September 3, 2023
WORDS OF GREETING AND WELCOMING STATEMENT
Pastor Amanda Miller Garber
RISE believes that God has open arms, and so should we. Our Creator wants us to love, accept and affirm every human being, including persons of every age, race, ethnic background, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, educational background, religion or creed, and physical or mental ability. We celebrate our diversity and recognize the sacred worth and dignity of all. Everyone is invited and encouraged to join us as we seek to follow Jesus with mutual respect, understanding, and love.
*Read more about “Why Pronouns Matter” HERE.
NomoFomo
If you have children, check out our new “KidZone” - a supervised area within our worship space where kids can be kids - play with toys or games, draw and color, dance around, or whatever - and still be with the community for worship. Parents can choose to stay close and worship alongside their kids or sit more distantly and let our staff and volunteers give them their energy and attention for a time.
We are looking for persons willing to volunteer to assist and support our worship gatherings. If you’d be willing to help with set up/clean up, offering rides, providing a light breakfast, participating in the service, helping with music or the arts, etc, etc please let us know by filling out this short form: Worship Support Team Response.
We will be celebrating our 13th birthday in worship September 10 (next week!) We will officially be teenagers - AHH! This is not a party you’ll want to miss!
Shenandoah Valley Pride Festival will be held Saturday, September 16, 1-5 pm, at Harrisonburg Court Square. Come out and enjoy the fun! RISE will again have a table, and we would love for you to help - if interested, contact Alexis (riseharrisonburg@gmail.com) and/or choose a timeslot on the sign-up by clicking HERE.
If you would like to connect more deeply with RISE, you can start by submitting this short form to Get Connected!
Sign up for texting services:
Text “RISE” to 833-803-0868 to join the primary list and receive weekly community updates and alerts
Text “RISEcares” to receive prayer requests, care needs, and community concerns and celebrations
Please continue to check social media (Facebook & Instagram) and our website for all updates and information!
Requests for care and/or prayer can be sent via e-mail to cares@riseharrisonburg.org, texted to 833-803-0868, or submitted online via our RISE Cares form.
Today we welcome Will Stutzman to our worship team! Will is a senior at EMU, and will be leading us on Sunday mornings as our Music and Arts Coordinator this year.
SONGS
Will Stutzman
“As I Went Down to the River to Pray” (traditional)
As I went down to the river to pray,
studyin’ about that good old way,
and who shall wear the starry crown,
good Lord, show me the way.
Oh, sisters, let’s go down,
let’s go down, come on down.
Oh, sisters, let’s go down,
down to the river to pray.
As I went down to the river to pray,
studyin’ about that good old way,
and who shall wear the starry crown,
good Lord, show me the way.
Oh, brothers, let’s go down,
let’s go down, come on down.
Oh, brothers, let’s go down,
down to the river to pray.
As I went down to the river to pray,
studyin’ about that good old way,
and who shall wear the starry crown,
good Lord, show me the way.
Oh, children, let’s go down,
let’s go down, come on down.
Oh, children, let’s go down,
down to the river to pray.
As I went down to the river to pray,
studyin’ about that good old way,
and who shall wear the starry crown,
good Lord, show me the way.
“On Track”
~Tame Impala
I close my front door
And turn on the light
I let out a breath
And hold in a sigh
Ain't nothing new
Ain't that much in sight
And if I'm counting days
Dream fruition ain't
What it's lookin' like.
But strictly speaking I'm still on track
Strictly speaking I'm holding on
More than a minor setback
But strictly speaking I'm still on track
And all of my dreams are still in sight
Cos strictly speaking I've got my whole life
I lost a wheel a while back
But strictly speaking I'm still on track
Challenges falling in my lap
Strung out again but still on track
I know it's unrealistic
Over-optimistic
I know I tried before this
I know it's nearly August
I know I can't ignore this
I'm looking forward to all this
Saying "babe I just adore this"
And "babe can we afford this?"
I know it's been a slow year
Nothing much to show here
I didn't really go for it
So not a lot to show for it
The hardest part is over
Adjusting makes it slower
So glad you're coming over
A wall to bring us closer
The world ain't rooting for ya
Nothing to lose it over
We're just a little older
The rest comes easy
Opening Prayer
Alexis Owens
Scripture Reading
PSALM 139:1-18 (CEB)
1 Lord, you have examined me.
You know me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up.
Even from far away, you comprehend my plans.
3 You study my traveling and resting.
You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways.
4 There isn’t a word on my tongue, Lord,
that you don’t already know completely.
5 You surround me—front and back.
You put your hand on me.
6 That kind of knowledge is too much for me;
it’s so high above me that I can’t reach it.7 Where could I go to get away from your spirit?
Where could I go to escape your presence?
8 If I went up to heaven, you would be there.
If I went down to the grave, you would be there too!
9 If I could fly on the wings of dawn,
stopping to rest only on the far side of the ocean—
10 even there your hand would guide me;
even there your strong hand would hold me tight!
11 If I said, “The darkness will definitely hide me;
the light will become night around me,”
12 even then the darkness isn’t too dark for you!
Nighttime would shine bright as day,
because darkness is the same as light to you!13 You are the one who created my innermost parts;
you knit me together while I was still in my mother’s womb.
14 I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart.
Your works are wonderful—I know that very well.
15 My bones weren’t hidden from you
when I was being put together in a secret place,
when I was being woven together in the deep parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my embryo,
and on your scroll every day was written that was being formed for me,
before any one of them had yet happened.
17 God, your plans are incomprehensible to me!
Their total number is countless!
18 If I tried to count them—they outnumber grains of sand!
If I came to the very end—I’d still be with you.
Theological Exploration
“A Theology of Me”
Adam King
For Table and Facebook Live Chat Discussion:
Introduce yourself to your table mates or online. Share one thing about yourself that you are proud of and consider part of your identity.
Are there “voices” that make it hard for you to believe you are wanted by God? Where do you think those voices come from? What do they sound like?
What do you think it would be like if people genuinely loved themselves? What would change in your life if you could say with confidence “God wants and loves me.”?
COMMUNION
Pastor Amanda Miller Garber
SONG DURING COMMUNION
Will Stutzman
Offering
Alexis Owens
Closing SONG
Will Stutzman
“Guide my Feet”
Guide my feet while I run this race (yes, my Lord!)
Guide my feet while I run this race (yes, my Lord!)
Guide my feet while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain! (race in vain!)
Hold my hand while I run this race (yes, my Lord!)
Hold my hand while I run this race (yes, my Lord!)
Hold my hand while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain! (race in vain!)
Stand by me while I run this race (yes, my Lord!)
Stand by me while I run this race (yes, my Lord!)
Stand by me while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain! (race in vain!)
I’m your child while I run this race (yes, my Lord!)
I’m your child while I run this race (yes, my Lord!)
I’m your child while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain! (race in vain!)
FINAL BLESSING
Adam King
Franciscan Benediction
May God bless you with discomfort…
Discomfort at easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships,
Discomfort, so that you will live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger…
Anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
Anger, so that you will work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears…
Tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, starvation and war,
Tears, so that you will reach out to comfort them
And turn their pain into joy.
And, may God bless you with foolishness…
Foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
Foolishness, so that you will do what others claim cannot be done.
Amen.