Isaiah 58:1-9
"Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.
"For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
"They ask me for decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.
"Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a mortal to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood.
"Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
"Then you will call and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help and God will say: Here I am."
Luke 7:18-35
John's disciples told him about these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?" When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to ask, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'"
At that very time, Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the Good News is preached to the poor. Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of me."
After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:
"I will send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way before you."
"I tell you, of those born of women, there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
(All of the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)
"To what can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children, sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other; 'We played the flute for you and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not cry.' For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'
"The Human One came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors, and "sinners."' But wisdom is proved right by all her children."
v This week our Garden grows with:
12:30 p.m. Today, Membership Class, taught by Pastor Andy with lunch by Apron Brigade.
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, Linda Renner, lgrenner@aol.com, and Loretta Cobb, lorettaacobb@aim.com, lead a Care Circle in Lexington, exploring "Bible Study for Amateurs."
9:45 a.m. Sunday, July 19, Choir practice, led by Andy Farmer, jandyfarmer@yahoo.com.
11 a.m. Sunday Worship, July 19, Pastor Andy brings the message, "Penguins in Mission." The Sacrament of Holy Baptism or Rite of Membership may be celebrated.
12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19, Team of Trustee meeting.
v Our six-week Rainbow Pride observance begins Sunday, Aug. 9. We'll celebrate our 16th anniversary Aug. 23 with special guests Adrain Bowie and Carolyn Mobley of Atlanta, who'll bring the message in song and word. Community and congregational awards be presented. We'll celebrate all who helped with our mission-trip fundraising. This is a time to invite those friends, family, and co-workers who gave to this ministry.
v Our fifth Sunday celebration Aug. 30 will include a Rite of Blessing for our 17 mission-trip members, headed to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. A covered-dish luncheon will follow worship.
v Social Justice Ministry signup book is kept in our entryway near our prayer book. Please see the book for ministries that you'd like to join or start.
v An area for smoking has been set aside with ash trays on the corner of our walkway. Seating is available for your convenience.
v Something Special Florist in Irmo provides altar flowers in exchange for donations to our building fund. If you have a special person or occasion to honor or remember, please sign the calendar in our entryway.
v Have a favorite song that you'll like for us to sing? A song-request basket is in the entryway.
v "Thank-you" sheets are available in the entryway to help us be a more gracious people. When you see someone doing good for God and church, help us thank them by filling out a sheet and placing it in the offering basket.
v Aluminum cans are being collected each Sunday by Trustee Jennifer Spears, jennifervspears@aol.com, and Sexton Lois Spears, loistalk1948@aol.com, as part of a church fundraiser.
v Our Outreach Team leads Garden of Grace in sponsoring the resettlement of four Burmese people who've lived in refugee camps for years before coming to Columbia. This project is a joint effort with Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas. Joy and Carol Smith-Dailey, fotosetc@yahoo.com, coordinate this ministry.
v Patricia Grello, pgrello@sc.rr.com, leads a social-justice Care Circle in West Columbia that volunteers with Harvest Hope Food Bank and with sewing projects for infant clothing. Our food bank has now been combined with Harvest Hope. We are a distribution site. Please see Pastor Andy if you have a need.
v Never miss another Sunday service! Garden of Grace UCC is now podcasting at our Web site: http://www.gogucc.com. Now you can hear every sermon and special music online. Subscribe via iTunes or stream audio from our Web site, gogucc.com. PayPal giving opportunities are now available from the web site, too.
v Have you wanted to help on the Apron Brigade (Hospitality Team) but did not like to greet people – just a little shy? Well, now you can help. We ask for help with donations, such as coffee cups, lids, snacks, and much more – and you don't have to be a member of this team! If interested, please see Joe Matthews, jmatthewssc@bellsouth.net.
v Please see Kevin Dove, kdove@lander.edu, or Mike Grello, mgrello@sc.rr.com, to buy fairly traded Equal Exchange coffee, tea, and other items. This goes to help UCC's Justice and Witness Ministry to help small, independent farmers.
v Trustee Cora Davis, archival minister, rbrducky@sc.rr.com, is gathering information about Care Circles and other ministries to maintain a record of our extraordinary history. Please see her to help. Assisting her with photography are Leta Horine, 12smokey@bellsouth.net, and Pat Seymour, seymourpat@bellsouth.net.
v Photos are taken for use on our web site or my-space pages. Please let the photographer know if you object to your photo being used for this ministry.
v Care Circles gather twice monthly to share in prayer, devotion and fellowship. These are great places to find friends and ministries. A variety of Care Circle devotions is offered.
Linda Renner, lgrenner@aol.com, and Loretta Cobb's Care Circle gathers at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays in Lexington.
Patty Grello's Care Circle gathers to help with social-justice ministries, including Harvest Hope Food Bank and a clothing program for babies. She can be reached at pgrello@sc.rr.com.
Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge's Care Circle gathers at 7 p.m. first and third Mondays at the church. The circle is on hiatus for July. For more information contact Rev. Candace at revcandace@gogucc.com.
Men's Night Out dines out at 7 p.m. fourth Thursdays. Rickey Belton, rbelton4@sc.rr.com, and Brendon Jones, bjones51@sc.rr.com, lead this group.
Women's Spiritual Group, led by Jan Hogan, janh244@yahoo.com, dines out at 7 p.m. third Wednesdays.
