June 21 @ St. Paul's UMC: Worship

June 21 —3rd Sunday after Pentecost/Father’s Day 

Today’s Meditation Verse: “In the same way, you should also consider yourselves dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.” -- Romans 6:11

Welcome—Pastor Charles

Call to Worship—Pastor Charles (Leader) and Rebecca Glancy (People)

Congregation is encouraged to read People’s response aloud on mute setting

Leader: Our relationships with our fathers are complicated.

People: For some of us, our father's love is like God's love -- too deep, too long, too wide, 

  too strong to measure.                                                                                               Leader: Some of our dads are here; some were never here.

People: For some of us, God’s love fills in the empty spaces our fathers left behind.

Leader: All of us are shaped by the relationship or lack of relationship with our fathers.

People: On this day when we remember what it means to have a father or be a father, we recognize the importance of fathers in our communities. We pledge as a congregation to love and nurture the fathers among us so that they will manifest God in all that they do.

Giving Thanks for Fathers Near and Far—Rebecca Glancy

Congregation is encouraged to read aloud on mute setting

 

We thank You for fathers near fathers with strong arms and fathers with feeble knees present at table and at bathtub and at bedtime for prayers. Thank You, God, for fathers near. We thank You, O God, for fathers far away, fathers who ache for their families, fathers absent because of war, or disease, or despair, fathers who are present and absent at the same time. Thank You, God, for fathers far away.

We thank You, O God, for caring communities where mothers fill in for fathers and fathers fill in for mothers And grandparents put on the apron and the towel. Where aunts and uncles, and those who are absolutely no kin at all make our communities a home fit for habitation. Amen.

By Safijah Fosua. Used by permission. Posted on The UMCs General Board of Discipleship website. 

Community prayer requests, concerns, and celebrations—Pastor Charles

Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer—Pastor Charles

Congregation is encouraged to pray The Lord’s Prayer aloud on mute setting

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 8:1-8—Rebecca Glancy

Musical Offering: “Morning Has Broken” (Rebecca Glancy and Christopher Wahl)

Second Lesson: Psalm 119:105-112—Pastor Charles               

Sermon: “I don’t read the cookbook anymore” —Pastor Charles

Words for the Journey—Pastor Charles

Reminder: Gifts and tithes can be sent directly to Martha B., contributions to the PATH Fund can be marked “PATH Fund” in the memo line.