Virtual Worship for Sunday July 5, 2020
Virtual Worship for
Sunday July 5, 2020
GATHERING
Come to Me
Gregory Norbert
Performed by Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia
Come to me all who labor and are heavy burdened
And I shall give you rest
Take up my yoke and learn from me
For I am meek and humble of heart
And you’ll find rest for your souls
Yes my yoke is easy
And my burden is light
You God are my shepherd
I shall never be in need
Fresh and green
Are the meadows where you give me rest
Come to me all who labor and are heavy burdened
And I shall give you rest
Take up my yoke and learn from me
For I am meek and humble of heart
And you’ll find rest for your souls
Yes my yoke is easy
And my burden is light
Yes my yoke is easy
And my burden is light
Beside peaceful waters
You restore my true self
There you lead me to walk
In the path of new life
Come to me all who labor and are heavy burdened
And I shall give you rest
Take up my yoke and learn from me
For I am meek and humble of heart
And you’ll find rest for your souls
Yes my yoke is easy
And my burden is light
Introduction to today's service
The mystery of God’s ways is sometimes hidden from the wise and intelligent. Jesus associates with those often excluded from the religious community. Like Paul, we struggle with our own selfish desires and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness. We gather to be refreshed by Christ’s invitation: “Come to me, all you that are weary.” Gathered around word, water, and meal, we find rest for our souls.
Resources for children:
For pre-readers
For readers
The Childrens Activity bulletin
GATHERING SONG
Let The Whole Creation Cry
Here's a majestic choral and congregational version
From the same church but another majestic arrangement!
Let the whole creation cry,
"Glory to the Lord on high!"
Heav'n and earth, awake and sing,
"Praise to our almighty king!"
Praise God, angel hosts above,
ever bright and fair in love;
sun and moon, lift up your voice;
night and stars, in God rejoice.Servants striving for the Lord,
prophets burning with the word,
those to whom the arts belong
add their voices to the song.
Pow'rs of knowledge and of law,
to the glorious circle draw;
all who work and all who wait,
sing, "The Lord is good and great!"Men and women, young and old,
raise the anthem loud and bold,
and let children's happy hearts
in this worship take their parts;
from the north to southern pole
let the mighty chorus roll:
"Holy, Holy, Holy One;
glory be to God alone!"
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
whose steadfast love is everlasting,
whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation.
Amen.
Trusting in the mercy of God, let us confess our sin.
Reconciling God,
we confess that we do not trust your abundance,
and we deny your presence in our lives.
We place our hope in ourselves
and rely on our own efforts.
We fail to believe that you provide enough for all.
We abuse your good creation for our own benefit.
We fear difference and do not welcome others
as you have welcomed us.
We sin in thought, word, and deed.
By your grace, forgive us;
through your love, renew us;
and in your Spirit, lead us;
so that we may live and serve you in newness of life. Amen.
Beloved of God,
by the radical abundance of divine mercy
we have peace with God through ☩ Christ Jesus,
through whom we have obtained grace upon grace.
Our sins are forgiven.
Let us live now in hope.
For hope does not disappoint,
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Kyrie!
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For peace in the world, for the health of the church, for the unity of all;
for this holy house, for all who worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
That we may live out your impassioned response to the hungry and the poor;
that we may live out truth and justice and grace,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For peace in our hearts, for peace in our homes, for friends and family;
for life and for love, for our work and our play,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For your Spirit to guide; that you center our lives in the water and the Word;
that you nourish our souls with your body and blood,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. You are great, O God, and greatly to be praised. You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Grant that we may believe in you, call upon you, know you, and serve you, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
WORD
READING: Romans 7:15-25
Life captive to sin is a catch-22 existence in which we know good but do not do it and do things we know to be wrong. Through Jesus Christ, God has set us free from such a futile existence.
15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25aThanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Musical Reflection
He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother
Bobby Scott and Bob Russell
Performed and Arranged by Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia
The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where
But I’m strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain’t heavy
He’s my brother
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain’t heavy
He’s my brother
If I’m laden at all
I’m laden with sadness
That everyone’s heart
Isn’t filled with gladness
Of love for one another
Its a long long road
From which there is no return
While we’re on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn’t weigh me down at all
He ain’t heavy
He’s my brother
She’s my sister
He’s my brother
GOSPEL
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
The holy gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus chides people who find fault with both his ministry and that of John the Baptist. He thanks God that wisdom and intelligence are not needed to receive what God has to offer.
[Jesus spoke to the crowd saying:] 16“To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
17‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.’
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
25At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
Trust Jesus' Words!
HYMN OF THE DAY
I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
Some nice options:
Sing along with this choir
Enjoy this male soloist with guitar
Or try this female soloist with piano!
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto me and rest;
lay down, O weary one, lay down
your head upon my breast."
I came to Jesus as I was,
so weary, worn, and sad;
I found in him a resting-place,
and he has made me glad.I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down and drink and live."
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's light;
look unto me, your morn shall rise,
and all your day be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in him my star, my sun;
and in that light of life I'll walk
till trav'ling days are done
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
OFFERING
Please remember, the Church is not Closed (while our building is!)
We are called by God to pray, to care for one another,
and to love God and our neighbors as best we can!
Our offerings not only “pay bills” they help us continue God’s work in the world
You may send your contributions to the church through the mail, directly from your bank,
or by clicking on this secure link.
ANTHEM
His Eye Is On the Sparrow
Martin & Gabriel; performed by Christine Franks, Voice
OFFERING PRAYER
God of goodness and growth,
all creation is yours,
and your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
Water and word, wine and bread:
these are signs of your abundant grace.
Nourish us through these gifts,
that we might proclaim your steadfast love
in our communities and in the world,
through Jesus Christ, our strength and our song. Amen.
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 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 and ever. Amen.
SENDING
Blessing
Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
God, the creator, ☩ Jesus, the Christ,
and the Holy Spirit, the comforter,
bless you and keep you in eternal love. Amen.
Dismissal
Go in peace. Christ is with you!
Thanks be to God!
SENDING SONG
My Country, 'Tis of Thee
Not a sing-along but a version by The Soldiers' Chorus of The United States Army Field Band
A traditional version that you can sing along
A contemporary version from Lee Greewood
My country, ’tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty,
of thee I sing:
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims’ pride,
from ev’ry mountainside
let freedom ring.My native country, thee,
land of the noble free,
thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
thy woods and templed hills;
my heart with rapture thrills
like that above.Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees
sweet freedom’s song;
let mortal tongues awake;
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break,
the sound prolong.Our fathers’ God, to thee,
author of liberty,
to thee we sing:
long may our land be bright
with freedom’s holy light.
Protect us by thy might,
great God, our king.
Text: Samuel F. Smith, 1808-1895
Postlude:
What A Friend We Have in Jesus
Joseph M. Scriven
Performed and Arranged by Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh a peace we often forfeit
Oh what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
Are we weak and heavy laden
Cumbered with a load of care
Precious savior still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Do thy friends despise forsake thee
Take it to the Lord in prayer
In God’s arms we’ll be shielded
Thou will find its solace there
Blessed Savior thou has promised
Thou will be our burdens bear
May we ever Lord be bringing
All to thee in earnest prayer
Soon in glory bright unclouded
There will be no need for prayer
Rapture praise and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there
Will be our sweet portion there
From sundaysandseasons.com.
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