If you wish to explore becoming a member of LOCC,

Please contact Sharon Crosby. crosby@plantationcable.net

Lake Oconee Community Church Staff Team

Gary W. Arnold, Pastor of Worship, Communication, Liturgical Arts 404.402.5542 garnold@locc.co

Avis Williams, Pastor of Community Transformation 404.379.5561 awilliams@locc.co

Becky Matheny, Pastor of Spiritual / Communal Development 706.202.0124 bmatheny@locc.co

David W. Key, Sr. Founding Pastor 770.309.2394 dkeysr@locc.co

Kathi Urban, Ministry Coordinator 404.314.2491 kurban@locc.co

Copyrighted music reprinted under OneLicense.net A-718106 and CCLI 3204883.

LOCC Affiliations

The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta

The Georgia Christian Council

The International Council of Community Churches

July 17, 2016 The 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time

8:30 a.m. ~ Worship On The Water

10:30 a.m. ~ Worship At The LOCC

*Hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You Henry Van Dyke

*Benediction The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

*Response If As We Go Elizabeth Cosnet Sung to AMAZING GRACE ~ from Hymns For Everyday Saints

If as we go we leave in pride; a status high to win; Beneath our feet, O Lord, provide a ripe banana skin.

And when we yearn at someone’s head to let a brickbat fly; Give us the grace to use instead a poor-aimed custard pie.

When cherished institutions stand before your throne of grace; Our good intentions in each hand but egg upon our face.

Teach us to search your grand designs with laughter born of tears; For deep within dark shadowed mines Your rainbow still appears.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, Let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy: O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Color for Worship: Green

When we are not in the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter,

we are in the growth period of Ordinary Time -

marked by the living and hopeful color of Green.

While the ‘seasons’ of the church year focus upon one aspect

of the presence of God in our lives, Ordinary Time celebrates all aspects.

May your Ordinary Time be EXTRA-ordinary!

Announcements for the Week of July 17, 2016

Concerns of the Community

Verdain Barnes, Stacey Brown (daughter-in-law of Pat Lanphier), Greg

Colson (friend of Dottie Giesler), Diane Desmond, Lani Dwyer,

Al Grigalunas (friend of Ed Coker), Joselyn Hafla (daughter of the

Martincics), Sandra Hoagland (cousin of Pete Stephan), Tori Hosbrook

(niece of Carla Thornton), Paula Kraus, Pat Lanphier, Debbie Lee,

Richard Matthews, Bruce Moffatt (friend of the Martincics), Diane

Moldenhauer, Jean Newland (friend of the Verners), Kasey Phillips and

parents Tracy & Rob (son and daughter-in-law of Bev Conway), Carson

Alexander Rozsman (grandson of Mev Rozsman), Pam Searle (friend of

Jeanne Moser), Jackie Sedlaeck (friend of Judy Broome), Caleb

Trempe (nephew of Tim Merrill), Jim Verner (grandson of the Verners)

Renee Vetter (friend of Roger Schurig), Bob White

FLOWERS TODAY GIVEN BY:

8:30 a.m. - Julie & Rick von Haam

10:30 Babe & Randy Smith in honor of all veterans

LOCC BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK

July 20 - Bob Moran July 22 - Kathy Noble

LOCC Hour Of Power Bible Study

Mondays, 11:45 a.m. Greensboro FUMC Family Life Center

Putnam LifeSource Food Distribution

In appreciation of both Lake Oconee Community Church and

Congregation Chai donation to the Putnam LifeSource Food Distribution

Program, LOCC is the official Sponsor of the July 23rd Distribution

in the Gym at the Putnam County Elementary School.

Volunteers please arrive at 8:30 a.m. for three hours of festivities

in the spirit of “neighbors helping neighbors.”

LOCC Youth Alliance

at Lake Oconee Antique & Flea Market

Contact Patricia Walters for more

information and to donate

walters@plantationcable.net ~ 706.347.0120

Support Group for Families With Addiction

Future dates ~ 6:15 p.m. at The LOCC - July 27

Monthly 12 Step Group for Parents / Families will resume in the Fall

Baptismal Gowns and Traditions

Wednesday, September 7. 3:00-4:00 pm at The LOCC

LOCC Travels to Spain & Portugal ~ October, 2016

THE WORSHIP OF GOD

- All are welcome here - We want to get to know you -

Please sign the Attendance Pads on the Tables near the Entrance

We ask that guests and first-time visitors provide an email address.

