Sunday Bulletin
Celebration Service
Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
July 27, 2025 9:30am
Prelude “Niama” John Coltrane
Chris Guerra, Saxophone,
Parker Eastman, piano,
Dean Gootermote, bass
Welcome & Announcements
Call to Worship Lay Leader: Lisa Macalaster
Lord Jesus, bind us to you and to our brothers and sisters with love.
All: May our hearts not be turned away from you and your Word.
May our souls not be deceived nor our talents or minds enticed by
allurements or error, so that we may never distance ourselves from your love.
All: May we learn this morning to love our neighbor as ourselves with
strength, wisdom and gentleness.
With your help, you who are blessed throughout all ages.
— Saint Anthony of Padua
Hymn* “Rejoice, You Pure In Heart” #15
Unison Prayer
O great laughing God, we come into your presence with
joy and long to be surprised. We thank you that you have
given to us the gift of laughter and delight. These things
give hints as to the nature of your purpose for us and for
all the earth. May we find that in giving up to laughter
there is healing and hope and abundance and blessings.
So gracious God on this summer Sunday tickle our souls
with trust of your Spirit to renew worship and our living.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
The Lord's Prayer #307
Psalm 16 page 495
Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my
delight.
Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink
offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
7The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a
goodly heritage.
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart
instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I
shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests
secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are
pleasures forevermore.
Words of a Modern Day Prophet
The Gloria Patri* #35
Special Music “What a Wonderful World” by Bob Theil
Lisa Macalaster,
Dean Goodermote,
Parker Eastman,
Chris Guerra
Mission Moment Lamoille Community House Nate Beyer
Prayers of the People
Hymn “Blessed Assurance” #15
Readings Ecclesiastes 3:1,
4 Proverbs 15:13,
15 Proverbs 17:22
John 15:11
Message “God Comes to You Disguised as Your Life” Rev David Vanderlinde-Abernathy
Offering
Click here to make an online donation
Offertory “Amazing Grace!” by John Newton
Lisa Macalaster,
Parker Eastman,
Dean Goodermote,
Chris Guerra
Doxology* #46
Offertory Prayer*
Hymn “Now Thank We All Our God” #715
Benediction*
Closing: “Go in Peace” #445
Postlude “When the Saints Go Marching In” Louis Armstrong
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Calendar of Events
Monday, 7/21 Noon AA meeting in Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, 7/22 7:30 AA meeting in Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, 7/23 Noon AA meeting in Fellowship Hall
Happy Birthday this week to:
Savannah Karger and Merrick Vigneau on 7/21
Christine Donovan and Janet Perkins on 7/23
Emma Brown and Jenna Burkhardt on 7/24
Kalin Burkhardt and David Cairns on 7/25
Julienne Douglas and Dan Jennings on 7/26
Happy Anniversary this week to:
Bruce and Janet Godin and Brian and Cami Sowal on 7/21
Terry Dwyer and Nancy Jeffries-Dwyer on 7/26
Announcements
The ushers today are Lisa Nelson and Joseph Woodin. Thank you for helping today.
Our deepest sympathies to Heidi Horsley and family for the loss of her husband, Allen Horsley, who was born to eternal life on July 15th.
Thank you so much, Rev. David Vanderlinde-Abernathy for leading us in worship today. Rev. David is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. For twenty-eight years he was pastor of the Barre Congregational Church, UCC, retiring in 2018. He was born and raised in Dalton, Georgia. In between Georgia and Vermont he attended college in Tennessee. After college he found his way to the Netherlands and was part of a Christian community called Dilaram. Next he lived a year in New Jersey as a leader of Hope House before attending seminary in Massachusetts. Shortly after graduation from seminary he married his wife Dereen, also an ordained minister in the UCC. He and Dereen lived in Connecticut for a year before co-pastoring the Immanuel Congregational Church in Beverly, Massachusetts for seven years. Rev. David has been blessed to be physically active during his life span; enjoying basketball, racket ball, running, hiking and backpacking. In recent years he has taken up golfing, oh my! In retirement he keeps busy as a spiritual director and providing pulpit supply to churches in Central Vermont.
The Haughs are away for a well-earned family vacation until the week of July 28th.
Join Rev. Abernathy in a discussion about 15 minutes after the service today in the (nice and cool) church basement for a 45-minute free-ranging discussion about his story and the issues that it raises for us. Please feel free to share your own story and questions.
One of our regular substitutes for Reverend Dan, Rev Michael Caldwell, along with his wife Patience Whitman, will bring 'The Big Gospel Project' to Stowe on July 27. They are sharing their calling to bring glimpses of the emerging church through new worship formats.
Michael's colleague and friend Rev Kurt Shaffert, with his wife Katie Walsh and son Jack, of Acworth NH, and two other friends, Don and Nancy Rhoades, of Northfield, VT, will bring the Word of God, spoken and sung.
Kurt is half-time co-pastor of the Westminster West Congregational Church, UCC.
Members of the Stowe congregation are welcome to rehearse the music at 8:30 AM on the morning of the service.
Bible Camp Registration is live! Our Theme is True North this year, August 18-22. We have a Bible Camp Volunteer Tree in the Narthex, please consider taking an Ornament, signing up for a Volunteer Job and leaving it in the bowl on the CE Table. Thank you!
SCC Green Tip
July 2025
This summer you’ll likely find yourself enjoying one of Vermont’s many fresh water lakes. But before you launch yourself into the crisp water, quicky scan the surface for fluffy, green, pin-head sized balls of algae, commonly known as Blue-Green Algae or Cyanobacteria. Blue-green algae are fueled by sunny days, warm water temperatures, and run-off containing nitrogen and phosphorus from synthetic fertilizer. Climate change is accelerating its growth due to the warming of the planet. The problem you ask? Blue-green algae may release toxins that can cause skin irritation and GI disturbances, neither of which look good on you in the summer. What should you do if you see an algae bloom? Don’t go swimming and report it to the VT Department of Health https://www.healthvermont.gov/environment/tracking/cyanobacteria-blue-green-algae-tracker . You can also use this website to track blooms prior to visiting your favorite swimming hole. As of today, 6/26, there were no reported blooms in Lamoille Co.
Join us in welcoming Nate Beyer from Lamoille Community House today during our mission moment.
The Lamoille Community House offers shelter, security, and hope to people experiencing homelessness. With dignity and kindness, they provide guests with a clean bed, nourishing meals, connection to services, and a safe space to discover their own path toward sustainable housing.
To find out more information on how you can help, visit their website at: https://lamoilleshelter.org/
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Musical Notes
In celebration of this weekend’s Stowe Jazz Festival, we are delighted to welcome Lisa Macalaster and local jazz musicians to lead some of our music today.
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