Worship Bulletins
Hampstead Congregational Church
August 1, 2021
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost
No Matter Who You Are or Where You Are on Life’s Journey,
You are Welcome Here!
Order of Worship
Prelude Herb Tardiff
Greetings and Announcements
Passing of the Peace of Christ
Responsive Call to Worship from John 15: 12
“This is my commandment,” said Jesus, “that you love one another as I have loved you.”
“Greater love has no one than this, that they lay down their life for their friends.”
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what their master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all I heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
“Remember, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.”
Opening Hymn
Opening Prayer
O God of all creation, God of the stars and moons, of the mountains and valleys of this world we praise you with every living thing. Bring us in these moments to the holiness of your grace and peace. Open our hearts, fill our empty places, redeem these days in which we live. So refresh us with your presence that our communion with one another is deepened and our outreach is strengthened. Send us forth a forgiven and grateful people to love as we have been so loved. We ask it in the name of Christ. Amen
Children's Moment
Scripture Reading: Galatians 3: 1-5, 23-29 NRSV
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing. Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.
Sermon Clothed in Christ Rev. Linda Lea Snyder
Special Music
Celebration of Holy Communion
Invitation to Communion
May the Listening God be with you.
May God also be with you.
Let us open our hearts to the One who hears us.
We offer them to our God, who knows we are all the same.
Shout for joy, people of God, and sing glad praises.
We join praising the One who is always with us.
Hymn of Preparation (please remain seated)
Words of Remembering
Into the emptiness of chaos, you flung the seeds of creation, Gardening God. Volcanoes erupted to become gentle lakes;
eye-delighting eagles soared high in the skies;
gentle does and fawns strolled through the mists of morning.
All this beauty and goodness was shaped for those created in your image, but we reached out for the weapons of sin and built homes on death’s condemned properties.
Prophets came to call us back home, yet we persisted in believing that our old ways were the best ways.
Determined to no longer grieve over us, you sent Jesus
to plant resurrection in our lives.
With those who are well known to you, and with those we have just met,
we sing our joy to you at this mean:
Holy, holy, holy are you, God who hears us.
All creation remembers your gifts.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who scatters your seeds.
Hosanna in the highest!
Night or day, you are holy, God of love, and blessed is your Child, Jesus Christ.
Walking ancient roads, he would lead us into your kingdom;
when we are sleeping, he would give us fresh visions of you;
when we arise, he takes us by the hand to show us your wonders.
Accepting everyone as sisters and brothers, he gave his life so death
would lose its power over us-- your resurrection love poured out for all.
As we remember his life, ministry, and death, as we celebrate the gifts of his table, we speak of the mystery we call faith:
Christ died, so the old creation could begin to pass;
Christ was raised, the new creation growing in our midst;
Christ will come, so everyone will be made new.
Prayer of Consecration
We ask that you would pour out your Spirit
upon the gifts of the bread and the cup, as well as those gathered for this feast.
The bread which is broken becomes the seeds of hope planted in despair,
of joy planted in grief, of kindness planted in cruelty.
The cup which is poured out becomes the grace which nurtures
those who would welcome the forgotten, those who would listen to the voiceless, those who would become justice so all might find a welcome and home.
And when you gather us home from all the far fields we have been planted,
we will join with our sisters and brothers around your Table of grace and hope, forever shouting our joy to you. In anticipation, we pray,
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.
Sharing of the Elements
Come, for all things are ready.
Eat this, for it is the body of Christ, broken for you.
Drink this, for it is the blood of Christ, shed for you.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We thank you, God, for inviting us to this table where we have known the presence of Christ and have received all Christ's gifts. Strengthen our faith, increase our love for one another, and let us show forth your praise in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Call for Concerns & Celebrations
Pastoral Prayer
Call to Offering
Receive our gifts God, and in grace allow them to maintain and create vibrant ministry opportunities in this place. May each shine with the light of Christ into our community and our world. We ask it with gratefulness and love. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication
Hymn of Going
Forth
Benediction
Copyright 2020, Faith Education, Innovation and Formation Ministry Team (Faith INFO), United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH
Announcements...
A Word about Covid
We are concerned about the rapid rise of the new Delta Variant of Covid that is being experienced right in our own Rockingham County.
The positivity rate is increasing much faster than we could have anticipated!
We hope that each person attending our service and coffee hour on Sunday mornings will re-think the possibility of wearing masks and practicing social distancing when indoors. It has been wonderful to be able to worship in person …and enjoy coffee hour together once again. Our hope is to be able to continue doing so. Thank you!
Is your garden producing crops you can share?--If you have extra crops from your garden you would like to share with other church members and help an amazing cause, please bring them to the foyer of Hadley Hall when you come for Sunday Service!
For those who would like these fresh items, feel free to take as many as you'd like. If you'd like to make a donation, all proceeds will go to the RIP Medical Debt organization – more information about this amazing organization can be found at ripmedicaldebt.org. Donations can be placed in the lock box on the wall or the basket at the service.
Coffee Hour Continues – Please consider joining us after this Sunday's service.
If you want to take charge of the food items for one Sunday or more, please contact the Church Office at
Rides Needed To Sunday Services-- Erin McCune has offered to provide some of the rides for some HCC members that wish to come to Church services but are no longer driving. We could use others to help too.
Consider putting on your 'Taxi Cap' and driving a member or two. Be it for one Sunday or more! It will be greatly appreciated.
Please reach out to our office at 603-329-6985 or at hcc1752@gmail.com.
These members will be so happy to be able to come to a service. Thank you.
Bible Study-- Bible Study is meeting weekly. All are invited! Right now we are studying the parables of Jesus. This study will take readers back in time to understand how the original Jewish audience heard the stories. We meet every Thursday at 10 am at Jeanne Stalker 's home. For more information, or to get the address to attend, contact Linda Tilden at latdet50@comcast.net or call
Pastor Kathy Summer 2021 Plans— Pastor Kathy will be returning on Monday, August 2. While Pastor Kathy is out on leave, please note the following pastoral coverage:
Rev. Ruth Gallot will provide pastoral coverage now - August 1 (ph. 603-483-8578).
In addition, Pastor Kathy will be traveling to Wisconsin in late August for her mother's memorial service. Rev. Linda Lea Snyder will be providing pastoral coverage from August 16 - August 29 (ph. 203-927-5387).
Summer Office Hours— Now thru August 27th, the Church Office will be open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9am-12 Noon.
Food Drive to Support St Anne's Food Pantry-- Thank you ALL for your generous donations to our continuous drives!! For July and August, we are going to focus on the needs of St. Anne’s Food Pantry.
Thank you again for all your support!
Please drop off any donations in the foyer of Hadley Hall
Current Food Pantry Needs:
• boxed crackers
• individually wrapped crackers
• cereal
• pancake mix and syrup
• salad dressings
• boxed pasta salad mixes
• granola bars
• barbecue sauce
- 61 Main Street
- Hampstead
- New Hampshire
- 03841
(603) 329-6985
Email Us