Gathering those who fear they are not enough, so we may experience grace, wholeness, and renewal as God’s beloved.

The Creation Windows in the Trinity Chapel, St Catherine of Siena Parish, Portage, MI

PREPARING OUR HEARTS FOR WORSHIP You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.

– Anne Lamott

June 7, 2020 Trinity Sunday

10:45 a.m.

We Gather to Praise God

PRELUDE AND RINGING OF THE BELL Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart arr. Joe Utterback (b. 1944)

* WELCOME AND CALL TO WORSHIP

* HYMN 1 (verses 1 and 4) Holy, Holy, Holy!

* Please stand in body or spirit

DRAW NEAR TO GOD’S LOVE AND GRACE

Almighty God, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, unpicturable mystery whose ways are not our ways, whose thoughts are not our thoughts, we have imagined you so much less than you are.

We assume that you fit easily into our politics, our lifestyles, our notions of success and well-being.

We enlist you in our causes; we twist and shape you to fit our priorities. We shape you to conform to us, even to serve us. O Triune Mystery, free us from our imagined images of you. Transform us, that we may better show you to the world,

that we may better show the ways of your coming new day.

Silence for personal reflection

SUNG RESPONSE

RECEIVE GOD’S LOVE, GRACE, AND PEACE

* SING GLORY TO GOD

We Listen for God’s Word

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

FIRST SCRIPTURE LESSON Genesis 1:1-23

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 6And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 14And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16God made the two great lights — the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night — and the stars. 17God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. 20And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” 21So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

ONE: The Word of the Lord. ALL: Thanks be to God.

WORD IN MUSIC

Give me Jesus arr. Moses Hogan (1957-2003)

SECOND SCRIPTURE LESSON Genesis 1:24-28 24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. 25God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 26Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

Matthew 28:16-20

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

ONE: The Word of the Lord. ALL: Thanks be to God.

SERMON AN UNMANAGEABLE GOD James Sledge

We Respond to God’s Word

* HYMN 5 (verses 1 and 4) God the Sculptor of the Mountains

* RESPONSE OF FAITH The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE from Myra Bridgforth

ONE: Lord in your mercy, ALL: Hear our prayer.

The Prayers of the People are offered on behalf of and with the congregation, usually by an elder currently serving on Session (governing council) or other members of the congregation.

Please keep in your prayers…

Anne and Cort Peret on the death of their mother, Barbara Ann Peret, on June 2 F. Page Burdette, father of Frank Burdette, diagnosed with Covid-19 and in the

hospital on a ventilator, and Page’s wife, Lois, also sick with Covid-19 Mike Gehron and family on the death of Mike’s father, William J. Gehron, on May 24 Charles Wirth, father of Nancy Gehron, as he transitions to memory care Hayden Beatty, father of Sam Beatty, at home recovering from an infection Paige Bach, recovering from ear surgery Bob Huley and family on the death of Merry Huley on May 13 Those who have lost jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic Staff and residents of elder care facilities everywhere First responders, health care providers, caregivers, essential employees, and all who

are putting their lives at risk during the coronavirus pandemic Continued prayers for…

Doug Ammons, Kris Barth, Brenda Buchly, Chuck and Marty Campbell, Judy Cornier, Soledad Cuzzi, Sgt. John R. Goldsmith, Steve Graff, Mike Hugo, Linda Issaacson, Doug Jonas, Nora Long, Nancy Lundien, Ruth Mileham, Bob Moore, Cheryl Naderman, Ruth Nowjack-Raymer, Cort Peret, Stanley Rusher, James Steele, Cathy Stewart, Lawson Swift, Doris Webb, Doris Williams, Christa Young

Prayer requests can be sent to Pastors James and Diane at prayers@fallschurchpresby.org

OFFERING OUR GIFTS TO GOD

Offertory

* DOXOLOGY

SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE Great Thanksgiving

ONE: The Lord be with you. ALL: And also with you. ONE: Lift up your hearts. ALL: We lift them up to the Lord.

ONE: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. ALL: It is right to give God thanks and praise. ONE: It is truly right…

Sanctus

The 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Distribution of the Elements

POST COMMUNION PRAYER

* HYMN 769 (verses 1 and 5) For Everyone Born

* OUR LIFE TOGETHER AS THE BODY OF CHRIST

* CHARGE AND BLESSING

POSTLUDE The Lord Bless You and Keep You Peter C. Lutkin (1858-1931)

Songs reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-721003

Supporting us in Worship

Audio/Video Diane Maloney

Musicians Lisa Bloy, piano; Andrew Jonas, tenor; David Schoonover, baritone

Sanctuary Flowers The flowers today are given to the glory of God by Janet and Steve Graff, on behalf of the Chancel Choir, to honor and thank Dr. Lisa Billingham for her professional, caring, and loving service in ministry to Falls Church Presbyterian Church. Each of us will deeply miss her!

Zoom Fellowship Hour Host Karen Growney Moore

Falls Church Presbyterian belongs to the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, “working for the unity of the church, furthering the inclusion of LGBTQ persons, seeking understanding and

reconciliation, and joining with others seeking a still more just and inclusive church.”

The Rev. James Sledge, Pastor The Rev. Dr. Diane Walton Hendricks, Pastor for Spiritual Growth Diane Maloney, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministry

The Rev. Megan Klose, Parish Associate The Rev. Rusty Lynn, Hon. Ret., Parish Associate

Dr. Lisa A. Billingham, Chancel Choir Director Dr. Lisa Bloy, Organist

225 East Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046 • 703-532-6518 • www.fallschurchpresby.org