Eighth Sunday After Pentecost Worship Order of Service
PENTECOST 8
07-26-2020 10:00AM Worship
(Welcome / Greeting by the Pastors)
OPENING SONG: “Oh, How I Love Jesus” Trudi Wright
THE OPENING RITE: “When I say I am a Christian” Daren & Donna Waite
L Over 30 years ago, Carol Wimmer, a Christian woman, became aware of and saddened by what seemed to be a growing attitude of self-righteousness among many American Christians. She thought that this was a real distortion of the faith and would only have a negative effect on other people.
C With tears rolling down her face, she jotted down her own thoughts about humble faith as a poem in 1988.
The poem is entitled, “When I say I am a Christian”. Let us listen with our hearts to her words.
L When I say, “I am a Christian”, I’m not shouting “I’ve been saved!”
C I’m whispering, “I get lost sometimes, that’s why I chose this way.”
L When I say, “I am a Christian”, I don’t speak with human pride.
C I’m confessing that I stumble – needing God to be my guide.
L When I say, “I am a Christian”, I’m not trying to be strong.
C I’m professing that I’m weak and pray for strength to carry on.
L When I say, “I am a Christian”, I’m not bragging of success.
C I’m admitting that I’ve failed and cannot ever pay the debt.
L When I say, “I am a Christian”, I don’t think I know it all.
C I submit to my confusion, asking humbly to be taught.
L When I say, “I am a Christian”, I’m not claiming to be perfect.
C My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I’m worth it.
L When I say, “I am a Christian”, I still feel the sting of pain.
C I have my share of heartache, which is why I seek God’s name.
L When I say, “I am a Christian”, I do not wish to judge.
C I have no authority, I only know I’m loved.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: Daren or Donna Waite
Let us pray. God who loves me beyond what I deserve,
Sometimes I forget what really matters… and sometimes I make such dumb decisions.
Sometimes I wander away… and sometimes I strut away on purpose.
Sometimes I reject your will… and sometimes I give up on your love.
But You keep reaching out to me.
And, this very moment, I am reaching back to You.
I thank You for your grace, your mercy, and the treasure of new life in Jesus Christ. Amen.
FIRST READING: 1 KINGS 3:5-12 [The best leaders in the world are truly following God! Solomon started out that way…] Read by Janice Henderson
3:5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.”
3:6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.
3:7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
3:8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted.
3:9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”
3:10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
3:11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
3:12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.
SONG SELECTION: sung by Olliyah
SECOND READING: ROMANS 8:26-39 [The Christian is never too low or too lost for God’s love!] Read by Micah Gillum
8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
8:27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
8:28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.
8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
8:31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
8:32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?
8:33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
8:34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.
8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
8:36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
GOSPEL VERSE: “More About Jesus” sung by Ben Shipanga (w. Marietta?)
“More about Jesus would I know, more of His grace to others show,
More of His saving fullness see, more of his love who died for me.
MORE, MORE ABOUT JESUS… MORE, MORE ABOUT JESUS…
MORE OF HIS SAVING FULLNESS SEE, MORE OF HIS LOVE WHO DIED FOR ME.
More about Jesus let me learn, more of his holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my Teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me.”
HOLY GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:31-33, 44-52 [Some people look everywhere for anything, but miss the true treasure and full measure of their life. Turn towards God!] Read by Beverly Quaintance
13:31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;
13:32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
13:33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls;
13:46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;
13:48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.
13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous
13:50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13:51 “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.”
13:52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
THE SERMON: Pastor Neil (by phone?)
SONG SELECTION: “Order My Steps” sung by Carol Lee
OFFERING PRAYER: recited by Roland Thompson
Lord God, thank you for making a way out of no way in my life! During this summer may I dedicate my leisure and my work, my rest and my travel, my service and my spending, my health and my wealth, my worship and my witness – all that I am and have and seek – to glorify You and to extend your Kingdom to others. Someone somewhere is in need of your Good News. Amen.
MUSIC SELECTION: Dennis Fortune
THE PRAYERS: Pastor Bob Holum
THE LORD’S PRAYER: spoken by all (signing by Karen Henry)
SONG SELECTION: “My Life is in Your Hands” sung by Linda Crawford
THE BENEDICTION:
My sisters, my brothers, if God is FOR us, then who can be AGAINST us?
Hardship, persecution, famine, peril, sword cannot separate us from the love of Christ.
No power on earth, in life or death, can cut us off from God’s salvation.
Live, then, as God’s children, aware of God’s generosity, eager to share the treasure of God’s love with others.
In the name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.