Kaila Ehrensberger – HOLY CROSS U.M.C.

October 24, 2021

Organ Prelude: Poco Largo from the Twelfth Sonata, Henry Purcell

Call to Worship BOX 449
L: Trust in the Lord and do good.
P: May the Lord give strength to the people!
L: O taste and see that the Lord is good!
P: God is our refuge and strength.

Opening Prayer BOW 461 Linda Earhart
We believe, O Lord, that you have not abandoned us to the dim light of our own reason to conduct us to happiness, but that you have revealed in Holy Scriptures whatever is necessary for us to believe and practice. How noble and excellent are the precepts, how sublime and enlightening the truth, how persuasive and strong the motives, how powerful the assistance of your holy religion. Our delight shall be in your statutes, and we will not forget your Word. Amen.

Confession BOW 478
Holy and awesome God, we stand in your presence filled with regret for our many sins and failings. Though there is greatness in us, and a deep longing for goodness, we have often denied our better selves and refused to hear your voice calling us to rise to the full height of our humanity. For there is weakness in us, as well as strength. At times we choose to walk in darkness, our vision obscured. We do not care to look within, and we are unwilling to look beyond at those who need our help. O God, we are too weak to walk unaided. Be with us as a strong and wise friend and teach us to walk by the light of your truth.

Hymn Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart UMH 160
1. Rejoice, ye pure in heart; rejoice, give thanks, and sing; your glorious banner wave on high, the cross of Christ your King. Rejoice, (Rejoice,) rejoice, (rejoice,) rejoice, give thanks and sing.
2. Your clear hosannas raise, and alleluias loud; whilst answering echoes upward float, like wreaths of incense cloud. Rejoice, (Rejoice,) rejoice, (rejoice,) rejoice, give thanks and sing.
3. Yes, on through life’s long path, still chanting as ye go; from youth to age, by night and day, in gladness and in woe. Rejoice, (Rejoice,) rejoice, (rejoice,) rejoice, give thanks and sing.
4. At last the march shall end; the wearied ones shall rest; the pilgrims find their heavenly home, Jerusalem the blest. Rejoice, (Rejoice,) rejoice, (rejoice,) rejoice, give thanks and sing.
5. Praise God who reigns on high, the Lord whom we adore, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God forevermore. Rejoice, (Rejoice,) rejoice, (rejoice,) rejoice, give thanks and sing.

First Reading Psalm 39 Linda Earhart
¹I said, “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will keep a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.” ²I was silent and still; I held my peace to no avail; my distress grew worse, ³my heart became hot within me. While I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: ⁴“Lord, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. ⁵You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight. Surely everyone stands as a mere breath. Selah ⁶Surely everyone goes about like a shadow. Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; they heap up, and do not know who will gather. ⁷“And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. ⁸Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool. ⁹I am silent; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. ¹⁰Remove your stroke from me; I am worn down by the blows of your hand. ¹¹“You chastise mortals in punishment for sin, consuming like a moth what is dear to them; surely everyone is a mere breath. Selah ¹²“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not hold your peace at my tears. For I am your passing guest, an alien, like all my forebears. ¹³Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more.”

Tithes & Offerings – Can be sent to 329 N. 5^th Street; Reading, PA 19601 Or online HERE

Choir Offertory: Come Away With Me, John D. Horman
Come away with me to a quiet place, apart from the world with its frantic pace, to pray, reflect, and seek God’s grace. Come away with me, Come away.
Come and pray with me on a gentle sea, on top of a hill in the Galilee, in gardens like Gethsemane. Come away with me. Come away.
Come today with thoughts of the countless ways that God’s steadfast love blesses all our days and join with me in silent praise. Come away with me. Come away.
Come and say, in words whispered from your soul, the feelings and actions you can’t control, Your spirit needs to be made whole. Come away with me. Come away.
Come away with me to a quiet place, to God’s loving arms waiting to embrace all those who come in hope of grace. Come away with me. come away.

Offertory Prayer WSL 105
Awesome, holy, and loving God, we acknowledge that tears and smiles are both an important part of life. May these gifts be instrumental in wiping away tears and bringing smiles to your children through the world. Our prayer is that no one will miss the joy. Make it be so. Amen.

Prayers of the People Send Prayer requests to office@holycrossumc.com

The Lord’s Prayer
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.

