St Jacob’s United Church of Christ, Blue Creek 8 am

Combined Sunday School 9:30 am

St John’s United Church of Christ, Penntown 10:30 am

May 3, 2015

Thought for the Day:

God’s love for you is so strong that it can never be exhausted

Welcome(* All who are able, please stand)

Announcements

*Prelude

*Call to Worship (inspired by John 15:1-8)

One:Remain here. Remain here with me.

All:Remain in this soil. Remain in this earth.

One:Remain among these branches. Remain watered in this love.

All:Remain where we can grow.

Remain here where God loves you.

Remain here with us.

*Opening Hymn Seek Ye First#349

*Prayer of Invocation

O God, remain here with us. Nurture us where we are not growing.

Encourage us to see the sun again. Remain here with us, O God.

Remain here. Remain in us.

Passing of Christ’s Peace

Response Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus#472

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face;

And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Scripture ReadingActs 8:26-40 1 John 4:7-21*John 15:1-8

Meditation Love Is from God Pastor Lynne

Morning Prayer / Lord’s Prayer (sins/sin)

Invitation to the Offering

It’s hard to know if we are growing, but no one has seen God either.

We see God in the love we share. We grow with God in the mercy we give.

Let us give our gifts of love and mercy.

*Offertory Response Doxology #44

*Offertory Prayer

O God, let these gifts grow to reach the whole world with love.

Remain in these gifts, O God, so that furture generations might know

that we love them as much as we love you. Amen.

Communion Hymn Let Us Break Bread Together#699

Invitation to Christ’s Table

When they needed to hear it, Christ told his friends: I am the vine.

No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are part of this vine.

Come to taste and see. Come to find yourself among the branches.

Come to this table to grow again.

Communion Prayer

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.

We thank you, O God. You remain here with us. You have always been here with us.

We rejoice that you have stayed. You have called us your life.

You have encouraged us to grow. You’ve put us in the right soil.

You’ve shone your light more brightly upon us. You’ve fertilized us with your love.

Whether your people noticed or not, You cultivated your people.

You remained hopeful. You remained expectant.

You encouraged us as much as you coaxed the vines of this fruit from the earth.

You radiated the sun upon this wheat. You shone upon the bakers.

You loved the harvesters. You remained present in each moment, until this time when we could partake of these gifts, knowing that you remain in these elements.

Transform us, O God, as you transform this bread and this cup

So that we might all grow into your abiding love.

Words of Institution

Sharing of the Bread and Cup

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Remain with us, O God. Make this feast the nourishment we need to grow more wild and wonderful. Graft us onto the vine of your Beloved so that we might grow more connected with you and all of creation. With this food and this drink, let us be the love that we have found in you and your Beloved.

*Closing Hymn “Take Up Your Cross,” the Savior Said #351 vss 1-2

*Benediction

*Choral Response “Take Up Your Cross,” the Savior Said #351 vss 3-4

Postlude

Copyright 2015 Faith Formation Ministry Team, LCM, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100. Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education. All publishing rights reserved.

St. Jacob’s Organist: Shirley HuberSpecial Music: James Robertson

Next week’s Scripture: Acts 10:44-48, 1 John 5:1-6, John 15:9-17

Young Ambassadors’ Breakfast

7am – 12pm Today!

St. John’s UCC Penntown church hall

Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who donated to the breakfast today. Your support was wonderful and deeply appreciated!
Young Ambassadors will be having a Silent Auction table atHomecoming. We'll be looking for a fewdonations witha summer theme! Maybea S'Mores basket, a Barbecue basket or items for Graduation, Fathers Day or Summer Wedding gifts. We’re excited to announce that we have Kings Island and Holiday World Tickets to"auction". We'll then be having a Yard Sale June 25-27; more details soon. A special Thank You to Pastor Lynne and Jane for the beautiful stoles they are quilting and selling to benefit the Young Ambassadors.

*Stephen Schweier (Tracey Ratliff’s brother) recuperating from hand surgery

*Rev. Tommie Wallpe, currently at UC with health concerns

*Kim Roberts (Julene Hornberger’s neighbor), with health concerns

We offer our deepest condolences to Kevin, Marcia, Ashli and Lea Hornberger on the loss of Kevin’s father, Dale Hornberger, who passed away on April 24, 2015 and was laid to rest at Adams Lutheran Church cemetery. We offer our sympathy to Dale’s wife Patsy, his other children & grandchildren, and the rest of his family. Please keep them in your prayers.

Mother’s Day is next Sunday, May 10: Bring an item to place on the altar to honor your mother.

Please submit June-July newsletter articles by May 12.

Merom Summer Camp registrations are due by May 15.

The Youth are still selling wreaths…. Any mascot, school, or occasion!

Save plastic bottle caps year-round for Merom (tub in gathering area).