YouTube video uHhZzQx9Hrw

Heat. Oh yeah. Heat.

Yes. Hallelujah. Heat.

Yeah. My soul is my light, my strength. My soul is around and my dance of peace My comforter I love Christ.

>> I'd invite you to stand as you're able and join me for the confession. Blessed be the Holy Trinity, one God, whose compassion endures forever. >> Amen.

>> Let us confess our sin to God. We compassionate God, we confess to you all our sins. Our burden is heavy and we cannot free ourselves.

In your mercy, call us back to you. Your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Restore us to dwell in your peace.

In Christ's name we pray. Amen. >> Jesus says, "Come to me all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest." In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Your sins are forgiven. Rest in God's love. through things and freedom entering healing for us Let us go.

Let us enter to the face of the earth. Let us the death is defeated. Let us love we can share.

to the part where we listen to. >> The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. >> And also with you.

In peace, in peace. Let us pray to the Lord. >> Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy. >> For the reign of God and the peace throughout the world, for the unity of all. Let us pray to the Lord.

Mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy >> for your people here who have come to give you praise for the strength to live your word.

Let us pray to the Lord. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.

Help, save, and defend us. Oh God, feast and cation. All creation sings for joy to the God of life and love and freedom.

Praise and glory forever more. How is theastitation all of creation sings for joy to the God of light and God of freedom praise and glory forever. Ever wisdom and might glory to Christ forever.

Now the feast of cation all creation joy to the God of life and freedom. Praise and glory forever more. For God has come to voice to make us people of God to make all things.

All creation sings for joy to the love of life and God of freedom. Praise and glory forever more. The Lord be with you.

>> And also with you. >> Let us pray together. >> God of compassion, you have opened the way for us and brought us to yourself.

Pour your love into our hearts that overflowing with joy, we may freely share the blessings of your world and faithfully proclaim the good news of your son Jesus Christ, our savior and lord. >> Amen. >> Please be seated.

I invite the children to visit with me for a few minutes. Well, speaking to all the children of God of all in various ages, I want to call your special attention to the second reading, particularly today. There's a line in there from Paul to people he's yet to meet.

He intends to go to Rome as part of his missionary travels. It doesn't turn out quite that way. But listen to Paul's letter and remember who he really was.

When you hear him say to these Gentiles, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were still sinners, even for the ungodly." And remember who this man is. He's the one who's standing there and gives the the permission to kill Stephen the first martyr because his whole passion in life was to get everything right.

In other words, I've got to do everything right in order to please God and to satisfy God's requirements. Otherwise, God won't love me. A lot of us have sort of come through that stage of life as well.

My parents love me only if I'm making good grades in school. My friends love me only if I'm the I'm the star of the group. My my this, my that, whatever.

I've got to be super good in order to gain approval, to gain permission, to gain satisfaction. But that's not how it is at all. So when you read Paul's letter to Rome, that sort of that is his summary of his own radical change of understanding of who God is, who he is, and what it means to be truly a child of God.

Welcome to all of us children of God. A reading from the book of Exodus. The Israelites journeyied from Refiddm entered the wilderness of Sai and camped in the wilderness.

Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him from the mountain.

Thus he shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the Israelites. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and have bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasure possession, and out of all the peoples, indeed the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom in a holy nation.

These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites." So Moses went, so the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one. Everything that the Lord has spoken, we will do.

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. >> Now we will read this song responsibly.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord all you serve the Lord with gladness with us all the maker to whom we belong. We are God's people and the sheep of God's God's people and the sheep of God's Enter the gates of the Lord with his praise. Give thanks and bless God's holy name is everlasting from age to age.

We are God's people and she's a reading from Paul's letter to the Romans. Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person, someone might actually dare to die.

But God proves his love for us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The word of the Lord. >> Thanks be to God.

>> Hallelujah. Hallelu. Halleluah.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You are the eternal life.

Hallelu. >> The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 9inth and 10th chapters.

>> Glory to you, Lord. Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." Then Jesus summoned his 12 disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twel apostles.

First, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew. James son of Zebedee and his brother John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James son of Alphus and Thaddius, Simon the Canaan, and Judas the Scariot, the one who betrayed him. These 12 Jesus set out with the following instructions.

Do not take a road leading to Gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news. The kingdom of heaven has come near.

Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin disease, cast out demons you received without payment. Give without payment. The Gospel of the Lord.

>> Praise to you, Christ. >> Please be seated. My wife's duties as a flight attendant, wrote Gregory Paris, included making the safety information announcements.

She'd like to inject humor into those announcements to keep the passengers attention. On one flight, other crew members encouraged her to do her impression of Lily Tomlin's famous Edith Anne with a little girl voice. She took the dare and followed that routine with Lily's trademark, And that's the truth.

