Community Church

of the
Monterey Peninsula

Independent & United Church of Christ

Order OF Worship​​ 

February 9,​​ 2020

Nursery care available​​ 

Children’s activities

Welcome to Community Church!

We’re glad you have chosen to worship with us this​​ morning.

No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here!

Prelude

Welcome​​ 

 (An asterisk (*) indicates when the congregation may stand)

 (If you are new to Community Church please​​ share your name​​  and address with us in the red friendship register that you will​​  find at the end of each pew.)

As We Gather…..  (Hildegard of Bingen, 1098-1179)

Holy Spirit,

giving life to all life,

moving all creatures,

root of all things,

washing them clean,

wiping out their mistakes,

healing their wounds,

you are our true life,

luminous, wonderful,

awakening the heart

from its ancient sleep.

Congregational Greeting

This is an opportunity to greet those in front and back of you and on either side of you.

Choral Call to Worship ​​ ​​ ​​​​ “May Peace Be With You”

Annie Garretson

Call to Worship   ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ (Ted Loder, Contemporary)

Leader:  Gentle me,

People:  Holy One,

Leader:  into an unclenched moment,

People:  a deep breath,

Leader:  a letting go of heavy experiences,

People:  of dead certainties,

Leader:  that, softened by the silence,

People:  surrounded by the light,

Leader:  and open to the mystery,

People:  I may be found by wholeness,

Leader:  upheld by the unfathomable,

People:  entranced by the simple,

Leader:  and filled with the joy

People:  that is you.

*Opening​​ Song​​   “Spirit Found Us”  ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

Words by David Schiffman; Music by Lisa G.​​ Littlebird

  (Repeat three times)

In desperation, we found freedom
In freedom, we found love
In love, we found devotion
In devotion spirit found us.

Morning Prayers

Unison Prayer (Pat Corrick Hinton, Contemporary)

I carry the sorrows

of my years

within me.

Often,

not even loved ones

know.

Some burdens

have gotten lighter

with time.

Others

weigh heavier still.

I give my secret pain

to you, God.

Help me!

Shared Silence

Please meditate using the​​ phrase most appropriate for you, or another phrase of your own choosing.

Abba, I belong to you.

Abba, I trust you.

Loving God, I belong to you.

Loving God, I trust you.

Pastoral Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer​​ (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.

Anthem ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ “O, Lord Hear My Prayer” ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Taize Chant

Scripture Text:  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Genesis 22:1-14

22After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’​​ 2He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.’​​ 3So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt-offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him.​​ 4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away.​​ 5Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.’​​ 6Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.​​ 

7Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘Father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?’​​ 8Abraham said, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together.​​ 

9 When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.​​ 10Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.​​ 11But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’​​ 12He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’​​ 13And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son.​​ 14So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’​​ 

Sermon: ​​​​ A SECOND LOOK AT GOD’S (SUPPOSEDLY)

  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ ASKING ABRAHAM TO SACRIFICE ISAAC

 ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​  ​​​​ (Pastor Paul Wrightman)

Hymn​​ 1  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ “Immortal,​​ Invisible, God Only Wise”

Invitation to Giving

Freely you have received,

freely give,

remembering the words

the Lord Jesus himself said:

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Offertory   

*Doxology

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise God all creatures here below.

Praise God above all heavenly host.

Creator, Christ and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Unison Prayer   ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ (Kathy Keay, Contemporary)

Once life has almost been taken from you,

when for some strange reason

you emerge from death

and blink with new eyes

upon the old, almost forgotten universe,

then you can understand once more

the value of sea and stars,

of happiness uncontainable,

the sheer relief and delight of being alive

that turns your eyes repeatedly upwards

with thanksgiving.

Announcements      ​​​​ Pastor Paul

*Closing​​ Hymn “Bring​​ Many Names”:  Vs. 1 

*Benediction

Closing Hymn (cont.) ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ “Bring​​ Many Names”:  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Vs.​​ 2,3,4

Postlude

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THANK YOU TO OUR READER​​ Amy Krupski.

ENGAGING THE BIBLE: ​​ We meet Wednesdays 1:15-2:15. ​​ Join us in the Library!

WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE CLASS:​​ meets for dinner at 5:30 (optional) with class 6:00 p.m. ​​ 

HEALING PRAYER GROUP: ​​ Joanne Anderson welcomes those interested to meet in the Broaddus room after the worship service. ​​ Prayer requests are welcomed.

FRIDAY MORNING WOMEN’S SUPPORT & FAITH-SHARING GROUP:​​ The group meetings are 10:30 am Fridays in our church library  ​​​​ We are reading​​ Gone With​​ the Wind​​ by Margaret Mitchell,, who was awarded the National Book Award for most distinguished novel in 1936 and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1937. ​​ Feel free to drop in, read along with us on your own, knit, bring a snack, bring a neighbor, talk, be silent, etc. ​​ All sharing is confidential & voluntary. Rev. Elizabeth Wrightman.

FELLOWSHIP NEEDS YOUR HELP! ​​ Those of you who wish to be part of the Fellowship team contact Cindi Daniel or Peter Sewald. ​​ We can use help with setting up and cleaning up on Sundays and for potlucks ​​ and special events. ​​ Treats are welcome for coffee hour!!!

OUR MISSION OUTREACH

OUR MISSION OUTREACH

(I-HELP) FOR MEN:​​ We collect clothing and toiletries for the men. ​​ Monthly dinners are the 2nd Weds.  ​​​​ (We offer shelter one or more additional times each month.) ​​ Sign up in Woodhull Hall. ​​ Call Dolores Joblon for info.​​ 

I-HELP FOR WOMEN:​​ A week before the dinner (which is held the 3rd​​ Tuesday of the month), Kim Swan-Sosky sends out an email with items needed for the meal. If you would like to be included on the email to help when you can with ​​ dinner, please contact Kim Swan-Sosky 831-402-9014; ​​ [email protected] )

THE TOWEL TEAM MINISTRY:  We provide bath towels for showers at Dorothy’s and Sun Street Center in Salinas.  We need hand towels for the I-HELP programs.  ​​ Clean towels may be left in the office.

SUN STREET CENTER/SALINAS  is a service for education, prevention & recovery of alcohol addiction and drug abuse in men. ​​ We provide bedding and toiletries.

FOOD BANK: ​​​​ St. Mary’s Food Pantry, needs non-perishable foodstuff. Leave in food basket in narthex. ​​ Thank you Kucks​​ for​​ taking​​ St. Mary’s Church in PG.

CLOTHING CLOSET AT DOROTHY’S PLACE:​​ Clothing and toiletry​​ items may be left in the church office. ​​ Clothing is sorted and sized Mondays 10-12 and taken to Dorothy’s on Saturdays between ​​ 9-12.​​  ​​​​ Call Carolyn Gray for info.​​ 

ONE STARFISH SAFE PARKING: ​​​​ Parking in our church lot is available to homeless persons registered in the program and are supervised by Starfish staff.  ​​​​ Parking is allowed for those with permits from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

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The Community Church of the Monterey Peninsula encourages individual spiritual exploration. We pray, we seek, we study individually and around the table to learn what it means to be a Christian and follow Christ. We encourage and support each other in our learnings. ​​ Our​​ mission​​ is to welcome independent-minded people of all ages, build a diverse Christian community, and nurture one another to love God, neighbor and self.

OUR TEN CORE VALUES

God loves all people.

We welcome all people, wherever they are on their​​ life​​ journey.

Worship is the life breath of our community.

We are the heart and hands of Christ serving others.

We grow spiritually in Christ.

We provide creative, open, lifelong Christian education.

We are stewards sustaining all of God’s creation.

We promote understanding and cooperation among people of all faiths.

We are a vital democracy and value independent thinking and dialogue.

We joyfully support our mission with time, talent and​​ treasure.

PLEASE COME AGAIN!

Worship Service is 10:00 a.m.

followed by Fellowship in Woodhull Hall.

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Location: ​​ 4590 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel CA 93923

Mailing Address: ​​ P. O. Box 222811, Carmel CA 93922

Phone: ​​ (831) 624-8595

Givingtree Phone: ​​ (831) 624-3060

Website: www.ccmp.org