Kaila Ehrensberger – HOLY CROSS U.M.C.

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

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.

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 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.

July 4, 2021

Prelude: Theme from “Finlandia”, Jean sibelius

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: When winds tear into our vessels,
P: God’s grace will be our guide.
L: When insecurities mount up within our souls,
P: God’s strength will be our guide.
L: When hardships weaken our resolve,
P: God’s mercy will be our guide.
L: When insults rip and slander stains,
P: God’s courage will be our guide.
L: When vulnerability saps our faith,
P: God’s presence will be our guide.

Opening Prayer WSL 203 Becca Williams
God of all nations, we thank you for the life and history of our country, for its vast beauty, its wilderness, and wealth of forest, mine, and sea. We praise you for its people, the people whose ancestors have been here for thousands of years, and those who have just arrived. We thank you for the variety of our traditions and our cultures, the riches of our spiritual and religious heritage, the strength of our democratic institutions. We pray for our nation, for our citizens, residents, and governments that working together we may face the future with confident hope and faith in your purpose for our world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Confession Abingdon Pastor Mandy
Holy Creator, we have refused to give our neighbors the honor they deserve. We have rejected others, as Jesus was rejected before us. Status drives us. Gossip lures us. Reputations gain more traction than the entirety of the person in front of us. We choose chaos over kindness, and disconnection over spiritual bonds. May our hearts repent, returning to your voice. May our souls reconnect, returning to our neighbor. May our minds renew, returning to the ones you created us to be. May your grace abound. Amen.

Words of Assurance
Shame lives within us no more. God’s grace is sufficient for all. May the power of Christ dwell in our souls, elevate our spirits, and nudge us to grow in our relationships. Amen.

Hymn This is My Song UMH 437
1. This is my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for lands afar and mine. This is my home, the country where my heart is; here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine; but other hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
2. My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean, and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine; but other lands have sunlight too, and clover, and skies are everywhere as blue as mine. O hear my song, thou God of all the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine.
3. This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth’s kingdoms: Thy kingdom come; on earth thy will be done. Let Christ be lifted up till all shall serve him, and hearts united learn to live as one. O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations; myself I give thee; let thy will be done.

First Reading – Psalm 71:1-11 Becca Williams
¹In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. ²In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. ³Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. ⁴Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. ⁵For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. ⁶Upon you I have learned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you. ⁷I have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. ⁸My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long. ⁹Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent. ¹⁰For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together. ¹¹They say, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver.”

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

Choir Offertory: The Battle Hymn of the Republic, USA camp meeting tune, 19th cent

Offertory Prayer Abingdon
Despite the sufferings and challenges on our journeys, your power transcends human weakness. We celebrate your generosity by sharing treasures, talents, and time along our way. No matter where we travel or which hardships we face, we sing your name in every corner of the earth. With our songs of praise, we share our gifts with your creation. Amen.

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

Second Reading – Psalm 71:12-24
¹²O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! ¹³Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace. ¹⁴But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. ¹⁵My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge. ¹⁶I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone. ¹⁷O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. ¹⁸So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Your power ¹⁹and your righteousness, O God, reach the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? ²⁰You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. ²¹You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again. ²²I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. ²³My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have rescued. ²⁴All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help, for those who tried to do me harm have been put to shame, and disgraced.

Message Pastor Mandy

Hymn O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing UMH 57 v1 , 3 & 7
1. O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace!
3. Jesus! the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease; ’tis music in the sinner’s ears, ’tis life, and health, and peace.
7. In Christ, your head, you then shall know, shall feel your sins forgiven; anticipate your heaven below, and own that love is heaven.

Benediction WSL 202
Like fireworks against a night sky, may your love for us, O God, explode within us, that our lives would burst forth with the flame of your Holy Spirit and shower the earth with celebrations of the freedom we find in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Postlude: Sortie on :National Hymn, Warren/Smith

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

June 27, 2021

Bell Prelude: Bound For Glory, setting by Waldrop

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: We wait for the Lord, our souls wait for the Lord,
P: And find hope in God’s word.
L: Our souls wait for the Lord
P: More than those who watch for the morning.
L: More than those who watch for the morning.
P: Let us seek hope in our God,
L: Whose power is enduring love,
P: Whose redemption brings healing and grace.
L: We wait for the Lord,
P: And find our hope in God’s presence.

