The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
Presider
Dr. Michael Chan
Preacher
Deborah Sunya Moore
Reader
The Chautauqua Choir
Sonya Subbayya Sutton
Director & Organist
Owen Reyda
Organist
Sam Torres
Guest Musician
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
Fantasy on “Veni creator spiritus”
Richard Proulx, 2004
Welcome & Announcements
The Rt. Rev. Eugene Sutton
Call to Worship*
Isaiah 35:1-7,10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.
They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weary hands and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to the anxious, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God, coming with
judgment to save you.”
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf be
unstopped.
Then, shall the lame leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
The burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
The ransomed of God shall return with singing, with everlasting joy upon
their heads.
Joy and gladness shall be there,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
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.
Canticle
Isaiah 55:6-11
“A Song of the Word of the Lord”
Seek the Holy One, who is very close to you;
call upon the Lord while God is near.
Let the immoral abandon their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Return to the Lord, who will have compassion,
and to our God, who will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
For as rain and snow fall from the heavens
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth,
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth;
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed,
and prosper in that for which I sent it.
Glory to God our Creator, Redeemer and Giver of Life;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
God of living water, we confess the dryness of our lives.
Hear our confession, and rain down your mercy upon us.
Merciful God, we ask forgiveness for everything that is wrong in our lives.
If we have a grievance against anyone,
If we are jealous of somebody,
If we are resentful and bitter about anything:
forgive us and help us.
If we have gone back on our word or forgotten to keep our promises.
If we have been dishonest or deceitful:
forgive us and help us.
If we have hurt or offended others, or treated other persons unfairly:
If we have refused to seek justice in our communities,
and ignored the cries of the poor:
forgive us and help us.
Words of Forgiveness
John 4:14
Hear these words from holy scripture, “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.”
The 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
O Clap Your Hands
John Rutter, 1973
O clap your hands together all ye people: O sing unto God with the voice of melody. For the Lord is high and to be feared: he is the great King upon all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us: and the nations under our feet. He shall choose out an heritage for us: even the worship of Jacob whom he loved. God is gone up with a merry noise: and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet. O sing praises unto our God: sing praises unto our King. For God is the King of all the earth: Sing ye praises with understanding. (Psalm 47)
Prayers of the People
2022 Celebration Guide
"Season of Creation"
Creator of All, from your communion of love your Word went forth to create a symphony of life that sings your praise. By your Holy Wisdom you made the Earth to bring forth a diversity of creatures who praise you in their being. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
You called human beings to till and keep your garden. You placed us into right relationships with each creature so that we could listen to their voices, and learn how to safeguard the conditions for life. We pray that you would call to us, as from the burning bush, with the sustaining fire of your Spirit. Breathe upon us. Open our ears and move our hearts.
Turn us from our inward gaze. Teach us to contemplate your creation, and listen for the voice of each creature declaring your glory. For “faith comes from hearing.” Give us hearts to listen for the good news of your promise to renew the face of the Earth. Enlighten us with the grace to walk lightly upon this holy ground.
Fill us with the hope to quench the fires of injustice with the light of hope that sustains our common life. We pray these things for the sake of Your love.
Amen.
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*
King of Glory, King of Peace
General Seminary
Invitation to the Offering
Offertory Anthem
The Dream Keeper
Music: Gary Davison, 2025
Text: Langston Hughes, 1932
Bring me all of your dreams
You dreamers
Bring me all of your
Heart melodies
That I may wrap them
In a blue cloud-cloth
Away from too rough fingers
Of the world.
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 by visiting https://giving.chq.org/religion.
Reading From Scripture
Deuteronomy 4:9-14
Deborah Sunya Moore, Reader
Moses said to the Israelites, “Take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children— how you once stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people for me, and I will let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me as long as they live on the earth and may teach their children so’; you approached and stood at the foot of the mountain while the mountain was blazing up to the very heavens, shrouded in dark clouds. Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. God announced to you the terms of the covenant, commanding you to observe the Ten Commandments, written on two tablets of stone. And God charged me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy.”
