(Congregation say the words in bold.)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
The risen Christ is with us.
Praise the Lord!
Lord,
Open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today.
Amen.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living
and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic* church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church.
We have not done your will,
we have broken your law,
we have rebelled against your love,
we have not loved our neighbors,
and we have not heard the cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us for joyful obedience,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All pray in silence
Hear the good news:
Christ died for us while
we were yet sinners;
that proves God's love toward us.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
you are forgiven!
In the name of Jesus Christ,
you are forgiven!
Glory to God. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
You formed us in your image
and breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed,
your love remained steadfast.
You delivered us from captivity,
made covenant to be our sovereign God,
and spoke to us through the prophets.
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.
Your Spirit anointed him
to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
and to announce that the time had come
when you would save your people.
He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners.
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.
When the Lord Jesus ascended,
he promised to be with us always,
in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us,
he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread,
gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
When the supper was over, he took the cup,
gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Drink from this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me."
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 Father,
now and forever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
The bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.
The cup over which we give thanks is a sharing in the blood of Christ.
The body of Christ, given for you.
Amen.
The blood of Christ, given for you.
Amen.
Eternal God,
we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the
strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Go forth in peace.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.
Amen.
- He Will Carry You
What's happening in the St John Community!
If you are graduating this year, we would love to honor you. This year more than ever!! Our hearts are with you all as you are having to sacrifice your senior trips and final days of school, final dances & maybe even walking at graduation. We want to honor the seniors from high school & college that are members & active participants of the St John community, as well as the children & grandchildren.
Since our services are all online right, we have the fantastic opportunity this year to create Senior Videos to honor your journey. Please fill out the form to create your bio HERE. Email your photos & video clips to dprather@stjohnumc.org.
We plan on premiering all grad videos by July 12 and will host a Graduation Celebration Sunday on July 19. More details to come!
Are you craving connection? We are launching this new community of small groups called Community Connection groups. You can be a part of community in one of these groups if you are not in a current Sunday school class. You can be part of a group if you are in a current Sunday school class. You can be in a connect group if you have worshipped with us at our Murray Hills building or have just worshipped with us online. You can be part of a connect group even if you have never worshipped with us at all.
The purpose of these groups will be to fellowship, study, discuss, pray, and generally, just do life together. They will be multi-age mixed groups so you can get to know the wonderful depth and breadth of people that make up the St John family.
These groups will initially be all virtual. As it is safe to do so, some groups may choose to meet in homes, restaurants, cofffeeshops, or other places, and others may remain virtual fellowship groups.
UMCOR is calling for flood buckets to build back up their depleted stores from the flooding in VA and tornadoes in TN, AL, and GA. They are asking now to be ready for the predictions of a very active hurricane season this year. We have already had one tropical system bring significant rain to the eastern US. If you would to fill a bucket, you can find out how on UMCOR's website. You can drop off your filled bucket to the church. We will be posting times that you can drop off your buckets, or if you have a key fob, you can place your bucket in the connector lobby in front of the welcome desk.
If you would rather just give monetarily, you can give to UMCOR through their website or mail a check to Project Crossroads, 136 Snider Branch Road, Marion, VA 24354 (make checks to "Project Crossroads" with "disaster supplies in the memo line)
Peace with Justice Sunday is one of six Special Sunday offerings in The United Methodist Church. Our gifts support ministries in the annual conference and around the world. Last year, $433,437 was received, making it possible to plant new seeds of peace with justice in God’s garden of creation.
For example, in Mindanao, part of the Philippines Annual Conference, a men’s group is providing a sustainable source of organic, healthy foods for the surrounding community through organic agricultural practices.
In Adamawa State in northeastern Nigeria, the Peace with Justice garden is represented by youth recovering from substance abuse. Through education and rehabilitation, youth are encouraged to lead healthier lives, while addressing underlying situations that lead to addiction.
The Peace with Justice garden in New Orleans is manifested by laundry services for women experiencing homelessness. The Amanzi Women’s Ministry at Peoples United Methodist Church offers free laundry services, opportunities for spiritual growth, coaching in simple life skills and other educational opportunities. Participants’ children have a safe, fun place to play.
Through your offering today, you are part of the restoration of God’s perfect balance. Together, as followers of Christ, we are declaring that God’s world is very good, and we are investing in ministries that repair unjust systems.
PLEASE PRAY WITH ME
Thank you, God, for the ways your image is reflected in every one of your children. As we prepare our offering for you today, transform our gifts into food for those who hunger, homes for those who are displaced, peace for those who experience violence and hope for those who despair because of injustice. In addition to our financial gifts, receive our personal commitment to live in a way that repairs and restores your beautiful creation. Amen.
Please give online: umcgiving.org/givePWJS or mail checks to: Peace with Justice Sunday GCFA, P.O. Box 340029, Nashville, TN 37203.
Please watch our Facebook page and the newsletter for more information on this Special Sunday.