Everyone seemed to enjoy it, Paris reported. In fact, a few minutes later, she was called by one of the passengers. That was pretty good, said the passenger.

Keep up the good work. It was Lily Tomlin. Some people become very good at appearing to be who they aren't.

And if you're making a comic impression, it's funny. If you're pretending to be a Christian when you really aren't, it's disturbing. I gave a speech at a university, wrote syndicated columnist and author Leonard Pittz Jr., I'm pretty relaxed during those se sessions, he acknowledged.

I've done them enough so often, I'm not really surprised by any question I get. Then this guy stood up and he asked, "Are you a Christian?" There was perhaps a half second pause between his question and my saying yes. I hesitated only because I wasn't sure exactly what I was being asked.

Did he want to know whether I trust in the divinity of Jesus and struggle to understand and live by his teachings? Or was the questioner asking something else? It's hard to know, Pit confessed, because Christian seldom means Christian these days.

What disturbs Pitts disturbs me too. South Carolina is in a runoff in the primary election process, prelude to the November general elections. And once again, we're subjected to the claim of one candidate after another to be able to do some amazing things if elected.

Early on with a crowded field of candidates, there was frequent use of words like moral, morality, or Christian or family values. But when the field of candidates narrowed, negative attack ads appeared, broadcasting half-truths and innuendos. Character assassination too often becomes more expedient than acting and speaking and living like one who professes to be Christian.

Some people become very good at appearing to be who they really aren't. When you read and hear these testimonies of holy scripture today, I hope they stood against the sin that surrounds us in the world today. This brief passage today from Exodus 19 is the story of ancient Israel's encounter with their deliverer at Mount Si.

The narrative begins on the third new moon after the Israelites had gone out of the land of Egypt. On that very day, they came into the wilderness of Si. We picked up the journey today in verse two.

They journeyed from Refodm, entered the wilderness of Si and camped in the wilderness. Israel camped there in front of the mountain. That's detail chronology and geography packed into these opening verses of Exodus 19.

Why? Because the purpose of what will become the story of deliverance without equal in Hebrew scripture is about to be revealed. This is not a story about Moses.

It's about God. It's not about Hebrew slaves, a mighty Egyptian Pharaoh, a dramatic border crossing that opens the door to the promised land. It's about Yahweh, great and mighty God, who makes a way of escape for these people and will lead them through the wilderness to the land of promise.

This mighty story of deliverance began with an encounter that Moses had in the wilderness of Midian. The story climaxes today with another encounter that Moses had in the wilderness of Si. Then Moses went up to God.

The writer told us Moses encounter began with memory. God told him, "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself." God has done all this, Moses learns, as we do, too, in order that Israel might be my treasured possession out of all people, a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. This is not a memorandum of understanding to be filled out later.

There are really no conditions attached to this marvelous unbelievable declaration of the unmmerited grace of the Lord God Almighty. The if you obey my voice and keep my covenant words of God is the manner in which they will live out the reality of who God has made them. God's mighty act of deliverance in the Old Testament was, we learn here, for the purpose of creating a people who will obey God's voice, be faithful to the covenant that God has made with them.

And so be the means in which God's blessings come to the peoples of the land to which they journey. 30 years after Jesus resurrection, Apostle Paul now at this stage in his life marvels at the meaning of God's mighty act of deliverance from sin and death in the death and resurrection of Jesus. This he testifies is God's mighty act of deliverance of humankind without equal period.

Once again, God's mighty acts in this world are concrete. They are painfully concrete. They are painfully real.

For while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. When the reality of what God in Jesus Christ did really takes root in our souls, it becomes almost unthinkable. Indeed, Paul continues in this letter to Christians in Rome, "Rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person, someone might dare to die.

But God proves his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Against all the bad news we hear these days, there's good news. A commencement speaker to North Carolina textile school shocked more than the 200 graduates last month when he said his family was paying for their final year of student loans.

Anneil Coker said that his father Praish studied at North Carolina NC State's Wilson College of Textiles in the 1950s and found not just an education but an opportunity to build a life. He told the stunned audience of students that they can now leave with greater freedom to pursue your goals. Take risk and build the lives that you've worked so hard to achieve.

Praises Koker's self-giving act was noble and good. But that's not what St. Paul is talking about.

St. Paul testifies not to people as we want them to be. Not even an airline stewardist with a good imitation.

But humankind as we really are weak sinners, often ungodly, God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That's the heart of the gospel, folks. There is no greater good news than that.

in between the ancient story of God's amazing act of grace to make a a form a nation of slaves into God's kingdom of priests a holy nation set apart for God's mission in the world and St. Paul's late first century letter to Christians in the city of Rome proclaiming the good news of God's amazing act of grace to die for the weak ungodly sinners of all time in this moment in between is Jesus ministry reported by St. Matthew.

