Sunday Worship Bulletin, Aug 24, 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!”

August 24, 2025

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10:20 Gathering and Prelude

Wayne Shull, Music Director

Charlie Salt, AV

Tom Cuilla, Usher Coordinator

Joe McSwain, Usher 

Jerry Brines, Usher

Naomi Hanvey, Scripture Reader

Heidi Fowler, Candle lighter

________, Fellowship Set-up

Naomi Hanvey, 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 is beautiful ...all the time!  All the time...God is beautiful!

Service and Fellowship Opportunities 

Next Sunday “Labor Day in the Land of Plenty” 

Jeremiah 2:4-13, Luke 14:1, 7-14

String-A-Lings lead the music

Bible Study starts September 8

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

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

Sing-A-Lings practice starts Wednesday, September 10

 Community giving this month: Kid’s Coats and School Supplies

Opening Hymn

Arise, Your Light Is Come 164(NCH)

Community Prayer

Hymn: “Lord be Glorified” RB 176

In my life, Lord, be glorified, be glorified.

In my life, Lord, be glorified today.

Prayers of Gratitude

In my life, Lord, be glorified, be glorified.

In my life, Lord, be glorified today.

Prayers of Concern 

In my life, Lord, be glorified, be glorified.

In my life, Lord, be glorified today.

Prayers in Silence 

In my life, Lord, be glorified, be glorified.

In my life, Lord, be glorified today.

 Lord’s Prayer

Response: “Holy, Holy, Holy” 793 (NCH)

A Time of Offering

 An Invitation to Share 

Dedication Hymn: “Give Thanks” RB 7 Give thanks with a grateful heart. Give thanks to the Holy One. Give thanks because God’s given Jesus Christ, the son. (Repeat) And now let the weak say, “I am strong!” Let the poor say, “I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us!” (repeat)

Give thanks. Give thanks.

Dedication Prayer God known to us in Jesus, we offer portions of our time, talent, and treasure to your work through us. May this little church have all that is needed to be a witness to your way of compassion for all creation. Amen

Listening for God

Isaiah 58:6-14 The Message translation

^6-9 “This is the kind of fast day I’m after:    to break the chains of injustice,    get rid of exploitation in the workplace,    free the oppressed,    cancel debts.What I’m interested in seeing you do is:    sharing your food with the hungry,    inviting the homeless poor into your homes,    putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,    being available to your own families.Do this and the lights will turn on,    and your lives will turn around at once.Your righteousness will pave your way.    The God of glory will secure your passage.Then when you pray, God will answer.    You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’

^9-12 “If you get rid of unfair practices,    quit blaming victims,    quit gossiping about other people’s sins,If you are generous with the hungry    and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,    your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.I will always show you where to go.    I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—    firm muscles, strong bones.You’ll be like a well-watered garden,    a gurgling spring that never runs dry.You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,    rebuild the foundations from out of your past.You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,    restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,    make the community livable again.

^13-14 “If you watch your step on the Sabbath    and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage,If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,    God’s holy day as a celebration,If you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’    making money, running here and there—Then you’ll be free to enjoy God!    Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all.I’ll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob.”    Yes! God says so!

Jeremiah 1:4-10 The Message translation

1 ^1-4 The Message of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah of the family of priests who lived in Anathoth in the country of Benjamin. God’s Message began to come to him during the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon reigned over Judah. It continued to come to him during the time Jehoiakim son of Josiah reigned over Judah. And it continued to come to him clear down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah over Judah, the year that Jerusalem was taken into exile. This is what God said:

⁵ “Before I shaped you in the womb,    I knew all about you.Before you saw the light of day,    I had holy plans for you:A prophet to the nations—    that’s what I had in mind for you.”

⁶ But I said, “Hold it, Master God! Look at me.    I don’t know anything. I’m only a boy!”

^7-8 God told me, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a boy.’    I’ll tell you where to go and you’ll go there.I’ll tell you what to say and you’ll say it.    Don’t be afraid of a soul.I’ll be right there, looking after you.”    God’s Decree.

^9-10 God reached out, touched my mouth, and said,    “Look! I’ve just put my words in your mouth—hand-delivered!See what I’ve done? I’ve given you a job to do    among nations and governments—a red-letter day!Your job is to pull up and tear down,    take apart and demolish,And then start over,    building and planting.”

Message: Life with Purpose

Meditation in Music

Announcement Reminder

Our Light moves into the World God Loves

*Closing Hymn: “If My People” RB 172 (Choir/response)

Choir: If my people

All: If my people

Called by my name, Called by my name

Turn from evil, Turn from evil 

And seek my face, And seek my face

(Repeat)

I will hear, I will hear

I’ll forgive, I’ll forgive

I will heal, I will heal

And heal their land, And heal their land

(Repeat)

Choir: We, your people

All: We, your people

Called by your name, Called by your name

Turn from evil, Turn from evil 

And seek your face, And seek your face

(Repeat)

Hear our cry, Hear our cry

Lord, forgive, Lord, forgive

Come and heal, Come and heal

Come heal our land, Come heal our land

(Repeat)

Benediction 

Communal Blessing

Be Yourself.

Grow in Christ.

Live with Compassion