https://www.youtube.com/live/N0aQs4ZmJHk?si=-WjECOC-yRQOkYhu # ✝️ Order of Worship — September 28, 2025 ## 🔔 God’s Name Is Revealed *Please stand in body or in spirit.* **Gathering Song** — *This Is the Day* **Unison Welcome** > “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” **Announcements** See 📣 [Announcements & Upcoming Events](#-announcements--upcoming-events) for full details. **Passing of the Peace** > “The peace of Christ be with you.” / “And also with you.” **Chiming of the Trinity** **Prelude** --- ### 🙌 Call to Worship *(Tricia Ziegler)* Come, take off your shoes **For where we stand is holy ground.** Come, love your neighbor and do good to all around you **For where we stand is holy ground.** Come and respect the planet **For where we stand is holy ground.** Love all that God gave us, **For we are all standing on holy ground.** ### 🎵 Hymn #C-30 — *Gather Us In* **Licensing note:** This hymn (text & music © 1982 Marty Haugen / GIA Publications) is under copyright. I can’t include the full lyrics here. **Reference:** OneLicense/CCLI entry for *Gather Us In*. **First line (for reference, ≤10 words):** “Here in this place, the new light is streaming…” **Quick summary:** Four stanzas invite the gathered community—young and old—into God’s light, calling us to be “salt for the earth,” receive new life, and live as a people formed by compassion and justice. --- #### Verse 1 Here in this place, new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away; see in this space our fears and our dreamings, brought here to you in the light of this day. Gather us in—the lost and forsaken, gather us in—the blind and the lame; call to us now, and we shall awaken, we shall arise at the sound of our name. --- #### Verse 2 We are the young—our lives are a mystery, we are the old who yearn for your face; we have been sung throughout all of history, called to be light to the whole human race. Gather us in—the rich and the haughty, gather us in—the proud and the strong; give us a heart so meek and so lowly, give us the courage to enter the song. --- #### Verse 3 Here we will take the wine and the water, here we will take the bread of new birth; here you shall call your sons and your daughters, call us anew to be salt for the earth. Give us to drink the wine of compassion, give us to eat the bread that is you; nourish us well, and teach us to fashion lives that are holy and hearts that are true. --- #### Verse 4 Not just in buildings, small and confining, not in some heaven, light years away; here in this place the new light is shining, now is God present, and now is the day. Gather us in and hold us forever, gather us in and make us your own; gather us in—all peoples together, fire of love in our flesh and our bone. --- ### 🕊️ Responsive Prayer of Confession *(Katherine Hawker)* The Pharaoh decrees death to the foreigner. The power of fear and hate surround us. **In the face of evil, forgive us our complacency.** The burning bush flickers beside us. The presence of God invites us. **In the presence of the holy, forgive our lack of notice.** The Red Sea waters stand at attention. The threshold of grace is breath-taking. **In the company of grace, forgive us our reticence to embrace.** **Kyrie** — Hymnal Companion C-4 **Assurance of Grace** *(Nathan Nettleton, adapted)* **Glory Be to the Father #704** --- ## 📖 Scripture Reading **John 8:52–58** > [!bible]+ [John 8:52-58 - NRSVCE](https://bolls.life/NRSVCE/43/8/) > 52. The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ > 53. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?” > 54. Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ > 55. though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. > 56. Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.” > 57. Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” > 58. Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” %% #John8 %% --- ## 📜 Responsive Reading *“Promises” (a remix of Psalm 105) — Julia Seymour* God never crosses a threshold and forgets what was on the Divine mind. **Never, in the midst of creation, does God take a coffee break and then lose the thread of a project.** God’s knitting closet does not contain a dozen project bags, waiting for completion. **The holy appointment book overflows with names, situations, meetings, encounters, and plans — all equally important and beloved.