Unfold: Claiming New Possibilities

[0:00] Amen. Amen.

[1:00] Amen. Amen.

[2:00] Amen. Yeah, we did not plan this.

[2:58] Thank you. Okay, that's fine. Okay. We welcome you to worship, whether it's here in person or online with us, and we're so glad you're here on this beautiful day.

[3:17] We have a couple announcements before we start. Beginning June 5th, we will have worship. Our summer worship hours are going to start, so Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 9.

[3:30] So there will be no 11 o'clock service on Sundays. If you have a graduate that's graduated from high school, college, or technical school, please let us know so we can celebrate them.

[3:42] And our Thursday night dinner is this Thursday, May 26th, and they are in need of hot dogs. So please see DJ if you can help them with that. Thank you.

[3:54] May the peace and love of Christ be with you today and every day. And also as a child. Amen. Good morning, everyone.

[4:16] And good morning to everyone online. We hear in Scripture that God is our rock and our refuge and that he's the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

[4:27] And it's because of that faithfulness that we can praise him in any circumstance. So we're going to open with two songs this morning. Great is thy faithfulness and blessed be your name.

[4:38] I invite you to stand. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[4:48] Amen. Amen.

[5:18] change is done compassions may fail not as thou hast then thou forever will 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 joy unto me summer and winter springtime and harvest sun moon and stars in their courses above joy with all nature in man hath old witness to thy great faithfulness mercy and love outstanding country great is thy faithfulness great is

[7:09] May the rest pour unto me. Pardon for sin and the peace that endureth.

[7:25] Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide. Strength for today and thy love for tomorrow.

[7:42] Blessings all mine, ten thousand resiled. Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness.

[7:58] Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed, thy hand hath provided.

[8:16] Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Thank you.

[8:37] Him's will be. Blessed be your name In the land that is kind of war Streaming love of our dead's flow Blessed be your name Blessed be your name The clouds in the desert place For walking the wilderness Blessed be your name Every blessing to for our love Turned back to pain When the darkness closes in more Still I will say Blessed be the name of our Lord

[9:41] Blessed be your name Blessed be the name of our Lord Blessed be your glorious name Blessed be your name Blessed be your name The sun shining down the road Lord amenég for youenden Gl ESL Better all as it should be Blessed be your name Blessed be your name Your own heart is suffering To training the offering Blessed be your name.

[10:53] Blessed be your Lord in my name. You give and take away.

[11:06] You give and take away. My heart will choose to say. Lord, blessed be your name.

[11:19] You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say.

[11:33] Lord, blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your name.

[11:45] Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glorious name. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

[11:58] Blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be your glorious name.

[12:09] You may be seated. Good morning. For those of you I don't know, I'm Kathy Stengel. For those of you who don't know me, I'm still Kathy Stengel.

[12:37] One of the pastors here on the team. And good morning to those of you who are watching us online. We're going to take a little bit of a trip back to the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

[12:53] So, as you may or may not know, in the Gospels at the beginning is usually the story about Jesus being born. But we're going to talk about Zechariah. Anybody familiar with that name, Zechariah?

[13:05] Zechariah. It's one of those spelling test names. I'm just kidding. If the confirmation kids were in here, I'd say that that would be the test we'd have to spell Zechariah. And there's a couple of other names in this particular scripture reading.

[13:20] So, I'm going to orient you there and then I'm going to ask you a question. Anybody have any thunder, lightning at your house yesterday? I came home from the 5 o'clock service yesterday, last evening, and I knew that there was a package in my mailbox.

[13:36] And so, while it was not raining, I went out to my mailbox and I got the package and I walked back into the house. And I was standing in the living room opening the package and kaboom!

[13:48] It was so close and so loud that I almost screamed. I'm not much of a screamer. But it was, just for that instant, terrifying.

[13:59] Because I wondered, did it strike the house? Did it, what happened? Is a tree going to fall? And other than whatever happened with the generator, here at the church, nothing happened.

