Veradale United Church of Christ
An Open & Affirming Congregation
Worshiping God in Christ – Welcoming All – Working for Justice & Peace
“No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!”
August 13, 2023
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10:20 Gathering and Prelude
Wayne Shull, Music Director
Kelly Cuilla Scripture Reader
Diane Smith, Candle lighter,
Joe McSwain, AV and Usher
Jerry Brines, Usher
Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor
Rev. Gen Heywood, Pastor
10:30am Land Acknowledgement
We worship on the unceded traditional territory of the Spokane, Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Coeur d’Alene, and other tribes. We acknowledge the history of indigenous genocide, removal, and erasure that continues to this day. We recognize the role that Christian communities played in these injustices, and we recommit ourselves to seeking more peaceful, just, and neighborly ways of sharing this land with all who call it home.
Worship begins
God is creating...all the time! All the time... God is creating!
*Welcoming the Light of Christ
Hymn: “Spirit Come” by Bryan Sirchio used with his permission
Spirit come,… fall on us anew,…open up our hearts,,, as we worship you (repeat from beginning)
God of Love, everyday your mercy falls like rain. We give thanks for your ever flowing streams of grace
Spirit come,… fall on us anew,…open up our hearts,,, as we worship you… as we worship you, as we worship you,
as we worship you, as we worship you.
Community Prayer led by Jan Young
All: More than we can ask. More than we can ask or imagine.
Prayers of Gratitude
One: Hear, oh hear our prayer.
All: Hear, oh hear our prayer.
All: More than we can ask. More than we can ask or imagine.
Prayers of Concern
One: Hear, oh hear our prayer.
All: Hear, oh hear our prayer.
All: More than we can ask. More than we can ask or imagine.
Prayers in Silence
One: A---men.
All: A---men.
Lord’s Prayer
Response: Sing Amen Led by Diane Smith
(Sing Amen) Amen, we praise your name, O, God
(Sing Amen) Amen, we praise your name, O, God
(Sing Amen) Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen,
we praise your name, O, God
A Time of Offering
An Invitation to Share
Dedication Hymn: “They will Know We Are Christians by our Love” v. 4
All praise to Creator from whom all things come and all praise to Christ Jesus the only Son; and all praise to the Spirit who makes us one. And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, they will know we are Christians by our love.
Dedication Prayer: Great Mystery, Eternal One, Creator of all that is, was, and will be, we thank you with humble hearts. Bless the offerings of our time, talent, and treasure that these may multiply the light of this church to a community and world in need of your compassion made know to us in Jesus Christ. Amen.
Listening for God
Message with Young Hearts: Let’s play telephone.
Genesis1:20-27. 20 And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good.22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind and the cattle of every kind and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
27 So God created humansin his image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.
Genesis 2:4b-9 and 18-27. In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no vegetation of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground, 6 but a stream would rise from the earth and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground[c] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
(And)
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air and to every animal of the field, but for the man[d] there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.”
24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Isaiah 34:8-17. For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of vindication by Zion’s cause. 9 And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and her soil into sulphur; her land shall become burning pitch. 10 Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up for ever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; no one shall pass through it for ever and ever. 11 But the hawk and the hedgehog shall possess it; the owl and the raven shall live in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plummet of chaos over its nobles. 12 They shall name it No Kingdom There, and all its princes shall be nothing. 13 Thorns shall grow over its strongholds, nettles and thistles in its fortresses. It shall be the haunt of jackals, an abode for ostriches. 14 Wildcats shall meet with hyenas, goat-demons shall call to each other; there too Lilith shall repose, and find a place to rest. 15 There shall the owl nest and lay and hatch and brood in its shadow; there too the buzzards shall gather, each one with its mate. 16 Seek and read from the book of the Lord: Not one of these shall be missing; none shall be without its mate. For the mouth of the Lord has commanded, and his spirit has gathered them. 17 He has cast the lot for them, his hand has portioned it out to them with the line; they shall possess it forever, from generation to generation they shall live in it.
Message: First Wife of Adam?
Silence
Announcements
Our light Goes into the World
*Hymn: “Go Make a Difference” 199 (Sing)
Refrain: Go make a diff’rence. We can make a diff’rence. Go make a diff’rence in the world. (repeat)
We are the salt of the earth, called to let the people see the love of God in you and me. We are the light of the world, not to be hidden but be seen.Go make a diff’rence in the world. Refrain
We are the hands of Christ reaching out to those in need, the face of God for all to see.We are the spirit of hope; we are the voice of peace. Go make a diff’rence in the world. Refrain
So let your love shine on, let it shine for all to see. Go make a diff’rence in the world. And the spirit of Christ will be with us as we go. Go make a diff’rence in the world. Refrain
Benediction and Silent Meditation with Postlude
Be Yourself.
Grow in Christ.
Live with Compassion.
Prayer for Maui Rev. David Popham, the Conference Minister of the Hawaii Conference, shared this prayer with the members of the Council of Conference Ministers.
It came so fast God, relentlessly driven by winds and we were so vulnerable. Escaping with the clothes on our backs. Lives in tatters. Homes gone. Businesses gone. Jobs gone. Lives lost. Where do we go to even raise our prayers when our hale pule became a burnt victim to the ravages of the fire? There is so much loss, so much that one day was there and is now ashes. Comfort us in our tears and carry our heavy hearts in our time of sorrow. Eventually Ke Akua, our energy will turn to rebuilding our homes, our businesses, our jobs, our lives. Walk with us during the long recovery that lies ahead. We will become frustrated by bureaucratic red tape and supply chain delays and price gouging. We will fume and shake our fists and we will cry even more tears. Yet, the journey will not be as overwhelming with you by our side. Bless O God, those fighting these wildfires and those fires yet to come during this dry season. Grant wisdom and insights to our government officials—county and state—as they navigate how best to administer the government response. Lift up on wings our pastoral leaders as they give spiritual nurture to those depleted by these fires. May we root ourselves in you God, knowing your Spirit groans with ours. Grant us succor in this time and in the days ahead. ‘Amene. *Hawaiian terms: Hale Pule - house of prayer Ke Akua - God ‘Amene - amen
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