Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
July 24, 2005
Worship 10:00 am

note: this is our first of three Sundays with two visitors from our sister church in the Dominican Republic

  Morning Praise (9:45 am)
  Announcements
  Prelude

  Call to Worship

*Hymn                            "Come, let us all unite to sing"                               12

*Opening Prayer

  Hymn                                 "How good a thing it is"                                  310

  Annual Conference Moment

  Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise

  Scripture      Romanos 8:26-27 (Español)   Romans 8:26-27 (English)

  Prayer Hymn                  "Joys are flowing like a river"                              301
                                              (Pre-schoolers leave for playful worship)

  Prayer

  Returning our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory

  Scripture       Colosenses 3:12-17 (Español)   Colossians 3:12-17 (English)

  Message                     "Sharing our life together"                 Dave Fouts

*Hymn                           "For we are strangers no more"                            322

*Benediction

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Call to Worship

         When the group of folks from our congregation visited our sister church in the Dominican Republic last January, worship every evening was built around one particular Psalm. Now that our sisters from our sister church are with us for a few weeks, let’s begin with that very Psalm, #133. First, let’s hear it in the mother tongue of our sisters and brothers in San Juan de la Maguana.

Salmos 133 (Reina-Valera Antigua)

         Now, in the language of our birth:

Psalm 133 (NIV)

         Hermanos y hermanas, ven! (Her-mah-nose ee her-mah-nahs, Bayn !) Come, brothers and sisters! Let us all unite and sing a song of praise to the One who makes it possible for us to live together in unity - #12 in your hymnal.
   

Opening Prayer

God of love,
            from whom our unity and harmony flows,
            to whom we direct our worship this hour,
      may our hearts, minds, and voices
                  joined together as one just now
            be to you (as well as to us)
                        like aromatic oil
                                    poured upon the head in anointing,
                        like the morning dew
                                    upon a dry and thirsty land.
Bless this time, we pray,
            in the name of the One whom you sent to us
                        because you are love -
                                    your Son,
                                            Jesus,
                                            the Christ,
                                            the anointed One. AMEN!

         Please be seated, and turn to # 310 in your hymnal, which is based upon Psalm 133. Let’s sing about "How good a thing it is ... when all God’s people live as one..."
   

Annual Conference Moment

         Our congregation's delegate to our denomination's Annual Conference (July 2-6 in Peoria, IL) will share about this experience and of some of the business that transpired, in this second of several Annual Conference moments.
   

Prayer

Most gracious God,
      protect us from worry about he concerns of this life,
            so that we will not become entangled by them;
      from the needs of our bodies
            so that we will not be enslaved by desires;
      and from any hindrance to our spirits,
            so that we will not be defeated by troubles
Give us strength to resist,
      patience to endure
      and steadfastness to persevere,
      for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. AMEN

Hymnal #730, by Thomas à Kempis,
from A Manual of Worship and Polity,
©1955 House of the Church of the Brethren.
    

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

Mateo 13:44-46 (Español)   Matthew 13:44-46 (English)

Meditate upon these words as you return your offering. Ushers?
   

Benediction

by the guest preacher