Est. 1908 AD
the Historic Houston Heights in Houston, Texas

Sunday, August 2, 2020
The Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

Thank you for joining us for this special hour.

The Order of Worship is below.

We hope you will participate in this service by reading the scriptures,
praying earnestly, singing along with the hymns,
and listening for God's word to you today.

Today in worship we will observe the Lord's Supper.
We invite you to participate.

You will need a small cup of wine or juice
and a small piece of bread or cracker.

Christ invites all who follow Him to join at His table.

Click below for the video:
[ You may also watch this service on Facebook . ]
The Order of Worship 

Gathering for Worship


Chiming of the Hour


Welcome to Worship
Mr. Edward Crowell, Director of Music


Prelude
Mr. Walter LaForge, Organist

All Creatures of Our God and King
Tune LASST UNS ERFREUEN from Catholische Geistliche Kirchengesäng , c. 1623
This arrangement by Buryl Red (1936-2013)

Loaves and Fishes
John August Swanson, Los Angeles, California, c. 2003

From the Artist:
I wanted this image to honor native peoples in many parts of the world; those who work the land for their livelihood, and have lived for generations in small communities or villages...

The people in my painting are wearing garments with many colors and patterns, inspired by the creations of the makers of cloth, the weavers, and the dyers of Central America, Mexico, and parts of Africa and India... 

My image emphasizes and reminds us of the basic needs of all humanity. We all share the need for food and for providing for our families and communities.


The Call to Worship


Reading of the Old Testament
Psalm 145:14-19 ( NRSV )

The LORD upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is just in all His ways, and kind in all His doings.
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of all who fear Him; He also hears their cry, and saves them.

This is the Word of the Lord.
"Thanks be to God!"


Opening Hymn of Praise

Reflection and Prayer


“But where hope does not find its way to the source of new, unknown possibilities, there the trifling, ironical play with the existing possibilities ends in boredom, or in outbreaks of absurdity.” 

from  Theology of Hope (pub. 1964)
by Jürgen Moltmann (b. 1926)

Sermon, Part I
Scarcity and Abundance
Rev. Kelly K. Burkhart, Pastor


Reading of the Gospel
Matthew 14:13-21 ( NRSV )

Now when Jesus heard this, He withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed Him on foot from the towns.

When He went ashore, He saw a great crowd; and He had compassion for them and cured their sick.

When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."

They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish."

And He said, "Bring them here to me."

Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.

And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.

And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

This is the Word of the Lord.
"Thanks be to God!"


Pastoral Prayer


The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom 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 kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.


Prayer Response

Reflection and Stewardship


“Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.” 


Corrie Ten Boom (1892-1983)

Sermon, Part II
Divine Mathematics

Offertory Prayer

Almighty Sustaining God,
Your generosity floods the world with goodness
and You shower creation with abundance.
Awaken in us a hunger for that which will satisfy the soul,
so that in the miracle of being fed
we may be empowered to feed the hungry,
clothe the naked, shelter the poor,
and show Your great love to all people.
Accept the gifts we bring and multiply them
to the glory of Your kingdom.
Strengthen us in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord,
the One whom we praise and adore,
and in whose precious and most holy name we pray,
Amen.


Offertory Statement

We remember that all we have is God's.

It is as an act of worship, with joyful hearts, and out of an abundance of riches that we
return to God a portion of that with which He has blessed us.

Although we are not meeting together in the Temple, the church's operating expenses continue.

You can be part of this ongoing online ministry by giving your tax-deductible contribution.

Give cheerfully, thanking God for His blessings of life.

During the Offertory, devote yourselves to God in heart, and in mind, and in spirit.



Or mail a check to:
230 West 20th Street, Houston, TX 77008


Offertory
Ms. Eileen S. Crowell, Pianist

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Tune ST. DENIO (Welsh hymn tune) from John Roberts’ Caniadau y Cyssegr , c. 1839
This arrangement by Cindy Berry (b. 1949)

Reflection and Communion


“Christ came to transform us from never enough people - to more than enough people; that through his poverty we may become rich.”


Miroslav Volf (b. 1956)

Sermon, Part III
More Than Enough


Hymn for Communion

The Last Supper
Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret (1852-1929)


The Observance of the Lord's Supper

As our Pastor leads, eat the bread, drink from the cup,
and receive communion.

Christ invites all who follow Him to join at His table.

Dismissed in Fellowship with Christ


Benediction

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you
and make His face to shine upon you,
and grant you peace.

May the Lord give you the grace to never sell yourself short.
May the Lord give you the grace to risk something big for something good.
May the Lord give you the grace to remember
that this world is now dangerous for anything but truth,
and too small for anything but love.

Now may He take your minds and think through them,
may He take your lips and speak through them,
and may He take your hearts and set them on fire,
in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.


Doxology

Postlude
Mr. LaForge

Let Me Be Thine Forever
Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)


Important Reminders:

  • We will continue offering worship services for the foreseeable future and we will send a Worship Guide by email each Saturday evening. The videos will be available no later than 7:00 p.m. Saturday, and will remain available indefinitely on our website and on Facebook.

  • We invite you to join us online for a video of each service by visiting our website: www.baptisttemple.org. Click "Video Services" and select the video of the service. You may also watch on this email through our YouTube channel (link at the top), or on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/baptisttemplechurch)

  • All activities in our building are cancelled until further notice.

  • We will continue to update you via email, the church's Facebook page, and the church's website on our plans forward.


  • Please remember to give your tithes and offerings. If you are able to do so, please give above and beyond your regular tithe, in order that we may be better prepared to meet the challenges ahead. Give online at www.baptisttemple.org, or mail a check to 230 West 20th Street, Houston, Texas 77008.If you do not regularly attend Baptist Temple, but would like to contribute to our church's missions and ministries, we sincerely welcome your gift.

  • Stay safe, stay healthy, stay connected, and pray for each other.
Est. 1908 AD
230 West 20th Street, Houston, TX 77008 | 713.862.6655
Worship Leadership
Rev. Kelly K. Burkhart , Pastor | Mr. Edward Crowell , Director of Music
Mr. Walter LaForge , Church Organist | Ms. Eileen S. Crowell , Guest Pianist
Artwork used by special permission from Art in the Christian Tradition , a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library
Other images are Public Domain or by special permission or property of Baptist Temple
Some prayers by permission of Revised Common Lectionary Prayers , Augsburg Fortress
Hymn scores from Celebrating Grace Hymnal , Macon, Georgia, 2010 (our adopted hymnal)
Music by permission of CCLI License 3199510
Hymn Orchestrations by permission of  Celebrating Grace, Inc.
For the Video
Audio, Video, and Lighting by Lerner Productions , Houston
Today's Technical Director is Nathan Lerner