A Service of Worship for
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Full worship service video for August 16.
Adult Education - TODAY, 10AM
For the next 2 Sundays, August 16 and 23, Laura Mitchell will lead a discussion on race, culture, and identity. As we look within to see who we are, what we believe, and those things we hope for, we can look out to see how that affects those around us. We will look at Toni Morrison and her book, The Bluest Eye to see what she said about issues that still affect us today. As we open a safe space of equitable sharing, we will look at how we can become the change that is needed in our world today. Will we be allies or saviors in our world to affect change? Zoom links are available on the Online Gatherings page on our website: https://www.covenanthouston.org/covenant-gatherings.html |
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Prelude
Variations on The Magnificat by Johann Pachelbel, Patrick Parker, organ. Call to Worship Opening Prayer Spirit of life, come to us to break down barriers; to widen horizons; to make us less judgmental. Help us to see the larger picture and the kinder conclusion; to love and let live; to embrace and forgive; to sustain and care. Help us to reach out to our better selves, that we may love more and hate less, care more and reject less, that bound together by understanding we may sustain each other through trial and tribulation, through joy and happiness, through sickness and health. Help us, O God, to be joined in a common purpose of hope and fulfillment. Renew and revive us. We seek a common, holy ground for one and all. Amen. Scripture Lesson: Matthew 15:10-28 Time for Children 
Call to Confession Unison Confession
For the bigotry that leads us to fear and hate those different from ourselves, we cry out: God, have mercy. For the times when we have been the instruments of discrimination against our sisters and brothers, we cry out: Christ, have mercy. For the times when our nation has closed the door of compassion to the poor, we cry out: God, have mercy. And may almighty God forgive us our sins, grace us with new life, and give us peace. Amen. Music "Love, Joy, and Peace" written by Jane Marshall, sung by Emily Holien, soprano and K.T. Tilford, tenor. |
Proclamation
Prayer To You, The Word behind all words, we pray: For flawed definitions, for mistaken designations, for misuse of language, forgive us. For mistaking freedom for independence, for having wants and calling them needs, for prejudices we designate as preferences, for confronting the difficult and calling it impossible, forgive us. For confusing religion and theology with faith, for confusing thinking and reflecting for action, for letting fear and hesitancy pass for sense and sensibility forgive us. For calling a brother enemy or a sister fool; or us them, forgive us. For failing and then calling ourselves failures, forgive us. - Jay Leach Invitation
Prayer of Dedication “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the strength to do what is right in the face of it,” as the anonymous philosopher tells us. Some of us are restrained by fear of what could happen to us if we resist. In our naïveté, we are less fearful of what could happen to us —or is already happening to us—if we don’t resist. Affirmation of Faith Let no one be discouraged by the belief that there is nothing one person can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills—against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence. Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, that person sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. Benediction Postlude "I Adore You, O Hidden Lord" by Olivier Messiaen, Patrick Parker, organ. | |||
Worship Notes
The worship leader is Joyce Courtois.
The Call to Worship is by Ibram X. Kendi and Michelle Obama.
The Opening Prayer is by Rhys Williams.
The Unison Confession is a prayer by Edward Francis Gabriele from his book From Many One: Praying our Rich and Diverse Cultural Heritage.
“Love, Joy, and Peace” is sung by Emily Holien and K. T. Tilford.
The Prayer of Dedication is from How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
The Affirmation of Faith is adapted from Robert Kennedy, as quoted by Jeffrey Sachs in The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time.
The worship leader is Joyce Courtois.
The Call to Worship is by Ibram X. Kendi and Michelle Obama.
The Opening Prayer is by Rhys Williams.
The Unison Confession is a prayer by Edward Francis Gabriele from his book From Many One: Praying our Rich and Diverse Cultural Heritage.
“Love, Joy, and Peace” is sung by Emily Holien and K. T. Tilford.
The Prayer of Dedication is from How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
The Affirmation of Faith is adapted from Robert Kennedy, as quoted by Jeffrey Sachs in The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time.
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