You are welcome here…come and worship!
Focus: Nothing is sweet or easy about community. Community is a fellowship of people who do not hide their joys and sorrows but make them visible to each other as a gesture of hope. Henri J.M. Nouwen
Gathering Music: Blessings (by Laura Story) – Michelle Currie
Responsive Call to Worship:
To know the warmth of love,
To have the assurance that someone cares,
To be confident of our worth,
To be bold to love in return,
To be washed over with grace,
To be accepted as we are:
This is to know a bit of God.
Then let us worship our God.
Opening Hymn: We Gather Together #336
Invocation:
God of nurture and care, You seek to gather us together as a mother hen gathers her chicks. You seek to be our refuge in times of trouble. As we have gathered together today, draw us closer to You, deeper in Your presence, so that we may experience Your grace made possible by Jesus, and Your sustaining comfort offered by Your Spirit. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer:
Awakening: Get Together (by The Youngbloods) -Michelle Currie
Readings: On Community by Rev. Henri Nouwen, Matthew 10:1-4
In community we say: “Life is full of gains and losses, joys and sorrows, ups and downs—but we do not have to live it alone. We want to drink our cup together and thus celebrate the truth that the wounds of our individual lives, which seem intolerable when lived alone, become sources of healing when we live them as part of a fellowship of mutual care.”
Community is like a large mosaic. Each little piece seems so insignificant. One piece is bright red, another cold blue or dull green, another warm purple, another sharp yellow, another shining gold. Some look precious, others ordinary. Some look valuable, others worthless. Some look gaudy, others delicate. We can do little with them as individual stones except compare them and judge their beauty and value. When, however, all these little stones are brought together in one big mosaic, portraying the face of Christ, who would ever question the importance of any one of them? If one of them, even the least spectacular one, is missing, the face is incomplete. Together in the one mosaic, each little stone is indispensable and makes a unique contribution to the glory of God. That’s community, a fellowship of little people who together make God visible in the world.
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Sermon: Caregiving As A Community Katie Koles
Response: Meditative Instrumental ~ Michelle Currie
Musical call to Prayer: (sung two times) Hush now in quiet peace, be still your mind at ease. The Spirit brings release, so wait upon the Lord.
Prayers of the People
Silent Prayers Pastoral Prayer
Offertory: We Are An Offering (by Chris Christian) -Michelle Currie
Doxology: Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below. Praise God above ye heavenly hosts, Creator, Christ and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication: Communal
As we offer our treasure and hearts to you, O God, may they be used to pass on the promise of hope, of peace, of life, of
community to all in need of your gifts and presence in their lives.
Amen.
Benediction: The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make His face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up Her countenance upon us, and give us peace, this day and forever more. Amen.
Closing Hymn: Now Thank We All Our God #643
Recessional: Go in Peace
Go in peace and the peace of God be with you this day.
Go in peace and the peace of God be with you always.
celebrate and share the joy. Celebrate new life.
Go in peace and the peace of God be with you always
Thank you to Music Director and Musician Michelle Currie and to our Deacons, Beth Baskin and Katie Koles for leading Worship and to Katie for offering our Sermon today.
From the Pastor: I will be off next week as I continue my ¾ time schedule here. I will be available should a pastoral need arise.