A prayer for Juneteenth

Juneteenth flag

On June 19, 1865, two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, federal troops under the command of Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. They brought a life-changing message for the estimated quarter-of-a-million slaves in the state: “All slaves are free” and entitled to payment for their labor. 

This important day in history became known as Freedom Day, or Juneteenth, now a U.S. federal holiday. 

We pray, O Lord, for change. Jesus You revealed God through Your wise words and loving deeds, and we encounter You still today in the faces of those whom society has pushed to the margins. Guide us, through the love You revealed, to establish the justice You proclaimed, that all peoples might dwell in harmony and peace, united by that one love that binds us to each other, and to You. And most of all, Lord, change our routine worship and work into genuine encounter with You and our better selves so that our lives will be changed for the good of all.

- adapted from Racial Healing and Liturgical Resources by the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore

June 18 @ St. Paul's UMC: Prayers

Joys:

+Jovanka Jones gives thanks for the church family and Dan & Bets Daniels, her amazing landlords.

+We lift up all fathers on this Father's Day. 

+Belinda Alkula lifts up the work of the Annual Conference that begins Thursday in Colorado Springs. 

+We are blessed by those who served this week: Belinda Alkula (videographer),  Sandy Bainbridge (fellowship), Steve Bainbridge (greeter), Tim Cook (adult class),   Lorie Courier (piano), Rebecca Glancy (liturgist/soloist), Sandra Jordan (flowers),   Etta Levitt (Zoom usher), and Kathy Lloyd (Zoom host).

Concerns:

+Joan Cooper asks for prayers for her friend, Cheryl, who took a tumble last week. And prayers for Adrian, Cheryl's daughter, who is recovering from a tornado in Oklahoma.

+We join with many across our nation in mourning the deaths of the 209 killed and 591 injured due to gun violence last week. 

June 18 @ St. Paul's UMC: Announcements

+Women’s Summer Book Group will meet on Thursdays beginning on June 22 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. via Zoom. The book is Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer by Heather Lende. The group will discuss two chapters each week. If you want to join but are not on Belinda’s email list, let her know!

+Free Virtual Mission u Adult Study. It is based on Exploring the Lord’s Prayer as a Spiritual Practice for Social Transformation by Riva Tableisma, available in print and Kindle versions. Four consecutive Thursday evenings, July 11, 18, 25, and August 1, 7:00-9:30 pm via Zoom. This study is for men and women.  Find   registration links in the E-pistle and News You Can Use. Questions? Contact Belinda Alkula.

+As of now, 19 of us are signed up to see The Sound of Music at BDT Stage on Thursday, July 20. We still have tables available. We’d love to have you join us for this next-to-last show at BDT. Let Judy Waller know if you want to be a part of this group. Final count is due by June 22.

+The Trustees are investigating the installation of a hearing loop in our sanctuary to help people who have trouble hearing the service. This technology is most convenient for people who have hearing aids with telecoil, or T-Coil, function. (About 80% of today's hearing aids have this function--you might have a T setting on your hearing aids, or the function may be built in.) For those who don't have hearing aids or do not have T-coil function, we could also provide headphones each week that connect to the hearing loop. If you have trouble hearing the service in the sanctuary--anything that comes through the sound system, including Pastor Charles, the liturgist, and prayer requests--and are interested in finding out more about hearing loops, please contact Suzanne Polacek (303-709-6676).  She plans to set up a Zoom meeting to provide more details to interested parties and get input. She is also planning a visit to a site with a hearing loop already installed to experience the difference herself, so let her know if you are interested in that experience.

+We are going to begin printing wedding anniversaries in St. Paul’s UMC newsletter. Please submit your wedding anniversary (month and date—year is optional) to the church office at office@saintpaulsboulder.org.

June 18 @ St. Paul's UMC: Worship

Flowers from Sandra Jordan

Rebecca Glancy offers the anthem

Sandy Bainbridge offers fellowship treats

We love fellowshipping together!

 Third Sunday after Pentecost

(YouTube link of today's worship)

Today’s Meditation Verse: “Return home and tell the story of what God has done for you.” —Luke 8:39a

Welcome... Pastor Charles

Prelude... Lorie Courier / “Give Me Jesus,” arranged by Lloyd Larsen

*Call to Worship... Rebecca Glancy

Our relationships with our fathers are complicated.

