Sunday Worship Bulletin, July 6, 2025

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!”

July 6, 2025

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

10:20 Gathering and Prelude

Wayne Shull, Music Director

Charlie Salt, AV

Joe McSwain, Usher

Jerry Brines, Usher

Marvin Wilson, Scripture Reader

Stephanie Wallis, Candle lighter

_________, Fellowship Set-up

_________,Fellowship Clean-up

Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor

Rev. Gen Heywood, Pastor

10:30am Welcoming 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 hopes in us ...all the time!  All the time...God hopes in us!

Service and Fellowship Opportunities 

Next Sunday “The Samaritan”

Bible Study Monday 7pm

Silent Prayer, Tuesday 9:00 to 9:30am

String-A-Lings practice Wednesday, 5:30pm 

 Community giving this month: School Supplies

Welcoming the Light of Christ

Hymn: This is my Song 591 (NCH)

This is my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for lands afar and mine; this is my home, the country where my heart is; here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine: but other hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean, and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine; but other lands have sunlight too, and clover, and skies are everywhere as blue as mine: O hear my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine.

Hymn: “Glory to the Lamb” RB 143

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb. 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb.

Prayers of Gratitude

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb. 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb.

Prayers of Concern 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb. 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb.

Prayers in Silence 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb. 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb.

 Lord’s Prayer

Response: “His Name is Wonderful” RB 108

His name is wonderful. His name is wonderful. His name is wonderful. His name is wonderful, Jesus my Lord. He is Mighty King, Master of Everything. His name is wonderful, Jesus my Lord. He’s the Great Shepherd, The Rock of all ages, The Almighty God is he. Bow down before him. Love and adore him. His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord.

A Time of Offering

 An Invitation to Share 

Dedication Hymn 780 (NCH) Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Praise God all creatures here below. Praise God for all that love has done; Creator, Christ, and Spirit, One.  Amen

Dedication Prayer

  Holy One, your hope in us never wavers. Fill our offerings of time, talent, and treasure with your blessing so that this little church may shine the light of hope and healing.Amen

Listening for God

2 Kings 5:1-14 The Message

1-3 Naaman was general of the army under the king of Aram. He was important to his master, who held him in the highest esteem because it was by him that God had given victory to Aram: a truly great man, but afflicted with a grievous skin disease. It so happened that Aram, on one of its raiding expeditions against Israel, captured a young girl who became a maid to Naaman’s wife. One day she said to her mistress, “Oh, if only my master could meet the prophet of Samaria, he would be healed of his skin disease.”

4 Naaman went straight to his master and reported what the girl from Israel had said.

5 “Well then, go,” said the king of Aram. “And I’ll send a letter of introduction to the king of Israel.”

So he went off, taking with him about 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothes.

6 Naaman delivered the letter to the king of Israel. The letter read, “When you get this letter, you’ll know that I’ve personally sent my servant Naaman to you; heal him of his skin disease.”

7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he was terribly upset, ripping his robe to pieces. He said, “Am I a god with the power to bring death or life that I get orders to heal this man from his disease? What’s going on here? That king’s trying to pick a fight, that’s what!”

8 Elisha the man of God heard what had happened, that the king of Israel was so distressed that he’d ripped his robe to shreds. He sent word to the king, “Why are you so upset, ripping your robe like this? Send him to me so he’ll learn that there’s a prophet in Israel.”

9 So Naaman with his horses and chariots arrived in style and stopped at Elisha’s door.

10 Elisha sent out a servant to meet him with this message: “Go to the River Jordan and immerse yourself seven times. Your skin will be healed and you’ll be as good as new.”

11-12 Naaman lost his temper. He spun around saying, “I thought he’d personally come out and meet me, call on the name of God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and get rid of the disease. The Damascus rivers, Abana and Pharpar, are cleaner by far than any of the rivers in Israel. Why not bathe in them? I’d at least get clean.” He stomped off, mad as a hornet.

