May 1, 2024

Each month, our community comes together to extend our blessings beyond the walls of our church through the "Monthly Mission" offering. This special collection traditionally supports various organizations and causes, reflecting our commitment to support God's mission in our community.

This month, the mission committee has decided to direct our "Monthly Mission" offering to an exceptionally vital cause — our own church. This offering will help to address an urgent need within our church budget that ensures our ministries continue to thrive and our facilities remain a welcoming place of worship and service.

While this might be a shift from our usual practice, it is a reminder that maintaining the strength and stability of our church is equally crucial in fulfilling our mission. It allows us to continue providing spiritual guidance, community support, and a facility for the whole community. We are “putting our own oxygen mask on first” this month to make sure we can support this neighborhood for many years to come.

We ask for your continued generosity to our May monthly mission, knowing that every contribution will play a direct role in sustaining the church. Let us come together in this collective effort to support St. Paul's as our monthly mission.

Thank you for your steadfast faith and dedication to St. Paul's.

Each communion Sunday thereafter we will have a basket for those who feel called to give above and beyond their pledge. This "second-mile" giving will help fund the pastor's discretionary fund, which helps meet community needs as they arise, such as gas, lodging, clothing, etc. Feel free to bring your spare cash and change to help make a change in the lives of those in need.

May 10, The Pikes Peak Home School music students who rehearse here on Mondays and Wednesdays will be presenting their spring concert. As a way to say how glad we are that they are at St. Paul’s, we are going to be serving cookies, lemonade, and iced tea during the concert’s intermission. THIS IS A COOKIE CALL!!!!!! We are planning on 300 attendees…That’s a lot of cookies! If you are baking or at the grocery store please make or pick up some cookies and bring them into the church. They can be put in the freezer in the back of the kitchen that is marked VBS or marked “Concert “and placed on the counter. I would also appreciate a few volunteers to help with set-up, serving, and clean-up.

June 9, We have a Youth Choir visiting us and they will be providing some of their music during the service. We want to say, “Thank You” and welcome them with a potluck right after the service. St. Paul’s will be providing the dessert so plan on bringing a main dish, side, or salad to serve 12(since we are hosting the youth and their adult advisors)

Mother’s Day Brunch-May 12th: Back by popular demand, the annual Mother’s Day Brunch will soon be taking reservations. Watch for signup sheets on Sunday mornings beginning in mid-April, or contact the church office and reserve your table. Again, this year, the Picnic Basket will be catering the meal following the church service, so bring the whole family for a hassle-free celebration. The menu will include quiche, French toast with fruit compote, fresh-baked ham, breakfast burritos with all the toppings, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, and fruit juices, as well as a variety of continental breakfast items. Suggested donation (remember, no tax or tip!) for adults is $30, with children under 12 eating free. If your budget won’t cover that cost, just give what you can—but come and enjoy the fellowship.

Getting your Ducks in a Row-June 8th: Whether financial and estate planning, keeping medical records, planning for emergency evacuations, or simply making our lives less stressful, we all know we should be better organized. Since we don’t know where to start, we procrastinate. Senior advisor Judy Rough has spent her career helping older clients organize their lives. Though she lives in Denver, she has offered to sponsor a free community seminar at St. Paul’s. The only cost will be for binder materials, available upon registration. The workshop is only a starting point; be prepared to devote some time to following her advice. We’ll enjoy a potluck brunch followed by a half-day workshop. So, sharpen your pencils, bring that egg casserole, and prepare to get your “ducks in a row.” Remember to invite all your friends, since this is a community outreach from St. Paul’s.
Contact Jeanne Marsh (719-229-1708) or the church office to register.

Prelude
Down to the River to Pray
Cynthia Hibbetts

Threshold Moment
Pastor Donnie Sturgill

Let us affirm for one another that we are siblings in Christ, diverse in our backgrounds, equally loved, and that we are together in one mission, one vision, all around the same shared table - an inclusive table for all of God's people.

Threshold Song
Who is My Mother, Who is My Brother
TFWS #2225
 
1. Who is my mother,
who is my brother?
all those who gather
round Jesus Christ:
 
Spirit-blown people,
born from the Gospel
sit at the table,
round Jesus Christ.
 
2. Differently abled,
differently labeled
widen the circle
round Jesus Christ:
 
Crutches and stigmas,
cultures’ enigmas
all come together
round Jesus Christ.
 
3. Love will relate us
color or status
can’t segregate us,
round Jesus Christ:
 
Family failings,
human derailings
all are accepted,
round Jesus Christ.
 
4. Bound by one vision,
met for one mission
we claim each other,
round Jesus Christ:
 
Here is my mother,
here is my brother,
kindred in Spirit,
through Jesus Christ.

Calling on God Prayer
Pastor Donnie Sturgill

Leader: Let us pray together:
People: God of Renewal, create in us clean hearts and renew a right spirit within us. Search us, God, and know our hearts; test us and know our every thought.

See if there is any offense in us, and lead us in the way everlasting. Empower us to overcome each challenge that we might become better reflections of Your love and grace. Amen.

Opening Hymn
Change My Heart, O God
TFWS #2152
WORDS: Eddie Espinosa (Isa. 64:8) MUSIC: Eddie Espinosa
© 1982 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing

Change my heart, O God,
make it ever true.
Change my heart, O God,
may I be like you.
 
You are the Potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me,
this is what I pray.
 
Change my heart, O God,
make it ever true.
Change my heart, O God,
may I be like you.

