June 29, 2025
“We have been called to be fruitful – not successful, not productive, not accomplished.
Success comes from strength, stress, and human effort.
Fruitfulness comes from vulnerability and the admission of our own weakness.”
~Henri J. M. Nouwen
Public address at Yale University (March 30, 1995)
WORDS OF GREETING AND GATHERING
Alexis Ward Owens
WELCOMING STATEMENT
RISE believes that God has open arms, and so should we. Our Creator wants us to love, accept and affirm every human being, including persons of every age, race, ethnic background, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, educational background, religion or creed, and physical or mental ability. We celebrate our diversity and recognize the sacred worth and dignity of all. Everyone is invited and encouraged to join us as we seek to follow Jesus with mutual respect, understanding, and love.
*Read more about “Why Pronouns Matter” HERE.
Centering Words
~Homiletics, adapted
We gather as unique individuals with a variety of mindsets.
Some of us come reluctantly, some of us come expectantly, and some of us come painfully.
However we come… each of us has come - carving out the time to be here – in this place and in this time of worship.
So let us be here. Let us lay aside the problems we carried in and the lists of tasks that await us when we leave. Let us open ourselves to the gifts of God in this time and place. And let us lift our voices together in gratitude and praise…
Opening Songs
Songs Will Happen!
“COME, THOU FOUNT”
Come, thou fount of ev’ry blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it, mount of God’s unchanging love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I'm come,
and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand'ring from the fold of God.
He to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.
Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wand'ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above!
“The Fruit of the Spirt”
The Fruit of the Spirit's not a *banana
The Fruit of the Spirit's not a banana
If you want to be a banana
You might as well hear it:
You can't be a fruit of the Spirit!
(*insert any fruit of your choice)
Cause the fruit is:
Love, joy, peace, patience
Kindness, goodness, faithfulness
Gentleness and self-control
Love, joy, peace, patience
Kindness, goodness, faithfulness
Gentleness and self-control
Ohhhh!….
Repeat ad nauseum with different fruits
Scripture Reading
Galatians 5:1,13-26 (The Message)
1 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.
13-15 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?
16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are contrary to each other, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?
19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.
This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.
22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.
25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.
THEOLOGICAL Reflection
Chris Zepp
“Let’s Get Fruity!”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Have you had an experience like the one Chris shared this morning? A time when your own self-interested actions ran wild and you were forced to confront your own lack of spiritual fruitfulness? If so, tell your story and how it impacted you.
When have you seen the “works of the flesh” (the “compulsions of sinful self-interest at odds with a free spirit” in The Message) stunt the growth of the Fruit of the Spirit in your life? What holds you back from the fruit God wants to grow in your life? Which of the Spirit Fruit is most in need of nurture in your life?
In Galatians 5:25, it says “Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.” What does that really mean? What can we do to nurture the fruit of the Spirit and “work out its implications” in our daily living?
The Fruit of the Spirit is one thing in the life of an individual, but what does it look like in community? Are there spiritual community fruits? What impedes their growth? What can we do to nurture and grow the fruit of the spirit in our faith community?
Song & Prayer
~Richard J. Fairchild, adapted, with “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” by Ken Medema
Spoken prayer with “Lord, Listen to your Children Praying” following the phrase “O Lord, hear our prayer...”
Lord, listen to your children praying
Lord, send your Spirit in this place
Lord, listen to your children praying
Send us love, send us pow’r, send us grace…
Offering and NOMOFOMO
One of our core values is, "God gives to us, so we give back." We're called to give as a joy-filled response to what we've been given. Your financial gifts make a tremendous difference in the lives of God's beloved in Harrisonburg and beyond. Whether it's helping to make sure children in our community have enough to eat, helping to respond to the mental health crisis in our community, or providing much needed backing for the operating costs of our spaces and staff — your gift is a part of God's dream and we are grateful for everyone who partners with us on this journey!
THE Sitting
6-8 pm Wednesday Nights
Pale Fire Brewing
(Outside Lower Level, weather permitting)
**NOTE NEW LOCATION**
It’s back! Some people have “standing” office hours, but we do things just a little bit differently here at RISE, so we have “sitting” hours during the summer season! Join Alexis and/or Chris on Wednesday nights throughout the summer - whether you have some burning theological questions or you just want to hang out with friends, we’ll be there and happy to chat!
Plus, enjoy the music of Harrisonburg’s Summer Music Series happening right next door at Turner Pavilion. Check out the concert schedule HERE. (No concert this week)
Next Sunday!
Brunch Church
with Michael Stern
Sunday, July 6
It will be the first Sunday of the month, and you know what that means - Brunch Church!
Please bring some of your favorite brunch food to share if you are able!
This will also be Alexis’s first week as the pastor of both RISE and John Wesley UMC, so she will be upstairs with the JWUMC folks for worship, communion, and their congregational meeting. Which is a shame, because she will miss Mike Stern’s visit and worship leadership :-(
Michael Stern is a composer, folksinger, and inspirational speaker from Washington (state). You might recognize his name as the composer of many of our worship songs, and we are thrilled that he is choosing to visit with us this Sunday while he is touring in our area! Mike will be leading us in songs, stories, and reflection during our regular Sunday morning worship service (and of course be joining us for our Brunch Church!) You can learn more about Mike on his website: https://www.mikesongs.net/
MIKE STERN IN CONCERT
Sunday, July 13
1:30 pm
Bridgewater Church of the Brethren
Mike Stern, the artist behind many of the songs in our current SWH repertoire, will be leading us in reflection and song during our Sunday morning worship next week, July 6. If you love what you hear, you’ll have another chance to catch him in concert the week following, when he and his ensemble of musical friends will present a full concert at the Bridgewater Church of the Brethren. The concert is free and open to the public - donations will be accepted and appreciated.
Scripture DEep Dive
4 pm Sunday Afternoons in July
Join Sandra and others for a deeper dive and discussion on the scriptures and reflection questions from our Sunday morning services. Creative options to help guide us in our reflections will also be offered for anyone who thinks “artistically”. The group will meet at Sandra’s home on Sunday afternoons at 4:00 for the month of July (July 6-27). (DM us for address). Feel free to bring snacks, and do note that Sandra has an indoor cat and the location is not fully accessible but probably navigable with a ramp.
Please sign up using the link below by July 1 if you are interested in participating!
Communion
Pastor Alexis
Closing Song
“Teresa’s Prayer”
~Based on the words of St. Teresa of Avila
Christ be in my mind, and in my thinking
Christ be in my eyes, in everything I see
Christ be in my ears, and in my hearing
Christ be in my mouth, in every word I speak
Christ be in my heart, and in my loving
Christ be in my life, each moment that I live.
(Repeat)
Parting Blessing
~Homiletics, adapted (Based on Galatians 5:22-25)
As we go our separate ways, let us go as those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Love your neighbor. Find joy in simplicity. Make peace with all. Practice patience and kindness in your home. Offer goodness to those who don't deserve it. Let your actions and words be guarded by self-control.
Go now, bearing the fruit of the Spirit into all the world.
Remember friends — you are a gift!
Now go and be a gift!
If you would like to connect more deeply with RISE, you can start by submitting this short form to Get Connected!
You might also consider:
Sign up for texting services:
Text “RISE” to 833-803-0868 to join the primary list and receive weekly community updates and alerts
Text “RISEcares” to receive prayer requests, care needs, and community concerns and celebrations
Requests for care and/or prayer can be sent via e-mail to cares@riseharrisonburg.org, texted to 833-803-0868, or submitted online via our RISE Cares form.