We meet Jesus today at the home of Mary and Martha. Martha is cooking up a storm. Mary is listening with rapt attention to every word Jesus says. You can guess what happens.

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.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Mary Chose

Psalm 15; Luke 10:38-42

Union Presbyterian Church  

July 20, 2025  

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

Liturgist: Doug Moore Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube   

Prelude Chris Bartlette 

“Here I Am to Worship,” Tim Hughes

Prayer Joys and Concerns Rev. Pat Raube  

Welcome   

Announcements Doug Moore  

Prelude Chris Bartlette

“Sitting at the Feet of Jesus,” Marilyn Thompson

Used with permission.

* Call to Worship Doug Moore

Morning has broken.

Let us give thanks for the gift of life.

Morning has broken.

Let us give thanks for the gift of love.

Morning has broken.

Let us give thanks for the presence of the Holy One among us.

* Hymn # 40 W & R

“For the Beauty of the Earth”

(Public Domain)

For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the wonder of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above;
For all gentle thoughts and mild,

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the church that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love,

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For thyself, best gift divine,
To the race so freely given;
For that great, great love of thine,
Peace on earth and joy in heaven.

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

* Call to New Life    

Let us acknowledge our failures, for all have fallen short of the glory of God.

Let us stand together before the Holy one and seek God’s wholeness and peace.

* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace   

Almighty and merciful God, you created and are creating still. In your presence our limits lie stark before us. We confess our thoughtless speech, our cold hearts, our turning away from neighbors, and our broken promises. We confess that we have squandered the gifts you have given, neglected the land, grasped for goods, used each other, and loved power more than people.

(Silence) 

And we pray, 

Heal our hearts, God of our hope. Bring us to wholeness, and make us new again. In your holy name we pray. Amen.

* Assurance of God’s Love

In Jesus Christ, God knows us and receives us as we are.

God is kind and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Listen, give thanks, and live.

Thanks be to God!

* Sharing of the Peace  

God sets us on the path for fulness of life.

May the peace of God be with you.  

And also with you.  

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

Scripture Psalm 15 (NRSVUE)  (Responsive) 

O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
    Who may dwell on your holy hill?

Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right
    and speak the truth from their heart;
who do not slander with their tongue
    and do no evil to their friends
    nor heap shame upon their neighbors;
in whose eyes the wicked are despised
    but who honor those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
who do not lend money at interest
    and do not take a bribe against the innocent.

Those who do these things shall never be moved.

Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube  

Music: “For All the Faithful Women,” David Evans

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Anthem  

“There is a Line of Women,” John L. Bell

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

There is a line of women extending back to Eve
Whose role in shaping hist’ry God only could conceive;
And though through endless ages their witness was repressed,
God valued and inspired them through whom the world was bless’d.

So sing a song of Sarah—to laughter she gave birth;
And sing a song of Tamar who stood for women’s worth;
And sing a song of Hannah who bargained with her Lord;
And sing a song of Mary who bore and bred God’s Word.

There is a line of women who took on pow’rful men,
Defying laws and scruples to let life live again;
And though, despite their triumph, their stories stayed untold,

God kept their number growing, creative, strong, and bold.

So sing a song of Shiphrah with Puah close at hand:
Engaged to kill male children, they foiled the king’s command;

And sing a song of Rahab who sheltered spies and lied;
And sing a song of Esther preventing genocide.

There is a line of women who stood by Jesus’ side,
Who housed him when he ministered and held him when he died;

And though they claimed he’d risen, their news was deemed suspect,

Till Jesus stood among them, his womanly elect.

So sing a song of Anna who saw Christ’s infant face;
And sing a song of Martha who gave him food and space;
And sing of all the Marys who heeded his requests,
And now at heaven’s banquet are Jesus’ fondest guests.

Scripture Luke 10:38-42 (NRSVUE)  

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him, She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Response Holy Wisdom, Holy Word:  

Thanks be to God!  

Sermon ”Mary Chose” Rev. Pat Raube

*Affirmation of Faith From “A Brief Statement of Faith,” PCUSA 

We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone equally in God’s image, male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community. But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation. Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation. In everlasting love, the God of Abraham and Sarah chose a covenant people to bless all families of the earth. Hearing their cry, God delivered the children of Israel from the house of bondage. Loving us still, God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant. Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child, like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home, God is faithful still.

With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.  

* Hymn # 469 W & R

“Lord of All Hopefulness,” Jack Schrader

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.    

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,

Whose trust, ever childlike no cares could destroy,

Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,

Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,

Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,

Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,

Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,

Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,

Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,

Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,

Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,

Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,

Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

Prayers of the People  

The Lord’s Prayer   

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.  

Prayer Response  # 352 W & R (verse 2)    

“Spirit Song,” John Wimber   

O come and sing this song with gladness   

as your hearts are filled with joy.  

Lift your hands in sweet surrender to his name.  

O give him all your tears and sadness;   

give him all your years of pain,   

and you’ll enter into life in Jesus’ name. 

Call for Offering      

* Doxology # 145 W & R (verse 1)  

“Glory Be to God, Creator,” Richard K. Carlson 

Used by Permission.  CCLI License #CSPL068847  

Glory Be to God, Creator,  
Glory be to God the Son,  
Glory be to God the Spirit,  
Known as three, yet God the One. 

* Dedication of Offering  

* Hymn  # 714 W & R

“Shalom, Chaverim,” Donald Hustad

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.    

Shalom, my friends, shalom, my friends, shalom, shalom.
Shalom, my friends, shalom, my friends, shalom, shalom.

Share peace, dear friends, share peace, dear friends, God's peace, God's peace.

Share peace, dear friends, share peace, dear friends, God's peace, God's peace.

* Benediction  

Postlude Chris Bartlette 

“O Sons and Daughters,” Lani Smith

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.    

Where an * is indicated, please rise in body and/or in spirit.      

“W & R” ~ the red Worship and Rejoice hymnal.     

“PH” ~ the blue Presbyterian Hymnal  

Worship With Us

Mary Chose