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August 2 Worship

 

CCLI license #1913561

Sunday, August 2, 2020
Service of Word and Sacrament

This worship service  includes a celebration of Holy Communion.  If you wish to partake of elements when appropriate in the service we invite you to prepare your juice and your bread (or alternative) ahead of time.

Opening of Worship

I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.

Music O God, We Thank You for This Land

Sung by Keisha Prime

O God, we thank you for this land and for the good on which we stand:
for people down through history who sought to make us kind and free,
for immigrants from every place who built this land with strength and grace.

We thank you, God, for people here who work to counter hate and fear;
who work for justice for the poor; who seek to bring an end to war;
who love the water, land and air and work for your creation's care.

We thank you, too, for those who pause to see and challenge unjust laws;
for those whose vision leads the way to bring a gentler, nobler day;
for those who answer your great call to value, love and welcome all.

As we give thanks for this our land, may we, with others, take a stand:
May we a justice-vigil keep, and never let our conscience sleep;
For silence is complicity, and all are bound till all are free.

Opening Prayer

Declaring our Need for God’s Grace

God of justice and mercy, we wrestle in the night with worry instead of resting in you.  We are fooled by the false promises of the world into pursuing things that do not truly nourish us. Hear our cry and save us, Merciful God, in Jesus’ name. Amen

Proclaiming the Grace of God The grace of God is a free gift; there is nothing we can do to earn it. We receive it in faith, believing in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Trusting in Christ’s mercy, and with gratitude for this free and precious gift, let us live as those forgiven and freed through Jesus Christ!

Readings from Scripture    Genesis 32: 22-31NRS and Matthew 14:13-21 NRS

Genesis 32: 22-31NRS The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." 2Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him.  So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

Matthew 14:13-21 NRS

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves."Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish."And he said, "Bring them here to me."Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Sermon    “ Those Middle of the Night Wrestlings – a Conversation     Rev. Russell Lehman and Rev Phil Miller-Evans

A conversation by Rev. Russ Lehman and Rev. Phil Miller-Evans

Offering of Our Gifts (One way to donate money is to use the "Donate Now" button on the main page of this website.)

Almighty God, in this time of global pandemic, when patterns of behavior which have been familiar to us are overturned and we face an uncertain future, we realize that we still have the personal gifts you gave us at conception and the skills we have developed over time. Help us to recognize those gifts and realize new ways to use them in service to you through service to others. In Christ’s name. Amen

Musical Offering One Bread, One Body by John Foley, Instrumental Arrangement by Annie Isbilir

Sung by Keisha Prime

One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

Gentile or Jew, servant or free, woman or man no more.
One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

Many the gifts, many the works, one in the Lord of all.
One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

Service of Holy Communion

The Invitation
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.” O taste and see that the Lord is good! Happy are those who find refuge in God!

The Words of Institution
On the night of his arrest, our Lord took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, saying, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, and said, “This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Every time you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Holy God, creator of the universe, with joy we praise you and give you thanks. You brought light from darkness and drew land from the sea. You made us in your image to live with one another in love. You promised yourself in covenant with us, you told us your purpose in your law, and called for justice through the prophets. Through long generations you have been faithful to your people.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, the Lord God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come.
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!

We praise you for your love: bringing order out of chaos, breathing life into dust, leading captives into freedom, calling wandering children home, giving bread to the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, raising the dead to life. We thank you, Lord for Jesus: Word made flesh, light of the world, living water, shepherd and gate, way and truth, bread of heaven, cup of salvation, resurrection and life.

Spirit come – come and live in us: in this bread, in this cup, in your people, one in the body, one in the blood; one with Christ, one in ministry, in this place, in every place; in this world, in the world to come. AMEN

Partaking the Elements
When we break bread, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?
When we give thanks over the cup, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?
Jesus said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Prayer after Communion
Holy God, we thank you for this feast of grace and life. Send us out to answer the summons of our Lord Jesus Christ to a new life, and to follow him with joy and gladness. Set our feet in his holy way, that our lives may be signs of his life and all we do may show forth his love. AMEN

Closing Prayer

Creator of Life, and Love, and hope, I thank you that I do not stand alone. You go before me and you have surrounded me with a cloud of witnesses who walk beside me. I need not fear or be ashamed, for I am wonderfully formed and deeply loved. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer (sung)

sung by Keisha Prime

Charge and Benediction

Empowered by God’s Spirit, heal the sick, feed the hungry and serve the world. May the grace of Christ be multiplied to you and through you, now and forever!

  QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

The disciples were amazed at Jesus’ feeding of the multitudes.   How have you seen God provide a way when there was no way?


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