Sunday, August 2

Posted on Aug 1, 2020 in Worship at Home |

 
Welcome!
 

Worship at Home for Sunday, August 2

Prelude
Little Suite on CWM Rhondda (“Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah” ) by Janet P. Tolman
 
Greeting
Welcome to worship with Christ Church United Methodist in Tucson, Arizona. I am Pastor Beth, and, if you are joining us for the first time, I hope you will take a moment to let us know who you are and where you are joining us from. If you are watching us with YouTube take a moment to visit our website at ccumtucson.org and click the welcome button on the home screen and say hello! If you are watching us on our website take a moment to click the welcome button below this video. As we begin this time together take a moment to prepare space to encounter God both within and around you. And now, let us worship together, join in singing or enjoy listening to our opening hymn Praise my Soul our King in Heaven!
 
Opening Hymn UMH 66 Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven (vs. 1 and 3)
 
Praise, my soul, the king of heaven, to the throne thy tribute bring; ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, ever more God’s praises sing. Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise the everlasting King.
 
Father like, God tends and spares us; well our feeble frame God knows; motherlike, God gently bears us, rescues us from all our foes. Alleluia! Alleluia! Widely yet God’s mercy flows.
 
Call to Worship
Welcoming God, you throw open your divine heart to meet us wherever we are, whoever we are, how-ever we are. No matter how lost we feel, we are never far from you. You are the shepherd who seeks us tirelessly, the person who treasures us beyond price, the father who welcomes us unconditionally, you are the One who is with us. Guide us in our own lives that we might come to ourselves and know the way forward as children welcomed, blessed, loved, and found by you. Amen.
 
Call to Prayer Hymn TFWS 2158 Just a Closer Walk with Thee (vs. 1 and 2)
 
I am weak, but thou art strong Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I’ll be satisfied as long as I walk, let me walk close to thee. Just a closer walk with thee, grant it, Jesus, is my plea, daily walking close to thee: Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares, if I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but thee, dear Lord, none but thee. Just a closer walk with thee, grant it, Jesus, is my plea, daily walking close to thee: Let it be, dear Lord, let it be. 

Prayers of the People
Prayer is a journey of being lost and being found with God, it is a journey of faith that takes through the familiar and unfamiliar places of our lives. Welcome to the Journey – let us pray
We have heard it said that You are the great Shepherd, and we are your flock, tend us God so that we might be able to tend one another, hear in this time our own joys and concerns.
 
Take a time to offer God your joys and concerns.
 
God of Grace, hear our prayers.
 
We have heard it said that there is nowhere one can go apart from your presence, that nothing can divide us from your love, and yet we are a people painfully divided. In our loss, in our pain, in our anger, in our jealousy, in our despair, in our prejudice, in our ignorance, in our fear we are divided from that peace that surpasses all understanding, but you make a way where there is no way, so clear a path for us and those we lift up to you so that we might find that peace and abide with you.

Take a time to offer God anything that is dividing you, those you know, and those you love from God’s peace.

God of Grace, hear our prayers.
 
We have heard it said that the kingdom is like a banquet where all are welcomed and all feast together in joy and harmony, yet we occupy a world filled with barriers and walls where famine ravages our hearts and bodies, and pestilence destroys hoped for possibilities. Hear the cry of your people, comfort this world, work your wholeness into all life.

Take a time to offer God prayers for our communities, our cities, our nations, our neighbors, our world, then take time to listen to what God offers back to you.
 
God of Grace, hear our prayers.
 
You say unto us “Blessed are you, my child with whom I am well please…be not afraid…my peace I give to you…love as I have loved you” give us hearts to hear your voice, know your word, and live into your life with and for us. Amen.
 
Scripture Luke 15:1-24
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
 
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
 
Hymn of Preparation UMH 400 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love.
 
Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.
 
O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.
 
 
Message “Epically Lost”
 
 
Pastor Beth Ramibkur
 
Offering Invitation
God who leaps for joy for what was lost, you have found, teach us that same extravagant joy, that same persistent searching, your same hopeful being so that we might welcome the lost parts of ourselves, those lost parts of our community, the lost parts of our world, unconditionally with open arms and feasting. Teach us to know that what was lost has been found. Amen.
 
Offertory
Great Is the Lord by Michael W. & Deborah D. Smith
Paula Jameson, solo
 
Lord’s Prayer
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 sins as we forgive those who sin 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.
 
Sending Hymn UMH 381 Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (vs 1 and 3)
Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care; in thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use thy fold prepare. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, thine we are. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, thine we are.

Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be, thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and power to free. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to thee. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to thee.
 
