Online Worship – October 4, 2020

Communion will be celebrated today at Trinity in Online Worship. If you wish to participate, please have a piece of bread and beverage ready. Communion is celebrated at Trinity on the first Sunday of every month.

Sunday Vespers. You are invited to join the members and friends of Trinity Palm Coast (in-person!) for outdoor vespers on Sunday evenings. Vespers, by definition, is an informal worshipful gathering. We will observe social distancing and all are asked to wear a mask in consideration of others. We also ask that you bring your own chair. We look forward to seeing many of you and worshipping with you!

Hymn books are available to borrow. You could use them at home to follow along with the worship service or bring it to Sutdoor Vespers. The Hymn books can be checked out in the Church office, Monday-Thursday from 9am-12pm.

A new Midweek Bible Study video is available online each week. Visit our website or Facebook page to view a video from Rev. Beebe. The first video of a new series called “Our Money Story” began this week. A new video will be released each week and will be available to watch whenever it is convenient for you. You can also ‘catch-up’ anytime at the Bible Study archive. To be included in our weekly email, simply subscribe to the website or join our Facebook group. Links to subscribe and join are at the bottom of our webpage. We hope you will join us!

Additionally, portions of the liturgy we use in the service are provided by Sanctified Art. Where used, they are identified with a superscript ² and the copyright acknowledgment is at the bottom of this worship page.

Briefly, a word concerning the technical presentation of this service. If you are having difficulty reading the words, look for your web browser’s “Zoom” settings. The keystrokes are typically ‘Ctrl-Shift-+’ to increase the zoom or ‘Ctrl-Shift-(minus)’ to decrease the zoom. Other devices may have a different mechanism (‘finger pinch’), but most support zoom.

Although the sanctuary doors will not be open, we hope you will have a meaningful Sunday worship experience!

This week’s bulletin is available at any time by clicking this link. The bulletin will open in a separate tab or window.

Please note the bulletin matches the order of service on this page, but there are additional items that may be of interest to you that are not included on this worship page.

The service this day contains:

• Preparation for Worship
• Prelude “Shall We Gather at the River”
• Call to Worship
• Hymn #340 “This is My Song”
• A Prayer of Confession
• Declaration of Forgiveness
• Gloria Patri (Hymn #581)
• Prayer for Illumination
• Gospel Reading
• Old Testament Reading
• Anthem “How Firm a Foundation”
• Children’s Sermon
• Meditation “Layer Upon Layer”
• A Stewardship Story
• Affirmation of Faith
• Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
• Hymn #704 “To My Precious Lord”
• Benediction
• Congregational Response (Hymn #306)
• Prayer of Dedication for the Offering
• Offering to God
• Postlude “You Are My Strength When I Am Weak”

² One: May we remember
All: That God created.
One: May we remember
All: That God liberated.
One: May we remember
All: That God fed.
One: May we remember
All: That God is still creating, God is still liberating, And God is still feeding us.
One: Let this be our story.
All: Let this be where we begin.
One: Let us worship holy God.

Rev Dr Jeffrey Beebe

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

Carol Corson, lay reader.

² Holy God,
There is something about scripture that stirs us awake.
For when we hear of a deep love that made room for everyone at the table,
We remember that we are hungry.
And when we hear of manna raining down in the desert,
We remember that we are lost.
There is something about scripture that stirs us awake,
And it feels like hunger and it looks like hope.
So stir us awake, oh God.
Remind us that this story starts with love and ends with love.
We are hungry, which is to say, we are listening.
Amen.

Carol Corson, lay reader.

Luke 22:1-23 – The Plot to Kill Jesus, The Preparation of the Passover, and The Institution of the Lord’s Supper. Listen for God speaking to you today.

Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; 4 he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. 5 They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.” 9 They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for it?” 10 “Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.” 13 So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22 For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” 23 Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.

Carol Corson, lay reader.

Exodus 16:1-18 – Bread from Heaven.. Listen for God speaking to you today.

The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaining against the LORD. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the LORD has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the LORD.”
9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.’” 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11 The LORD spoke to Moses and said, 12 “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’”
13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.’” 17 The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed.

Brooke Tucker, Director of Faith Formation.

Rev Dr Jeffrey Beebe

This is the first in a series we’re calling “A Stewardship Story”. Each week we’ll introduce a member of Trinity to tell us their own personal journey, belief, or story of stewardship.

David Tiernan and Leisa Gardner.

Please wait until AFTER the worship service on November 1 to fill in your 2021 Stewardship Pledge Cards. Once filled in, they may be turned in to the church or mailed to the church office. May God richly bless our generosity as we return to God a small portion of what He has given to us.