Opening Prayer BOW 464
O God, in mystery and silence you are present in our lives, bringing new life out of destruction, hope out of despair, growth out of difficulty. We thank you that you do not leave us alone but labor to make us whole. Help us to perceive your unseen hand in the unfolding of our lives, and to attend to the gentle guidance of your Spirit, that we may know the joy you give your people. Amen.

Confession BOW 941
We are reluctant, O Author of Love, to set aside our hurt, our anger, our disappointment. Heal us with your tender touch, that we might be cleansed of all unclean thoughts, all schemes of revenge, all hope of vindictive retribution. Open our eyes to the power of love, shown to us in the unselfish sacrifice of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hymn He Touched Me UMH 367
1. Shackled by a heavy burden, neath a load of guilt and shame, then the hand of Jesus touched me, and now I am no longer the same. He touched me, O he touched me, and O the joy that floods my soul! Something happened, and now I know, he touched me and made me whole.

2. Since I met this blessed Savior, since he cleansed and made me whole, I will never cease to praise him; I’ll shout it while eternity rolls. He touched me, O he touched me, and O the joy that floods my soul! Something happened, and now I know, he touched me and made me whole.

First Reading – 2 Corinthians 8:7-15
⁷Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. ⁸I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. ⁹For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. ¹⁰And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something— ¹¹now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. ¹²For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. ¹³I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between ¹⁴your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. ¹⁵As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”

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

Bell Offertory: The Gathering, Waldrop

Offertory Prayer Abingdon
Gracious One, you have given us a love that stretches farther than we can see or even believe. You have given us a grace and a forgiveness that is deeper than our vulnerabilities. You have given us a healing and a hope that makes us whole. Take now the offerings of our hearts and our lives, even as we give away all you have given us. Amen.

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

Second Reading – Mark 5:21-43
²¹When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. ²²Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet ²³and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” ²⁴So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. ²⁵Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. ²⁶She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” ²⁹Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” ³¹And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” ³²He looked all around to see who had done it. ³³But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. ³⁴He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” ³⁵While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” ³⁶But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ³⁷He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. ³⁸When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ⁴⁰And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. ⁴¹He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” ⁴²And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. ⁴³He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Message Pastor Mandy

Hymn Just as I Am UMH 357 v1 , 5 & 6
1. Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

5. Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

6. Just as I am, thy love unknown hath broken every barrier down; now, to be thine, yea, thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come

Benediction
We have waited for the Lord, and God has not failed us. We have reached for Christ, and he has met us here we are. Go in peace, to love and to serve, healed and free

Bell Postlude: America, setting by Page

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

June 20, 2021

Prelude: O Help Me, Lord, to Praise Thee, J. S. Bach

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: Sing praises to the Lord, sing praises.
P: We will declare God’s deeds among the people.
L: Shout for joy, you children of the Most High.
P: God remembers the needy and gives hope to the poor.
L: Sing praises to the Lord, sing praises.
P: We will declare God’s deeds among the people.

Opening Prayer Abingdon
When the storms of life crash around us, O God, be our quiet center. When adversaries gather against us, Holy One, be our refuge and our strength. Give us the confidence of David, that we might place our trust entirely in you. And give us the assurance of the psalmist, that we might know the glory of our salvation. With joyful hearts and ready minds, we pray for your grace this day. Amen.

Hymn Faith of Our Fathers UMH 710 v. 1 and 3
1. Faith of our fathers, living still, in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword; O how our hearts beat high with joy whene’er we hear that glorious word! Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death.

3. Faith of our fathers, we will love both friend and foe in all our strife; and preach thee, too, as love knows how by kindly words and virtuous life. Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death.

First Reading – 1 Samuel 17:1a, 4-11, 19-23
Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. ⁴And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ⁵He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. ⁶He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. ⁷The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him. ⁸He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. ⁹If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” ¹⁰And the Philistine said, “Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together.” ¹¹When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. ¹⁹Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. ²⁰David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment as the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry. ²¹Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. ²²David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers. ²³As he talked with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.

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

Offertory Special This Is the Time I Must Sing Soloist – Rick Weinhoffer, Accompanist, Linda Sensenig

Offertory Prayer WS 128
O God, we recognize that we have been blessed with great abundance. In offering these gifts, may we be strengthened to proclaim your faithfulness and your salvation this day and always. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

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

Second Reading – 1 Samuel 17:32-49
³²David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” ³³Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” ³⁴But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, ³⁵I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. ³⁶Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” ³⁷David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you!” ³⁸Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. ³⁹David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. ⁴⁰Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. ⁴¹The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. ⁴²When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. ⁴³The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.” ⁴⁵But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.” ⁴⁸When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

Message Pastor Mandy

Hymn GOD OF GRACE AND GOD OF GLORY UMH 577 v1 & 4
1. God of grace and God of glory, on thy people pour thy power; crown thine ancient church’s story; bring her bud to glorious flower. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour, (of this hour) for the facing of this hour.

4. Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore; let the search for thy salvation be our glory evermore. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, serving thee whom we adore, (we adore) serving thee whom we adore

Benediction

Postlude: This Is My Father’s World, Franklin Sheppard

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

June 6, 2021

Prelude: If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee, J. S. Bach

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: People of God, enter this place with thanksgiving and praise,
P: For the Lord is good.
L: Come and rejoice, sing glory to God,
P: For the Lord is good.
L: Remember, the steadfast love of God endures forever,
P: For the Lord is good.

Opening Prayer Abingdon
Loving God, some of us come to this place full of anticipation and joy, others come weary and tired. And some of us come here today wondering why we are even here. Renew us in your Holy Spirit. Remind us that your steadfast love follows us wherever we go. Increase our faith, that we may not lose heart or become burdened by the challenges of life. Help us hear again the words of Christ: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” We are yours, O God. Thank you for claiming us as your own. In the name of Christ, your Son and our savior, we pray. Amen.

Hymn The Church’s One Foundation UMH 546 v. 1 & 5
1. The church’s one foundation
is Jesus Christ our Lord;
we are his new creation
by water and the Word;
from heaven he came and sought us
that we might ever be
his living servant people,
by his own death set free.

5. We now on earth have union
with God the Three in One,
and share through faith communion
with those whose rest is won.
Oh, happy ones, and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee

First Reading – 1 Corinthians 4:13- 5:1
¹³when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day. ¹⁴I am not writing this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. ¹⁵For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. ¹⁶I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me. ¹⁷For this reason I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, as I teach them everywhere in every church. ¹⁸But some of you, thinking that I am not coming to you, have become arrogant. ¹⁹But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. ²⁰For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power. ²¹What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness? 5It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife.

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

Offertory Special For Those Tears I Died, Marsha J. Stevens
Soloist: Donna Torres, Accompanist: Linda Sensenig

Offertory Prayer Abingdon
Almighty Creator, you have blessed us with abundant life and steadfast love. We offer these gifts to you, asking that your Holy Spirit will bless them and use them to shower grace and love upon our brothers and sisters, both near and far. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

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

Second Reading – Luke 15
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³So he told them this parable: ⁴“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. ⁸“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ ¹⁰Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” ¹¹Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. ¹⁴When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. ¹⁷But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ ²⁰So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²²But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. ²⁵“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ ³¹Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

Message The Math of Jesus Rev. Mark Moore

Hymn Pass me not, O gentle Savior UMH 351 v1 & 4
1. Pass me not, O gentle Savior, hear my humble cry; while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by. Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry; while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by.

4. Thou the spring of all my comfort, more than life to me, whom have I on earth beside thee? Whom in heaven but thee? Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry; while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by.

Benediction

Postlude: Laudes Domini (When Morning Gilds the Skies) setting by Wilson

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

May 16, 2021

Prelude Fairest Lord Jesus with My Heart Ever Faithful, setting by Page

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: To worship and pray,
P: We have come this day.
L: To meditate on God’s teachings,
P: We have come this day.
L: Gathered as one family of Christ,
P: We come together in love.

Opening Prayer Abingdon Sharon Hummel
Holy Spirit, be with us in our worship this day. Draw us ever closer to you, that we may become one. Draw us ever closer to your word, that we may be wise. Draw us ever closer to your world, that we may serve and love as you guide us to do. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Hymn To God Be the Glory UMH 98
1. To God be the glory, great things he hath done! So loved he the world that he gave us his Son, who yielded his life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in.
(Refrain) Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done!

2. O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to every believer the promise of God; the vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
(Refrain) Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done!

3. Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done, and great our rejoicing thru Jesus the Son; but purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.
(Refrain)Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done!

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.

