August 8 Livestream – Community

Today we are happy to welcome Darlene Sowell, President and CEO of Unleashing Potential, to our community. Unleashing Potential is one of the oldest nonprofits working on early childhood education, after school programs, youth development and enrichment programs to bring out the best in St. Louis’ children.

WELCOME

PRELUDE – Anna DiVesta

*CALL TO WORSHIP
One: Come, worship our God who moves us to serve.
All: We owe everything we have to God.
One: Come, worship Christ Jesus who is our all in all.
All: We worship our Savior with all that we are.

*HYMN – We Come, O Christ, to You – #289

1. We come, O Christ, to You,
   True Son of God and man,
   By Whom all things con-sist, In Whom all life be-gan:
   In You a-lone
   We live and move, and have our be-ing in Your love.
2. You are the Way to God,
   Your blood our ran-som paid;
   In You we face our Judge And Mak-er un-a-fraid.
   Be-fore the throne
   Ab-solved we stand, Your love has met Your law’s de-mand.
3. You are the liv-ing Truth!
   All wis-dom dwells in You,
   The Source of ev-ery skill, The One E-ter-nal True!
   O great I AM!
   In You we rest, Sure an-swer to our ev-ery quest.
4. You on-ly are true Life,
   To know You is to live
   The more a-bun-dant life That earth can nev-er give:
   O ris-en Lord!
   We live in You, in us each day Your life re-new!
5. We wor-ship You, Lord Christ,
   Our Sav-ior and our King,
   To You our youth and strength A-dor-ing-ly we bring:
   So fill our hearts,
   That all may view Your life in us, and turn to You!

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION
God of amazing power and almighty love, breathe on us. Long ago, on the evening of your Resurrection, you came to your followers and you breathed on them, Jesus. This day, may we realize that you are among us – risen, alive, and offering us your blessing. Each one of your disciples is a human being striving to love, to serve and to give as fully as you do. Christ Jesus, your wounds reveal there is no limit to your love. Help us to perceive that you are here and that you are God. Before any of us entered this sanctuary, Jesus, you already were here! Astonishing! Breathe new life into us and renew our spirits this morning, we pray. Amen.

*PRAISE RESPONSE – Bind Us Together – #130
Bind us to-geth-er, Lord,
Bind us to-geth-er with cords that can-not be bro-ken.
Bind us to-geth-er, Lord,
Bind us to-geth-er, Lord;
Bind us to-geth-er with love.
There is on-ly one God;
There is on-ly one King.
There is on-ly one bod-y,
That is why we sing:
Bind us to-geth-er, Lord,
Bind us to-geth-er with cords that can-not be bro-ken.
Bind us to-geth-er, Lord,
Bind us to-geth-er, Lord;
Bind us to-geth-er with love.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

GOD’S WORD – Psalm 34:1-8

HYMN – I Sing a Song of the Saints of God – worship booklet, pp. 52-53

1. I sing a song of the saints of God,
   Pa-tient and brave and true,
   Who toiled and fought and lived and died
   For the Lord they loved and knew.
   And one was a doc-tor, and one was a queen,
   And one was a shep-herd-ess on the green;
   They were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
   God help-ing, to be one too
2. They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
   And his love made them strong;
   And they fol-lowed the right for Je-sus sake,
   The whole of their good lives longs.
   And one was a sol-dier, and one was a priest,
   And one was slain by a fierce wild beast;
   And there’s not an-y rea-son, no, not the least,
   Why I shouldn’t be one too
3. They lived not on-ly in a-ges past;
   There are hun-dreds of thou-sands still.
   The world is bright with the joy-ous saints
   Who love to do Je-sus’ will.
   You can meet them in school, on the street, in the store,
   In church, by the sea, in the house next door;
   They are saints of God, wheth’er rich or poor,
   And I mean to be one too.

MISSION MOMENT – Unleashing Potential – Darlene Sowell, President and CEO

SPECIAL MUSIC – We Are the Body of Christ (arr. Lawrence) – Anna DiVesta

GOD’S WORD – Ephesians 4:14-16, 25-5:2 – Pastor Dan

SERMON – Pastor Dan

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and Lord’s Prayer – Pastor Dan

*HYMN – To Be God’s People – #121

Al-might-y Fa-ther give us a vis-ion
Of a dy-ing world that needs Your love and care.
We see the need, the yearn-ing for a Sav-ior,
In Je-sus’ name, grant this our prayer

Refrain:
To be God’s peo-ple in this place,
Live His good-ness, share His grace,
Pro-claim God’s mer-cy thru His Son,
Be His love to ev-ery-one.

And when we fal-ter be Thou our com-fort;
Guide us as Your chil-dren that our lives may be
A bea-con in this dark-ness that sur-rounds us,
A light that oth-ers then may see.