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon
“Memory and the Flourishing of the World”
Dr. Michael Chan
Hymn*
“Lead Me, Guide Me”
Doris Akers, 1953
Benediction and Dismissal
May your light break forth like the dawn.
May your healing quickly appear.
May righteousness go before you,
And may the glory of the Lord be your rear guard. (Isaiah 58)
Amen.
Let us go forth into the world in peace!
Thanks be to God.
Postlude
Toccata, Symphony 5
Charles-Marie Widor, 1879
You are invited to remain seated for the postlude.
This program is made possible by the generous support of The Edmond E. Robb-Walter C. Shaw Fund and The John William Tyrrell Endowment for Religion.
Flower Dedications
The flowers on stage are given...
...in loving memory of Mr. and Mrs. William R. Gerrard and the Reverend and Mrs. Paul T. Gerrard by Wendell and Ruth Gerrard Cole.
... in loving memory of our son Tom, and our parents by Dr. & Mrs. R. William Conell.
...in loving memory of Betty Offutt Wood, W.A. “Jim” Wood, brothers Andy and Arch Wood, husband and brother-in-law Blake DeBoest, and dear Friend Polly Bradley by the Wood Family. We cherish them as they cherished Chautauqua.
... and in loving memory of Dianne Martin with love from Camp Friends.
Weekday Morning Worship at 9:15 A.M.
Amphitheater, The Rev. Dr. Michael Chan
Monday, July 13 – Memory and the Neighbor
Tuesday, July 14 – Remembering our Way Forward
Wednesday, July 15 – Back to the Future
Thursday, July 16 – Chaplain’s Faith Journey *at the Hall of Philosophy
Friday, July 17 – Communion service *at the Hall of Philosophy
Happening Today
4:30 p.m. Children's Worship (Ages 3–Grade 6)
Hall of Philosphy Grove - in the case of rain, Hall of Christ
5:15 p.m. Blessing of the Animals
Hall of Philosophy, Weather permitting
7 p.m. Palestine Park Tour
Near Miller Bell Tower, Weather permitting
8 p.m. Sacred Song Service: Resilience
Amphitheater
Interfaith Lectures at 2 P.M.
Hall of Philosophy, Faith in the Public Square
As the nation approaches another pivotal election, this week invites an interfaith exploration of how religious and ethical traditions shape civic life. What does it mean to vote, advocate and disagree with integrity? How do communities sustain courage and compassion amid polarization? Drawing on diverse traditions, we consider how practices such as lament, hope, justice-seeking and peacemaking can guide us through political uncertainty and toward more meaningful civic dialogue.
Monday, July 13 – Randall Balmer
Tuesday, July 14 – Najeeba Syeed
Wednesday, July 15 – Terrence Johnson
Thursday, July 16 – E.J. Dionne, Jr.
Join the Chautauqua Choir
Thu 6:15 p.m. Rehearsal at Fletcher Hall
Fri 6:15 p.m. Rehearsal at Fletcher Hall
Sat 6:15 p.m. Rehearsal at Fletcher Hall
Do you love to sing? Do you have some choral singing experience? We invite you to join us and sing on Sundays with the Chautauqua Choir, whether for one service or the whole season. You must attend at least one out of three weekly rehearsals (though attending more rehearsals are preferred). We ask that you plan to sing both Sunday Morning and Sunday Evening services when possible.
Questions can be directed to choir@chq.org or by calling the choir library at 716-357-6321.
Join the Motet Choir
The Motet Choir, which leads our weekday worship services, comprises experienced auditioned singers who rehearse and perform a variety of works from the rich heritage of sacred choral music of the past and a diversity of styles from the present. Singers must have a background of choral singing experience with excellent vocal quality and sight-reading ability. Members of the Motet Choir are compensated in the form of a gate pass for the weeks that they sing in the choir. Interested singers should email choir@chq.org or call the choir library at 716-3576321 to schedule an audition for the 2026 Summer Season.
Chautauqua Institution
Department of Religion
Robert Wilson-Black
Director of Religion
The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
Senior Pastor
Sonya Subbaya Sutton
Interim Director of Sacred Music
Carolyn Snider
Administrative Assistant
Owen Reyda
Organ Scholar
Alicen Roberts
Religion Intern