Sunday Worship Bulletin, Aug 31 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 31, 2025

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10:20 Gathering and Prelude

Wayne Shull, Music Director (vacationing)

Charlie Salt, AV (vacationing)

Tom Cuilla, Usher Coordinator

Joe McSwain, AV and Usher 

Louise Tajuddin, Usher

Maureen Carroll, Scripture Reader

Kelly Cuilla, Candle lighter

Sue Ferrozzo, 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 labors ...all the time!  All the time...God labors!

Service and Fellowship Opportunities 

Next Sunday “Made and Remade” 

Jeremiah 18:1-11, Philemon 1:1-21

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 next month: Farm and Food Prep

Opening Hymn

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

Bless, dear God, the labors of our life and faith. May all that we have and all we do bring the light of your truth and compassion to our world. Amen

Listening for God

Jeremiah 2:4-13 The Message translation

^4-6 Hear God’s Message, House of Jacob!    Yes, you—House of Israel!God’s Message: “What did your ancestors find fault with in me    that they drifted so far from me,Took up with Sir Windbag    and turned into windbags themselves?It never occurred to them to say, ‘Where’s God,    the God who got us out of Egypt,Who took care of us through thick and thin, those rough-and-tumble    wilderness years of parched deserts and death valleys,A land that no one who enters comes out of,    a cruel, inhospitable land?’

^7-8 “I brought you to a garden land    where you could eat lush fruit.But you barged in and polluted my land,    trashed and defiled my dear land.The priests never thought to ask, ‘Where’s God?’    The religion experts knew nothing of me.The rulers defied me.    The prophets preached god BaalAnd chased empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes.

^9-11 “Because of all this, I’m bringing charges against you”        —God’s Decree—    “charging you and your children and your grandchildren.Look around. Have you ever seen anything quite like this?    Sail to the western islands and look.Travel to the Kedar wilderness and look.    Look closely. Has this ever happened before,That a nation has traded in its gods    for gods that aren’t even close to gods?But my people have traded my Glory    for empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes.

^12-13 “Stand in shock, heavens, at what you see!    Throw up your hands in disbelief—this can’t be!”        God’s Decree.“My people have committed a compound sin:    they’ve walked out on me, the fountainOf fresh flowing waters, and then dug cisterns—    cisterns that leak, cisterns that are no better than sieves.

Luke 14:1, 7-14 NRSVUE translation

14 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely. 

(And) 

⁷ When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host, ⁹ and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. ¹¹ For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

¹² He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers and sisters or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.¹⁴ And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Message: Labor Day in the Land of Plenty

Ask the Pastor

Meditation in Music

Announcement Reminder

Our Light moves into the World God Loves

*Closing Hymn: “Shall We Gather At the River” 597 (NCH)

Shall we gather by the river where bright angel’s feet have trod with its crystal tide foreverflowing by the throne of God?Refrain: Yes, we’ll gather by the river the beautiful, the beautiful river, gather with the saints by the river that flows by the throne of God.

On the margins of the river, washing up its silver spray, we will walk and worship ever, all the happy golden day. (Refrain)

As we reach the shining river, lay we every burden down, grace our spirits, and provide a robе and crown. (Refrain)

Soon we’ll reach the shining river. Soon our pilgrimage will cease. Soon our happy hearts will quiver with the melody of peace. (Refrain)

Communal Blessing

Be Yourself.

Grow in Christ.

Live with Compassion