July 2 @ St. Paul's UMC: Worship

Flowers from the Vander Vorstes

Let's celebrate!

Hyeji Park offers the postlude

We love to share!

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

(Link for today's service)

Today’s Meditation Verse: “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”   Psalm 122:1 (KJV)

Welcome...Pastor Charles

Prelude...Hyeji Park / “We Gather Together,” arranged by Bonnie Heidenreich

*Call to Worship (Psalm 33:1, 3-5, 20-22, Inclusive Bible)...Joey Vander Vorste

Sing out your joy to God, you who love justice— praise is fitting for loyal hearts. Sing God a new song, play with all your skill, and with shouts of joy! For the word of God is true and everything God does can be trusted. And so we wait for God, our help and our shield. For in You our hearts find joy; we trust in Your holy Name. May Your love be upon, O God, as we place all our hope in You.

*Hymn...“I Am Thine O Lord” (UMH #419)

Re-Instill in Us the Dreaming...Joey Vander Vorste

Our God, we pray on this occasion remembering, in particular, our country. We give you thanks for the good dreaming that envisioned a land of freedom and opportunity —a land in which to grow respect for all its citizens. We give you thanks for all who sacrificed in so many ways to create and to sustain such dreaming. We give you thanks for the many ways in which that dream has been and continues to be embraced and made manifest—as a better tomorrow is shaped for all—all within these borders and all without them too. We thank you for the call to let freedom shine, to let celebration of the dignity of all resound. But we also confess to you the many ways in which we fall short of our best dreaming—fall into immaturity, and selfishness—into shortsightedness—into too much of a focus on immediate benefits for some and a lesser tomorrow for all. We confess to binding the dream we apparently sometimes want to claim in word only—not in words made flesh. Re-instill in us the dreaming, God. Guide us into the disciplines of love and grace that cultivate those ideals of discipline and sacrifice—Of a commitment to our children and our children’s children that theirs should be a better land than ours is now—with more mature leaders and citizens than we are— with greater  opportunities than we have known—with even deeper respect for all its citizens—a more far reaching vision—with richer examples of freedom and bravery because that’s the way we dream it to be. Ah, may it be so. Amen.  —John Ballenger, A Preacher Musing website

Community prayer requests, concerns, and celebrations

Pastoral Prayer...Pastor Charles

Old Testament Lesson: Deuteronomy 10:12–13, 17–22...Joey Vander Vorste

Special Music...Hyeji Park / “How Great Thou Art,” arranged by Tiffany Hobson

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 7:21-29...Pastor Charles                

This is the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Sermon...Pastor Charles / “The Christian Airplane”

Communion / The Lord’s Prayer (See insert)

*Hymn...“Living for Jesus” (TFWS #2149)

*Words for the Journey...Pastor Charles

Postlude...Hyeji Park / “Abide with Me,” arranged by Summer D. Nelson