June 28, 2020

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Reflection

At a time of national division, even those closest to him called on Abraham Lincoln to bring vengeance upon those who had brought the country to war. Instead, he called for unity, mercy, and renewed purpose. President Lincoln closed his 2nd Inaugural Address with this:

With malice toward none, with charity for all,

with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right,

let us strive on to finish the work we are in,

To bind up the nation's wounds,

to care for him who shall have borne the battle

and for his widow and his orphan,

To do all we can which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace,

among ourselves and with all nations.

PRELUDE

Preludes to the Past: American Hymn Tunes

WORDS OF WELCOME

CALL TO WORSHIP & OPENING PRAYER

Psalm 22:23-31

I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

You who fear the Lord, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me but heard when I cried to him.

From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.

Eternal God our Creator and Redeemer. We are gathered but cannot hear each other’s voices. We have a cloud of witnesses we cannot see in this sanctuary who live with the ages. We have a cloud of witnesses that view us from their own sanctuaries. Hear our voices that come from the depths of our hearts with sighs to ingrained to be heard. Heal our hearts who long for communion with You and community with each other. Bless us this hour so that the hours beyond this will be blessed. Amen

HYMN NO. 307

“God of Grace and God of Glory”

CWM RHONNDA

God of grace and God of glory,

on thy people pour thy power;

crown the ancient church's story;

bring its bud to glorious flower.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

for the facing of this hour,

for the facing of this hour.

Lo! the hosts of evil round us,

scorn thy Christ, assail his ways!

From the fears that long have bound us,

free our hearts to love and praise.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

for the living of these days,

for the living of these days.

Cure thy children's warring madness,

bend our pride to thy control;

shame our wanton, selfish gladness,

rich in things and poor in soul.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

lest we miss thy kingdom's goal,

lest we miss thy kingdom's goal.

Save us from weak resignation

to the evils we deplore;

let the search for thy salvation

be our glory evermore.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

serving thee whom we adore,

serving thee whom we adore.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION & ASSURANCE OF PARDON (In Unison)

One hymn we have sung declares “Jesus, thou art all compassion,” and upon that we depend. We present humble lives with proudful moments. We offer huge intentions and deliver erratic actions. You know us, for you lived among those like us. We want to love as You love, but we worry we do not have the courage. We freely admit our apparent sins; but would rather not look too closely at our failures in discipleship. Help us live boldly to offer Life as you did. Help us know more about the burdens of others so that we may act where we can to lift another up. Give us the eyes and ears to understand ourselves, so that we may understand You all the more. Commune with us, as we seek you in persistent hope.

Our life journey as disciples has many twists and turns. Somewhere, as we travel far enough away to feel our loneliness, we discover that we are the ones who have strayed. Our Lord seeks us still: always seeking the lost, always encouraging the brokenhearted, always stopping on the way to pick up the fallen. Joining again in that discipleship, we may build our confidence. Relieved of our self-created burdens, we may have confidence. We approach life without the burdens we create, for: in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

HYMN N0. 582

“Glory to God”

GLORY TO GOD

Glory to God, whose goodness shines on me,

And to the Son, whose grace has pardoned me.

And to the Spirit, whose love has set me free.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.

World without end, without end. Amen.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

SPECIAL MUSIC

“No One is Alone” from INTO THE WOODS

Stephen Sondheim

Sarah Solie, Soloist

OLD TESTAMENT READING

Psalm 23

GOSPEL READING

Matthew 10:40-42

SERMON

“Re-member Who You Are”

Rev. Tom Malek- Jones

HYMN NO. 473

“Shepherd Me, O God”

SHEPHERD ME

Please join the cantor on singing the REFRAIN:

Shepherd me, O God, Beyond my wants,

Beyond my fears, from death into life.

PASTORAL PRAYER & LORD’S PRAYER

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLOSING HYMN NO. 541, St. 1

“God Be with You Till We Meet Again”

RANDOLPH

God be with you till we meet again;

Loving counsels guide, uphold you,

With a shepherd’s care enfold you:

God be with you till we meet again.

BENEDICTION

SPECIAL MUSIC

“The God of Abraham Praise”

arr. Marianne Kim

WORSHIP PARTICIPANTS

Rev. Tom Malek-Jones

Rev. Barbara Piercy

Noel A. Piercy

Susan Jones

Sarah Solie, Soloist

Paul Salierno, Cantor

Ray Liptak & Rob Thiemann, Technical Assistance