This is where you and I come into the story of God's mighty acts in this world. Matthew nearly 50 years after Jesus resurrection recalls for the church of every generation how and where we got our call to mission and ministry in this world. For the late first century Christians and for 21st century Christians, Matthew reports Jesus words to us.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest. And Jesus did.

Jesus gathered his 12 disciples around him and in some powerful way bestowed on them the power and authority of God Almighty to heal and to cast out demons. And Matthew named them. It's Exodus 19 all over again.

It's Romans 5 yet to come. Because prominent in that list of 12 apostles is a tax collector for Rome named Levi. We know him as Matthew.

It's a zealot warrior named Simon the Canaan. And Jesus betrayer Judas the Scariot. Is this not a most unworthy group of people to build the kingdom of God among us?

But that's how God has always worked in this world. Grace beyond belief, mercy beyond comprehension, a depth of love we will never fathom. God proved his love for us.

in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Does that announcement really mean anything to you? Does it make any difference in the way that you feel about yourself, how you live your life in private and in public?

Does that give you any compelling reason to share that message with others? Syndicated columnist Leonard Pittz Jr. is pained by those today who claim to be Christian but really don't live like people for whom Christ died.

for pits the faithful witness of a 27year-old Russian woman Tatiana Sapanova stands out in the faithless world she was driving with her mother near Moscow Pittz reports when she saw a sign posted by the side of the road death to Yids it said she stopped and attempted to tear it down that's When the explosive device rigged to that sign exploded, the blast tore through Tatiana's face, her hands, and her legs. She lost sight in her eyes. Tatiana is not Jewish.

She's Christian. I do know this, Pit continued. what she did speaks directly to what faith is supposed to be about and too seldom is.

In that half second between the question and his response, Pit recalls so much that claims to be Christian and really isn't. He concluded you want to know that saying you can be saying yes can be about something better than that that it can denote something higher humbler more challenging and more hopefilled then you consider Tatiana and you are reminded that it can so there's no need to hesitate indeed There never was. He said, "When the life you live makes someone ask you, are you a Christian?" What will they imply by that question?

How will you answer? Amen. working together.

The hungry and children of God in your name of the goel together maring for freing. with Christ. Bless your feet as we follow your way.

Share the good news of God. Sing together. Pray for peace for justice.

and Christel God and Sharing the good news. with the whole church. Let us confess our faith using the words of the apostles creed.

>> I believe >> I believe in God the father almighty >> creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontious Pilot, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead.

On the third day, he rose again. He ascended into heaven. He is seated at the right hand of the father.

And he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of s, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

>> Gathered together by the Holy Spirit, let us pray for the church and the needs of the world. God of creation, you call all the earth to make a joyful noise to you. Let us join the chorus of the natural world in proclaiming your glory.

God of grace, >> here our pray. >> God of the nations, you sent Jesus as peace for all humankind. Bring an end to war and conflict.

Bring hope in places devastated by destruction. And sustain those who advocate for peace. God of grace, >> here our pray.

>> God of grace, you pour hope and love into our hearts in times of shame and doubt. >> Protect the experiencing protect those experiencing housing insecurity. Uplift anyone struggling with hopelessness, illness, or other worries, especially those we lift before you now, whether silently or aloud.

God of grace, >> here our pray. >> God of all, you call your children to serve in a plentiful harvest. Give us wisdom to know how best to serve our local community and our neighbors.

God of grace, >> here our pray. >> Empowering God, strengthen us to live our uh diverse callings. We pray especially for fathers and father figures that they show your compassion and care.

We pray for all whom on this day in difficult or painful. God of grace, >> here our prayer. >> God of faith, we give thanks for the saints and who earnestly seek you.

Guide us as we seek through uh to follow those who have led your church. God of grace, >> here our pray. >> Trusting you receive all our prayers, we commend our spoken and unspoken prayers to you, oh God, through Jesus, our savior.

>> Amen. >> The peace of the Lord be with you always. >> And also with you.

>> As you're comfortable, share a sign of God's peace with others. You're going to get it off. moving in my heart.

I will pray. Everyone spoke. Out of his mouth came fire and smoke.

Looked all around me. So fine till I was feeling hearting river and cold. It chills the body but not the soul.

There ain't but one train on this track. It runs to heaven and runs right back. Every time I feel every There unfolding in my heart.

I will pray. Yes, I will pray. scattered on the hill into one to become our friend.

So we are your people from all the ends of earth be in you as the blessing in our mid share presence of your grad. All the ends of earth beast of all that is to come and all creation as the gra of scattered on the hill to become our bread. So we all the ends of you.

