George T. Snyder
Opening the 152nd Assembly

The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
Presider

The Rev. Jim Wallis
Preacher

Candace Littell Maxwell
Reader

The Chautauqua Choir

Joshua Stafford
Director & Organist

Owen Reyda & Laura Smith
Organists

The Notre Dame Children's Choir

Mark Doerries
Director

Jordan Ku and Elijah Leonard
Trumpeters

OPENING OF THE 152ND ASSEMBLY FOLLOWED BY SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP

We invite you to quietly prepare your hearts for worship during the Prelude. 

* Denotes that the congregation is invited to rise in body or spirit. It is our custom to sing the first and last verses of hymns in unison; the interior verses may be sung in parts.

Prelude

Dawn
Cyril Jenkins, 1922

Three Taps of the Gavel

“Don't Let Anything Go Unnoticed” 
George T. Snyder, Trustee for Life, Board of Trustees

Welcome & Announcements

The Rt. Rev. Eugene Sutton

Choral Introit

“Laudamus te” 
Andrea Ramsey, 2001

Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te, gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam, Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Iesu Christe, Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.

Call to Worship*

O Sun beyond all suns, 

O Light of the world, full of grace and beauty: 

Yours is the day, O God, yours also the night. 

Let the daylight and the shadows praise you. 

Let the fertile earth and the swelling seas praise you. 

Let the winds and the rains, the lighting, and the thunder, praise you. 

Let winter and summer, autumn and the springtime, praise you. 

Let all that has breath praise the name of the Lord! 

Hymn*

“Holy, holy holy!” 

Nicæa, John Bacchus Dykes, 1861
Reginald Heber, 1827, alt.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty;
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea!
Cherubim and seraphim, falling down before thee,
who wert, and art, and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea!
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty;
God in three persons, blessed Trinity! Amen.

Prayer of Confession

My friends, we are not always the community God wants us to be, nor whom we aspire to be. We miss the mark; we fall short of the glory of God. Let us confess our wrongdoings before the Holy One and each other:

Gracious God, we have not loved You with our whole heart, mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

We’ve been too easily seduced by easy answers, half-truths and false judgments. We have failed to seek Your truth, and to love one another as you have commanded.

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

We’ve ignored the cries of the poor, the groans of a hurting world, and been indifferent to the exploitation of peoples.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Accept our repentance, Lord, for the wrongs we have done; for the evil that enslaves us, and for the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ,

That we may abide in your love, and serve only your will. Amen. 

Assurance of Pardon

John 4:14

Jesus said, “Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of living water.” Our sins are forgiven. 

Passing of the Peace

May the peace of God be always with you. 
And also with you. 

You are invited to greet your neighbor saying, “Peace be with you.”

Anthem

"Ubi caritas"

Zachary Wadsworth, 2017
North Italian or Burgundian, 8th c.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
Exultemus et in ipso jucundemur. 
Timeamus et amemus Deum vivum. 
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

Where charity and love abide, there is God.
The love of Christ hath joined us into one.
Let us rejoice and be glad in him.
Let us fear and let us love the living God.
And let us love each other in sincerity of heart.

The Prayers

God of all time, help us enter this new Chautauqua season quietly, 

thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others, 

mindful that our steps make an impact 

and our words carry power. 

May we walk gently. 

May we speak only after we have listened well. 

Creator of all life, 

help us enter the summer season reverently, 

aware that you have endowed 

every creature and plant, every person and habitat 

with beauty and purpose. 

May we regard the world with tenderness. 

May we honor rather than destroy. 

Lover of all souls, 

help us enter this season joyfully, 

willing to laugh and dance and dream, 

remembering our many gifts with thanks 

and looking forward to blessings yet to come. 

May we welcome your lavish love, 

and may you grace us with your peace in the weeks ahead.

Anthem

"In paradisum"

Gabriel Fauré, 1890
from Requiem, Op 48

In paradisum deducant angeli:
in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres,
et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem.
Chorus angelorum te suscipiat,
et cum Lazaro quondam paupere,
aeternam habeas requiem.

May the angels lead you into paradise:
may the martyrs receive you as you arrive,
and bring you into the holy city of Jerusalem.
May the choir of angels receive you,
and with Lazarus, once a beggar,
may you have eternal rest.

