Starting at 10:30 a.m./Worship begins at 10:45 a.m. – Connect with us through Zoom https://zoom.us/j/673028163, Meeting ID: 673 028 163, OR for audio only, call +19292056099, (enter code 673028163). We also will post our service to our Facebook Calvary Moravian Church Allentown page and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/janelrice1978) later.
We are also offering an outside worship service at 9:30 a.m. (please bring your own chair, wear a mask, and observe all social distancing protocol).
Thank you for listening, participating or worshipping with us at Calvary Moravian Church. If you are able to continue to support our ministries in any way we are most grateful!
You can mail the office a check (948 N. 21st St. Allentown 18104). We do have a giving portal through the Moravian Ministries foundation at https://mmfa.info/calvary-moravian-church-pa-donation-form/.
Our thanks to Anne Ettinger and Christian Rice for their musical talent in preparing this Sunday’s service and our musical emphasis on gospel Christian classics. All hymns are in the public domain.
Welcome
Hymn Life’s a Railway/Sweet By and By
Call to Worship – Matthew 6:22-23.
Hymn. Open my Eyes, that I might See.
Scripture Matthew 10:40-42
Jesus said that whoever welcomes one of his followers, welcomes Jesus himself.
Whoever welcomes Jesus, also welcomes God.
Whoever offers even a cup of cold water to one of God’s children will be blessed by God.
All are welcome here! Let us worship God.
A Liturgy of Compassion. We thank the Rev. Rick Beck for this liturgy and permission to share it.
God hears the cry of the needy and does not wait for us to call before coming to our aid;
While humanity was still lost in its brokenness, God came to us in the person of Jesus Christ, lived among us, died our death and rose to lead us into life.
And so we come to worship, to offer God our devotion and love, our thanksgiving and praise.
For God is worthy of our praise.
Holy One, you are a God of compassion. You desire that all might be whole.
In the brokenness of our lives you continue to turn toward us with the hope that we will accept your renewing love and find new meaning for our lives in you.
You have established compassion as the foundation for all relationships and societies.
You commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to treat others in the same manner that we ourselves wish to be treated.
Yet at times we find ourselves preoccupied with our own self-interests at the expense of helping others.
Teach us to love ourselves in a way that embraces others also. Give us courage to make room at the center of our world where others might be renewed by your healing presence.
Fill us with your spirit of compassion, Lord, that we might not act or speak out of our own self interests.
Fill us with the desire to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures. Heal our hearts that we might refrain from acting in ways that will cause pain.
Open the hearts of all people to the profound truth of Jesus Christ
Call all nations to repent from any action that would increase the sum of human misery in the name of religion. Replace the apathy and selfishness of the world with passion to cultivate empathy with the suffering of all human beings.
Lord, redeem us from actions that deny our common humanity.
We desire peace over war, generosity over greed, patience over intolerance, compassion over callous judgment.
At the root of God’s compassion is the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are each in need of Christ’s compassion. Gratitude is our true response to God who calls us to be Christ’s compassion in the world. How is God inviting you to offer greater compassion?
(Silent Reflection)
Jesus, in extravagant compassion, has already revealed our forgiveness and calls us to live as those who are renewed and thankful. Receive this grace and share it.
We are grateful; we live differently because of what you, Lord Jesus, have done for us. Amen.
Hymn Old Rugged Cross
Prayers of the People
Lord’s Prayer.
Hymn Lily of the Valley/ I’ll Fly Away.
Scripture — Seeing the Stranger Sharon Ettinger
Genesis 18:1-5, Hebrews 13:2
Leviticus 19:33-34, Matthew 25:31-40.
Message
Hymn Unbroken Chain. Played and sung by Christian Rice
Benediction
Calvary Moravian Church 