Refrain

*BENEDICTION – Pastor Dan

*POSTLUDE – Anna DiVesta

August 1 Livestream – The Bread of Life

Today we gather to celebrate the sacrament of communion. If you are joining us online, we invite you to gather your own elements of communion and to share with us in the joyful experience at the Lord’s table.

WELCOME

PRELUDE – Anna DiVesta

*CALL TO WORSHIP – Pastor Dan
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 – How Great Thou Art – #16

1. O Lord my God, when I in awe-some won-der
   Con-sid-er all the worlds Thy hands have made,
   I see the stars, I hear the roll-ing thun-der,
   Thy pow’r thro’-out the u-ni-verse dis-played.

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Sav-ior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Sav-ior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

2. When thro’ the woods and for-est glades I wan-der
   And hear the birds sing sweet-ly in the trees,
   When I look down from loft-y moun-tain gran-deur,
   And hear the brook and feel the gen-tle breeze.

Refrain

3. And when I think that God, His Son not spar-ing,
   Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in,
   That on the cross, my bur-den glad-ly bear-ing,
   He bled and died to take a-way my sin.

Refrain

4. When Christ shall come with shout of ac-cla-ma-tion
   And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
   Then I shall bow in hum-ble ad-o-ra-tion,
   And there pro-claim, my God, how great Thou art.

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION – Pastor Dan
God of Compassion; in you, we find a love deeper than any love we can imagine. From you, we receive Living Water that wells up to life eternal. You watch over and love all people. As we come to you this day, help us to let go of our fears. Bless every soul who is thirsting for you, Christ Jesus. You are the Living Water. You are a precious wellspring of grace. Blessed Savior of all the world; come alive within us today. Cleanse us. Make us whole. Amen.

*RESPONSE – In The Name of the Lord #19

There is strength in the name of the Lord;
There is pow’r in the name of the Lord;
There is hope in the name of the Lord!
Bless-ed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

GOD’S WORD – Psalm 78:23-29 – Pastor Dan

SPECIAL MUSIC – Rain Down – Anna DiVesta

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

SERMON – Pastor Dan

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer (debts… debtors)
– Pastor Dan

*HYMN – Come, Share the Lord – #260

1. We gath-er here in Je-sus’ name,
   His love is burn-ing in our hearts like liv-ing flame,
   For thru the lov-ing Son the Fa-ther makes us one.
   Come take the bread, come drink the wine, come share the Lord.
2. No one is a stran-ger here,
   Ev-ery-one be-longs.
   Find-ing our for-give-ness here,
   We in turn for-give all wrongs.
3. He joins us here, He breaks the bread;
   The Lord who pours the cup is ris-en from the dead.
   The One we love the most is now our gra-cious host.
   Come take the bread, come drink the wine, come share the Lord.
4. We are now a fam-i-ly
   Of which the Lord is head.
   Though un-seen, He meets us here,
   In the break-ing of the bread.
5. We’ll gath-er soon where an-gels sing,
   We’ll see the glo-ry of our Lord and com-ing King.
   Now we an-tic-i-pate the feast for which we wait.
   Come take the bread, come drink the wine, come share the Lord.
   
   THE JOYFUL SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION
   Responsive Invitation to Receive the Bread of Life
   One: Jesus Christ invites everyone, “Take; eat; and remember me.”
   All: As we eat this bread, we are reminded that God remembers us.
   One: Jesus Christ invites everyone, “Take; drink; and remember me.”
   All: As we drink this cup, we are reminded that God remembers us.
   One: The gifts of God for the people of God.
   All: Praise God for the bread of life!

*HYMN – I Have Decided to Follow Jesus #427

1. I have de-cid-ed to fol-low Je-sus,
   I have de-cid-ed to fol-low Je-sus,
   I have de-cid-ed to fol-low Je-sus,
   No turn-ing back, no turn-ing back.
2. The world be-hind me, the cross be-fore me;
   The world be-hind me, the cross be-fore me,
   The world be-hind me, the cross be-fore me,
   No turn-ing back, no turn-ing back.
3. Tho’ none go with me, I still will fol-low,
   Tho’ none go with me, I still will fol-low,
   Tho’ none go with me, I still will fol-low,
   No turn-ing back, no turn-ing back.
4. Will you de-cide now to fol-low Je-sus?
   Will you de-cide now to fol-low Je-sus?
   Will you de-cide now to fol-low Je-sus?
   No turn-ing back, no turn-ing back.

*BENEDICTION – Pastor Dan

*POSTLUDE – Anna DiVesta

July 25 Livestream – God’s Abundant Presence!

With God, anything is possible! Join us and hear how God’s abundant presence can have meaning in your life.

This week’s order for worship:

WELCOME

PRELUDE – Anna DiVesta

*CALL TO WORSHIP – Pastor Dan
One: Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth!
All: O sing a new song; for God has done marvelous things!
One: Sing God’s praises!
All: We rejoice! Christ is our Guide and our Savior!
One: Let’s praise God with our words, our actions, our whole lives.
All: Let’s start by singing together!