First Reading – John 17:6-19 Sharon Hummel
⁶”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. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸for 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. ⁹I 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. ¹⁰All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. ¹¹And 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. ¹²While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. ¹⁴I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁵I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

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

Offertory Special Down to the River to Pray Southern USA folk song Soloist – Larry Kitterman

Offertory Prayer Abingdon
Bless these gifts to be nourishment for a world hungry for your grace. Bless us to be nurturers of love for a world hungry for your compassion. Bless us to be one in ministry with you and with one another, through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

Second Reading – Psalm 1
¹Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; ²but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, they meditate day and night. ³They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. ⁴The wicked are not so but are like chaff that the wind drives away. ⁵Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; ⁶for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Message Pastor Mandy Miller

Hymn Now Thank We All Our God UMH 102
1. Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices; who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
2. O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us, with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us still in grace, and guide us when perplexed; and free us from all ills, in this world and the next.
3. All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given; the Son, and him who reigns with them in highest heaven; the one eternal God, whom earth and heaven adore; for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

Benediction

Postlude Psalm XIX, The Heavens Are Telling the Glory of God Marcello

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

May 9, 2021

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: Sing a new song,
P: A song of love for all.
L: Sing of the Spirit of love,
P: The Spirit who loves us all.
L: Sing of God’s abiding love,
P: That we might love one another and all of the world.
L: Sing a new song,
P: A song of love for all.

Opening Prayer BOW 466
God our Mother and Father, we come to you as children. Be with us as we learn to see one another with new eyes, hear one another with new hearts, and treat one another in a new way. Amen.

Hymn Happy the Home When God is There UMH 445 v.1&4
1. Happy the home when God is there,
and love fills every breast;
when one their wish, and one their prayer,
and one their heavenly rest.

4. Lord, let us in our homes agree
this blessed peace to gain;
unite our hearts in love to thee,
and love to all will reign.

Prayer of Confession Abingdon
Spirit of love, we come in search of love and in the hope of learning how to love as you love us. Help us to see others with your eyes of love. Help us to forgive and accept forgiveness as fully and confidently as you forgive. Love us, dear God, with the mercy and grace we need to abide in your love each and every day. In your love and grace, we pray. Amen.

Words of Assurance Abingdon
God’s steadfast love is ours. God’s faithfulness is sure.

First Reading – Philippians 4:6-7
¹O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. ²The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. ³He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. ⁴Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. ⁵Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. ⁶With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. ⁷Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. ⁸Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy ⁹at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

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

Offertory Special The Gift of Love, Setting by Hopson Soloist – Naomi DeTurk

Offertory Prayer Abindgon
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts and on all of us gathered here, that we may abide in your love and that your love may abide in these gifts. In your loving name, we pray. Amen.

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

Hymn A Mother Lined a Basket FWS 2189
1. A mother lined a basket to keep her baby dry, then rocked him on a river, lest he awake and cry. She let a princess name him her son that he might live. God’s people had a leader. She had such hope to give.

2. A mother sewed a jacket, lined in the softest wool, then dressed her little boy-child, her cup of blessing full. She brought him to the temple where he would serve and live. God’s people had a prophet. She had such faith to give.

3. A mother laid her baby in manger lined with straw; then, in the shepherds’ story, his call from God foresaw. She nurtured him and taught him the way that he must live. God’s people had a savior. She had such love to give.

4. Like Jochebed and Hannah, and Mary too, we know the hardest part of loving is learning to let go, so when we send our children out in the world to live, grant us such hope and faith, God, and love enough to give

Second Reading – John 15:9-17
⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in God’s love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. ¹²“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask God in my name. ¹⁷I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

Message Pastor Mandy Miller

Benediction Abingdon
Created by God, we go to love all of creation. Blessed with love, we are bound by love. Chosen for love, we go now to love.

Postlude Now Thank We all Our God J. S. Bach/Held

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

May 2, 2021

Call to Worship WSL 197
L: It is by our love that we are known to be followers of Christ.
P: It is that we become fully human.
L: It is by changing that we hope to grow.
P: What we were when we came here, we will not be when we leave, for we have met each other in the presence of God. Let us therefore show love for one another.

Opening Prayer WSL 72
Loving God, who speaks to us through your Scriptures and in the collective wisdom of your people throughout the ages: help us to hear anew what you would speak to us this day. For your word is always fresh, a message of life and hope in the world that need to know and heed your will. Through Christ the living Word and your Spirit of illumination who with You is the truth that sets us free. Amen.

Hymn O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing UMH 57 v.1 & 7

First Reading – Philippians 4:6-7
⁶Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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

Offertory Special Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

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 Office@holycrossumc.com

Second Reading – Joshua 1:1-11
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, ²“My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. ³Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. ⁴From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. ⁵No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. ⁶Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. ⁷Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. ⁹I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ¹⁰Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, ¹¹“Pass through the camp, and command the people: ‘Prepare your provisions; for in three days you are to cross over the Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess.’”

