Order of Worship
GATHERING MUSIC We Walk His Way (Ewe thina)
WELCOME 1 Corinthians 10: 14 - 18
OPENING SONG In Christ there is No East or West
In Christ there is no East or West,
in Christ no South or North;
But one community of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
In Christ shall true hearts everywhere
their high communion find;
God's service is the golden cord
close-binding humankind.
In Christ is neither Jew nor Greek,
and neither slave nor free;
For men and women live in God,
and all are kin to me.
In Christ now meet both East and West,
in Christ meet South and North;
One joyous, true community
throughout the whole wide earth.
OPENING PRAYER
PASSING OF THE PEACE
Peace be with you… ...and also with you
* SONG They’ve Got the Whole World in Their Hands
God's got the whole world in his hands. (3x)
God's got the whole world in his hands.
God’s got the wind and the rain in her hands (3x)
She’s got the whole world in her hands
God’s got you and me, neighbor, in her hands (3x)
She’s got the whole world in her hands.
God’s got everybody here in their hands (3x)
They’ve got the whole world in their hands.
STORY Brett Boor
STORY Emily Kuttner
GIVE, SERVE, SHARE: Offering and Announcements
OFFERTORY
READING “Perhaps the World Ends Here” by Joy Harjo
SONG OF PREPARATION When We Are Living/Pues Si Vivimos
Pues si vivimos, para Él vivimos,
y si morimos, para Él morimos;
sea que vivamos a que moramos
somos del Señor, somos del Señor.
When we are living, we are in the Lord.
And when we’re dying, we are in the Lord.
For in our living and in our dying,
We belong to God, we belong to God.
Each day allows us to decide for good,
loving and serving as we know we should;
in thankful giving, in hopeful living,
we belong to God, we belong to God.
Sometimes we sorrow, other times, embrace,
sometimes we question everything we face;
yet in our yearning is deeper learning:
we belong to God, we belong to God.
STORY Tom Miles
STORY Adam Motz
MUSIC FOR REFLECTION What the World Needs Now is Love
Sarah McCollum, mezzo soprano
COMMUNION
Everyone is welcome to receive communion at Bethany.’
Today we have various breads, wine, and grape juice.
CALL TO COMMUNION
One: From every corner of the earth, Christ calls us to the table.
Many: We come from many peoples, many places, many traditions.
One: We come with the songs of our ancestors and the prayers of those who came before us.
Many: We come carrying stories of faith, struggle, hope, and joy.
One: From the villages of Africa and the islands of the Pacific, from the mountains of Asia and the cities of the Americas, from the churches of Europe and the Middle East—
Many: We come as one people, gathered in Christ.
One: Some come to this table with abundance. Some come longing for daily bread.
Many: Christ welcomes us all.
One: Some come singing. Some come grieving. Some come with questions. Some come with gratitude.
Many: Christ welcomes us all.
One: Today, the walls that divide us do not have the final word. Language does not divide us. Geography does not divide us. Culture does not divide us.
Many: At Christ’s table, there is room for all.
One: Come, people of God. Come with open hands and open hearts.
All: We come to receive. We come to remember. We come to share. We come to be made one.
SHARING THE MEAL
Many: We receive with gratitude. [All eat the bread together].
One: The cup of blessing, shared for all.
Many: We receive with gratitude. [All drink the wine & juice together].
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Many: At Christ’s table, there is room for all.
All: One body. One Spirit. One Lord. One faith. One hope. One table. Amen.
COMMUNION SONG De Colores
Sarah McCollum, mezzo soprano
CLOSING SONG Siyahamb’ #526
Siyahamb’ekukhanyen’kwenkhos (repeat)
We are marching in the light of God (repeat)
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE One Voice
Sarah McCollum, mezzo soprano
* * *
Announcements
Sunday School Is Back!
Sunday school is back! We are so excited to begin our year diving into the Fruits of the Spirit every week from now through May. We can’t wait to sing worship songs, explore Biblical stories, and engage activities together in k-2nd and 3rd-6th grade classes.
