September 7, 2025
“It is a love based on giving and receiving, as well as having and sharing.
And the love that [we] give and have is shared and received.
And through this having and giving and sharing and receiving,
we too can share and love and have and receive.”
—Joey Tribbiani, Friends
WORDS OF GREETING AND GATHERING
Chris Zepp
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.
Opening Affirmation
~Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, March 2025 (adapted)
Wherever we go, from the top of the highest mountain or into the deep abysses of the earth, God knows us.
Whatever we do, from the time we wake up until we lay our heads down again, God knows us.
However we live, from our inner thoughts to our public acts and everything in between, God knows us.
We gather to worship God, who loves us, knows us, and calls us by our true names!
Opening SongS
Songs Will Happen!
“Love as I have Loved You”
~Michael Stern
Love as I have loved you
Love, love
Like the moon and stars above you
Love, love, love
Your vine will branch and flower
Love, love
When love displays its power
Love, love, love
Ask, it will be given
Love, love
Forgive and be forgiven
Love, love, love
Love as I have loved you
Love, love
Like the moon and stars above you
Love, love, love
“Love Like This”
~Lauren Daigle
When I am a wasteland
You are the water
When I am the winter
You are the fire that burns
When I am a long night
You are the sunrise
When I am a desert
You are the river that turns
To find me
What have I done to deserve love like this?
What have I done to deserve love like this?
Your voice like a whisper
Breaking the silence
You say there's a treasure and
You look 'till you find it
You search to find me
What have I done to deserve love like this?
What have I done to deserve love like this?
I cannot earn what You so freely give
What have I done to deserve love like this?
Scripture ReadingS
Matthew 17:14-20 (CEB)
14 When they came to the crowd, a man met Jesus. He knelt before him, 15 saying, “Lord, show mercy to my son. He is epileptic and suffers terribly, for he often falls into the fire or the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
17 Jesus answered, “You faithless and crooked generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Then Jesus spoke harshly to the demon. And it came out of the child, who was healed from that time on.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and said, “Why couldn’t we throw the demon out?”
20 “Because you have little faith,” he said. “I assure you that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Go from here to there,’ and it will go. There will be nothing that you can’t do.”
Matthew 8:23-27 (CEB)
23 When Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. 24 A huge storm arose on the lake so that waves were sloshing over the boat. But Jesus was asleep. 25 They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, rescue us! We’re going to drown!”
26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you people of weak faith?” Then he got up and gave orders to the winds and the lake, and there was a great calm.
27 The people were amazed and said, “What kind of person is this? Even the winds and the lake obey him!”
Mark 16:14-15 (CEB)
14 Finally he appeared to the eleven while they were eating. Jesus criticized their unbelief and stubbornness because they didn’t believe those who saw him after he was raised up. 15 He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to every creature.
THEOLOGICAL Reflection
Alexis Ward Owens
“It’s a Movement”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do you think you lean more heavily into your Potential or Kinetic energy? Do you spend more time in contemplation and prayer or taking action, helping others, and jumping in? How could you work to find a little more balance in your life?
What is holding you back from getting on the bike? Do you struggle with sharing your faith (and God’s love) with other people? Why is that?
The goal is to create a movement of people who want to live and love like Jesus, people who fully embrace the idea of “receive love, give love, repeat”. So how could RISE be even more invitational to the community at large? In what ways does RISE live out our own mantra in the Harrisonburg community?
*CHALLENGE: Think of one person (or many!) who might be interested in RISE and invite them to our birthday party next weekend!
Song
“The Love of God”
~Frederick M. Lehman (1917)
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song
When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song
_____________________________________________
The Story...
Lines similar to verse 3 are found in the Qur’an (18:109 and 31:27) and in Akdamut, an 11th-century Jewish poem. Frederick Lehman tells us that the English rendition included in his song had reportedly “been found penciled on the wall of a patient’s room in an insane asylum after he had been carried to his grave.” While it is only supposition that the man was the one who translated or adapted the words to leave us these well-known lines, if the account is true it shows in any case that he highly esteemed the message.
https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/The_Love_of_God/
Prayer
~Homiletics, adapted
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!
WTF?
Wednesday’s at exactly dinner-ish! (6pm EST)
Downstairs at John Wesley UMC
This Week’s Menu (9/10):
Breakfast for dinner!
Join us for a midweek check in to fuel your body, mind and soul. RISE will provide the meal and a topic for conversation. All you have to do it show up!
If you are interested and/or able to help (cooking and prep, giving rides to students, setting up and greeting, washing dishes, etc) let us know using the link below!
RISE 15th Birthday
Worship and Picnic
Sunday, September 14
On the lawn at JWUMC
Join us for outdoor worship, followed by a community picnic, yard games, activities, and tie-dying our new RISE swag! Please bring a friend and a side dish if you are able!
COMMUNITY PRIDE WORSHIP
Saturday, September 20, 5:30 pm
Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
Everyone is invited and encouraged to join for a service in celebration of God's love for ALL people. Jointly led by RISE, Emmanuel Epsicopal, Trinity Presbyterian, Muhlenberg Lutheran, & Canterbury Campus Ministry.
Shenandoah Valley
Pride Festival
Sunday, September 21, 1-5 pm
Harrisonburg Turner Pavilion
The Shenandoah Valley Pride festival will be held at a new location on Sunday, September 21, 2025 at Turner Pavilion in downtown Harrisonburg, 1-5 pm. Enjoy performances and products from talented and inclusive local artists, music groups, and vendors. Come out, have a great time, and show your love! Plus, RISE will be present and holding space to remind everyone that they are a gift! We will be hosting a booth and are looking for volunteers to help staff our table with a friendly and welcoming presence. We will have RISE swag, hair tinsel, and pride-themed temporary tattoos. We encourage volunteers to wear a RISE t-shirt and/or your favorite rainbow gear! Please sign up below to volunteer for an hour shift (or two!)
Closing Song
“Nothing Without Love”
~Michael Stern
If I have eloquence & power
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
If I have beauty like a flower
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
If I have faith that can move mountains
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
If I have knowledge flowing fountains
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
If I have courage facing fire
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
Or sacrifice all I desire
It’s nothing without love, nothing without love
Love is patient, love is kind
Love remembers those left behind
Love is not jealous or conceited
There’s nothing without love, nothing without love
Even in death is not defeated
There’s nothing without love, nothing without love
Love is patient, love is kind
Love remembers those left behind
There’s nothing without love, nothing without love
There’s nothing without love, nothing without love
Parting Blessing
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.