** God acknowledges mentions and tags; God never fails to read and respond to their private messages. **It goes without saying that God notices name-dropping and doesn’t give any extra attention.** Even when God’s desk is cluttered, no wedding, funeral, or mud pie tea party goes unattended by holy presence. **If God had a typical human body, the pinky finger would be out-sized, noticeably so, revealing all the promises kept from generation to generation.** --- ## 🎶 Music & Word **Anthem** — *Open My Eyes, That I May See* (arr. Kurt Kaiser) **Children’s Message** — Roxanne Davenport **Scripture Reading** — Exodus 2:23–25; 3:1–15; 4:10–17 > [!bible]+ [Exodus 2:23-25 - NRSVCE](https://bolls.life/NRSVCE/2/2/) > 23. After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. > 24. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. > 25. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them. %% #Exodus2 %% > [!bible]+ [Exodus 3:1-15 - NRSVCE](https://bolls.life/NRSVCE/2/3/) > 1. Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. > 2. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. > 3. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” > 4. When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” > 5. Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” > 6. He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. > 7. Then the LORD said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, > 8. and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. > 9. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. > 10. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” > 11. But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” > 12. He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” > 13. But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” > 14. God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” > 15. God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, <br>and this my title for all generations. <br> %% #Exodus3 %% > [!bible]+ [Exodus 4:10-17 - NRSVCE](https://bolls.life/NRSVCE/2/4/) > 10. But Moses said to the LORD, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” > 11. Then the LORD said to him, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? > 12. Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.” > 13. But he said, “O my Lord, please send someone else.” > 14. Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “What of your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will be glad. > 15. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. > 16. He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him. > 17. Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.” %% #Exodus4 %% **Sermon** — Rev. Caroline E. Saxton ## The Prince of Egypt: God’s Liberating Name and Call ### Scripture Readings and Core Text - Exodus narrative excerpts from: - Exodus 3:2–6 – The burning bush; God reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. - Exodus 3:7–10 – God sees, hears, and knows the suffering of His people and commissions Moses. - Exodus 3:11–15 – Moses’ objections; God’s promise of presence and revelation of His name: “I AM.” - Exodus 4:10–17 – Moses’ speech anxiety; God’s provision of Aaron; shared mission and signs. - Liturgical response: “The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.” ### Invocation - Prayer: “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh… May the words and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable to You, O God.” ### Opening Illustration - Reference to the animated film “The Prince of Egypt” to situate younger listeners in the Exodus story, highlighting God’s liberating work. ### Thesis: God is a Liberator - The Exodus is central to the biblical canon’s witness that God liberates. - The passages read today disclose: - God’s name and character as the One Who Is (“I AM”). - God’s responsive compassion to human suffering. - God’s call and shared work of liberation through human partners. ### God’s Character and Response to Humans - God reveals His holiness and identity: - “Take off your sandals… you are standing on holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5) - “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Exodus 3:6) - “I AM WHO I AM… Say ‘I AM’ has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14) - God’s posture toward human suffering: - “I have clearly seen… I have heard… I know… I