Tenth Sunday after Pentecost* August 17, 2025
*Indicates please stand in body or in spirit
WE BECOME AWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD
PRELUDE Flute choir
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS Rev. Dr. Jill Sanders
POURING OF THE BAPTISMAL WATER Pastor Jill
*CALL TO WORSHIP Betty Cichy-Anderson
One: Holy Mystery, we are your children.
All: We turn to you in wonder and in need.
One: Loving Christ, you lay your hands on our wounds.
All: We come bent over, and rise in praise.
One: Holy Spirit, you give us power to heal.
All: Touch us; change us; send us out as new people.
*HYMN OF PRAISE “How Great Thou Art,” W & R 51 vs 1,2,4
*UNISON PRAYER Betty
God of gentle mercy, we worship you not because you lord it over us, but because you raise us up. We come to you bowed down with cares and fears, with wounds and needs, and with hunger for your grace. Speak your Word and lay your hand upon us, so that we may be made whole again. We pray in the name of Jesus, your healer and your Presence. Amen.
ACT OF PRAISE (Black #55. Verse 5)
Praise God who rules all worlds, the risen Christ adore,
Praise God the Spirit, Holy Fire, one God forevermore!
Rejoice, Rejoice, rejoice, give thanks and sing.
*PASSING OF THE PEACE Betty
GOD SPEAKS TO US
MINISTRY IN MUSIC Flute Choir
READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES Isaiah 58:9-14 Betty
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and God will say, “Here I am.” If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.
11 God will guide you continually and satisfy your needs in parched places and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
13 If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests or pursuing your own affairs;
14 then you shall take delight in God, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for the mouth of God has spoken.
MOMENT WITH THE YOUNGER CHURCH Pastor Jill
READING FROM THE Gospel Luke 13:10-17 Pastor Jill
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman 10 Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.”
13 When Jesus laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.
14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured and not on the Sabbath day.”
15 But Jesus answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it to water?
16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”
17 When Jesus said this, all his opponents were put to shame, and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things being done by him.
Hymn OF PREPARATION Surely no one can be safer, Blk 487 Vs 1-4
MESSAGE “Adventures in Missing the Point” Rev. Dr. Jill Sanders
MUSIC FOR REFLECTION Brad Lambrecht
WE RESPOND TO GOD
SHARING OF JOYS AND CONCERNS, Prayers of the People
PRAYER OF OUR SAVIOR
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 sins as we forgive those who sin against us,
And Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
INVITATION TO GIVE & OFFERING OUR GIFTS
OFFERTORY MUSIC Flute Choir
*DOXOLOGY tune: Old Hundredth
O Spirit, midwife of the Church,
To dry old bones you give new birth,
And blaze a trail where there was none:
Your work will never be undone.
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION Pastor Jill
*CLOSING Hymn I Love to tell the Story, Blk 522 Vs. 1,2,4
*BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH Pastor Jill
Postlude Flute Choir
***This morning’s Call to Worship and Unison Prayer were written by the Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes and can be found on his website: www.unfoldinglight.net.
NEWS IN THE PEWS: SUNDAY August 17, 2025
Today, Sunday Aug 17
10:00 Worship in person and online
11:00 Coffee Fellowship
Monday Aug 18
10:00 No Caffeinated Christianity
1:00 Women’s Fellowship Board
2-7pm Voice lessons
Tuesday Aug 19
11:30 Lunch bunch
5:00 Board of Administration
6:00 Council
Wednesday Aug 20
5:15 Choir rehearsal
Thursday Aug 21
9:00 Walking Group @ Big Ole
4:30 Holy Happy Hour
Next Sunday Aug 24
10:00 Worship in person and online
11:00 Coffee Fellowship
PASTOR JILL’S Office Hours
Pastor Jill will be away from the office, August 18 through Labor Day. The first week, she will be engaging in Continuing Education and retreat. The second week will be a vacation week. Pastor Michael Fritz will be available for any pastoral care issues or emergencies from Aug 18-24. Pastor Marc Blakesley will handle pastoral care issues the following week. Please contact the office or reach out to Joy if you need contact information for either of them.
Women’s Fellowship Board
The Board will meet on August 18 at 1 pm in the Cambridge Room
Lunch Bunch
Our next luncheon is on Tuesday, August 19 at 11:30. We will meet at the Grand Arbor’s Pioneer Grill. Everyone is welcome to join us.
Tuesday is Meeting Day
The Board of Administration and the Church Council meet on Tuesday. If you have an agenda item, please let Clayton or Bruce or the office know.
Newsletter Deadline
The deadline for articles to be submitted to the Church Visitor is August is Friday August 22.
Frozen Pies Available
There are a few pies still available. $15 a pie.
Harvest Table
Once again, we are opening our harvest table. Please bring in any excess produce, flowers or herbs from your garden. Free will offering will go to support our Missions Committee activities.
WORSHIP SERVICE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We need readers, ushers, greeters, tech staff and coffee fellowship servers through the end of the year. Sign up is at the back of the sanctuary.
VIRTUAL GIVING OPTIONS: ONLINE AND TEXT
Check out our updated website: firstcongregationaluccalex.com. Click on the word “Give” at the top of the screen. You can also text (844) 987-4483 to give to our general fund. Please contact the office if you need help setting up a giving account online using our provider, Churchtrac.
UCC Disaster Ministries
Over the past week or so, there has been a series of severe weather events across the United States. This includes the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal in central North Carolina, and flash flooding in Ruidoso, New Mexico.
The Disaster Ministry Team at the National Ministry of the United Church of Christ has been in contact with the Conference Disaster Response Coordinators and the Conference Ministers for the impacted conferences to monitor the situation and determine how best to support communities as we learn more about the devastation from these storms.
We continue to hold all of those affected by the storms, and their loved ones in our prayers.
To support the relief and long-term recovery of those affected by these severe storms, and other communities that have experienced similar events across the US, click here, and select “Severe Storms” as the designation.
BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
Kurt Norling 08/25
Misha Harstad 08/27
Steve Harstad 08/27
Pat Nelson 08/28
If we have missed your birthday or other important date, please let us know.
FAVORITE HYMNS NEEDED
Those who select hymns for our traditional services would like to hear suggestions favorite hymns. The list will then be used when possible as they choose hymns for us to sing that might fit into the theme for a Sunday. Please fill out the forms in your bulletin or email your choices to the church.
ANGEL CARE TEAM August VOLUNTEERS
August volunteers are Judy Kuhlmann (320)763-6033 and Mary Mische (320) 491-0341. If you would like a visit or know someone who needs a visit, please contact one of them.
Per Capita Dues
We have started to collect the per capita dues that we pay to the Minnesota Conference to help fund the conference’s mission and ministry. We do this every year as a member of the conference. You will receive a letter in the mail or at church.
UCAN Luncheon Table
The 25th Annual Domestic Abuse Awareness Luncheon is Wednesday, October 15, 2025 from 11:30 – 1:00 P.M at the Broadway Ballroom. We will host 2 tables this year for the October 15th UCAN luncheon. There is a sign up at the back –the luncheon is $25. (If we have more than 16 people we can get additional spots right now—but the deadline is approaching quickly).
ALZHEIMER & DEMENTIA CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP
Join us at the Public Works Dept. meeting room (526 Willow Dr) on the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 3-4:30. Please contact the facilitator Stephanie Aasness at 320-766-1856, to learn more.
We are an inclusive community that welcomes extravagantly, seeks God and follows Jesus into the world.
We are also a member of the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ and honor the dignity of each person created in God’s image. All are welcome here.
