You Are the Way

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 God, all creatures here below; praise God above, ye Heav'nly host: praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

God the creator, God of the cross, you show your power in whirling galaxies and unseen forces. You show your love in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Drive out the evils that threaten to break our spirits and help us embrace the movement of the Spirit in our lives. In the name of Jesus the Christ we pray. Amen.

Almighty God, who transforms our weakness into strength, receive the prayers we lovingly offer on behalf of the church and the world.

Our world is an anxious place divided by ideologies more stubborn and impertinent each day. Break down the barriers that exist among peoples and nations; restore and strengthen our common life.

God of heaven and earth, creator of all things seen and unseen, we join with the church through all ages, praying that you empower us to cast out all evil and renew the face of your whole creation.

Give to your church a bold vision and a daring love to speak and act on behalf of your mission to restore all people and creation in peace. Teach us to trust simplicity and travel light together.

God of heaven and earth, creator of all things seen and unseen, we join with the church through all ages, praying that you empower us to cast out all evil and renew the face of your whole creation.

Comfort all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. Especially those we name silently or aloud in this moment. … Expand our compassion, increase our faith, and make us whole as we work together for the healing of those in need.

God of heaven and earth, creator of all things seen and unseen, we join with the church through all ages, praying that you empower us to cast out all evil and renew the face of your whole creation.

Eternal God, we remember those who are dying and those who have died. Draw them in to your heavenly realm with you, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, that they may dwell with you in paradise.

God of heaven and earth, creator of all things seen and unseen, we join with the church through all ages, praying that you empower us to cast out all evil and renew the face of your whole creation. Amen.

Come, Holy Spirit; when we become stubborn and unloving, open our hearts to receive your Word, then set us free to follow in the power of Christ’s love. Amen.

¹He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. ²On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! ³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. ⁴Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” ⁵And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. ⁶And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching. ⁷He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; ⁹but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. ¹¹If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” ¹²So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. ¹³They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Jesus struggles to bring the message of God’s transforming love to the people of his hometown because they claim they know him. Where has your limited vision of the work of Jesus kept you from witnessing the full transformative power of Jesus in the world around you? What is the significance of Jesus sending the disciples out in pairs? Who is your accountability partner? And how do you hold each other true to the love of God and the mission of Jesus Christ?

We 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.

Pastor Johan blessed the Communion elements last Sunday while he was with us. He will return next Sunday, but today he is with the new church that he is appointed to 1/4 time for his first Sunday with them. Here at Community Church, we celebrate “Open Communion.” Anyone who wishes to commune may come to God’s Table. You do not have to be sinless; God forgives you. You do not have to be perfect; God encourages you to grow. You need not belong to any church; God invites all people to this meal. It is enough to love and follow God with all your heart. This is what God asks us to do. Come to God’s Table in faith this day. Go from this place to live, and never be the same again. Let us commune as siblings in Christ.

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth. Before the mountains were brought forth, or you had formed the earth, from everlasting to everlasting, you alone are God. You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the 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. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ, in whom you have revealed yourself, our light and our salvation. In his baptism and in table fellowship he took his place with us. 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. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to this, your Church, you delivered us from our slavery to empire, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

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:

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 forever. 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.

Jesus calls us to travel light as we serve the world, for God is our strength and provision. Let us faithfully bring our offerings to God.

Divine Giver, all that we have is a gift from you, and your grace is our sufficiency. Pour out your Spirit upon these gifts that they may increase your blessing to others, through the grace and mercy of Christ. Amen.

May the love of God, the power of Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit dwell richly in you forever. Amen.