Benediction
May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make is his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you, may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
 
Postlude
God of Grace by Paul Manz
 
CVLI #03793174
CCLI #1239
3PerforMusic #662

Sunday, July 26

Posted on Jul 25, 2020 in Worship at Home |

Worship at Home for Sunday, July 26

Greeting
Welcome to worship, a time set aside to be with God in reflection, in praise and prayer, in thought and deed. Take a moment as we begin together to prepare space within you and around you. Prepare to encounter the unexpected, to discover the miraculous, to celebrate the everyday – for God meets us in surprising places all along our way.
 
Prelude Variations on O WALY, WALY arr. Janet Linker
 
Call to Worship
God who holds together the seen and the unseen universe, we see your handiwork in everything from the smallest particle to the swirling galaxies. Teach us to treasure the gifts you give, let us learn the wisdom you whisper, inspire us to find entrances to holiness everywhere. Open our hearts, our minds, and our lives to the work of your kingdom. Amen.
 
Hymn of Praise UMH 451 Be Thou My Vision (vs. 1)
 
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
 
Prayers of the People
Gracious God, you have given us a beautiful garden and planted us in it so that we may grow and thrive in your grace and love. We have much to celebrate and at this time we lift the praises of our hearts to you!
Take a time to offer God your joys and praises.
God of Grace, hear our prayers.
 
Holy Comforter, you know the depth and breadth of all that tears at our souls and breaks our hearts, we need your tender comfort, your healing presence, more than ever.
Take a time to offer God your concerns and worries.
God of Grace, hear our prayers.
 
Compassionate Teacher, the world needs your wisdom, your justice, your peace. Open our ears to hear the call of your people, open our spirits to respond with your love, open our imaginations to the possibilities of your kingdom.
Take a time to offer God prayers for our communities, our cities, our nations, our neighbors, our world, then take time to listen to what God offers back to you.
God of Grace, hear our prayers.
 
One Known in Three, you are the treasure we find in the field, the seed that sprouts into that miraculous tree of life. Let us be courageous in our living, encouraging and encouraged with our lives, and continuously renewed in your life-giving love. Amen.
 
Hymn of Preparation UMH 451 Be Thou My Vision (vs 2)
 
Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou and thou only, first in my heart,
great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.
 
Scripture Matthew 13:31-33; 44-52
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
 
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
 
Hymn of Acclamation UMH 451 Be Thou My Vision (vs 3)
 
Great God of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heat of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
 
 
 
Message “The Smallest of Things”
 
Rev. Beth Rambikur
 
Offering Invitation
God of Abundance and Surprises, you are the treasure we find, you are the yeast of our lives, you are the one who fills our nets to bursting. Life is filled with the unexpected so train our vision to find you. Let our giving reflect your grace. Amen.
 
Offertory Precious Lord, Take My Hand arr. Fred Bock
 
Prayer of Dedication (UMH 10-11)
And now, with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:
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.
 
Benediction
Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer; Let the worshipful work of this week begin. Bless us Your church, all Your child, the world Your good creation. Amen.
 
Postlude Toccata Flor Peeters

Sunday, July 19

Posted on Jul 18, 2020 in Worship at Home |

Worship at Home for Sunday, July 19

Greeting
Welcome. God is here. You are here. The Communion of Saints is here. Take a moment to create space physically and spiritually for this time of worship. Take a moment to give thanks to God for all that has been a blessing to you this week. Take a moment to offer up to God all that has been painful this week. And now, take a moment to simply be still and know, whatever it is God needs you to know in this moment, know and be. Amen.
 
Prelude
Holy, Holy, Holy arr. John Innes
Kathy Ferguson, piano; Janet Tolman, organ
 
Opening
Eternal Redeemer, in the words of the prophet Isaiah You declare:
 
44:6b I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. 44:7 Who is like me? Let them proclaim it, let them declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. 44:8 Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.
 
Teach us this fear-less-ness, that we might be bold in our faith reach out with our lives. Mold us into your hands and feet, instruments of your peace, compassion, and welcome, so that all may meet You in what we do. Amen.
 
Call to Prayer: Sweet Hour of Prayer (vs. 1), UMH #496
 
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father’s throne,
Make all my wants and wishes known
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return sweet hour of prayer.
 
Prayers of the People (Based on Psalm 139)
“O Lord, you have searched me and known me,” You know the prayers my heart, and the needs of Your people. I offer to You these prayers for my friends and family.
 
Take a moment to pray for friends, family, and loved ones.
 
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Or Where can I flee from your presence?” Hear my prayers for the community at Christ Church seeking Your comfort, Your healing, Your presence. Be with us.
 
Take a moment to pray for our community at Christ Church, and our community served by Christ Church.
 
“If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, your right hand shall hold me fast.” You know our city, our state, our nation, you know our world, pour out Your peace, Your wholeness, Your compassion on those in need this day.
 
