Epworth United Methodist Church

Oh Freedom: 07/02/06, Epworth Worship Celebration

4th Sunday after Pentecost (Year B)

Welcome. We continue in our celebration of the season after Pentecost, the time when the Holy Spirit works in each of us in a special way. This weekend we celebrate the appointments of Rev. Jack Abel, our Senior Pastor and Rev. Pat Loughlin, as well as the Baptism of Heather Cross. Our worship this morning includes Holy Communion. The elements we use are wheat bread and unfermented grape juice. All are welcome at the table of the Lord. Consider the gift of Freedom in your life as a Christian, and the need to share that gift with others. How does the spirit of Christian Freedom inspire you to love others in God's world?

Congregational Introit
America (verses 1 & 4)

My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!

Our fathers' God, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.

Greeting
Psalm 130

From the depths I call to you, Yahweh, Lord, listen to my cry for help!
§       Listen compassionately to my pleadings!
If you never overlooked our sins, Yahweh, Lord, could anyone survive?
§       But you do forgive us: and for that we revere you
I wait for Yahweh, my soul waits, I rely on the promise,
§       My soul relies on the Lord more than a watchman on the coming of dawn,
§       for it is with Yahweh that mercy is to be found.

Gospel Lesson
Mark 5: 21-43

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

³⁵

²¹When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. ²²Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet ²³and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." ²⁴So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." ²⁹Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

³⁰At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

³¹"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

³²But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

³⁵While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"

³⁶Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

³⁷He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. ³⁸When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. ³⁹He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." ⁴⁰But they laughed at him.

§       After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. ⁴¹He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). ⁴²Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. ⁴³He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. (via)

Sermon - O FREEDOM Rev. Pat Loughlin
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Calming the Storm: 6/25/06, Epworth Worship Celebration

3rd Sunday after Pentecost (Year B)

Welcome. The Season after Pentecost is a time for growth in faith under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Easter's celebration gives way to the hard work of Christian discipleship in grateful response to God's love. Our text today recounts an extraordinary experience of comfort and promise in the midst of fear and challenges. Our community gathers also this evening in Church Conference session to consider exciting updates to the Comprehensive Plan for Relocation. How does God's comfort and promise speak to each of us, and to the congregation as a whole? Are we aware of God's calming presence-even in the midst of our fears-as we reach out and grow in love and service in God's world?

Welcome
2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (alt)

As we work together with Christ,
        we are also urged not to accept the grace of God in vain.
§       For Christ says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
        and on a day of salvation I have helped you."
See, now is the acceptable time;
§       See, now is the day of salvation!

Gospel Lesson
Mark 4: 35-41

Jesus Calms the Storm

³⁵That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." ³⁶Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

³⁹He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

⁴¹They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"(via)

Sermon - Calming the Sea Rev. Jack Abel
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Father's Day: June 18, 2006, Epworth Worship Celebration

Father's Day, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost (Year B)

Welcome. The Season after Pentecost is a time for growth in faith under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Easter's celebration gives way to the hard work of Christian discipleship in grateful response to God's love. Our text today recounts the unlikely anointing of David, shepherd son of Jesse, as future king of Israel. Today we also reflect on our national observance of Fathers' Day. Our 11:00 a.m. worship adds the Baptism of Mary Kathryn Barnhart, daughter of Ryan and Liz. When you think of yourself as a child of God, is that rich in the sense of God as divine parent? How does God's divine parenting, made known especially in the gift of Jesus Christ, inspire your practice of love in God's world?

Welcome
Verses for Fathers' Day from Deuteronomy 32:1-7 (alt

Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; let the earth hear the words of my mouth. 
§       May your teaching drop like the rain, your speech condense like the dew; 
        like gentle rain on grass, like showers on new growth.
For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; I will ascribe greatness to our God!
§       God is the Rock, whose work is perfect, and whose ways are just.
Is not God our father, who created us, who made us and established us?
§       Let us remember the days of old, consider the years long past; 
        ask our father, who will inform us, our elders, and they will tell us.   

Hebrew Bible Lesson
1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

³⁴ Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

1 Samuel 16

Samuel Anoints David

¹ The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."

² But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me."
        The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate."

⁴ Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?"

⁵ Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD."

⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." ⁹ Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." ¹⁰ Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." ¹¹ So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?"
        "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep."
        Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."

¹² So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.
        Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one."

¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. (via)

Sermon - Fathers' Day Rev. Jack Abel
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