Sunday, June 5th, 2016

West Tokyo Union Church Weekly - Sunday, June 5, 2016 worship

Pastor:  Rev. Teresa Thompson Sherrill     wtucrev@gmail.com

9:30 AM – Blessed to be a Blessing series! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL (in the Sack`s living room) – facilitated by Karen, Carol and Jim. No materials needed, join when you can throughout the study, and this book study will continue in the autumn. (6/5 and 6/19, and then into the fall – see below for more details

11:00 AM – Carol Sack will bring the Message “From Hole to Whole” from Isaiah 53, Psalm 30, James 5 and Luke 7. Sammie, our 2016 graduate will share with us her future plans. Youth and friends will lead us in worship. Communion will be served with Carol playing the harp. During our delightful robust Fellowship Time after the service, the Hoskins family will share a special treat to celebrate their dear Sammie.

half-winter-half-summer-season-hd-free-wallpaper-download

***

words for encouragement this week

Strangers meet.

Oil and grain turn to bread.

The sick are healed.

The weary are lifted up.

The prisoners are set free.

The everyday becomes a miracle.

This is God’s work.

We are its witnesses.

Let us worship God.

~ http://www.ministrymatters.com/worship/tag/prayers#axzz2TrliqFM6

***

about the preacher – Carol grew up in Minnesota. She has lived in Japan for over 30 years as a missionary of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.) She directs Lyra Precaria, a ministry of pastoral harp, and teaches a class on “Sense-Able Spirituality” at the Japan Lutheran Seminary together with her husband Jim. Jim and Carol are parents of Jonathan, Bethany and Emily, and love being grandparents of Kaya (4) and Nina (2) who live blessedly close by.

***

Mark`s Natsumikan Marmalade

Thank you for purchasing Mark Hisamatsu`s 20 jars of delicious homemade marmalade! 10,500 yen was raised for WTUC`s long term budget.

***

a new study opportunity …

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING ~ How to Have an Intentional Healing Ministry in Your Church 

By James K. Wagner

9:30-10:30am, non-Multi-Generational Sunday mornings – upcoming dates – (5/29, 6/5 and 6/19) @ Sack house. This Sunday School will continue on in the fall.

We will start a study about the Sacramental Model of Healing Ministry, using this book by Methodist pastor James Wagner. Dr. Wagner helps us to see healing prayers as a natural outcome of the church, inspired by the compassion of our Lord who wills goodness to each person in both general and specific ways. Any genuine ministry is concerned with encouraging and helping others, not on building up oneself or one’s group. It is centered in the Word of God. 

Let us explore together such questions as: “What is the sacramental healing ministry of the Church?” “What about when healing doesn’t seem to happen?” “What is the significance of forgiveness?” and many other questions. 

We will continue this study over a few months, reading the text out loud together and discussing as we go along. Feel free to join whether or not you have had any prior connections with the healing ministry. 

***

Upcoming Preaching Ministry and Community Events

June 5th – Blessed to be a Blessing Adult Sunday School, Carol Sack preaching, Communion will be served, Graduate Sunday, Youth and friends will lead the worship. A sweet will be prepared by the Hoskins’ family to celebrate Sammie`s graduation!!!

June 12th – Multigenerational and Adult Sunday Schools, Pastor Teresa preaching, Organ: Kazuko Sacon. Fellowship time.

June 19th – Blessed to be a Blessing Adult Sunday School, Pastor Teresa preaching, Communion will be served, Organ: Kazuko Sacon. Fellowship time.

June 26th – Multigenerational and Adult Sunday Schools, Last Sunday worship of the 2015-16 church year. Pastor Teresa preaching, Organ: Kazuko Sacon. Fellowship time. Worship at WTUC will start up again on September 4th, 2016.

***

MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL!! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!! 

We have Multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30AM in the cafeteria the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Who is welcome? All ages. We will be creating, discussing, playing games, acting out bible stories and more facilitated by Pastor Teresa. At the same time, the Sacks host the Adult Sunday School, also at 9:30AM in their living room. The method used is the, “Swedish Bible study method,” interacting with the texts for the service through our own life experiences. Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary. Best coffee in town = )  Come and enjoy! (At times Adult Sunday School is held in the Upper Room, hosted by Dr. Toshi Sasao, on the 2nd floor above the Sanctuary.) All are welcome. Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = ) BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING Adult Sunday School also at the Sack`s June 5th and June 19th. All friends invited!

***

WTUC  Announcements:  *Questions or concerns?  Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime *Please enjoy and refer our website https://wtuc.net/ and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others. Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee. If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, are interested in baptism or membership, please contact Pastor Teresa *If interested in joining the WTUC Prayer Chain, let Pastor Teresa or Prayer Chain Coordinator, Kayo Ozawa, know of your interest. Please submit prayers to wtucrev@gmail.com or Kayo. *Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or Jill. We appreciate your contributions to our community life!

***

Texts for the sermon from

***Isaiah 53:1-5, Psalm 30, James 5:16-18, Luke 7: 11-17 (NRSV)***

Isaiah 53:1-5

1 Who has believed what we have heard?

    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

    and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by others;

    a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;

and as one from whom others hide their faces

    he was despised, and we held him of no account.

4 Surely he has borne our infirmities

    and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken,

    struck down by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,

    crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

    and by his bruises we are healed.

Psalm 30

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,

    and did not let my foes rejoice over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

    and you have healed me.

3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,

    restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.[a]

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,

    and give thanks to his holy name.

5 For his anger is but for a moment;

    his favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may linger for the night,

    but joy comes with the morning.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,

    “I shall never be moved.”

7 By your favor, O Lord,

    you had established me as a strong mountain;

you hid your face;

    I was dismayed.

8 To you, O Lord, I cried,

    and to the Lord I made supplication:

9 “What profit is there in my death,

    if I go down to the Pit?

Will the dust praise you?

    Will it tell of your faithfulness?

10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!

    O Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned my mourning into dancing;

    you have taken off my sackcloth

    and clothed me with joy,

12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.

    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

James 5:16-18

16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

Luke 7: 11-17

11 Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12 As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. 13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!” 17 This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *