The Good Samaritan: Guest Preacher Sister Rose Casaleno, CSJ, MSW

Sunday, July 13, 2025
10:30 AM 11:30 AM 10:30 11:30

Union Presbyterian Church 200 E Main St Endicott, NY, 13760 United States (map)

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This morning UPC welcomes Sister Rose Casaleno, CSJ, MSW, to our pulpit. Sister Rose serves as the Director of Campus Ministry for the Catholic Community at Binghamton University. She will bring us her wisdom and reflections upon one of the most famous parables in our tradition, the story of the Good Samaritan.

You can join us for worship in our beautiful sanctuary or by livestream right here, every Sunday at 10:30 AM. You are invited! We would love to see you.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Who Is My Neighbor?

Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Luke 10:25-37

Union Presbyterian Church

July 13, 2025

Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Liturgist: Barbara Lustgarten Preacher: Sister Rose Casaleno

Prayer Joys and Concerns Sister Rose Casaleno

Welcome

Announcements Barbara Lustgarten

Prelude Chris Bartlette

“Gather Us In,” Jeanne Cotter

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

* Call to Worship from Psalm 25

Good and upright is the Lord;

All God’s paths are steadfast love and faithfulness.

Help us to know your ways, O Lord; teach us your paths.

Lead us in your truth and teach us, for you are the God of our salvation.

To you, O Lord, we lift up our soul.

Our God, in you we trust. Let us worship!

* Hymn # 464 PH

“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”

(Public Domain)

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee,
Opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the gloom of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day.

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain,
Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Mortals, join the happy chorus
Which the morning stars began;
Love divine is reigning o’er us,
Joining all in heaven's plan.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.

* Call to New Life  

Let us open our hearts to the love and healing of God, who already knows our failings, and is ready to forgive and embrace.

* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace

Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us amend what we are, and direct what we shall be, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

* Assurance of God’s Love

Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn?

Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us,

Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us.

Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.

The old life has gone; a new life has begun.

Siblings in Christ, know that you are forgiven and be at peace.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

* Sharing of the Peace

We trust in God, who promises us a peace surpassing all understanding.

May the peace of God be with you.

And also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of God’s peace.

Scripture Deuteronomy 30:9-14

“And the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, when you obey the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in this book of the law, because you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

“Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

Time for Young Disciples Sister Rose Casaleno

Music: “What is the World Like,” Sally Ann Morris

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Anthem

“Draw the Circle Wide,” Gordon Light

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Draw the circle wide, draw it wider still,

Let this be our song: no one stands alone,

Standing side by side. Draw the circle wide.

God, the still point of the circle

‘Round whom all creation turns.

Nothing lost, but held together

In God’s gracious arms.

Draw the circle wide, draw it wider still,

Let this be our song: no one stands alone,

Standing side by side. Draw the circle wide.

Let our hearts touch far horizons,

So encompass great and small;

Let our loving know no borders,

Faithful to God’s call.

Draw the circle wide, draw it wider still,

Let this be our song: no one stands alone,

Standing side by side. Draw the circle wide.

Let the dream we dreamed be larger

Than we ever dreamed before;

Let the dream of Christ be in us,

Open every door.

Draw the circle wide, draw it wider still,

Let this be our song: no one stands alone,

Standing side by side. Draw the circle wide.

Scripture Luke 10:25-37

An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, treating them with oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Response Holy Wisdom, Holy Word:

Thanks be to God!

Sermon "Who Is My Neighbor?” Sister Rose Casaleno \

* Affirmation of Faith

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, 
creator of heaven and earth. 

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, 
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, 
born of the Virgin Mary, 
suffered under Pontius Pilate, 
was crucified, died, and was buried; 
he descended to the dead. 
On the third day he rose again; 
he ascended into heaven, 
is seated at the right hand of the Father, 
and will come again to judge the living and the dead. 

I believe in the Holy Spirit, 
the holy catholic church, 
the communion of saints, 
the forgiveness of sins, 
the resurrection of the body, 
and the life everlasting. Amen. 

* Hymn

“Who Is My Neighbor?” Carolyn Winfrey Gillette 

Used with permission. 

"Who is my neighbor?" A lawyer asked Jesus, to test him. 

So Jesus told him a story to answer his question: 

Lonely the way ... 

Lonely the traveler one day. 

Robbers attacked him and left him. 

First down the road came a priest who just chose to ignore him. 

Next came a Levite who wouldn't do anything for him. 

Then one despised, 

Hated in everyone's eyes, 

Knelt down to heal and restore him. 

Tending the wounds of the man, the Samaritan labored. 

He was the one with compassion, the one in God's favor. 

Not by a creed 

But by responding to need, 

He proved to be the good neighbor. 

Prayers of the People

Let us approach God in prayer, as God’s people,

called to love one another.

So, let us pray for the needs of the church,

the whole human family,

and all the world, saying: Hear our prayer.

That churches of all traditions,

may discover their unity in Christ

and exercise their gifts in service of all,