"Rivers of Living Water' Rev. Johan Dodge

Opening Announcements — Rev. Johan Dodge

Good Morning and Welcome to Worship!

Worship is often the first place that new people come into contact

with this growing community of faith. And so if you are joining us for

the first time, I say to you what I say every Sunday. You are welcome

here. Here is a place where all are welcome. For such is the love of

God for God’s Very Good Creation.

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.

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.

Let us unite our hearts and minds in prayer for our world, saying,

Almighty God, hear our prayer.

For the church throughout the world,

Almighty God, hear our prayer.

Inspire the siblings of your church for prophetic witness to your truth,

and upon old and young give clarity of vision to acknowledge your

saving power in the world.

For nations of the world and its leaders, especially President Biden,

Governor Newsom

Almighty God, hear our prayer.

Overcome the babble of misunderstanding among the nations, and

let all people hear in their own language and recognize in their own

culture your unifying message of love.

For planet Earth, our home,

Almighty God, hear our prayer.

By your Spirit, renew the earth, make us good stewards of its

resources, and teach us to enjoy its abundance rightly.

For those in need of healing,

Almighty God, hear our prayer.

Among those known to us, God, we pray for

Send your healing Spirit upon those who are sick in body or mind,

restore them to health, and restore to them the joy of salvation.

For our neighbors and members of our Leisure World community,

Almighty God, hear our prayer.

Teach us to be good neighbors, to live in peace with one another,

and in friendship share the joys and burdens of daily life.

For our children,

Almighty God, hear our prayer.

Bless our children and their children, protect them from danger, and

help parents and caregivers nurture them so that they may mature in

wisdom and grow in grace. For our enemies,

Almighty God, hear our prayer.

Bless our enemies and show us how we may do good to them for the

sake of Jesus Christ. In your mercy, Almighty God, receive our

prayers and, according to your wisdom, provide all that we need;

through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Almighty God, hear our prayer. Amen.

Almighty God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, speak to us in the language of our hearts, that we may hear your Word with understanding and answer your call with confidence. Amen.

1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵ and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. ⁷ To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. 12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. John 7.37-39 37On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ³⁹ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Questions for Reflection: Rev. Johan Dodge

What is your story? How has the presence of God impacted your

life? Where have you felt alone and in the desert? Where have you

felt awash in the Spirit? Where are you in your story today at a high

or alow? Who might you share this with?

INVITATION TO THE OFFERING — Taylor White

With thanksgiving for God’s gifts to us, let us offer ourselves and the

fruits of our labor for God’s work in the world.

Almighty God, we have opened our hands to you, and our hands have been filled with good things. Receive the gifts we bring in gratitude for your care for us, and help us to bless you with dedication of our lives; through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Be witnesses of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and may the grace of the divine presence bless you with peace, may the love of Jesus, sustain you in joy, and may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with holy boldness, this day and forevermore. Bless the Lord! Alleluia Blessed Be the Tie that Binds Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. Amen.