[14:10] Zechariah, a priestly man, married to Elizabeth, a wonderful woman, following all the rules, following all the things that God teaches her to do, but cannot have a child.

[14:26] So, they are old and they are without any children. And Zechariah is a priest and he's on a team. If you picture teams on rotation, the priests were on rotation to come and light the incense and basically get everything ready in the temple for worship like we do for our own worship services.

[14:47] So, he's doing his thing. He's putting things in place and he's lighting the incense and then kaboom! It's Gabriel. You know, wherever Gabriel shows up, there's trouble coming.

[15:00] Maybe the best kind of trouble, but trouble nonetheless. And Gabriel says to him, you and Elizabeth are going to have a baby. What?

[15:14] So, thus begins part of our story for this morning's scripture reading. Because what happens to Zechariah and what happens to us sometimes when we feel like something is zapping right in front of us.

[15:30] And sometimes we don't know what to do. And so, we come here, we read our Bibles, we talk to people, and we try to figure out, what am I looking for, God?

[15:45] So, I'd like to invite you as we go into these parts of worship to pray with me. Amen. God, our maker and our savior, form us, hold us, open us, unfold us, unfurl us, untether us, uncurl us, uncrease us, unwrap us, open us.

[16:09] May we worship God in this open space. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[16:23] Amen. Sometimes our faith is tested. But God is always there for us, and he has given us so, so many blessings in our lives. And at this time of offering, it's our time to give back to God and to thank him for all that he's done for us.

[16:41] So, we ask that you be in a time of prayer and consider your offerings this morning. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[16:53] Anger team. The greatness of your realm.

[17:05] God is even ready to cand top truth. I stand before you die. The greatness of your realm.

[17:15] The greatness of your crown I have heard of the majesty and wonder of you King of heaven, humility are bound Hence your love in wave after wave It crashes over me, crashes over me For you are a force, you are not against us Champion of heaven, you laid a way for all to enter in I have heard you calling by name

[18:24] I have heard the song of love that you sing Oh, so I will let you draw me out beyond the shore Into the wave, oh, your grace and your love As your love in wave after wave It flashes over me, flashes over me For you are for us, you are not against us Champion of heaven, you made a way for all to enter in Cause you make me brave You make me brave

[19:24] You call me out beyond the shore into the waves You make me brave You make me brave No fear can hinder now the promises you make Cause you make me brave You make me brave You make me brave You make me brave You call me out beyond the shore into the waves Cause you make me brave You make me brave You make me brave No fear can hinder now the promises you make I am brave You call me out beyond the shore into the waves You make me brave Love after wave And wave after wave Crash is over me Crash is over me

[20:25] Crash is over me For you are for us, you are not against us Champion of heaven, you made a way.

[20:42] Champion of heaven, you made a way for all to enter. Champion of heaven, you made a way to enter.

[21:15] Mission to heaven, your Holy Spirit. Mission to heaven, your Holy Spirit.

[21:30] Mission to heaven, your Holy Spirit. God, we thank you for the gift of life, for everything that you've given us.

[21:46] And it's our time to give back to you and to thank you for the blessings that you've shown us. We know that we still need to do work in your name.

[21:58] Please help us to know the way, the steps to take. Walk with us through our path. In your name we praise. Amen.

[22:12] You may be seated. So we have a few celebrations this weekend. Pastor Scott is not here because his youngest daughter, Michaela, graduated last night.

[22:28] So we certainly celebrate with them. We are blessed. Kelly Putney, I know, is watching online and did wonderful through her surgery.

[22:41] And so we pray for her continued recovery. Do you have any prayers, joys, concerns that you would like to lift up today? Okay. I'm sorry.

[22:55] Our prayers are with you. Becky. Go ahead.

[23:12] Today is my son's 15th birthday. Oh, 15th birthday celebration. Happy birthday, Aiden. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Oh, Steve's upcoming surgery.

[23:25] Is it this week? No. Okay. So Steve's having surgery. Okay. And for Caitlin. All right.

