Worship for the week of Sept 19, 2021

25th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Welcome Home to Holy Trinity Community Church United Church of Christ!

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Thank you for joining us in worship today. We invite you to reach out to Pastor Rob, (he/they), to learn more about our historic faith community. Please contact Pastor Rob at revrobvaness@gmail.com today.

GATHERING SONG: Katie’s Choice

WELCOME AND GREETING

SONG OF PRAISE: Katie’s Choice

INVITATION

SCRIPTURE: Mark 9:30-37 (CEB)

One: Sitting or standing, hear now a reading from the gospel according to Mark, chapter 9, verses 30-37, where Jesus predicts his death:

One: 30 From there Jesus and his followers went through Galilee, but he didn’t want anyone to know it. 31 This was because he was teaching his disciples, “The Human One will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him. Three days after he is killed, he will rise up.” 32 But they didn’t understand this kind of

talk, and they were afraid to ask him.

33 They entered Capernaum. When they had come into a house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about during the journey?” 34 They didn’t respond, since on the way they had been debating with each other about who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be least of all and the servant of all.” 36 Jesus reached for a little child, placed him among the Twelve, and embraced him. Then he said, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me isn’t actually welcoming me but rather the one who sent me.”

One: Holy wisdom, holy word.

All: Thanks be to God!

SERMON: In the Name of Jesus

OFFERING

You may help the church financially in this pandemic by contributing in 3 different ways.

Holy Trinity Community Church now has a CashApp account. Our CashApp code is $HolyTrinityMemphis. Users must create a Cash App account to make contributions to our ministry. There is no fee for either party on this app & can be found at the Google Play Store for Android users or the App Store for iPhone users.
Go to HolyTrinityMemphis.org & click on the word GIVE in the upper left-hand corner. This link will direct you to our longstanding PayPal account.
Finally, you can always send in your tithe, gift, or offering by mail. Please send to: Holy Trinity Community Church PO Box 2991 Cordova, TN 38088.

Your faithful contributions regardless are essential for our ability to proclaim the gospel. Thank you for your generous support of our mission and ministries.

OFFERATORY: Katie’s Choice

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

COMMUNION AND BLESSING[i]

[Sing Alleluia to the Lord track in the background during communion.]

(Invitation)

To your table

You bid us come.

You have set the places,

You have poured the wine,

And there is always room,

You say,

for one more.

And so we come.

From the streets

and from the alleys

we come.

From the deserts

and from the hills

we come.

From the ravages of poverty

and from the palaces of privilege

we come.

Running,

limping,

carried,

we come.

We are bloodied with our wars,

we are wearied with our wounds,

we carry our dead within us,

and we reckon with their ghosts.

We hold the seeds of healing,

we dream of a new creation,

we know the things

that make peace,

and we struggle

to give them wings.

And yet, to your table

we come.

Hungering for your bread,

we come;

Thirsting for your wine,

we come;

singing your song

in every language,

speaking your name

in every tongue,

in conflict and in communion,

in discord and in desire,

we come,

O God of Wisdom

we come.

(Assurance of Pardon – Psalm 103:8-12 The Message Translation)

God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, rich in love.

God doesn't endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever.

God doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.

As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is God’s love to those who fear God.

And as far as sunrise is from sunset, God has separated us from our sins.

(Sursum Corda)

One: God be with you.

All: And also with you.

One: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to God.

One: Let us give thanks for the peace of God.

All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.

(Offering Prayer)[ii]
Lord, as we [eat this bread and] drink this wine,
We remember that you are the giver of life.
You are forgiveness, You bring deep peace to our souls and Your love flows within us.

As we [break this bread and] pour out this wine, we see Your sacrifice [broken and] poured out for us.
We notice the depth of Your goodness, and the pain You suffered for us.
We dwell upon the intricacy of human life, and the price You paid to set humanity free.

Yet just as the tombstone rolled away to unleash the Risen Lord, Your light shines in our hearts now, extinguishing all darkness to release Heavens blessings upon us.

Thank you, Lord. Amen.

(The Words of Institution)

The Lord Jesus, on the night of his arrest, took bread, and after giving thanks to God, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way he took the cup, saying: This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.

Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the saving death of the risen Lord, until The Day of the Lord.

(Sharing of the Bread and Cup)

Now is the time to take what you have set aside to eat, break it, and eat.

Now is the time to take what you have set aside to drink, and drink.

(Prayer After Communion – The Lord’s Prayer)

We pray in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray,

All: Our Father who art in heaven

Hallowed by 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 for ever and ever. Amen.

BLESSSING AND COMMISSION

SENDING SONG: Katie’s Choice

[i] In Wisdom’s Path by Jan L Richardson. P. 129.

[ii] https://www.prayerscapes.com/prayers/occasions/communion_prayers.htmlAuthor Unknown. Date accessed: 7/21/21.