DEAR CHURCH

August 3, 2025

Be Clear, Not Cruel

Prelude:                                        

Blest Be the Tie

Music by Johann G. Nageli

Arranged by Julie Christofferson

Jordan Britt and Pam Halsell, trumpets; John Cundiff, horn
Michael McGary, trombone; Steve Bulleit, euphonium

Music by Johann G. Nageli
Arranged by Julie Christofferson
©2004 Julie Christofferson/www.bvdpress.com 

Call to Worship     

People of Hope, we gather today as a community united in God’s love.

A people called to experience God’s grace,
To embrace the differences and diversity in our midst, 
And to put our love into action with forgiveness and healing. 
So rise as you are able, in body or spirit. 
Sing with joy to our loving God.

**Processional Hymn

Thank Our God for All Our Sibling

Thank our God for all our siblings, one by grace, in harmony,
joining heart to heart with others, making strong community.
With the cross of Christ our standard, let us sing as with one voice,
Glory, glory, yours the glory, we who are the church rejoice.

Praise to God for congregations, keeping faith with Christ as guide;
many tongues of many nations, song and service unified.
Sweet the psalm and sweet the carol, when our song is raised as one.
Glory, glory, yours the power, as in heav’n your will be done.

Holy is your name forever! Heal divisions that remain;
Bless the church’s new endeavors; make our witness one again.
One in Christ and in Christ’s gospel, make us one we now implore.
Glory, glory, you’re the glory, then and now and evermore.

Words: Roger K. Powell, adapted © 1948
Music: Rowland H. Prichard, 1830

Welcome and Life of the Church

**Sharing of the Peace

Modern Lesson 

Our August sermon series, Dear Church, explores what it means to be a community that doesn’t just exist, but rather grows, transforms, and becomes even more inclusive, kind, and faithful. The Modern lessons this month are letters to the church written in the style of an advice columnist. Hear these words:

Dear gentle Church, 

I know you love peace. I know you love kindness. I know you’ve prayed, “Make me an instrument of your peace.” And I also know that sometimes, in your effort to keep the peace, you’ve chosen silence when someone needed an advocate. You’ve nodded politely instead of asking a hard but necessary question. You’ve stuffed down your frustration rather than bringing it—gently and honestly—into the light. 

But Church, peace is not the absence of conflict. It’s the presence of truth wrapped in love. It’s staying at the table when things get messy. It’s speaking up without shouting down. It’s saying the hard thing in the most loving way possible. That’s what Jesus modeled for us—clarity with compassion, honesty without harm. 

So don’t avoid the tension. Step into it with grace. Say what needs to be said—not to wound, but to heal. 

With love and conviction, 

A fellow peacemaker 

Chorus

The Power of Your Love

Lord, I come to you. Let my heart be changed, renewed,
flowing from the grace that I found in you.
Lord, I’ve come to know the weaknesses I see in me
will be stripped away by the pow’r of your love.

**Hold me close, let your love surround me.
Bring me near, draw me to your side.
And as I wait, I’ll rise up like the eagle.
And I will soar with you,
your Spirit leads me on in the pow’r of your love.

Words and Music: Geoff Bullock
©1992 Word Music, LLC/Maranatha! Music

**Scripture Lesson: Matthew 18:15-20 

One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

All:    Come, Holy Spirit.

One: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

All:    Glory to you, O God.

Jesus continued, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by God in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

One: This is the Gospel of Hope.

All:    Praise to you, Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit.

**Response                           

The Power of Your Love

Hold me close, let your love surround me.
Bring me near, draw me to your side.
And as I wait, I’ll rise up like the eagle.
And I will soar with you,

your Spirit leads me on in the pow’r of your love.
And I will soar with you,
your Spirit leads me on in the pow’r of your love.
And I will soar with you,
your Spirit leads me on in the pow’r of your love.

Words and Music: Geoff Bullock
©1992 Word Music, LLC/Maranatha! Music

Sermon

Be Clear, Not Cruel

Offering Call       

Offertory  

Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether 



Words by Percy Dearmer; Music by Harold W. Friedell
Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra

Draw us in the Spirit’s tether; for when humbly, in thy name,
Two or three are met together, thou art in the midst of them:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Touch we now thy garment’s hem.

As disciples used to gather in the name of Christ to sup,
then with thanks to God the Giver break the bread and bless the cup,
Alleluia! Alleluia! So bind thou our friendship up.

All our meals and all our living make as sacraments of thee,
That by caring, helping, giving, we may true disciples be.
Alleluia! Alleluia! We will serve thee faithfully.

Words by Percy Dearmer
Music by Harold W. Friedell
© 1957 (Renewed) The H.W. Gray Co., Inc/Warner Bros. Publications U.S. Inc.

Communion   

Words of Institution      

Prayer of Consecration  

Music during Communion

Take Me as I Am

Lord, my heart is open, needing you again,
humbled now and broken, take me as I am.
All my fears and failures, Lord, you understand,
here I am surrendered, take me as I am.

Take me as I am, take me as I am,
here I am surrendered, take me as I am.

Words and Music by Carol Cymbala and Jason Michael Webb
© 2012 Carol Joy Music/JasonNene Music

Just as I Am

Just as I am, without one plea but that thy love was shown to me,
and that thou bidd’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, thy love unknown has broken every barrier down;

now to be thine, yea, thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

I come broken to be mended, I come wounded to be healed.
I come desperate to be rescued, I come empty to be filled.

I come guilty to be pardoned through the love of Christ, the Lamb.
And I’m welcomed with open arms, praise God, just as I am.

Just as I am, I would be lost, but mercy and grace my freedom bought.
And now, to glory in the cross, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

I come broken to be mended, I come wounded to be healed.
I come desperate to be rescued, I come empty to be filled.

I come guilty to be pardoned through the love of Christ, the Lamb.
And I’m welcomed with open arms, praise God, just as I am.

Words and Music: Charlotte Elliot, David Moffitt, Sue C. Smith, 
Travis Cottrell, and William B. Bradbury
© 2009 Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing/First Hand Revelation Music/
CCTB Music

How Great Is Our God

Age to age you stand, and time is in your hands,
Beginning and the End, Beginning and the End.
The God-head, three in one, Maker, Spirit, Son,
the Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb.

**How great is our God! Sing with me, how great is our God!
And all will see how great, how great is our God!
How great is our God! Sing with me, how great is our God!
And all will see how great, how great is our God!

Words and Music: Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, and Ed Cash
© 2004 Alletrop Music/worshiptogether.com Songs/sixsteps Music

**Prayer of Thanksgiving 

**Recessional Hymn:

Where Charity and Love Prevail

Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love, by love are we thus bound.

With grateful joy and holy fear true charity we learn;
Let us with heart and mind and strength now love Christ in return.

Forgive we now each other’s faults as we our faults confess;
And let us love each other well in Christian holiness.

Let strife among us be unknown, let all contention cease;
Be Christ the glory that we seek, be our Christ’s holy peace.

Words: Omer Westendorf, 1961
© 1961, 1962 World Library Publications, Inc. 
Music: Alexander Robert Reinagle, 1836

**Benediction         

Postlude for Dismissal

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The flowers on the chancel are given by Jim Hauck in memory of his parents who were married 56 years, James A. and Rose Marie Hauck, and especially his dad who passed away on June 19th.