Second Reading –1 Thessalonians 2:1-9
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, ²but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. ³For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, ⁴but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. ⁵As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; ⁶nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, ⁷though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. ⁸So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us. ⁹You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

Hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus UMH 854
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, (wonderful face), and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

Message “The Disease to Please” Rev. Tom Davis-Shappell

Hymn Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling UMH 348
1. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me; see, on the portals he’s waiting and watching, watching for you and for me. Come home, (Come home), come home; (come home); you who are weary, come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!
2. Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading, pleading for you and for me? Why should we linger and heed not his mercies, mercies for you and for me? Come home, (Come home), come home; (come home); you who are weary, come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!
3. Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, passing from you and from me; shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming, coming for you and for me. Come home, (Come home), come home; (come home); you who are weary, come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!
4. O for the wonderful love he has promised, promised for you and for me! Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon, pardon for you and for me. Come home, (Come home), come home; (come home); you who are weary, come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!

Benediction

Organ Postlude: St. Anthony’s Chorale, Josef Haydn

Hymns and Prayers used under CCLS# 2049575 / Hymns and Prayers for Streaming CCSL #20468685/ Bible readings from New Revised Standard Version.

October 17, 2021

Organ Prelude: O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright, setting by Roger Wilson (UMH 247) (Reading)

Call to Worship WSL 73
L: We come Broken.
P: This is the story of hope.
L: We come fearful.
P: This is a story of peace.
L: We come cynical.
P: This is a story of liberation.
L: We come empty.
P: Listen for the story of life.

Opening Prayer BOW 556
O Supreme Lord of the Universe, you fill and sustain everything around us. With the touch of your hand you turned chaos into order, darkness into light. Unknown energies you hid in the heart of matter. From you burst forth the splendor of the sun and the mild radiance of the moon. Stars and planets without number you set in ordered movement. You are the source of the fire’s heat and the wind’s might, of the water’s coolness and the earth’s stability. Deep and wonderful are the mysteries of your creation. Amen.

Statement of Faith UMH 883
We are not alone; we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the church: to celebrate God’s presence, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Hymn How Great Thou Art UMH 77
1. O Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder consider all the [worlds] thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the [rolling] thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee; how great thou art, how great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee; how great thou art, how great thou art!

2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze; Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee; how great thou art, how great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee; how great thou art, how great thou art!

3. And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in; that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, he bled and died to take away my sin; Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee; how great thou art, how great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee; how great thou art, how great thou art!

4. When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow in humble adoration, and there proclaim, my God, how great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee; how great thou art, how great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee; how great thou art, how great thou art!

First Reading – Psalm 104:1-9
¹Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty, ²wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent, ³you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind, ⁴you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers. ⁵You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken. ⁶You cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. ⁷At your rebuke they flee; at the sound of your thunder they take to flight. ⁸They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys to the place that you appointed for them. ⁹You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.

Tithes & Offerings – Can be sent to 329 N. 5^th Street; Reading, PA 19601 Or online HERE

Offertory Anthem: I Sing the Mighty Power of God, Robert Leaf(Reading)

Offertory Prayer WSL 140
Affirming God, we allow the distractions of everyday life to burden our spirits. As a result, we often embrace a mindset of scarcity rather than abundance. Transform our ambiguity of thought to a solid belief in the promises of Jesus Christ. We give these generous gifts because you have given us your Spirit. Glory to God! Amen and Amen.

Prayers of the People Send Prayer requests to office@holycrossumc.com

Second Reading –Job 38:1-11, 34-41
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ²“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? ³Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. ⁴“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. ⁵Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? ⁶On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone ⁷when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? ⁸“Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?— ⁹when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, ¹⁰and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, ¹¹and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped’?
³⁴“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you? ³⁵Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? ³⁶Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind? ³⁷Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, ³⁸when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together? ³⁹“Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, ⁴⁰when they crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their covert? ⁴¹Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?

Message Pastor Mandy

Hymn O Worship the King UMH 73
1. O worship the King, all glorious above, O gratefully sing God’s power and God’s love; our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days, pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

2. O tell of God’s might, O sing of God’s grace, whose robe is the light, whose canopy space, whose chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, and dark is God’s path on the wings of the storm.

3. The earth with its store of wonders untold, Almighty, thy power hath founded of old; hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree, and round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

4. Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air, it shines in the light; it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

5. Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail; thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end, our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

Benediction

Organ Postlude: God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens, setting by Dale Wood (UMH 150) (Reading)

Hymns and Prayers used under CCLS# 2049575 / Hymns and Prayers for Streaming CCSL #20468685/ Bible readings from New Revised Standard Version.

