August 15, 2021

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on August 15th (in the order they are needed).

Holy, Holy, Holy

holy, holy, holy
lord god almighty
early in the morning
our song shall rise to thee
there is a sign at the sight of thee
there is none beside thee
god in three persons
blessed trinity

holy, holy, holy
though the darkness hide thee
though the eye of sinful ones
thy glories may not see
only thou art holy
merciful and mighty
perfect in power
love and purity

holy, holy, holy
lord god almighty
all thy works shall praise thy name
in earth and sky and sea
only though art holy
there is none beside thee
god in three persons
blessed trinity

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship
the Living God

the works of whose hands are faithfulness and justice,
whose righteousness endures forever

to enter the story of God

and find our own stories reimagined

that the Spirit might form us more fully in the way of Christ

that we might find the Kingdom of God
in the space between ourselves
and our neighbor

Amen

Come Alive

draw us in to the dance
older than time and space
that constellations, made
in the bend and the shake
cycle back from the end
full-reverse pirouette
like choreography
infinite, infinite

but if the music stops
play it again
but pick up where we left off
that brilliant harmony
with 13.8 billion parts

until we come alive
o, come alive

draw us in to the dance
’til every piece finds its fit
and every step is improvised
and carried out in perfect time
like the shape of breathing
is the shape of all
spinning into one
as the empty tomb cloud
is spreading out, spreading out

but if the music stops
play it again, but pick up where we left off
that brilliant harmony with 13.8 billion parts

until we come alive
o, come alive

we’ve not become what we will be
but the rhythm of our feet is growing
though we’re fraying at the seams
your gravity is holding

just keep on holding

Bonfire

you are a bonfire
creation, the ash coming off your flame
I am a shadow, thrown to the ground
from the light you gave
you are a mending force
patching up wounds, making dead things breathe
I am a fracture, split to the core
but you could fix me
you could fix me

so we wait for the day we’d rise from the darkness inside us
when every good and broken thing
will meet you there on that golden shoreline
and we won’t need the stars to guide us
there’s a new light in the sky

you are a writer
twisting the plot, so the words don’t fade
I am a margin
framing the side of the phrases you laid
you hold the best intentions
for gravel and dust in time and space
while I am the friction
between bending the knee and running away
running away

and its breaking through, even now
it’s breaking down
the fears we’ve called our refuge
and even now
we can see the faintest light
like a crack in time
like you’re already there
and you’re calling us home

to the new world that you’ve grown

After the Dust Clears

after the dust clears and the newness is all
our feet will carve pathways down a familiar road
we’ll gather around a table for twelve
and struggle to find the anger we held

just as the wine makes its third trip around
we’ll fail to remember what the fight was about
the details are faded, but the broad strokes remain:
we all chose a side then we all walked away

peering across into reddening eyes
we’ll find there a mirror of the passing of time
wait for a beat ‘til the silence is spent
then wonder aloud just where the time went

and raising a glass to the years that slipped by
we’ll conjure the memory of simpler times
ignoring the fact that we cannot go back
we’ll wander the shores of our lives

after it’s over, before we part ways
we’ll pick up the pieces with a final embrace
and linger a moment ‘round a grave dug for one
to bury our regret with joy on our tongues

see joy is a song that you sing into strife
not to relieve it, but to keep you alive
and love is an anchor when the truth is laid bare
not to erase it, but to keep you there

not to erase it, but to keep you there

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading, and Josh’s sermon text, is from 2 Samuel 23:13-17:

Towards the beginning of harvest three of the thirty chiefs went down to join David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. David said longingly, “O that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” Then the three warriors broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the Lord, for he said, “The Lord forbid that I should do this. Can I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three warriors did these things.

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading is John 6:51-58:

Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

Giving

UBC relies on the generosity of the community. If you are a in place that you are able to give of your time, talent, and resources to UBC we would be grateful. If you want to make a financial contribution, the easiest way to do so is through our church center app.

Be Thou My Vision

be thou my vision o lord of my heart
naught be all else to me, save that thou art
thou my best thought, by day or by night
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

be thou my wisdom and thou my true word
I ever with thee and thou with me lord
thou my great father, spirit, and son
thou in me dwelling and I with thee one

riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
thou mine inheritance, now and always
thou and thou only, first in my heart
high king of heaven, my treasure thou art

high king of heaven, my victory won
may I reach heaven’s joys, o bright heaven’s sun
heart of my own heart, whatever befall
still be my vision, o ruler of all

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise God, all creatures here below
Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts
Praise Timeless, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen.

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest