Welcome to St. John’s

United Methodist Church

If you are a first-time attendee or a long-time member; if you are black, brown, white or anything in between; if you are gay, straight, bisexual, lesbian, or transgender; if you are a Native

American or an immigrant friend; if you are lay or clergy, male or female, gender neutral or non-binary, young or old, abled or differently-abled, rich or poor; no matter what you believe

or what you doubt, no matter what you count on, or what you question,

you are not only welcome here, you are celebrated here!

We acknowledge that you are a gift of the Creator, and an individual wonder of God’s creation. Together, we are

family of God, because we are gathered in the name of the One who makes

us one.

St. John’s has been affiliated with Reconciling Ministries Network since 1998, when we adopted a statement affirming the sacred worth of all God’s

children, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. We celebrate our diversity, and we

welcome all people to join us in our journey together toward greater understanding and mutual respect.

ENTRANCE

Gathering Rev. Kevin Young Prelude Clint Barrick Aria George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) *Call to Worship Shiloh, Associate Pastor of Student Ministries

We gather this morning as a people with a testimony. Our lives are part of the story of how God is at work in our world. God’s story continues to be told, and we, with our siblings everywhere, discern God at work in our lives; and we grow in grace. “How is God working in our world and in our lives right now?” As we try to discern how God is with us, we open the door to the movement of the Spirit in our lives. May the Spirit move us today, as we join to worship God.

*Hymn of Joy, No. 62 The United Methodist Hymnal All Creatures of Our God and King LASST UNS ERFREUEN

THE WORSHIP OF GOD 10:30A.M.

All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing,

O praise ye! Alleluia! O brother sun with golden beam, O sister moon with silver gleam!

O praise ye! Alleluia!

O brother wind, air, clouds, and rain, by which all creatures ye sustain,

O praise ye! Alleluia! Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,

ye lights of evening find a voice! O praise ye! Alleluia!

O sister water, flowing clear, make music for thy Lord to hear,

Alleluia! Alleluia! o brother fire who lights the night,

providing warmth, enhancing sight, O praise ye! Alleluia!

Dear mother earth, who day by day

unfoldest blessings on our way, Alleluia! Alleluia!

The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,

let them God's glory also show! All ye who are of tender heart,

forgiving others take your part, O praise ye! Alleluia!

Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,

praise God and on him cast your care! And thou our sister, gentle death, waiting to hush our latest breath,

Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou leadest home the child of God, and Christ our lord the way has trod,

O praise ye! Alleluia!

Let all things their creator bless, and worship him in humbleness,

O praise ye!Alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the

Son and praise the Spirit, Three in One!

O praise ye! Alleluia!

Recognition of High School Graduates Rev. Kevin Young Bee Clopton

Bee Clopton is graduating from Lubbock High School. She has been at St. John’s for a long time, so long in fact that she can’t quite remember how long because that is how long it has been. Some of her favorite memories of her time at St. John’s has included the Youth Lock-Ins.

India Comiskey

India Comiskey is graduating from Monterey High School. Has been at St. John’s for 18 years. One of her favorite memories while at St. John’s is crawling under the pews and sliding down the aisle for children’s sermons during the Sunday late service. India will be attending South Plains College for two years and is then planning to transfer over to Texas Tech University. She is interested in psychology and counseling.

Molly Hall McCollum

Molly is graduating from Lubbock High School, where she has completed a variety of AP classes and excelled in Science and Math. She’s had important relationships with several teachers and counselors, and her sarcastic sense of humor is well-loved by adults and class-mates alike. She is currently enrolled in a dual credit class to become an Emergency Medi-cal Technician and will be completing her clinicals at UMC, both on the ambulance and in the emergency room.

She was a competitive swimmer on the JV and Varsity teams at Lubbock High for three years. Her freshman year she set a JV record for the 100 yard Butterfly and earned a Varsity letter. The last two years Molly has been part of the Student Council as one of the Rough Riders. She has been one in a long line of Rough Riders, continuing the tradition of ringing the victory bell.

Molly has been at St. John’s for ten years. Being in the Youth group since 6th grade has been the best! She remembers Chad Ewing, her first youth director, and how sad she was when he left. It’s hard to put into words how special Shiloh and SyLinda are to her now. Some of her favorite memories while at St. John’s include Youth retreats, weekly activities, and being part of such an amazing and open-minded community. A special memory is the goofy time they all had floating the river!

Molly will be attending West Texas A&M University in the fall. She was nominated by her counselor for the Principal’s Scholar award at WT and was honored to receive it. She will be majoring in Communication Disorders. Molly is also planning to earn a certificate as a basic EMT, so that she can work in the local hospital while attending college. Molly will miss the community of St. John’s as she moves away to start this new adventure, but plans to come back to visit often!

Emily Kay Sessom

Emily is the daughter of Charlotte & Bryan Sessom and is graduating with High Honors from Monterey High School with a GPA of 4.68. She serves MHS as Student Body Officer, trumpet section leader of the Plainsmen Band, member of the National Honor Society, Academic Decathlon team, UIL Literary Criticism team, and President of Natural Helpers. Emily has been selected by the faculty as a "Top Plainsman" and honored as a LISD Scholar, Plainsman 4.0 Scholar, UIL State Solo & Ensemble qualifier for three years, and recently learned that she was the 8th highest student in the State of Texas for UIL Literary Criticism this year. Emi-ly had the opportunity to take two "OnRamps" dual enrollment courses taught by profes-sors at the University of Texas at Austin and also earned over 20 hours of dual credit through South Plains College, reflected in the honor cords she will wear at graduation. Emily also has recently been awarded the prestigious Mary Jane Snodgrass Scholarship at Monterey High School.

Emily does not remember a time when St. John's was not a part of her life. She was baptized here by Kathryn Boren and Ann Akin, and afterwards while greeting her church family in the Narthex, Emily reached out and grabbed the purple hat Mrs. Bennie McDonald was wearing. Charlotte was mortified, but of course Mrs. Bennie threw her head back and laughed. One of Emily's favorite memories at St. John’s was when the Youth Group had a flat tire on a Youth Trip to New Braunfels and she and Molly had to figure out how to repack the car and make everything fit back in. Including themselves! Emily will attend the Honors College at the University of North Texas where she was award-ed a "UNT Excellence Scholarship." She plans to major in Biology and minor in Psychology and is eager for the opportunity to do undergraduate research in preparation of her long range goal of obtaining a PhD in Neuropsychology.

Blessing Rev. Kevin Young

Let us pray: Gracious God, today is a gift. Gathered on the edge of a milestone, we offer what we have to give - ourselves and the stirrings of our hearts and minds. Strange, surreal, like a high peak where we can look back over the way we’ve come and ahead to where we have not yet walked. In your name, we come now to bless these graduates. We give thanks for you, and for the joy of your lives in the midst of our lives. With you, we have continued to learn, and to seek the way of peace and life. How good it is to share this moment with you, on tiptoes; grateful, alive, feeling whole and entering the rest of life. May the holy and divine Light of the world shine on the pathway of each one of these graduates, as each one of you commences your journey and finds your way. May you strive for excellence in all you do. May your voices rise up to pronounce justice and peace in the world. May you bring a song of joy, even to the dark and lonely places. May you applaud and lift up those around you. May your achievements grow and cause growth in your communities. May you bless the world, even as we bless you, in the name of God our Creator, Christ our brother, and the Spirit who is the Breath of Life. Amen.

Act of Praise The United Methodist Hymnal Come, thou Fount of Every Blessing Natalie Glendening, soprano

PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE

New Testament Lesson Acts 17: 22-31 SyLinda Evans-Reagor, Director of Youth Ministries

Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, 'To an unknown god.'

What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is God served by human hands, as though God needed anything, since it is God who gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.

From one ancestor God made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for God and find God--though indeed God is not far from each one of us. For 'In God we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we too are God’s offspring.'

Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human igno-rance, now God commands all people everywhere to repent, because God has fixed a day on which God will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom God has appointed, and of this God has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." For the gift of holy scripture. Thanks be to God.

