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!” July 24, 2022 • 10:30 a.m. _________________________ 10:20am Gathering and Prelude Wayne Shull, Music Director Charlie Salt, Acolyte and AV Naomi Hanvey Facebook Monitor Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor Rev. Gen Heywood, Pastor 10:30am Worship begins God is still speaking. . . all the time! All the time . . . God is still speaking! Passing the Peace and Welcoming the Light Christ Hymn “How Firm a Foundation” Public Domain Melody 407(NCH) Words below 1 How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent Word! What more can he say than to you he has said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled? 2 "Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed; for I am your God and will still give you aid; I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand, upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. 3 "When through the deep waters I call you to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; for I will be with you, your troubles to bless, and sanctify to you your deepest distress. 4 "When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie, my grace, all-sufficient, shall be your supply; the flame shall not hurt you; I only design your dross to consume and your gold to refine. 5 "The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes; that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake." Community Prayer Hymn:“ Amazing Grace” Public Domain Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see Prayers of Gratitude T’was grace that taught my heart to fear and grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed Prayers of Concern Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come ‘tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home Silent Prayers for that which no words can express My God has promised good to me, whose word my hope secures; God will my shield and portion be as long as life endures. Lord’s Prayer Response 812 (NCH) Amen, amen, amen. A Time of Offering An Invitation to Share Dedication Hymn: “Holy Ground” CCLI license #11038266 We are standing on holy ground and I know that there are angles all around. Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in his presence on holy ground. Dedication prayer: Great Creator, you call us to a life of prayer and service. Bless these offerings. May they bring the fulfillment of your vision of a day when it is on Earth as it is in Heaven. Amen Listening for God Hebrews12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls or lose heart. Message: Surrounded by a Cloud of Witnesses Silence Rite of Passing the Baton Worship Team Member: When a relay team runs a race, no one person does all the running. Everyone contributes. Sometimes they are running, and sometimes they are resting, but always they are contributing. And so it is with the Church. Everyone has a contribution to make. For some folks, like the Pastor, their contribution is often out front and very visible, while for others their part is frequently less visible and easier to miss. But just as with the relay team, everyone’s contributions are vital for the success of the whole Church. And that includes times of rest. After seven years it is time for Pastor Gen to “pass the baton” to other members of the team so that she can take some much needed “rest and renewal” time. This is an opportunity for others in the congregation to step up and contribute, perhaps in ways they have never tried before. And the whole Church will be stronger for it! Wayne: Pastor Gen, on behalf of the whole congregation I stand here this morning ready to receive the baton of leadership. You have led us faithfully and well for the past seven years, and we look forward to more years ahead with you as our pastor. But for now we invite you to “stand down” and let us run the race without you for a few months. We will not be on our own in this effort. We have the strength and guidance and inspiration of God’s Spirit. We have the gifts and mutual support and enthusiasm of each other. And we will have the familiar leadership of Pastor Roger. We trust that this will be a fruitful time of growth and new discovery, for you and for us. Congregation: With God’s help and the mutual support of the many gifted leaders among us, we stand ready to rise to the occasion over these next few months as we explore new ways of being the Church together. We are grateful for your ongoing leadership among, and we look forward to your return. For now we say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Go now, with our blessing, to a time of rest.” Pastor Gen: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). We share oneness in our diverse ministries of this blessed community. I give thanks to the God we all serve, the Jesus we follow, and the Spirit who inspires us to live together in unity even when we are apart. While I am away, you are all in my heart. Thank you! This rest and renewal is a blessing filled with promise of things yet unseen. May your time with Pastor Roger renew the ministry that is at the heart of Veradale UCC. May you be filled with the comfort and fire of the Holy Spirit. May we all be united in the gift of this precious time… And now, I pass on this baton to our Moderator. Wayne, thank you for your leadership and love to this congregation and even more for your devotion to our God known to us in the person of Jesus and the work of the Spirit. Thank you for your leadership and for passing this on to Roger during his first Sunday Worship on August 21. Wayne: I accept this symbol of our shared leadership in this journey. I will pass this on to Pastor Roger. We will support him in his guidance and leadership and then return it to you with the delight that comes from knowing ourselves better. We will have much to tell you. So, go with peace, faith, hope, and love! Announcements Our Light moves into the World God Loves Hymn: “Won’t You Let Me Be Your Servant” 539 (NCH) CCLI license #11038266 Won't you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you? Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant, too. We are pilgrims on a journey, we are travelers on the road; we are here to help each other go the mile and bear the load. I will hold the Christ-light for you in the shadow of your fear; I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear. I will weep when you are weeping; when you laugh, I'll laugh with you. I will share your joy and sorrow 'til we've seen this journey through. When we sing to God in heaven we shall find such harmony, born of all we've known together of Christ's love and agony. Won't you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you? Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant, too. Benediction and Love Round Public Domain Love, love, love, love, Christians this is your call. Love your neighbor as yourself for God loves us all. Postlude
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