Hybrid Worship

September 18, 2022

Welcome to Worship! Know this, friends: No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here. 

Spiritual Formation 9:00 am

Learning and Growing Is For Everyone

at Shadow Rock

9 o'clock Spiritual Formation is happening! Adults are diving into diverse approaches to spirituality. Children are feeling empowered by empathy with a unit called "What's Your Superpower?"

For more information on spiritual formation for children and adults or for assistance participating via Zoom, please email Karen. 

**Please join with the button above.**

GATHERING

Welcome and Announcements

Joining Our Voices ~ "Come to the Water"

All who are thirsty for justice, 

all who are thirsty for peace. 

All who are thirsty for peace, for justice, come, 

come to the water of life. 

All who are thirsty for mercy,  

all who are thirsty for love. 

All who are thirsty for love, for mercy, come, 

come to the water of life. 

All who are thirsty for healing,  

all who are thirsty for touch. 

All who are thirsty for touch, for healing, come, 

come to the water of life. 

Call to Worship and Opening Prayer

One: Divine Parent, you feel what we feel.

Many: Our joys and our pains are yours too.

One: Divine Healer, you delight in our wholeness.

Many: You are the balm for our heavy-laden hearts and souls.

One: Giver of life, you are able to renew us.

Many: We open ourselves to you, have your way within us.

One: Divine Nurturer, we are grateful for this openness. You have made it possible for us to come, as we are however, we are. We rejoice in your steadfast grace. Help us to nurture our relationship with you, ourselves, and each other so that we may be a balm. Music too is a balm we can share. Let us sing!

Singing Our Faith ~ "Gather Us In"

Here in this place a new light is streaming,

Now is the darkness vanished away,

See in this space our fears and our dreamings

Brought here to you in the light of this day.

Gather us in, the lost and forsaken,

Gather us in, the blind and the lame.

Call to us now, and we shall awaken;

We shall arise at the sound of our name.

We are the young, our lives are a myst’ry,

We are the old who yearn for your face.

We have been sung throughout all of hist’ry,

Called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in, the rich and the haughty.

Gather us in, the proud and the strong.

Give us a heart so meek and so lowly;

Give us the courage to enter the song.

SHARING

Celebrations

At this time, we share moments from our lives: birthdays, anniversaries, works of peace and justice. We celebrate even sorrows and grief as part of a comprehensive view of life.

Celebration Song 

We are one, we are all.

We are big and we are small.

We are one, we are all, 

We are short and we are tall.

We share joy, we share sadness

We share voices all in glee.

Come sing a celebration song with me.

Sing a celebration song; sing a celebration song.

No matter who you are, come sing along.

Sing a celebration song; sing a celebration song.

Sing a celebration song with me.

Invitation to Give

God’s love is steadfast and abundant. We are blessed to give from hearts of love that others might experience abundance. May the gifts we bring be used to supply whatever is needed, wherever it is needed. May these resources be used to facilitate the wholeness of all. Amen.

Offering and Offertory

LEARNING

Word About Life - 

James 3  

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more salt water can yield fresh.

SCATTERING

Words for Mission

One: As we depart this sacred space, we take with us the comfort we’ve received. 

All: We prepare to share that comfort with a hurting world, as witnesses to the wholeness of God’s steadfast love.

One: These are the times!

All: We are the people.

One: All of Creation is blessed.

All: May we love all and serve all.

One: May God be with you.

All: And also with you.

One: Amen.

All: Amen.

Sending Forth Song ~

"God of Love and Joy and Laughter"

God of love and joy and laughter,

calling us to fruitful days,

May we be the echoes after

church and people sing your praise.

Your love calls our love to being,

grows, surrounds, up builds, and holds,

Clears our eyes for keenly seeing

all the world your love enfolds.

Now we ask your benediction

blessing, challenge, all in one.

Calm our stress, but use its friction

that, through us, your will be done.

Keep our hope as fresh as morning. 

Keep our zeal warm as the sun.

Keep our joy, as spring aborning

cheers the hearts of everyone.