*HYMN – Great Is Thy Faithfulness – #17

1. Great is Thy faith-ful-ness, O God my Fa-ther,
   There is no shad-ow of turn-ing with Thee;
   Thou chang-est not, Thy com-pas-sions they fail not;
   As Thou hast been Thou for-ev-er wilt be.

Refrain
Great is Thy faith-ful-ness!
Great is Thy faith-ful-ness!
Morn-ing by morn-ing new mer-cies I see;
All I have need-ed Thy hand hath pro-vid-ed
Great is Thy faith-ful-ness, Lord, un-to me!

2. Sum-mer and win-ter, and springtime and har-vest,
   Sun, moon and stars in their cours-es a-bove
   Join with all na-ture in man-i-fold wit-ness
   To Thy great faith-ful-ness, mer-cy and love.

Refrain

3. Par-don for sin and a peace that en-dur-eth,
   Thy own dear pres-ence to cheer and to guide;
   Strength for to-day and bright hope for to-mor-row,
   Bless-ings all mine, with ten thou-sand be-side!

Refrain

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION – Pastor Dan
God, you are the Creator of the whole universe. In astonishing fashion, you carefully watch over everything that you make. We value all that we learn from you. May we continue growing to trust you more. Through your life, Christ Jesus; we see that you share your love with everyone. Each person is precious to you. May we respond by following your path – the way of self-giving love. Amen.

*PRAISE RESPONSE – Give Thanks – worship booklet, p.42

Give thanks with a grate-ful heart,
Give thanks to the Ho-ly One,
Give thanks be-cause He’s giv-en Je-sus Christ His Son
Give thanks with a grate-ful heart,
Give thanks to the Ho-ly One,
Give thanks be-cause He’s giv-en Jesus Christ His Son
And now let the weak say “I am strong,”
Let the poor say “I am rich,”
Because of what the Lord has done for us.
And now let the weak say “I am strong,”
Let the poor say “I am rich,”
Be-cause of what the Lord has done for us.
Give thanks, give thanks.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE – Jo Ann Moody

HYMN – Be Not Afraid – worship booklet, pp. 30-31

GOD’S WORD – Psalm 145:10-18 – Pastor Dan

SPECIAL MUSIC – Everlasting – Colton Burton, Vocalist

GOD’S WORD – John 6:1-21 – Pastor Dan

SERMON – Pastor Dan

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

*HYMN – Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ – worship booklet, p. 64

1. Let us tal-ents and tongues em-ploy,
   Reach-ing out with a shout of joy:
   Bread is bro-ken, the win is poured,
   Christ is spo-ken and seen and heard.

Refrain:
Je-sus lives a-gain, earth can breathe a-gain,
Pass the Word a-round: loaves a-bound!
Je-sus lives a-gain, earth can breathe a-gain,
Pass the Word a-round: loaves a-bound!

2. Christ is a-ble to make us one,
   At his ta-ble he set the tone,
   Teach-ing peo-ple to live to bless,
   Love in word and in deed ex-press.

Refrain

3. Je-sus calls us in, sends us out
   Bear-ing fruit in a world of doubt,
   Gives us love to tell, bread to share:
   God (Im-man-u-el) ev-ery-where!

Refrain

*BENEDICTION – Pastor Dan

*POSTLUDE – Anna DiVesta

July 18 Livestream – Wherever You Are

Do not be afraid! Wherever you are, no matter how stormy the seas, God is with you.

You are welcome to join us in person at 10 a.m., or during our virtual worship beginning around 10 a.m. on Sunday.

You can watch this week’s worship or previous week’s services on our YouTube channel. A link to this week’s livestream will be added once worship begins.

PRELUDE – Anna DiVesta

*CALL TO WORSHIP – Pastor Dan
One: Where do you belong? Think about a place where you belong.
All: Love is patient. Love is kind.
One: What do you love about that place?
All: Love is not envious, or boastful, or arrogant, or rude.
One: How do you feel when you go there and you are welcomed?
All: Love is not irritable. Love does not seek its own advantage.
One: Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
All: We are each a part of God’s creation.
One: All people are treasured parts of God’s creation.
All: With God, all belong and all are welcomed as we are!

HYMN – Here I Am to Worship – worship booklet, pp. 48-49

Light of the World, You stepped down in-to dark-ness
O-pened my eyes, let me see.
Beau-ty that made this heart a-dore You,
Hope of a life spent with You.

So, here I am to wor-ship, here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You’re my God.
And You’re al-to-geth-er love-ly, al-to-geth-er wor-thy,
Al-to-geth-er won-der-ful to me.

King of all days, oh so high-ly ex-al-ted,
Glo-rious in heav-en a-bove.
Hum-bly You came to the Earth You cre-a-ted,
All for love’s sake be-came poor.

So, here I am to wor-ship, here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You’re my God.
And You’re al-to-geth-er love-ly, al-to-geth-er wor-thy,
Al-to-geth-er won-der-ful to me.

