EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A, OCT 1, 2023, 9:30 AMUntitled Sermon

CALL TO WORSHIP

Come! Now is the time to worship! We come to worship God who loves us.

When the Israelites grumbled and quarreled when there was no water to drink, God miraculously produced water to show them God’s faithfulness and love. When we question and accuse God, God responds by showing us love.

When the chief priests and elders questioned Jesus’ authority, Jesus answered them with a story about the righteousness of doing God’s will instead of paying lip service to God’s will. When we test and interrogate God, God responds by pointing us back to love.

By answering our quarrelling and questioning with love, God teaches us how to love God, neighbor, self, and all creation. When we love as God loves, we respond to testing and accusing by living the faith and sharing God’s love.

Come! Now is the time to worship! We come to worship God who loves us for the long haul.

HYMN Give Thanks TFWS 2036

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (in Unison)

Loving God, we confess that we struggle to forgive, and we struggle to create space for forgiveness to happen. We rush ourselves to excuse the harmful speech and actions of others as a way of suppressing instead of honestly naming the hurt we have experienced. We expect others to pardon our faults without also attending to our own need to repent. We demand forgiveness from others instead of recognizing forgiveness as a gift we give to one another and that we receive from you. We wield forgiveness as a weapon instead of a bridge that brings us back together. Forgive us, we pray, and free us to joyfully extend mercy and grace to one another, to set and respect boundaries with one another, and to receive from you the love and wisdom we need to grow as the community of Christ. Amen.

HYMN Open My Eyes, That I May See UMH 454

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION (In Unison) Trusting in God’s promises, let us pray for the world and all in need as we pray for: Steven Sparta, Barbara Sparta, Sara Cantelmo, Lois Sieger, Henry Parks, Laura Enuco, Irene Rodriguez, Kayla Rodriguez, Neil Clarke, Bill Walling, Tina Rodriguez, Charles Sieger, The Brockett family, Raymond Boehm, Judy Stengel-Johnson, Penny Tasker, Elaine Benecki, Ken and Glenn Benecki, Donald Titcomb, Laura Hanlon, Carol Joy, Joe Rubino, DS William Williams III, Bishop John Schol, Scott Lennox, Chris Tobias-in, Dr. Elliot Foster

(Silent prayer and calling other friends’ names)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (In Unison)

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. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. AMEN.

OFFERING HYMN Doxology UMH 95

OFFERTORY PRAYER (Pastor)

God of endless patience, we know that the sound of our complaining is not the music that pleases your ears. We complain about the food that is under or overcooked, and you hear stomachs that have no food. We whine about the bed being too soft, and you see instead those whose bed is the sidewalk or the floor of a cell. May the offering we bring today be an act of praise that drowns out the noise of our complaining. May it find its way to bring comfort to your children who have little or nothing; and when that happens, may it be joy for your eyes and ears. In Christ, we pray. Amen

PASSING OF PEACE

ANNOUNCEMENTS Pastor

· FELLOWSHIP TIME Sunday at 9:00

· Reminder: Hunger Banks to be turned in Oct. 1, 2023

· Reminder: Donation for Food Pantry 1st Sunday of each month

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us this day. Amen.

BIBLE READING Exodus 16:2–16 (NRSV) — 2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4 Then the Lordsaid to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lordwho brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lordhas heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.” 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’ ” 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 The Lordspoke to Moses and said, 12 “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ” 13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.’ ”

The Word of the Lord / Thanks Be to God

MESSAGE “Forgiveness.” Rev. Yongil Lee

SENDING FORTH “Here I am Lord ” (v. 1) UMH 593

BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE Shalom to You UMH 666