The Order of Worship – June 29, 2025

This is the 180th Day of 2025.
There are 185 days remaining in 2025.

Filled with the Holy Spirit,
we are a people of prayer
committed to love one another
and equipped to share Christ’s love throughout the world.

Prelude:

Welcome & Announcements:
This month’s mission focus is Sacred Space.
The first focus of this time between Pentecost and Advent is God’s Call.
Bible Study is at afaithtalk.com
No Five Loaves for the Summer

Call to Worship: I’ve Got Peace Like A River

Responsive Reading:  Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
You have redeemed your people

¹ I cry aloud to God, 
aloud to God, that he may hear me.
² In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; 
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; 
my soul refuses to be comforted.
¹¹ I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; 
I will remember your wonders of old.
¹² I will meditate on all your work, 
and muse on your mighty deeds.
¹³ Your way, O God, is holy. 
What god is so great as our God?
¹⁴ You are the God who works wonders; 
you have displayed your might among the peoples.
¹⁵ With your strong arm you redeemed your people, 
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
¹⁶ When the waters saw you, O God, 
when the waters saw you, they were afraid; 
the very deep trembled.
¹⁷ The clouds poured out water; 
the skies thundered; 
your arrows flashed on every side.
¹⁸ The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; 
your lightnings lit up the world; 
the earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹ Your way was through the sea, 
your path, through the mighty waters; 
yet your footprints were unseen.
²⁰ You led your people like a flock 
by the hand of Moses and Aaron. 
Praise the LORD!

Opening Hymn: O God Our Help in Ages Past…117 (C)
Verse 1

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home!

Verse 2

Under the shadow of thy throne,
still may we dwell secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.

Verse 3

Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting, thou art God,
to endless years the same.

Verse 4

A thousand ages, in thy sight,
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night,
before the rising sun.

Verse 5

Time, like an ever rolling stream,
bears all who breathe away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream dies
at the opening day.

Verse 6

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come;
be thou our guide while life shall last,
and our eternal home.

Affirmation of Faith:
The Apostle’s Creed..No. 881

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified,
dead,
and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge
the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Gloria Patri…Page 70

Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Amen.

Praise Song: Wade in the Water (Em)
Chorus

Wade in the water,
wade in the water, children,
wade in the water,
God’s going to trouble the water.

Verse 1

Jordan’s water is chilly & cold.
Wade in the water
It chills the body, but not the soul.
God’s going to trouble the water.

Chorus

Wade in the water,
wade in the water, children,
wade in the water,
God’s going to trouble the water.

Verse 2

If you get there before I do.
Wade in the water
Tell all my friends I’m coming too.
God’s going to trouble the water

Chorus

Wade in the water,
wade in the water, children,
wade in the water,
God’s gonna trouble the water. 

Verse 3

If you don’t believe I’ve been redeemed:
Wade in the water
Just follow me down to Jordan’s stream.
God’s gonna trouble the water.

Chorus

Wade in the water,
wade in the water, children,
wade in the water,
God’s going to trouble the water.

Verse 4

God parted the waters just for me.
Wade in the water.
Cross that River and I’ll be free. 
God’s going to trouble the water

Chorus

Wade in the water,
wade in the water, children,
wade in the water,
God’s going to trouble the water.
God’s going to trouble the water
God’s going to trouble the water

Pastoral Prayer
Contact us here to add your concern to our prayer list.

The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.

Anthem: Freely Freely…#389

Offertory

Doxology:

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

Children’s Moment
Children’s Song (God is So Good)
Verse 1:

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
he’s so good to me.

Verse 2

He loves me so,
He loves me so,
He loves me so,
he’s so good to me.

Verse 3

He answers prayer,
He answers prayer,
He answers prayer,
he’s so good to me.

Verse 1:

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
he’s so good to me.

Prayer for Illumination
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
Elijah ascends into heaven

¹ Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. ² Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. ⁶ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

⁷ Fifty men of the company of prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.

⁸ Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and the two of them crossed on dry ground.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”

¹⁰ He responded, “You have asked a hard thing, yet if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.”

¹¹ As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. ¹² Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. ¹³ He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

¹⁴ He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, He said, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah? Where is he?” He struck the water again, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha crossed over.

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

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:51-62
Jesus says, Follow me

⁵¹ When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; ⁵³ but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.

⁵⁴ When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” ⁵⁵ But he turned and rebuked them.

⁵⁶ Then they went on to another village. ⁵⁷ As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” ⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ⁵⁹ To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

⁶¹ Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” ⁶² Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” 

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

Sermon Text:  Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Love is the whole of the law

¹ For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.

¹⁴ For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

¹⁵ If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. ¹⁶ Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.

¹⁷ For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²² By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

Leader: This is the Word of God for the people of God
All: Thanks be to God

Sermon:  “The Whole Law: Love Your Neighbor”

Closing Hymn: Here I Am, Lord… No. 593 (G)

Verse 1

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?
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.

Verse 3

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?
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.

Filled Up and Poured Out

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