October 3, 2021

Organ Prelude: Children of the Heavenly Father, Swedish Folk tune (UMH 141) (Reading)

Call to Worship
L: Our Sovereign God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
P: We gather as your children, connected in Christ.
L: What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?
P: We gather as your children, seeking your kingdom.
L: You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet.
P: We gather as your children, ready to be your hands and feet in the world.
All: Our Sovereign God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Opening Prayer
Wise, nurturing, and welcoming God, Thank you for inviting us into new understandings of your love and for lifting and holding us together in this holy space. As we celebrate World Communion Sunday, we rejoice in the ways that your children are connected through your son, Jesus Christ. Bless our special offering today so that the gifts we present will be multiplied and shared with faithful students around the world. Sovereign God, may your majestic name be praised in all the earth! Amen.

Hymn Tell Me the Stories of Jesus UMH 277
1. Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear; things I would ask him to tell me if he were here: scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea, stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

2. First let me hear how the children stood round his knee, and I shall fancy his blessing resting on me; words full of kindness, deeds full of grace, all in the love-light of Jesus’ face.

3. Into the city I’d follow the children’s band, waving a branch of the palm tree high in my hand; one of his heralds, yes, I would sing loudest hosannas, “Jesus is King!”

First Reading – Psalm 26
¹Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. ²Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and mind. ³For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you. ⁴I do not sit with the worthless, nor do I consort with hypocrites; ⁵I hate the company of evildoers and will not sit with the wicked. ⁶I wash my hands in innocence, and go around your altar, O Lord, ⁷singing aloud a song of thanksgiving and telling all your wondrous deeds. ⁸O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides. ⁹Do not sweep me away with sinners, nor my life with the bloodthirsty, ¹⁰those in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes. ¹¹But as for me, I walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. ¹²My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the Lord.

Tithes & Offerings – Can be sent to 329 N. 5^th Street; Reading, PA 19601 Or online HERE

Offertory Anthem: If We Truly Believe, DonBesig (Reading)

Offertory Prayer Abingdon
Receiving the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, we offer ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice. We present our gifts knowing that you have entrusted us to care for one another. Transform these gifts into blessings of your children’s hopes and dreams as they commit themselves to building your kingdom.

Prayers of the People Send Prayer requests to office@holycrossumc.com

Second Reading – Mark 10:13-16
¹³People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is too such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Message Pastor Mandy

Communion THE GREAT THANKSGIVING FOR WORLD COMMUNION DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you ….And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ….And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. Renew our communion with your Church throughout the world and strengthen it in every nation and among every people to witness faithfully in your name. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory are yours, almighty God, now and forever.

Amen.

The Lord’s prayer
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.

HymnI Come with Joy UMH 617
1. I come with joy to meet my Lord, forgiven, loved and free, in awe and wonder to recall his life laid down for me, his life laid down for me.

2. I come with Christians far and near to find, as all are fed, the new community of love in Christ’s communion bread, in Christ’s communion bread.

3. As Christ breaks bread and bids us share, each proud division ends. The love that made us that makes us one, and strangers now are friends, and strangers now are friends.

4. And thus with joy we meet our Lord. His presence, always near, is in such friendship better known; we see and praise him here, we see and praise him here.

5. Together met, together bound, we’ll go our different ways, and as his people in the world, we’ll live and speak his praise, we’ll live and speak his praise.

Benediction
L: Our Sovereign God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
P: We are sent as your children, connected in Christ.
L: What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?
P: We are sent as your children, building up your kingdom.
L: You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet.
P: We are sent as your children, ready to be your hands and feet in the world.
All: Our Sovereign God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Postlude: Lamb of God, Pure and Holy, Johann Pachelbel (Reading)

Hymns and Prayers used under CCLS# 2049575 / Hymns and Prayers for Streaming CCSL #20468685/ Bible readings from New Revised Standard Version.

September 26, 2021

Prelude: Safe To The Rock (Calvary) Autumn, Cecile Chaminade (Reading)

Call to Worship BOW453
L: Sing praises to God, O you saints, and give thanks to God’s holy name!
P: We exalt you, O God, for you have restored us to life!
L: We may cry through the night, but your joy comes with the morning.
P: You hear us, O God, and you are gracious in our distress.
L: You turn our mourning into dancing!
P: Our souls cannot be silent! O God, our Savior, we give thanks to you for ever!

Opening Prayer WSL 47 Dawn Ream (C), (R)
O gracious and holy God, give us diligence to seek you, wisdom to perceive you, and patience to wait for you. Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you, eyes to behold you, ears to listen for your Word, a heart to love you, and a life to proclaim you, through the power of the spirit of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Statement of Faith UMH 883
We are not alone, we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the church: to celebrate God’s presence, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God UMH 110
1. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
2. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth, his name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle.
3. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.
4. That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours, thru him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever.

