Calendar

Gathering around the word

Prelude: My Lord, What a Mornin’, Traditional American Spiritual, arr. Larry Shackley

† Call to Worship

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
maker of heaven and earth.

This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness. 
Come into God’s presence with singing!

Come, let us worship God!

† Hymn #403, “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty”

Prayer of Adoration

Call To confession

Prayer of confession

Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our failure to be what you created us to be. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. 

By your loving mercy, help us to live in your light and abide in your ways. For the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior, heal and renew us. Make us whole.

Silent prayer of confession.

Assurance of Pardon

Hear the good news!

Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
The old life has gone; a new life has begun.
Know that you are forgiven and be at peace.

Thanks be to God!

† Response: Hymn #582, “Glory To God, Whose Goodness Shines on Me”

Life in Community

Proclaiming the Word

Children’s Message

† Hymn #692, “Spirit, Open My Heart”

Prayer of Illumination

Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:12

Sermon: “With Hearts Wide Open”, Kenneth Kovacs

Responding to the Word

Call to Offering

Offering of Tithes and Gifts

OffertorY: This is My Father’s World, Franklin L. Sheppard, arr. Phillip Keveren

† Doxology #607, “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Christ, all people here below;
Praise Holy Spirit evermore;
Praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen.

† Prayer of Dedication

Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. Through your goodness, you have blessed us with these gifts: our selves, our time, and our possessions. Use us and what we have gathered in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Hymn #499, “Bread of the World in Mercy Broken”

Sacrament of The Lord’s Supper

Invitation to the Table

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving and the Lord’s Prayer

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Before all that is, you were God.
Outside all we know, you are God.
After all is finished, you will be God.

Archangels sound the trumpets, angels teach us their song, saints pull us into your presence.

And this is our song:
[Sung] Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest,
hosanna in the highest.

Holy God, Holy One, Holy Three!
You, beyond the galaxies…

…And so, we cry, “mercy!” Mercy!
And so, we cry, “glory!” Glory!
And so, we cry, “blessing!” Blessing!

Enliven this bread, awaken this body, pour us out for each other…

…And so, we cry “come, Holy Spirit!” Come, Holy Spirit!
And so, the church cries, “come, Holy Spirit!” Come, Holy Spirit!
And so, the earth pleads, “come, Holy Spirit!” Come, Holy Spirit!

You, Holy God, Holy One, Holy Three,
Our life, our mercy, our might…

…Praise now, praise tomorrow, praise forever.
And so, we cry, “Amen!” Amen!
And so, we hope:

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom and the power
and the glory, forever. Amen.

Breaking the Bread and Sharing the Cup

Prayer of Gratitude

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and forget not all God’s benefits.

Gracious God, how can we thank you for such a gift? For you have met us, fed us, drawn us to you, and bound us to one another. Now send us out to share your love and proclaim your hope until that day when all shall be well. Amen.

† Passing of the Peace

† Hymn #726, “Will You Come and Follow Me”

† Benediction

† Sabbatical Blessing

We believe God works in the lives those who love God, using all things for God’s glory…

…And so, I entrust you, the congregation of Catonsville Presbyterian Church to God’s good care, for God’s good works, and rich blessings.

We will remember you in our hearts for these three months with joy, praying that God will refresh you in body, renew you in mind, and refill your hearts with the depths of God’s love for you.

I will remember you in my heart for these months away, praying God will bless you…

…Let us now, in a unified voice, offer a prayer of commitment and faith to Jesus Christ, and to the work of God in our lives and in our world.

Faithful One, you fill us with every good thing because your steadfast love endures forever. Spirit of God, descend upon our hearts, descend upon Ken in a new way during his sabbatical. We give you thanks for his ministry among us and with us, we give you thanks for his joyful witness to the gospel and his care of your people.

Now, as he moves toward a season of sabbath, we ask that you bless Ken. Create a space in the rhythm of his life to find balance, a balance that will renew his heart, mind, and body, a time to connect with you and deepen his relationship with you, and recommit to your call in his life. Surround Ken and Mark with your Spirit. Be with us as we’re apart. And we anticipate his return to this ministry, as we, together, seek to serve you and love you. Through Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord, we pray. Amen.

