Sunday, Aug. 30th

Welcome
We are glad to join you in worship today! Today we're finishing out our series on the return from exile, and we finish with a celebration, and with new things, and with old things. Mostly we're asking the question, how do we mark when something has finished?

​You can follow along in this bulletin for the service. If you are on a computer, phone, or other mobile device, then you can click on each of the videos as they come up. If you  have a smart tv or streaming device connected to your tv, go to our YouTube channel and then go to playlists. Every Sunday We’ll have a new playlist set up with prayers, songs, and a message. As you come to each of those in the service you can play that video. With a playlist, as soon as one finishes, the next video starts so that all you have to do is hit pause until you’re ready to play again.

​My prayer is that even in this format, we can worship together, and still see God at work.

Peace,
Pastor John

​The video that comes next is a welcome, has a few announcements, and an opening prayer.

Announcements
Tuesday 9/1: 4pm Centering Prayer on live on our Facebook Page
Sunday 9/7: Worship online, and in person at 9am & 10:30am
You can still get mask if you want one.
Sunday School is starting up next week in a new way. Watch for more info on what that's going to look like.
September also starts our Sock Hop, so bring socks for all ages!

​Will you join in singing our first song

Joys & Concerns
While we should always pray for our leaders, during this year, and through the next several months, we'll be heading to a big election. Keep our leaders, those running for office, and our communities in your prayers as we navigate through this time.

We will continue to share our joys and concerns, as well as our prayer requests. Simply follow the link below and fill out the form. If you need to add more, you can fill the form out again. These will be shared with the congregation via email on Monday morning.
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Share a joy, concern, and/or prayer request
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​Prayer

Start the next video, and enter into a time of prayer.
When directed, take a few moments of silent prayer. Please lift up our community as we continue in our cancellations, shut downs, and the challenges they bring. There will be a pastoral prayer, then you are invited to join in the Lord's Prayer which is below.
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Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be 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. 
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen

Children's Message​
Today's message comes from Mary Beth Switzer, and she's brought a couple of her very bright friends with her.

Offering
Take a moment during this time of offering today to give thanks to God, just to give thanks. Let out a deep breath and know that he is good, and that he is with us.

Thank you for your continued offerings to the church, and to the many other places around us that you’ve been giving of your time and your money. Remember that you can mail in your offerings, or you can give online. Your gifts and commitment to your faith help us reach out and tell Jesus’ story in so many different ways.  Will you pray with me,

Gracious God, we bring our gifts to your altar, asking you to dedicate them to do the work of love and compassion in the world. We learned from Jesus, who had compassion on the crowds who gathered to hear him teach, that putting what we have in the hands of Jesus can bring abundance. Multiply these gifts with the love in which they are offered, that they might bring hope to those in need and might glorify and celebrate your love for all your children. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 8:13-18
13On the second day, the heads of the families of all the people, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered together around Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Instruction. 14And they found written in the Instruction that the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in booths during the festival of the seventh month
15They also found that they should make the following proclamation and announce it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.”
16So the people went out and brought them, and made booths for themselves, each on the roofs of their houses or their courtyards, in the courtyards of God’s house, in the area by the Water Gate, or in the area by the Gate of Ephraim.
17The whole assembly of those who had returned from captivity made booths and lived in them. This was something that the people of Israel hadn’t done since the days of Joshua, Nun’s son, and there was very great rejoicing.
18He read from God’s Instruction scroll every day, from the first until the last day of the festival. They kept the festival for seven days and held a solemn assembly on the eighth day, just as the Instruction required.

Liturgist: This is the word of God, for the people of God
Congregations’ Response: Thanks be to God!
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Will you join in singing our next song

Reflection Questions
What does a Post Covid World look like to you?
What will change?
What will stay the same?

When you're ready, join in our final song

Benediction
Read this prayer from the end of Jude
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To the one who is able to protect you from falling,
and to present you blameless and rejoicing before his glorious presence,
to the only God our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
belong glory, majesty, power, and authority,
before all time, now and forever. Amen.