have come down to rescue.” (Exodus 3:7–8) - God’s commissioning presence: - “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12) - God provides help for human limitations (Aaron for Moses; shared speech; signs). (Exodus 4:14–17) ### Human Identity and Calling - Who God says we are: - Beloved partners in covenant, called to liberation and justice. - People who remember we were once oppressed and therefore refuse to oppress others. - How we are to live: - In covenant with God, resisting tyranny and practising neighbour-love. - As agents of love, solidarity, and justice in the world. ### Contextual Notes and Scholarly Voices - Justin Michael Reed: The call of Moses is into “necessary and independent work of liberation”—liberation requires effort; it is not easily granted or achieved. - Early Exodus examples of courageous resistance: - The two midwives (Shiphrah and Puah) defy Pharaoh, saving babies. (Exodus 1:15–21) - Pharaoh’s daughter participates in preserving Moses. (Exodus 2:5–10) - A “courageous circle of women” seed liberation by resisting tyranny. - Sarah Wolfe: God’s covenantal partnership is dynamic and mediated—God works through human speech and action, even acknowledging human frailty. Moses and Aaron’s shared leadership continues amid imperfect history (e.g., the golden calf), yet the covenant holds and the people are set free. ### Moses’ Objections and God’s Reassurance - Moses’ questions: - “Who am I?” (identity and adequacy). (Exodus 3:11) - “What is His name?” (authority and credibility). (Exodus 3:13–15) - “I am slow of speech.” (capacity and fear). (Exodus 4:10) - “Please, send someone else.” (reluctance). (Exodus 4:13) - God’s replies: - Presence: “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12) - Name: “I AM.” (Exodus 3:14–15) - Sovereignty over human ability: “Who made the mouth… sighted or blind?” (Exodus 4:11) - Provision: Aaron as spokesperson; shared speech; signs through the shepherd’s rod. (Exodus 4:14–17) ### Application: Covenantal Liberation in Our Time - The covenant continues: God works with and through people to resist oppression; tyranny will not have the last word. - Contemporary witness: - The preacher references serving as a delegate to the UCC General Synod in Kansas City, Missouri. - A resolution of witness concerning the genocide of Palestinian children is noted. The preacher affirms: - Liberation cannot be only for some; it must be for all. - It is possible to be critical of harms against Palestinians without being anti-Semitic. - Children are dying; God cares about families and the vulnerable. - Call to nuanced, informed engagement—knowing present realities to shape a different future. - Ethical injunction grounded in Exodus: - With God’s help, Moses leads Israel out of oppression; Israel is commanded not to oppress the stranger, the resident alien, or neighbours, remembering their own history of oppression. (cf. Exodus 22:21; 23:9) ### Jesus and Neighbour-Love - Jesus summarises the law with love of God and neighbour. (cf. Matthew 22:37–40) - Jesus identifies with “the least of these.” (cf. Matthew 25:40, 45) - Reverend Benjamin Kramer: A critique of Christianity that longs for Jesus’ return while refusing to meet Him in the hungry, the immigrant, the bombed, the starving, the marginalised, and the oppressed. ### Pastoral Exhortation - The gospel in one word: Love. - May we listen and act, not as heroes or martyrs for self-glory, but as agents of love. - Stand in solidarity with the marginalised and partner with God to bring about liberation. - The covenant continues—our baptismal promises call us: - To follow Christ, resist evil, seek justice, - And witness to the liberating work of Jesus Christ by loving our neighbours—all of them. ### Key Takeaways 1. God’s Name and Nature: God reveals Himself as “I AM,” holy, present, and sovereign; He sees, hears, knows, and acts to liberate. 2. Human Calling: God invites imperfect people into covenantal partnership to work for liberation; He equips us despite our fears and limitations. 3. Remember and Resist: Those delivered from oppression must never become oppressors; love of neighbour is central and expansive. 4. Contemporary Faithfulness: Christian discipleship in our context requires nuanced love, solidarity with the suffering, and active resistance to injustice. 