Order of worship
PRELUDE: Amy Kraft
WELCOME AND GREETINGS: Pastor Evelyn Rivera
*CALL TO WORSHIP: Kathy Selzer
In our worship,
May we be as welcoming as Sarah and Abraham
who were quick to serve the stranger.
In faith,
May we proclaim that nothing is too big for God.
In moments of holy surprise,
May we laugh with deep abiding joy.
For God is in the holy surprise.
God is in the winding path.
And God is in our presence today.
Let us worship Holy God.
*OPENING PRAYER & CONFESSION
P: God of unexpected joy and answered prayers
C: we confess that sometimes things feel too good to be true,
while at other times we wonder if you hear us at all.
When life unravels for the worst – we blame you.
When life unravels for the best, filling our days with
holy surprise –we tend to praise ourselves, thinking
we’ve earned this unexpected joy. Forgive us.
P: Help us to see you in our midst.
C: And with every breath that turns into a laugh,
draw us closer to you. Amen.
*GATHERING HYMN-This Is My Song-UMH #437
SCRIPTURE TEXT-Ecclesiastes 3:1,4, 9-12 CEB
PASTORAL PRAYER: Pastor Evelyn
Let us pray that we may learn what it means to be God’s hospitality to our world:
Pastor: That the barriers that divide us may be broken down,
All: Lord have mercy
Pastor: That we may live by the law of love in unity, peace and concord
All: Lord have mercy
Pastor: That we may come to mutual understanding and care,
All: Lord have mercy
Pastor: Upon all who are torn apart by war and by violence
All: Christ have mercy
Pastor: Upon all who suffer from dissensions and quarrels,
All: Christ have mercy
Pastor: Upon all who are divided in their loyalty and love,
All: Christ have mercy
Pastor: That all who work for unity and in the spirit of hospitality may be blessed
All: Lord have mercy
Pastor: That all who seek to heal divisions between peoples may have hope
All: Lord have mercy
Pastor: That all who lead nations, may seek peace
All: Lord have mercy
*RESPONSIVE HYMN-In Christ There Is No East or West-UMH # 548
SCRIPTURE TEXT-Genesis 18: 1-15; Genesis 21: 1-6 CEB
SERMON: Pastor Evelyn
COMMUNION: Pastor Evelyn
(Communion is open to all people, everywhere. If it is the desire of your heart to grow closer to God, you are welcome at God’s table.)
*The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Pastor: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
People: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Pastor: Holy are you and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
Pastor: On the night of your betrayal, Lord Jesus, took bread and said, “This is my body, broken for you.”
People: The body of Christ, broken for us.
Pastor: You did the same with the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out is the new covenant in my blood for the forgiveness of sins."
People: The cup of Christ, shared for us.
Pastor: “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
And so, in remembrance of these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
People: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
…Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ redeemed by his blood.
Kathy: Please join me in praying the Lord’s Prayer.
People: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.
Prayer of Consecration
Pastor: And all God’s people said,
People: Amen.
Pastor: Here and now, dear friends, Take and Eat.
*CLOSING HYMN-America the Beautiful-UMH # 696
*CLOSING HYMN-God of Grace And God of Glory-UMH #577
As we sing this song together, may the prayer of our heart be that God uses each of us for the transformation of the world.
BENEDICTION-Go with God-A UM Communications video
POSTLUDE
*(please take a posture of reverence)
WELCOME AND GREETINGS: Pastor Evelyn Rivera
*CALL TO WORSHIP: Kathy Selzer
In our worship,
May we be as welcoming as Sarah and Abraham
who were quick to serve the stranger.
In faith,
May we proclaim that nothing is too big for God.
In moments of holy surprise,
May we laugh with deep abiding joy.
For God is in the holy surprise.
God is in the winding path.
And God is in our presence today.
Let us worship Holy God.
*OPENING PRAYER & CONFESSION
P: God of unexpected joy and answered prayers
C: we confess that sometimes things feel too good to be true,
while at other times we wonder if you hear us at all.
When life unravels for the worst – we blame you.
When life unravels for the best, filling our days with
holy surprise –we tend to praise ourselves, thinking
we’ve earned this unexpected joy. Forgive us.
P: Help us to see you in our midst.
C: And with every breath that turns into a laugh,
draw us closer to you. Amen.
*GATHERING HYMN-This Is My Song-UMH #437
SCRIPTURE TEXT-Ecclesiastes 3:1,4, 9-12 CEB
PASTORAL PRAYER: Pastor Evelyn
Let us pray that we may learn what it means to be God’s hospitality to our world:
Pastor: That the barriers that divide us may be broken down,
All: Lord have mercy
Pastor: That we may live by the law of love in unity, peace and concord
All: Lord have mercy
Pastor: That we may come to mutual understanding and care,
All: Lord have mercy
Pastor: Upon all who are torn apart by war and by violence
All: Christ have mercy
Pastor: Upon all who suffer from dissensions and quarrels,
All: Christ have mercy
Pastor: Upon all who are divided in their loyalty and love,
All: Christ have mercy
Pastor: That all who work for unity and in the spirit of hospitality may be blessed
All: Lord have mercy
Pastor: That all who seek to heal divisions between peoples may have hope
All: Lord have mercy
Pastor: That all who lead nations, may seek peace
All: Lord have mercy
*RESPONSIVE HYMN-In Christ There Is No East or West-UMH # 548
SCRIPTURE TEXT-Genesis 18: 1-15; Genesis 21: 1-6 CEB
SERMON: Pastor Evelyn
COMMUNION: Pastor Evelyn
(Communion is open to all people, everywhere. If it is the desire of your heart to grow closer to God, you are welcome at God’s table.)
*The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Pastor: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
People: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Pastor: Holy are you and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
Pastor: On the night of your betrayal, Lord Jesus, took bread and said, “This is my body, broken for you.”
People: The body of Christ, broken for us.
Pastor: You did the same with the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out is the new covenant in my blood for the forgiveness of sins."
People: The cup of Christ, shared for us.
Pastor: “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
And so, in remembrance of these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
People: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
…Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ redeemed by his blood.
Kathy: Please join me in praying the Lord’s Prayer.
People: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.
Prayer of Consecration
Pastor: And all God’s people said,
People: Amen.
Pastor: Here and now, dear friends, Take and Eat.
*CLOSING HYMN-America the Beautiful-UMH # 696
*CLOSING HYMN-God of Grace And God of Glory-UMH #577
As we sing this song together, may the prayer of our heart be that God uses each of us for the transformation of the world.
BENEDICTION-Go with God-A UM Communications video
POSTLUDE
*(please take a posture of reverence)
