METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE SUNDAY, June 26, 2016 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

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1 METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE SUNDAY, June 26, 2016 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST PREPARATION The Pastor s entrance and the beginning of the musical prelude are the calls to silent, personal preparation for the worship of God. THE GATHERING We are standing on Holy ground, And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now, We are standing in God s presence on Holy ground. LITANY Leader: O people, walk in my spirit, and bear the fruit of self-control People: We would follow you, Lord, but first: These people who offend us, shall we not bid fire to rain down from heaven upon them? Leader: Walk in my spirit, and bear the fruit of gentleness People: We would follow you, Lord, but first: This blind man who begs us, shall we not command him to be silent? Leader: Walk in my spirit, and bear the fruit of faithfulness People: We would follow you, Lord, but first: This hungry crowd that hounds us, shall we not send them home? Leader: Walk in my spirit, and bear the fruit of goodness People: We would follow you, Lord, but first: These disciples who are with us, shall we not have more power than they? Leader: Walk in my spirit, and bear the fruit of patience People: We would follow you, Lord, but first: These children who approach us, shall we not chase them away? Leader: Walk in my spirit, and bear the fruit of peace People: We would follow you, Lord, but first: These foes who confront us, shall we not draw our swords? Leader: Walk in my spirit, and bear the fruit of love People: We would follow you, Lord, but first: This lowly woman who pleads for her daughter, shall we not rebuke her? Leader: O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to bear with you? If you will not follow and serve, send the woman to me!

2 OPENING HYMN I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, Tho no one join me, still I will follow, tho no one join me, still I will follow, tho no one join me, still I will follow, The world behind me, the cross before me, the world behind me, the cross before me, the world behind me, the cross before me, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, WELCOME Visitors standing If you are here for the first time, we are delighted that you came. If you are dropping in for a second or third visit, we are glad you found something you were looking for. We hope you will be challenged by our worship and that you will come back again. If you are looking for a faith community, we would welcome you as a part of our church family. When you are officially welcomed as a visitor, you will receive a Visitor s Information Card. Please fill it out, and return it to the Pastor, or place it in the offering plate. WELCOME! CONCERNS OF CHURCH AND CITY D. Billye Sanders OFFERTORY For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You. 1 Chronicles 29:14 Your tithes and gifts help us: Pay the mortgage, utilities, maintenance, and security for the Metropolitan Meeting House; Provide free pastoral counseling services to members of our congregation; Fund the First Response Center, serving over 700 people living with HIV/AIDS, and others at-risk; Pay for the personnel and operating costs of our ministries; Provide educational materials & resources to assist in the spiritual growth & development of our community; Maintain meeting space for ministries, Girl Scouts, recovery/support groups, and community events; Fund our annual Anniversary and Homecoming celebrations; Give emergency assistance to members of the congregation and community through our benevolence fund. Every gift of your time, talent and treasure makes a vital difference in the life and ministries of Metropolitan Interdenominational Church. Thank you. SONGS OF PRAISE The Voices of Metropolitan Reginald Green, Minister of Music DOXOLOGY Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below Praise God above ye heavenly host: Creator, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

3 PROCLAMATION THE WORD Luke 9:51-62 CHORAL RESPONSE Harry Emerson Fosdick Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage, For the living of these days, For the living of these days. PREPARATORY PERIOD MESSAGE THE SENIOR SERVANT KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE 51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him: 53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went on to another village. 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, I will follow you wherever you go. 58 And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. 59 To another he said, Follow me. But he said, Lord, first let me go and bury my father. 60 But Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God. 61 Another said, I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home. 62 Jesus said to him, No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:51-62 SERMON NOTES

4 RESPONSE Please do not leave the sanctuary or in any other manner create a distraction during the invitational period. This is a moment of unparalleled importance. MOMENTS OF REFLECTION Voices of Metropolitan INVITATION TO LIFE IN CHRIST This church will welcome into its membership any persons who love and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and who promise to live according to His Laws of Love, recognizing all people as brothers and sisters for whom He gave His life. THE LORD S SUPPER Communion Prayer We do not presume to come to this, Thy table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs from under Thy table. But Thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to partake of this sacrament of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, that we may walk in newness of life and grow to reflect Thy Spirit in all things forevermore. Amen. (We will eat and drink together after all have been served.) FELLOWSHIP CIRCLE We ve come too far to turn back now; By the grace of God we re gonna make it somehow. Nobody knows the trouble we ve seen; We ve come too far to turn back now. In Christianity there is ever the central, inescapable demand of surrender. The assumption is that this is well within the power of the individual. If the power is lacking, every effort must be put forth to find out what the hindrance is. No exception is permissible [W]hatever roadblocks appear, the individual must remove them. The yielding of the very nerve center of one s consent is a private, personal act in which a human being, as sovereign, says Yes. The ability to do this, to say Yes, is not the result of any special talent, gift, or endowment [T]he demand is direct and simple: Surrender your inner consent to God this is your sovereign right this is your birthright privilege. And a man can do it directly and in his own name. For this he needs no special sponsorship. He yields his heart to God and in so doing experiences for the first time a sense of coming home and of being at home. (From The Meaning of Commitment in For the Inward Journey, p.15) HOWARD THURMAN METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH th Avenue North, Nashville, TN Mailing Address: P.O. Box , Nashville, TN Phone: (615) 72METRO ( ) Fax: (615) website: Rev. Edwin C. Sanders, II, The Senior Servant Rev. John Cross, Senior Pastoral Assistant Pastoral Staff: Rev. Marcella Lockhart, Rev. Clifford Smith, Rev. Christopher Davis, Rev. Terry Terrell, Rev. Regina McCrary, Rev. Neely Williams, Rev. Stephanie Thompson, Rev. Cherie Booker, Rev. Christopher Goodwin

5 UPCOMING EVENTS MIDWEEK FELLOWSHIP: Wednesday, June 29, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. Dinner by Circle 1; Bible Study 7:00 8:00, Classes for Adults and Children Financial Freedom/Entrepreneurship Seminar Series meets Saturday mornings, 9:00 11:00, at the First Response Center, th Avenue North, Nashville Call: HOMECOMING 2016! Friday, July 8 th, 7:00 pm ONE-NIGHT REVIVAL Saturday, July 9 th DAY IN THE PARK Our Day in the Park will again be held at the Edwin Warner Park, Area #10 The park is on Vaughn Rd., off of Old Hickory Blvd Sunday, July 10 th HOMECOMING WORSHIP Friday evening Dancercise, 7 pm // Voices of Metropolitan Rehearsal, Saturday, 12 2 pm Saturday Evening Worship, 6 7 pm Saturday Worship includes The Voices of Metropolitan on the 2 nd Saturday of each month. United Way Employee Giving Campaign: Please designate #3255 to support the First Response Center. For the Combined Federal Campaign, Write In Metropolitan Interdenominational Church First Response Center. Thank you for supporting Metropolitan while you shop. The Kroger s Community Rewards program donated $ as a result of last quarter s shopping. Also, shop Amazon through Smile.Amazon.com MIDWEEK FELLOWSHIP MEAL SCHEDULE July 6 Circle 2 July 27 Circle 5 July 13 Circle 3 August 3 Circle 6 July 20 Circle 4 August 10 Circle 7 ~ Giving Summary ~ Date Offering - Budgeted Offering - Actual Offering (Un)Realized Summary (Un)Realized January, 2016 $ 28, $ 21, ($ 7,182.00) ($ 7,182.00) February, 2016 $ 23, $ 22, ($ ) ($ 7,725.90) March, 2016 $ 23, $ 27, $ 4, ($ 3,278.67) April, 2016 $ 28, $ 29, $ 1, ($ 2,198.84) May, 2016 $ 28, $ 26, ($ 2,366.34) ($ 4,931.42) June 5, 2016 $ 5, $ 4, ($ 1,219.00) June 12, 2016 $ 5, $ 2, ($ 2,864.13) June 19, 2016 $ 5, $ 8, $ 2, June, 2016 $ 17, $ 15, ($ 1,818.33) 2016 Year to Date $ 144, $ 137, ($ 6,669.75) ($ 6,669.75) SICK, SHUT IN, and RECOVERING MEMBERS Leon McKinley Corder 1902 Elliott Avenue; Nashville, TN Send prayers, not visitors, please. Ella Louise Gant 908 Cannon Street; Nashville, TN Lynda Hodgers Evelyn Martin 3253 Spears Road; Nashville, TN Mary Grace Williams 293 Becklea Drive; Madison, TN Emmilye Wilson-Walton P.O. Box 78795; Nashville, TN BIBLE READING Read Pray Sacrifice Seventh Sunday after Pentecost June 27 July 3, Kings 5:1-14 Psalm 30 Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16 Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

6 METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Sunday, June 26, 2016 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST Metropolitan Interdenominational Church is a community of believers inclusive of all and alienating to none, leading the way to spiritual growth by sharing God s love with the world. GOING NOWHERE IN A HURRY When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him, but they did not receive him GOING NOWHERE IN A HURRY seemed to be the best way to describe my feelings three years ago this week as Billye and I were circling in a holding pattern at 35,000 feet above the earth in route to New York City. We were moving at somewhere between four and five hundred miles an hour, GOING NOWHERE IN A HURRY. This experience made me think of this week s lectionary text, Luke 9:51-62, and the conversation that I had been listening in on through a website chat room where preachers interact with reference to sermon preparation. One of the preachers commented that since it was Gay Pride Sunday in New York City he was going to address the theme of not being received, as was the case with Jesus as he passed a Samaritan village on his way to Jerusalem. The exchange which ensued was hot and heavy, but in my opinion GOING NOWHERE IN A HURRY. However, remembering an earlier conversation I had at my home with a pest control technician around the question of homosexuality, I found myself considering how important it is to engage in dialogue regarding tough issues even when it seems as if you are GOING NOWHERE IN A HURRY. After all, Billye and I did eventually make it to New York City, and perhaps our continuing to deal with difficult questions in our faith communities will ultimately get us to a place where we can find common ground in celebrating God s affirming love for all people irrespective of any aspect of their personhood. As we seek to follow Jesus, it is important for us to stay focused on our calling to love unconditionally and not allow anything to distract us on our journey. No matter what we might have to sacrifice, when we walk with The Lord it s always going to be a blessing, and we will reach our goal, even when we might think we are GOING NOWHERE IN A HURRY. (Reprinted from Sunday, June 30, 2013) Senior Servant