July 19 2020, The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Welcome

Call to Worship

We gather in the presence of God;
We gather in worship and praise.
We gather in joy and expectancy;
We gather in beauty and wonder.
Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening;
Speak your Word of life to us, O God.

Hymn of Praise #339 “Be Thou My Vision ”

Call to Reconciliation

Gracious Lord, you call us to lives focused on looking up to you, yet too often, we find ourselves looking down on others instead. We are meant to lift others up yet find it easier to push them down. You tell us it is not for us to judge but judgement comes so easily; hear us now as we confess where we have been too quick to try and fill your role rather than the purpose you have given us.

Prayer of Reconciliation (Unison)

God who sees and knows our inmost thoughts and our thoughtless actions, The truth of our lives is this:
we are often impetuous and do not seek your wisdom;
we are often stubborn and do not practice mercy;
we are often arrogant and do not act with love;
we are often anxious and do not trust in you.
Forgive who we have been, amend who we are, and direct who we shall be
For the sake of Christ, our Lord.
Silent Prayer ………..

Assurance of Pardon

Dear friends, remember that God is slow to be angry and quick to forgive; kind and gracious to all. Know that your sins are forgiven through the grace of Jesus Christ, and forgive those who have sinned against you as he taught us.

Prayer for Understanding ( Unison)

God of wisdom, your thoughts are not our thoughts, your ways are not our ways. As we listen to the scriptures, stir our hearts and minds with the Holy Spirit so that we understand your desire for the world and resolve to do your will in Jesus’ name.

First Scripture Lesson:Genesis 28: 10 -19a

¹⁰Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. ¹¹He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. ¹²And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. ¹³ And the LORD stood beside him and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; ¹⁴and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. ¹⁵Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” ¹⁶Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place — and I did not know it!” ¹⁷And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

¹⁸So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. ^19aHe called that place Bethel;

Creed From “A Brief Statement of Faith” (Unison)

“In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. ( 10.1) h2>Passing of the Peace

Second Scripture Lesson: Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43

²⁴He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. ²⁶So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. ²⁷And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ ²⁸He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. ³⁰Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

³⁶Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; ³⁸the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, ⁴²and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”

Sermon

Hymn #356 “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing ”

Offeratory

Prayer of Thanksgiving< and Dedication – (unison)

Gracious God, we offer you what we have, at least a part of it, thankful that your love is overflowing. Bless these gifts with your love so that their goodness will overflow to meet the needs of those who cry out to you and to us, for Christ’s sake.
Amen

Prayers for the Community (Responsive)

God, who is full of kindness and love,
hear our prayers for the world, for one another, and for ourselves:

For this congregation and for the church around the world: that we may be faithful and courageous in the face of all challenges that arise day by day;
Lord, have mercy.
Hear our prayer.

For mercy, justice, understanding, and peace in relationships between nations: that in this time of anxiety about the future there will still be generosity for all in need.
Lord, have mercy.
Hear our prayer.

For those who work in fields and forests, in mines and offices, in hospitals, schools and shops; and for thoese who cannot find work: that as the economy is reorganized, all who do work will be fairly treated and those seeking work will not lose hope.
Lord, have mercy.
Hear our prayer.

For those who travel by land, air and on water, and for those on vacation taking time to explore your creation; that as we recover from the pandemic we will remember to cherish the earth and treat it wisely.
Lord have mercy
Hear our prayer.

For those who are teachers and students, for schools, colleges and universities, who plan for a new season of learning in challenging times; that creativity and commitment will lead to discoveries about the world you love and the truth rooted in your wisdom.
Lord, have mercy.
Hear our prayer.

For those in danger and need: for the sick and the dying, the poor and the oppressed, for those standing up against injustice, and for all still at risk from COVID-19.
Lord, have mercy.
Hear our prayer.

For those who are closest to us, for friendships that have stood the test of many years, and for those who love us enough to tell us the truth about ourselves; that they may know our love and appreciation.
Lord, have mercy.
Hear our prayer.

Prayers of the People

The Lord’s Prayer

Life In the Church

*Closing Hymn #433 “There’s a Spirit in the Air ”

Benediction

The Worship is over, Let the Service begin.

ANNOUNCEMENTS :

CHURCH SCHEDULE

The church office hours this week are Mon.- Fri. 10:00– 2:00 PM. If you need pastoral care call Rev. Russ Roth at 315-576-2010 or Barbara Messier

Life in the Church.

Worship Services will continue to be both in person and via internet or phone. Seating will be indicated through signage so as to maintain Social Distancing. Family Groups (Household Groups) can of course sit all together. Offerings should be placed in the offering plate at the front near the radiator, and at the rear on the table near the exit to minimize social contact. Children must sit with their parents or relatives. Young children may be taken by their parents to Speer Parlor where the service will be live streaming on the new wall mounted TV. There is no child care or Sunday School available at this time on Sunday AM. Speer Parlor is also air conditioned. There is also no social, fellowship hour after the worship service.
It is important that the little questionnaire regarding your health status today be completed for each person.

Peace of Christ

We have added this week to the liturgy, the traditional Peace of Christ. In this time of Covid -19 pandemic we had removed it from the liturgy. It is a very important part of our traditional worship. We don’t need to touch one another physically. Generally the Peace comes following reading of scriptures as we offer our peace to each other in response to God’s word. Our peace is not the natural state of affairs; it exists only because it has been created by the word of God, and what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. When we offer peace to each other, it is an act of faith, believing that God has called and empowered us to do this. In pronouncing peace upon each other we are, in effect praying for each other. We are asking God to give peace, in all its fullness, to our brothers and sister in Christ. “Peace be with you” is a blessing that we pronounce in the name and power of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. All of the baptized are members of a “royal priesthood,” called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to offer the blessings of the risen Christ to the world. “Peace of Christ be with you.”