And I rejoice as you learn to love them too GOSPEL Mark 2:23-3:6

Quote for Reflection:
Sabbath observance invites us to stop.
It invites us to rest.
It asks us to notice that while we rest,
the world continues without our help.
It invites us to delight in the world’s beauty & abundance.
Wendell Berry
One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they
Look for softness in your heart; There I am made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The
Look for tenderness, and it will be my Spirit Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not
Calling you to community lawful on the sabbath?”And he said to them, “Have you never
read what David did when he and his companions were hungry
It is not for you to cut a way into the undergrowth and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when
Or make a road into the rocky places Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence,
Rather let us just walk which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave
and see were this path will lead us, You and I some to his companions.”

We Gather as God’s People For my yoke rests easy if you will wear it
Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind,
and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord
HYMN O God, You Gave Us Sabbath Rest Gillette And my burdens lie soft on the shoulders if you will take them up
even of the sabbath.”
to tune Truro (Lift Up Your Heads) UMH 213
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a
CALL TO WORSHIP
Ancient One We Listen for God’s Word withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure
him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said
who makes all things new, TORAH Deuteronomy 5 to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” Then
may we receive with gentleness Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as YHWH your God he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the
commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. He looked
and touch with hopefulness
work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to YHWH your God; around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of
and protect with fierceness you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched
and love with tenderness; or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and
and may we celebrate with gratefulness of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to
and welcome with humbleness your male and female slave may rest as well as you. destroy him.
and tend with gracefulness
Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt,
all that you give into our care. and YHWH your God brought you out from there with a
PRAISE Give Thanks FWS 2036
mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore YHWH your
God commanded you to keep the sabbath day. We Respond to God’s Word
REFLECTION Laboro Ergo Sum
SPIRITUAL Give Me Jesus UMH 3140 PSALTER Psalm 139:1-18 UMH 854
HYMN Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence UMH 626
PASSING THE PEACE EPISTLE 2 Corinthians 4:5-12
For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
YOUNG PEOPLE’S MESSAGE
Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the
CENTERING HYMN Come, My Way UMH 164 God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone OFFERING & DOXOLOGY
in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of
OPENING TO GOD Chris Goan THE LORD’S SUPPER
God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay
Put down those things you carry; Sit with me a while jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power
Stop making things so complicated; It is much simpler than that belongs to God and does not come from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but
We Are Sent Into God’s World
Start from where you are, not where you would like to be
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Not where others say you should be not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down,
There may come a time when but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of BENEDICTION
I will warm your heart towards a new thing Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our

But right now I just want to warm your heart
All around you is beauty. See it.
All around you are people I love
j
bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to
death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made
visible in our mortal flesh.
 Essex Eats Out Schedule Food Shelf Needs: Spaghetti Sauce, Peanut Butter, Mac &
Cheese, Canned Fruit
June 8 - Holy Family June 15 - St James
June 22 - EUMC June 29 - St. Pius X Prayer Cards on the narthex table; let someone know we are
thinking and praying for them.
Birthdays & Anniversaries Cards & Calls: The following church members, who can no
Sabbath Rest
June 4 - Joe Marcoux June 7 - Bruce Douglas longer get out, would appreciate a card or a call - Grace Naylor,
Anne Kennison, Gloria McKeen, Mary Willard, Norma
Strickland, Nancy Bartlett.
Calendar
Every Tuesday: Pastor is In- The Nest Coffee Shop 10am - 12

Church Office noon-2:00pm Here are people, places, & concerns folk have recently lifted
up. Please keep them in your prayers at home.
Please call or email the church office to add to the prayer list.
Mansfield Place Bible Study 2:00pm

Every Thursday: Church Office noon-2 pm Ongoing Prayers Ongoing Prayers, cont.
Tim Don Strickland
Sun, 10 June: Kids’ Sunday, 10 am.
Lenore Ellie Uckele
All-Church Potluck & Meeting, after worship Michael Parker Cole
Keenan Lifted Up Last Sunday
Thu, 14 June: Food shelf Set Up, 6:30 pm GSLC Arlitha Kathy - childhood friend nearing end of
Fri, 15 June: WoWW Luncheon @ Lighthouse Restaurant Callie life
(near Hampton Inn off Rt. 7 in Colchester), 11:30 am Grace Naylor Dawn - Leif & Elissa
Anne Kennison Wes - all those in military & their
Sat, 16 June: Food Shelf Distribution, 9:00 am GSLC
Gloria McKeen families
Wed, 13 June-Sat, 16 June: New England Annual Conference Mary Willard Emily - runners in marathon today,
of the United Methodist Church, Manchester, NH Norma Strickland including Will & Dana
Judy & Diezela Mary - BethAnn Taylor & Cynthia,
Fri, 22 June: Essex Eats Out at EUMC
Matthew C. Cynthia’s cancer
Sun, 24 June: Worship Service moves to 9:00 am Elissa & Leif Ellie - “Home”, blessings of friendships
Greg Ellie - prayers for getting through cancer
Announcements Paula DeMichele treatments
Church Office Hours will move to 8 am on Tues & Thurs
mornings for the summer months beginning on June 19. Hours
at The Nest will remain at 10 am. There will be no Mansfield
Place Bible Study during the summer. Renewal by Amanda Kuykendall
Essex Center United Methodist Church
Sunday worship will move to 9:00 am for the summer essex_umc@comcast.net tel. 878-8304
beginning on June 24. www.essexumc.com
Ministers: the entire congregation Lay Leader: Joshua Knox
Anyone interested in doing a yard sale this summer should
Essex Center
Equipping Pastor: Rev. V. Mitchell Hay
talk to Dawn. We need to decide if we are doing one or not. cell tel. 881-3268 (feel free to call) mitchellhay@comcast.net
Office Manager: Heidi Evans
Parking. Our parking lot can get quite busy; please consider
parking across the street for Sunday Service. This will allow
Organ: Kathryn Parker
Song Leader: Dana Thomas
Piano: June Packard
Projection: Sam Evans
United Methodist Church
those with small children and those that can’t walk as far to park Greeter - Midge & Ken Yates
close by the church. 3 June 2018 Second Sunday after Pentecost
Ushers - Craig & Heidi Evans, Dawn Hill-Fleury