Join the West Tokyo Union Church community for the last online service of the summer season. After this June 26th worship service, we will take a break from our regular online communal services until we resume once again on the first Sunday in September. We hope that you will all find communities to join for worship services this summer, either online or in person.

Our preacher for this coming Sunday will be Rev. Paul Shew and his message is entitled, “Jesus’ Jubilee.” We hope that you all can join us.

Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 25:8-17

New Testament Reading: Luke 4:14-22

Our Call to Worship will be based on the beautiful Psalm 19:

Call to Worship:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their message goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
    making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
    enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
    and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.

Let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts
    be acceptable to you,
    O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen. 

Hymns:

#57 — O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

#196 — Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus! Born to Set Thy People Free

#454 — Open My Eyes that I May See

Please come join us for worship at 10 am using the link below!

Please come join us remotely to worship together. Thank you to Kazuko who will be playing the organ and to the many members who help out with our weekly services.

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Welcome to friends and members from around the world who join us as we continue to worship remotely. You may be distant geographically, but you are as close as our hearts and prayers.

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We are very thankful that our little community church can keep on going even in the midst of difficulties. Many friends keep contributing to our worship services and to our parishioner connections. We appreciate everyone’s prayers, financial support and weekly acts of service as we help each other in doing the work of the Kingdom.

Offering Link: Please note that the link for sending in your gifts and tithes has been changed to https://wtuc.net/offering/ and now has recurring offering and fee recovery options.

The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish may not be so much a conjuring up of food out of thin air, but the beautiful things that happen when we make ourselves vulnerable and share ourselves. Join our online worship this Sunday as Charles McJilton shares the message.

Charles McJilton is the Founder and CEO of Second Harvest Japan, Japan’s first and largest food bank. Second Harvest Japan is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Its food project in Okinawa is now in its second year. Sherilyn Siy is a writer and educator. Together, they have three children and recently adopted two cats.

Hymns:

#85 We Believe in One True God

#428  For the Healing of the Nations

#664 Sent Forth by God’s Blessing 

Gospel Reading — Luke 9: 11-17

Old Testament Reading — The miracle of the bread: 2 Kings 4:42-44

Ruth will be bringing the children’s message with the help of her amiable puppet pals.

Please come join us for worship at 10 am using the link below!

Please come join us remotely to worship together. Ruth’s puppet friends are cycling across Japan and will join us on the following Sunday. Thank you to Kazuko who will be playing the organ and to the many members who help out with our weekly services.

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Welcome to friends and members from around the world who join us as we continue to worship remotely. You may be distant geographically, but you are as close as our hearts and prayers.

---

We are very thankful that our little community church can keep on going even in the midst of difficulties. Many friends keep contributing to our worship services and to our parishioner connections. We appreciate everyone’s prayers, financial support and weekly acts of service as we help each other in doing the work of the Kingdom.

Offering Link: Please note that the link for sending in your gifts and tithes has been changed to https://wtuc.net/offering/ and now has recurring offering and fee recovery options.

Hope keeps us going, doesn’t it? We all have things we look forward to, things we hope will happen — but not all of them come true. But the hope God offers “doesn’t disappoint,” as the Apostle Paul says in Romans 5:1-5, the main text for this Sunday’s service. That’s because it’s not wishful thinking, but it’s grounded in the reality of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

If the Gospel is true, and Jesus did overcome death and sin, then we have nothing to be afraid of. We can have hope that everything is going to work out for good, as lay preacher Malcolm will be sharing in his message on “The Power of Hope.” Love, justice and good will win. 

This hope is powerful weapon against the anxiety and fears we all experience. So many times in the Bible, we hear the words, “Don’t be afraid” and “Don’t worry,” and yet we still fret. The hope God gives us means that ultimately we can be optimists — realistic optimists. Because we know the world is evil, that we will all suffer, as Paul talks about as well. But even death is not something we need to fear. And that hope can carry us through those tough times, too. It’s something solid, we can build our lives on.

Please come join us for worship at 10 am using the link below!

Please come join us remotely to worship together. Ruth’s puppet friends are cycling across Japan and will join us on the following Sunday. Thank you to Kazuko who will be playing the organ and to the many members who help out with our weekly services.

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Welcome to friends and members from around the world who join us as we continue to worship remotely. You may be distant geographically, but you are as close as our hearts and prayers.

---

We are very thankful that our little community church can keep on going even in the midst of difficulties. Many friends keep contributing to our worship services and to our parishioner connections. We appreciate everyone’s prayers, financial support and weekly acts of service as we help each other in doing the work of the Kingdom.

Offering Link: Please note that the link for sending in your gifts and tithes has been changed to https://wtuc.net/offering/ and now has recurring offering and fee recovery options.

Our next Sunday service for the West Tokyo Union Church community will be held in person at our traditional meeting place on the campus of the Lutheran Seminary in Mitaka. It will also be broadcast remotely via our regular Zoom connection. We welcome all to join us one way or another. We often wear red on Pentecost Sunday as a reminder of the fire and the Holy Spirit that descended to inspire and bless those early Christians. Thank you to Dr. Jim Sack, who will be preaching the message for this Pentecost service.

Please come join us in person and remotely to worship together. The children’s sermon has been pre-recorded with the help of a sheep for ease of incorporation into this Sunday’s service format. Thank you to Kazuko who will be playing the organ and to the many members who help out with our weekly services.

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Welcome to friends and members from around the world who join us as we continue to worship remotely. You may be distant geographically, but you are as close as our hearts and prayers.

Announcement: WTUC member, Ruth Ingulsrud, will be going on a 500 km fundraising bike ride June 9 – 12 raising money for educational programs for orphans in Japan. Prayers and donations are much appreciated. Link to the donation site is here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/kiwl-2022-events/ Please mention “JOEE” in the link labeled “In Honor.” The link to Ruth’s Joyful Opportunity English Education website is here: https://joee.jp

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We are very thankful that our little community church can keep on going even in the midst of difficulties. Many friends keep contributing to our worship services and to our parishioner connections. We appreciate everyone’s prayers, financial support and weekly acts of service as we help each other in doing the work of the Kingdom.

Offering Link: Please note that the link for sending in your gifts and tithes has been changed to https://wtuc.net/offering/ and now has recurring offering and fee recovery options.