROM THE PROPHETS     Jeremiah 1: 4–10                       Rick Panning

 

A READING FROM THE GOSPELS        Luke 13: 10–17

 

SONG (all, seated)            How Lovely Is Your Church, O Lord                           ST. ANNE

You give your Spirit’s blessings here then send us from this place

To challenge hatred, greed, and fear with gifts of love and grace

 

At times we’re filled with troubling doubt: “I’m old!” “I’m young!” “I’m weak!”

Yet you who sent the prophets out will give us words to speak.

 

How lovely is your church, O Lord, when we are serving you!

For when we serve the lost and poor, your love is shining through.

From Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbor, Words © 2009 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. Used by permission.

MESSAGE                                                                                                  Cindy Mueller

 

~ OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS ~

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE                                                                                       

Response    One:    … God in your love,

                              All:        Hear our prayer.

 

THE PRAYER JESUS TAUGHT US(all)

Our Father/Mother, who art/isin heaven, hallowed/holybe thy/yourname.
Thy/Yourkingdom/kindomcome, thy/yourwill be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine/yours
is the kingdom/kindom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

 

INTERLUDE

 

THE INVITATION                                                                                                        

 

SOLO         Gifts of the Spirit (When Our Lord Walked the Earth)         PERSONENT HODIE

                                                trad. German  |  words by John L. Bell and Graham Maule

                                                                   John Rynders, soloist  |  Diana Carlson, piano

When our Lord walked the earth,

all the world found its worth;

as declared at his birth,

God became our neighbor,

granting with his favor.

 

Chorus

Power to speak and heal,

Grace to know what's real,

Wisdom, insight, and faith,

Love and understanding.

 

Through his life, through his death,

through each gesture and breath,

Jesus joined faith and deed,

model for our caring,

showing and yet sharing.  Chorus

 

Sing aloud and rejoice,

clap your hands, raise your voice,

for with unnerving choice,

God in love has found us,

and displays around us.  Chorus

 

credits  |  Call to Worship, Prayer of Longing, Assurance of God’s Grace & Unconditional Love, Prayer of Dedication, Blessing to Send Us Forth Adapted from Season of the Spirit FUSION worship materials, Pentecost 1, 2013.