Carol Corson, lay reader

² The story of God calls us to remember—

that creation was made good,

and Sabbath is necessary.

The story of God calls us to remember—

that we belong to one another,

for we are bone of bone and flesh of flesh.

The story of God calls us to remember—

that reconciliation between siblings is holy,

and slavery of any kind is evil.

The story of God calls us to remember—

that the wilderness is real,

and that God will be with us—

raining down manna and speaking in a still, small voice.

The story of God calls us to remember—

that love looks like healing the sick,

eating with the outcast,

making room for the children,

and seeing the unseen.

The story of God calls us to remember—

because if we forget, we risk making God, love, and reconciliation small.

So as we remember, may we declare—

we believe in a God who made all things good,

who stands with the suffering,

walks with us in the wilderness,

sees the overlooked,

loves with an untamed heart,

and makes room for all at God’s table.

Amen.

Rev Dr Jeffrey Beebe

Communion Prayer ²
Creator God,
Prayer has never been easy for us.
Our mind flutters with news updates and questions of faith—
our thoughts like a river that won’t stop.
So today we take a deep breath—
Inhaling your name into the cobwebs of our lungs,
Willing your presence to wipe away the dust of self-doubt and fear.
And with that breath,
We ask you that you would tell us again:
Tell us again how you moved over the waters.
Tell us again how you led them with a pillar of fire.
Tell us again of that still, small voice,
And then tell us of the prophets.
Tell us of Mary and Joseph and that angel chorus.
Tell us of the blind man, and the leper, and the crowds that you healed.
Tell us what it was like to walk on water.
Tell us of the little children that ran to you.
Tell us of the justice you preached.
Tell us of the hosannas and the palm branches.
Tell us again of the love that changed the world.
Tell us again, because we are forgetful people.
It is part of our human nature;
That is why we long for this space week after week,
So that we might be reminded of who we are and whose we are.
So tell us again.
For our anxiety is loud.
Our scarcity is loud.
Our fear is loud.
Our anger is loud.
Our shame is loud.
Our loneliness and self-doubt are loud.
Mental illness is loud.
Doubt is loud,
So tell us again.
Tell us again how it all began.
Tell us of manna in the wilderness and the disciples around the table.
Tell us again of your love for this world.
Tell us again how it changed everything.
Tell us again, so that we have the strength to tell others.
And as you do, pour out your Spirit on this table.
Tether your Spirit to our fragile bones.
Be with us in these ordinary symbols of extraordinary love,
And give us the strength to remember your story anew.
As we prepare to eat together as your disciples did,
We remember and we speak that truth out loud, praying together,

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.

Prayer After Communion²
Holy God,
As we leave this table, help us to remember this moment.
Help us remember that with you, all are invited.
Help us remember that with you, there is a seat for everyone.
Help us remember that with you, there is enough food to go around,
that even Judas was invited to the meal,
and that there is manna in the wilderness.
Help us remember so that as we go, we can build tables like this in the world.
We need more tables like this in the world.
Gratefully we pray, Amen.

Rev Dr Jeffrey Beebe

Heasuk Che, organist.

Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.

Gracious God,
As we come to you today in prayer, we admit that giving is complicated.
At times it is easier to remember our shame or guilt around giving,
as opposed to your joy or generosity.
We all have our money narratives, and they affect us in different ways.
So today as we offer our gifts to you,
we pray that you would re-center our narrative.
Remind us that we do not give out of shame or guilt.
We do not give out of obligation.
We do not give to feel worthy.
And we do not give to buy your grace.
We give out of a desire to participate.
We give as a sign of gratitude.
We give because we belong to one another.
We give to build a more just and equitable world.
We give because we love, and that’s what love does.
So take these gifts and remind us that we belong to one another.
Remind us that all money narratives are welcome at this table.
Remind us that whatever shame or guilt we bring with us
will be washed away with your empathy and love.
Remind us, and then help us to build that more beautiful world.
In hope we pray, Amen.

God calls us to give all of who we are, and all of what we have to be used in and thru the Church. So let us present our lives. Let us present our gifts unto God.
Offerings can be received in the church by mail or you may utilize online banking options.

You can click the image to the right or this link to give online now. At the online Giving site, select “2020 Pledge” as the Fund to fulfill your 2020 pledge or use another fund if you’re directing your gift elsewhere. Note, the church must pay a small processing fee to receive your contribution via online giving. Increasing your gift would help cover the cost of processing and would be greatly appreciated.

If you’d like to see alternatives to online giving, please take a look at our Contribute page.