5. The Covenant Continues: God’s liberating work persists through His people—agents of love guided by His presence and promise. --- tags: [#sermon, #worship, #analysis, #justice, #liberation] title: "Sermon Analysis — Exodus Liberation, God’s Name “I AM,” Covenantal Justice" date created: 2025-09-28 source: Uploaded sermon transcript (Exodus 3 focus) reference: /mnt/data/09-28 Sermon_ Exodus Liberation, God’s Name “I AM”, Covenantal Justice.txt --- # 🧾 Revisited Analysis: *Exodus Liberation, God’s Name “I AM,” Covenantal Justice* ## 🗒 Sermon Summary 🧩 **Central message:** God self-reveals as “I AM,” a liberator who partners with people; therefore, discipleship requires active participation in liberation and resistance to oppression in every age. 🧭 **Liturgical/thematic tie:** Strong alignment with Exodus 3 (burning bush, divine name) and baptismal/discipleship vows; the sermon connects Israel’s liberation to present concerns about civilian suffering (e.g., Palestinian children) while guarding against antisemitism. ## 🎙 Preaching Style 🧭 **Identified style:** Prophetic + Narrative with Expository elements anchored in Exodus 3. 🌍 **Inclusive examples:** Hebrew midwives, Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses’ hesitation (“slow of mouth”), Palestinians, immigrants, the marginalized. 🧠 **Learning needs:** Storytelling for auditory learners; vivid “holy ground/burning bush” imagery for visual learners. Limited explicit interactive elements for kinesthetic learners in the transcript. ## 🗣 Intonation and Delivery 🔊 **Vocal impact:** Emphatic cadence through repetition (“Moses, Moses”; “children are dying”), clear contrasts between call and reluctance, and memorable closes (“The gospel in one word is love”). 🤝 **Tone:** Pastoral, candid, and inclusive—names controversy without targeting peoples. 🎚️ **Variation:** Urgency in prophetic sections; transcript suggests dynamic pacing, though gestures/visuals are implied rather than described. ## 📝 Content Structure 🏗️ **Organization:** Text → God’s name and call → Moses’ objections/partnership → contemporary witness (UCC Synod; children) → discipleship vows → sending charge rooted in love. 🔁 **Learning supports:** Repetition of key motifs (liberation, covenant, neighbor) and memorable lines; minimal explicit visual aids or summaries noted. ## 👥 Engagement and Application 🧩 **Congregational engagement:** Centers victims of injustice and reframes discipleship as public ethics. 🛠️ **Practical applications:** Stand with the oppressed, resist becoming oppressors, enact covenant love (implied more than listed). 👐 **Interactive elements:** Not explicit in transcript—future additions could include silence, candle-lighting, written commitments, or prayer stations. ## 📖 Scripture Breakdown 📜 **Referenced:** Exodus 3 (burning bush, divine name, Moses’ objections); echoes of Matthew 25 (“the least of these”); baptismal/discipleship vows. ⚖️ **Justice emphasis:** God hears the oppressed; covenant forbids Israel from becoming the oppressor; Jesus identifies with marginalized people. 🧩 **Theological integration:** The divine name grounds God’s constancy with human partnership; covenantal justice ties worship to ethical action. ## 🧠 Logical Reasoning ### ✅ Positive reasoning 🧩 **Deductive move:** If God reveals Godself as a liberator who hears the oppressed (Ex 3:7–10), then God’s people must enact liberation; therefore, present-tense discipleship entails resisting oppression. This grounds ethics in revelation, strengthening coherence. *Enhance by briefly stating premises and citing the verse references in-sermon for clarity.* 🧩 **Inductive pattern:** Multiple witnesses (midwives’ civil courage, Moses’ call, Jesus with the “least of these”) form a consistent liberation arc. *Reinforce with one prophetic text (Amos 5; Micah 6) to widen the pattern.* 🧩 **Analogy:** Exodus oppression ↔ modern harm to civilians; the sermon targets injustice, not peoples. *Add a sentence delimiting where the analogy holds and where it doesn’t to prevent overreach.* 🧩 **Ethical reasoning:** Baptismal/discipleship vows create obligations toward neighbors; critique of state actions is distinguished from bigotry. *State a brief both/and principle (oppose antisemitism and oppose harm to Palestinian civilians) to preempt misreadings.* ### ⚠️ Potential fallacies or soft spots 🧨 **Appeal to emotion (risk):** “Children are dying” is true and morally salient, but emotion may eclipse argument. *Anchor with one concise factual reference or a scriptural parallel to keep logos alongside pathos.