Together for Joy

Opening Announcements — Rev. Lynn Francis

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 is said 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 pray for the needs of the world, saying,

O Lord, attend to our cry, give ear to our prayer.

God who hears us, holds us, and helps us, you are our eternal source of

blessing. You are our endless source of provision. In your compassion, you

see our need; you heal our sickness and satisfy our hunger. Hear us now

as we pray for the church, the world, and all in need:

O Lord, attend to our cry, give ear to our prayer.

For our siblings called by your name throughout the world,

O Lord, attend to our cry, give ear to our prayer.

Bless your church and help us move forward in mission with you.

O Lord, attend to our cry, give ear to our prayer.

For the healing and preservation of your creation in heaven and on earth,

O Lord, attend to our cry, give ear to our prayer.

For the need of the nations— wisdom for leaders, vindication and relief for

the oppressed.

O Lord, attend to our cry, give ear to our prayer.

For those who are hungry, ill, vulnerable, or seeking refuge from

adversaries and injustice,

O Lord, attend to our cry, give ear to our prayer.

For all who need you, near and far, especially those we name now, aloud

and in our hearts ...

O Lord, attend to our cry, give ear to our prayer.

For the faithful who have preceded us and in whose steps we follow,

O Lord, attend to our cry, give ear to our prayer. Wondrously show us your steadfast love, that we may behold your face in

righteousness and be satisfied, when we awake, beholding your likeness;

through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.

Providing God, by your Holy Spirit feed us with your Word, that we might be filled with the bread of life. Amen.

Philippians 4:4-9 4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. John 15:5-11 51 am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 101f you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹| have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

Questions for Reflection: Rev. Lynn Francis

What gives you joy? How can you lean into your faith in order to

increase your joy? Who can you be in service to in the coming week

or month to share God’s joy?

We are pleased to offer both white and red grape juice. If you are afraid of

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

provided.

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 wnat 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. 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. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant

to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets, who

looked for that day when justice shall roll down like waters and

righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. 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. 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, delivered us from

slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water

and the Spirit. At his ascension you exalted him to sit and reign with

you at your right hand.

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

thanks to you, 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."

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 fruit of the vine. 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.

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

in ministry to all the world, 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 for ever.

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 — Virginia Olejnik God has been generous in providing for our needs. Let us give back a portion of what has already been given to us.

Loving and generous God, you provide for us and even bless us in more ways than we can number. We give these tithes and offerings to tell of your wondrous and steadfast love so that those who do not yet know you may also come to your love. Amen

Life-changing God, you have touched us and transformed us to reach out to all who hunger for what only you can give. Keep our feet in your paths and bless us to go out now and be a witness in all that we say and do. 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.