Good morning and welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church! We are grateful for your presence with us this morning and if you have any questions or want to get more involved in the church please don’t hesitate to reach out to us! This morning we will be hearing some passages in 2 Corinthians about how God’s strength shines and works through us in all circumstances. We will also be commissioning our youth Mission Trip group and installing our congregational Elders.  Welcome to worship!

Prelude                          “Go Carry Thy Burden to Jesus” Sarah Park

                                                        [By W. J. Kirkpatrick]

Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church

Good Morning! 

Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church

We are a community seeking to have open minds, open hearts, and open arms. 

Today we are celebrating ….  

Thank you for joining us here in the house and online. Welcome to everyone!  

• ANNOUNCEMENTS
  • Installing the Elders and Commissioning the Mission Trippers
  • MCCC Welcoming Statement vote on June 16th after worship. 
  • Hiring of Beth Voynovich - Custodian Extraordinaire

Scripture Reading              2 Corinthians 12:9-10                 Rev. Chad Delaney

 ⁹but the Lord said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

*Welcoming Song                        “Here We Gather” #294

Here we gather as God’s people with our friends from far and near; 

Let our voices sound with praises knowing Christ has called us here.

Now we seek and greet each other, now in joy approach our friends. 

Here we mingle, bound together as to all our love extends.

*Call to Worship                                                                              Rev. Nancy Humes                                                                           ONE: We look to the rulers of this earth for leadership, wisdom, and strength

ALL: We look within our bodies for stability, fulfillment, and joy.

ONE: We look to families and friends for love, compassion, and hope.

ALL: When rulers betray, when bodies fail, and when families 

disappoint…

ONE: God offers another look. We are pressed but not crushed! Perplexed but 

not driven to despair. There is always hope! 

ALL: For God’s Spirit will sustain us.

ONE: Come, children of God, we are all God’s family now.

ALL: Christ will welcome us home. Let us worship the Lord!

Adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2012

*Opening Hymn                  O God, Our Help in Ages Past #67, 1, 3-4

1 O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,

our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home!

3 Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame,

from everlasting thou art God, to endless years the same.

4 A thousand ages, in thy sight, are like an evening gone;

short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun.

Invitation to Generosity                                            

Invitation                                                          Rev. Nancy Humes                                                                                                                            

Offertory   

              Music:                     “Jesus, my Lord, to Thee I Cry” Sarah Park

                                            [by I. D. Sankey] 

*Response        Accept, O God, The Gifts We Bring #379, 2 lines

Accept, O God, the gifts we bring of spirit and of clay, 

transform them into blessings on those we serve today.     

Offering Prayer Rev. Nancy Humes      

Children’s Moment                                                                         Rev. Chad Delane

Special Music                             “Jesus be Praised”          MCCC Choir

[by Richard Blake]

MCCC Elder Installation

INTRODUCTION: CHAD

Today we are recognizing and blessing God’s gift of Elders to serve the church in Christ’s ministry.  All ministry is a gift from Jesus Christ who is the Good Shepherd and great high priest of the entire people of God.  While the whole people of God through baptism is commission to share in this servant ministry, the church from earliest times has set some persons apart with prayer to serve in designated ministries.  

In shared responsibility these will seek to re-present the reconciling work of Christ in the whole church and this part of the body by:

• Teaching and expressing the nature of the church in the spirit of Christian living
• Giving wise counsel or a listening ear to individual members who are facing hardship and difficulty
• Representing us through meditations and prayers at the Lord’s Table
• By setting forth to the people of God an engaging vision of the congregation’s mission and ministry.  Seeking to live out through their example what it means to have Open Minds, Open Hearts, and Open Arms...to live and love like Jesus.  

VOWS

Call forth the Elders to stand or come forward

The church has with prayer and deliberation affirmed your call to the eldership of this congregation.  Each of you have accepted this call as God’s intention for your life.  We therefore now proceed to install you to the office of elder.  

In the Light of your calling to this new responsibility, do you reaffirm your faith in Jesus Christ; and do you promise to follow him and to seek to do and to bear his will to the best of your ability all the days of your life?   I do

Will you listen intently for the word of God in scripture, discerning carefully under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that the Word might grow your faith and be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path?   I do

Do you commit yourself to the well-being of the church through God’s grace fulfill a servant ministry of care and concern for all the church’s members?  I do

May the Lord bless you and give you grace to keep and fulfil these vows!

In the Name of Jesus Christ, we affirm and bless you as installed elders at the Mantua Center Christian Church.  

