Gathering Music

“Kanisa Litajengua”
(“Who Will Build the Church”)

Call to Worship

YeongRok Choi

(adapted from Discipleship Ministries)

Leader: Jesus comes, proclaiming good news.
All: The kin-dom of God has come near! Repent, and believe in the good news!
Leader: Jesus comes, inviting us to follow,
All: “Follow me and we will fish for people.”
Leader: Let us receive and respond to the good news.
All: The kin-dom of God is drawing near, and we have work to do!

Opening Song

“Gather Us In” – Marty Haugen

Jonah 3:1-10

Cody Beckett

3The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2“Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

5And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. 6When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. 9Who knows? God may relent and change God’s mind; God may turn from fierce anger, so that we do not perish.” 10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed God’s mind about the calamity that God had said God would bring upon them; and God did not do it.

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

Mark 1:14-20

Vincent Yohanna

14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” 16As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

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

Anthem

“Fishing” – Laurie Zelman & Mark Miller

Seminary Choir

Sermon

“Fishing Stories”

Dean Tanya Linn Bennett

Musical Response

“A Good Work” – Mark A. Miller

Seminary Choir

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Dean Tanya Linn Bennett
Communion Servers: Nyasha Jeche, Conway Gittens

(adapted from Thom M. Shuman, Lectionary Liturgies)

Leader: May the God of all be with you.
All: And also with you.
Leader: Open your hearts to God, dear friends.
All: We pour them out to the One who redeems us.
Leader: Sing songs of gladness to our God.
All: We join in the chorus of creation.

Leader: Into the swirling mist
of chaos and destruction,
you tossed the seeds of creation,
Persistent God of:
whales that power through the seas,
puffins that gather on rocky islands,
gasses which coalesce into stars –
All your wonders were gifts for your children,
but we chose to travel in the opposite direction.
You longed to rescue us from death’s belly,
sending even the most reluctant prophets
to proclaim the nearness of your compassion,
but we refused to change our minds.
Persistent God,
you sent Jesus to proclaim your good news.

With the intimates who prove to be unfaithful,
with the interlopers who trust and believe,
we sing songs of joy to you:

All: Holy, holy, holy are you, God of steadfast love.
All creation waits in trust for you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who brings God’s kin-dom near.
Hosanna in the highest!

Leader: Leaving that safe place which
is your holiness, Gracious God,
Jesus came at the time appointed by you.
He set aside all he possessed,
so we might have the riches
of your merciful heart.
He refused to let our fears
prevail against his life of grace,
continuing to draw us
near to your kin-dom.
He went a little farther
than we dared imagine,
walking for three days
in death’s cool shadows,
before coming forth into
the bright joy of the resurrection.

As we seek to follow Jesus,
we proclaim that mystery of our faith:

All: Christ died, claiming the promises of hope;
You raised Christ, claiming him from death;
Christ will return, claiming us for you.

Leader: Now is our time fulfilled, God of Blessings,
as we gather at this Table,
the bread and the cup made sacred
by the presence of your Spirit.
We eat of the bread,
praying that its grace might strengthen us
so we would become as persistent as you
in confronting injustices,
challenging oppressive actions,
reaching out to lift the fallen.
We drink from the cup,
trusting that its hope will spill
out from us upon the lonely and the lost.

Then, when the appointed time comes
and you gather us with all our siblings
around the Supper in glory,
we will sing our praises to you forever,
God in Community, Holy in One.

All: Amen.

Songs for Communion

“Bless the Lord, My Soul” – Jacques Berthier
“There’s a Spirit of Love In this Place” – Mark A. Miller

Blessing

Dean Tanya Linn Bennett

Sending Song

“All My Days” – Words: Laurie Zelman, Music: Mark A. Miller

You know my words, before they’re said.
You know my need and I am fed.
You give me life. You know my ways,
my strength, my path, for all my days,
my strength, my path, for all my days.
If I should fly beyond the dawn,
the [nighttime] will not overcome.
If I lie down in deepest night,
still you are there, my Lord, my light,
still you are there, my Lord, my light.
Our every thought, each word we say,
the whole of time, the present day,
are held within your mighty hand,
too wonderful to comprehend,
too wonderful to comprehend.
O mend my heart and free my voice.
From sin released, I will rejoice.
O search me, Lord, my spirit cries,
and let my song of praise arise,
and let my song of praise arise!