Passing the Peace of Christ
 
Mystery Box

Scripture Reading
Mark 5:24b-34 CEB
CLM Twinkle Gordon

A swarm of people were following Jesus, crowding in on him. A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a lot under the care of many doctors, and had spent everything she had without getting any better. In fact, she had gotten worse. Because she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. She was thinking, If I can just touch his clothes, I’ll be healed.  Her bleeding stopped immediately, and she sensed in her body that her illness had been healed.
 At that very moment, Jesus recognized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?”
 His disciples said to him, “Don’t you see the crowd pressing against you? Yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But Jesus looked around carefully to see who had done it.
 The woman, full of fear and trembling, came forward. Knowing what had happened to her, she fell down in front of Jesus and told him the whole truth. He responded, “Daughter, your faith has healed you; go in peace, healed from your disease.”
 
Prayer for Illumination
Rev. David Petty
       
Leader: May the words of my mouth,
People: and the meditations of all of our hearts
All: be acceptable in your sight, O Lord our rock and our redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

Message
Soil Samples (and digging up the past)
Rev. David Petty

Prayer, Silent Prayer, The Lord’s Prayer
CLM Twinkle Gordon

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. 
 
Lead us not 
into temptation 
but deliver us from evil. 
For Thine is the Kingdom, 
and the Power 
and the Glory forever.
Amen

Invitation to Offering
CLM Twinkle Gordon

Offertory
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Exalt!
Sonja Engeldowl, Oboe
Cynthia Hibbetts, Organ

Prayer of Thanksgiving
Rev. David Petty

Doxology
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
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!

Communion
Rev. David Petty
 
Communion Hymn
You Satisfy the Hungry Heart
UMH #629

Refrain
You satisfy the hungry heart
with gift of finest wheat.
Come, give to us,
O saving Lord,
the bread of life to eat.
 
1. As when the shepherd
calls his sheep,
they know and
heed his voice,
so when you call
your family, Lord,
we follow and rejoice.
 
Refrain
You satisfy the hungry heart
with gift of finest wheat.
Come, give to us,
O saving Lord,
the bread of life to eat.
 
2. With joyful lips
we sing to you
our praise and gratitude,
 that you should count
us worthy, Lord,
to share this heavenly food.
 
Refrain
You satisfy the hungry heart
with gift of finest wheat.
Come, give to us,
O saving Lord,
the bread of life to eat.
 
3. Is not the cup
we bless and share
the blood of
Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup,
one loaf, declare
our oneness in the Lord?
 
Refrain
You satisfy the hungry heart
with gift of finest wheat.
Come, give to us,
O saving Lord,
the bread of life to eat.
 
4. The mystery of
your presence, Lord,
no mortal tongue can tell;
whom all the world
cannot contain
comes in our hearts to dwell.
 
Refrain
You satisfy the hungry heart
with gift of finest wheat.
Come, give to us,
O saving Lord,
the bread of life to eat.
 
5. You give yourself
to us, O Lord;
then selfless let us be,
to serve each other
in your name
in truth and charity.
 
Refrain
You satisfy the hungry heart
with gift of finest wheat.
Come, give to us,
O saving Lord,
the bread of life to eat.

Communion Hymn
Come, Share the Lord
TFWS #2269

1. We gather here
in Jesus’ name,
his love is burning
in our hearts
like living flame;
 
for through the loving Son
the Father makes us one:
Come, take the bread;
come, drink the wine;
come, share the Lord.
 
2. No one is a stranger here,
everyone belongs;
finding our
forgiveness here,
we in turn
forgive all wrongs.
 
3. He joins us here,
he breaks the bread,
the Lord who
pours the cup
is risen from the dead;
 
the one we love the most
is now our gracious host:
Come, take the bread;
come, drink the wine;
come, share the Lord.
 
4. We are now a family
of which the Lord is head;
though unseen
he meets us here
in the breaking
of the bread.
 
5. We’ll gather soon
where angels sing;
we’ll see the glory
of our Lord
and coming King.
 
now we anticipate
the feast for which we wait:
Come, take the bread;
come, drink the wine;
come, share the Lord.

Closing Blessing
Rev. David Petty

Blessed are you who seek transformation—You who turn weaknesses into strengths and mistakes into lessons.
Blessed are you who strive, who grow, and who find God in the journey of becoming.

Closing Hymn
We Are Called
TFWS #2172
WORDS: David Haas (Mic. 6:8) MUSIC: David Haas © 1988 GIA Publications, Inc.

1. Come! Live in the light!
Shine with the joy and
the love of the Lord!
We are called
 
to be light for
the kingdom,
to live in the freedom
of the city of God!
 
Refrain
We are called
to act with justice,
we are called
to love tenderly,
we are called
to serve one another,
to walk humbly with God!
 
2. Come! Open your heart!
Show your mercy
to all those in fear!
We are called
 
to be hope
for the hopeless
so all hatred
and blindness
will be no more!
 
Refrain
We are called
to act with justice,
we are called
to love tenderly,
we are called
to serve one another,
to walk humbly with God!
 
3. Sing! Sing a new song!
Sing of that great day
when all will be one!
God will reign,
 
And we’ll walk
with each other
as sisters and brothers
united in love!
 
Refrain
We are called
to act with justice,
we are called
to love tenderly,
we are called
to serve one another,
to walk humbly with God!
 
Benediction
Rev. David Petty

Postlude
On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand
Cynthia Hibbetts