Let us pray together. Loving God, we offer at your table the gifts of our hearts. Help us take heart in you and share freely of your love so that all creation can taste your abundance.

We ask this in the name of Jesus through the spirit abiding with us now and forever. >> Amen. >> The Lord be with you.

>> And also with you. >> Lift up your hearts. >> We lift them to the Lord.

>> Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. >> It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is indeed right, our duty and our joy that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, Almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ, who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.

And so with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the host of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn. Holy are you God of power and might. Heaven and earth are filled with your gloryana in the highest.

Blessed is the one who comes in your name in the highestana in the highest. Holy, mighty, and merciful Lord, heaven and earth are full of your glory. In great love, you sent to us Jesus, your son, who reached out to heal the sick and suffering, who preached good news to the poor, and who on the cross opened his arms to all.

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat. This is my body given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me." Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people, for the forgiveness of sin.

Do this for the remembrance of me." Remembering therefore his death, resurrection, and ascension, we await his coming in glory. Pour out upon us the spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of all who share this heavenly food, the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory now and forever. >> Amen.

Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. >> Heaven has come near.

Come share in the feast. Thank God. You take the s of the world on us.

Mercy on us. We break the chains of danger and fear. Have mercy on us.

Mercy on us. Mercy. You are the way of trust and peace.

Have mercy on us. Mercy on us. Mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you are the mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Mercy on us.

Mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world. Grant us.

Grant us. Grant us. My spirit.

Christ. Christ. I love to tell the story of God.

Oh Jesus sent his glory. Oh Jesus sent his love. I love to tell the story because I know it true.

It satisfies my longings as God will do. I love to tell the story to be my glory. to tell the old story of Jesus.

I want to tell the story of present one season. I love to tell the story for so the bless of Salvation from God's holy word. I love to tell story till my feet to tell the story of Jesus.

My God, you tell the story for those who bless Mary and to like our sings of glory. I sing the beautiful song. I'll sing all your so long.

I love to tell a story. Tell me my glory. To tell the old story of Jesus.

My stone, my hope is my heart, my strength, my soul. the mountain. The eyes of God of peace with his striles of God day.

He came to save till the sky of God was sisfied. every source here in the death of Christ. I world by darkness.

From the grave, he rose again. And as he stands in victory since his life of Christ, this is The power of Christ in me Christ. Jesus my destiny.

Oh, the steep of man can ever till he returns homeless and never proje. Behold, here Christ. Body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

>> Amen. >> Let us pray together. Our hearts shared with us in the name of Jesus and amenor bless and told you today and hallelujah we sing your praises.

All our hearts are filled with gladness. Hallelujah. We sing your praises.

All our hearts are filled with gladness. Hallelujah. We sing your praises.

Hallelujah. We sing your praises. All ours.

I am I am Christ. The Lord said I am. I am.

I am. I am. Hallelujah.

We sing your praises. All our hearts are filled with gladness. Hallelujah.

We sing your praises. All our hearts are filled with gladness. Hallelujah.

We sing your praises. All our hearts are filled with gladness. Hallelujah.

We sing your praises. Oh, how he sends us all out. Make sure to all usel.

Hallelujah. We sing your praises for gladness. Hallelujah.

We sing your praises with gladness. Hallelujah. We sing your praises.

All our hearts are filled with gladness. Hallelujah. We sing your praises.

All our hearts are filled with gladness. We welcome and are thankful for all who worshiped here today in person and online. Today on this Father's Day Sunday, we celebrated Fathers with Donuts for Dad before the service and we ask for you to take a donut or two home with you after the service.

Also, today council will meet in room 107 at our summer schedule time of 11:30. Seniors at Grace will meet this Thursday, June 25th, at 11:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall.

Next Sunday, June 28th, we begin a week of hosting Families Promise Families through July 5th to ensure that we have this July 4th holiday week fully covered. We are in greater need for new volunteers to join with the current Family Promise volunteers. Please consult the Grace Notes newsletter andor contact Bob Shaby to find out how you can help.

Members of Grace will be providing and serving a meal to the men of Bethl Men's shelter in Rock Hill on Thursday, July 9th. Please take a pan and return a frozen casserole or sign up to help. Further information and sign up help is available in the fellowship hall after today's service and in the weekly grace notes.

Vacation Bible School 2026 registration is open. Rainforest Falls VBS will be July 13th through the 17th. Ages 3 up to rising sixth graders are all included.

And we'd like for you to invite your family and your friends. Now, now let us read our mission statement together. We share God's grace by welcoming all people, growing together in faith and joining God's work in our community.

>> Heaven has come near. Go share the good news. >> Thanks be to God.

Heat.