And I’ll nev-er know how much it cost
To see my sin up-on that cross
And I’ll nev-er know how much it cost
To see my sin up-on that cross.

So here I am to wor-ship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You’re my God.
And You’re al-to-geth-er love-ly, al-to-geth-er wor-thy,
Al-to-geth-er wonderful to me.

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION – Pastor Dan
Living God, we come to you now. We are here to worship you. We need your grace and guidance. There are times when we stray from you. Too often, we fail to embrace the rhythms of life which you provide, God. We allow ourselves to be thrown off stride from the pace that you would have us walk, and we race on ahead at full speed. Being in a hurry has led us and others to become lost on paths that do not follow your way.
God of steadfast love, may we use all of our senses to learn from you. Help us take the risks that go along with letting you lead, Eternal God. Guide us to live in rhythm with you, Christ Jesus; so that we may love extravagantly and give joyfully as you do. Amen.

*PRAISE RESPONSE – God Will Make A Way – worship booklet, p.44
God will make a way where there seems to be no way,
He works in ways we can not see, He will make a way for me
He will be my guide, hold me close-ly to His side,
With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way
He will make a way

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE – Anna DiVesta

*HYMN – I Sing the Almighty Power of God – #6

I sing th’al-might-y pow’r of God That made the mountains rise,
That spread the flow-ing seas a-broad And built the loft-y skies
I sing the wis-dom that or-dained The sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at His com-mand And all the stars o-bey.

I sing the good-ness of the Lord That filled the earth with food;
He formed the crea-tures with His word And then pro-nounced them good.
Lord, how Thy won-ders are dis-played Where-e’er I turn my eye,
If I sur-vey the ground I tread Or gaze up-on the sky!

There’s not a plant or flow’r be-low But makes Thy glo-ries known;
And clouds a-rise and tem-pests blow By or-der from Thy throne;
While all that bor-rows life from Thee Is ev-er in Thy care,
And ev-ery-where that man can be, Thou, God, art pres-ent there.

GOD’S WORD – 2 Samuel 7:1-13, 16-17 & Psalm 89:1-2, 19-29 – Pastor Dan

SPECIAL MUSIC – Forever – Anna DiVesta

GOD’S WORD – Mark 6:45, 53-56 Pastor Dan

SERMON – Pastor Dan

PRAYERS – Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer (debts… debtors) – Pastor Dan

*HYMN – Hymn of Promise – #277
In the bulb there is a flow-er; In the seed, an ap-ple tree;
In co-coons, a hid-den prom-ise; But-ter-flies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of win-ter There’s a spring that waits to be,
Un-re-vealed un-til its sea-son, Some-thing God a-lone can see

There’s a song in ev-ery si-lence, Seek-ing word and mel-o-dy;
There’s a dawn in ev-ery dark-ness, Bring-ing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the fu-ture; What it holds, a mys-ter-y.
Un-re-vealed un-til its sea-son, Some-thing God a-lone can see.

In our end is our be-gin-ning; In our time, in-fin-i-ty.
In our doubt there is be-liev-ing; In our life, e-ter-ni-ty.
In our death a res-ur-rec-tion; At the last, a vic-to-ry.
Un-re-vealed un-til its sea-son, Some-thing God a-lone can see.

*BENEDICTION – Pastor Dan

*POSTLUDE – Anna DiVesta

CCLI License #456361

July 11 Livestream – Joy!

Today is the seventh Sunday after Pentecost.

Gather with us on this day with Joy as we thank God. Worship with us today on YouTube, and remember you are invited to be here in person next week.

July 11 Livestream – JOY!

WELCOME

PRELUDE – Anna DiVesta

*CALL TO WORSHIP – Pastor Dan
One: Welcome to this house of prayer.
All: We are on holy ground.
One: The Church is God’s sanctuary where everyone is welcome.
All: All people are God’s guests here.
One: It is a blessing to join together in worship.
All: Let us praise God!

*HYMN – All Creatures of Our God and King – #33

1. All crea-tures of our God and King,
   Lift up your voice and with us sing
   Al-le-lu-ia, Al-le-lu-ia!
   Thou burn-ing sun with gold-en beam,
   Thou silv-er moon with soft-er gleam,
   O praise Him, O praise Him
   Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia!
2. Thou rush-ing wind that art so strong,
   Ye clouds that sail in heav’n a-long,
   O praise Him, Al-le-lu-ia!
   Thou ris-ing morn in praise re-joice,
   Ye lights of eve-ning, find a voice,
   O praise Him, O praise Him
   Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia!
3. Thou flow-ing wa-ter, pure and clear,
   Make mu-sic for thy Lord to hear,
   Al-le-lu-ia, Al-le-lu-ia!
   Thou fire so mas-ter-ful and bright,
   That giv-est man both warmth and light,
   O praise Him, O praise Him
   Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia!
4. And all ye men of ten-der heart,
   For-giv-ing others, take your part,
   O sing ye, Al-le-lu-ia!
   Ye who long pain and sor-row bear,
   Praise God and on Him cast your care,
   O praise Him, O praise Him
   Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia!
5. Let all things their Cre-a-tor bless,
   And wor-ship Him in hum-ble-ness,
   O praise Him, Al-le-lu-ia!
   Praise, praise the Fa-ther, praise the Son,
   And praise the Spir-it, three in one,
   O praise Him, O praise Him
   Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia!