First Reading – Mark 9:38-50 Dawn Ream (C), (R)
³⁸John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” ³⁹But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. ⁴⁰Whoever is not against us is for us. ⁴¹For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.⁴²“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. ⁴³If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. ⁴⁵And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.⁴⁹“For everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Tithes & Offerings – Can be sent to 329 N. 5^th Street; Reading, PA 19601 Or online HERE

Offertory: The Love of God (Calvary) Choir: Make Me A Channel of Your Peace, adapted by Sebastian Temple (Prayer of St Francis)(Reading)

Offertory Prayer WSL 102
O Holy One, we make our offerings at this time both in gratitude and in seeking, in both remembering and hoping, in both fear and faith. Regardless of what is going on in our lives right now, receive these gifts as our way of praising you. Amen

Prayers of the People Send Prayer requests to office@holycrossumc.com

Second Reading – Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. ²On the second day, as they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” ³Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have won your favor, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me—that is my petition—and the lives of my people—that is my request. ⁴For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have held my peace; but no enemy can compensate for this damage to the king.” ⁵Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has presumed to do this?” ⁶Esther said, “A foe and enemy, this wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen. ⁹Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Look, the very gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, stands at Haman’s house, fifty cubits high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” ¹⁰So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the anger of the king abated.
²⁰Mordecai recorded these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, ²¹enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same month, year by year, ²²as the days on which the Jews gained relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor.

Message Pastor Mandy

Hymn Song of Hope FWS 2186 (sing 2x)
May the God of hope go with us every day,
Filling all our lives with love and joy and peace.
May the God of justice speed us on our way,
Bringing light and hope to every land and race.
Praying, let us work for peace;
Singing, share our joy with all;
Working for a world that’s new,
Faithful when we hear Christ’s call.

Benediction Abingdon

Postlude: After Agincourt (Calvary)
All Creatures of Our God and King, setting by Paul Mickelson (Reading)

Hymns and Prayers used under CCLS# 2049575 / Hymns and Prayers for Streaming CCSL #20468685/ Bible readings from New Revised Standard Version.

September 5, 2021

Organ Prelude: Though I May speak, setting by Dale Wood Based on the English Folk Tune “O Waly Waly” (UMH 403 & 643)

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: “Arise, my fair one, and come away,” says the Lord.
P: We come gladly, for every good gift comes from above.
L: The season of singing is upon us.
P: The scent of myrrh, aloe, and lavender fills our senses.
L: “Arise, my fair one, and come away,” calls our God.
P: We come to worship with joy and thanksgiving.

Opening Prayer Abingdon
Bountiful God, giver of the fruit of the vine, your call to righteous living stirs the heart like the oils of gladness: sweet-smelling frankincense, sandalwood myrrh, and pungent cassia; your charge to be doers of the word and not hearers only, sparks the soul like the fragrance of wildflowers and the blossoms of spring. Inspire true devotion in our hearts, that we may care for your little ones and hearken to the needs of your people. Amen

Hymn When Love is Found UMH 643 v. 1,2,5
1. When love is found and hope comes home, sing and be glad that two are one. When love explodes and fills the sky, praise God and share our Maker’s joy.
2. When love has flowered in trust and care, build both each day, that love may dare to reach beyond home’s warmth and light, to serve and strive for truth and right.
5. Praise God for love, praise God for life, in age or youth, in husband, wife. Lift up your hearts, let love be fed through death and life in broken bread.

First Reading – Psalm 45 1-2, 6-9
¹My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. ²You are the most handsome of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. ⁶Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; ⁷you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; ⁸your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; ⁹daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

Tithes & Offerings – Can be sent to 329 N. 5^th Street; Reading, PA 19601 Or online HERE

Offertory He Touched Me, William Gaither – Soloist, Tom Wettach

Offertory Prayer Abingdon
God of light, every generous act of giving and every perfect gift comes from you. May the offering we bring before you this day testify to who we are and whose we are. And may the gifts of our hands reflect the bounty of your harvest in our lives. Amen.

Second Reading – Song of Solomon 2:8-13
⁸The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. ⁹My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice. ¹⁰My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; ¹¹for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. ¹²The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. ¹³The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

Message Pastor Mandy

Communion THE GREAT THANKSGIVING FOR THE SEASON AFTER PENTECOST
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing….And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ….And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever.

Amen.

Hymn Come Sinners to the Gospel Feast UMH 616 v. 1,2,5
1. Come, sinners, to the gospel feast, let every soul be Jesus’ guest. Ye need not one be left behind, for God hath bid all humankind.
2. Do not begin to make excuse; ah! do not you his grace refuse; your worldly cares and pleasures leave, and take what Jesus hath to give.
5. Ye who believe his record true shall sup with him and he with you; come to the feast, be saved from sin, for Jesus waits to take you in.

