Worship Service – June 21, 2020

The Building is Closed and the Church is Open

While we have restricted access to the building, Peace Church is very much open to ministry—working to respond to our own congregation, as well as the needs of our neighbors and community.  Please consider giving either to Peace Church general fund or the Gabriel Fund – which is used to meet the needs in the community.

We recognize that in this time, people’s financial situations may have changed. We ask you to prayerfully consider what you can give.  If you use electronic giving, we thank you for your constancy of support.  If you would like to give through our online form, we would be grateful. For all the contributions from our members and friends—whether financial, time, or prayer—we ask God’s blessings on those gifts that Peace Church may be healing balm in this time when we are living in our own Gilead.

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June 21, 2020  ⁂  10:30 am

Liturgists
The People of Peace Church
Gudrun Witrak, Lay Reader
Jim Pospisil, Music Director
Doug Bowen-Bailey, ASL Interpreter
Nathan Holst, Faith Formation Minister
Rev. Kathryn Nelson

Prelude     “This is My Father’s World”   (#16 P&W Songbook) sung by Mark Hakes, Maddie Carpenter, Frost Bowen-Bailey

Announcements and the Ringing of the Peace Bells

God is Revealed as We Gather

Responsive Call to Worship

There is no hope like you, O God!
Hope for those who cry out from the deserts of their lives.
There is no grace like you, O God!
Grace for those rejected, ignored, and cast aside by the world.
There is no love like you, O God!
Love for those who have known days of trouble and nights of loneliness.
There is no one like you, O God!
You are our hope, our grace, our source of love.  Thanks be to God!

Opening Hymn    “Come, O Fount of Every Blessing”    (#459)

Unison Prayer of Confession written by Thom Schuman

It is never easy to confess our sins to you, Listener to our words. When we have a chance to speak up for the outsiders, we too often join in sending them away into the wilderness of hopelessness. When we could shout good news to a needy world, our voices drop to a whisper. When we could abound in grace, we continue to wallow in wrongdoing.

Forgive us, Hearer of our hearts, and have mercy on us. You lean over to listen to our words, and then to cast them into your sea of mercy. You show us your signs of hope again and again and again.

Assurance of God’s Forgiveness 

Story for All Ages 

God is Revealed in the Word

God’s Word in the Psalms:  Psalm 86:1–10, 16-17

Special Music     “Gather Up the Brokenness” sung by Cathy Ameel & Susan Larson Kidd

God’s Word in the Hebrew Scriptures:  Genesis 21:8–21

Sermon “Deserts and Wells”

Hymn     “The God of Abraham Praise”     (#24)

We Respond to God’s Presence

Sharing Our Prayer Concerns, Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer by Nathan Holst, the Lord’s Prayer and Choral Amen

Sharing Our Offerings

Offertory     “Peace, Salaam, Shalom” sung by Maddie & Tim Carpenter

The Thanksgiving     “Doxology”
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God for all that love has done;
Creator, Christ and Spirit, One.       

Prayer of Dedication

Closing Hymn    “I’ve Got Peace Like a River”       (#478)

Benediction

Postlude     “How Great Thou Art”    played by Jim Larson