* 🧨 **Hasty generalization (mild):** Moving from specific events to sweeping ethical claims can feel broad. *Clarify that the claim is theological-ethical, not a full geopolitical analysis.* 🧨 **False dilemma (avoided but close):** The sermon largely rejects “critique vs. antisemitism” as either/or; keep this strength by explicitly naming Jewish dignity while critiquing policies. ## 📚 References 🔎 **Named/echoed in sermon:** Justin Michael Reed; Sarah Wolfe; Rev. Benjamin Kramer; Exodus 3; Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25. 🧑🏿‍🦱 **Further voices to enrich (recommended next time):** Delores S. Williams (womanist); Kelly Brown Douglas (Black theology); Mitri Raheb (Palestinian Christian); Emilie M. Townes (womanist ethics). **Scripture links (for quick study):** 🔗 Exodus 3 — https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+3 🔗 Matthew 25:31–46 — https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A31-46 🔗 Amos 5:21–24 — https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Amos+5%3A21-24 🔗 Micah 6:6–8 — https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Micah+6%3A6-8 ## 🗨 Quotes and Illustrative Stories 💬 “God is a liberator.” 💬 “Liberation cannot simply be for some. It must be.” 💬 “The gospel in one word is love.” 🧶 **Stories/illustrations:** Burning bush; the midwives’ defiance; UCC Synod debate; present suffering of children; discipleship vows; “least of these.” ## 🔄 Calls to Action 🧭 **Specific steps (make multi-modal):** 🧱 Name one neighbor-group you will accompany this week and one action (aid, advocacy, accompaniment). 🕯️ Add an embodied practice in worship (silence, candle, written pledge). 🗒️ Provide a small card or slide with two concrete next steps and a prayer for daily repetition. --- # ➕ Additional Service Elements (Transcript Gaps & Suggestions) ## 📢 Announcements / Church News 🗓️ **Gap:** Not in transcript. 🧭 **Suggestion:** Highlight DEIB/outreach items with spoken notes + slide/handout + QR links for accessibility. ## 💰 Offering / Tithes 🗓️ **Gap:** Not in transcript. 🧭 **Suggestion:** Name a justice-related recipient; present a visible QR and plain-language instructions. ## 🙏 Benediction / Closing Prayer 🗓️ **Gap:** Not in transcript. 🧭 **Suggestion:** Inclusive sending linking love → solidarity → concrete next steps; repeat a short refrain for auditory memory. ## 🤝 Post-Service Fellowship 🗓️ **Gap:** Not in transcript. 🧭 **Suggestion:** Conversation table with printed prompts; accessibility notes (large print, quiet space). ## 🎉 Special Events 🗓️ **Gap:** Not in transcript. 🧭 **Suggestion:** When present, publish accessibility cues (ASL, sensory space, large print, step-free paths). --- ### 💭 Personal Reflection 📝 *How did this service resonate with me? What insight or conviction am I carrying into the week?* ### 🧠 Critical Evaluation 📖 **Biblical accuracy:** Faithful to Exodus 3 and Jesus’ ethics; could add brief word-study on *ehyeh asher ehyeh* for depth. 📜 **Theological soundness:** Liberation is covenantal and universal; rejects ethnic essentialism. 🛠 **Practical application:** Clear direction; list two actions the congregation can take this week. 📚 **Historical context:** Moderate; ANE background and covenant law (Ex 22–23; Lev 19) would enrich. 🗣 **Delivery & learning styles:** Strong prophetic voice; add one interactive/visual component next time. ### 📑 Main Points 🧲 God reveals a liberating name and calls humans into covenant partnership. 🧲 Liberation is for all; faithfulness rejects becoming the oppressor. 🧲 Discipleship is love enacted for the least—ethics are not optional. ### 🙌 Actionable Takeaways 🧭 Choose one neighbor-group to serve and one concrete act this week. 🕯️ Pray Exodus 3 daily: “Where is holy ground? Where am I being sent?” 