PRAYER: Chad

Gracious God, the giver of every good and perfect gift, we thank you for raising up these elders in our midst to serve you and the church in strengthening the church.  By your grace assist them in the building up of the church into the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ.  We thank you for their yes, their commitment, and their love of you.  Be with each of them in service and love, in Jesus Name, Amen.  

Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Rev. Chad Delaney

• Laura Parker
• Emmy
• Vince Meier

God of Life and Love!

Thanks for the amazing surprises you bring into our lives! You take those who feel unlovely and cherish them, you make the average feel extraordinary, and you turn nobodies into carriers of your good news. You give us responsibilities and roles that seem way beyond our capabilities. We often hesitate, but with your patient guidance, we learn that everything is possible with your love. Inspire us to grow and flourish as your people.

Today, we also think about those around the world who are hurting. We pray for people suffering from war and violence, that they find peace, safety, and comfort. Please help those affected by natural disasters, giving them strength, hope, and the support they need to rebuild their lives. We pray for our church family and those who are undergoing surgery and recovery. We lift up those who are struggling with uncertainty or loneliness. We ask your blessing on our building projects and help us to stay together in your Spirit.  

God, we trust that you can work through our weaknesses. Use our imperfections to show your strength and love. Let your light shine through our cracks and flaws, lighting the way for others and showing your grace and power.

Surprise us again, Gracious God. Surprise us with the Christ who believes in us and the grace that’s perfect in our weaknesses. Let your love and mercy flow through us so we can be instruments of your peace and healing in this hurting world.

Spirit, Fall afresh on us and we silently lift up all those on our hearts this day...

Hear us now pray the prayer you've taught us....saying....

Communion                                                                                    

           Meditation                                                                                               Roger Cram                                                                                                     

           Communion Hymn          I am Thine, O Lord #601, v.1-2

1 I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice, and it told thy love to me;
but I long to rise in the arms of faith
and be closer drawn to thee.

[Refrain]
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to the cross where thou hast died;
draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord,
by the pow'r of grace divine;
let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
and my will be lost in thine. [Refrain]

           Prayer                                                                                                       Sandi Kossick          

Words of Institution                                                                           Sandi Kossick   

Music:          “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” Sarah Park

                                            [Arr. by L. Mason]             

Scripture                                     2 Corinthians 4:5-12

⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. ⁸We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. ¹¹For 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. ¹²So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Sermon                                      Invisible Mending     Rev. Chad Delaney

Years ago when I was a youth pastor in Akron, we took the youth on a Habitat for Humanity trip. As always, I took with me my old, ratty, torn, stained, painted on blue jeans for the trip. They were the perfect work pants and I had already taken them on 5 or 6 work trips. I put on the pants and walked out for breakfast and received quite a reaction. Expecting revulsion instead all I heard, “OH my gosh…where did you get those pants?” 

Unbeknownst to me these kinds of pants were all the rage at the time. Not long after that I went into a department store and saw pants just like mine going for around $90 a pair. What a world we live in.  

We live in a throw-away world and so often it takes much less than multiple tears, stains, and paint splotches to be deemed trash worthy. But the youth saw something in them I didn’t see.  

We see this in a more current trend being dubbed “Visible Mending.”  

Have some floor tiles break? 

Need to fix a tear in your jeans?

Or on your chair cushion? 

There are tons more examples online if you just want to browse around. Super creative and not only did people repair something broken, stained, or torn…but more than that--these people could see something most others couldn’t see.  

In his second letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul likens us to earthen clay jars. Clay jars were used in the ritual maintenance of the ancient temple and in the Levitical code there were instructions on what to do when one of them breaks or instructions to break them depending on the situation. It is very likely they were very plain and very breakable…but also part of temple ritual. Why would they use something so fragile to do something so important?  

Rev. Dr. Lois Malcolm says, “Why link this treasure with such inexpensive and easily broken vessels? So that it can be clear that this excess — this “hyperbole” — of power comes from God and not from us.” 

In the passage, Paul doesn’t like us to Fine China, a Gold urn, or a Crystal Vase. In fact, if you read his letters he’s very often talking about his weakness.  

1 Cor 2:3 - I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 

2 Cor 12:9 - Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 

We are jars of clay --  vulnerable and imperfect, AND yet shaped by God carrying within us something powerful -- the death and the life of Jesus Christ. Imperfect vessels carrying an extraordinary treasure.  

And so…while we may be cracked and fragile…we also have amazing resilience. God is always working within us connecting and mending and holding us together.  We may feel like we are breaking or that things are falling apart…but it is God’s power and strength that sustains us and drives us forward. For when we are weak…then we are  strong.  