Benediction

Postlude: Hymn to Joy, setting by Wilbur Held

Hymns and Prayers used under CCLS# 2049575 / Hymns and Prayers for Streaming CCSL #20468685/ Bible readings from New Revised Standard Version.

August 29, 2021

Prelude: Like The First Bird (Calvary)
Arioso (Sinfonia to Cantata No. 156) J. S. Bach (Reading)

Call to Worship BOW 449
L: Trust in the Lord and do good.
P: May the Lord give strength to the people!
L: O taste and see that the Lord is good!
P: God is our refuge and strength.

Opening Prayer UMH 401
Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart. Here is the citadel of all my desiring, where my hopes are born, and all the deep resolutions of my spirit take wings. In this center, my fears are nourished, and all my hates are nurtured. Here my loves are cherished, and all the deep hungers of my spirit are honored without quivering and without shock. In my heart, above all else, let love and integrity envelop me until my love is perfected, and the last vestige of my desiring is no longer in conflict with thy Spirit. Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart. Amen.

Confession BOW 488
We confess that the circle of love is repeatedly broken because of our sin of exclusion. We create separate circles: the inner circle and the outer circle, the circle of power and the circle of despair, the circle of privilege and the circle of deprivation.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive all who have sinned against us.
We confess that the circle of love is broken whenever there is alienation, whenever there is misunderstanding, whenever there is insensitivity or a hardening of the heart.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive all who have sinned against us.
We confess that the circle of love is broken whenever we cannot see eye to eye, whenever we cannot link hand to hand, whenever we cannot live heart to heart and affirm our differences.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive all who have sinned against us.
Through God’s grace we are forgiven, by the mercy of our Creator, through the love of the Christ, and in the power of the Spirit. Let us rejoice and be glad!
Glory to God! Amen.

Hymn Great is thy Faithfulness UMH 140
1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; there is no shadow of turning with thee; thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be. Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided; great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided; great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided; great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

First Reading – James 1:17-27
¹⁷Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. ¹⁸In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. ¹⁹You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. ²¹Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. ²²But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. ²³For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; ²⁴for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. ²⁵But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. ²⁶If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Tithes & Offerings – Can be sent to 329 N. 5^th Street; Reading, PA 19601 Or online HERE

Offertory: Hiding In Thee (Calvary)
How Can I Keep from Singing, Lowry
Morgan & Connor Flannery & grandfather, Larry Kitterman (Reading)

Offertory Prayer WSL 114
Here, Lord, we put our love into practice. These gifts offer come from your love for us. Now, let them express our love for you, as they reach our to others with your love for them. Amen.

Prayers of the People Send Prayer requests to office@holycrossumc.com

Second Reading – Ephesians 6:10-20
Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, ²they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. ³(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; ⁴and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) ⁵So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” ⁶He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; ⁷in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ ⁸You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”¹⁴Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: ¹⁵there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” ²¹For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, ²²adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. ²³All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Message Pastor Mandy

Hymn Lord, I Want to be a Christian UMH 402
1. Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart; I want to be a Christian in my heart. (in my heart) In my heart, (in my heart) in my heart, (in my heart) Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart. (in my heart)
2. Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart; Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart. (in my heart) In my heart, (in my heart) in my heart, (in my heart) Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart. (in my heart)
3. Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart; Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart. (in my heart) In my heart, (in my heart) in my heart, (in my heart) Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart. (in my heart)
4. Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart; Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart. (in my heart) In my heart, (in my heart) in my heart, (in my heart) Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart. (in my heart)

Benediction BOW 567
Grant, O Lord, that what has been said with our lips we may believe in our hearts, and that what we believe in our hearts we may practice in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Postlude: Hornpipe From Water Music (Calvary)
Morning Bells, Peele (Reading)

Hymns and Prayers used under CCLS# 2049575 / Hymns and Prayers for Streaming CCSL #20468685/ Bible readings from New Revised Standard Version.

August 15, 2021

Piano Prelude: Chorale Prelude on “All People That on Earth do Dwell”, Johann Pachelbel(UMH 75)

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: Let us give thanks to the Lord with all our hearts.
P: Great are the works of our God— the wise take delight in them.
L: The works of the Lord are faithful and just.
P: Mighty are the precepts of our God— the wise regard them as trustworthy and true.
L: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
P: Blessed are the teachings of our God— the wise apply them in all things.
L: Come! Let us worship the Lord, whose faithful love endures forever.

