Gathering Music
“The Summons”
Words: John Bell, Music: Traditional Scottish, OneLicense #A-729109
Will you come and follow me
If I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
And never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
Will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown
In you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind
If I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind
And never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare
Should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer
In you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see
If I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free
And never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean,
And do such as this unseen,
And admit to what I mean
In you and you in me?
Will you love the ‘you’ you hide
If I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
And never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found
To reshape the world around,
Through my sight and touch and sound
In you and you in me?
Lord, your summons echoes true
When you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
And never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
Where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow
In you and you in me.
Call to Worship
Aaron Niragire
Adapted from Joanna Harader, Spacious Faith
Leader: In our wisdom and foolishness,
People: We gather for worship.
Leader: Though some of us are more prepared than others,
People: We are all here.
Leader: With bright lights and dim,
People: We wait together for the expected One.
Leader: Look! Come out! Keep awake!
All: For God is here.
Opening Song
“Christ, Whose Love through Humble Service”
Words: Albert F. Bayly, Tune: Beech Spring, (UMH 581), OneLicense #A-729109
- Christ, whose love through humble service
Bore the weight of human need
Who upon the cross forsaken
offered mercy’s perfect deed
We your servants bring the worship
Not of voice alone but heart
Consecrating to Your purpose
Ev’ry gift that You impart - Still Your children wander homeless
Still the hungry cry for bread
Still the captives long for freedom
Still in grief we mourn our dead
As O Christ in deep compassion
Healed the sick and freed the soul
use the love your Spirit kindles
still to save and make us whole - As we worship grant us vision
Till Your love’s revealing light
In its height and depth and greatness
Dawns upon our quicken sight
Making known the needs and burdens
Your compassion bids us bear
Stirring us to tireless striving
Your abundant life to share - Called by worship to your service
forth in your dear name we go
to the child the youth the aged
love in living deeds to show
hope and health good will and comfort
counsel aid and peace we give
that you servants Christ in freedom
may your mercy know and live
A Prayer Poem
Juan Martínez Benavides
Adapted from John Van de Laar, Sacredise
Leader: You call me to wait on You, God,
but I get tired of waiting.
Your answers to my prayers,
Your call for me to serve You,
the promise of Your coming kin-dom,
they all seem to take so long.
You tell me to watch for Your coming, God,
but I’m not sure how to prepare for…
a thief in the night,
an undisclosed time,
and Your disconcerting habit of secrecy and mystery.
Yet, something inside whispers
that You’re not all that hard to find;
That You’re always coming to me,
and that both the waiting and the watching,
are more about being open to You now,
than about trying not to be surprised in the future.
And so I will keep waiting,
and I’ll try to stay alert,
so that I can catch the glimpses of Your glory
that fill my day, every day.
All: Amen.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 25:1-13 (CEV)
Samuel Blay
The kingdom of heaven is like what happened one night when ten young women took their oil lamps and went to a wedding to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps, but no extra oil. 4 The ones who were wise took along extra oil for their lamps.
5 The groom was late arriving, and the young women became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 Then in the middle of the night someone shouted,
“Here’s the groom! Come to meet him!”
7 When the women got up and started getting their lamps ready, 8 the foolish ones said to the others,
“Let us have some of your oil! Our lamps are going out.”
10 While the foolish ones were on their way to get some oil, the groom arrived. The five who were ready went into the wedding, and the doors were closed. 11 Later the others returned and shouted,
“Sir, sir! Open the door for us!”
12 But the groom replied,
“I don’t even know you!”
13 So, my disciples, always be ready! You don’t know the day or the time when all this will happen.
Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.
Sermon
“The Five Ups”
Rev. Dr. Kevin Newburg
Musical Response
“Give Me Oil in My Lamp”
- Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning (burning, burning) .
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning (burning, burning),
Keep me burning till the break of day.
Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King of Kings!
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King!
- Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing (singing, singing).
Give me joy in my heart, I pray.
Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing (singing, singing),
Keep me singing till the break of day. Refrain - Give me love in my heart, keep me serving (serving, serving).
Give me love in my heart, I pray.
Give me love in my heart, keep me serving (serving, serving),
Keep me serving till the break of day. Refrain - Give me peace in my heart, keep me resting (resting, resting).
Give me peace in my heart, I pray.
Give me peace in my heart, keep me resting (resting, resting),
Keep me resting till the break of day. Refrain
Blessing
Rev. Dr. Kevin Newburg
Sending Song
“Here I Am, Lord”
Words/Music: Dan Schutte, OneLicense #A-729109
- I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry,
All who dwell in dark and sin
my hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Refrain
Here I am, Lord. Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart. - I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne My people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak My word to them.
Whom shall I send? Refrain - I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame,
I will set a feast for them,
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide
till their hearts be satisfied
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send? Refrain
