5 September 2024 – Chapel – Drew Theo Chapel

Gathering Music

“Let Your Love Shine” – Mark Miller

Call to Worship

Carrie-Lee Farnham

Adapted from Rev. Molly Bolton, enfleshed

Leader: Welcome, beloveds. Gather with confidence, for you belong.
All: All parts of us belong.
Leader: No one can make the table of God un-set for us.
All: Nothing can make the Spirit’s arms un-opened to us.
Leader: No permutation of you is anything but blessed. Resisting every force that demeans us and others,
All: may we, as a people, feel our belovedness deep in our bones.

Opening Song

“God of Grace and God of Glory” – Harry Emerson Fosdick

1 God of grace and God of glory,
on the people pour thy power;
crown thine ancient church’s story,
bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the facing of this hour,
for the facing of this hour.
3 Cure thy children’s warring madness,
bend our pride to thy control;
shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal,
lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal.
4 Save us from weak resignation
to the evils we deplore;
let the search for thy salvation
be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
serving thee whom we adore,
serving thee whom we adore.

Opening Prayer

Albarka Wakili

From Cole Arthur Riley, Black Liturgies

Leader: God of Solidarity, thank you for being a God who enters the suffering of the world — who doesn’t run from those in pain but rushes to the site of blood and tears. Release us from those empty cravings for unity that come at no cost to the oppressor. Lead us toward spaces of costly advocacy. We confess that in speaking up on behalf of the oppressed, we too soon become enamored with the sound of our own voices. Our egos spoil even our best intentions. Show us when the voices of the vulnerable are being drowned out by the cacophony of the privileged. Make our presence and dignity known in a world that perpetually eclipse the voices of the marginalized. Guide us into a solidarity that demands something of us. Let us learn to risk ourselves on behalf of the vulnerable, believing that when one of them is harmed, we all are. And God, keep us from those who will demonize the fight in us, who would prefer us complacent and far from one another. Secure in us the courage to resist, knowing that together we will restore what the world has tried to suffocate in us.
All: Amen.

Scripture Readings

Vincent Yohanna

James 1:17-27
17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
Leader: The word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
7Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) 5So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ 6He said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,
“This people honours me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching human precepts as doctrines.”
8You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’
14 Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’ 21For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’

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

Response

Sermon

“Do Something”

Dean Tanya Linn Bennett

Choir Anthem

“Welcome Home, Song for the Prodigals” – Lindy Thompson, Mark Miller

Seminary Choir

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Written and celebrated by Dean Tanya Linn Bennett
Communion Servers: Jacqualine Chipongo, Dr. Todd

L: God be with you.
P: And also with you.
L: Open your hearts to the love of God.
P: We are open and ready for holy mystery.
L: Together, let us thank God.
P: Let us give thanks and praise to God.

God, we give you thanks for this day and for ancient days. We remember the days when Your people were exiled from their holy city and chased from their holy land. Frightened and helpless, they huddled by the rivers of Babylon in the land of the enemy, and called out to You, “How can we sing our song in this strange land?” You heard the cry of the refugees, and whispered to the Prophet Jeremiah: “Tell them to build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat well; make families and settle households. I dream with you of a future with hope.” They heard your whispers and believed that something new was possible through the power and glory of You.
Today God we give you thanks for redeeming your people by the troubled waters of Babylon. We continue to be your people who build and plant and sow–all in the hope of knowing we are yours and you are ours. And so with all of creation we praise you.
Sanctus
As you restored the homes and gardens of the people of Israel, we are hope-filled about restoration of your people in our time. May our restoration be framed by justice and goodness for all God’s people.
Today God we are grateful for the life of Jesus, who gathered disciples from the shore, calmed the waters, and drew living water from the well. He healed the sick and brought salvation and hope for all people.
Jesus sang out that all God’s people were part of our own households, worthy of our love and generosity. Jesus hummed into our ears that the rich should share with the poor, and the strong with the weak, and the well-loved with the lonely. Jesus said the ones with power would be brought down and the ones with nothing lifted high. Then someone said, “Jesus needs to stop singing.” And Jesus’ voice was silenced.
On the night he was taken away, Jesus gathered his friends and he said, “Soon, I will no longer be with you. But take courage in this holy meal, and share it whenever you gather so that you will remember the song, new and ancient, the harmony of justice and peace and hope.”
No human power can separate us from the love of God. In a miracle we cannot understand, God lifted Jesus up from the depths to dance again in the light. We cry out our praise for this ever-powerful God as we exclaim this mystery of faith.
Memorial Acclamation
Just as God poured a new song into the heart of Jesus, God pours the Holy Spirit into us and into this bread and wine, making the ordinary extraordinary, making the earthly holy.
By this same Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other and one in hope to the restoration of the world.
With Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Creator we pray.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Please pray in the language most sacred to you.

Bread for the journey, making us one.
The cup of God’s promise made live in Jesus Christ.

Sharing in the Bread and Cup

Songs During Communion
“Let Us Break Bread Together”
“La Lucha”