The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
REFLECTIONS
Our fear of scarcity leads us to see our lives through the lens of “not enough” rather than “more than enough”. Jesus tells a parable about a farmer who had a large harvest and instead of seeing it as more than enough he saw it as not enough. Which is it’s own hell in a way -- when we live as though abundance is really scarcity. Because then, regardless of how much there is, it’s never enough. Never enough money. Never enough food. Never enough attention. Never enough love. Never enough time. Never enough social life. Never enough good being done. There’s only a scarce amount of what’s valuable, so we must grasp at what is ours. What is it I hoard in fear of scarcity? My time? Do I hoard my heart? My energy?
— Nadia Bolz Weber
How many of us pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and actually mean it? I don’t; I’ve got enough bread (and milk, cheese, fruit, vegetables, meat, and ice cream) in my refrigerator/freezer to last for weeks. How many of us really need to take material comfort in Jesus’s words about God clothing the lilies of the field? I don’t; I’m forever buying clothes I don’t need, and hauling bags of barely worn jeans and dresses to Goodwill to make myself feel better. It doesn’t occur to me too often that my unwillingness to make do (to quit shopping “just for fun,” to use up rather than upgrade, to consider other people’s needs today before I obsess over what I might need tomorrow) exacts a cost — a cost on our planet’s fragile ecology, a cost on the human beings who have to manage the fallout of my thoughtless purchases, and a cost on my soul.
— Debi Thomas, Journey with Jesus
COLLECT
God of unclean hands, touching those rejected by the world, despised by the religious: guide us from false purity which hides misshapen hearts; lead us to the joyful feast in which all are renewed; through Jesus Christ, the beauty of God’s face. Amen.
PRELUDE
GREETING
Joshua Jalandoon (he/him/his), Worship Leader
Minister: The Lord be with you.
ALL: And also with you.
PREPARATION
CALL TO WORSHIP
Isaiah 12:2-6, NRSV
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid,
or the Lord God is my strength and my might; God has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
And we will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on God’s name; make known the deeds of the Lord among the nations; proclaim that God’s name is exalted.
Sing praises to the Lord, for God has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of God, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
PRAYER OF ADORATION
PRAISE
SONGS
Holy is the Lord
Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio
Great are You Lord
David Leonard, Jason Ingram, Leslie Jorden, 2012
RENEWAL
CALL TO CONFESSION
based on Romans 8:39
We know that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Gracious God, you know what kind of people we are. We judge others harshly and fail to see our own sin. We look with suspicion and fear, and neglect to show hospitality to strangers. We treasure things that are worthless and squander your precious gifts. We withhold the grace and love that you give us so freely. Forgive us. Pour out your grace upon us and heal us of our brokenness. Amen.
SILENT CONFESSION
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Ephesians 2:4-7, NRSV
God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
This is the good news.
Thanks be to God!
PASSING THE PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
SONG
We Will Find Our Peace
David Gungor, John Arndt
BLESSING OUR CHILDREN & YOUTH
Leader: People of God, what is our prayer for our children and youth?
People: May the Lord be with you.
Children: And also with you.
Leader: May the Lord bless you and keep you;
may the Lord grow you strong in Divine grace,
may the Lord fill you with the love of Christ.
All: Thanks be to God!
SONG OF ASSURANCE
Psalm 23 (I Am Not Alone)
Joshua Sherman, Laurel Taylor, Steven Musso, The Emerging Sound
COMMITMENT
WORDS OF WELCOME
Rev. Fred Harrell (he/him/his)
SCRIPTURE
Luke 12:13-21, NRSV
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
Reader: The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
SERMON
Rev. Fred Harrell (he/him/his)
Rich Toward God
OFFERING OURSELVES & OUR GIFTS
The offering is a way for Christians to support the mission and ministry of the church. Christians offer a sacrificial portion of their resources–time, talents, possessions–as an act of faith and gratitude in response to God’s grace. While many at City Church make their regular contributions through online giving and automated bill pay, offerings are a part of our worship service as an opportunity for the regular, proportionate and generous giving of the resources God has given us.
OFFERING PRAYER
God of grace, we offer these gifts with grateful hearts. Bless them and our lives to your service, that they may reveal your glory, nurture faith, and bring healing to our city. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
MUSICAL OFFERING
I Shall Not Want
Audrey Assad, Bryan Brown, 2013
COMMUNION
INVITATION TO THE LORDS TABLE
Rev. Jay Wilson (he/him/his)
CONFESSION OF FAITH: APOSTLES CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts!
We lift them up to the Lord!
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
SONG
Sanctus
by Karl Digerness
Together we proclaim the mystery of the faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE BREAD & CUP
The Gifts of God for the People of God
COMMUNION PRAYER
Siblings in Christ, since the Lord has fed us at his Table, let us praise God's holy name with heartfelt thanksgiving! Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and all that is within me, bless God's holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all God's benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases.
Who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, and will also give us all things with him.
Therefore shall my mouth and heart show forth the praise of the Lord, from this time forth forevermore. Amen.
PASTORAL PRAYER
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
SONG
Give Us Your Heart
Jake Richards, Jorden Merritt, Melanie Tierce, The Emerging Sound
BENEDICTION
Numbers 6:24-26
May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord's face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; may the Lord look kindly upon you, and give you peace. And the blessing of God almighty, Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
DISMISSAL
Let us go forth to serve the world as those who love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thanks be to God!
POSTLUDE
MUSICIANS
Gary Brown, bass
Christi Chew, vocals
Keith Watts, guitar/vocals