Welcome to worship with Peace Mennonite Church. If this is your first time worshiping with us, please watch this welcome video from our pastor.
Whether you are new to Peace or a regular participant, we are glad you are with us in worship and invite you to join us for our Zoom discussion and prayer time at 11:00 each Sunday morning. Simply click this link.
You are also welcome to join us for our Peace Pursuits Bible study and topic discussions on Wednesday nights. More church announcements are here.
Prelude: “Madame Maxwell,” performed by Coreopsis: Lauralyn Bodle, Noah Musser, and Whitney Baker
Welcome from Sonja Kaufman
*If you need a mask (or a few) please contact Pastor Joanna. Sonja has been very generous with her donation!
Opening Scripture:
Call to Worship: by Kace Leetch
God of the covenant,
As you promised Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars, you have also promised us that we might live under those stars as your people, faithful and loved. Show us how to live as your people, and how to nurture all your children with whom we share the same canopy of sky night after night. Amen.
Gathering Hymn: Obey My Voice, Hymnal Worship Book #163
Congregational Prayer:
You are invited to offer your prayers to God. For what are you thankful this morning? What would you ask of God for yourself? Who do you know who needs God’s loving presence right now? What are your prayers for our community, our country, and our world?
Feel free to share your prayers with people around you, in the comments below, or on our Zoom call at 11 Sunday morning.
This week, I invite you to pray for the Western District Conference Israel-Palestine Task Force. (Also consider attending their webinar on Monday, September 21, at 7 p.m. You can register here.)
The Lord’s Prayer: in Arabic
Hymn: We walk by faith, Hymnal Worship Book #570
Sermon and Scripture Reading from Piet Knetsch (Genesis 15:1-6)
Experiencing the Story: from Jenny
Prayer Practice for the Week: Star Gazing!
With gratitude to Becky Janzen for the guidance and photo below.
The planets Saturn and Jupiter have been hanging around in the southern skies for months now. In fact, they will still be observable when we have our bonfire, scheduled for October 17. Just look south on any clear night this week! Jupiter is white and the brightest object in the southern sky. Saturn is to the left of Jupiter a few degrees, dimmer than Jupiter. The red star Antares in the constellation Scorpius is starting to set in the western sky. On Sunday night, a fairly new crescent moon will be setting in the west. Each night it creeps eastward about 15 degrees, so that by Thursday, the now half-full moon will be very near Jupiter and Saturn. The photo (attached) shows the line-up about 8:30 pm, but the trio will be visible at dark and marching slowly westward all evening. The “cloudiness” in the photo between the moon and Antares is actually the Summer Milky Way. You would need to be in dark skies to see it well. Other than the moon’s position, which changes nightly, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible just like the photo all week and into the fall.
And if the skies do not cooperate for your outdoor viewing pleasure next week, then you can flee the earth with a virtual version of the cosmos instead. These images of the wondrous objects in our nighttime (and daytime) heavens were captured by the winners of the 2020 Astronomy Photographer of the Year Competition.
Offering
You are invited to mail your financial contributions to the church (615 Lincoln St., Lawrence, KS, 66044) or to the home of our treasurer, Roberta Renz (address in the church directory).
See the “How and Where to Give” section of our announcements page for information on giving to other organizations who need funding at this time.
Closing Hymn: God be with you ’till we meet again, Hymnal Worship Book #430
Benediction: from Genesis 21: 15-21
Upcoming Daily Scripture Readings:
Week of September 21
- Monday: Genesis 29:14-30:24
- Tuesday: *Genesis 37
- Wednesday: Genesis 41
- Thursday: Genesis 42-43
- Friday: Genesis 44-45
*You can find the full list of Bible readings here.
Peace Mennonite Church 
Good morning. The link to “Experiencing the Story” was missing from my worship playlist. I’d like to see it!