SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST JULY 19, 2020

WELCOME to Desert Garden UCC!

No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, or the map, you are welcome here. A special welcome to those who are with us online for the very first time; we are glad you found us! We hope that you encounter the Risen One as you worship. You are welcome to join us in the virtual DG Café at 10:30 a.m. Sunday (details on p. 2).

As you prepare for worship: The idea of “thin places” comes from Celtic spirituality; they are places where heaven and earth come together—and the veil between them is very thin. Today we consider the story of Jacob’s unexpected discovery of a thin place—he named it Bethel—and we'll consider how his story from Genesis 28 might inform our own. Where are the thin places for you? Where, perhaps in retrospect, have you unexpectedly

found that God was present and at work? Is it possible that this pandemic is a thin place?

WELCOME and DG OPPORTUNITIES Pastor Len Silvester

PRELUDE Lord, I Want to Be a Christian (arr. R. Hughes) Claudia Marsollier, Organ

CALL to WORSHIP — from Psalm 139 (CEV) Rev. Richard Einerson, Liturgist

Where could I go to escape your presence? In the highest heavens—you are there.

If I dig down to the world of the dead,—you are there.

If I had wings and flew across the ocean—even there you would guide me.

Even the dark cannot hide me—for day and night are the same to you.

HYMN of PRAISE — by request No. 606 (B), vs. 1,2,3 Nearer, My God to You

PRAYER of INVOCATION (unison) Richard Einerson Through dreams, visions, and unexpected encounters, O God, you broaden the horizons of hope for your people, that they may discover today’s meaning of your covenant, even in the midst of trial, exile, and pandemic. Increase the number of those who trust in you so that more people may joyfully respond to your call and share in all your promises…Amen.

THE GLORIA #1 (B), v. 1

Immortal, invisible, God only wise, in light inaccessible, hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, your great name we praise!

Our CCLI license is #1011176—all music used with permission

SCRIPTURE READING Genesis 28:10-19a Richard Einerson HYMN of PREPARATION No. 500 (B) We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder

HOMILY “Thin Places” Pastor Len

SPECIAL MUSIC Eternal Life (Oliver Duncan) Dennis and Claudia Marsollier

TIME of PRAYER

Pastoral Prayer Richard Einerson Lord’s Prayer (“sins” and “sin against us”) Pastor Len

Organ Response

RESPONDING with GENEROSITY

Invitation

Offertory According to Thy Gracious Word (Gilbert Martin) Claudia Marsollier Prayer of Dedication

HYMN of DEPARTING No. 606 (R), vs.1,3,4 As Your Family, Lord tune: Kum Bah Yah

BENEDICTION Pastor Len

POSTLUDE God and God Alone (Lyndell Leatherman) Claudia Marsollier

DG {VIRTUAL} CAFÉ (see log-in information below)

Our Building is Closed … Our Mission is W i d e O p e n !

Join us Sunday at 10:30 a.m. for our virtual DG Café! Grab a Zoom ‘table’ by computer at https://zoom.us/j/842133771; by phone at1-669-900-6833#, meeting 842133771.

Summer Mission/Outreach: Food and water collection, Mon-Wed 9 to 11 a.m. Leave items just outside the office door. Food goes to Valley View Food Bank and the water goes to the Salvation Army. Plastic bags and ‘plarn’ for homeless mats may be left

outside Fellowship Hall. Thank you for your generosity!

Pastor’s Bible Study on Hiatus: Pastor Len will reduce his working schedule a bit in July. (He is still available for pastoral needs… don’t hesitate!) Our bible study will resume in August with “Bible 101.”

Upcoming Meetings: The Church Council meets this Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. The Book Club meets a week from tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Next Sunday our guest will be Michael Curry, the Lay Minister for Disability Education, Awareness and Advocacy for the UCC Southwest Conference. His message is a strong one, and he will join us in the DG Café following worship. Michael readily shares his own challenging journey and his passion for welcoming the differently-abled.

verses 1, 2 & 3 only

An opportunity from the UCC Southwest Conference Racism Awareness Webinar

The Southwest Conference is pleased to present “Perspectives on Race and Racism” on Saturdays in August (10:00 to 11:30 a.m. AND 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.). This webinar will address questions we have in this tumultuous time—i.e., How can I have racism when I am colorblind? What is offensive about saying ‘All lives matter’? The webinar leader has direct, compelling, lifelong experience with racism. Early registration is required at https://us02web.zoom.us/…/register/WN_-V98tGE8S3yWn7SRSOQNbQ. Several from Desert Garden UCC have already registered!

Online ‘attendance’ figures: Online worship service: for the week, 284 — for the last 30 days, 1,040

Website visits: for the week, 772 — for the last 30 days, 2,949

(visitors were from the U.S., Europe, S. America, Oceania and Asia)

...continued from previous page

all 3 verses

Our Desert Garden of Prayer Your prayers matter...in ways you may never fully realize. Please remember these people

and needs in your regular prayer routine. They, and you, will benefit:

Those who asked us not to name them publicly; Ernest Haeussler; Edith Warren (daughter of the Wenners); Bill Layson; Dru Powell; Ronda Lee (daughter of Virginia Heiman); Marsha Griep; Audrey Ellis; Heidi Kallstrom; Daryl Shipp; Jill (daughter of Joan Hamilton); Barbara Rose; Birdean Christofferson; Gudrun Adell; Florence Woodward; Toni & Robert Pringle; Helen & Doug Middlebrooks; Faye Beck; Alla Sawitski; Bob Davis; Cindy Dauterive; Sara Givens; Tess Julianna; Flora Larson; our Profile Team; Marty Garretson; first responders and medical personnel; delivery and service people at risk; all those grieving and all for whom the current isolation is especially difficult; for peace and justice and racial equality in this nation.

DESERT GARDEN UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST WEBSITE: www.desertgardenchurch.org

PHONE: 623-584-1795 EMAIL: office@desertgardenchurch.org

Rev. Len Silvester, Pastor (Interim); Annette Strangman, Business Manager; Dennis Marsollier, Music Director; Claudia Marsollier, Organist/Bell Choir Director;

Duane Scholler, Custodian; Alice Goss, Pastoral Intern/E-mail prayer coordinator; Craig Olinger, Recording Tech & IT

verses 1, 3 & 4 only