Gathering Music

“O Come to the Altar” – Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye

Verse 1
Are you hurting and broken within
Overwhelmed by the weight of your life
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well
Jesus is calling

Chorus
O come to the altar
Creator’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious love of Jesus Christ

Verse 2
Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there’s no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling

Chorus

Bridge
Oh what a Savior
Isn’t he wonderful
Sing alleluia Christ is risen
Bow down before him
For he is Lord of all
Sing alleluia Christ is risen

Chorus (X2)

Call to Worship

Dohee Woo

(adapted from Rev. Molly Bolton, enfleshed)

Leader: How do we enter the Kin-dom of God?
For those hoarding resources—
All: the gate is like the eye of a needle to a camel.
Leader: For those exploiting bodies and lands for wealth—
All: the gate is all but closed.
Leader: How do we enter the Kin-dom of God?
Giving ourselves to the flow of reciprocity—
All: the gate is wide.
Leader: Returning what has been stolen to caregivers and tenders—
All: the gate swings open.
Leader: The Kin-dom of God is at hand
Come, let us sing of our collective liberation—
All: Imagine, God making the impossible possible through us.

Opening Song

“The GIft of Love” – Hal Hopson

1 Though I may speak with bravest fire,
and have the gift to all inspire,
and have not love, my words are vain,
as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

2 Though I may give all I possess,
and striving so my love profess,
but not be given by love within,
the profit soon turns strangely thin.

3 Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
by this we worship, and are freed.

Responsive Prayer

Nyasha Jeche

(adapted from Rev. Molly Bolton, enfleshed)

Leader: Less policing each other.
All: More shared dreams.
Leader: Less doom-scrolling.
All: More treating neighbors like family.
Leader: Less getting caught up in what we can’t do.
All: More inviting people over for soup, even when our apartment is messy.
Leader: Fewer refrains of resignation.
All: More knowing the names of the birds who lived in the neighborhood.
Leader: Creative Caregiver—when systems of harm pull us into despair and isolation, meet us with your Connecting Love in the day to day: that we may be bread and life for one another; that we may unfurl the ordinary, wonderful Kin-dom of God.
All: Amen.

Scripture Reading

Mark 10:17-31

Kenesha Blake-Newell

17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 18Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your parents.” ’ 20He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ 27Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’

28 Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ 29Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or siblings or parents or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, siblings, parents and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’

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

Sermon

“What More Must I Do?”

Dr. Meredith Hoxie Schol

Sung Response

“What Does the Lord Require of You?” – Mark A. Miller

What does the Lord require of you?
What does the Lord require of you?
What does the Lord require of you?
I want to know! I want to know!

Justice! Kindness!
Walk Humbly with your God!
Justice! Kindness!
Walk Humbly with your God!

Blessing

Dr. Meredith Hoxie Schol

Sending Song

“I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” – anonymous

1 I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus –
no turning back, no turning back.

2 The world behind me, the cross before me,
the world behind me, the cross before me,
the world behind me, the cross before me –
no turning back, no turning back.

3 Though none go with me, still I will follow,
though none go with me, still I will follow,
though none go with me, still I will follow—
no turning back, no turning back.