Centering Practice
Today we invite you to slow down, to breathe, and to connect with God and with our Anchor & Hope community
- Begin by closing our eyes and taking several slow, deep breaths
- Hold yourself in a hug and pray silently, God protects us
- Hold your arms outward and pray silently, God sets us free
Call to Worship
God welcomes, God loves, God provides.
We are all created in the image of God,
equal in dignity and worth, beauty and love.
To our God of love, justice, and wholeness,
we lift up our voices and our lives.
This is the day the Lord has made,
we will rejoice and be glad in it. Amen.
Worship Songs
Called Me Higher
I could just sit
I could just sit and wait for all Your goodness
Hope to feel Your presence
And I could just stay
I could just stay right where I am
and hope to feel You
Hope to feel something again
But You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I’ll go where You will lead me Lord
And I could hold on
I could hold on to who I am and never let You
Change me from the inside
And I could be safe
I could be safe here in Your arms
and never leave home
Never let these walls down
And I will be Yours
I will be Yours for all my life
Act Justly, Walk Humbly, Love Mercy
It all comes down to this
What you require of me
Love my neighbor as myself
And You above all things
Act justly, love mercy
Walk humbly, with You, God
In all things, in all ways
Walk humbly with You, God
It all comes down to this
To be Your hands and feet
Good news to all the world
The truth will set us free
It’s beauty for ashes
It’s mourning to dancing
It’s closer and closer
The Kingdom of heaven
And years from now we’ll see
The fruit our hands have sown
Faith just like a seed
The only way it grows
Prayer of Confession
Juneteenth (June 19, 1865) is the oldest known African-American celebration. On June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, received word of their emancipation two months after the Civil War had ended, and two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect on January 1, 1863. As a people of faith, we celebrate the freedom we have in Christ and commit ourselves to Jesus’ way of love, justice, and Shalom.
Cole Arthur Riley, author of Black Liturgies, gives us this blessing in our prayers: As we remember, may God shield us from despair, knowing that our story is more than pain. Ours is the story of dignity. Let us reclaim it.
Holy and righteous God,
You created us in Your image.
Grant us grace to contend fearlessly against evil
and to make no peace with oppression.
Help us, like those of generations before us,
to resist the evils of slavery and oppression in any form.
Make us a people of justice and love,
to the glory of Your name in all the world, we pray:
— Moment of silent prayer —
Almighty God,
open our hearts and our minds
to walk in Your open paths
of love, justice, and restoration.
Amen.
Assurance of God’s Love
Prayers of the People
As we celebrate Father’s Day, we’re thankful for all of the wonderful dads in our church community — and we acknowledge the complexity of relationships with dads, including pain, sorrow, and loss. We trust in God, who Jesus called Heavenly Father, and we want to take a moment to pray for all of the dads here and represented in our church family.
Please extend a hand towards a dad nearby as we pray a silent prayer of blessing, and we’ll close with a simple prayer out loud together afterward:
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Amen.
Announcements
- Thanks for worshiping with us today! We hope you experience meaningful connection with God and others in our community. If you’re visiting for the first time today, we’d love to get to know you better. Please take home a visitor’s card with QR code so that we can stay in touch & build a relationship!
- Anchor & Hope Giving Partnerships: Our church has a tradition of participating in God’s work in the world through different partnerships. We are picking that tradition up again this month through giving partnerships with groups working with the environment, refugees, and food insecurity.
- Youth Retreat: Please join us in prayer for our upcoming Youth Group retreat this upcoming weekend from June 21st through 23rd.
- PC(USA) General Assembly: Deleine will serve as a Young Adult Advisory Delegate at the national gathering from June 28th through July 4th in Salt Lake City. Let’s keep her and our denomination in prayer!
- Reset Sunday: On Sunday, June 30th we will not gather at Sandburg Elementary for worship but, instead, we encourage you to connect with God and others out in your world! Worship guide will be sent the week prior
- Art & Faith Kids Camp: On Sunday, July 28th, we will host an afternoon kids camp for kids K through 5th grade from 1:00 to 5:00 pm here at Sandburg (after our regular worship gathering) • Volunteers needed, please register your kids and invite your friends!
- Balboa Park 8-Miler: Anchor & Hope is putting a team together for the Balboa Park 8-miler on August 3rd. If you’re interested in participating, please talk to Jin Cho.
- Home Groups: We will kick off our next season of Home Groups starting throughout the month of July. Your Home Group leaders will be in touch soon!
Passing of the Peace
Let’s greet each other at this time!
Family Praise
Stand Together
Blessing of the Children
Go in peace and go in joy;
Filled with wonder for this day.
Go in faith and go in love;
God will guide you on your way!
Worship Song
Open Up (reprise)
May Your love
Cause us to open up
Cause us to open up our hearts
May Your light
Cause us to shine so bright
That we bring hope into the dark
All that we do without love
It means nothing
Grant us the courage to give
As You’re calling
Make me an instrument
Of Your peace
Where there is hatred
Let me sow love
Where there is darkness
Let me shine light and…
Hope for the hopeless
Your love is
Strength in our weakness
Your love is
Scripture Reading
Psalm 77
1 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted.
3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned; I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
4 You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days, the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Together: Thanks be to God.
Sermon
Remembrance, Justice & Love
Pastor Dan
Conversation Questions
- Do you have family stories that have shaped you, either from your family of origin or your current household? What values do those stories communicate (whether explicitly or implicitly)?
- Do you have a song in the night? Can you remember the ways God has carried you through pain, sorrow, or hardship?
Worship Song
Send the Rain
Lord, we come to You
Now with open hands
Broken lives and dreams
Washed up on the sand
We’ve been beaten down
But still we choose to stand
We choose to stand
Lord, we long for You
For Your hand to move
Heal this barren land
Come and make it new
Jesus, You’re the life
That is breaking through
You’re breaking through
The saints of old in ancient days
They worked the ground
that we reap from today
So use our hands to cultivate
The harvest that
our children’s children taste
We’re ready God, so send the rain
Lord, we’ll follow You
To unbroken earth
On the path not used
Where new hope is birthed
We will work as one
Holding to Your truth
To Your truth
Heal the ruined cities
We destroyed with our own hands
Bring us back together
Let us see the promised land
Pour out Your Spirit
On this dry and thirsty ground
O God of the harvest
Could it be right here and now
Could it be right here and now
Open up the heavens,
let Your rain fall down
We are thirsty, we are thirsty
Anchor & Hope Church 