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!”
April 23, 2023
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10:20 Gathering and Prelude
Wayne Shull, Music Director
Charlie Salt, AV
Joe McSwain, AV and Usher
Jerry Brines, Usher
John Carroll, Scripture Reader
Sue Ferrozzo, Candle Lighter
Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor
Rev. Gen Heywood, Pastor
10:30am Worship begins:
God journeys with us ...all the time! All the time...God journeys with us!
Welcoming the Light of Christ
*Hymn: “Dream God's Dream"
Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio, used with permission
(Chorus)Dream God's dream, Holy Spirit, help us dream...Of a world where there is justice, and where everyone is free to build and grow and love and to simply have enough the world will change when we dream God's dream.
I'm dreaming of a world where the color of one's skin will mean less than what's within the person's heart a world where water's clean, and where air is safe to breathe and every child born has enough to eat. (Chorus)
I'm dreaming of the call God is offering to me how to use my energy and my best gifts to do the work of Christ -- to say, God please use my life to spread Your healing love -- and to live your Truth. (Chorus)
I'm dreaming of the way that I want my life to go. I've got hopes and I've got goals I'd like to meet. I'm reaching for the stars, but I won't forget the scars of Christ who died to show that the Dream's for all... Chorus)
Community Prayer
Prayers of Gratitude
Prayers of Concern
Silent prayer
Lord’s Prayer
Response: Sing Amen
(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: What Does the Lord Require
CCLI license #11038266
1. What does the Lord require of you? What does the Lord require of you?2. Justice, kindness, walk humbly with your God.
3. To seek justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.
Dedication Prayer
Holy One, we make these offerings with grateful hearts. Bless all we are, all we have, and all we do that your realm will be made real in our lives. Amen.
Message With Young Hearts
Think of someone you know and love very much. Now, without looking at that person, tell me how I could recognize them.
1Peter 1:17-23 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
If you invoke as Father the one who judges impartially according to each person’s work, live in fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed from the futile conduct inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your trust and hope are in God.
Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual affection, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
Luke 24:13-35. The Message version
That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.
He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?”
He said, “What has happened?”
They said, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.”
Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.
They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.
Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?”
They didn’t waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: “It’s really happened! The Master has been raised up—Simon saw him!”
Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.
Message: Jesus in Disguise
Silence
Announcements
Hymn: Something Beautiful for God
Words & Music By Bryan Sirchio, used with permission
Know this one thing above all else, we are loved, loved by God. Let this be how we see ourselves, as people loved, loved by God. And once we know the love of Christ, feel God's healing in our lives, loving service is how we give our love back to God
(Chorus)Today let us do something beautiful for God. Do something small, but do it with great love. Do what we can, where we are, with what we've got. Today let us do something beautiful for God.
Everyone who we meet today, is God's child, God's own child. May our lives help them hear God say,”You are my child,” God's own child. A smile can radiate God's love. Let them see the Christ in us. Let our lives be the cheerfulness of God in this world. (Chorus)
Jesus will visit us today, in disguise, in disguise. Poor and weak, Christ will come our way. Jesus Christ, in disguise. The lonely, poor, the victimized. Love for them is love for Christ. Love is water to quench the thirst of Christ on the cross.
Today let us do something beautiful for God. Do something small, but do it with great love. Do what we can, where we are, with what we've got. Today let us do something beautiful for God.(Repeat) Today let us do something beautiful for God. Today let us do something beautiful for God.
Benediction and Silent Meditation with Postlude