† Hymn #541 (verse 1), “God Be With You ‘Till We Meet Again”

God be with you till we meet again;
loving counsels guide, uphold you,
with a shepherd’s care enfold you:
God be with you till we meet again.

Postlude, In Christ Alone, Stuart Townsend and Keith Getty, arr. Larry Shackley

Sources

Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013).

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-734388; CCLI Copyright License B 20481088 + Streaming License B 481071

Worship Participants

Dorothy Boulton
Associate Pastor

Marcellous Dixon-Grant
Worship Technical Director

Kathy Glennan
Video production

Wendy Johnston
Organist and Assistant Director of Music

Greg Knauf
Director of Music

Kenneth Kovacs
Pastor

Vickie Lord
Social media support

Norman Lazarus
Liturgist

Announcements

Fellowship Hour

Thank you to the Personnel Committee for hosting today’s Fellowship Hour.

Summer Worship

Worship will continue to be held in the Fellowship Hall at 9:30 a.m. until September. There is no Second Sunday programming in June, July, or August, but a children’s area is available in the Fellowship Hall during worship.

Upcoming Sabbatical

Ken Kovacs will start a three-month sabbatical on Monday, June 3. He will be in worship on June 2, return to the office on September 4, and worship on September 8. Dorothy Boulton will be acting Head of Staff while Ken is away, and we’ll have guest preachers for many Sundays throughout the summer. Look for the Pentecost Messenger with more details.

Youth Group Cookout

Middle and high school youth are invited to an outdoor cookout on June 2 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.! We’ll meet in the pavilion and enjoy burgers, hot dogs, vegetarian dishes, plenty of sides, and lots of yard games. Contact the office with questions.

Wedding of Bernie Adjei and Fran Romain

The wedding of Bernie Adjei and Fran Romain will be held on Saturday, June 8 at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary. The congregation is invited to this service of worship. Please note that the sanctuary is not air conditioned and dress appropriately.

The Messenger

The Messenger was published this past week and sent via email. Printed copies are available at the ramp entrance and in the church office.

Realm

Today is our final Realm sign up and picture day for the spring and summer! If you have not yet participated, you’re encouraged to stop by the France Room after worship. A recorded walkthrough session of Realm and its features is available at catonsvillepres.org/realm alongside additional resources. If you would like assistance setting up your account, learning about Realm’s features, or accessing the directory, please contact the office.

Christian Education Evaluation

Families with infants to high school age children: we’re evaluating this past year’s Christian Education ministries and making plans for fall. Parents/caregivers, please plan to attend one of the two gatherings with the CE team.

1. In person after worship on Sunday, June 9 at 10:45 a.m.
2. Via Zoom on Thursday, June 13th.

• 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. for those with middle/high school students
• 7:30 – 8:00 p.m. for those with K – 5th graders
• 8:00 – 8:30 p.m. for those with infants – 5 year olds

Join the meeting at tinyurl.com/2024-CE-evaluations. Simply log on when it’s your time slot. Thank you so much for helping us all to grow in faith together! We look forward to seeing you soon. Dorothy Boulton & the Christian Education Team

Friday Food Drives

The next Friday Food Drive will be held on Friday, June 7, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the small Frederick Road parking lot. Sign up to volunteer.

Catonsville Pride

The fourth annual Catonsville Pride festival is on June 15 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. across our church grounds. The family-centered celebration will include live music, ice cream, pony rides, face painting, kid’s crafts, a story time, lawn games, and a silent auction. We will join Salem Lutheran, the Community of St. Dysmas, and St. John’s Grace UCC at a table of open and affirming congregations.

Exciting Changes to the Child Care Center

“Catonsville Presbyterian Church Family Child Care Center” is a very long name. For years (or perhaps decades) the families of the center and the wider Catonsville community have nicknamed it “Presby.” We are excited to announce that the Child Care Council has officially changed the name of our child care center to Presby Child Care Center. This change will be announced to the wider community and celebrated at the beginning of June. Along with the name change, we will launch a revitalized website and new logo.