13 But his servants caught up with him and said, “Father, if the prophet had asked you to do something hard and heroic, wouldn’t you have done it? So why not this simple ‘wash and be clean’?”

14 So he did it. He went down and immersed himself in the Jordan seven times, following the orders of the Holy Man. His skin was healed; it was like the skin of a little baby. He was as good as new.

Message: Naaman, the Healed Foreigner

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 in questioning and learning.  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.

Meditation in Music

Announcement Reminder

Our Light moves into the World God Loves

*Closing Hymn: “America the Beautiful” Melody 594(NCH)

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain for purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain! America! America! God’s gracious gifts abound and more and more we’re grateful for life’s bounty all around

Indigenous and immigrant,  our daughters & our sons, O may we  never rest content till all our truly one America! America! God grant that we may be a sisterhood and brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

How beautiful sincere lament, the wisdom   born of tears, the courage called for to repent the bloodshed through the years America! America! God grant that we may be a nation blessed with none oppressed true land of liberty

How beautiful, two continents, and islands in the sea that dream of peace, non-violent, all people living free. Americas! Americas! God grant that we may be a hemisphere where people here all live in harmony.

Benediction 

Communal Blessing

Be Yourself.

Grow in Christ.

Live with Compassion

Sunday Worship Bulletin June 29, 2025

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!”

June 29, 2025

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

10:20 Gathering and Prelude

Wayne Shull, Music Director

Charlie Salt, AV

Joe McSwain, AV and Usher

Jerry Brines, Usher

Tom Cuilla, Usher Coordinator and Scripture Reader

Diane Smith, Candle lighter

Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor

Sue Ferrozzo, Fellowship Set-Up

Naomi Hanvey, Fellowship Clean-up

Rev. Genavieve Heywood, Pastor 

10:30am Welcoming 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 good ...all the time!  All the time...God is good!

Service and Fellowship Opportunities  

Next Sunday, Naaman, the Healed Foreigner

Bible Study Monday 7pm

Silent Prayer, Tuesday 9:00 to 9:30am

Wednesday String-A-Lings 5:30pm  

*Hymn “Life Every Voice and Sing” 593 (NCH)

Lift ev’ry voice and sing, ‘til earth and heaven ring, ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise high as the list’ning skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the harsh past has taught us. Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on ’til victory is won.

Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod, felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet come to the place for which our people sighed? We have come over a way that with tears has been watered. We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered. Out from the gloomy past, ‘til now we stand at last where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, God who has brought us thus far on the way; God who has by your might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met you. Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget you; Shadowed beneath your hand, May we forever stand, True to our God, true to our native land.

Community Prayer 

Hymn: “Glory to the Lamb” RB 143

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb. Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb.

Prayers of Gratitude

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb. Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb.

Prayers of Concern 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb. Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb.

Prayers in Silence 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb. Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb.

 Lord’s Prayer

Response: “His Name is Wonderful” RB 108

His name is wonderful. His name is wonderful. His name is wonderful. His name is wonderful, Jesus my Lord. He is Mighty King, Master of Everything. His name is wonderful, Jesus my Lord. He’s the Great Shepherd, The Rock of all ages, The Almighty God is he. Bow down before him. Love and adore him. His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord.

A Time of Offering 

 An Invitation to Share

Dedication Hymn: Doxology  780 (NCH) Newer words

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise God, all creatures here below. Praise God for all that love has done; Creator, Christ, and Spirit, One.  Amen

Dedication Prayer: 

Holy One, you show us how the way of life is through compassion, justice, and a heart open to your presence in our midst. We thank you with humble hearts. Bless these offerings of time, talent, and treasure. May the day soon come when compassion is the practice of all on Earth.  Amen. 