[23:36] Please pray with me. God, we ask that you not only lift up the people that we've named here today and those in our hearts, but you lift up the people in the city of Buffalo, our community, our brothers and sisters in Christ who need to feel your love now more than ever.

[24:02] We pray for the people of Ukraine and our military men and women. God, we pray for our world. There's just so much that we don't understand and we need your help.

[24:18] We need your help. We need your help to know what to do. We need to be your beacon, your light in this world and help us walk the path that you want us to walk.

[24:35] Give us the strength and the courage to be the people that you have created us to be. people of love and peace.

[24:47] The people who have the courage to go out and spread that love throughout all nations so that we can finally have a world that's full of joy and peace and in celebration of you.

[25:05] But God, we also thank you for the joys and the celebrations that are in our life. We thank you for the time to be with friends, the comfort from families, the sunshine and the warm days.

[25:21] We thank you for all of these. In your name we pray. Amen. Amen. Good morning.

[25:52] Hi Kelly Putney. Today's scripture is taken from the book of Luke like Pastor Kathy said and it speaks about Zechariah and his story.

[26:06] And it's taken from the book of Luke chapter 1 verses 18 to 25 and 57 to 66. Zechariah said to the angel, how can I be sure of this?

[26:17] My wife and I are very old. The angel replied, I am Gabriel. I stand in God's presence. I was sent to speak to you and to bring this good news to you.

[26:28] Know this. What I have spoken will come true at the proper time. But because you didn't believe, you will remain silent, unable to speak until the day when these things happen.

[26:40] Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and they wondered why he was in the sanctuary for such a long time. When he came out, he was unable to speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple for he gestured to them and couldn't speak.

[26:57] When he completed the days of his priestly service, he returned home. Afterward, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. She kept to herself for five months saying, this is the Lord's doing.

[27:10] He has shown his favor to me by removing my disgrace among other people. When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a boy. Her neighbors and relatives celebrated with her because they had heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy.

[27:27] On the eighth day, it came time to circumcise the child. They wanted to name him Zechariah because that was his father's name. But his mother replied, no, his name will be John.

[27:39] They said to her, none of your relatives have that name. Then they began gesturing to his father to see what he wanted to call him. After asking for a tablet, he surprised everyone by writing, his name is John.

[27:55] At that moment, Zechariah was able to speak again and he began praising God. All their neighbors were filled with awe and everyone throughout the Judean highlands talked about what had happened.

[28:08] All who heard about this considered it carefully. They said, what then will this child be? Indeed, the Lord's power was with him. This is the word of our Lord.

[28:20] Thanks be to God. Watching a monarch butterfly emerge from its chrysalis is an amazing sight. Right after emerging, the monarch's abdomen is large and filled with fluid.

[28:39] At first, the monarch's wings are very small. The monarch pumps fluid from its abdomen into its wings, causing them to inflate.

[28:51] Once the wings are fully inflated, the monarch hangs and dries before taking flight.

[29:18] A few hours later, the wings are ready for use. A new monarch butterfly's first stop is usually a source of nectar.

[29:32] This monarch is a female. You can distinguish males from females by looking at the hindwing. The veins on the hindwing of a male are thinner and they have small black pouches.

[29:43] Who would have known that a butterfly comes out of this cocoon?

[30:06] And it's not surprising. Wings are all wrinkled and they're too small and the butterfly has this big belly and you wonder, what's going to happen here? But I never noticed it before.

[30:18] And then you watch as the liquid goes and fills the wings and the wings, then the butterfly dries and then the butterfly is off. I think sometimes when things happen in our lives, it catches us a little bit like the butterfly just out of the cocoon.

[30:36] Like, wait, I know I should do something, but I'm not really ready. My wings are wrinkled. My body's not in the right proportion to do what it's supposed to do.

[30:48] Zechariah finds himself in the temple being told this thing and it's like, wait, I'm not ready. Is this going to be true? Should I believe it? And then he can't speak.

