July 23, 2023, Celebration of VBS

Moscow United Methodist Church 126 Church St Moscow, PA Pastor Lori Robinson [email protected] [email protected] (570)842-7251

July 16, 2023 10:00 a.m. Eighth Sunday After Pentecost GOD’S PEOPLE GATHER Gathering Prelude Carol Hess “Down in the Valley” Traditional American Song Arranged by Phillip Keveren Ringing of the Church Bells Parish Notes Invocation *Call To Worship Leader: Sing to the Lord a new song, a song of hope and thanksgiving; People: Praise God for wonderful acts of mercy and kindness. Leader: God has remembered the promise of old, life springs eternal; People: God has poured abundant blessings upon us.

Leader: Praise the Lord, all the earth; People: Rejoice, for the Lord is among us. *Opening Hymn UMH#130 “God Will Take Care of You” Be not dismayed what'er betide, God will take care of you; beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you. God will take care of you, through every day, o'er all the way; he will take care of you, God will take care of you. Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you; when dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you. God will take care of you, through every day, o'er all the way; he will take care of you, God will take care of you.

All you may need he will provide, God will take care of you; nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you. God will take care of you, through every day, o'er all the way; he will take care of you, God will take care of you. No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; lean, weary one, upon his breast, God will take care of you. God will take care of you, through every day, o'er all the way; he will take care of you, God will take care of you. Children’s Chat GOD’S WORD PROCLAIMED Prayer for Illumination: (in unison) Guide us, O God, by your Word, and Holy Spirit, that in your light we

may see light, in your truth find freedom, and in your will discover peace. Amen. Old Testament Reading Joshua 3:9-17 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the

Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. Old Testament Reading Daniel 6:6-23 So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which [a]does not alter.” Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.” So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”

So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed. Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the

den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God. Special Music Carol Hess “Home on the Range” Music by Dan Kelly Arranged by Phillip Keveren Gospel Reading Matthew 14:22-33 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Leader: The word of God for the people of God. People: Thanks be to God. Message VBS Buckaroos Avalanche Ranch Vacation Bible School GOD’S PEOPLE RESPOND *Hymn of Response UMH#494

“Kum Ba Yah (v 1, 2, 6)” Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah. Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah. Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah. Oh Lord, kum ba yah. Someone’s praying Lord, kum ba yah. Someone’s praying Lord, kum ba yah. Someone’s praying Lord, kum ba yah. Oh Lord, kum ba yah. Let us praise the Lord, kum ba yah, Let us praise the Lord, kum ba yah, Let us praise the Lord, kum ba yah, Oh Lord, kum ba yah. Circle of Prayer Churches: Wenksville UMC, Biglerville Grace UMC, Mifflintown Trinity UMC, Pennsdale Hemlock Grove UMC, Greentown Coolidge Hollow UMC, Wellsboro *Beavertown UMC, Beavertown *Albert Margai Memorial, Gbambatoke - Sierra Leone St. Andrew’s UMC, Valley View Mount Royal UMC, Dover Llyswen UMC, Altoona Pine Glen UMC, Karthus Mount Asbury Camp & Retreat Center, Newville

Prayer List: Corona Virus Pandemic, Our United Methodist Denomination, those acted by the natural disasters, Our Country and Leaders, All Military troops, Adm. John C. Aquilino, War in Ukraine, Dawn Biesecker, Alice Roese, Merle Lyon, Cindy Kramer, Shirley Lysak, Ed Sebring, Ted Kreider, Maria Sevitski, Candie Drake, Judy Durkin, Douglas Pierre, Stephanie, Doris Rose, Paul Bowen, Dale Frisbee, Dorothy McLain and son Brian, Mariah Belt, Bertha Ludwikowski family, Unspoken Requests, Those Suffering in Silence Sharing In Prayer: Concerns and Joys Silent Prayer Pastoral Prayer The Lord’s Prayer UMH#895 Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Reception of the Tithes and Offerings *Doxology UMH#94 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below: Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God, the source of all our gifts! Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts! Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! *Offertory Prayer (in unison) Guide us, O God, by your Word, and Holy Spirit, that in your light we may see light, in your truth find freedom, and in your will discover peace. Amen. GOD’S PEOPLE ARE SENT FORTH *Hymn of Sending Forth UMH#405 “Seek Ye First” Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things shall be added unto you.

Allelu, alleluia! Ask and it shall be given unto you; Seek and ye shall find; Knock and the door shall be opened unto you. Allelu, Alleluia! *Benediction *Choral Benediction UMH#133 “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (v1)” What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms; what a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. *Postlude Happy Trails By Dale Evans, Arranged by Glenda Austin * Invites the congregation to stand if able.

