July 2, 2023
WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE
PRELUDE
WELCOME Rev. Susan Warrener Smith
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Come, enter the sanctuary of God, the sanctuary called Earth.
All: We enter the sanctuary of God, and celebrate the creatures of the Earth with wolves
and crocodiles, parrots and green frogs, volcanoes, waterfalls.
Leader: Come, enter the sanctuary called planet Earth, filled with the glory of God.
All: We enter. We wonder! We enter and see all the mysteries of Earth: molecules, whales,
orchids, fossils, and earthworms.
Leader: Come, enter the sanctuary called Earth, and behold the glory of God.
All: We enter, we watch – and behold God’s glory throughout Earth: on the rain forest
floor, in the red desert flower, in the green sea coral, in gleaming beach sands.
Leader: Come, revere the glory of God in the delicate web called creation.
All: We come and revere. We stand still in awe at the intricate Earth that we share: the
snowflakes that link us with clouds; the soil that links us with trees and plants; the
elements that link us with lava; and the atoms that link us with ants.
Leader: Come, celebrate in the sanctuary of God, in this sacred site of God’s cosmos.
All: We live in the presence of God. Holy, holy, holy, God, the earth is full of your glory!
*HYMN NO. 16 “O That I had a Thousand Voices” O DASS ICH TAUSEND ZUNGEN HÄTTE
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION Dick Wires
Leader: Deep in the desert the fire cloud emerged, and the glory of God was visible to the people
of Israel.
All: Deep in the desert we drilled for oil, and clouds made of fumes can be seen above our
cities, polluting the air.
Leader: High on the mountain the fire-cloud settled and shone, and Moses entered the fire to
meet God face to face.
All: High over mountains clouds of smoke from forest fires rise as millions of acres are
burned.
Leader: In the midst of the temple the fire-cloud filled the holy of holies- a sign of God’s presence.
All: In the midst of the daylight clouds of polluting toxins have filled the atmosphere of
God’s sanctuary and obscured God’s presence.
Leader: Once God’s people beheld God’s glory and were amazed.
All: God, our Creator, forgive us for our crimes against creation, our days of destruction on
Earth, and give us the courage in Christ to work with creation to bring healing and
peace. Amen.
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Leader: Christ our cosmic and risen companion, forgives us all our wrongs against creation, and
fills us with the Spirit of the Creator, so that we may learn to work together with the earth to
renew our corner of creation. In the name of the Creator, Christ, and the Spirit.
All: Amen.
*RESPONSE OF PRAISE 582 “Glory to God, Whose Goodness Shines on Me” GLORY TO GOD (Vasile)
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
One: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
All: And also with you.
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
ANTHEM “How Firm A Foundation” arr. Paul E. Koch
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 104
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent;
3 you set the beams of your chambers on the waters; you make the clouds your chariot; you ride on the wings of the wind;
4 you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers.
5 You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken.
6 You cover it with the deep as with a garment, the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they flee; at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.
8 They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys, to the place that you appointed for them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.
10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills,
11 giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches.
13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
14 You cause the grass to grow for the cattle and plants for people to cultivate, to bring forth food from the earth
15 and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine and bread to strengthen the human heart.
16 The trees of the field are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests; the stork has its home in the fir trees.
One: Holy Wisdom, Holy Word
All: Thanks be to God
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Parker Wilkinson
SERMON “Sacred Ground” Rev. Susan Warrener Smith
*HYMN NO. 22 “God of the Sparrrow” ROEDER
TIME OF OFFERING
OFFERTORY RESPONSE #710 “We Lift Our Voices” OFFERING
COMMUNION
INVITATION TO THE TABLE
GREAT PRAYER with Lord’s Prayer using debts and debtors
SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP
MUSIC DURING COMMUNION Sheaves of Wheat Cesareo Gabarain
Skye Johnson, soloist
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
*HYMN NO. 292 “As the Wind Song” (風 之 頌) WAIRUA TAPU
TIME OPF COMMUNITY SHARING
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452
This Sunday most of the liturgy has been adapted from "Seven Songs of Creation: Liturgies for Celebrating and Healing Earth" (an Earth Bible Resource) by Norman C. Habel.