Opening Prayer Abingdon
Eternal God, source of wisdom and understanding your ways lead the upright of heart. Give us wise and discerning minds, that we may seek your wisdom above earthly riches, as Solomon did after the death of his father, David. Grant us pure and unblemished souls, that we may speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Be with us in this time of worship, that we may learn to discern good from evil and seek to live our lives with your wisdom and your grace. Amen.

Prayer of Confession Abingdon ` Pastor Mandy
Living bread that comes down from heaven, we yearn to be filled with your Spirit of truth, but we often embrace the folly all around us; we long to eat our fill of your sacred Presence, but we often choose poorer fare and food that does not feed our souls; we desire to embrace your wisdom and your power, but we often choose the path of weakness, ignoring your call to seek justice and mercy. Come to us once more, Spirit of wisdom and truth, that we may abide in you, as you abide in us. In your holy and blessed name, we pray. Amen.

Words of Assurance Pastor Mandy
All who ask in Jesus’s name, receive; and all who seek in the power of the Spirit, find. Rejoice in this good news and be filled with the wisdom and grace of our mighty God.

Hymn Guide Me Great Jehovah UMH 127
1. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with thy powerful hand. Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more; (want no more) feed me till I want no more.
2. Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow; let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through. Strong deliverer, strong deliverer, be thou still my strength and shield; (strength and shield) be thou still my strength and shield.
3. When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside; death of death and hell’s destruction, land me safe on Canaan’s side. Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to thee; (give to thee) I will ever give to thee.

First Reading – 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33
⁵¹I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” ⁵²The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; ⁵⁵for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. ⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

Tithes & Offerings – Can be sent to 329 N. 5^th Street; Reading, PA 19601 Or online HERE

Offertory Solo: Offertory: How Great Thou Art, Stuart K. Hine – Shirley Pisano, Soloist

Offertory Prayer WSL 100
God of wisdom and understanding, send these gifts into the world, that they may become instruments of your grace; send this offering to your people, that it may become a source of your mercy. May these gifts be bread and blessing for a world in need of your mighty Spirit. Amen.

Prayers of the People Send Prayer requests to office@holycrossumc.com

Second Reading – 1 King 2:10-12; 3:3-14
¹⁰Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. ¹¹The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. ¹²So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.
³Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. ⁴The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” ⁶And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. ⁷And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. ⁹Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” ¹⁰It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, ¹²I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. ¹³I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. ¹⁴If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.”

Message Pastor Mandy

Hymn A Charge to Keep I Have UMH 413
1. A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify, a never-dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky.
2. To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill; O may it all my powers engage to do my Master’s will!
3. Arm me with jealous care, as in thy sight to live, and oh, thy servant, Lord, prepare a strict account to give!
4. Help me to watch and pray, and on thyself rely, assured, if I my trust betray, I shall forever die.

Benediction

Postlude: Hornpipe (from an organ concerto) Samuel Wesley

Hymns and Prayers used under CCLS# 2049575 / Hymns and Prayers for Streaming CCSL #20468685/ Bible readings from New Revised Standard Version.

August 8, 2021

Piano Prelude: I Want Jesus to Walk With Me, (UMH 521) setting by Mark Hayes (Traditional American spiritual)

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: Come, children of God. Come and find refuge and strength.
P: Our souls wait for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning.
L: Come, heirs with Christ. Come and find forgiveness and joy.
P: Our souls wait for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning.
L: Come, people of faith. Come to the one who is attentive to our pleas.
P: Our souls wait for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning.

Opening Prayer UMH 481
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Hymn I’ve Got Peace Like a River FWS 2145
I’ve got peace like a river (2x)
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul
I’ve got peace like a river (2x)
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul

I’ve got joy like a fountain (2x)
I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul
I’ve got joy like a fountain (2x)
I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul

I’ve got love like an ocean (2x)
I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul
I’ve got love like an ocean (2x)
I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul

I’ve got peace, love and joy like a river (2x)
I’ve got peace, love and joy like a river in my soul
I’ve got peace, love and joy like a river (2x)
I’ve got peace, love and joy like a river in my soul

First Reading – 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33
⁵The king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom. ⁶So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. ⁸The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword. ⁹Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. ¹⁵And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him, and killed him. ³¹Then the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, “Good tidings for my lord the king! For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you.” ³²The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to do you harm, be like that young man.” ³³The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Tithes & Offerings – Can be sent to 329 N. 5^th Street; Reading, PA 19601 Or online HERE

Offertory Solo: Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Thomas Dorsey Tom Wettach

Offertory Prayer WSL 100
We confess, O God, that we are often overwhelmed by needs in the world – hunger, disease, strife, prejudice, and many other problems. Receive these offerings as signs that we will act to get something done instead of worrying about what we cannot do. Bless these gifts so that they will bring healing and love in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prayers of the People Send Prayer requests to office@holycrossumc.com

The Lord’s Prayer:
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.