[31:03] During this past week, when I have thought about what's gone on in our area and what's gone on in other parts of the country and the world, one of the things that has been so prevalent in my mind is a song.

[31:22] And the song is a spiritual called, I'm going to live so God can use me. Are you familiar with that? No? Some yes, some no. If I was musical, I'd sing it for you, but since I'm not, I won't.

[31:37] But the song goes, I'm going to live so God can use me anytime, anywhere. Make sure I get it right. Lord, anytime. I'm going to live so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime.

[31:51] Second verse, I'm going to work so God can use me anywhere, anytime. I'm going to work so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime.

[32:02] And then the third verse, I'm going to pray so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime. I'm going to pray so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime.

[32:17] Zechariah and Elizabeth had already given their lives to the Lord and were living their lives so that God could use them. Taking care of the temple, making sure things were ready for worship in that space.

[32:35] They did what God wanted them to do and yet they had not had children, which meant that Elizabeth was disgraced for not being able to have children.

[32:48] And this time for Zechariah was troubling because he now did not have an heir. There was no one. And so the time comes when the angel Gabriel comes to him and again I'm mindful of that lightning strike right outside my house and I picture if an angel of the Lord shows up that angel is going to be white and glowing and all of these things and it's going to be very frightening and of course the words are always do not be afraid.

[33:23] I am the angel of the Lord. I've come in the Lord's presence. To give you words from God. I'm going to live so God can use me.

[33:37] What does that mean? What does that mean in your life and in mine to live so God can use me and just a minute while I get my water otherwise God won't be able to use me.

[33:48] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[33:59] Amen.

[34:13] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. chainra rises that they are And she was a planner, a planner.

[34:25] Like, this is what's going to happen. God, you got this? God, let me, you know, I'll send you an email if you want to. But this is how it's going to happen. We're going to date for this long, get engaged.

[34:35] We're going to get married at my church. And he won't mind because it's going to be at my church. And then, after such and such a period of time, we're going to have a child. And then two years later, we'll have our second child.

[34:47] And we'll live happily ever after. We'll buy a house. The whole nine yards. She had it planned. Right down to the smallest dot. And after they got married, children didn't come.

[35:03] And they didn't come. And they didn't come. And finally, after a prolonged period of time in which she doubted and she wondered. And she's like, I give myself to you, God.

[35:17] Use me. I want to live so you can use me. What she had created in herself, however, was a plan of her own making.

[35:28] And her body simply wasn't going to comply with that. So, ultimately, they adopted two children and moved on with their life. But that's not the main point of the story.

[35:42] That part of the story is that we don't always get to write all the endings that we would like. The other part of it was that she married a man she thought was a devout Christian who wanted to live so God could use him as well.

[35:56] But once they were married, he just wasn't all that interested in going to church and doing things there anymore. Until one day, he was asked to play the drums for the music.

[36:12] And so, he played the drums. And he played the drums. And he played the drums. And this young man who had courted this young woman to marry him based on at least partly his Christian life and his involvement with church, came closer and closer and closer and closer to living his life so God could use him.

[36:39] He had to go on a journey much like the people in the Bible, much like Zechariah, going on a journey until you get to the point where you know this is how God is going to use you.

[36:54] When the world falls apart in your own world, health, crises, or someone dies in your family, or a job is lost or a marriage fails or something like that, we often find ourselves in that place of chaos.

[37:17] When Buffalo exploded in violence last weekend, people scurried around. What do we do? How do we do? We're Christians. What do we do?

[37:28] When someone has a loss in their family, what do we do? We make casseroles. We send cards. We call them. We do those kinds of things. What do we do when someone's house burns down?

[37:41] We try to gather stuff and furniture and clothes and try to make sure that they also get something like a casserole. And we're good at cooking, us United Methodists.

[37:54] We make blankets to give to people. We fill a house for refugees full of wonderful furniture and create a home for a family that has traveled far.

[38:07] This is what we've been doing since the beginning of time. We live so God can use us. What do they need?

