Go Jump In the Lake

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

God of our salvation, we thank you for the gift of faith. We thank you for all those who have taught us the good news. Kindle in us always this gift, this good treasure, that we may live the life to which you have called us, according to your purpose and grace. We pray in the name of the one who abolished death and brought life to light through the gospel, our Savior Christ Jesus. Amen.

Let us pray for the needs of the world, saying,

Great is your faithfulness; O God, we hope in you.

God of grace and God of glory, you care for the whole earth; even

now you are reconciling all things to yourself. We thank you for the

ancient grace given in Christ Jesus before the ages began. As age

has succeeded age to this present day your grace is with us still. We

rely on your power for all things.

Great is your faithfulness; O God, we hope in you.

We bring before you now the cares of the world. We pray for people

enduring the devastation of war and oppression from enemies. We

pray for cities and for public life that has suffered destruction and ruin.

Bring restoration, we pray, and an end to conflicts that divide and

destroy. Return us to your ways of justice and truth. Give us

compassionate hearts and resolute spirits as we work to repair

community and offer solace where now there is no resting place.

Great is your faithfulness; O God, we hope in you.

God of tender mercy, you hear the cries of the one who is suffering,

of the one trying to recover, of the one who has been hurt by another,

of one at risk in a complex and impersonal system. Enfold each one

in your steadfast love. Take special care of those who do not, or

cannot, cry out, but wait quietly in hope. Give voice to those who

should not wait quietly; empower them with strength and support all

around: the powerless one who suffers abuse; the person who is

lonely, with no one to help; the one who wanders homeless among

us, unnoticed; the one carrying an old burden, a silent grief, or an

unvoiced fear. With the gift of life given in the soaring light of your

gospel abolish the daily death they bear,

Great is your faithfulness; O God, we hope in you. We pray for your church, so in need of healing and reconciliation.

Rekindle in us the sincere faith of Christ and make us willing and

faithful servants. In unmerited grace, in startling new mercy, you

chose to call us not servants, but friends. You have opened to us a

place at your table of grace. We would be good stewards of your

grace and glad of the company you call us to keep around your table,

which is larger than we have yet imagined. In gratitude for the bread

and cup you share, we will honor you by sharing our bread with

others, by offering without reserve the cup you bless.

Great is your faithfulness; O God, we hope in you.

In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Holy God, through Christ Jesus you bring the light of the gospel into our lives as grace revealed. Help us to guard this treasure and to share it with others, too, so that the faith that has lived in our ancestors and now lives in us may come to life in every new generation. We pray with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Amen.

Luke 17:5-10 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ⁶ The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. ⁷ Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? ⁸ Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? ⁹ Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? ¹⁰ So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!”

Questions for Reflection: Rev. Johan Dodge

In Luke 17:5—10, the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith.

How has the gift of faith in your own life changed over time? Was

there a particular time when your faith weakened? Can you recall a

time when the strength of your faith helped you endure? God often

uses special people in our lives to help us grow in faith and

understanding. Who has helped you grow in faith? Who would say

you have helped to grow in their understanding of faith?

atraid of spilling red grape juice, a limited number of cups with white

grape juice are provided.

Invitation to Communion (Pastor Johan Dodge)

Here at Community Church we celebrate “Open Communion’.

Anyone who wishes to commune may come to our Lord’s Table. You

do not have to be sinless; God forgives you. You do not have to be

perfect; but God is encouraging you to grow. You need not belong to

this or any church; God Invites all people to this meal. It is enough to

love the Lord and follow Him with all your heart. This is what God

asks us to do. Come to our Lord’s Table in faith this day. Go from

this place to live, and never be the same again. Let us commune as

brothers and sisters in Christ.

Pastor: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Pastor: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People: 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, Almighty God, creator of heaven

and earth. In the beginning your Spirit moved over the face of the

waters. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, Your love

remained steadfast. Your Spirit came upon prophets and teachers,

anointing them to speak your Word. 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. At his

baptism in the Jordan your Spirit descended upon him and declared

him your beloved Son. With your Spirit upon him he turned away the

temptations of sin.

Your Spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim

release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at

liberty those who are oppressed, and to announce that the time had

come when you would save your people.

He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners.

By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection, you gave

birth to this your Church, You delivered us from slavery to sin and

death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

When the Lord Jesus ascended, he promised to be with us always,

baptizing us with the Holy Spirit and with fire, as on the Day of

Pentecost.

On the night in which he gave himself up for us, Jesus took bread,

gave thanks to you O God, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples,

and said: "Take, eat; This is my body which is given for you. Do this

in remembrance of me."

When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave

it to his disciples, and said: "Drink from this, all of you; This is my

blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the

forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance

of me."

On the day you raised him from the dead Jesus was recognized by

his disciples.

In the breaking of the bread, and in the power of your Holy Spirit,

this your Church has continued in the breaking of the bread and the

sharing of the cup. 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.

Pastor: 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 and empowered by the gifts of the Spirit.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one

in ministry to all the world, showing forth the fruit of the Spirit until

Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy

Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we

all partake of the one loaf.

The bread which we have eaten is a sharing in the bread of Christ.

The cup over which we give thanks is the sharing in the cup of Christ.

Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. INVITATION TO THE OFFERING -— Taylor White Before us is a world in great need, waiting in hope. We are a people holding treasure meant to be given away: the good news of Christ; resources of time, talents, and money. If we are to participate in God’s steadfast love and mercy, we must give sacrificially to the needs of God’s people.

Gracious God, you are good news for a weary world. You are hope for people in despair, and you are home to exiles. Accept, we pray, the offerings we bring this day. Use them according to your own purpose and grace. In Christ’s name we ask it. Amen.

May the steadfast love of God be upon you. May the grace of Christ Jesus our Lord be within you. May the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit uphold you. May you fulfill your holy calling by serving God and serving neighbor without thought of reward. Blessed Be the Tie that Binds Pursue loving kindness, godliness, faith, loyalty, endurance, gentleness. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.