The Cost of Following Jesus

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.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kin-dom 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 kin-dom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Let us pray for the world and all in need, saying, God, in your Spirit, hear our prayer.

Author of all mercy, we give you thanks for your goodness and loving kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We praise you especially for your immeasurable love of the world and your hope in the ultimate reign of peace. God, in your Spirit, hear our prayer.

We pray for the people following The Way of Love throughout the world, for new congregations wherever they are gathered; for missionaries, seminaries, for architects and landscapers; for funeral directors and those who care for cemeteries. Make us generous toward our siblings who live and breathe in your Way. God, in your Spirit, hear our prayer.

For those who wield earthly power, for those who lead and those who follow, that they may be moved by the image of your people, followers of Jesus, children of God, diverse and sometimes in disagreement but living together in harmony, a vision of the common good to which all nations might aspire. God, in your Spirit, hear our prayer.

For those persecuted for the sake of loving-kindness and those weighed down by trial and distress, that the example of the saints may give them courage and the help of believers give them hope. God, in your Spirit, hear our prayer.

For this assembly gathered to celebrate the Eucharist in communion with the church in heaven and throughout the world, that nourished by the Word of truth and the Bread of life, we may bear witness in our own generation to the timeless Good News of Jesus. God, in your Spirit, hear our prayer.

For all who are in need: for those who are in prison, those awaiting trial, those facing surgery, all who lack medical help, those who have no work, those who have no food, those who work for too little pay, the unhoused, and the ill. God, in your Spirit, hear our prayer.

Into your hands, Dear God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting that for these and for us, your care is constant and your heart is open; through Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Pour out your Spirit upon us, O God; with your Word enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we might live in hope; through Jesus the Christ who showed us the Way. Amen.

Jesus and Zacchaeus ¹ He entered Jericho and was passing through it. ² A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³ He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. ⁵ When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. ⁷ All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” ⁸ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” ⁹ Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

What have you given up to follow Jesus? What have you received from others, that they have given up to follow Jesus? Who are the Saints in your life? How might you be a saint to today?

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.

Here at Community Church we celebrate “Open” Communion. Anyone who wishes to participate may receive these gifts. The teachings of Jesus have revealed this divine truth, we are already created by God in the image of God as God’s Very Good Creation and while we are not perfect and we each have room for improvement, our focus should be on doing better rather than beating ourselves up for where we have fallen short. If you are joining us for the first time, know this to participate — You need not belong to this or any church; God invites all people to this meal. It is enough to be present and want to be more. This is what God asks us to do. To receive these gifts, to be transformed, and to go from this place to live, and never be the same again. The Source of All Love be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up in Love.

Let us give thanks to the God of Life.

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 from your way of love, and our love for you and your creation failed, your love for us remained steadfast.

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. 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 his teachings and practice of your way of love, he knit together this new body we call the church.

He prayed that we might be one, as he is one with you, and he asked that we might be known by the love we have for one another.

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; we are one body as we share in the bread together. 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 the cup of the new covenant, a ongoing sign of God’s love for you and all of God’s very good creation. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

And so, in remembrance of these your teachings and acts of love in Jesus Christ, we recommit ourselves to your way of love and pledge to live by the leading of your Holy Spirit. As we proclaim the mystery of faith.

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 symbols of your love and desire for us to be your body knit together to build the new creation, your preferred future for us.

By your Spirit help the body of Christ be one. Help the left hand and the right hand work as one in ministry to all the world. Help the eyes and the ears sense your present and coming kin-dom. Bring the blessing of the diversity of the body to bear fruit 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. Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, strengthen us to run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith. Renew our communion with all your saints, especially those whom we name before you — Marv Jahn – Absent from the Body, present in Love. Don Roe – Absent from the Body, present in Love. Renee Thornton – Absent from the Body, present in Love. Jim O’Conner – Absent from the Body, present in Love. Connie Young – Absent from the Body, present in Love. 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.

With gratitude for God’s blessings through the power at work in Christ Jesus, we gather now the gifts of the church for the sake of the gospel.

Holy One, all that we have comes from you. You bless our lives with the companionship of your people, the freedom that comes from forgiveness of sin, the joy of thanksgiving for Earth and all its bounty. Turn us toward those in need, in the name of the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

The God of our Lord Jesus Christ give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation to live in hope today and always. Amen.