- Feb 4
- 7 min read
Veradale United Church of Christ
An Open & Affirming Congregation
Worshiping God in Christ – Welcoming All – Working for Justice & Peace
“No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey,
you are welcome here!”
February 2, 2025 • 10:30 a.m.
------------------------Please, silence cellphones-----------------------
10:20am Gathering and Prelude
Wayne Shull, Music Director
Charlie Salt, AV
Joe McSwain, AV and Usher
Jerry Brines, Usher
Tom Cuilla, Usher Coordinator
Naomi Hanvey, Scripture reader
Charlie Salt, Candle lighter
Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor
Sue Ferrozzo, Fellowship Set-Up
________, Fellowship Server
Naomi Hanvey, Fellowship Clean-up
Rev. Genavieve Heywood, Pastor
10:30am Entrance of the Light of Christ
Land Acknowledgement
We worship on the unceded traditional territory of the Spokane, Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Coeur d’Alene, and other tribes. We acknowledge the history of indigenous genocide, removal, and erasure that continues to this day. We recognize the role that Christian communities played in these injustices, and we recommit ourselves to seeking more peaceful, just, and neighborly ways of sharing this land with all who call it home.
Community Affirmation
God is with us . . . all the time!
All the time . . . God is with us !
Service and Fellowship Opportunities
Next 3 Sunday: Black History Speakers
Bible Study, Monday at 7pm
Silent Prayer, Tuesday 9:00 to 9:30am
String-A-Lings, Wednesday, 5:30pm;
Sing-A-Lings Wednesday, 6:30pm
Community giving this month: MLK Community Center
Today Rosa Parks Birthday Party, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Opening Hymn
Forward Through The Ages 377 (NCH)
Forward through the ages, in unbroken line, move the faithful spirits, at the call divine; Gifts in different measure, hearts of one accord, manifold the service, one the sure reward.
Refrain: Forward through the ages, in unbroken line move the faithful spirits at the call divine.Wider grows God’s dominion, reign of love and light; For it we must labor, till all strivings cease. Prophets have proclaimed it, teachers testified, poets sung its glory, heroes for it died. RefrainNot alone we conquer, not alone we fall; in each loss or triumph lose or triumph all.Bound by God’s far purpose in one living whole, move we on together to the shining goal. Refrain
Community Prayer
Holy Ground (Red Book 148)
We are standing on holy ground, and I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in his presence on holy ground.
Prayers of Gratitude
Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in his presence on holy ground.
Prayers of Concern
Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in his presence on holy ground.
Prayers in Silence
Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in his presence on holy ground.
The Lord’s Prayer use the translation which is meaningful to you or
Our Father (Creator) 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.
Response: 769 (NCH)
Hear our prayer, O God, hear our prayer, O God: incline your ear to us, and grant us your peace.
A Time of Offering
An Invitation to Share
A Moment from American History
Rosa Parks
Dedication “Lord, Be Glorified” Red Book 176
In my life Lord, be glorified, be glorified. In my life Lord, be glorified today.
In your church Lord, be glorified, be glorified. In your church, be glorified today.
Dedication Prayer: Holy One, bless the gifts of our time, talent, and treasure. May we be a witness to your presence in all the places we live. Bless our little congregation. May our gathering on Zoom and in-person grow in fellowship and compassion. Amen
Listening for God
Paul is actually taking a dig at the Corinthians. He would be surprised to hear this passage at weddings — they weren’t his thing. Every time he says love is — he is saying what the Corinthians are not…
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
We pick up the reading where we left off last Sunday. You’ll remember, Jesus has just read from Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, and let the oppressed go free
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Then he sits to speak to them…
Luke 4:21-30
Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers[ in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Message: Love Walked Through Them
Meditation in Music
Sharing Holy Communion
Hand sanitizer passed around.
Pastor: Friends in Christ, we gather at our many tables mindful of the presence of God’s Spirit that is here with us. We seek to honor the request of Jesus given in the scripture. Of all the teachings Jesus gave to our ancestors, this he asked them and us to do for him to remember him.
When Jesus and his friends sat together at a Passover meal, Jesus took bread; giving God thanks and praise, he broke the bread. He gave it to his friends saying, “Take this all of you and eat of it. This is my body that is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
After the meal had ended, Jesus poured out the cup and again he gave God thanks and praise. He gave the cup to his friends and said, “Take this all of you and drink from it. This is the cup of the new covenant. Do this as often as you drink of it in remembrance of me.”
Let us pray.
All: Loving God, you are with us – all of us. You join us in the struggles and joys of this life. We thank you with humble hearts. Let your presence be felt among us. Come, Holy Spirit come. Bless this bread and this cup and all who have gathered in your Spirit. Refresh us and renew us as Christ’s body in the world today. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Silence as all who want to receive come forward. We will break bread and share a common cup or you can receive the packaged bread and drink,
Prayer of Thanksgiving
All: We thank you, God, for your presence at all our tables where we remember and experience the presence of Christ. Help us to live more fully the way of Christ. Strengthen our faith, increase our love for one another, and let us show forth your praise in our lives, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Our Light moves into the World God Loves
Hymn: Go My Children With My Blessing 82 (NCH)
Go, my children, with my blessing, never alone. Waking, sleeping, I am with you; you are my own. In my love's baptismal river, I have made you mine forever. Go, my children, with my blessing - You are my own.Go, my children, fed and nourished, closer to me; grow in love and love by serving, joyful and free. Here my Spirit's power filled you; Here the tender comfort stilled you. Go, my children, fed and nourished, joyful and free.
Benediction and Community Blessing
Be Yourself.
Grow in Christ.
Live with Compassion.