[38:19] That's often what we hear when there is trouble. What do they need? How can I help? Sometimes things are so big, we don't know what to do to help.

[38:33] Sometimes, and I'll use what happened in Buffalo last week, sometimes it becomes national news and all the people are helping. All the companies and the people, they're all coming with food and water and clothes and meal stations and all kinds of stuff.

[38:51] And those of us who live here wonder, wait, how can you use me? Because we make casseroles and we send cards and we go sit next to and we go and visit the hospital and we pray and we take care of people's kids while they need to be at the hospital or doing funeral arrangements or whatever.

[39:14] How is it that you would use me, oh God, in this space and time? Because I want to live so God can use me and I believe we're called to live so God can use each and every one of us.

[39:30] And this past week, we had ambassadors of joy and comfort in Sandy Houck and some of the things that she was doing and a variety of ways in which people were praying and sending forth love and opportunities to share.

[39:48] I want to live so God can use me. When I was a teenager about to go to college, my father in his middle class, pretty staunch Republican person thought, oh my gosh, I've given birth to a hippie because I was marching about baby formula and I wanted justice and all of this stuff and by golly, I was going to eliminate racism and sexism and there was going to be no more abuse and all of it.

[40:24] I was going to take care of all of it. He just... It wasn't as though he thought fixing the world was a bad thing.

[40:37] He just knew that it wasn't as easy as me saying, well, let's just fix it. Let's just fix it. Let's just stop all the bad stuff.

[40:50] And then when I came to faith and discovered that there was a God who had some interest and concern in the well-being of God's people, I thought, well, I'm not God and I'm thankful for that, so really I can't fix the world.

[41:09] But can I live so God can use me? And I think that's the question that I invite us to ask ourselves. Can I live so God can use me?

[41:21] Can I live so that I may bring light and hope and understanding in situations that are difficult and complicated?

[41:31] I want to live so God can use me to make this place, this community, this state, this world, a better place.

[41:46] But I don't always know how it is that I do that. And the song goes on to say, I want to work so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime.

[41:57] I want to work. Now, I'm not sure what always that definition of work is. Because sometimes in the hurrying and scurrying of rushing to a catastrophe or rushing to help, our help isn't needed.

[42:17] Sometimes we go and we're like, oh, well, they've already gotten 16 casseroles and flowers and, you know, somebody mowed their lawn and, hmm, I want to work so God can use me.

[42:33] What would that look like? What is the work of Christians? What is the work of Zechariah and Elizabeth? The work of Zechariah and Elizabeth is to raise John the Baptist and the angel Gabriel tells them specifically he's got to be raised and going to eat natural food.

[42:53] And speaking of hippies, John the Baptist was the epitome of wearing weird clothes and eating bugs out of the wilderness. But God said he will have no alcohol.

[43:05] He will do this and this and this and this. This is your work, Zechariah, to raise this child to work so that God can use him to what?

[43:19] it was as though John came as a spotlight, a flashlight to point the light towards Jesus who would come behind him. John was to live so God could use him.

[43:37] John was going to work so that God could use him. How is it that we can work so God can use us?

[43:52] Is it possible sometimes that the work is in here? And if you do brain work, do you like to do brain work? Or would you rather do physical work?

[44:05] No opinions? Brain work, at least in brain work, I can often come up with the right decision. What do you think, Aidan?

[44:18] Physical. But maybe there are times like the season that we're in when the work that we as people of faith are called to be about is a work of gathering and talking and working on how is it that we in a diligent and purposeful way try to create a culture here and a culture in other places where we're mindful of not always knowing what the right way to help is.

[44:54] So teach me. Maybe, God, you teach me what the right way of living and working so that you can use me might be. Maybe, you teach me how to not descend on people in trouble and drop my gifts and turn and run.

[45:14] Maybe it's me that needs to be changed. Maybe it's work that I need to do to understand a world where hate drives someone to do such a despicable thing because I want to live so God can use me.

