Sunday Worship
Every Sunday 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM (PDT)
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Sunday Bulletin:
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!”
Sunday, July 5, 2020 • 10:30 a.m.
Prelude
10:30am Worship begins:
God speaks to us. . . all the time! All the time . . . God speaks to us!
Passing the Peace of Christ and Welcoming the Light of Christ
Hymn: “ This is my Song” 591 (NCH)
CCLI license #11038266
This is my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for lands afar and mine.This is my home, the country where my heart is; Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;But other hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean, and sunlight beams on clover- leaf and pine. But other lands have sunlight too and clover, and skies are everywhere as blue as mine. Oh, hear my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine.
Community Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
Silent Prayer
Lord’s Prayer
Response: Amen, amen, amen
A Time of Offering
An Invitation to Share
*Dedication 780 (NCH) Public Domain
Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Praise God all creatures here below. Praise God above, you heavenly hosts: Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
Dedication Prayer
Beloved God, you are always with us, always knowing the truth about us, and still you love us. Be ever our hands your service and our heart to love. Bless our offerings of time, talent, and treasure. May your justice and kindness be known through us. Amen
Listening for God
Romans 7:14-25 The Message (MSG)
14-16 I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.
17-20 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
21-23 It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
24 I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?
25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 The Message (MSG)
16-19 “How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riffraff. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
and
25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Message: This Life of Contradictions
Silence
Holy Communion (NO Bread or Juice will be served in the church)
Sharing Holy Communion
(Those at home have your drink and bread. Those in church, expect a meditation)
Pastor: We gather at this time mindful of the many who have gathered before us and those yet to come. We are grateful that we have this day together. We remember that Jesus walked among our ancestors and the Holy Spirit dwells within us today. We remember that Jesus asked for us to remember him when we eat bread and drink of a cup.
When Jesus and his friends sat together at a Passover meal, Jesus took bread… Do this as often as you drink of it in remembrance of me.” Let us pray.
All: Come, Holy Spirit come. Bless this bread and this cup and all who have gathered here. We offer ourselves as Christ’s body in the world today. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Silence
Prayer of Thanksgiving All: We thank you, God, for your presence known to us in the sharing of this meal and in the sharing of this community. We remember that you are among us still, in each of us, and in all of your creation. Bless us to more fully live as your people. Amen.
Silence
Announcements
Our Light moves into the World God Loves
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
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
Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come ‘tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home
My God has promised good to me, whose word my hope secures; God will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.
*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
Announcements
Offerings
Please, remember offerings can be given through the church website at https://veradaleucc.org
There is an orange donate button on the right side of the page.
or
send checks to Veradale UCC, 611N Progress Road, Spokane Valley, WA 99037
Thank you!
Chronicles of Corona
Tuesday at 9:30am to 10am on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeradaleUCC/
Silent Prayer
on Facebook every Tuesday morning from 9am to 9:25am https://www.facebook.com/VeradaleUCC/
Thursday Meditation
On Facebook at 9:30am.
https://www.facebook.com/VeradaleUCC/
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