🗒️ Draft a two-sentence personal rule of justice for the week. **Sharing of Joys and Concerns** **Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer (Debts)** --- ## 💝 Offering **Invitation to Giving** **Offertory** ### 🎵 Offertory Response #706 — *Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow* (Doxology, Public Domain) Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. **Prayer of Dedication** Holy God of holy ground, like Moses, we question our fitness to serve heaven’s purposes here on earth. Overcome our qualms with the assurance of your presence; bless these offerings that, through them, we may do your will; in the name of the triune One. Amen. --- ### 🎵 Hymn #577 — *I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say* (Public Domain) **Words:** Horatius Bonar, 1846 • **Tune:** KINGSFOLD (trad. English); arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906 1) I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto Me and rest; lay down, O weary one, lay down your head upon My breast.” I came to Jesus as I was, weary, worn, and sad; I found in Him a resting-place, and He has made me glad. 2) I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give the living water; thirsty one, stoop down and drink, and live.” I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream; my thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him. 3) I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s Light; look unto Me, your morn shall rise, and all your day be bright.” I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun; and in that Light of life I’ll walk till traveling days are done. **Commission & Benediction** **Postlude (seated)** Join us for a time of fellowship after worship! > **Nursery Nook (Narthex):** Quiet area + infant/toddler space in the Parlor available during worship. Age-appropriate activity bags available. --- ## 📅 This Week at St. John’s Sunday, Sept 28 — Family Fun Day after worship (11:30–1:30); Bible Study (Acts) 8:00 pm (Zoom) Monday, Sept 29 — Chi Gong/Zazen 10:00 am (Parlor 104); Afternoon Book Study 1:30 pm (Conf Rm 111) Tuesday, Sept 30 — Ladies’ Bible 6:00 pm (Zoom) Thursday, Oct 2 — Men’s Breakfast 7:00 am (Texas Lunch); *Personal Safety & Scams* 2:30 pm & 6:30 pm (Rm 116 & Zoom); Dance Class 6:00 pm (Fellowship Hall); Choir Rehearsal 7:15 pm (Rm 103) Sunday, Oct 5 — Godly Play / SPARK! / Teen Discussion / Wired Word 8:45 am; Worship 10:00 am; Chili Cook-Off 11:30 am --- ## 📣 Announcements & Upcoming Events 🌶️ Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser — Sun Oct 5 after worship; benefits **SCCAP** 💉 Immunization Clinic — Sun Oct 12 after worship (flu walk-ins; COVID via **Chambers’ Apothecary** reservation) 🏳️‍🌈 Franklin County Pride Festival — Sun Oct 12, 12–5 pm (Wilson College) — church booth 🚶 CROP Hunger Walk — Sun Oct 19 (meet 1:30 pm @ First UMC, walk 2:00 pm) 🍻 Bible and a Beer — 3rd Mondays, 6:30 pm @ Trojan Diner (next: Oct 20) 🎈 Birthday Balloons — Last Sunday of the month 📖 Mon Afternoon Book Study — 1:30 pm (Conf Rm), *A People’s History of Christianity* (Diana Butler Bass) 🖥️ Sun Night Bible Study — 8:00 pm (Zoom), Acts 14 (Sept 28) 🌾 September First Fruits — Supports **SCCAP** 📘 Upper Room (Sept/Oct) — $1 small / $2 large print at Welcome Center 📚 Habitat Used Book Sale — Oct 24–26 (Sorting Mondays 9 am @ Book Room, Mobile Works) 🌀 Labyrinth Care — See October *Spirit* article 🛡️ Personal Safety & Scams — Thu Oct 2, 2:30 & 6:30 pm (Rm 116 & Zoom) 📜 “Holy Manners” Draft Covenant — Copies in the Narthex or by request --- ## 🎂 Birthdays This Week 9/29 — Jack Mull & Dr. Jim Strite Jr. 10/1 — Lynne McGough 10/2 — Dariawn Barbour & Susan Collier 10/5 — Katrina Dietrich --- ## 👥 Worship Participants 👩‍⚖️ Pastor: Rev. Caroline E. Saxton 🎹 Organist: Barbara Motichka 🛎️ Deacon in Charge: Diana Kongkeattikul 📖 Lector: Diana Kongkeattikul 🧒 Children’s Corner: Not offered today 🎥 Media Coordinators: Neath Ham & Heidi Ramos 🖼️ Bulletin Cover: *Churinga (pure light, glory of God)* — Frank Wesley, **Art in the Christian Tradition** (Vanderbilt Divinity Library) --- ## 🌹 Flowers at the Foot of the Cross Given in memory of Leonard & Esther Zeger and Robert & Elva Dilling by Marvin & Linda Zeger. --- ## 🌟 St. John’s Vision & Mission **Vision** We are called to love, to learn, to worship, and to witness in Christ as a congregation that welcomes everyone, and seeks service that will advance God’s realm on earth. **Mission** To grow in love of God and neighbor. --- ## 📚 Worship Resources - *Call to Worship* — Tricia Ziegler (Long Valley Church of the Brethren) - *Prayer of Confession* — Katherine Hawker ©1999 (**Outside the Box**) - *Assurance of Grace* — Nathan Nettleton ©2002 (**LaughingBird.net**) - *Promises* — Julia Seymour, *The Words of Her Mouth: Psalms for the Struggle* (ed. Martha Spong) - *Feasting on the Word Worship Companion*