Paul urges the Corinthians to keep this mindset, this Spirit, at the forefront as we face challenges in the world: 

“⁸We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” 

There is always hope. 

A doctor named Rachael Naomi Remen shares a story about a 24-year-old man who came to her practice after losing his leg to bone cancer. The man was filled with bitterness and hatred for all well people. During their sessions, they often did art therapy. Once, she asked him to draw his body, and he drew a vase with a deep, dark crack running through it, angrily tracing the crack over and over again. To him, the vase would never function as a vase again.

After two years of conversation, therapy, and hard work, he began to heal and “come out of himself.” He started visiting others who had suffered severe physical loss, offering them hope and healing. He shared wonderful stories of making a difference in people's lives.

In his last session, they reviewed his progress and found the drawing of the vase. He looked at it and said, "Oh, this one isn't finished." He picked a yellow crayon and, pointing to the crack, said, "You see, here - where it is broken - this is where the light comes through." 

As Christians, sometimes we forget that we aren’t crystal vases but jars of clay. Vulnerable to the hurts and struggles and pains in the world…but also made to serve carrying an extraordinary treasure. Made so that God’s light might shine through us.    

And may we, too, remember that as we accompany those we love and those who are struggling. We may see brokenness and conflict and pain on the outside…but do we trust and remember that through the power of the Spirit there is invisible mending going on, too. That God is still working within those who are broken, who are struggling, whom we may even see as our enemies. As we live and love like Jesus, our love and kindness, our patience and care are part of the way God moves through us to be agents of healing and wholeness.  

So in times of trial, in times of uncertainty, let our lights shine out in the darkness. In times of brokenness and struggle may we repeat Paul’s words of enduring hope -- ““⁸We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” 

Thanks be to God, Amen.

*Closing Hymn              God of Grace and God of Glory #464, v.1, 4-5

1 God of grace and God of glory, on thy people pour thy power;

crown thine ancient church’s story; bring its bud to glorious flower.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

for the facing of this hour,

for the facing of this hour.

4 Set our feet on lofty places; fill our lives that we may be

strengthened with all Christ-like graces pledges to set all captives free.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

lest we fail our call from thee,

lest we fail our call from thee.

5 Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore;

let the search for thy salvation be our glory evermore.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

serving thee whom we adore,

serving thee whom we adore.

Mission Trip Commissioning

Pastor: Will those on going on Mission Trip please stand up.  

From the Apostle Paul “There are different gifts, but the same Spirit who gives them.  There are different ways of serving God, but it is the same Lord who is served.  Each one of us is given a gift by the Spirit, to use for the common good. Together we are the body of Christ, and individually members of the body of Christ.”

Standing among us are those going on the CYF Mission Trip to Paducah and Mayfield, Kentucky. We will be doing some tornado relief with the Week of Compassion and will be leaving next Sunday morning bright and early.  All of us to serve on behalf of our Disciples United Churches and the whole of the Body of Christ. 

PASTOR:  To each standing I ask, “Will you accept the responsibility of representing this congregation in serving God where you go? If so, answer, "We will."

Will you represent Christ’s love and teaching to the best of your ability in all that you do?   If so, answer, "We will."

And to all of us who remain behind, do we promise to support them with our prayers during their mission and then recognize and listen to them upon their return?  If so, answer, "We will."

Thanks be to God.

We offer you our blessing and send you with these words from Rev. Mary Blaufuss: 

See people with new eyes

Touch the world with new hearts

Build community with new commitments

Engage lives in ways that change our own.

Let us pray: Gracious God, we present our hopes for these specially commissioned this day. In every time you have called servants to speak and act upon your word in various ways. We thank you for these servants who have answered your call. Give them strength, courage, and an extra boost of energy as they do their work. Fill them with the Holy Spirit so they may accept all they confront, and be faithful and joyful in their task. Bring them safely home and then let their experience further enrich us so that we, too, may better serve you.  In Christ we pray Amen.  

Benediction Rev. Chad Delaney

• In Christ we are made whole. In Christ we are sent forth in love."
• Thank you for joining us for this time of worship CHOIR
• You could have been many different places today
• Please have some coffee and join for conversation 

By Nathan Nettleton

Go now, and wherever people will hear you,

proclaim the life-changing love of God.

Do not fear your weakness,

for when you are weakest, Christ’s strength is known.

Travel lightly, live simply,

and honor those who welcome the gospel.

And may God be your protection and safe haven;

May the power of Christ Jesus dwell in you;

and may the Holy Spirit be your guide forever.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,

In the name of Christ. Amen.

Postlude                            “I am Thine, O Lord” Sarah Park

                                                       [by W. H. Doane]