June 22, 2025: Second Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 7, Year C

Isaiah 65:1-9 | Psalm 22:18-27 | Galatians 3:23-29 | Luke 8:26-39

This Sunday proclaims the good news that God's mercy reaches everyone—that in Jesus we all belong—and that faith has the power to heal, transform, and call us to share what God has done in and through us.

Prelude
Come Ye Disconsolate – Thomas Moore, Samuel Webbe
An invitation to bring our deepest sorrows to the Comforter. “Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.” I love this version by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.

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Processional Hymn
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty – Hymn 390
A fitting response to the Gospel message of Jesus’ power to heal and restore—and the call to praise God and share that hope with others.

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Hymn of Praise
Every Time I Feel the Spirit – Spiritual
Coming back to this as folks seemed to like doing this on the Day of Pentecost. I agree! Here’s a version featuring Little Richard and B.B. King.

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Psalm
Psalm 22:18–27 – Refrain by Luke Brawner
The congregation will sing this refrain with the soloist/cantor singing the verses.

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Gradual Hymn
In Christ There Is No East or West – Hymn 529
We sang this recently, but it’s a powerful fit for both Juneteenth and the Galatians reading: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

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Offertory Anthem
Citizens – Jon Guerra
This reminds me of a modern-day psalm—honest, raw, and hopeful. It names our longing for justice and belonging:

I need to know there is justice
That it will roll in abundance
And that you’re building a city
Where we arrive as immigrants
And you call us citizens
And you welcome us as children home

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Communion Hymns
Come Jesus Come – Stephen McWhirter
A heartfelt prayer for Jesus to meet us in our waiting, pain, and longing for healing.

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There is a Balm in Gilead – Spiritual
A timeless hymn that reminds us that no matter what, God's healing is for all.

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Closing Hymn
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind – Hymn 653
Reflective hymn that asks for peace, forgiveness, and a deeper sense of God’s presence.

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Postlude
Migratory V – Adam Guettel
A beautiful piece that expresses a longing for unity.

But can we fly together
A migratory V?
How wonderful if that's what God could see

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Other options for Sunday

I'm Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table
A freedom song looking forward to dignity, joy, and belonging. Often sung during the Civil Rights Movement.

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The Earth Shall Know - Urban Doxology & Porter’s Gate

“Every nation, tribe, creed, and color / Let the body come alive…”

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I am Light - India Arie

I am not the colour of my eyes
I am not the skin on the outside
I am not my age
I am not my race, my soul inside is all light

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Meditations on Integration - Charles Mingus
A powerful piece that reflects the Civil Rights era, using shifts in mood and sound to express both struggle and hope for a more just and united society.

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