Choral Introit

“Come, Dove of Heaven” words by Adam Tice, music by Mark Miller

Call to Worship

One: God calls to the lost, the least, and all who long for home; God calls when we wander from the path chosen for us and waste the gifts we have been given.

Many: God calls and welcomes us back to worship this day; let us celebrate and rejoice in God’s presence forever; let us worship God together.

Hymn of Welcome

“Great is Thy Faithfulness” UMH #140

Hebrew Scripture

Numbers 21:4-9 (NRSV)

4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” 6 Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

One: The word of God for the people of God
Many: Thanks be to God

Sung Response

“Great is Thy Faithfulness” refrain

Gospel Reading

John 3:13-17 (NRSV)

13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

One: The word of God for the people of God
Many: Thanks be to God

Homily

When Resurrection Threatens

Dean Tanya Linn Bennett

Sung Response

“The Open Table”

Communion Liturgy

Confession

One: Christ invites all of us to this table. Before we gather here, we leave our cares in confession before God and each other.

Many: Holy One, you have made us to be people of new things. People who walk confidently, in faith, into the difficult, toward the light. We tire. We forget that wherever we go, you travel with us. Remind us that your imagination is bigger than our dreams can ever be. Remind us that you pour courage and goodness into our hearts making us strong enough to live boldly into all that is and will be. God of Grace, may it be so. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Passing the Peace

The Great Thanksgiving

One: The two disciples were walking down the dusty road to a village many miles from Jerusalem. As they walked they talked about the things that had happened. A stranger met them on the road, and joined them as they walked and talked, and asked them about the things they were saying. “How could you not know?” they replied. “Our Jesus, the truth of God made human, the one we had hoped would save Israel, was crucified.”

Many: We have betrayed our God, our Maker, who always gives us everything we need. But, even so, we sing with the angels, “Glory to God.”

“Sanctus”

One: The disciples spoke to the stranger. “We heard Jesus calling. We heard the message of Truth, of justice and compassion and grace Jesus spoke to us. Jesus called us to leave behind the things we knew and to follow. We were not ready for this new thing. And so we gave Jesus away, God’s Truth with Us.” As they neared the village, the stranger walked on as though to leave them. But the disciples said to him, “Stay with us. It is almost evening and the day is now over.”

One: The stranger, the resurrected one, stood at the supper table, and lifted bread and blessed and broke it. In that moment, the disciples recognized him, their Jesus, the one who had blessed the Passover supper before he was taken away, the one who told them to remember. To remember the Truth that came to us and comes to us again. Resurrection threatens Evil. Love defies Death. We cannot understand, so we can sing out our gladness for the mystery that is God’s faith in us and our faith in God.

“Memorial Acclamation”

One: God’s spirit enters into this simple food and it is made holy. God’s spirit enters into us, simple people, and brings all our goodness to the Body of Christ. On the road, we claim the Resurrected One, and invite the threat of change into our beings. On the road, we remember God’s Truth, and we claim ourselves as God’s people. We begin here at the table of blessing and forgiveness where we are set free to go.

“Prayer of Jesus”

Blessing

Dean Tanya Linn Bennett

Sending

“Glory, Glory Hallelujah!”

Glory, glory hallelujah
Since I laid my burdens down!

Feel like shoutin’ Hallelujah
Since I laid my burdens down!

Friends don’t treat my like they used to
Since I laid my burdens down!

---

Worship Notes:

Call to Worship: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/08/call-to-worship-luke-15-1-10.html