The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
Presider
The Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque
Preacher
Veronica Biggins
Reader
The Chautauqua Choir
Sonya Subbayya Sutton
Interim Director & Organist
Owen Reyda
Organist
Carl DuPont
Guest Conductor
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
Voluntary in D
George Dyson, 1958
Welcome & Announcements
The Rt. Rev. Eugene Sutton
Call to Worship*
Nan C. Merrill, Psalms for Praying
O God, whom will You invite into the abode of your Heart?
Who will dwell with You in Love?
One who walks with integrity,
who is in harmony with your Word,
and sings the heart’s song.
Whose tongue speaks truth, judging not others
and seeking only the good.
Whose eyes behold not the outer garments of the body,
but see within the inner robe of Love.
Whose own weaknesses are acknowledged,
and brought to light in prayer.
Who is just in all affairs of life
and does not take advantage of another.
One who does all these things,
will join the Dance of Life!
They will sing the Song of Joy!
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
Fran Pratt
God, we turn our attention now to the work of peacemaking and reconciliation.
Christ is our peace.
We remember Jesus in the throes of death, offering forgiveness
and peace to those who had taunted and tormented him.
Christ is our example.
We remember Jesus after his resurrection, offering forgiveness
and restoration to his disciples who had denied and forsaken him.
Christ is our leader.
We acknowledge that we have wronged others and been wronged by others,
And need forgiveness applied to both.
Help us to forgive others as we have been forgiven by You,
For in forgiving, we find peace and freedom.
Help us to have humility and courage
To admit when we are wrong
To confess and apologize
To make amends to those we have hurt.
Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
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
Ysaye Barnwell, 1994
“Hope”
If we want hope to survive in this world today, then everyday we've got to pray on, pray on. We've got to walk on, walk on. If we want peace in this world, we've got to work on, work on. We've got to move on, move on. If we want peace in this world, then every day we've got to march on, march on. We've got to teach on, teach on. We've got to sing on, sing on.
Prayers
Adapted from ‘A Litany for Vacation’ by Fran Pratt
O God of Sabbath Rest,
We acknowledge and offer thanks for the privilege of being here at Chautauqua;
to be able to lay aside our daily work,
retreat from our homes (or into them),
absorb the beauty of Creation,
and engage in relaxation.
We acknowledge that this is not a luxury available to all people in all cultures.
We acknowledge that privilege should not be taken for granted.
We acknowledge that first-world culture is not always geared toward rest and balance.
We acknowledge that all creatures need times of recreation and renewal.
For those who are able to travel, we ask for protection along the way.
For those who are with families and friends, we ask for harmony in the house.
For those who have been overworked, we ask for respite and renewal.
For those who’ve been starved for beauty, we ask for a generous serving.
For those who’ve been starved of fun, we ask for times of delight.
May we dunk ourselves in cool lake waters,
Breathe clean air,
Be comforted by dear presences,
Eat good food,
Be nourished by rich lectures and rich conversation,
Play and be childlike,
Sleep plentifully and peacefully.
And emerge from our days here feeling refreshed and alive!
Amen.
A Prayer From The Christian Tradition: 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*
Tune: Houghton
“Colorful Creator”
Invitation to the Offering
Offertory Anthem
Spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan
Michael Wallace, Soloist
Wade in the Water
Wade in the water, children, God’s gonna trouble the water. All God’s children gonna wade in the water. See that host all dressed in white, the leader looks like an Isralite. See that band all dressed in red. Well, it looked the band that Moses led. All God’s children gonna wade in the water. Oh children, God’s a-gonna trouble the water.
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.
The Doxology*
Reading From Scripture
Luke 10:25-37
Veronica Biggins, Reader
An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, treating them with oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.
Sermon
“The Souls We Step Over”
The Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque
Hymn*
“Lord, You Give the Great Commission”
ABBOT’S LEIGH
Benediction and Dismissal
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you,
and our neighbors as ourselves.
Amen.
Let us go forth, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.
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 Robert D. Campbell Memorial Chaplaincy and the Jackson-Carnahan Memorial Chaplaincy.
Flower Dedications
The flowers on the stage are given …
... in loving memory of Martha H. and C. Vey Smith, Martha J. Hadley and Helen H. Hodill by Courtney Shaffer, Candace Gregory and Phyllis H. Wilmot.
...in memory of Richard Pedersen, amphitheater usher, friend and so much more, from his morning usher colleagues who cherish his memory. And on Behalf of the four-legged Chautauquans – Richard called them each by name and ‘oh’ that head scratch!
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: Mother Earth
Amphitheater
Weekday Morning Worship at 9:15 A.M.
Amphitheater, The Rev. Dr. Zina Jacque
Monday, July 27 – Gold in the Cracks
Tuesday, July 28 – What Z’s Daughters Knew
Wednesday, July 29 – Faithful in the Face of No
Thursday, July 30 – Chaplain’s Faith Journey at the Hall of Philosophy
Friday, July 31 – Communion service at the Hall of Philosophy
Interfaith Lectures at 2 P.M.
Hall of Philosophy, The Creative Spirit: Art, Resilience and the Soulful Work of Making
Monday, July 27 – Peter Lawson Jones
Tuesday, July 28 – Michael Strautmanis
Wednesday, July 29 – Natalie Wigg-Stevenson
Thursday, July 30 – Micah Hendler
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.
About Our Guest Musician
Carl DuPont believes the future is interdisciplinary and champions bridging performance, pedagogy, and professional communication in groundbreaking ways.
DuPont is the co-author of Routledge’s The Presence Principle: Embodying Executive Presence to Lead with Impact. He has also written for The Laryngoscope, Voice and Speech Review, and the American National Biography of the Oxford University Press.
His voice resonates on the world premiere recordings of the Caldara Mass in A Major, The Death of Webern, his solo album The Reaction featuring art songs by Black composers, and the chamber music release The Best Cuisine, of which he is the librettist of the title piece with music composed by Carlos Simon, Jr.
His operatic career spans prestigious venues from Leipzig Opera and El Palacio de Bellas Artes to New York City Opera, Carnegie Hall, and the Glimmerglass Festival. He has performed under the baton of Riccardo Muti, Kurt Masur, Franz Welser-Möst, Anton Armstrong, and Riccardo Chailly with the Israel Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Concert highlights include the title role in Elijah, and the bass soloist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, and B Minor Mass. He has also sung the bass solos in Handel’s Messiah at the Kennedy Center, the baritone solo in Margaret Bonds’s Credo at the Oregon Bach Festival, and the Voice of God in Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses.
As associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University, DuPont teaches applied voice and African American Art Song Composers at the Peabody Institute. As an Executive Education faculty member at Carey Business School and the Whiting School of Engineering, he facilitates interactive workshops around Public Speaking for Professionals, Executive Presence, and Improvisation. An inquisitive learner, and explorer, he has certified as a facilitator of workshops with LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method, Neurosomatic Intelligence®, and the GC Index®.
DuPont is a highly sought after clinician. He has directed the Washington National Opera Institute, formerly of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, since 2022. Artists under his tutelage have gone on to prestigious appointments in the President’s Own U.S. Marine Band, and U.S. Army Field Band, as well as solo contracts at the Chicago Lyric and New York City Metropolitan Opera Houses. He is making his first appearance at The Chautauqua Institution to work with The Chautauqua Choir, conducting and singing at morning worship and Sacred Song.
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