August 11 — Shaping Community

Welcome to Ivy Chapel United Church of Christ on this, the twelfth Sunday after Pentecost. We’re honored to have you part of our community.

WELCOME

PRELUDE — Lied — Young

*CALL TO WORSHIP Jan Wirtz
One: Give praise to the Holy One at all times and bless God’s name.
All: Hope in the Holy One! For with God, there is steadfast love
and sacred power.
One: Let God’s radiance wash over you and lead you to shine brightly
through the presence of the Most High.
All: Hope in the Holy One! For with God, there is steadfast love
and sacred power.

*HYMN — Love Divine, All Loves Excelling — #71

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love Thou art.
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
Into every troubled breast.
Let us all in Thee inherit,
Let us find the promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be.
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty, to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive.
Suddenly return, and never,
Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray, and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love and praise.

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION — Jan Wirtz
God of love, we come to you now. We come to praise you and to learn from you. We approach you with a mixture of emotions. We bring our concerns and our burdens, as well as our thanksgivings and our hopes, which are founded upon your promises. All people are your people, God. Sometimes we are people in need, and sometimes people with abundance. Sometimes we are people overcome by despair, and sometimes people overwhelmed with joy! We are grateful for your dynamic, lively Spirit!
God of love, you promise that wherever we are on life’s journey, you are present to guide and to bless. We gather in your name, Jesus; so that we may continue learning to follow in your way of love and grace. Amen.

*PRAISE RESPONSE — The Bond of Love — #123

We are one in the bond of love;
We are one in the bond of love.
We have joined our spirit with the Spirit of God;
We are one in the bond of love.

Let us sing now, everyone;
Let us feel His love begun.
Let us join our hands that the world will know
We are one in the bond of love.

GOD’S WORD — Psalm 34:1-8 — Jan Wirtz

SPECIAL MUSIC —Softly and Tenderly — arr. Goss

GOD’S WORD —John 6:35, 41-51 — Pastor Dan

SERMON — Pastor Dan

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER — Pastor Dan

*HYMN —Help Us Accept Each Other — #127

Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;
Teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace.
Be present, Lord, among us and bring us to believe:
We are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live.

Teach us, O Lord, Your lessons, as in our daily life
We struggle to be human and search for hope and faith.
Teach us to care for people, for all, not just for some,
To love them as we find them, or as they may become.

Let Your acceptance change us so that we may be moved
In living situations to do the truth in love;
To practice Your acceptance until we know by heart
The table of forgiveness and laughter’s healing art.

Lord, for today’s encounters with all who are in need,
Who hunger for acceptance, for righteousness and for bread,
We need new eyes for seeing, new hands for holding on:
Renew us with Your Spirit; Lord, free us, make us one!

*BENEDICTION — Pastor Dan

*POSTLUDE — Fughetta — Muffat

What if… God’s Abundant Presence was EVERYWHERE?

Ecumenical means promoting or relating to unity among the world’s Christian Churches.  The United Church of Christ, which was founded just under seventy years ago out of an ecumenical impulse following the second world war, is founded on the principle that working together, people of many faith traditions can achieve more justice than any one organization working alone.

Inspired by the story in John 6:1-21, in which one gift multiplies to feed an entire crowd, many UCC churches have gathered ecumenically with other organizations to create feeding programs inspired by the story of the loaves and fishes.

One of those is Pilgrim Church in Fond du Lac, WI.  Founded in 1982, Loaves and Fishes in Fond du Lac provides meals to approximately 150-200 local people twice a week.  Pilgrim church provides volunteers for quarterly meal preparation that includes donating and preparing food, set-up, serve, clean-up and distributing leftovers.  The numbers of families served continues to grow and the program’s website emphasizes its open and welcoming nature.  “Sometimes they may not be hungry for food but for companionship.  The lonely people are hungry too; we never judge.  This is everyone’s program.  It is ecumenical and covers all faiths.”

Another is St. Luke’s UCC in Jeffersonville, IN.  Loaves and Fishes in Jeffersonville is a weekly community meal in partnership with other local congregations and housed at St. Luke’s.  Every Saturday, groups volunteer to plan, prepare, serve and clean up a meal for individuals who might not otherwise have a hot meal that day.  Much more than a soup kitchen, Loaves and Fishes provides a sense of community and welcome to those who might not find welcome elsewhere.
Another Loaves and Fishes (this one called Fish and Loaves) program in Taylor, MI, counts St. Paul UCC in Taylor among its charter members.  Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry, a cooperative, non-sectarian, non-profit, faith based initiative seeking to insure adequate food and nutrition for all residents within several local communities: “client choice” pantry that allows individuals and families to “shop” on a monthly or bi-monthly basis for items they need, providing not only food but dignity to all they serve.

