July 26, 2020 ~ 10:00 AM
First United Methodist Church
4300 Howard Avenue, Western Springs, IL 60558
8th Sunday After Pentecost
July 26, 2020 ~ 10:00 AM
Worship Leaders:
Matt Schaper, Technology Person
Ann Lawrence, Greeter
Sarah Mikuta Henry, Pianist
Karen D’vorak, Liturgist
Prelude/Music to Gather
Pastoral Greetings and
Opening Words
Call to Worship
We come together because we see love, hope and joy.
We come bringing heart, soul, mind and body.
We come together to share blessings and fears, despair and hope.
We come bringing faith and doubt, assurance and questions.
All: We come together before our gracious God bringing all that we have and all that we are. Let us worship God.
Opening Prayer
God be with you. And also with you.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Hymn: “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You” UMH 89
(Revised words from “The New Century Hymnal,” ©1995
Joyful, joyful, we adore you, God of glory, Lord of love; hearts unfold like flowers before you, opening to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the storms of doubt away. Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!
All your works with joy surround you, earth and heaven reflect your rays, stars and angels sing around you, center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea, chanting bird and flowing fountain, teach us what our praise should be.
You are giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed, well-spring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest! Loving Spirit, Father-Mother, all who love belong to you; teach us how to love each other, by that love our joy renew.
Mortals, join the mighty chorus which the morning stars began; Boundless love is reigning o’er us, reconciling race and clan. Ever singing, move we forward, faithful in the midst of strife; joyful music leads us onward, in the triumph song of life.
A Summer Prayer – by Joyce Rupp
May you breathe in the beauty of summer with its power of transformation. May this beauty permeate
all that feels un-beautiful in you.
May
the God of summer give us beauty.
May you seek and find spaces of repose during these summer months. May these moments refresh and restore the tired places
within you.
May the God of summer give us rest.
May you be open to times of celebration and recreation that are so much a part
of summer. May you find happiness in
these times of play and leisure.
May the God of summer give us joy.
May your eyes see the wonders of summer’s colors. May these colors delight you and entice you into
contemplation and joy.
May the God of summer give us inner
light.
May you feel energy of summer rains penetrating thirsty gardens, golf courses,
lawns and farmlands. May these rains
remind you that your inner thirst needs quenching. May your inner self be refreshed, restored, and
renewed.
May the God
of summer give us what we need for healing.
May you savor fresh produce that comes to your table and enjoy the fruits of
summer’s bounty.
May the God of summer give us a
sense of satisfaction in the
works of our hands.
May you find shelter when
the stormy skies of summer threaten your safety.
May the God of summer give us
shelter when inner storms
threaten our peace of mind
and heart.
May you enjoy the unexpected and find surprises of beauty and happiness as you
travel the roads on summer vacation.
May the God of summer lead us to amazing
discoveries as
we travel the inner roads of our soul as well.
Old Testament Lesson Genesis 29:15-28
The Word of Life for all God’s children. Thanks be to God.
Epistle Lesson Romans 8:26-39
The Word of Life for all God’s children. Thanks be to God.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
The Gospel of the Lord. Glory to you, O Christ.
~Moment of Silence~
Ministry of Giving
Pastoral Prayer The Prayer of Jesus/Lord’s Prayer
Sermon Rev. Juancho C. Campañano
“Love Always Wins/Standing on the Side of Love”
Hymn “To What Can the Kingdom of God Be Compared”
Words by Carolyn Gillette
(Tune: To God be the Glory with Refrain, UMH 98)
To what can the kingdom of God be compared? A mustard seed falls where a field’s been prepared, and there, where predictable plantings should be; There grows up a wild bush — as big as a tree! God of love, here on earth, hidden things still surprise: Loving deeds … signs of birth … faithful, Spirit-filled lives. Your reign is amazing, your ways still astound, just like that new life springing forth from the ground.
A small bit of leaven will change the whole bread: A poor woman sees that her neighbors are fed, a church reaches out to the youth in the town; A man shares his faith and God’s blessings abound. God of love, here on earth, hidden things still surprise: Loving deeds … signs of birth … faithful, Spirit-filled lives. Your reign is among us, creation is blessed, when even a few faithful lives change the rest.
While some look for treasure or one priceless pearl, God’s reign is the gift wise ones seek in this world. A girl sells possessions to help those in need; A boy chooses faithfulness rather than greed. God of love, here on earth, hidden things still surprise: Loving deeds … signs of birth … faithful, Spirit-filled lives. Your reign is a treasure that wise ones pursue; May we seek your kingdom in all that we do.
Benediction Postlude
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Everyone is invited to join our Education Class immediately following this worship service. We continue revisiting our Biblical foundations as a Reconciling congregation using the film “Fish Out of Water” and a bible study material produced by Reconciling Ministries Network.