A Time for Young Disciples Avery Hendrickson Hymn No. 2206 The Faith We Sing Without Seeing You WE BELIEVE

Refrain only:

Without seeing you we love you. Without touching you we embrace. Without knowing you we follow. Without seeing you we believe.

Sermon Rev. Kevin Young Connection. Correction.

THANKSGIVING

*Hymn of Thanksgiving, No. 632 The United Methodist Hymnal Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether UNION SEMINARY

Offering Rev. Kevin Young Prayer of Dedication

For all who, with us this day, are especially aware of Your life in the midst of our lives, God, We give thanks. For all the ways in which these gifts will bring real connection between You and Your children, We give thanks. For the gift of this community, bound and working together, We give thanks. Amen.

Offertory Anthem For the Beauty of the Earth John Rutter

For the beauty of the earth For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies

'Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our joyful hymn of praise. For the beauty of each hour Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale and tree and flow'r Sun and Moon and stars of light

For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child.

Friends on earth and friends above For all gentle thoughts and mild.

For each perfect gift of Thine To our race so freely given.

1. Draw us in the Spirit’s tether, For when humbly in Thy name, Two or three are met together Thou are in the midst of them;

Alleluia! Alleluia! Touch we now Thy garment’s

hem.

2. As the brethren used to gather In the name of Christ to sup,

Then with thanks to God the Fa-ther

Break the bread and bless the cup,

Alleluia! Alleluia! So knit Thou our friendship up.

3. All our meals and all our living Make as sacraments of Thee,

That by caring, helping, giving We may true disciples be.

Alleluia! Alleluia! We will serve Thee faithfully.

Graces human and divine Flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n.

*Doxology and Presentation of Gifts

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below: Allleluia! Alleluia! Praise God, the source of all our gifts! Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts! Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

SENDING FORTH

An Order of Farewell to Avery Hendrickson, Director of Children’s Ministries Pastor: Let us pray. All: Eternal God, whose steadfast love for us is from everlasting to everlasting, we give you thanks for cherished memories and commend one another into your care as we move in new directions. We humbly place Avery in your hands as she moves forward in faith to new hope, new possibilities, and new service. Keep and preserve her in all peace and joy, in all health and safety, both of body and soul. Keep us one in your love forever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. -adapted, The Book of Worship of The United Methodist Church

Acts of Faith Rev. Kevin Young *Hymn of Faith, No. 660 The United Methodist Hymnal God Is Here ABBOT’S LEIGH

*Benediction Rev. Kevin Young

Let us go in the name of Christ, who calls us not only to keep ourselves on the path, but to invite others to walk the same path with us - the path of one who is “chosen” and “precious.” May we be who God says we are. And may we shine a light for all to see themselves as God sees them. May the love of God, and God’s grace, connect us as God’s children, that we might live in solidarity, and with power, and hope, and joy. Go now, in God’s peace. Amen.

Please remain online for the Postlude.

Postlude Clint Barrick Earth and All Stars David Johnson (1922-1988)

1 . God is here! As we your people meet to offer praise and prayer, may we find in fuller measure what it is in Christ we share.

Here, as in the world around us, all our varied skills and arts

wait the coming of the Spirit into open minds and hearts.

2. Here are symbols to remind us of our lifelong need of grace;

here are table, font, and pulpit; here the cross has central place.

Here in honesty of preaching, here in silence, as in speech,

here, in newness and renewal, God the Spirit comes to each.

3. Here our children find a in the Shepherd's flock and fold;

here as bread and wine are taken, Christ sustains us, as of old.

Here the servants of the Servant seek in worship to explore

what it means in daily living to believe and to adore.

4. Lord of all, of church and kingdom, in an age of change and doubt keep us faithful to the gospel;

help us work your purpose out. Here, in this day's dedication,

all we have to give, receive; we, who cannot live without you,

we adore you! We believe!

CLICK THE GRAPHIC TO GIVE YOUR GIFT ONLINE!

“Endless Road” Margret Hofheinz-Doring

There aren’t any ordinary people in the world; everyone is extraordinary because everyone has been created by God, and is someone to rever-ence.

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