Chautauqua Family Milestones

And now, most loving God and Father of all, we pray to you for those we love, but see no longer; those known to us in our Chautauqua community who have died since we opened the 151st Assembly one year ago. Grant them your peace; let light perpetual shine upon them; and, in your loving wisdom and almighty power, work in them the good purpose of your perfect will.

Taps

David Butterfield, 1862

In July of 1862 during the “Peninsula Campaign” in Virginia, one of the simplest, yet most poignantly recognizable melodies in the world, the military bugle tribute known as “Taps,” was first played by Union soldier Oliver Wilcox Norton, who grew up in Sherman, New York. It was written by Norton’s commanding officer, David Butterfield of the 83rd Pennsylvania Regiment out of Erie. Norton Memorial Hall on our grounds was dedicated on July 13, 1929, a gift from Oliver’s wife Lucy Coit Fanning Norton in memory of her husband and their daughter Ruth. 

The Prayer that Jesus Taught

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 trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn *

"The church of Christ cannot be bound"

McKee, African American Spiritual
Adam M.L. Tice, 2005

1 The church of Christ cannot be bound
by walls of wood or stone.
Where charity and love are found
there can the church be known.

2 True faith will open up the door
and step into the street.
True service will seek out the poor
and ask to wash their feet.

3 True love will not sit idly by
when justice is denied.
True mercy hears the homeless cry
and welcomes them inside.

4 If what we have we freely share
to meet our neighbor's need,
then we extend the Spirit's care
through every selfless deed.

5 The church of Christ cannot be bound
by walls of wood or stone.
Where charity and love are found,
there can the church be known.

Invitation to the Offering

Offertory Anthem

"I was glad"

David Hurd, 1993
Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me, 

“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Now our feet are standing 

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city 

that is at unity with itself;

To which the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord, 

the assembly of Israel, 

to praise the Name of the Lord.

For there are the thrones of judgment, 

the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 

“May they prosper who love you.

Peace be within your walls 

and quietness within your towers.

For my brethren and companions’ sake, 

I pray for your prosperity.

Because of the house of the Lord our God, 

I will seek to do you good.”

Presentation of the Offering

Our Sunday offering supports not only the ministry of Chautauqua Institution’s Department of Religion, but also a tithe of your contribution is directed to organizations that meet the urgent needs of our neighbors in Chautauqua County. We thank you for your generosity! Gifts and offerings may be made by check payable to the Department of Religion, or you may donate online at giving.chq.org/religion.

Doxology

Old 100th

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

Reading From Scripture

Candace Littell Maxwell, Reader
Matthew 25:31‒46

“When the Anointed One comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.” 

The word of the Lord. 

Thanks be to God. 

Sermon

The Rev Jim Wallis

"The Least of These: Jesus' Final Test of Discipleship"

Hymn*

“Today we are called” 

Kingsfold, English County Songs, 1893
H. Kenn Carmichael, 1985

“Today we all are called”
1 Today we all are called to be 
disciples of the Lord,
to help to set the captive free,
make plowshare out of sword,
to feed the hungry, quench their thirst,
make love and peace our fast,
to serve the poor and homeless first,
our ease and comfort last.

2 God made the world and at its birth
ordained our human race
to live as stewards of the earth,
responding to God's grace.
But we are vain and sadly proud;
we sow not peace but strife.
Our discord spreads a deadly cloud
that threatens all of life.

3 Pray justice may come rolling down
as in a mighty stream,
with righteousness in field and town
to cleanse us and redeem.
For God is longing to restore
an earth where conflicts cease,
a world that was created for 
a harmony of peace.

4 May we in service to our God
act out the living word,
and walk the road the saints have trod
till all have seen and heard.
As stewards of the earth may we
give thanks in one accord
to God who calls us all to be 
disciples of the Lord.

Benediction and Dismissal

Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage, hold fast that which is good, render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honor everyone; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; and the blessing of the almighty Creator, Redeemer and Breath of Life be upon you and remain with you forever. Amen. 

Let us go forth in the power of the Spirit. 
Thanks be to God! 

Postlude

Improvisation on McKee

Robert McCormick, 2024

You are invited to remain seated for the postlude.

Alicen Roberts
Student Minister