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION – Pastor Dan
We gather to thank you, Gracious God. Hear our praises! Even in our darkest moments you surround us with a love which is stronger than all of our difficulties, doubts or fears. In worship together, we express our joys and our sorrows. Dear God, you share in all of our emotions, and we are deeply grateful for your genuine caring.
Living God, you are the One who makes us whole. Come to us now, that we may receive glimpses of your Realm Eternal, which is far larger and grander than the conventional focus of our narrow, daily concerns. In the blessed name of Jesus; we await your Word. Amen.

*PRAISE RESPONSE – Seek Ye First – #615

Seek ye first the King-doom of God,
And his right-eous-ness.
And all these things should be add-ed un-to you!
Al-le-lu, al-le-lu ia!

*HYMN – Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee – #13

1. Joy-ful, joy-ful, we a-dore Thee,
   God of glory, Lord of love;
   Hearts un-fold like flow’rs be-fore Thee,
   Open-in to the sun a-bove.
   Melt the clouds of sin and sad-ness;
   Drive the dark of doubt a-way;
   Giv-er of im-mor-tal glad-ness,
   Fill us with the light of day
2. All Thy works with joy sur-round Thee,
   Earth and heav’n re-flect Thy rays,
   Stars and an-gels sing a-round Thee,
   Cen-ter of un-bro-ken praise.
   Field and for-est, vale and mount-ain,
   Flow-dry mead-ow, flash-ing sea,
   Chant-ing bird and flow-ing fountain
   Call us to rejoice in Thee.
3. Thou art giv-ing and for-giv-ing,
   Ev-er bless-ing, ev-er blest,
   Well-spring of the joy of liv-ing,
   Oc-ean-depth of hap-py rest!
   Thou our Fa-ther, Christ our Bro-ther—
   All who live in love are Thine;
   Teach us how to love each oth-er,
   Lift us to the joy di-vine.
4. Mor-tals join the might-y cho-rus
   Which the morn-ing stars be-gan;
   Fa-ther love is reign-ing o’er us,
   Bro-ther love binds man to man.
   Ev-er sing-ing, march we on-ward,
   Vic-tors in the midst of strife;
   Joy-ful mu-sic leads us sun-ward
   In the tri-umph song of life.
   
   CHILDREN’S MESSAGE – Tara Lowry
   
   GOD’S WORD – Psalm 48 – Pastor Dan
   
   SPECIAL MUSIC – God of Wonders (Hindalong) – Sarah Wilson, Trumpet
   
   GOD’S WORD – Mark 6:1-13 – Pastor Dan
   
   SERMON – Pastor Dan PASTORAL PRAYER AND THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts… debtors) – Pastor Dan

*HYMN – Lord of the Dance – worship booklet, pp. 66-67

1. I danced in the morn-ing when the world was be-gun,
   And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
   And I came down from heav-en and I danced on the earth.
   At Beth-le-hem I had my birth.

Refrain:
Dance, then, wher-ev-er you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
And I’ll lead you all wher-ev-er you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

2. I danced for the scribe and the Phar-i-see,
   But they would not dance and they would not foll-ow me;
   I danced for the fish-er-men, for James and John;
   They came to me and the dance went on.

Refrain

3. I danced on the sab-bath when I cured the lame,
   The ho-ly peo-ple said it was a shame;
   They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high;
   And they left me there on a cross to die.

Refrain

4. I danced on a Fri-day and the sky turned black;
   It’s hard to dance with the de-vil on your back;
   They bur-ied my bo-dy and they thought I’d gone
   But I am the dance and I still go on.

Refrain

5. They cut me down and I leapt up high,
   I am the life that’ll ne-ver, ne-ver die;
   I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me;
   I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.

Refrain
`
*BENEDICTION

*POSTLUDE

CCLI License #456361

July 4 Livestream – Healing Powers

Happy Independence Day! We invite you to join us today for a patriotic hymn sing during worship. If you are joining us online, please also be sure to gather elements of communion so we can celebrate as one.

Unfortunately we ran into a technical glitch on Sunday, July 4 and were unable to capture the livestream of our worship service. Please join us next week!

July 4, 2021 – Healing Powers
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

WELCOME

PRELUDE

*CALL TO WORSHIP – Pastor Dan
One: God is gracious and merciful.
All: God is abounding in steadfast love.
One: Come to the refreshing waters God provides.
All: Come, all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens.
One: The gentle Spirit of Christ invites us.
All: We have come to find rest for our souls.