For some of us, our father’s love is like God’s love -- too deep, too long, too wide, too strong to measure. 

Some of our dads are here; some were never here.

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

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

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 the love of God in all that they do.

*Hymn... “Faith of Our Fathers” (UMH #710)

Litany of Peace for Father’s Day... Rebecca Glancy

Loving God, we lift this day our gratitude for the loving men who have brought us the precious heart of Your Father Love. We give thanks to You this day.

For those who have shown us kindness,

For those who have shown us courage,

For those who have shown us generosity,

For those who have shown us truth,

For those who have shown us compassion,

For those who have shown us faith,

For those who have shown us love.

Blessed be the name of all sons and brothers and fathers who reveal a glimpse of Your loving presence on earth. O God, You inspire Your people in the ways of kindness that lift our world from its disgrace.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer for every son, brother, father, and grandfather, who has suffered and endured.

We lift a stone from the streambed of Living Waters to the forehead of the men and boys in our lives, touching each forehead with the sign of Your healing...

For every broken heart hidden from view, for every secret shame buried in darkness, for every untold story of regret and alienation.

We touch with this stone the brow of every man who has suffered for those he loved; we touch with this stone the forehead of our ancestral fathers who sacrificed their very lives...

Inviting You to heal the wars and woes and wickedness within, inviting Your everlasting peace, that the world might know Your peace.

Hear our prayer, O God, for this broken world. We pray for peace this Father’s Day.

For wisdom and equity in the hearts and minds of those who lead us. For justice with mercy that seeks equitable access to the earth’s resources. For passion and power in our churches to influence public policy for good. For a new day when justice will roll down like waters across this land. For the revelation of Father Love that never leaves nor forsakes. 

And we lift Your hope of healing for all sons, brothers, fathers, and grandfathers who live in mystery as Your creation, who are entrusted with the life and struggles of manhood. 

May they grow in Father Love to Your glory.

Hear our prayer, O God, for this broken world. We pray for peace this Father’s Day.

Amen.

Community prayer requests, concerns, and celebrations

Pastoral Prayer / The Lord’s Prayer... Pastor Charles

Epistle Lesson: Romans 5:1-8... Rebecca Glancy

Special Music... Rebecca Glancy / Adapted from “The Rose,” by Bette Midler, inspired by the carol “Lo, How A Rose Ere’ Blooming”

Second Lesson: Genesis 18:1-15... Pastor Charles

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

Sermon... Pastor Charles / “Laughter as prayer”

*Hymn... “God, Whose Love is Reigning O’er Us” (UMH #100)

*Words for the Journey... Pastor Charles

Postlude... Lorie Courier / “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” arranged by Mark Hayes

“Call to Worship” by the Rev. Dr. LaGretta Bjorn (UMC of Spring Valley, Spring Valley, New York). “Litany of Peace for Father’s Day” © 2009 The Rev. Jane Sommers (Wesley UMC, Sheboygan, Wisconsin). Posted with permission on the Discipleship Ministries website.

Worship with us tomorrow!

This is the 3,000th post to our blog since 

it was launched on Monday, July 1, 2019.  

Join us Sunday for worship at 10:15 a.m. in person or online here. 

Special music by Rebecca Glancy.

Preview Sunday's bulletin here. 

Mountain Sky Conference Laity & Lay Ministries

The ministry of the laity is the work of mission and ministry to which each believer is called. As Christians, we are all called to this ministry or priesthood – not just clergy. Each of us has a responsibility to proclaim the Good News and reach out to others in love.

Lay Servant Ministries link 

- Certified Lay Minister link

- Certified Lay Servant link

         - Information about upcoming Lay Servant Ministries Course

         - Currently Approved Mountain Sky Courses link

         - Where to locate and contact your Lay Servant Ministries Directors.

- Certified Lay Speaker link

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Lay Scholarships link

- Information on Lay Sponsored Scholarships, and download the application here!

Annual Conference is coming next week

June 22 - 25 / First UMC - Colorado Springs

Bookmark this page to find everything you need for Annual Conference. You will see a dozen subpages on the right-hand menu (or scroll to the bottom on a smart phone). You will find information on our offerings for this year, petition information, workshop details, and more!