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 21, 2024
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10:20 Gathering and Prelude
Wayne Shull, Music Director
Joe McSwain, Usher
Jerry Brines, Usher
Cherall-Anne St. James , Scripture Reader
Diane Smith, Candle lighter
________, Fellowship Set-up
Naomi Hanvey, Fellowship Clean-up
Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor
Rev. Gen Heywood, Pastor
10:30am Worship begins
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 still speaking ...all the time! All the time...God is still speaking!
Service and Fellowship Opportunities
Next Sunday “Sexual Othering”
Bible Study off for the Summer
Silent Prayer, Tuesday 9:00 to 9:30am
String-A-Lings practice Wednesday, 5:30pm
Sing-A-Lings (a.k.a.Choir) practice Wednesday 6:30pm
Community giving this month: School Supplies
Welcoming the Light of Christ
* Hymn ““Be Now My Vision” 451(NCH)
Be now my vision, O God of my heart; nothing surpasses the love you impart - you my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, your presence my light.
Be now my wisdom, and be my true word; ever within me, my soul is assured; Mother and Father, you are both to me, now and forever, your child I will be.
Riches I need not, nor life’s empty praise, you, my inheritance, now and always. You and you only are first in my heart, great God, my treasure, may we never part.
Sovereign of Heaven, my victory won, may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of All.
Community Prayer
105 (Sing Book)
Ferry our prayers across the water, kindle our hopes a lighthouse flame. Amazing grace is most amazing, praying for those we cannot name.
Prayers of Gratitude
Refrain
Prayers of Concern
Refrain
Silent Prayer
Refrain
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: 812 (NCH)
Amen. Amen. Amen.
A Time of Offering
An Invitation to Share
Dedication Hymn: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
All your works shall praise Thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty. God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Dedication Prayer: Radiant God, bless us and our offerings that this little community may be found pleasing in your sight. Pour out your Spirit and strengthen us as we practice the loving and just way of Jesus. Amen
Listening for God
Leviticus 18 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: I am the Lord your God.3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. 4 My ordinances you shall observe, and my statutes you shall keep, following them: I am the Lord your God. 5 You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances; by doing so one shall live: I am the Lord.
6 “None of you shall approach anyone near of kin to uncover nakedness: I am the Lord. 7 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. 8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is the nakedness of your father. 9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born at home or born abroad. 10 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. 11 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, born in your father’s house, since she is your sister. 12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s flesh. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s flesh. 14 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother; that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. 15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law: she is your son’s wife; you shall not uncover her nakedness.16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. 17 You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, and you shall not take[a] her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are your[b] flesh; it is depravity. 18 And you shall not take[c] a woman as a rival to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.
19 “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. 20 You shall not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her. 21 You shall not give any of your offspring to sacrifice them[d] to Molech and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. 23 You shall not have sexual relations with any animal and defile yourself with it, nor shall any woman give herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; it is perversion.
24 “Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for by all these practices the nations I am casting out before you have defiled themselves.
Leviticus 20 7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my statutes and observe them: I am the Lord; I sanctify you. 9 All who curse father or mother shall be put to death; having cursed father or mother, their bloodguilt is upon them.
10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of[a] his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death. 11 The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall be put to death; their bloodguilt is upon them. 12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be put to death; they have committed perversion; their bloodguilt is upon them. 13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their bloodguilt is upon them. 14 If a man takes a wife and her mother also, it is depravity; they shall be burned to death, both he and they, that there may be no depravity among you. 15 If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he shall be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. 16 If a woman approaches any animal and has sexual relations with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall be put to death; their bloodguilt is upon them.
17 “If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace, and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people; he has uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall be subject to punishment. 18 If a man lies with a woman during her period and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her flow, and she has laid bare her flow of blood; both of them shall be cut off from their people. 19 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister or of your father’s sister, for that is to lay bare one’s own flesh; they shall be subject to punishment. 20 If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness; they shall be subject to punishment; they shall die childless. 21 If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is impurity; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.
22 “You shall keep all my statutes and all my ordinances and observe them, so that the land to which I bring you to settle in may not vomit you out.
Message: As With a Woman
Our Light moves into the World God Loves
*Hymn: “Lead us from Death to Life” 581 NCH
Refrain: Lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth,
from despair to hope, from fear to trust. Lead us from hate to love, from war to peace; Let peace fill our hearts, let peace fill our world, let peace fill our universe.
Still all the angry cries, still all the angry guns, still now your people die, Earth’s sons and daughters. Let justice roll, let mercy pour down. Come and teach us your way of compassion. (Refrain)
So many lonely hearts, so many broken lives, longing for love to break into their darkness. Come, teach us love, come, teach us peace. Come and teach us your way of compassion. (Refrain)
Let justice ever roll, let mercy fill the earth. Let us begin to grow into your people. We can be love, we can bring peace. We can still be your way of compassion. (Refrain)
Benediction
Communal Blessing
Be Yourself.
Grow in Christ.
Live with Compassion
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