Sixth Sunday after Pentecost July 12, 2020

WELCOME to Desert Garden Church! No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, or the map, you are welcome here.

A special welcome to those who are with us online for the very first time; we are glad you found us! We hope that you encounter the Risen One as you worship. You are welcome to join us in

the virtual DG Café at 10:30 a.m. Sunday (details on p. 2).

Welcome, Alice Goss: We welcome to the virtual pulpit today Alice Goss, our Pastoral Intern, preaching her first homily. In September she begins a program leading to an M.Div. degree from Chicago Theological Seminary. A scholarship fund is open and your donations are most welcome and appreciated! Proceeds will be forwarded to CTS for Alice’s benefit. Mark your

gift ‘scholarship.’

As you prepare for worship: Today we reflect on the Parable of the Sower, and consider what sort of “soil” we are for cultivating the Way of Christ. What would it take to make the “soil” of Desert Garden Church more receptive and productive of the things that lead to life?

WELCOME and DG OPPORTUNITIES Pastor Len Silvester

PRELUDE Prelude in C Major (J. S. Bach) Claudia Marsollier, Organist

WHITE CARNATION TRIBUTE: John Larson, Charter Member Joanne Talarico

CALL to WORSHIP — from Psalm 65 Adell Hansen, Liturgist

You answer us with awesome deeds; you form the mountains; you calm the roaring seas and the roaring of the nations.

Where morning dawns and evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.

You care for the land and water it; you enrich the soil abundantly.

The streams of God, filled with water, provide grain for the people!

HYMN of PRAISE — by request No. 30 (R), vs. 1 & 4 All Things Bright and Beautiful

PRAYER of INVOCATION (unison) Alice Goss, Pastoral Intern Loving God, you created life in us and all around us. You sustain life in ways that amaze and challenge us. Open us afresh to receive the gifts of your world and your word. Continue transforming us into not only hearers of the word, but doers also. Cultivate in us a spirit of gladness and generosity, and open our minds and hearts to the

needs of all around us …Amen.

THE GLORIA #1 (B), v. 1

Immortal, invisible, God only wise, in light inaccessible, hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, your great name we praise!

Our CCLI license is #1011176—all music used with permission

SCRIPTURE READING Matthew 13:1-9,18-23 Adell Hansen HYMN of PREPARATION No. 318 (B), vs. 1, 2 & 3 Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast

HOMILY “Which Sort of Soil are You?” Alice Goss

SPECIAL MUSIC It Is Well Medley (arr. V. Hancock Wright) Giselle and Eric Marollier, piano Claudia Marsollier, organ

TIME of PRAYER

Silent Prayer Pastoral Prayer and Lord’s Prayer (“sins” and “sin against us”)

Organ Response

RESPONDING with GENEROSITY

Invitation Offertory O Rest in the Lord (F. Mendelssohn) Claudia Marsollier Prayer of Dedication

HYMN of DEPARTING—by request No. 575 (B), vs.1, 2 & 5 O For a World

BENEDICTION Alice Goss and Pastor Len

POSTLUDE Sinfonia (J. S. Bach) Claudia Marsollier

DG {VIRTUAL} CAFÉ, 10:30 a.m. Sunday (see log-in information below)

Our Building is Closed … Our Mission is W i d e O p e n !

Join us Sunday at 10:30 a.m. for our virtual DG Café! By computer: https://zoom.us/j/842133771; by phone: 1-669-900-6833#, meeting 842133771.

Summer Mission/Outreach: Food and water collection, Mon-Wed 9 to 11 a.m. Leave items just outside the office door. Food goes to Valley View Food Bank and the water goes to the Salvation Army. Plastic bags and ‘plarn’ for homeless mats may be left outside Fellowship Hall. Thank you for your generosity!

Pastor’s Bible Study on Hiatus: Pastor Len will reduce his working schedule a bit in July. (He is still available for pastoral needs… don’t hesitate!) Our bible study will resume in August with “Bible 101.”

Meeting today: The Stewardship Committee Zoom-meets today at 11:15.

At the Finance and Property Committee: At a productive meeting on Thursday the Committee began consideration of what a financial package for the next settled pastor might look like—research and reflection is underway. A serious water leak in our irrigation system has been found and repaired. We will switch our internet service over to Cox for a ten-times gain in capability. Thanks to your faithfulness,

we are holding our own financially in the midst of this pandemic AND serving others.

Verses 1 & 4 only

...continued from previous page

“Can I get a witness?” Tell Us How You Love, Care, Share or Serve

The Stewardship Committee invites you to submit short (up to 100 words) testimonies as to how you have embodied these core values of Desert Garden—or how you have seen it in others. We will collect them and share them as part of our ongoing time/talent/treasure emphasis.

You may participate by completing the form at www.desertgardenchurch.org/time-talent-treasure or by emailing office@desertgardenchurch.org. Your ‘testimony’ will inspire others!

Verses 1, 2 & 3 only

Online ‘attendance’ figures: Online worship service: for the week, 262 — for the last 30 days, 977

Website visits: for the week, 574 — for the last 30 days, 2,868

(visitors were from the U.S., Europe, S. America, Oceania and Asia)

Verses 1, 2 & 5 only

Our Desert Garden of Prayer Your prayers matter...in ways you may never fully realize. Please remember these people

and needs in your regular prayer routine. They, and you, will benefit:

Those who asked us not to name them publicly; Ernest Haeussler; Edith Warren (daughter of the Wenners); Bill Layson; Dru Powell; Ronda Lee (daughter of Virginia Heiman); Marsha Griep; Audrey Ellis; Heidi Kallstrom; Daryl Shipp; Jill (daughter of Joan Hamilton); Barbara Rose; Birdean Christofferson; Gudrun Adell; Florence Woodward; Toni & Robert Pringle; Helen & Doug Middlebrooks; Faye Beck; Alla Sawitski; Bob Davis; Cindy Dauterive; Sara Givens; Tess Julianna; Flora Larson; our Profile Team; Marty Garretson; first responders and medical personnel; delivery and service people at risk; all those grieving and all for whom the current isolation is especially difficult; for peace and justice and racial equality in this nation.

DESERT GARDEN UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST WEBSITE: www.desertgardenchurch.org

PHONE: 623-584-1795 EMAIL: office@desertgardenchurch.org

Rev. Len Silvester, Pastor (Interim); Annette Strangman, Business Manager; Dennis Marsollier, Music Director; Claudia Marsollier, Organist/Bell Choir Director;

Duane Scholler, Custodian; Alice Goss, Pastoral Intern/E-mail prayer coordinator; Craig Olinger, Recording Tech & IT