From Rev. Ben:
This Sunday begins a week during which it seems particularly important to reflect upon the United States’ nuclear strikes against Japan, which happened 75 years ago, on August 6th and 9th, 1945. During our online celebration we will remember these events in preaching, prayer and in music. This week’s celebration looks at some really difficult issues. It’s hard sometimes to confront the past, but to do so always is good work. I’m glad you will be joining me in this important endeavor.
Note: our online Celebration is available around 7pm each Saturday. Before that time, the Celebration link works, but the videos won’t be viewable yet.
You can submit comments and prayer requests via our Comments Form at mpcfamily.org/comments . We’d love to hear from you!
If you are visiting today, we hope you’ll fill out our online Visitor Card at mpcfamily.org/hello .
View August 2nd Celebration online
- Marcia will provide us with a prelude, Fanfare on “God of the Ages”, arr. Craig A. Penfield,
- Talitha will welcome us to celebration,
- Shelly Kelly will call us to celebration,
- The first hymn will be the Quaker hymn “Holy Love” by Patricia McKernon (lyrics below)
- Maggie Harmon will lead us in a prayer for peace, using a prayer Pope John Paul II prayed
- when he visited Hiroshima in 1981,
- It’s birthday Sunday! If you are celebrating a birthday in the month of August, we’d like to offer you a
- blessing in song ( lyrics below),
- Martha Smith will read Philippians 4:8-9,
- I will preach a sermon that calls us to reject propaganda when thinking upon the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
- *Special music provided by Kim and friend,
- Lay Pastor Jim Allardice will lead us in the sacrament of communion,
- The closing hymn is “This is My Song” (lyrics below),
- and a family life video will feature announcements, a report from the Auction Committee, a charge and a benediction.
HOLY LOVE
Open my heart,
Let holy love flow through me.
Center my soul upon the path of peace.
Make of my life a melody of love,
Singing Alleluia, thou Great One, Alleluia
BIRTHDAY BLESSING
God bless and cherish you, be gracious unto you,
shower you with favor and bestow the gift of peace.
THIS IS MY SONG
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh, hear my song, O God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.
The Charge (say together) Go out into the world in peace. Have courage; hold on to what is good. Return no one evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, and help the suffering. Honor all people. Love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.