Ninth Sunday after Pentecost 

Today’s service may be viewed on Facebook Live Stream at this link in the comfort of your home or in person in the sanctuary.  Join us!

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Gathering Music                                          Polly Dunford

Welcome and Announcements                 Karen Manley    

Call to Worship     (Inspired by Psalm 89)                                                                                            One:  Holy One is with us. God’s hand remains with us.
Many:  God’s love is steadfast. God’s strength is enough. We can rest in God’s presence.
One:  Holy Love keeps their covenant from generation to generation and establishes our future.
Many:  God’s love is steadfast. God’s strength is enough. We can rest in God’s presence.
One:  Let us worship God together and praise the Holy Name!
Many:  God’s love is steadfast. God’s strength is enough. We can rest in God’s presence.

Opening Hymn          “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”  Hymnal #39

(Word Change: “Great is thy faithfulness, O God my father”  TO  “Great is thy faithfulness, O God, Creator”)

1)  Great is thy faithfulness, O God, Creator;

there is no shadow of turning with thee.

Thou changest not; thy compassions they fail not.

As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:  Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning, new mercies I see.

All I have needed thy hand hath provided.

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

2)  Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

sun, moon, and stars in their courses above

join with all nature in manifold witness

to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.Refrain

3)  Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,

strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow:

blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!Refrain                         

Scripture Lesson   Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon      “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens…” Dr. Keith Ray

Thoughts to Ponder: The letter of Ephesians continues to put forward the idea that we, as humans, are interconnected.  And yet, we live in a world that “celebrates” fragmentation.

Part of the witness of the church is to push against such division.  And yet, how would we grade ourselves on the practice of human connectionalism

in the world of so-called Christian nationalism?

Prayers of the People

Meditative Chant “You Shall Be Like a Garden”        Cynthia Warner, leader

From “Sounds Of the Eternal - Meditative Chants and Prayers” by John Philip Newell

Words by John Philip Newell; Music by Linda Larkin

2005. Material Media. All rights reserved.

You shall be like a garden, like a deep spring where waters never fail.

 

Closing Hymn and Offertory      “Draw the Circle Wide”Handout

Words and Music by Gordon Light

Arrangement by Michael Bloss; Adapted by Jean Strathdee

Words and Music: 1994. Common Cup Company.

Arrangement: 1998. Wood Lake Books.  All rights reserved.

Refrain:  Draw the circle wide.  Draw it wider still.  

Let this be our song, no one stands alone, 

standing side by side, draw the circle wide.

1)  God the stillpoint of the circle, ‘Round whom all creation turns;

Nothing lost, but held forever, in God’s gracious arms.Refrain

2)  Let our hearts touch far horizons, So encompass great and small;

Let our loving know no borders, Faithful to God’s call.Refrain

3)  Let the dreams we dream be larger, than we’ve ever dreamed before;

Let the dream of Christ be in us, Open every door.Refrain

Benediction

Discussion

Shalom       (“May you be well and whole and in communion with all creation.”)

Shalom, my friends, Shalom, my friends, Shalom, Shalom.

                            Till we meet again, Till we meet again, Shalom, Shalom.

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Reprinted with permission under One License #A-625711. All rights reserved.

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Calendar of Service -

July 28 - Dr. Keith Ray

August 4 - Rev. Dr. Steve Morgan

August 11 - Dr. Keith Ray

August 18 - Dr. Keith Ray

August 25 - Dr. Keith Ray

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Bible Study will be on a “multi-week pause” for the rest of July and the first part of August.  When the Bible Study resumes, Deuteronomy will be the book of study.

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Coming Soon: Three Nights of Nature program to be held on July 23, 24, 25 at 7 p.m.  Please bring snacks to share for each night’s program.

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Auditions for the GAMAC Chorale will be held on Tuesday, August 6 and Wednesday, August 7 in the choir room at Trinity United Methodist Church at 1809 N. Main St. in Anderson. Call Stephanie at (864) 231-6147 to schedule an audition time.

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Session is forming a small task force to attend the Foothills Presbytery Church Safety and Security Training and subsequently draft recommendations for a safety plan for NACCP. The training will be held at First Presbyterian in Greer on Saturday, September 14 with lunch provided. If you are interested in participating in the task force, please contact Karen Manley at mountainmama@bellsouth.net.
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You may have noticed the new glass “tip jar” on the piano at church that serendipitously came about when someone didn’t claim a flower vase. Feel free to drop in a dollar or five when you like the music during the service. Dave and Polly will donate the “tips” to a cause related to music, such as bringing music to schools.
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If you would like to donate to the family of Eric Childs, who was tragically killed in a car accident, please use this link: https://gofund.me/6340eb47.  Eric’s wife Jessicka Spearman heads the PFLAG group that meets at NACCP.

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Women’s clothing is needed for women coming out of incarceration. Good, gently used items please. All sizes.
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Doug Booth encourages everyone to volunteer at PAWS – there is something for everyone, from socializing with the dogs on-site to taking a dog to lunch to hosting weekend visits. There are many dogs at the facility who crave human interaction.  Additionally, don’t forget to bring in any donations of blankets to the church.
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Karen highlighted that the Prayer Tree has been moved into the sanctuary. If you have a prayer request to add to the tree, write it on one of the provided tags and hang it on a branch.
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Joanne reminds us all to keep up the food donations for AIM (Anderson Interfaith Ministries)!  Bring your non-perishable items to the church.  This is an on-going need that can easily become part of everyone’s shopping routine.

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Are you interested in becoming a member of NACCP?  Would you like to make this community your spiritual home?  Please contact Keith at keithdray@gmail.com or at 864-508-1530.

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