Pastor: Lori Robinson Email: [email protected] Phone: (570)762-4918 General Information: • Children are welcome during worship, there are Busy Bags in the coat room, and the Nursery is open for childcare after Children’s Chat for children up to age 6. • Restrooms can be found down the hall across the Narthex from the Sanctuary. • For more information, please go to our website, www.moscowumc.com. Schedule This Week: Monday 6:30 p.m. Trustees Meeting Tuesday 4:30 p.m. SPRC Meeting Tuesday 6:30 p.m. Christian Connections Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Wednesday Morning Crew Thank you to everyone who made VBS a success! A good time was had by all the Buckaroos and their Crew Leaders, Station Leaders, and Helpers! Please join us after worship for VBS fellowship in the back parking lot for more fun, activities, ranch animals, and mission face pies.

The SPRC is accepting applications for the Church Secretary position. Anyone interested can contact Mark Chmielewski at [email protected] or call the church office at 570-842-7251. As we move through the transition of hiring a new Church Secretary, there will be no set office hours. Pastor Lori will still be keeping her office times. If you need anything, please call for an appointment. Reminder – The Aqua PA pipe work continues on Spring Garden Street and other area streets. Also, construction on our new prayer garden in the courtyard is underway. Please be careful in these areas. We have implemented a no food or drink policy in the Sanctuary. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping God’s house honorable and orderly. We will be updating our Prayer List every month, if you would like someone to remain on our prayer list after 1 month, please let us know so we do not remove them.

Please don’t forget to invite your friends to follow our social media pages so we can spread the word of our upcoming events far and wide. Ushers, Greeters, Scripture Readers: Please sign up to help in these areas. The sign-up sheets are on the table in front of the mailboxes in the coat room. Ministries and Missions / Community Collections: MUMC Community Computer Lab is ready for use. Please spread the word about this new community outreach ministry. Currently, if you need to use the computer lab, please contact Jennie or Pastor Lori for assistance. *** MUMC DONATION STATION *** The MUMC Donation Station is located in the coat room of the church building: starting today through the month of August, we will begin collecting school supplies. A full list of the most needed items will be available by next week. The full list will also be sent out to our church email list. Food Pantry & Dry Goods Pantry – Most Needed Items of the month: Food Pantry – Cereal, Peanut Butter Dry Goods Pantry – Soap, Toothpaste

Infant Hat Collection: Thank you to those who continue to donate hats. If you are unable to knit or crochet but would like to contribute, you can donate yarn for others to make the hats. Information on which yarns are best can be found with the hat patterns. We are collecting plastic bags and other stretchy plastic, which will be turned into an outdoor bench when we reach 500lbs. So far we have reached our goal for our second bench. We continue to collect aluminum tabs for the Ronald McDonald House in Scranton. MUMC Power of Prayer Network – If anyone is in need of prayer, please contact Cis Lyon, so your requests can be given to the Power of Prayer Network. The MUMC Learning Tree Preschool: If you or someone you know would like to enroll their child, applications as well as other information can be found on our website under the “Ministries” section. Currently, new applicants will be placed on a wait list. Spiritual Enrichment Opportunities:

Most Tuesdays, we have Christian Connections, virtual Bible study. Pastor Lori sends an email every week with the link to participate. Everyone is welcome to join. WELCOME TO PORTICO! https://susumc.org/portico/ Portico is a new Learning Management System (LMS) that will be another resource to support our Conference mission to grow spiritual transformational leaders, equip vital congregations and create new places for new people, and connect with each other and the world. Persons are free to enroll in any course they wish. The courses which are for credit will be indicated in the course description. New courses are added all the time so check back often to see the latest learning opportunities. Upcoming Activity and Event Information: The Moscow Country Street Fair is this week, July 27th – 29th. The church will host the Cultural Society Art Show in the Social Hall and the Quilt Show in the Sanctuary. We will be selling our homemade, delicious Welsh Cookies, other church activities and events are being planned, and watch for our float in the parade. The Annual National Night Out is Tuesday, August 1st. We will be hosting the community service and leading the candlelight walk through town to the borough building.

Looking Ahead – We will be hosting a Paint and Praise Night on Thursday, August 17th. Bring a friend and come out for this enjoyable evening! *CPR/AED Class: If anyone would like to sign up for a future class, please contact Jennie, or add your name to the list on the table in the Narthex.