Hymn As the Deer FWS 2025
As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship you.
You alone are my strength, my shield; to you alone may my sprit yield.
You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship you. (Sing twice)

Second Reading – Ephesians 4:25-5:2
²⁵So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. ²⁶Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷and do not make room for the devil. ²⁸Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. ²⁹Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. ³¹Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, ³²and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. 5Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, ²and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Message Pastor Mandy

Hymn Shout to the Lord FWS 2074
Shout to the Lord all the Earth, let us sing Power and majesty, praise to the King Mountains bow down, and the seas will roar At the sound of Your name I sing for joy at the work of Your hands Forever I’ll love You, forever I’ll stand Nothing compares to the promise I have In You (sing twice)

Benediction

Piano Postlude: I’ve Got Peace Like a River, setting by Mark Hayes (Traditional American spiritual)

Hymns and Prayers used under CCLS# 2049575 / Hymns and Prayers for Streaming CCSL #20468685/ Bible readings from New Revised Standard Version.

August 1, 2021

Prelude: O For the Wings of a Dove (Hear My Prayer) F. Mendelssohn

Call to Worship WSL 49
P: Blessed be God;
L: For the spiritually humble,
P: Glory to God, Hallelujah;
L: For all who hunger and thirst for justice,
P: Praise him and magnify him forever;
L: for all who are banned from speaking the truth,
P: Blessed be God;
L: For all who triumph over their bitter circumstance,
P: Glory to God, hallelujah;
L: For all who risk reputation, livelihood, and life itself for Christ’s sake and the gospel;

Opening Prayer WSL 55 Linda Troil
Almighty God, you sustained your people with manna in the wilderness and with bread and fish by the sea of Galilee. Sustain us today, not only with physical food, but also spiritual food, the bread of life who is our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Hymn Gather Us In FWS 2236
1. Here in this place new light is streaming
Now is the darkness vanished away
See in this space our fears and our dreaming’s
Brought here to you in the light of this day
Gather us in, the lost and forsaken
Gather us in, the blind and the lame
Call to us now and we shall awaken
We shall arise at the sound of our name
2. We are the young, our lives are a mystery
We are the old who yearn for your face
We have been sung throughout all of history
Called to be light to the whole human race
Gather us in, the rich and the haughty
Gather us in, the proud and the strong
Give us a heart so meek and so lowly
Give us the courage to enter the song.
3. Here we will take the wine and the water
Here we will take the bread of new birth
Here you shall call your sons and your daughters
Call us anew to be salt for the earth
Give us to drink the wine of compassion
Give us to eat the bread that is you
Nourish us well and teach us to fashion
Lives that are holy and hearts that are true
4. Not in the dark of buildings confining
Not in some heaven light years away
But here in this place the new light is shining
Now is the kingdom, now is the day
Gather us in and hold us forever
Gather us in and make us your own
Gather us in, all peoples together
Fire of love in our flesh and our bones
Fire of love in our flesh and our bones

First Reading – Ephesians 4:1-16 Linda Troil
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. ⁷But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” ⁹(When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) ¹¹The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹²to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. ¹⁴We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Tithes & Offerings – Can be sent to 329 N. 5^th Street; Reading, PA 19601 Or online HERE

Offertory I Call to Thee Lord Jesus J.S. Bach

Offertory Prayer WSL 107
We present these gifts, O God, in the confidence that healing, hope, and wholeness will flourish through them and because of them. Amen

Prayers of the People Send Prayer requests to Pastor Mandy at pastormandy@holycrossumc.com
Prayer list: Carol Kinsey, Carol Coleman, Janet Palmer, Cindy Kauffman, Linda Lintz, Kirsten Abraham, Dottie Smith, Fayne Aurand, Susie Stanley, Betty Wonnie, Tiffany Johnson, Gloria Schott, Cecilia, Jennifer Stevens, Debbie Moyer, Kathy Stumhoffer, Kevin Weber, Mary, Joe Weber, Al Good, Rick Weinhoffer,

Diagnosed with COVID-19: Russ and Omey Auge, Debbie George,

Second Reading – John 6:24-35
²⁴So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. ²⁵When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” ²⁶Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” ²⁸Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” ²⁹Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” ³⁰So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? ³¹Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ³²Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” ³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Message Pastor Mandy

Communion
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING FOR THE SEASON AFTER PENTECOST
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing….And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ….And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever.
Amen.

