We Gather as God’s People Patient God,


give us perseverance for the long haul.


But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no
need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what
(breathe)
 this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’
HYMN For the Healing of the Nations UMH 428
Suffering God,
CALL TO WORSHIP FOR VETERANS DAY Suffering God,

What does the Lord require of you?
give us courage to work for justice.
 We Respond to God’s Word
(breathe)

On this day of all days
 REFLECTION With What Shall I Come Before the Lord?
Gentle God,
as we remember men and women

Gentle God,

who gave their everything for us,
 HYMN How Shall I Come Before the Lord W&S 3124
give us humility and trust to practice non-violence.

we gather here to honor their memory and give thanks.
(breathe)
 PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
What does the Lord require of you? Hopeful God,
On this day of all days
 Hopeful God,
 OFFERING AND 2019 PLEDGES
we come seeking peace for all
 give us confidence in the power of love.
 DOXOLOGY
in a world that cries out for it. (breathe)

What does the Lord require of you? Crucified God,
 PRAYER OF DEDICATION
On this day of all days Crucified God,
 May we, for the sake of ordinary people everywhere
We come seeking to love the unloved give us faith to reach out to you who are always rising.
 resolve to act justly, to love kindness

and to live humbly with our Lord. (breathe)
 and to walk humbly with God in paths of peace.
Loving God, May we, with all our heart, soul and strength,
What does the Lord require of you?
 Loving God,
 resolve to be your witness,
On this day of all days
 give us your grace for the days to come. in all we do and say,

we come to God in worship and praise. in all we give and offer,

Let us worship the God of love and peace. in all we think and believe.

HYMN Let There Be Peace on Earth UMH 431 We Listen for God’s Word May these gifts and pledges be used
for the healing and transformation of the world
HEBREW SCRIPTURE Micah 6:6-8 in Jesus’ name. Amen
PASSING THE PEACE
“With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
YOUNG PEOPLE’S MESSAGE
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
We Are Sent Into God’s World
STEWARDSHIP MOMENT
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ANNOUNCEMENTS
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
TAIZÉ Confitemini Domino FWS 2157
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, BENEDICTION
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
z
OPENING TO GOD Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Eternal God, He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
Eternal God, and what does the Lord require of you
give us wisdom to see the big picture.
 but to do justice, and to love kindness, Announcements
(breathe)
 and to walk humbly with your God? The food shelf needs our help for the November & December
Creating God,
 distributions. The need around the holidays is always larger than
GOSPEL Matthew 9:13 normal. All the churches in this ministry in Essex-Underhill & Jericho
Creating God, are asked to help. There are lots of different jobs assisting the clients as
And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and
give us imagination to live differently.
 sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When they choose their groceries, move around the tables & carry things out
(breathe)
 the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does to their vehicles. Saturday, 17 November from 9 am, at Good Shepherd
Patient God, your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Lutheran Church, rte 15, Jericho. Park across the street at Clark’s
Truck Center.
Helping Refugee Families: there is a red box in the fellowship hall
for collecting gently-used preschool-sized clothing, especially winter
clothing & coats (on-going).
Here are people, places, & concerns folk have recently lifted
up. Please keep them in your prayers at home.
With What Shall i
Please call or email the church office to add to the prayer list.

Come Before the Lord?

Parking: Our parking lot can get quite busy, please consider parking Ongoing Prayers Lifted Up Last Sunday
across the street for Sunday Service, this will allow those with small Kathryn - thankful for the safe arrival of
Tim
children and those that can’t walk as far to park close by the church. 2 new babies in family
Lenore
Michael Parker Kathryn - seeking solution to Dad’s leg
Essex Eats Out Schedule
Keenan pain
Nov 16 - St James Nov 23 - EUMC Nov 30 - St Pius
Arlitha Gail - thankful for love & prayers of
Callie congregation on passing of mother-in-
Birthdays & Anniversaries law
Grace Naylor
November 15 - Larry Holmes
Anne Kennison
Gloria McKeen
Calendar Mary Willard
All Tuesdays: Pastor Is In @ Nest Coffee Shop 10 am - noon Norma Strickland
Church Office noon- 2 pm Judy & Diezela
Mt Mansfield Bible Study 2 pm Matthew C.
Elissa & Leif
All Thursdays: Church Office noon- 2:00 pm
Greg
z Paula DeMichele
Mon, 12 Nov: Questions of Faith Session Four Don Strickland
in the Parlor, 7:00 pm. Ellie Uckele
Cole
Wed, 14 Nov: Mitch is in Methuen MA for a Conference event
Harley
Thu, 15 Nov: Food shelf Set up, 6:30 pm GSLC Gordon Mitchinson
Susan
Sat, 17 Nov: Food shelf Distribution 9:00 am, GSLC