*HYMN – Patriotic Hymn Sing
(verses 1 and 4 of each hymn)
America – #602
America the Beautiful – #600
The Battle Hymn of the Republic – #604

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION – Pastor Dan
God of our ancestors, we worship you. We thank you for our precious homeland. Help us, Dear God, to continue moving toward a time when freedom truly will ring for all people. You are the One who clothes us with joy and fills us with hope. Yours is a love mightier than any danger or fear. We praise you for our nation. We praise you for this church. Fill us with life in this place so that we may learn to serve you in all places. You are God of the past and of the future. Lead us as you always have led your people, O God of Wisdom and Promise. Amen.

*PRAISE RESPONSE – Gloria Patri – #620

GOD’S WORD – Psalm 30 – Pastor Dan

SPECIAL MUSIC
Valerie Waterman, Vocalist
Julie McAllister, Piano

GOD’S WORD – Mark 5:21-43 – Pastor Dan

SERMON – Pastor Dan

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Pastor Dan
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer (debts… debtors)

*HYMN – We Come As Guests Invited – #258

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

*Congregational Choice Hymn
This Is My Song – worship booklet, p. 88

*BENEDICTION – Pastor Dan

*POSTLUDE

Isaiah 58 School Supply Drive

We want to help make sure every student in the St. Louis area has the school supplies they need to start the year in comfort and style. We’re proud to support Isaiah 58 Ministries’ Back to School Drive. This year, they’re requesting all sizes of girls’ and boys’ socks and underwear. And for good measure, we’re throwing in a challenge: Help us collect 250 rulers to donate to the drive.

Please drop off your donations at Ivy Chapel by August 15, 2021.

Questions? Want to help, but would prefer to donate money? We’ll be happy to do the shopping for you. Leave a message at the office at (314) 434-4991 or send us an email.

June 27 Livestream – Joyful Giving

We are blessed to welcome the Rev. Brenda Booth, Executive Director, Isaiah 58 Ministries.
Thank you, Brenda, for leading worship today. May Jesus Christ be praised!

We are blessed to welcome the Rev. Brenda Booth, Executive Director, Isaiah 58 Ministries. Thank you, Brenda, for leading worship today. May Jesus Christ be praised!

WELCOME – Linda Lowry

PRELUDE – Anna DiVesta

*CALL TO WORSHIP – Linda Lowry
One: Sing praises to God; O faithful ones!
All: God hears our cries, and God knows our sorrows.
One: Where there was no way,
All: God leads us on a new path.
One: Where there was no mercy,
All: God surprises us with healing.
One: Where many tears were cried,
All: God invites us to try a new dance step!

*HYMN – Help Us Accept Each Other – #127

1. Help us ac-cept each oth-er as Christ ac-cept-ed us;
   Teach us as sis-ter, broth-er each per-son to em-brace.
   Be pres-ent, Lord, a-mong us and bring us to be-lieve
   We are our-selves ac-cept-ed and meant to love and live.
2. Teach us, O Lord, Your les-sons, as in our dai-ly life
   We strug-gle to be hu-man and search for hope and faith.
   Teach us to care for peo-ple, for all, not just for some;
   To love them as we find them, or as they may be-come.
3. Let Your ac-cept-ance change us, so that we may be moved
   In liv-ing sit-u-a-tions to do the truth in love;
   To prac-tice Your ac-cept-ance un-til we know by heart
   The ta-ble of for-give-ness and laugh-ter’s heal-ing art.
4. Lord, for to-day’s en-coun-ters with all who are in need,
   Who hun-ger for ac-cept-ance, for right-eous-ness and bread
   We need new eyes for see-ing, new hands for hold-ing on;
   Re-new us with Your Spir-it; Lord, free us, make us one!

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION – Linda Lowry
God of Self-giving Love; you call on us to share one another’s burdens, by allowing others to care for us in our times of need and by offering all that you enable us to give to others in their time of need. With the fullness of joy that you provide, God; we seek to offer your people food, shelter, kindness, mercy, and blessings of every kind.
Faithful Savior; you ask us to trust that you have power to bring to life new possibilities in situations where it had seemed that there was no hope.
Christ Jesus, come to us now during this time of worship.
Teach us to embrace the Way of Life which you continue inviting us to live.
May our desires become your desires;
may our work become your work;
may our community become your faith community where you above all are loved and served. We pray in your holy name, Jesus. Amen.