[45:29] I want to work so God can use me to help to create an environment of love and honor and respect in which there would be no children that grow up with that much hate in their hearts.

[45:46] Wow. Too big of a job. Too hard. I want to pray. I'm going to pray.

[45:58] I want to pray. I'm going to pray. I want. I'm going to. The most portable tool that God has given us is the ability to pray so that God can use us.

[46:14] I believe that the Pendleton Center Church has lived so God can use us. Mission. Outreach.

[46:25] Pouring out into so many different parts of our community and our environment. We are on it. If there's a need for food, for clothing, for furniture, for all kinds of stuff, we are on it.

[46:39] If there are children who need to come to vacation Bible school and can't afford to, we're on it. Or go to camp, we're on it. We are living in so many ways as though God is using us and I believe God is using us.

[46:54] I also believe that God is calling us to continue to go back to this prayer of open us, unfold us, unfurl us.

[47:06] Because like the butterfly's leaves that have been cramped inside that cocoon, sometimes we watch the news and it doesn't matter the day and that's how we end up.

[47:20] Or we experience pain or difficulty and we curl up. And I think the story of Zechariah and the story of the risen Christ is to unfurl and let the power of the Holy Spirit feed our wings and fill them with what they need until they are open and wide and dry and then what do we do?

[47:50] We fly. We fly. Now, we may not all fly in the same ways because you are not created the same as I nor I you but it is the power of the Holy Spirit that came to Zechariah and said, you and Elizabeth are going to have a son.

[48:14] Zechariah was made silent. until the time it came when he believed with his heart and he wrote on the paper his name will be John.

[48:30] His sign of belief because God said his name would be John not Zechariah. We don't need another Zechariah. We need John the Baptist to preach Jesus on his way.

[48:43] Amen. Amen. Dietrich Bonhoeffer great theologian wrote there are great and terrible things that happen out in the world every day but do not be afraid for I the Lord your God will be with you as he quotes we will not be left in the cocoon we will not be left without power so let us let us live work and pray so that God can use us because this broken world needs us and in order to be who God called us to be in this broken world we need each other as a church let's keep asking the questions let's keep crying out to

[49:46] God and saying what shall you have us do guide us in prayer guide us in our steps guide us in our study guide us in conversation there'll be an article in the June newsletter that I'll invite you to just keep in the back of your mind read that article that's called let's talk for such a time as this know that God can use you no matter what state you are in literally no matter what state but also no matter what the state is of your mind your body your spirit and your soul until we are passed beyond this kingdom into God's heavenly arms God is not finished with us yet so be comforted in God's presence be renewed in our willingness and our determination to make the world a place where laughter and rejoicing may happen for all of God's people let's pray

[50:53] Lord speak into the quiet Lord calm the chaos Lord remind us once again that we might be able to sing or say in our hearts I'm going to live so you can use me I'm going to work so you can use me I'm going to pray so you can use me oh Lord draw me into your space wrap us with your Holy Spirit and may we feel not defeated by hate never defeated by hate empowered by love empowered by grace and the glory of your risen son Jesus Christ amen on amen

[52:03] As we prepare to receive and bless this Holy Communion, may you and we feel the living presence of Christ dwell in the silence, rise in the song, and live in the word.

[52:39] We come to be in the prayer and be fed at the table. We have come to worship. Amen. Please join me in the affirmation of faith that's shown on the screen.

[52:51] We believe in God who blessed water and invited us to enter into the family of God through its healing flow, who saw in the broken bread the possibility of being made whole, who called us to share the bread with others so that all might be fed, who placed the chalice in our midst and said, this is the symbol of serving others, of loving deeply, of being poured out.

[53:21] It is the wind of compassion, the cup of hope. We believe God calls us to welcome all into the redeeming community of love and gives us the bread and cup as signs of the risen Christ, present with us now as friend, guide, and comforter.

[53:43] We believe the mystery of God is seen in the common elements of our lives. Thanks be to God. Amen. The Lord be with you.

