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"When the Lord returned the captives of Zion we were like those who dream" Psalm 126:1
Worship with us Sundays 10:00 am.
For those unable to come in person,
we stream online on YouTube
Sunday, July 19
Proper 11
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Ivan Shishkin, Rye (1878)
Greeting & Call to Worship
[Leader:] May the Lord be with you!
[ALL:] And also with you.
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[Leader:] The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.” [Romans 8:11]
[ALL:] In Christ, by the Holy Spirit, we no longer need to live according to the flesh, but are led by God as children of God. [Romans 8:12, 14]
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[Leader:] Today we are the children of God—not by our own sorting, not by our own proving, but because the Spirit bears witness with our spirit. [Romans 8:16]
[ALL:] We are heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. We cry out, “Abba! Father!” for our lives are found in Christ Jesus. [Romans 8:15, 17]
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[Leader:] The whole creation waits, on tiptoe, for the revealing of God’s liberated children. [Romans 8:19]
[ALL:] And we wait too—not as those without hope, but as those who trust the Sower.
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[Leader:] The field is wide, and what grows within it is not yet fully revealed.
[ALL:] But the harvest belongs to God. God knows what God has planted.
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[Leader:] So come—not because the field is finished, but because the Sower is faithful.
[ALL:] We come to worship the One who is patient with the world and patient with us. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The First Testament //
The Law & the Prophets
Isaiah 44:6-8 (NLT)
This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:
“I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future.
Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!”
The Psalms // Sacred Songs
Psalm 86:11–17 (NLT)
Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great.
You have rescued me from the depths of death.
O God, insolent people rise up against me; a violent gang is trying to kill me. You mean nothing to them.
But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
Look down and have mercy on me.
Give your strength to your servant; save me, the son of your servant.
Send me a sign of your favor.
Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O Lord, help and comfort me.
Prayers of the People
One of the central acts of worship is the intercessory prayer. We address God in a special way as priestly intercessors for each other and for the world at large.
This morning we take a moment to pray not just for our own congregation and for the people we know; we join with Jesus who lives to make intercession.
Throughout the prayer let us respond to the phrase ‘God of mercy’ with the simple heartfelt response 'Hear our prayer,’ perhaps even making a physical sign of prayer whether that be lifting your hands or making the sign of the cross. May our bodies, emotions and minds be lifted to the Lord as we go to pray.
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[Leader:] Let us pray to the Lord, who is the first and the last, our faithful Rock and our merciful God.
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Almighty and merciful God,
you have made us your children through Jesus Christ,
and your Spirit bears witness that we belong to you.
Teach us your way, that we may walk in your truth,
and give us undivided hearts to honor your name.
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We pray for your Church throughout the world.
Make us faithful witnesses to your kingdom.
Keep us from judging too quickly, separating too easily,
or trying to accomplish by force what belongs to your patient wisdom.
Plant your life deeply within us,
and bring forth a harvest of justice, mercy, and love.
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God of mercy,
[ALL:] Hear our prayer.
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We pray for your whole creation,
groaning and waiting to be set free.
Protect the land, the waters, the air,
and every creature that depends upon them.
Teach us to receive the earth as your gift
and to care for it with gratitude and restraint.
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God of mercy,
[ALL:] Hear our prayer.
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We pray for the nations of the world
and for all who hold positions of authority.
Turn leaders away from violence, pride, and the pursuit of power.
Give them wisdom to seek peace,
courage to defend those who are vulnerable,
and humility to serve the common good.
God of mercy,
[ALL:] Hear our prayer.
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[Leader:]
We pray for those whose lives are marked by suffering:
for those who are sick, grieving, lonely, afraid, or exhausted;
for those who live with hunger, displacement, oppression, or war;
and for those who are approaching death.
Be their comfort and their strength.
Let the hope of your coming glory
shine within the troubles of this present time.
God of mercy,
[ALL:] Hear our prayer.
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[Leader:]
We pray for those we know and love
and for the needs of our congregation and community.
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And here we make room for names to be spoken aloud or held up to the Lord silently. Take a moment and lift up these beloved ones to God.
(Silence may be kept, and names may be spoken.)
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[Leader:]
Remind them that you are near,
that you are gracious and full of compassion,
and that wherever they go, they remain within your care.
God of mercy,
[ALL:] Hear our prayer.
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[Leader:]
We pray for ourselves.
Where our hearts are divided, make us whole.
Where we are impatient, teach us to wait in hope.
Where fear has taken root, fill us again with your Spirit.
Lead us as your children,
and form us into the likeness of Christ.
God of mercy,
[ALL:] Hear our prayer.
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[Leader:] Merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,
receive the prayers we have spoken
and those we carry silently within us.
You alone are our Rock and our refuge.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
[ALL:] Amen.
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Jesus, the Light of the World by Khrystyna Kvyk
Prayer for Tithes and Offerings
Because God first loved us, we are made to love one another. For the sake of the life of the world, offer yourselves, your time, and your possessions as signs of love.
Generosity & Giving
The tithes and donations you make to DreamHouse Church make a difference to our church, our community, the people of Newport News, and world missions.
There are various ways you can donate. We pass a collection plate during services and electronic giving is available for 24/7 donations. “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops” (Proverbs 3:9).
Prayers from the Cloud of Witnesses //
Jeremy Taylor (1613 - 1667)
Guide us, Lord, in all the changes and varieties of the world, that we may have evenness and tranquility of spirit, that we may not grumble in adversity, nor grow proud in prosperity, but in serene faith surrender our souls to your most divine will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Second Testament // The Gospel
Romans 8:12–25 (CSB)
So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
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For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.
The Second Testament // The Gospel
Matthew 13:24-30, (CSB)
(verses 24-30)
​He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. The landowner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he told them.
“ ‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up?’ the servants asked him.
“ ‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’ ”
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(verses 36-43)
Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.
“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
"Drink all of it, for it is My Blood",
icon art by Ulyana Tomkevych;
Medium: egg tempera, Material: gessoed wood, 2021, LINK
The Lord's Supper // Communion
This is the Table of Jesus Christ, who is patient with the field and faithful to the harvest.
He does not invite us because we have sorted ourselves, proved ourselves, or made ourselves worthy.
We come because the Spirit bears witness that we are children of God, and because Christ gives himself for the life of the world.
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So come as you are — not finished, not free from every entanglement, but received by grace.
Come and share in the bread of the kingdom, trusting the harvest to the Lord.
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​On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
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Take, eat.
This is my body, given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
When the supper was over, he took the cup and gave thanks, saying:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in remembrance of me.
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And so we declare what we know to be true:
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
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Come, Holy Spirit.
Rest upon us and upon these gifts of bread and cup.
By your power, make them for us a true communion in the body and blood of Christ.
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Unite us to Christ and to one another.
Heal what is divided in us, complete what grace has begun, and teach us to trust the harvest to you.
Send us from this Table as children led by the Spirit, patient in hope and faithful in love. Amen.
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The body of Christ, given for you.
Thanks be to God.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.
Thanks be to God.
Doxology and Benediction // The Sending & the Blessing
As you leave this place this day,
may God’s love sustain you,
and may you love those who surround you.
May God’s Spirit empower you,
and may you empower all those you meet.
May God’s joy fill your hearts,
and may this joy overflow
to the ends of the earth for God’s glory, now and forever. Amen