FROM THE CORNER. St. John s United Methodist Church July 17, :50 a.m. ANOTHER FACE OF GOD Playful THE ENTRANCE. Words of Welcome.

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1 FROM THE CORNER The news of our life, growth, and discipleship JULY 24 SUNDAY-30 SATURDAY Honduras Youth Mission Trip 30 SATURDAY Central High School Choral Program in the sanctuary (6:00pm) AUGUST 1 MONDAY Finance Meeting in Room 205 (6:00pm) 6 SERVICE SATURDAY Community Garden Group (8:00am) 6 SERVICE SATURDAY Soup Kitchen in the Fellowship Hall. Volunteers appreciated contact Annie (ahunter@stjohnsmidtown.org). (3:30-5:30pm) 7 SUNDAY The Greatest Prayer sermon series begins in the sanctuary (10:50am) 7 SUNDAY Service of Healing and Blessing in the chapel (5:00pm) 18 WEDNESDAY Parents Night Out (6:00-7:30pm) 28 SUNDAY Ed Kilbourne will be preaching in story & song (10:50am) 28 SUNDAY End-of-Summer Cookout in the parking lot (5:00pm) This Friday at 6:00pm John Kilzer leads us with Tom Lonardo, Heather Trussell, Sam Shoup, and Steve Selvidge. SEPTEMBER 1207 Peabody Ave. Memphis, TN (901) St. John's United Methodist Church - Midtown Memphis 3 SERVICE SATURDAY Community Garden Group (8:00am) 3 SERVICE SATURDAY Soup Kitchen in the Fellowship Hall. Volunteers appreciated contact Annie (ahunter@stjohnsmidtown.org). (3:30-5:30pm) ANNOUNCEMENTS... Send Us Your Pet Photos your favorite photos of your pets to Annie (ahunter@stjohnsmidtown.org) to be featured in our slideshows. Community Garden Receive garden updates! Dawn (dlafon740@aol.com) to receive the s. Donations Needed St. John's volunteers read with children at Project Transformation's literacy-based summer camp. We ve seen the need to build children's reading skills, and how helpful daily reading is in that process. Our goal is for St. John's to provide at least one book to each camper at the end of the summer. Your donation of $5 will provide one book to a child. Write checks to St. John's and designate Project Transformation on the memo line. St. John's welcomes everyone. Our hearts, minds, and doors are open to people of all ages, races, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, theological identities, economic status, disabilities, and sojourn on the way to recovery and wholeness. We are a diverse community whose discipleship to Jesus Christ is demonstrated through our deep commitment to servant ministry. Welcome Home! TODAY S USHERS: Don Tyson, Bill Denton, John Buxton, Carla Shirley, Bob Miller, Gary Hall TODAY S COUNTERS: Ann Langston + Please stand as you are able. St. John s United Methodist Church July 17, :50 a.m. Words of Welcome Prelude ANOTHER FACE OF GOD Playful THE ENTRANCE "Humoresque" Toccatina for Flutes L'Organo primitivo + Call to Worship (Psalm 118:24) Today is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us be glad this day, for life, for breath and for freedom of worship. Blessed are you, who come in the name of the Lord. We come to offer our gifts of praise and gratitude to the God of all Creation. Pietro Yon + Opening Hymn ARKY ARKY Rise and Shine Music is found in the back of the bulletin. Because today s theme is playful, we are celebrating with the joy of classic Sunday school songs. How could we have a series on animals and not sing Rise and Shine?

2 Prayer for Conscience and Courage in Times of Public Struggle By: Joan Chittister + Prayer of the Day Loving God, lead us beyond ourselves to care and protect, to nourish and shape, to challenge and energize both the life and the world You have given us. God of light and God of darkness, God of conscience and God of courage lead us through this time of spiritual confusion and public uncertainty. Lead us beyond fear, apathy, and defensiveness to new hope in You and to hearts full of faith. + Congregational Response The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 657, Public domain. Rev d Johnny Jeffords Rev d Renee Dillard Rev d John Kilzer Matthew Bogart Zachary Ferguson Lyn Stewart Kristen Berning Annie Hunter Bill Dozier Robert Phillips Rose Holmes Senior Minister Discipleship Ministries Recovery Ministries Music/Worship Ministries Children/Youth/Young Adult Ministries Church Administrator Office Staff Communications/Volunteer Development Building & Maintenance Custodian Housekeeper Please be seated.

3 PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE Southeastern Jurisdiction Conference Update Sharing our beloved pets: Carol Wright A Time of Prayer Joys and Concerns United Methodist Hymnal, No Public Domain Congregational Call to Prayer Together We Pray

4 Anthem Blessed Assurance arr. Don Marsh OPENING HYMN RISE AND SHINE Chorale Ensemble + Gospel Reading: Matthew 13: NRSV Then the disciples came and asked him, Why do you speak to them in parables? He answered, To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand. Homily Who Wants to Play? Rev d Renée Dillard Invitation to the Table Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sins and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sins before God and one another. Today s confession and pardon were written by McKenna Lewellen. Confessing In confessing the fullness of our lives together, we bear witness to the truth that our world seems to be unraveling. In the ways we have sinned, and the ways we have suffered,

5 Invitation to Journey SENDING FORTH + Hymn of Response LITTLE LIGHT This Little Light of Mine Music is found in the back of the bulletin. + Benediction + Postlude Marilynn Ham Children s Medley We are all here - wounded and wounding, lamenting and repenting, ruptured and re-membered. We are all here. In that spirit, we declare the fullness of how it is with our lives today. Lord, we have sinned. We have fallen short, failed to love You and others, and denied the full weight of our estrangement from ourselves, our neighbors, and from You. We come before you weighed down and in need of gracious embrace. Forgive our blindness to injustice, our silence in the face of pain, our doubt of your deep love. Lord, we are wounded. We have been wounded by the action and betrayal of others, by the silence and apathy of those who turned away from our need, by oppressive systems, and suffering that seems to have no cause. We come before you weary, aching, and battered to raise a lament. My God, my God, where have you gone? We are poured out like water, shattered, and melting from grief. O Lord, hear our prayers - our desperate plea for peace, our cry for hope. Forgive us. Embrace us. Gather us. Guide us. Words of Assurance Hear the good news of the gospel: in Jesus Christ, in his life, death, and resurrection, we find hope for all of the fractures in creation, for the gathering back of all estranged, for the knitting together of all unraveled. In Christ, we are at peace.

6 Passing of the Peace Now, as a people who hope in God s grace, let us turn to one another with signs of this peace. The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you. Please be seated....as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Mystery of Faith Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again....all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever. Offering Draw Near Steven Janco The Great Amen. + Doxology UMH 94 Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below. Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God the source of all our gifts. Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts. Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Great Thanksgiving 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....we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Sanctus 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. 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, the power, and the glory forever. Time of Receiving Prayer After Receiving 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.