First United Methodist Church of Schenectady
Worship for the Eleventh Sunday after the Pentecost

August 21, 2022

Photo by Zach Long

Gathering

It may help to center yourself into worship by lighting a candle, as a symbol of God’s presence with you during the time of worship. You may also want to pay attention to lighting, the position of your body, and the availability of distractions.

Breath Prayer

“Help us let go, God of rest”
Breath prayers involve breathing in the first phrase, and breathing out the second.
You may wish to simply pray for a moment before starting, or you may wish to pray while listening to the prelude.

Prelude

“We will Glorify” Arranged by Don Phillips

Call to Worship: “From the Crest” (excerpt)

My life’s wave is at its crest.
The thought of work becomes
a friend of the thought of rest
I see how little avail
one man is, and yet I would not
be a man sitting still,
no little song of desire
traveling the mind’s dark woods.
I am trying to teach my mind
to bear the long, slow growth
of the fields, and to sing
of its passing while it waits

Hymn #577: “God of Grace and God of Glory”

Praying

Shared Prayer

God of Rest,
God of Restoration,
God of Letting Go,
God of Hope,
We Aren’t in Control,
God of Relationships,
Help us rest,
be restored,
let go,
find hope,
and stop seeking control:
so we can savor relationships with you and with your beloveds. Amen

Silent Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father (Creator)
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, for ever. Amen.

Listening and Reflecting

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 58:9b-14 and Luke 13:10-17

Time with Young People: “Sabbath”

Hymn #274: “Woman in the Night”

Passing of the Peace

If you are worshiping with others, please pass the Peace of Christ.
Whether you are alone or with others, please take a moment to find God’s peace within, and then to share it with the world. You may want to reach out to speak peace to another during this week.

Sermon: Queen Sabbath

Responding

Offertory: “Open My Eyes That I May See” arranged by Don Phillips

Some questions for pondering:
What value is there in Sabbath (in time away from the expectations of productivity?) What things are worthy of doing even during Sabbath?

Offering

Photo by Larry McArthur
If you wish, you are welcome to use this time to make a donation to the church online, or to put a check in the mail.
The time of offering is not only about our financial gifts to the church, it is about offering our lives to God and the building of the kindom. This is a time for reflection: What is being asked of us? What is being given to us? What are we able to offer? What do we need?

A Sabbath Prayer

God Who Rests,
We have unending distractions,
constant competition,
and far too many zero sum games.
For some, it is frightening to stop.
For some, it is impossible to stop.
Yet you call us to more.
To be more than what we produce.
To live for relationships!
To live and love and be and savor.
As we give our gifts,
may we be reminded again of the gift of Sabbath,
and your commandment that we practice rest
even when it is hard,
even when it scares us,
even when the world tells us we can’t.
May we practice Sabbath,
and make space for others to rest as well.
Amen.

Hymn #593: “Here I am Lord”

Benediction

Go, beloveds of God, and rest. Amen.

Postlude: “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” by Lobe Den Herren, arranged by Fred Bock