Mayfield Congregational Church UCC
Sunday, June 6, 2021
Second Sunday after Pentecost

I have long believed that there are fundamentally two forces or emotions that drive our decisions – love and fear. Love has its many manifestations: compassion, gratitude, kindness, and joy. Fear often manifests in cynicism, anger, jealousy, and anxiety. I worry that many of our communities are being driven by fear. Vivek Murthy

PRELUDE
WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

OPENING HYMN   #566  Heaven and Earth, Sea and Air
Heaven and earth, and sea and air, all their Maker’s praise declare.
Wake, my soul, awake and sing, with creation praises bring.

See, at dawn, the rising sun, show the wonders God has done!
Moon and stars with silvery light, praise God through the silent night.

Look around this earthly ball, God has richly dressed it all,
Urban lights and canyons deep, forests, fields, with cows and sheep.

Waters surge and windstorms blow, thunder, lightning, hail and snow:
Through their frenzy, even these, God would praise and God would please.

All these things with curious force, find them drawn to praise their source:
Wake, my soul, awake and sing, to your Maker praises bring.

CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader:  Give thanks to God with your whole heart!
People:  On the day we called, God answered us.
Leader:   God’s steadfast love endures forever.
People:  Thanks be to God!

PRAYER OF INVOCATION (unison)
Holy God, let your Spirit move in us now.  Turn us away from the temporary and move us to your eternal love.    Amen.

SCRIPTURE:           I Samuel 8:4-15

MESSAGE:              Wanting What the Neighbors Have, Rev. Lauri Allen

PASTORAL PRAYER

HYMN   #501 Sarah’s Circle

We are dancing Sarah’s circle…sisters, brothers, all.

Here we seek and find our story…sisters, brothers, all.

We will all do our own naming…sisters, brothers, all.

Every round a generation…sisters, brothers, all.

On and on the circle’s moving…sisters, brothers, all.

CELEBRATION OF COMMUNION 
(written by Beth Merrill Neel)

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right and our deep joy to give you all our gratitude, O God, because in love and with a creativity we cannot imagine you made the universe, and the planets, and our earth and seas and sky. You created life, and us. And you gave us free will, trusting that we would make mistakes and learn, trusting that we would do amazing things for you and for each other.

And so with praise and gratitude in our hearts and on our lips, we join our voices in the song of the angels and saints, who forever sing to you, as we say these words:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might
Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

You are blessed, O God, and Jesus is blessed, and the Holy Spirit is blessed, too. We ask now that you send us your Spirit, that by your power, this ordinary table will become a sacred banquet, and this bread and cup will become holy things that we can share.

Breaking of the Bread
Sharing of the Bread and the Cup

As we break bread together, as we drink from the same cup, unite us as people who are grateful for all we have and share in that abundance. And hear us as we are bold to say together the prayer that Jesus taught….

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.

OFFERING

DOXOLOGY

PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Eternal God, your son Jesus teaches us that a house divided cannot stand.  Together, we offer ourselves and our gifts, that they may be used to extend your grace to others for your glory.  Amen.

CLOSING HYMN   #539  Won’t You Let Me Be Your Servant
Won’t you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.

We are pilgrims on a journey, we are travelers on the road
We are here to help each other, go the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you, in the shadow of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh I’ll laugh with you,
I will share your joy and sorrow, til we’ve seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven, we shall find such harmony,
Born of all we’ve known together, of Christ’s love and agony.

Won’t you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.

BENEDICTION

CHORAL BENEDICTION    God Be With You ‘Til We Meet Again

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
This year the Father’s Day Offering will be donated to the DeKalb County Youth Services Bureau.

DCYSB Mission:  The DeKalb County Youth Service Bureau, Inc. (YSB) assists youth as they build healthy lives and relationships with their families, friends, and community.

Please email mayfielduccyt@gmail.com with the list of people you would like to honor or memorialize with your generous gift. Donations can be dropped off or mailed to the church.  There will be a list of honored people in the bulletin and the email that is sent to the congregation On June 19, 2021

Daryl Cook had surgery this week.  Please keep Daryl in your prayers for a speedy recovery.  Please feel free to send a Get Well Greeting to Daryl.