- Links in the "We Worship" section of this email take you further down the body of the email to hymn lyrics.
- Links in other sections lead to pages on our website or other sites such as our page on Facebook, our video collection on Vimeo, or Tithely (the service we use to allow allow any and all worshippers to make an offering online).
|
|
|
We Worship
We Gather
CALL TO WORSHIP (Call and Response)
L: God calls us to worship today.
P: We are here!
L: All are invited – the sick, the well, the believer, and the doubter.
P: We are here!
L: Wash us, O God! My we be cleansed by Your holy love.
P: We are here!
All: Amen!
OPENING PRAYER (In Unison)
L: Let us worship the God who gathers us! Let us pray in his name together:
God of Liberation,
We are gathered to meet with you this morning. Open our hearts to the many ways you will speak to us. As you did with the prophets, you call us out of our everyday lives to share your message of love and grace. Challenge us today to look within ourselves so that we may be your disciples.
Amen.
We Proclaim
CREED: A MODERN AFFIRMATION (UMH 885)
L: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the one true church, apostolic and universal, whose holy faith let us now declare:
All: We believe in God the Father,
infinite in wisdom, power, and love,
whose mercy is over all his works,
and whose will is ever directed to his children's good.
We believe in Jesus Christ,
Son of God and Son of man,
the gift of the Father's unfailing grace,
the ground of our hope,
and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death.
We believe in the Holy Spirit
as the divine presence in our lives,
whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance
of the truth of Christ,
and find strength and help in time of need.
We believe that this faith should manifest itself
in the service of love
as set forth in the exmple of our blessed Lord,
to the end
that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth.
Amen.
GLORIA PATRI
PASTORAL PRAYER (Joys & Concerns)
(Rev. Val will pray first, then all will pray the Lord's prayer. When prompted during the prayer, the People's response is "Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.")
Lord’s Prayer (All)
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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.
Rev. Val will read the scriptures, followed by the congregational response:
L: The scriptures of God for the people of God.
A: Thanks be to God.
We Respond
We Go Forth
BENEDICTION
|
|
HYMNS
GLORIA PATRI
(United Methodist Hymnal #70)
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning,
It is now and ever shall be.
World without end,
Amen. Amen.
DOXOLOGY
(United Methodist Hymnal #95)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Praise Him all creatures here below!
Praise Him above ye heavenly host!
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!
Amen.
THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD
(United Methodist Hymnal 144)
V1: This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.
V2: This is my Father's world,
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
he shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass I hear him pass;
he speaks to me everywhere.
V3: This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!
WHEN THE POOR ONES
(United Methodist Hymnal #434)
V1: When the poor ones who have nothing share with strangers,
when the thirsty water give unto us all,
when the crippled in their weakness strengthen others,
Refrain: then we know that God still goes that road with us,
then we know that God still goes that road with us.
V2: When at last all those who suffer find their comfort,
when they hope though even hope seems hopelessness,
when we love though hate at times seems all around us,
(Refrain)
V3: When our joy fills up our cup to overflowing,
when our lips can speak no words other than true,
when we know that love for simple things is better,
(Refrain)
V4: When our homes are filled with goodness in abundance,
when we learn how to peace instead of war,
when each stranger that we meet is called a neighbor,
(Refrain)
There's a Wideness in God's Mercy
(Words: United Methodist Hymnal #121, HYMNTUNE: United Methodist Hymnal 331)
V1: There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
like the wideness of the sea.
There’s a kindness in God’s justice,
which is more than liberty.
V2: There is welcome for the sinner,
and more graces for the good.
There is mercy with the Savior,
there is healing in his blood.
V3: But we make God’s love too narrow
by false limits of our own,
and we magnify its strictness
with a zeal God will not own.
V4: For the love of God is broader
than the measures of the mind,
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
V5: If our love were but more simple,
we should rest upon God’s word,
and our lives would be illumined
by the presence of our Lord.
BE PRESENT AT OUR TABLE, LORD
(United Methodist Hymnal #621)
V1: Be present at our table, Lord;
be here and everywhere adored;
thy creatures bless, and grant that we
may feast in paradise with thee.
|
|
SCRIPTURE READING(S)
*All scriptures today are from the NRSV.
