Call to Celebration
God, You immerse Yourself into our lives.
You are fully present with us.
Your love has no limits, no boundaries, no respecter of persons.
You poured out all for every living being.
Neighbors are not defined by location, status or race.
Our neighbor is every living soul.
We are Your hands. We are an extension of Your grace.
Empower us to live fully present with You and our neighbor.
Amen.
Offertory
God, Your concept of love challenges us to move from consciousness to being, from time to presence. When we make that shift, we will feel alive, radiate energy, and emanate our being. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen
OFFERTORY INVITATION
(This prayer is a redaction from Eckhart Tolle’s, The Power of Now)
Service July 10
Scripture Lesson
Luke 10:25-37 NIV
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”