Middle & High School Youth Group - October 11th
Middle and high schoolers are invited to join Xander after service on October 11th to make DIY Halloween decorations including garlands, paper pumpkins, and mini ghost pictures. In addition to our crafting, we’ll have a conversation about All Saint’s Day and the fears that the past and future can hold during this Halloween season.
Keanon & Yasuko at The Checkout - October 11th
Come out to support Bethany favorites Keanon Kyles (baritone) and Yasuko Oura (piano) as they take to the stage! This concert takes you on a musical journey through different eras, styles, moods, and stories, bringing together the timeless beauty of classical music mixer with the energy and emotion of music from today.
Expect the unexpected: soaring arias, powerful ballads, familiar favorites, hidden gems, and everything in between—all brought to life through the unique partnership of voice and piano.
Whether you’re an opera lover, a musical theater fan, a pop enthusiast, or someone who simply loves a great song, there’s something here for everyone.
One voice. One piano. Every genre. Hit SHUFFLE.
Book Group reads Lost & Found - October 14th
Join us for our next Book Group on October 14th. We’ll be reading Lost and Found by Kathryn Schulz:
Eighteen months before Kathryn Schulz's father died, she met the woman she would marry. In Lost & Found, she weaves the story of those relationships into a brilliant exploration of the role that loss and discovery play in all of our lives. The resulting book is part memoir, part guidebook to living in a world that is simultaneously full of wonder and joy and wretchedness and suffering--a world that always demands both our gratitude and our grief. A staff writer at The New Yorker and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Schulz writes with curiosity, tenderness, erudition, and wit about our finite yet infinitely complicated lives. Lost & Found is an enduring account of love in all its many forms from one of the great writers of our time.
Sign up here if you plan on reading with us!
Outer Belt - October 17th
Join us October 17th as we continue our 210 mile pilgrimage looping our city in prayer!
Can’t make it this time? Consider joining for our next walks on:
Saturday, November 21st
Saturday, December 5th
Sign up below if you plan on walking with us this weekend!
Fall Congregational Meeting - October 25th
Join us for our annual congregational budget meeting after worship on Sunday, October 25th. Council will present its budget proposal for 2027. We hope that all members of Bethany will mark your calendars for this important (and brief!) meeting, and visitors and friends are also welcome to see how we do business as a church.
Haunted House - October 31st
Bethany is hosting a Haunted House this Halloween from 5-8pm! We need people willing to dress up to help us make the event the best it can be! If you would be interested in helping Aaron and Xander create this experience for the neighborhood, please let Xander know by email, text, or at coffee hour!
See Jordan Harris in A Strange Loop - November 4th
If you were lucky enough to worship with us on a Sunday when Jordan Harris was a guest soloist, it will be no surprise to learn that you can see them in the lead role in Raven Theatre's fall production of A Strange Loop. They were cast as understudy after — well, it's a story that involves an Instagram story of them singing the Pokémon theme song as a June postlude. I (Rebecca writing here) was possibly even more excited than Jordan when it all first happened.
The dedicated understudy performance is on Wed, Nov 4th. The show is officially sold out, but ask around to see if anyone might have a spare ticket you can snag!
Also late breaking: Raven has agreed to host a pre-show reception for the Nov. 4th performance for Bethany folks! Come enjoy the VIP treatment at 6:30pm the night of the show (at Raven Theatre). Reach out to Judy to let her know if you’ll be coming!
Help Make Worship Happen
For the next couple months, our pastors will be flying solo, which means we could use your help now more than ever! Please sign up here if you’re able to help.
Calling All Small Group Leaders!
Last year we had an incredible variety of amazing small groups led by Bethany members and friends, and we hope to do it again in the 26-27 program year! If you have an idea for a small group to offer anytime between September and next June, let us know.
Bethany small groups can be spiritual, educational, artistic, supportive, or social. They typically meet weekly for about a month, but can be longer or shorter. They meet at church, in homes, in public spaces, or online. If you have an idea for a group you'd like to offer this year, fill out the form here. Vince will be in touch in August to put together the full schedule of small groups for the coming year.
Subscribe to Bethany’s Google Calendar (a work in progress!)