2 Kings 5:1-14 - Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.
Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said.
And the king of Aram said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy."
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me."
But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel."
So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house.
Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean."
But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!
Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage.
But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more when all he said to you was, 'Wash, and be clean'?"
So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.
Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16 - My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted.
Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves.
All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads. Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time if we do not give up.
So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.
See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand!
It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised--only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh.
May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!
As for those who will follow this rule--peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 - After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.
Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.
Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'
"Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!"
He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
L: The scriptures of God for the people of God.
A: Thanks be to God.
|
|
SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION
Rev. Pat Whittemore, Tennessee/Holston/Memphis Course of Study Instructor
Instructions for those worshipping with us online: Have bread and juice or an appropriate beverage ready. As we go through the service, one person in your family or gathering should emulate the actions of breaking the bread and lifting the "cup" when Rev. Val does so. While we provide individually prepared portions of the elements for in-person worshippers as a COVID safety protocol, if you are with people in your household, you can use the intinction method (tear off and had each person a bite-sized portion of the bread which they can then dip into one communal cup). As you offer them the bread, say "This is Christ's body broken for you." As you offer them the cup, say "This is Christ's blood poured out for you."
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
L: Lift up your hearts!
P: We lift them to the Lord!
L: Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, you made us in your image, to love and be loved. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. By the suffering, death, and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you delivered us from slavery to sin and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
On the night in which Jesus 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. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, 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.
P: By your Spirit, God, 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.
L: The Lord’s table is ready. For those worshipping here in person, please remain seated and I will bring the elements to you. For those worshipping online, you may now share the elements with one another.
|
|
ANNOUNCEMENTS
To access the video of today's service:
Save the Date!
(all times given are in Eastern Time)
- July - Wednesday in the Word will not meet during the month of July to give Rev. Val time to plan upcoming studies. If there is a specific topic or book of the Bible you would like to study, please send it to Rev. Val by replying to this email.
- July 3-August 28 - Our worship series is "Ice Cream Social Gospel Summer." Each week, we'll worship and then share ice cream and fellowship following the service. Invite a friend!
- Coming Soon: Mission Monthly newsletter - While we don't share much about our Bruno Projects with the general public, we will be introducing a monthly mission update to subscribers only. Stay tuned!
Our small groups currently meet via Zoom. You don't have to be a member of Union Grove to participate in these groups. They are open to everyone.
|
|
|
 Dear <<First Name>>,
I am both honored and humbled to begin my third year as your pastor. I am constantly encouraged and inspired by your love of God and your love for all God's children.
I pray for and look forward to our most fruitful year of making disciples for Christ and mission yet as we continue to build the Jesus-believing beloved community here at Union Grove.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Val |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our church now has access to Amplify! Amplify is a multimedia platform that features thousands of videos you can use for study, reflection, worship and inspiration. Amplify has videos can be used in your small groups, Bible studies and, of course, in your own personal faith journey.
You can access all of these videos anytime and on almost any device. To access your Amplify account, just follow these simple steps:
- Go to https://my.amplifymedia.com/uniongroveumcfriendsvillefri/welcome
- Enter our Access Code ... DFGKSH
- You may be prompted to sign up for a user account. There is NO COST to you to do this.
- If you have any questions, I'm here to help. Feel free to get in touch with me at revsehesseesfar@comcast.net and I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions.
|
|
|
For our virtual worshippers: If you are able, please consider making an offering or setting up recurring tithes through our online service at Tithe.ly. It’s safe, it’s free, and your offerings will help us continue ministry at Union Grove and provide resources for mission work in our community. Just visit https://tithe.ly/give?c=4118449, and follow the instruction for making your offering. You may be prompted to create an account with them. There is no fee for the account or for making your offering through Tithe.ly.
If you are not comfortable using a debit or credit card online, you can mail your offerings/tithes to:
Union Grove UMC
1151 Lane Drive
Friendsville, TN 37737
Please be sure to make your checks payable to Union Grove UMC!
|
|
|
Pastor: Rev. Val Ohle - 865-924-8339, revsheseesfar@comcast.net
Admin Council Chair: Michael Stinnett
Admin. Council Treasurer: Sue Schmadebeck
|
|
|
|
|
