Gathering Music

“Kum Ba Yah” – UMH 494 – Traditional Gullah Geechee

1 Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah.
Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah.
Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah.
Oh, Lord, kum ba yah!
2 Someone’s praying, Lord, kum ba yah.
Someone’s praying, Lord, kum ba yah.
Someone’s praying, Lord, kum ba yah.
Oh,, Lord, kum ba yah!
3 Someone’s crying, Lord, kum ba yah.
Someone’s crying, Lord, kum ba yah.
Someone’s crying, Lord, kum ba yah.
Oh, Lord, kum ba yah!
4 Someone needs you, Lord, kum ba yah.
Someone needs you, Lord, kum ba yah.
Someone needs you, Lord, kum ba yah.
Oh, Lord, kum ba yah!
5 Someone’s singing, Lord, kum ba yah.
Someone’s singing, Lord, kum ba yah.
Someone’s singing, Lord, kum ba yah.
Oh, Lord, kum ba yah!
6 Let us praise the Lord, kum ba yah.
Let us praise the Lord, kum ba yah.
Let us praise the Lord, kum ba yah.
Oh, Lord, kum ba yah!

Call to Worship

Sam Smith

(adapted from Gill Le Fevre)

Leader: Seeking God’s way, unsure of what lies ahead;
All: Let the wisdom of God’s word help us learn to love.
Leader: Confronted by difficulty, stretched by possibility;
All: Let the strength of God’s faith help us grow in love.
Leader: Challenged by setbacks, disconcerted or confused;
All: Let the promise of God’s grace help us persist in love.

Opening Song

“Precious Lord, Take My Hand” – UMH 474 – Words/Music: Thomas A. Dorsey

Verse 1
Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.
Verse 2
When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand lest I fall:
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.
Verse 3
When the darkness appears
And the night draws near,
And the day is past and gone,
At the river I stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand:
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

Scripture Poetry

Melissa McHenry

(adapted from Katherine Hawker, Liturgy Outside)

Don’t beg.
My mother told me.
Don’t whine.
I tell my children.
Be polite.
The key to civil society.

The foreigner approached the rabbi.
Her need was great, her daughter ill,
Her desperation complete.

She begged.
She whined.
She was impolite.

Faith emboldened by need
Shouting.
Heard.
Healing.

Uppity faith and
Fiesty women
Annoyance rewarded.
Challenge inspiring.

Scripture Reading – Matthew 15:21-28

YoungEun Kim

21 Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.’ 23But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.’ 24He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ 26He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ 27She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ 28Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.

Seminary Choir

“I Need You to Survive” – David Frazier / Arr. Rollo Dilworth

I need you
you need me
We’re all a part
of God’s body

Stand with me
agree with me
We’re all a part
of God’s body

It is God’s will
That every need be supplied
You are important to me
I need you to survive

I pray for you
You pray for me
I love you
I need you to survive

I won’t harm you
With words from my mouth
I love you
I need you to survive

It is God’s will
That every need be supplied
You are important to me
I need you to survive

Sermon

“A Daughter’s Perspective”

Dr. Kenneth Ngwa

Musical Response

“Ayúdanos, oh Dios” – Mark Miller
Ayúdanos, oh Dios,
Concédenos tu paz.
Ayúdanos, oh Dios,
Concédenos tu paz.

Ayúdanos, oh Dios,
Concédenos tu paz.
Ayúdanos, oh Dios,
Concédenos tu paz.

Oh, help us, save us,
Grant us peace, O God!
Ayúdanos, help us,
grant us peace, O God!
Ayúdanos, oh Dios,
Concédenos tu paz.

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Dr. Kenneth Ngwa
Severs: Sharon Hausman, Wee Ramirez

(adapted from The United Methodist Book of Worship)

God be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.
You formed us in your image
and breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed,
your love remained steadfast.
You delivered us from captivity,
made covenant to be our sovereign God,
and spoke to us through the prophets.
And so,
with your people on earth
and all the company of heaven
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Singing:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.
Your Spirit anointed him
to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
and to announce that the time had come
when you would save your people.
He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners.
By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection
you gave birth to your Church,
delivered us from sin and death,
and made with us a new covenant
by water and the Spirit.

On the night in which he gave himself up for us,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread,
gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over, he took the cup,
gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Drink from this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.”

And so,
in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Singing:
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ,
redeemed by his love.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
one with each other,
and one in ministry to all the world.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty God,
now and forever.

Singing:
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.

Blessing

Dr. Kenneth Ngwa

Sending Song

“May You Run and Not Be Weary” – TFWS 2281

Words & Music: Handt Hanson and Paul Murakami

May you run and not be weary,
May your heart be filled with song.
And may the love of God continue
To give you hope
And keep you strong.
And may you run and not be weary.
May your life be filled with joy!
And may the road you travel
Always lead you home.