Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 25, 2023

Sources of Information for Today's Online Service
This page has links to information used or encountered in preparing this online service.

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Topics for Today
Wikipedia is a frequent source
for information in these articles.

Juneteenth
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth
Emancipation Proclamation
Staying the Course of Freedom for All

The Great Commission
What is the Great Commission?
Great Commission from wikipedia
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Bethel Worship Planning Documents
2023 Monthly Worship Calendar
2023 RCL 2 page Summary
Bethel Weekly Worship Planning worksheet
2023 Annual Program Planning worksheet
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Guidance from UMC Discipleship Ministries
Weekly Worship Planning Series
Note: This material from UDM is not the basis for today's message
but is provided here for your personal study and reflection.

Click here for suggestions about how to use this material.

Worship Theme: "The Path of the Disciple"
from umcdiscipleship.org
During this lengthy Ordinary Time of the year, the UDM has chosen an overall theme: The Path of the Disciple for the "season" with several worship series of 2 or more weeks with a separate theme for each series.

A disciple is a follower. That means there must be someone to follow and that someone wants followers. Considering that, in the gospel accounts, Jesus said “follow me” more often than he said, “believe in me,” we can be confident that there is a call to follow laid upon anyone and everyone who seeks to draw closer to Christ. Yet even a cursory reading of the gospels will reveal that Jesus never undersold this call. He never tried to convince us that following was an easy or a simple thing to do.

Worship Series: "Learning to Grow"
from umcdiscipleship.org
Having accepted the call to become a disciple and to help others become disciples, we now begin to understand what we don’t know. Or rather we embrace what we have to learn. Sometimes we get the impression that the end of faith is that initial yes to Jesus. As important as that confession is, it is only the beginning of the path to becoming a disciple. So, let us consider together what it means to be a disciple. Let’s embrace the truth, even when it is difficult and takes effort, even when we learn of the commitment that is involved in following Jesus. Because we also discover the joy in serving and loving and working for justice. It may be hard, and we may mess up at times, or lose focus, but we’re learning and we’re growing. Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ isn’t an instantaneous event, but a lifelong process. Wesley called it sanctification, this process of becoming more like Christ, and acknowledged that it is a journey. But we’re on the way, or as Wesley claimed, moving on to perfection in love. There’s a lot to learn as we grow.

This is the First service of a 3 service Worship Series from the Discipleship Ministries.
The graphics at the top of this page list the topics for the services of the Series.
(Click on another graphic to see that session's resource page)

This Service's Theme: "Tell in the Light"
Liturgical Resources
“What you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops” (Matthew 10:27). This week, we’ve got whispers and we’ve got shouts. That seems like a common human experience, doesn’t it?
Worship Planning Notes
Preaching Notes

Lectionary Scriptures:
Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10,16-17; Romans 6:1-11; Matthew 10:24-39;
Suggested Hymns . Music Notes . DM Accompaniments

Sources of Music for the following hymns are:
- UMH CD.....UDM - DM Accompaniment..... MM/DD/YY - Recorded Service

Hymns Considered For this week:
130 - . Verses - "God Will Take Care of You"
2146 - . Verses - "His Eye is On the Sparrow" . (UDM)