*RESPONSE – Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart – worship booklet, p. 42

Give thanks with a grate-ful heart,
Give thanks to the Ho-ly One,
Give thanks be-cause He’s giv-en Je-sus Christ His Son.
Give thanks with a grate-ful heart,
Give thanks to the Ho-ly One,
Give thanks be-cause He’s giv-en Je-sus Christ His Son
And now let the weak say “I am strong,”
Let the poor say “I am rich,”
Be-cause of what the Lord has done for us
And now let the weak say “I am strong,”
Let the poor say “I am rich,”
Be-cause of what the Lord has done for us.
Give thanks,
Give thanks.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE – Tara Lowry

GOD’S WORD – Matthew 25:31-40 – Brenda Booth

SPECIAL MUSIC – There Is a Balm in Gilead (McDonald) – Anna DiVesta and Sarah Heend

GOD’S WORD – Isaiah 58:6-12 – Brenda Booth

SERMON – Brenda Booth

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Brenda Booth
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer (debts… debtors)

*HYMN – Reach Out and Touch – #505

1. Reach out and touch a soul that is hun-gry;
   Reach out and touch a spir-it in de-spair;
   Reach out and touch a life torn and dirt-y,
   A man who is lone-ly if you care!
   Reach out and touch that neigh-bor who hates you;
   Reach out and touch that stran-ger who meets you;
   Reach out and touch the broth-er who needs you;
   Reach out and let the smile of God touch thro’ you
2. Reach out and touch a friend who is wea-ry;
   Reach out and touch a seek-er un-a-ware;
   Reach out and touch, tho’ touch-ing means lo-sing
   A part of your own self if you care!
   Reach out and give your love to the love-less;
   Reach out and make a home for the home-less;
   Reach out and shed God’s light in the dark-ness;
   Reach out and let the smile of God touch thro’ you.

*BENEDICTION – Brenda Booth

*POSTLUDE – Anna DiVesta

June 20 Livestream – In the Boat Together

A Happy and Blessed Fathers Day. We hope this worship experience renews your body, mind and soul.

WELCOME

PRELUDE – Anna DiVesta

*CALL TO WORSHIP – Pastor Dan
One: Over and over, Jesus comes down to the lakeshore.
All: All he’s asking is for us to follow.
One: The fullness of God is beyond us.
All: Yet, on occasion, we are given glimpses of God.
One: Jesus looks into our eyes and calls out our names.
All: God is with all people at all times.

*HYMN – Shout to the North (Martin Smith)

1. Men of faith, rise up and sing Of the great and glorious King. You are strong when you feel weak
   In your bro-ken-ness complete.
   Shout to the north and the south; Sing to the east and the west;
   Je-sus is Sav-ior to all, Lord of Heaven and earth!
   2. Rise up, women of the truth. Stand and sing to bro-ken hearts,
      Who can know the heal-ing pow’r
      Of our awe-some King of love.
      Shout to the north and the south; Sing to the east and the west;
      Je-sus is Sav-ior to all, Lord of Heaven and earth!
      We’ve been thru fire. We’ve been thru rain.
      We’ve been re-fined by the pow’r of His name.
      We’ve fal-len deep-er in love with you. You’ve burned the truth on our lips.
2. Rise up, Church with broken wings. Fill this place with songs again Of our God who reigns on high.
   By His grace again we’ll fly!
   Shout to the north and the south; Sing to the east and the west;
   Je-sus is Sav-ior to all, Lord of Heaven and earth!

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION – Pastor Dan
We sing your praises, O God; for you are gracious to your children in the course of so many storms. When dangers threaten, you give us the strength to carry on. God of Peace, you are the One who enables us to give to the winds our fears. Because of you, we can trust and be un-afraid. You are a Compassionate God who fulfills each one of your promises.
We have come to worship you this morning, Eternal God. May we listen closely for your voice – the One True Voice, Merciful and Mighty; whom we frequently find difficult to hear. Like the wild and restless sea – may we be still; know that you are God; and obey you. Amen.

*PRAISE RESPONSE – God Will Make a Way – worship booklet, p. 44

God will make a way where there seems to be no way.
He works in ways we can not see,
He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide, hold me close-ly to His side,
With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way,
He will make a way.

GOD’S WORD – Job 38:1-7, 16-18 – Pastor Dan

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE – Sue Wilson

GOD’S WORD – Psalm 107:1, 23-30 – Pastor Dan

SPECIAL MUSIC – River in Judea –arr. Leavitt
Sarah Heend, Sue Wilson and Anna DiVesta, Vocalists
Aaron DiVesta, Saxophone

GOD’S WORD – Mark 4:35-41 – Pastor Dan

SERMON – Pastor Dan

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Pastor Dan
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer (debts… debtors)

*HYMN – Spirit – worship booklet, pp. 82-83

Chorus: Spirit, Spirit of gen-tle-ness,
Blow through with wil-der-ness, call-ing and free,
Spirit, Spirit of rest-less-ness,
Stir me from plac-id-ness, wind, wind on the sea

You moved on the wa-ters, you called to the deep,
Then you coaxed up the moun-tains from the val-leys of sleep,
And o-ver the e-ons you called to each thing,
“A-wake from your slumbers and rise on your wings.”