Take a moment to pray for our communities, state, nation, and those concerns you hold in your heart for the world.
 
“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night.’, even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Empower me to serve as Your hands and feet and to love and forgive with the courage of Your heart, so that I may be part of your light in this world.
 
Take a moment to name some intentions for your faith Journey this week and ask God for what you need to fulfill those intentions.
 
Mysterious Trinity, I am only one, and in You I am part of the great community of faith, bound together by grace, upheld by love, thoroughly forgiven, fully accepted and welcomed as part of Your blessed community. “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me..Search me O God, and know my heart;” so that I might be about your work this week. Amen.
 
Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
 
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
 
 
Message: “Of Weeds and Wheat”
 
Rev. Beth Rambikur
 
Offering Invitation
God of Love. We live in a complex world where many things grow together, you call us all to grow in the likeness of You, to facilitate kingdom work in all that we do. Allow us to see the world with Your grace, to see Your potential in all life, and to share hope with one another as generously as we can. Let the work of your church reflect Your love for all, and use our offerings, our lives, and ourselves, to flourish Your kingdom here and now. Amen.
 
Offertory
My Faith Has Found a Resting Place arr. John Innes
Kathy Ferguson, piano; Janet Tolman, organ
 
Prayer of Dedication (UMH 10-11)
And now, with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:
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 for ever. Amen.
 
Benediction
Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer; Let the worshipful work of this week begin.
Bless us Your church, all Your child, the world Your good creation. Amen.
 
Postlude
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee arr. John Innes
Kathy Ferguson, piano; Janet Tolman, organ

Sunday, July 12

Posted on Jul 12, 2020 in Worship at Home |

Worship at Home for Sunday, July 12

Greeting
Welcome. God is here. You are here. The Communion of Saints is here. Take a moment to create space physically and spiritually for this time of worship. Take a moment to give thanks to God for all that has been a blessing to you this week. Take a moment to offer up to God all that has been painful this week. And now, take a moment to simply be still and know, whatever it is God needs you to know in this moment, know and be. Amen.
 
Opening
Patient Sower, many seeds have been planted by Your steady hand. Not every seed grows, not every plant survives, not every branch bears fruit, and not every fruit is harvested. Yet each seed You plant, You tend to with love and grace. Each harvest You celebrate and bless. Refresh the soil of our lives, nurture the roots of our souls, and flourish the branches of our heart so that we might grow abundantly in Your care, and in turn be a blessing for all.
 
Call to Prayer: Sweet Hour of Prayer (vs. 1), UMH #496
 
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father’s throne,
Make all my wants and wishes known
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return sweet hour of prayer.
 
Prayers of the People
Steadfast Gardener, You know the prayers my heart, and the needs of Your people. In this moment I offer to You prayers for my friends and family.

Take a moment to pray for friends, family, and loved ones.

Eternal Tender, I offer to You prayers for my community at Christ Church seeking Your comfort, Your healing, Your presence. Be with us.

Take a moment to pray for our community at Christ Church, and our community served by Christ Church.

Growing One, You know the needs of this restless world! You know our city, our state, our nation, you know our world, pour out Your peace, Your presence, Your compassion on those in need this day.
 
Take a moment to pray for our communities, state, nation, and those concerns you hold in your heart for the world.

Merciful Redeemer, You make all things whole, You remind us that in the least, the last, the lost, we meet your children. Empower me to serve as Your hands and feet and to love and forgive with Your heart, so that I may be part of your ongoing work in this world.

Take a moment to name some intentions for your faith Journey this week and ask God for what you need to fulfill those intentions.

Mysterious Trinity, I am only one, and in You I am part of the great community of faith, bound together by grace, upheld by love, thoroughly forgiven, fully accepted and welcomed as part of Your blessed community. Walk with me this week that in each step I take, I may participate as fully as I can in your ongoing work of salvation. Amen.
 
Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”
 
Scripture: Matthew 13:18-23
“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
 
 
 
Message: “Planting a Seed”
 
Rev. Beth Rambikur
 
Offering Invitation
God, you have scattered seeds of hope, courage, compassion, love, and joy in the fields of our lives. You provide all that we need to grow and thrive and be a blessing to others. Your generosity allows us to flourish. Teach us to tend to our gardens of possibility so that we might plant and harvest generously, share fearlessly, and bless freely. Amen.
 
Doxology (UMH #95)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God all creatures here below
Praise God above ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
 
Prayer of Dedication (UMH 10-11)
And now, with the confidence of children of God, let us pray: 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 for ever. Amen.
 
Benediction
Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer; Let the worshipful work of this week begin. Bless us Your church, me Your child, the world Your creation. Amen.