Listening for God

Galatians 5:1, 13-25  For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 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 enslaved 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: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, 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 have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 

Luke 9:51-62 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 prepare for his arrival, 53 but they did not receive him because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw this, 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 And 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 And Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Message:  Jesus said, “Follow Me”

Meditation in Music 

Announcement Reminders 

Our Light Goes Into the World 

Hymn: “Spirit Song” RB 287

Oh, let the son of God enfold you with his Spirit and his love. Let him fill your heart and satisfy your soul, Oh, let him have those things that hold you and his Spirit, like a dove, will descend upon your life and make you whole.

Chorus: Jesus, oh, Jesus, come and fill your lambs. Jesus, oh, Jesus, come and fill your lambs.

Oh, come and sing this song of gladness as your hearts are filled with joy. Lift your hands in sweet surrender to his name. Oh, give him all your tears and sadness. Give him all your years of pain and you’ll enter into life in Jesus name.

Benediction 

Communal Blessing 

Be Yourself. Grow in Christ. Live with Compassion

Sunday Worship Bulletin, June 22, 2025

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!”

June 22, 2025

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

10:20 Gathering and Prelude

Wayne Shull, Music Director

Charlie Salt, AV

Joe McSwain, AV and Usher

Jerry Brines, Usher

Tom Cuilla, Usher Coordinator 

Heidi Fowler, Scripture reader 

Diane Smith, Candle lighter

Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor

Gregg Glisson, Fellowship Set-Up

________, Fellowship Clean-up

Rev. Genavieve Heywood, Pastor 

10:30am Welcoming 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 Sunday, Jesus says, Follow Me

Bible Study Monday 7pm

Silent Prayer, Tuesday 9:00 to 9:30am

Wednesday String-A-Lings 5:30pm 

 Community giving: Birthday Kits

*Hymn: “Jesus, Lover of My Soul ”  546 (NCH)

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to your bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high; hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last!

Other refuge have I none; in your hands, my destiny; leave, O, leave me not alone, still support and comfort me. All my trust on you is stayed, all my help from you I bring; cover my defenseless head with the shadow of your wing.

Plenteous grace with you is found, grace to cover all my sin; let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within. Fount of life, your love impart; fill my cup abundantly, spring up now within my heart, rise to all eternity.

Community Prayer 

Hymn: “Spirit, I Adore You” RB 151

Spirit, I adore you. Lay my life before you. How I love you.

Prayers of Gratitude 

Refrain: How I love you.

Prayers of Concern 

Refrain: How I love you.

Prayers in Silence 

Refrain: How I love you.

 Lord’s Prayer

Response: Sing Amen760 (NCH)

(Sing Amen) Amen, we praise your name, O, God

(Sing Amen) Amen, we praise your name, O, God

(Sing Amen) Amen, amen, amen, amen, 

amen, we praise your name, O, God

A Time of Offering 

 An Invitation to Share

Dedication Hymn: “There Is a Balm in Gilead” 553 (NCH)

There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul. 

If you cannot preach like Peter, if you cannot pray like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus, who died to save us all.

There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul.

Dedication Prayer: 

Healing and loving God, bless these gifts of time, talent, and treasure. May they be multiplied to strength the work of your Spirit through us.  Amen

Listening for God

Galatians 3:23-29 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be reckoned as righteous by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

Luke 8:26-39 Then they arrived at the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on shore, a man from the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had not worn any clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, shouting, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me,” 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding, and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd stampeded down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they became frightened. 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37 Then the whole throng of people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Message:  No Longer Separated

Meditation in Music 

Announcement Reminders 

Our Light Goes Into the World 

Hymn: “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior” 551 (NCH)

Pass me not, O gentle Savior, hear my humble cry; While on others you are calling, do not pass me by.

Refrain: Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry, while on others you are calling, do not pass me by.

Let me at your throne of mercy find a sweet relief;Kneeling there in deep contrition, help my unbelief. Refrain

Trusting only in your merit, would I seek your face; Heal my wounded, broken spirit, save me by your grace. Refrain

Be the Spring of all my comfort, more than life to me,Not just here on Earth beside me, but eternally. Refrain

Benediction 

Communal Blessing 

Be Yourself.

Grow in Christ.

Live with Compassion