Members and regular attendees may check the appropriate box.

~ The Centering Bell ~ Lighting of the Light ~ The Life of LOCC ~

L: May God open our mouths and our hearts P: Let us worship God!

Gathering In This Very Room Ron Harris

In this very room there's quite enough love for one like me, And in this very room there's quite enough joy for one like me,

And there's quite enough hope and quite enough power to chase away any gloom, For Jesus, Lord Jesus ... is in this very room.

And in this very room there's quite enough love for all of us, And in this very room there's quite enough joy for all of us,

And there's quite enough hope and quite enough power to chase away any gloom, For Jesus, Lord Jesus ... is in this very room.

In this very room there's quite enough love for all the world, And in this very room there's quite enough joy for all the world,

And there's quite enough hope and quite enough power to chase away any gloom, For Jesus, Lord Jesus ... is in this very room.

Opening Prayer

O Great Laughing God, we come into your presence with joy and longing to be surprised.

We thank you that you have given to us the gift of laughter and delight. These things give hints as to the nature of your purpose for us and for all the earth.

May we find that in giving up to laughter there is healing and hope and abundance and blessing.

Tickle our souls with the brush of your Spirit to renew our worship and our living. Amen.

*Hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You Henry VanDyke

Hebrew Scriptures Genesis 18:1-10 Common English Bible

18 The LORD appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he sat at the entrance of his tent in the day’s heat. 2 He looked up and suddenly saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from his tent entrance to greet them and bowed deeply. 3 He said, “Sirs, if you would be so kind, don’t just pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought so you may wash your feet and refresh yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me offer you a little bread so you will feel stronger, and after that you may leave your servant and go on your way — since you have visited your servant.”

They responded, “Fine. Do just as you have said.”

6 So Abraham hurried to Sarah at his tent and said, “Hurry! Knead three seahs of the finest flour and make some baked goods!” 7 Abraham ran to the cattle, took a healthy young calf, and gave it to a young servant, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then Abraham took butter, milk, and the calf that had been prepared, put the food in front of them, and stood under the tree near them as they ate.

9 They said to him, “Where’s your wife Sarah?”

And he said, “Right here in the tent.”

10 Then one of the men said, “I will definitely return to you about this time next year. Then your wife Sarah will have a son!”

L: The Word of the Lord P: Thanks be to God!

Sermon Laughter David W. Key, Sr.

Response Laughing Matters Gallagher / Waldrop

Live At Five and CNN keep us all abreast of breaking stories that can tend to make us anxious and depressed.

Problems with no answers hang on like some nagging cough; And ev’ry day some brand new issue rears its head to set us off.

Bad guys win, optimism’s wearing thin; Things are spinning out of control. Cynicism’s all the fad; World events could make us mad as hatters.

Almost ev’ry day some underpinning slips away. These aren’t laughing matters.

Time-bombs tick; People keep on getting sick; And a nickel’s not worth a cent. Wickedness and greed abound; Just as peace is gaining ground it shatters.

Hate is here to stay; And just goes to those who pay; These aren’t laughing matters.

The truth is scarier by far than anything that Stephen King could write. The stories in the paper are a daily small decline and fall spelled out in black and white.

What to do? How to take a brighter view when your noodle’s totally fried?

Human spirits need to be leavened by some levity… so take those blues and bounce them off the wall. Keep your humor please. ‘Cause, don’t you know, It’s times like that laughing matters most of all!

The Giving, Presentation and Blessing of our Gifts

L: We give thanks for all that God has given us. P: May God bless all that we offer: our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service.

*Passing of the Peace L: The Lord be with you! P: And also with you! Greet one another with signs of peace.

*Song of Fellowship Plenty of Room In The Family Bill Gaither

Prayers of the People

~ Silent Prayer - Sharing of Requests ~ Pastoral Prayer - Lord’s Prayer ~

Response Give To Us Laughter Walter Farquharson

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.