How will the story of the loaves and fishes inspire YOU?

UCC Sunday Bulletin Service

Dessert for $1

Join us on Sunday, August 25th after our 10 am worship for our Dessert for $1 fundraiser.
Purchase delectable goodies to eat at church or take home to enjoy for later!
We hope to see you there!

August 4 – Bread of Life

Thank you for joining us on this day. It’s the first Sunday of August, so we will be celebrating open communion. If you are worshipping with us from home, please gather the elements so we may come together at God’s table as one.

WELCOME

PRELUDE — Blessed Assurance

*CALL TO WORSHIP — Jo Ann Moody
One: We gather in God’s presence.
All: Through Jesus Christ, all are welcome.
One: Come; stay a while.
All: Through Jesus Christ, all find rest.
One: Relax; and be renewed.
All: Through Jesus Christ, all receive strength.
One: Pray; and be filled.
All: We rejoice, overflowing with God’s forgiving love!

*HYMN — Morning Has Broken — #274

Morning has broken like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word!

Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dewfall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God’s recreation of the new day!

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION — Jo Ann Moody
Gracious God, we give thanks for your presence among us. In the chaos of everyday life, you provide calm, healing, and sanctuary. Open us to new possibilities for being transformed by you as you bless us with your everlasting love and relentless presence. Your Spirit fills us and our surroundings as we gather in your name from pew to park and from sanctuary to sofa. May we be receptive to your Word as we worship you. Stir our imaginations! Enliven our hearts with fullness of joy! Guide us toward ever-growing participation in your Realm of eternal love and grace. Amen.

*PRAISE RESPONSE — Holy Ground — #83

We are standing on holy ground,
And I know that there are angels all around;
Let us praise Jesus now
We are standing in His presence on holy ground.

GOD’S WORD — Psalm 78:23-29 — Jo Ann Moody

SPECIAL MUSIC — I’d Rather Have Jesus

GOD’S WORD — John 6:24-35 — Pastor Dan

SERMON — Pastor Dan

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER — Pastor Dan

*HYMN — Break Thou the Bread of Life — #175

Break Thou the Bread of Life, Dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves Beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word.

Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, To me, to me,
As Thou didst bless the bread By Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease, All fetters fall,
And I shall find my peace My All in all.

Thou art the Bread of Life, O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth That saveth me;
Give me to eat and live With Thee above;
Teach me to love Thy truth, For Thou art Love.

Oh, send Thy Spirit, Lord, Now unto me,
That He may touch my eyes, And make me see;
Show me the truth concealed Within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see the Lord.

THE SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION
As the United Church of Christ, we celebrate Open Communion. All who desire the bread and the cup are welcome to receive.

RESPONSIVE COMMUNION LITANY
John 6:24-35, “Bread of Life”
A communion litany based onJohn 6:24-35.
One Voice: In the beginning the Holy Three danced in the chaos just before creation. Out of their dance was formed All That-Is, and they looked at it and blessed it, calling it very, very good.

Many voices: One of the parts of that creation was humanity. That’s all of us! Created in God’s image, we sometimes believed that we, alone, were All-That-Is, and our arrogance drove us from the beauty and peace that The Holy Three wished for us.

One Voice: Many voices called throughout time, for humanity to return to our place in All-That-Is. But we did not always listen. When the time was right, one part of The Holy Three, that part called Christ Jesus, came to speak so that we could hear.

Many voices: Jesus said, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. And the people replied, Teacher, give us this bread always.

One voice: And so, on the night before Jesus was killed by those who were threatened by his message of love and care for All-That-Is, he gathered with his closest friends and chosen family and he gave them g=bread saying, “This is my body, the living bread that gives life to the world.” After they ate, he passed them a cup and said “This is the cup of new life, that you might believe in the one whom the Holy Three has sent.” whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Many voices: And so they ate and drank. And so we eat and drink and remember and rejoice.

One voice: Let us pray. Brother Jesus, we thank you that you have given us the bread that is your body, the cup that is the source of life. We eat and drink today in the strong name of the Holy Three- Creator, the Christ and the Redeemer. Amen.

*HYMN — O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing — #93

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease,
‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
‘Tis life and health and peace.

He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood availed for me.

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Saviour come;
And leap, ye lame, for joy.

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread thro’ all the earth abroad
The honors of your name.

*BENEDICTION — Pastor Dan

*POSTLUDE — Sweet, Sweet Spirit