worship format and original content: Rev. Kathryn M. Schreiber (c) 2021
BCCC Worship Schedule as of October 1, 2021
In-person worship services: 11am 1st and 2nd Sundays
ZOOM worship services: 2pm 3rd, 4th, 5th (if there is one) Sundays
2pm worship format will now be similar to in-person Sundays
ZOOM check-in has moved to 3pm on 3rd, 4th, 5th (if there is one) Sundays
We Gather
“Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” – Evening Prayer, Lutheran Book of Worship
Welcome and Acknowledgements (pastor)
I am here in Huichin Village, unceded ancestral lands of the Lisjan-Ohlone people, not far from the sacred site now known as the West Berkeley Shellmound.
Today, we welcome Rev. Bladimer Paeste, member of BCCC, who has served UCCP and UCC churches in the Philippines and US to the pulpit.
Invocation (pastor)
Dear Ones, we are drawn to God’s presence through Jesus Christ.
Like the original disciples we gather bringing our personal requests.
May we open to the requests the Living Christ makes of us. Amen.
Lighting the Christ Candle & Welcoming Those Not Physically Present (pastor)
Passing the Peace (all) Offer joyful gestures and words of peace to one another: “Peace be with You.”
We Rest in God’s Grace
Special Music (recording)
Prayer and Silence (pastor)
Let us shift into silence in God’s presence with this simple prayer based on Psalm 46:10.
Be still and know that I am God. (Breathe slowly)
Be still and know that I am. (Breathe slowly)
Be still and know. (Breathe slowly)
Be still. (Breathe slowly)
Be. (Breathe slowly)
(Breathe in silence) Amen.
Words of Assurance (pastor)
What a gift it is to come to the Living Christ asking for what we want. What a gift it is to come away from these vulnerable encounters understanding what God wants from us. May we enter the holy realm of all that is possible when we imitate Servant Christ. Amen.
We Listen
Scripture: Mark 10:35-45 (pastor; translation: NIV)
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
“We can,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
May God add a blessing to the reading and reflecting upon God’s Holy Word. Amen.
Sermon “We Can” (Pastor Bladimer Paeste; live on ZOOM)
This Sunday church member, Rev. Bladimer Paeste, offers the sermon. Pastor Bladi has served churches in the Philippines and the US. He served as settled pastor of Faith Community Church, UCC in Oakland for many years, as well as other Bay Area congregations in transition. He has also served as a chaplain in healthcare settings and informally as an ambassador of Christian love to many. He and his wife, Lilibeth, have three adult daughters.
Special Music (recording)
We Pray
Prayer Requests (all)
Pastoral Prayer (pastor)
Holy God, how grateful we are for those who went before – not only the early disciples who actually lived with Jesus Christ, but those who have attempted, in small and great ways, to embody a life of service. We ask, O God, that You grant unto us desires and passions that will satisfy You! May we be called and blessed to engage in liberating ministry. Amen.
Prayers of the People, Private Prayer, The Lord’s Prayer (pastor)
We Give
Offering of Praise “Doxology” (all; acapella)
Please mail your donations to the church or directly to Treasurer Diane Huie.
We Continue in Hope
Announcements (pastor)
Closing Hymn (recording)
Benediction (pastor)
Dear Ones, Jesus has told us how to be great – to humble ourselves as The Holy Servant did. May we offer ourselves to God for the uplift of others, and in so doing, experience eternal communion with The Living Christ. Amen.
The service is concluded.
Worship Resources:
(NIV) Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
(kms) All content prepared and written by Rev. Kathryn M Schreiber, unless attributed to another source.
Residency Acknowledgement: This content was written in Huichin Village, unceeded territory of the Lisjan-Chochenyo Ohlone People, where I dwell and serve as a local church pastor. Please support indigenous rematriation efforts, the #LandBack movement, and give to Sogorea Te’ Land Trust Soghttps://sogoreate-landtrust.org/ and other non-profits that reform, balance, and heal relationships with our indigenous hosts. Thank you!
Copyright Note: Copyright laws changed in December 2020 when Congress passed the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2020 (CASE Act). Please check with your legal counsel as to the appropriate use of licensed materials, especially print and recorded music when sharing content online. Please observe ethical use of resources and follow the publishing requirements of any broadcasting or publishing platforms you use. Protect the rights of content creators. Thank you!
Online Publishing Date: October 12, 2021.
Permission: Permission is not granted to share or distribute this resource beyond your community without additional permission from the author. Please attribute source and observe ethical use of all resources. Follow your platforms’ publishing requirements for all created content. Thank you!
Donation: Due to the current coronavirus pandemic this content is offered free. If you’d like to support the congregation I serve as pastor – Berkeley Chinese Community Church – we’d be most grateful for your support. Please send checks to: BCCC UCC, 2117 Acton Street, Berkeley, CA 94702, Attn: Diane Huie, Treasurer. Thank you!
For Online Content: Please see Facebook pages: “Berkeley Chinese Community Church” and “Living Liturgies”; as well as my website: www.inthebiglove.com and YouTube channel: “Kathryn Schreiber”
in the big love 