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Acts of the Apostles: Lift Up Your Hearts (August 23, 2020)

Acts of the Apostles
1. Acts of the Apostles: As the Father Sent Me, So I Send You (May 31, Pentecost, 2020)
2. Acts of the Apostles: The Spirit Blows Westward (June 7, 2020)
3. Acts of the Apostles: The Church Between the Times (June 14, 2020)
4. Acts of the Apostles: Faithful Obscurity (June 21, 2020)
5. Acts of the Apostles: And Samaria (June 28, 2020)
6. Acts of the Apostles: Practice & Product (July 5, 2020)
7. Acts of the Apostles: A Healing at the Beautiful Gate
8. Acts of the Apostles: The Believers Pray (August 2, 2020)
9. The Parish Gathering | Acts of the Apostles: The Believers Share (August 9, 2020)
10. Acts of the Apostles: The Parish in the Commons (August 16, 2020)
11. Acts of the Apostles: Lift Up Your Hearts (August 23, 2020)
12. This New Life: Good News for the Disgraced (September 6, 2020)
13. This New Life: Good News for the Ashamed (September 13, 2020)
14. This New Life: Good News for the Wayward (September 20, 2020)
15. This New Life: Good News for the Scattered (September 27, 2020)

Please participate in the following liturgy, reading aloud all the parts in bold italics.


Call to Worship: Psalm 103:1-8

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
  bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
   and do not forget all his benefits—
who forgives all your iniquity,
   who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
   who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”


Song: Something Always Changes

Bless the Lord, oh, my soul
   And let all that’s within me
   shout out, shout out

Something always changes
   when I bless Your name

The air gets clearer
The sun gets brighter
My soul gets lighter

So Bless the Lord, o my soul
O my soul
   Worship His Holy Name
Sing Like never before
O My Soul
   Worship His Holy Name


Prayers of the People
Remember Reality
  • Covid-19 (economic hardship, grief & loss, isolation & division, disappointments
  • against racial injustice & oppression in all its forms
  • for unity, community, and provision for our Parish community
Remember the Story

Revelation 21:1-6; 22:17;20

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life…

The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’
And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift…

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.”

This is God’s Story
Thanks be to God

Remember the Storyteller

Forgetting not God’s benefits, acts, and ways (Psalm 103:2, 7-8) as we pray:

  • for Covid-19
  • against injustice & oppression
  • for the next season of our Parish community

Song: All Who are Thirsty & Great are You Lord

All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
    Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
     As deep cries out to deep (we sing)

Come, Lord Jesus, come
    Abba Father, come
Holy Spirit, come

And all the earth will shout Your praise
Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing
   Great are You, Lord

It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
   We pour out our praise
It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
    To You only


Acts of the Apostles: God + Me + Money

Sursum Corda for the Commons

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


Community Life

RSVP now for the In-Person Worship Gathering next Sunday (August 30)


The Cross of Christ

All our problems,
we send to the cross of Christ!
All our difficulties,
we send to the cross of Christ!
All the devil’s works,
we send to the cross of Christ!
All our hopes,
we set on the Risen Christ!


Blessing & Sending

3 Good Minutes

How can you take a step toward living from blessing rather than scarcity this week? 


Parish Text Updates