[53:54] 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 our hearts and hearts.

[54:06] Lord, it is right and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you. And so with all your people on earth and the company of heaven, we praise your name and join in your unending hymn.

[54:21] 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.

[54:34] Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you and blessed is your son, Jesus Christ. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection, you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

[54:55] On the night that Jesus was betrayed, as he ate supper with his friends, he took a simple loaf of bread and he looked at his friends with great love.

[55:09] And he gave thanks for the bread and he broke it and he said to them, Take and eat. This represents my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

[55:21] Help us to humbly receive this gift of bread that we may be healed and nourished in your spirit, Lord. Likewise, after supper, when he had given them the bread, he also took the cup and looking at them with love.

[55:37] He gave thanks for the cup and he blessed it and gave it to them saying, Drink from this, all of you, for this represents my blood of the new covenant. It is the covenant of hope and forgiveness, and each time you drink of the cup, do this in remembrance of me.

[55:55] Lord, we come as sinners to receive this blessing. Yet you have lavished your love and forgiveness on us. Help us to humbly receive this gracious gift and to go and live our lives as transformed by love.

[56:13] And so, in remembrance of all your gifts and your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ's offering for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

[56:27] Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on all of us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and cup.

[56:38] Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ so that we might be the body of Christ in the world. And through him, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, may all honor and glory be yours, almighty God, now and forever.

[56:54] Amen. And as children of God, we now see the prayer our Father taught us to say. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

[57:05] 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.

[57:19] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. The table of the Lord is ready.

[57:33] There's a place for all of God's children here. Come. Come and receive the bread and the cup. Take and eat, remembering that Christ offered himself for each of you.

[57:45] Do this with thanksgiving and joy. Will those who are helping serve, please come up front. Come. Thank you.

[58:17] Thank you. Bye. our modify Thank you.

[59:19] Thank you.

[59:49] Thank you.

[60:19] Thank you. Thank you.

[60:51] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[61:31] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[61:43] You're all I want How we know you are here Draw me close to you Never let me go And laid it all down again To hear you say that I'm your friend You are my desire No one else will do

[62:45] Cause nothing else could take your place To feel the warmth of your embrace Help me find a way Bring me back to you You're all I want You're all I've ever needed You're all I want Love me know you are here Love me know you are here

[63:46] Love me know you are here Help me know you are here Oh God you're near Oh God of us Your nemesis to us Our God Be near Oh God Be near Oh God of us Your nemesis to us Our God Be near Oh God Be near Oh God Be near Oh God of us Your nemesis to us Our God Be near Oh God Be near Oh God

[64:47] Serve the O God You're all I want Oh God You're all I want For me Our God Oh God When we live and work and pray so that God can use us, undoubtedly, he's going to call us out upon the waters. And the bridge of the song Oceans is the prayer that we can pray today while singing, Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me. So I invite you to stand for our closing song.

[66:09] You call me out upon the waters of great unknown where feet may fail.

[66:34] My soul will rest in your embrace. For I am yours. And you are mine.

[67:16] Your grace abounds in deepest waters. Your sovereign hand will be my guide.

[67:39] Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me. You've never failed and you won't start now.

[67:53] And I will call upon your name. Keep my eyes above the waves. When oceans rise, my soul will rest in your embrace.

[68:13] For I am yours. And you are mine. In your presence, I will call me.

[68:34] Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me.

[68:48] Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever you would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever you would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

[69:52] And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior And my faith will be made more And I will call upon your name And I will call upon your name Keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise My soul will rest in your embrace I am yours And you are mine No matter what we face in the world

[70:59] No matter what you see or experience out there Know That God has given you That God has given you what you need God will go before you and behind you and beneath you and above you Let us live Let us live So God can use us So the world may be healed Let us Love So that God might use us And oh Lord May we pray So that the God Of heaven and earth May use us Go in that peace and comfort Into all the world Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen

[72:00] Amen I Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Thank you.

[72:40] Thank you.

[73:10] Thank you.

[73:40] Thank you.