Speaking Truth

August 8, 2021
Pastor Stacy Dickson
Worship

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Service of Worship

Morning Reverie
Steven Scott

Opening Prayer
Holy God, Creator of Life, you call us out of our dark places, offering us the grace of new life. When we see nothing but hopelessness, you surprise us with the breath of your spirit. Call us out of our complacency and routines, set us free from our self-imposed bonds, and fill us with your spirit of life, compassion, and peace, In the name of Jesus, your anointed one, we pray. Amen.

Opening Hymn — #2271 Come! Come! Everybody Worship (v. 1-3)

Refrain
Come come everybody worship
With a prayer or song of praise
Come come everybody worship
Worship God always

1. Worship and remember
To keep the Sabbath day
Take a rest and think of God
Put your work away

Refrain

2. Worship and remember
The Lord’s unending care
Reaching out to love and help
People everywhere

Refrain

3. Worship and remember
Your blessings great and small
Give to God an offering
Show your thanks for all

Refrain

Come Come Everybody Worship
Natalie Sleeth
© 1991 Cokesbury
Used by Permission. CCLI License # 656051

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:25–5:2 (NRSV)

25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Children’s Time with Pastor Stacy

Joys and Concerns, Pastoral Prayer

Pastoral Prayer
O Eternal One, whose message to us has always been that our relationship to you is inextricably related to how we treat our sisters and brothers, bend low your spirit this day and touch us with your power.

Wean us from our tendency to nurture perceived slights and to put hot coals to our anger.
Wean us from all tendencies to take advantage of others for personal gain.
Wean us from negativity and from becoming bitter whether or not we think we are justified in our feelings.
Wean us from the all too human and common tendency to gossip about others and to slander them in any way.
Wean us from carrying malice in our hearts and from giving in to anything that would poison relationships with others.

Make us over again, O gracious God.

Give us a consistent kindness and compassion for others. Keep us always tender hearted even when the world delivers difficult blows and setbacks to us. Teach us once again about your redeeming grace in order that we may learn, however slowly and however tentatively, how to forgive others. Teach us how to live abundantly into the future as victorious and expectant people, greeting each new day with eagerness and excitement. And indelibly remind us that we are among your forgiven and beloved community.

We present to you all who have special need of your grace today. Keep them in your gracious care and insofar as we are able use us to make their burdens lighter. Be with those who war and who are victims of war and grant to us a peaceful world. Amen.

Offering Our Gifts to the Lord
For those who are called and able, gifts and tithes can still be made through online giving, by mailing them in, and by dropping them off to the office through the secure mail slot to the left of the double door entry to the church hallway.

Offertory — Hani

My Tribute
Arr. Fred Bock

Doxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (Old 100th)
Louis Bourgeois | Thomas Ken
Public Domain

Offertory Prayer

As we offer our gifts and lives in this moment, may we become imitators of you, Gracious God, who holds nothing back from us, but is generous and gracious with all that is yours. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Sermon – Paster Stacy
Speaking Truth

Closing Song — #451 Be Thou My Vision

1. Be Thou my vision O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me save that Thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light

2. Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord
Thou and Thou only first in my heart
Great God of heaven my treasure Thou art

3. Great God of heaven my victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys
O bright heaven’s Sun
Heart of my own heart whatever befall
Still be vision O Ruler of all

Be Thou My Vision (Slane)
Carlton Raymond Young | Eleanor Henrietta Hull | Mary Elizabeth Byrne
© Words: 1964, 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House
© Music: 1964 Abingdon Press
Used by Permission. CCLI License # 656051

Benediction

Go out and imitate God, living in love.
Put your hope in God’s Word
and let your own words be truthful and constructive.
May sin rouse your anger,
…but never let anger cause you to sin.
Don’t allow any room for evil.

And may God always hear your voice.
May Christ Jesus raise you to new life;
and may the Holy Spirit nourish you for the life of love.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
…In the name of Christ. Amen.

Postlude – Hani

Come, Christian, Join to Sing
Arr. Pierce Dickens