Message Pastor Mandy Miller

Hymn This is the Day of New Beginnings UMH 383 v.1 & 3

Benediction WSL 183
L: From where we are to where you need us,
P: Jesus, now lead us on.
L: To refashion the fabric of this world until is resembles the shape of your reign,
P: Jesus, now lead us on.
L: Because good things have been prepared for those who love God,
P: Jesus, now lead us on.

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

April 25, 2021

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: Love one another, even when love involves risk.
P: We love as God loves us.
L: Love and care for others, even when caring is hard.
P: We love and care as God loves and cares for us.
L: Love in truth and action.
P: By this we are known as children of God.

Opening Prayer
You are such a gracious host, Lord God of all creation. Who are we to receive such goodness? You prepare a table for us, amidst our daily struggles, our successes, and failures, even in the presence of our enemies. You anoint us, wash us, feed us. You do all this. Shower us with Your “holy manna” that we might be strengthened for the journey to which You have called us. By faith we stand and worship. By faith we walk and work. By faith we profess that Your Christ is alive, and that Your Spirit moves us to be and to do more than we ever thought possible. We pray all this in the name of the One who said, “I am the bread of life.” Amen.

Hymn Just a Closer Walk with Thee YouTube

First Reading – 1 John 3:16-24
¹⁶We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. ¹⁷How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? ¹⁸Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. ¹⁹And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him ²⁰whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; ²²and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. ²³And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. ²⁴All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

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

Doxology                                                        Rick Weinhoffer
          Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
            Praise God, all creatures here below;
            Praise God above ye heavenly host;
            Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Offertory Prayer WSL 118
O Lord, you know the circumstances of each of our lives. You know both the difficulties and the joys that we have experienced. Like the ancient ancestors of our faith, we have been blessed with great abundance by you. You have taught us to offer you the first fruits of our labors. Now, we place these first fruits on your altar in celebration of the bounty that you have provided and will continue to provide. All praise is given to your Holy Name, now and forever. Amen

Hymn Take it to the Lord in Prayer YouTube

Children’s Time

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

Second Reading – Numbers 11:1-10
Now when the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled. Then the fire of the Lord burned against them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. ²But the people cried out to Moses; and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire abated. ³So that place was called Taberah because the fire of the Lord burned against them. ⁴The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, “If only we had meat to eat! ⁵We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; ⁶but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” ⁷Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color was like the color of gum resin. ⁸The people went around and gathered it, ground it in mills or beat it in mortars, then boiled it in pots and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. ⁹When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna would fall with it. ¹⁰Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, all at the entrances of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and Moses was displeased.

Message Pastor Mandy Miller

Hymn Bring Many Names YouTube

Benediction

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

April 18, 2021

Call to Worship Abingdon
L: Answer us when we call, O God. Be gracious to us and hear our prayer.
P: When we are in distress, you make space for us. You put gladness in our hearts, as with a fine feast.
L: When we are disturbed, may we not sin, but ponder things on our beds, and be silent.
P: I will both lie down and sleep in peace. For you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety.

Opening Prayer Abingdon
Holy God, we give thanks that you often reveal yourself to be different from our expectations. When we long for the love we have known in the past, our eyes are dimmed to the beauty you reveal to us now. As your first followers struggled to see how a suffering savior could be the messiah, we strain to recognize you still today. Come, Spirit, make yourself known in the study of scripture, in our songs of praise, and especially in the grace and love we offer one another, Make yourself known in every friend we have yet to meet in your good and blessed name. Amen.

Hymn For the Beauty of the Earth YouTube

First Reading – Romans 12:1-2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

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

Offertory Old Rugged Cross Shirley Pisano

Doxology                                                        Rick Weinhoffer
            Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
            Praise God, all creatures here below;
            Praise God above ye heavenly host;
            Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Offertory Prayer Abingdon
Generous God, you put love into human form in Jesus, who lived, died, and was raised to eternal life. Receive now these offerings, that your grace may live today through the work of your church.
We offer these gifts with our time, our commitment, and our love, that the world may witness, without doubt, that Christ is alive today. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Hymn I Love to Tell the Story YouTube

Children’s Time

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

Second Reading – John 20:1-18
¹⁷When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle. ¹⁹And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, “God will surely take notice of you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here.” ²⁰They set out from Succoth, and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. ²¹The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. ²²Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Message Pastor Mandy Miller

Hymn Hymn of Promise YouTube

Benediction

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