Hymn One Bread, One Body UMH 620
1. One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless. And we, though many throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord. Gentile or Jew, servant or free, woman or man, no more.
2. One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless. And we, though many throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord. Many the gifts, many the works, one in the Lord of all.
3. One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless. And we, though many throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord. Grain for the fields, scattered and grown, gathered to one, for all. One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing which we bless. And we, though many throughout the earth, we are one body in this one Lord.

Benediction

Postlude: Postlude on “Azmon” D. Phillips

Hymns and Prayers used under CCLS# 2049575 / Hymns and Prayers for Streaming CCSL #20468685/ Bible readings from New Revised Standard Version.

July 11, 2021

Altar Flowers presented in memory of Elizabeth Rasbridge by her family on the anniversary of her death.

Prelude: It Is Well with My Soul, setting by Robert Lau

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: The earth is God’s and everything in it.
P: We belong to our God.
L: Lift up your voices in praise and thanksgiving.
P: We lift our voices in glory and honor to God.

Opening Prayer Abingdon Terry Guers
God of grace and glory, renew us with your presence this day. As we gather to bless your name and sing your praise, bless us with your glorious love and your guiding light. Strengthen us each and every hour, through the power of your Holy Spirit and the wisdom of your holy word. In hope and joy, we pray. Amen.

Hymn Praise To The Lord, The Almighty UMH 139 v.1,4,5
1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation! All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near; join me in glad adoration!
4. Praise to the Lord, who doth nourish thy life and restore thee, fitting thee well for the tasks that are ever before thee. Then to thy need God as a mother doth speed, spreading the wings of grace o’er thee.
5. Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him! All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him! Let the amen sound from his people again; gladly forever adore him.

First Reading – 1 Samuel 18:12-22 Terry Guers
¹²Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. ¹³So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the army. ¹⁴David had success in all his undertakings; for the Lord was with him. ¹⁵When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him. ¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it was he who marched out and came in leading them. ¹⁷Then Saul said to David, “Here is my elder daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife; only be valiant for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I will not raise a hand against him; let the Philistines deal with him.” ¹⁸David said to Saul, “Who am I and who are my kinsfolk, my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” ¹⁹But at the time when Saul’s daughter Merab should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as a wife. ²⁰Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. Saul was told, and the thing pleased him. ²¹Saul thought, “Let me give her to him that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall now be my son-in-law.” ²²Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘See, the king is delighted with you, and all his servants love you; now then, become the king’s son-in-law.’”

Tithes & Offerings – Can be sent to 329 N. 5^th Street; Reading, PA 19601 Or online HERE

Choir Offertory: Blest Are They, setting by Haas & Joncas

Offertory Prayer Abingdon
Glorious God, we thank you for trusting us to reflect your glory. For claiming us as your own with all of creation, we give you thanks and praise. As you receive these gifts and offerings, receive us also. Blessing all together, that our gifts and our lives might be a blessing that honors and glorifies you. Amen.

Prayers of the People Send Prayer requests to office@holycrossumc.com

Second Reading – 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. ²David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim. ³They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart ⁴with the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the ark. ⁵David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
¹²It was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; ¹³and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. ¹⁴David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. ¹⁵So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. ¹⁶As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷They brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord. ¹⁸When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, ¹⁹and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.

Message Pastor Mandy

Hymn Draw the Circle Wide WSL 3154
CHOIR
Draw the circle, draw the circle wide
Draw the circle , draw the circle wide.
No one stands alone, we’ll stand side by side.
Draw the circle, draw the circle wide
WORSHIPERS JOIN CHOIR ON REPEAT:
CHOIR

Draw the circle wide, draw it wider still
Let this be our song: no one stands alone.
Standing side by side, draw the circle, draw the circle wide.
WORSHIPERS JOIN CHOIR ON REPEAT

ALL SING
Draw the circle, draw the circle wide.
Draw the circle, draw the circle wide.
No one stands alone, we’ll stand side by side.
Draw the circle, draw the circle wide.

CHOIR
Draw the circle wide, draw it wider still.
Let this be our song: no one stands alone.
Standing side by side, draw the circle, draw the circle wide

Benediction Abingdon
Serve your God with patience and passion. Be deliberate in enacting your faith. Be steadfast in celebrating the Spirit’s power. And may peace be your way in the world. Amen.

Postlude: God of Grace, setting by Paul Manz

Hymns and Prayers used under CCLS# 2049575 / Hymns and Prayers for Streaming CCSL #20468685/ Bible readings from New Revised Standard Version.