Order of Worship
Let us be as open vessels that God’s spirit may enter.
The Community Gathers: Experience God’s presence in the assembly. Please greet one another with joy and welcome new friends into our community of love.
You are welcome here…come and worship!
Focus:
“We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever-widening circle will reach around the world. We repeat, there is nothing we can do but love, and, dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as our friend.”
Dorothy Day, “Love Is the Measure,” Catholic Worker, June 2, 1946.
9:55 Preparation for worship:
Gathering Music: What the World Needs Now Is Love (Hal David/Burt Bacharach) -Michelle Currie
Welcome:
Responsive Call to Worship:
Leader: Everyone who serves God, come and offer thanks.
People: Thank you God for your love of us.
Leader: Everyone who has gathered in this place, lift your hands and praise God.
People: Thank you God for your love in this place.
Leader: Shout praises to God for you are God’s servants, so shout praises.
People: Thank you God for your love to others.
Leader: All who serve in this place, who serve our God, come and shout praises.
People: Thank you God for your love that we can share.
Leader: Praise the name of our God who is kind and good.
People: Thank you God for your love endures forever.
Opening Hymn: Where Charity and Love Prevail *See Lyric Insert
Invocation:
O God, In the midst of the cacophony of voices
of pain and hurt in our world,
We come to hear your voice of affirmation;
We come to hear your voice calling us to be and do
what you have called us to be and do. Let this time of worship
quiet our fears, soothe our bruised souls, and energize us
for ministry in and with your beloved world.
Let faith abide.
Let hope abide.
Let love abide-here in this sanctuary,
here in our community, here in our world,
but most of all, here in us. Amen
Lord’s Prayer:
Awakening: Seasons of Love (by Jonathan Larson) -Michelle Currie
Scripture: Psalm 103, Luke 6: 17-26 -Nancy Batchelor
After the reading, you may respond with “Thanks Be to God”
Sermon: Love Beyond Measure Rev. Paula Norbert
Sermon Response: Meditative Instrumental ~ The Rose (by Amanda McBroom) -Michelle Currie
Musical call to Prayer: (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
Closing Hymn: Love Divine All Loves Excelling *See Lyric Insert
Benediction Rev. Paula Norbert
The peace of God be in your heart
The grace of God be in your words
The love of God be in your hands
The joy of God be in your soul
and in the song that your life sings.
Response: Amen
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.
Where Charity and Love Prevail (Lyrics)
- Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love, by love we thus are bound.
2.Let us forgive each other’s faults as we our own confess,
That we may love each other well in Christian gentleness.
3.Love can exclude no race or creed if honored be God’s name;
Our common life embraces all whose Maker is the same.
Love Divine All Loves Excelling (Lyrics)
1.Love divine, all love’s excelling, Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us they humble dwelling; all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion; pure unbounded love thou art.
Visit us with thy salvation, enter every trembling heart.
2.Come almighty to deliver; let us all thy life receive; suddenly return and never, never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above, pray and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.
3.Finish then thy restored new creation; pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee: changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place, till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise.
Thank you to our wonderful Music Director, Michelle Currie and to our Zoom Host, Anita Coupe.
Rev. Paula Norbert (207) 205-4951 or (pnorbert1217@gmail.com)
If you are interested in joining Union Church or would like to set up a time to meet with our Pastor, please contact Pastor Paula directly.
Union Church website: www.unionchurchme.com.
Psalm 103
Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness
Of David.
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live[a]
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass;
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Luke 6: 17-26 Jesus Teaches and Heals
17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Blessings and Woes
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you[a] on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.