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!”
May 21, 2023 • 10:30 a.m.
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10:20 Gathering and Prelude
Wayne Shull, Music Director
Charlie Salt, AV
Joe McSwain, AV, Usher
Jerry Brines, Usher
Cherall Anne St. James, Candle Lighter
Jeanne Salisbury, Scripture Reader
Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor
Rev. Gen Heywood, Pastor
10:30am Worship begins
God is One. . . all the time!
All the time . . . God is One!
*Welcoming the Light of Christ
Hymn “Unite and Join Your Cheerful Songs” 617 (NCH)
Unite and join your cheerful songs, with angels ‘round the throne; ten thousand are their tongues, yet all their joys are one.
This is the way the church should strive, in harmony below; as members of one body live, one Sovereign shall you know.
Worthy the Lamb, the angels say, to be exalted thus; amen, amen the saints reply, the Lamb was slain for us.
Assist us, all above the sky, on earth, and on the seas; unite and raise God’s honors high, in hymns of endless praise.
Community Prayer
ALL: I cast all my cares upon you. I lay all my burdens down at your feet; and anytime that I don’t know what to do, I will cast my cares upon you.
Prayers of Gratitude
ALL: I cast all my cares upon you. I lay all my burdens down at your feet; and anytime that I don’t know what to do, I will cast my cares upon you.
Prayers of Concern
ALL: I cast all my cares upon you. I lay all my burdens down at your feet; and anytime that I don’t know what to do, I will cast my cares upon you.
Silent Prayer
ALL: I cast all my cares upon you. I lay all my burdens down at your feet; and anytime that I don’t know what to do, I will cast my cares upon you.
The Lord’s Prayer use the translation which is meaningful to you or
Our Father 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: “A Doxology”
CCLI license #11038266
Praise God who gives us life to live. Praise God who calls us all to give. Praise God whose image we all bear. Praise God whose love we now can share. Amen.
Dedication prayer
Beloved God, as you are One, make us one in our life of worship, prayer, and service. May our offerings of time, talent, and treasure be pleasing in your sight. Amen
Listening for God
Message to Young Hearts
Acts 1:6-14So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
John 17:1-11After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, or the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
Message: To Be One
Announcements
Our Light moves into the World God Loves
*Hymn: “Bless Be the Tie that Binds” 393 (NCH)
Bless be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. The sharing of a common life is like to that above.
Before our God we come and pour our ardent prayers. Our Fears our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares.
We share each other’s woes, each other’s burdens bear, and often for each other flows a sympathizing tear.
When we are called to part it gives us inward pain, but we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again.
Benediction and Silent Reflection with Postlude
Be yourself.
Grow in Christ.
Live with Compassion.