Blog

June 15, 2025
Second Sunday of Pentecost
Union-Congregational Church

Gathering Music - Sue Stelsel                             

Welcome and Announcements               

Sharing the Peace of Christ

Call to Worship
One: We are from north and south.
All: We are from tiny apartments and expansive homes.
 

One: We are from this city and from others far away.
All: We are from big families and dinners made for one.
 

One: We are from stages of grief and stages of love.
All: We are from hot summers and cold winters.
 

One: We are from kitchens with passed down recipes,
and front porches with old, familiar swings.
All: We are from the dust of the earth and the stars of the sky.
 

One: We are from a lot of places, but today we are here.
All: Today we are together. Holy God, gather us in.

Opening Prayer (unison)
God of North, South, East, and West, I have been meaning to say… thank you. Thank you for scooping up the dirt and breathing life into it. Thank you for forming this body, this life, this world, these people. Thank you for drawing us in, for holding us up, and for weaving us together—even when it’s hard, especially when it’s hard. If people ask, “Where are you from?” my mouth speaks of geography, but my soul always sings your name. So today we come to you in prayer with gratitude overflowing—gratitude for the places we’ve been, for the people who’ve shaped us, and for the spaces we call home. And so we ask you to scoop us up like you scooped up the dirt on that first day. Hold our hearts alongside our worries. Relieve us of this burden. Protect us in the palm of your hand, and draw us closer to one another as you do. Amen.

Opening Song: “We Have Come” by Christopher Grundy (Jacob will lead) (OneLicense #CGWHC2009)

We have come by way of struggle
we have come by way of pain
we have come by all your steadfast love
O revive our souls again.
We have come to lay our burdens down
we have come to shed our shame
we have come to taste your boundless grace
and to rise as people changed.
We have come to spread your ways of peace
we have come to break the chains
we have come to stand with Jesus 
lead us one into you reign
O lead us on into your reign
O lead us on into your reign.

Children’s Time

Reading of Scripture

Genesis 2:4b-15 (CEB)
On the day the Lord God made earth and sky— 5 before any wild plants appeared on the earth, and before any field crops grew, because the Lord God hadn’t yet sent rain on the earth and there was still no human being to farm the fertile land, 6 though a stream rose from the earth and watered all of the fertile land— 7 the Lord God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life’s breath into his nostrils. The human came to life. 8 The Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east and put there the human he had formed. 9 In the fertile land, the Lord God grew every beautiful tree with edible fruit, and also he grew the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flows from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first river is the Pishon. It flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 That land’s gold is pure, and the land also has sweet-smelling resins and gemstones. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It flows around the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris, flowing east of Assyria; and the name of the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it.

John 1:35-51 (NRSVue)
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). 43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

After reading, please say, “Here end the readings for today. May God bless us as we learn from these holy words. Amen.”

Song: “Minutes to Memories” by John Mellencamp 
 

Message: The Homes That Form Us

Prayers of the People
Time for Silent Prayer
Joys and Concerns 
After each prayer petition, Jacob will say, “God in your mercy”, and the congregation is invited to respond: “Receive our prayer.” 
Pastoral Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer (unison)
 

We Offer Our Gifts

Doxology

Prayer of Dedication (unison)
Gracious God, you have given us the gifts of care and connection with one another. All things come from you. Help us use the gifts you give us to go into the world with deeper empathy and compassion, so that all people in all places have what they need. Amen.

Closing Hymn: The Summons (same as #350, with a different verse. Four verses total) OneLicense #G9837 

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

Will you love the “you” you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around
Through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true when I but call your name!
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In your company I’ll go where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Benediction
Family of faith, as you leave this place, may God grant you the curiosity to counter assumptions, the vulnerability to befriend, the bravery to speak your truth, the wisdom to listen, the strength to ask for help, the resiliency to choose love, even when it’s hard, and the awareness of the Holy Spirit always beside you. In the name of the Great Connector—Love itself, go in peace.

Sending Music - Sue Stelsel                     

Liturgy adapted from prayers by Rev. Sarah Are | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org.

“We Have Come” by Christopher Grundy ©2009 Hand and Soil Music. Used by permission.