Chorus: Spirit, Spirit of gen-tle-ness,
Blow through with wil-der-ness, call-ing and free,
Spirit, Spirit of rest-less-ness,
Stir me from plac-id-ness, wind, wind on the sea

You swept through the des-ert, you stung with the sand
And you gift-ed your peo-ple with a law and a land,
When they were con-found-ed with i-dols and lies,
Then you spoke through your proph-ets to o-pen their eyes

Chorus: Spirit, Spirit of gen-tle-ness,
Blow through with wil-der-ness, call-ing and free,
Spirit, Spirit of rest-less-ness,
Stir me from plac-id-ness, wind, wind on the sea

You sang in a sta-ble, you cried from a hill,
Then you whis-pered in si-lence when the whole world was still
And down in the cit-y you called once a-gain
When you blew through your peo-ple on the rush of the wind.

Chorus: Spirit, Spirit of gen-tle-ness,
Blow through with wil-der-ness, call-ing and free,
Spirit, Spirit of rest-less-ness,
Stir me from plac-id-ness, wind, wind on the sea

You call from to-mor-row, you break an-cient schemes,
From the bond-age of sor-row the cap-tives dream dreams;
Our wom-en see vi-sions, our men clear their eyes.
With bold new de-ci-sions your peo-ple a-rise

Chorus: Spirit, Spirit of gen-tle-ness,
Blow through with wil-der-ness, call-ing and free,
Spirit, Spirit of rest-less-ness,
Stir me from plac-id-ness, wind, wind on the sea

*BENEDICTION – Pastor Dan

*POSTLUDE – Anna DiVesta

June 13 Virtual Worship – Flourishing

Are you flourishing? And are you helping others do the same? This week’s readings invite us to explore how Jesus describes the Kingdom of God as a seed, inviting us all to take part in helping it take root.

Here’s this week’s order for worship:

WELCOME

PRELUDE – Anna DiVesta

*CALL TO WORSHIP – Pastor Dan

We marvel at God’s miracles!

The Realm of God is like a mustard seed – at once, great and small.

Each enormous mustard shrub grows from a small mustard seed.

Faith is similar. Even a tiny amount of faith in God can do big things.

May we worship God with all the faith we have.

Then God will grow us – helping us to extend our branches,
so that the world may be shaded with God’s love.

*HYMN – For the Fruit of All Creation – #591

1. For the fruit of all creation, Thanks be to God.
   For his Gifts to every nation, Thanks be to God.
   For the plowing, sowing, reaping, Silent growth while we are sleeping,
   Future needs in earth’s safekeeping, Thanks be to God.
2. n the just reward of labor, god’s will is done.
   In the help we give our neighbor, God’s will is done.
   In our worldwide task of caring For the hungry and despairing,
   In the harvests we are sharing, God’s will is done.
3. For the harvests of the Spirit, Thanks be to God.
   For the good we all inherit, Thanks be to God.
   For the wonders that astound us, For the truths that still confound us,
   Most of all, that love has found us, Thanks be to God.

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION – Pastor Dan
Nourishing God, we do not know how faith grows any more than we know how seeds grow. We live in hopes that you, O God, will grow faith within us – first little blades of awakening, then ears of obedience, and finally the full grain of maturity into the likeness of Christ. As we prepare to worship you, till us as you would tend the soil. This is holy ground. Cultivate us in your fertile soil. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

*PRAISE RESPONSE Where the Spirit of the Lord Is – #142

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is peace;
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is love.
There is comfort in life’s darkest hour,
there is light and life, there is help and power
in the Spirit, in the Spirit of the Lord.

GOD’S WORD 2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-7 – Pastor Dan

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE – Jo Ann Moody

GOD’S WORD – Psalm 84:1-3 – Pastor Dan

SPECIAL MUSIC – Bow the Knee (Sterling) – Anna DiVesta

GOD’S WORD – Mark 4:26-34 – Pastor Dan

SERMON – Pastor Dan

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Pastor Dan
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer (debts… debtors)

*HYMN – We Are a New Creation – worship booklet, p. 91

1. We are a new creator Of Christ, the living Word.
   Our songs of jubilation Shall everywhere be heard.
   New life blooms fresh and glorious For those who heed the call
   Of Christ, ho reign victorious O’er sin and death and all.
2. We are a new creation Of God for this new day.
   As partners let us follow The life, the truth, the way.
   Christ bids us work together As colleagues, old and young,
   As women, men, and nations, God’s folk of every tongue.
3. We are a new creation For service here on earth.
   We live our faith in action nTo tell our Savior’s worth.
   Let love and justice blending Now show for all to see
   God’s grace is never ending. It reaches you and me.
4. We are a new creator By God’s own gracious hand,
   Old burdens cast behind us, A daring future planned.
   In ministry and mission, United let us live,
   In Christ a shining vision To God’s wide world to give.

*BENEDICTION – Pastor Dan

*POSTLUDE – Anna DiVesta

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