Migrant Justice Potluck Dinner and presentation

at St. James Episcopal Church 5:30 pm.

Mon, 19 Nov: No Monday Classes. Happy Thanksgiving!

Fri, 23 Nov: Essex Eats Out @ EUMC 5:30 pm

Mon, 26 Nov: Monday Companions at Eve’s home 7 pm Essex Center United Methodist Church
essex_umc@comcast.net tel. 878-8304
Sun, 2 Dec: Advent Season Begins! New Member Sunday! www.essexumc.com
Talk to Pastor Mitch if you are interested in Ministers: the entire congregation Lay Leader: Joshua Knox
Equipping Pastor: Rev. V. Mitchell Hay
becoming a member of Essex UMC
Essex Center
cell tel. 881-3268 (feel free to call) mitchellhay@comcast.net
Mon, 3 Dec: Questions of Faith Session 5 Office Manager: Heidi Evans
Organ: Kathryn Parker Piano: June Packard
United Methodist Church
in the Parlor, 7:00 pm
Song Leader: Dana Thomas Projection: Sam Evans
Thu, 6 Dec: Annual Church Conference! Make a space in Greeter - Sherry Marcoux
Ushers - Paula Pickering, Vickie Casazza
your week for this important meeting! 7 pm. 11 November 2018 25th Sunday after Pentecost
HEBREW SCRIPTURE Micah 6:6-8 Voice 1: God has told us, mortal as we are, what is good,

Voice 1: With what shall we come before the Lord? Voice 5: what is wholesome, what is fine, what is constructive,
what is life-giving, what is hopeful, what is beautiful.
Voice 2: We come with grief at the fighting that sees no end.
We come with despair at the wars upon wars.
 Voice 1: What does the Lord require of us,
We come with longing for all conflict to cease.
Voice 4: need from us, plead with us, demand of us,
Voice 1: With what shall we bow before God on high? insist upon, implore us?

Voice 3: We bow with sorrow.
 Voice 1: To do justice,

We bow with guilt.

We bow with the knowledge of our warring ways. Voice 3: rebalance the inequalities, redistribute the resources,
We are bowed by the violent, unkind, recalibrate the power, until the cry is “Life is fair!”
divisive words we have spoken;

the arguments we have fueled;
 Voice 1: Love kindness,
the sparks of malice we have not extinguished;

the injustices we have silently witnessed
 Voice 2: cherish the voices that speak gently,

and from which we have walked on by. honor the hands that help,

emulate the hearts that are open,

Voice 1: Shall we come before God with burnt offerings? follow the feet that walk the extra mile,
celebrate the time that is shared generously.
Voice 4: Burnt cities, burnt homes, burnt military targets,
burnt schools. Voice 1: Walk in humility,


Voice 1: Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? Voice 3: knowing we don’t know it all,

Voice 3: Thousands of missiles, thousands of guns, Voice 5: there is always more to learn,

thousands upon millions upon billions of dollars.
Voice 2: we need each other,

Voice 1: With ten thousand rivers of oil?
Voice 4: we are made for community,

Voice 5: Rivers of oil, rivers of blood, rivers of tears.

Voice 2: great leaders are great servants, and peace is not,

Voice 1: Shall we give our firstborn for our transgressions?
Voice 3: peace is not,

Voice 2: And our secondborn and our thirdborn,
the little ones and the forgotten ones,
 All: peace is not an impossible dream.
the unnamed ones and the unmourned ones,

and how many more will die for our transgressions?

Voice 1: Shall we give the fruits of our bodies

for the sins of our souls?

Voice 4: Our children’s lives for our inability to dwell in peace.