Hope for Tomorrow

Join us at 10 am Sunday morning, June 13, 2021, for a community-led worship service. Pastor Paul Shew will be bringing us the message, “Hope for Tomorrow” and he has invited the Aoyama Gakuin Gospel Choir to share a song for worship. This will be a very special service as several members of the choir will also be joining us to participate in our Sunday celebration of hope. The hymn that the choir will be singing is a Gospel song called, “After This.”

The “Call to Worship” is inspired by Jeremiah 29 where we are challenged to “Keep God in the center of all that is.” Jeremiah reassures us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.”

Scripture Readings:

Ezekiel 17:22-24. — Psalm 92:1-4, 12-152 — Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17

Hymns:

Great Is Thy Faithfulness — Amazing Grace — Jesus, Joy of Our Desiring

We look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday. After the service, you are welcome to stay and chat with each other for a while. We look forward to the time when we can all meet together again in person.

Forsaking Power and Privilege

Join the WTUC Community Worship this Sunday, May 2, 2021, from 10 am to 11 am, as our lay-preacher, Mio Foster shares a reflection on racism and social justice from a Biblical perspective. The theme, “Forsaking Power and Privilege,” will deal with giving up our own power and privilege, just as Jesus did, in order to be at peace and have true reconciliation with our less privileged neighbors.

530 AD – Basilica dei Santi Cosma e Damiano, Roma. Il mosaico dell’abside, risalente al 530.

We will worship together via our weekly Zoom link. You are welcome to stay for a while after the service to talk and pray together with other community church members. Click on the link below to join us a 10 am, Japan time.

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament – Amos 5: 21 – 24

21 The Lord says, “I hate your religious festivals; I cannot stand them! 22 When you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; I will not accept the animals you have fattened to bring me as offerings. 23 Stop your noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your harps. 24 Instead, let justice flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry. (GNT)

New Testament – Philippians 2: 4 – 11

not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. (NIV)

Hymns:

What Wondrous Love Is This

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

The Church’s One Foundation

Prayers:

Please contact us if you have any prayer concerns or would like to be added to the prayer chain. Use the “Contacts” link on the WTUC website. Blessings on your week.

WTUC Zoom Worship #3

March 7, 2021 at 10:00 am

WTUC’s Zoom Worship Service

Raphael’s Hosea and Jonah

HOSEA: A Lenten message from the prophet Hosea about “holy jealousy”
Is “jealous” a good word or a bad word for you? Why does God describe himself as a “jealous”? Could there be such a thing as “holy jealousy”?
The prophet Hosea has something to teach us during Lent about this. His message is just as relevant today as it was more than two millennia ago. Malcolm Foster will be sharing.
Click here to join WTUC’s Zoom worship service:

(Meeting ID: 751 7052 6809  Passcode: SP5y6G)

Our First Zoom Worship – Feb. 21 at 10:00 am

Join us! Note the change in worship time from 11 to 10. The message, “Lent: Nourishment for Your Soul,” will be preached by Rev. Paul Shew.

West Tokyo Union Church is a family of believers. We are especially aware at this point in our church history that the church is not a building. The church is people.

As was decided at our all-congregational meeting, we will be starting weekly Zoom worship services using a slightly less formal format.

Preaching and scripture reading responsibilities will be shared. We will include some liturgy and our organist will provide music for the hymns. Sunday, February 21 is the first Sunday in Lent. We hope that our members in Japan and even previous members now living in other parts of the world will be able to join us as we share in a Zoom worship gathering of believers.

Order of Worship

PRELUDE (Kazuko)

WELCOME AND CALL TO WORSHIP 
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Unison: And also with you.

OPENING SCRIPTURE    Psalm 25:1-10 (lay reader A — xxxx)

Hymn #57 O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

PRAYER (lay person B — xxxx)
(Can start with prayer in own words, then conclude with:

Beloved friends, in this season of repentance and healing, we accept God’s invitation to be ever-mindful of the needs of others, offering our prayers on behalf of God’s community in the church and the world.
Fill us with your strength to resist the seductions of our foolish desires and the tempter’s vain delights, that we may walk in obedience and righteousness, rejoicing in you with an upright heart. And now we pray together the pray our Lord Jesus Christ taught us to pray, saying:

THE LORD’S PRAYER in unison 

HYMN #292 What Wondrous Love is This

OFFERING- Donate online

OFFERTORY PRAYER (lay person C — xxxx)
Sample prayer: 

Dear God, we thank you for this community, the Church. Together we are your body in this world, and we thank you that we are able to contribute to the Church with our tithes and offerings. We are giving and setting aside offerings in different ways now, but we know that you transcend time and distance. You are the one who binds our hearts and intentions together into your perfect plan. We ask that you would consecrate and bless our offerings and service to the glory of Your Kingdom. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 

SCRIPTURE     Genesis 9:8-17 (lay person A)     Mark 1:9-15 (lay person C)

MESSAGE “Lent: Nourishment for your Soul”      By Rev. Paul Tsuchido Shew

HYMN #298 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

BENEDICTION or CLOSING PRAYER (Paul)

POSTLUDE (Kazuko)

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS (Malcolm)

FELLOWSHIP TIME (or people can feel free to leave)