United Women in Faith @ Good Sam.

A nice time was had today at the July gathering of the United Women in Faith from Glenville UMC! Gloria S. provided the refreshments, and Belinda A. led the devotional.

The August gathering will be on August 12 at Good Samaritan - Hidden Creek.

Wednesday with the Wesleys

John Wesley asked his mother for a definition of "sin." She wrote back these words:

"Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself."

Susanna Wesley (Letter, June 8, 1725)

Scripture lessons for July 12

We will continue the summer worship series next Sunday with "How Great Thou Art,"#77 which was chosen by Roy B.

Our scripture lessons will come from Psalm 34:1-7 and Revelation 19:1-10.

Today at Glenville UMC

The table is prepared.

Kraig S. is today's reader.

Bob S. rings the bell after worship.

Joys

+ Pastor Charles thanks God for the blessing of beginning a second year with the congregation.

+ Praise God that Dawn K. is back to church after her successful surgery. And praise God for a supportive family as her recovery continues.

+ Praise God for the needed rain last week.

+ Praise God for Rita W. inspiring us to consider sitting in a different location in  the sanctuary during worship.

+ Praise God that rain did not stop the Albert Lea 3^rd of July Parade and 4^th of July fireworks display.

+ Praise God for moments with family and friends over the holiday weekend.

+ Praying for traveling mercies.

+ Thanks be to God for the gift of living in this amazing world.

+ Praise God for the faithful service of our beloved pianist, Renae H., for our Scripture reader Kraig S., and for Bob S. who served as usher today.

Concerns

+ Praying for all who are dealing with medical challenges: Craig R., Judy C., Karnella S., Meryl B., Robin, Mark, John, Nancy B., and Brad (Bob S.’ youngest brother).

+ Praying that God gives the strength and courage caregivers need while caring for their loved ones.

+ Praying for all impacted by extreme weather conditions.

+ Praying for all who are impacted directly and indirectly by conflict in the world.

+ Praying for peace.

July 5 @ Glenville UMC

“I will cause Your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore, the peoples will praise You forever and ever.” – Psalm 45:17 (CEB)

Call to Worship: - posted on the website of Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand

 If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light. Christ calls us to come to worship, to rest from the things that are troubling us. To learn what Christ can teach of life, to realize what we can offer to others, And return into the world to serve.   Let us worship God. 

*Hymn: “Love Devine, All Loves Excelling,” #384

*Prayer: - written by Thomas Turner and posted on Everyday Liturgy

Our Creator, You sustain all life, give bread to all who need it, and hear the calls of the poor. You alone are powerful and the rightful ruler of the nations, and You are the provider of safety and security. We ask that, as You have graciously provided for us and our needs, may You provide for those who call to You in despair and in dire need. Grant them their daily bread these coming days. Amen.                                                                                         

*Gloria Patri: #70   

*Passing the Peace of Christ

Joys and Concerns

Pastoral Prayer

Offering 

*Doxology:  #95  

*Offering Prayer

Epistle Lesson: Romans 7:15-25a

Hymn: “Jesus Is All the World to Me,” #469 (Chosen by Korla Schumacher)

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 11:16-19,25-30

Sermon: “The Answer Before Us”  

Communion: UMH, p. 13-14 & The Lord’s Prayer   

*Hymn: “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” #526

*Benediction

*Choral Amen

Postlude Music

“The worship is ended; let the service begin.”

*Please rise in body or in spirit.

Prayer for the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America

“An anniversary calls us to consider not only who we have been, but who we are becoming…and by God’s grace, who we are called to be.” 

— Archbishop of Baltimore William Lori

God and gracious God, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we offer You this prayer for our country, a country that is good, beautiful and beloved…and a country that is wounded, flawed, and always in need of Your help.

We are grateful for the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence…that all people are created equal…that they are endowed by You, our Creator, with certain unalienable rights…among these rights are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

May we never take these rights for granted or forget the responsibilities these rights bestow upon all of us, especially the need for our vigilance and our participation to preserve these sacred rights into the future.

We thank You, Creator God, for the countless natural gifts of this land we call home: for rivers and lakes, mountains and valleys, forests and farmlands, oceans and grasslands and the wide diversity of animal life these resources support and sustain.

Help us to remember this proverb from our Native American brothers and sisters:

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

May we continue to work untiringly for the preservation of our precious natural gifts for generations to come. We thank You for the people who were here long before most of our direct ancestors set foot on this land. We are grateful for their rich spiritual traditions and their deep respect for “the land.”

We ask forgiveness for the grave injustices these people endured, in some places, still endure, from those of us who came much later to this land. We thank You for the wide diversity of peoples who immigrated to this country throughout our 250 years and who continue to come today.

They came here fleeing religious persecution, wars, famine and violence of all kinds. They came here seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Sadly, we remember those who were brought here in shackles, enduring brutal and inhumane conditions. We ask forgiveness for what some have called our country’s “national original sin,” the sin of slavery.

We ask Your help to continue to remove barriers that prevent some of us from enjoying the rights our Constitution assures for all of us. May we as a nation incarnate more that word “United” in the official name of our country, the United States of America.

We thank you for the unique gift of our republic, our democracy, whereby the leaders of government derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. We are justly proud of all those leaders throughout our history who served our country with personal integrity, courage, wisdom, justice, compassion and with a cooperative spirit. We ask for these same qualities in those who serve us in leadership today.

We thank you for the so-called “common man,” that is, for the countless ordinary men and women throughout our history who displayed qualities we like to say define “the American spirit,” qualities such as diligence, resilience, courage, hopefulness, generosity and care and concern for one another. May we who follow them in time, follow them in spirit by continuing the hard work of insuring the rights of all.

We pray also for all other nations today. May we always remember that our nation is part of a world community, a global community. We are grateful for the ways our country in the past has worked hand-in-hand with other countries to preserve peace, to build beneficial partnerships, to care for our common planet and to provide aid to those nations plagued by poverty, illness, food shortages and violence. May we continue our tradition of reaching out and sharing our wealth with our global community.

And finally, God, we pray that we may become the nation we pledge our allegiance to: “The United States of America: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 

Amen.

Written by Sister Melannie Svoboda, Sisters of Notre Dame

Wednesday with the Wesleys

Let love not visit you as a transient guest but be the constant ruling temper of your soul. See that your heart be filled at all times and on all occasions with real, undissembled benevolence; not to those only that love you, but to every soul of man. Let it pant in your heart; let it sparkle in your eyes; let it shine on all your actions. Whenever you open your lips, let it be with love; and let there be in your tongue the law of kindness. Your word will then distill as the rain, and as the dew upon the tender herb. Be not straitened or limited in your affection but let it embrace every child of man. Everyone that is born of a woman has a claim to your good-will. You owe this, not to some, but to all. And let all men know that you desire both their temporal and eternal happiness, as sincerely as you do your own.

- John Wesley (On Pleasing All Men)