Come as you are! Everyone welcome … In-person or on Zoom.
R E A D I N G S
🔆 Romans 13:8-14🔆 Matthew 18:15-20
S E R M O N
🔆 “Dealing with Conflict” – The Reverend Dr. Max Lynn
M U S I C
PRELUDE … Lengthening Shadows, Robert Erich Reich (1978-2025)
INTROIT … Zion’s Walls, Aaron Copland (1900-1990)
HYMN … Give Praise to the Lord
ANTHEM … At the River, Aaron Copland
HYMN … Blest Be the Tie That Binds
OFFERTORY … Simple Gifts, Shaker Tune, arranged by Aaron Copland
ANTHEM … Allemande from French Suite #5 in G major, BWV 816, J. S. Bach (1685-1750)
HYMN … Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether
POSTLUDE … Gnossienne No. 5, Erik Satie (1866-1925)
Join us for Coffee Hour immediately after the service.
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A N N O U N C E M E N T S
SJ Christian Education Kickoff, September 13
After worship, we will have fun and fellowship – including a bounce house for the kids. Bring your family, invite a friend, and let’s kick off the new season together in joy and community. There will be a scrumptious extended coffee hour – bring something to share if you are able. – Manju Noone
Memorial Service for Julia Oversloot, September 19
A memorial service for Julia Oversloot will be held on Saturday, September 19 at 2pm at St. John’s.
Congressional Meeting, September 20
Our next Congressional Meeting will be held on Sunday, September 20 in the Sanctuary immediately following the worship service for the purpose of nominating and electing an elder and adjusting the Pastor’s terms of call.
Fair Trade Coffee, Chocolates, Olive Oil sales, September 27
Since 2011, St. John’s members have purchased tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of organic, fair-trade coffee, tea, chocolate, & olive oil to support small-scale farmers across the world. This is not a fundraiser for the church; SJ offers these products at the lowest prices possible to the church community — the more frequently we choose these products, the greater our participation in a truly just economic system. On Sunday, September 27, during coffee hour on the patio, there will an assortment of products to select from — come take a look! Payments can be paid using cash, checks (made out to St. John’s Presbyterian Church), and now Paypal. – Bill Herwood
SJ Sunday Forum: “What is Homer’s Odyssey,” October 4
Take a break after worship for 10-15 minutes, then come back for a conversation led by Polly Coote. This forum is an introduction or refresher on the composition of the epic from the perspective of oral traditional storytelling.
Polly Coote’s academic training in classics (Greek) and in South Slavic (Yugoslav) language and literature with a focus on Serbo-Croatian heroic song first brought her to a position in the Slavic department at UC Berkeley in the 1970s. Polly taught biblical Greek at the San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) and the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) for over 35 years, along with working as the registrar and associate dean for student life.
Do you want to sing in the choir?
There are two paths to participation in the St. John’s choir. One way is to come to rehearse a simple introit or anthem in the Sanctuary on Sundays at 9am, then stay for the service and sing. The other way is to join us for rehearsal (usually in the Sanctuary) on Wednesday evenings from 7:30-9pm. We will prepare more challenging pieces for worship, as well as larger works such as for the choir’s big Sunday in December or music for Lent and Easter; then return on Sunday morning at 9am to review and learn the simple piece with the full group. Questions? Talk with Todd Jolly, Minister of Music (todd@stjohnsberkeley.org), or Evangeline Wolfe, Organist (evangeline@stjohnsberkeley.org).
Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity’s “Roots that Cross Borders”, September 10
This gathering is in honor of Brooklyn Rivera, an Indigenous Nicaraguan community leader, defender of the rights of Indigenous peoples, who sadly passed away due to the deterioration of his health caused by the Sandinista regime. Join IM4HI to share stories, cultures, and hope across Indigenous and Latin American communities on September 10 at 6pm. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Pablo: pguerrero@im4humanintegrity.org. Find more information about the event.
East Bay Sanctuary Covenant 2026 Annual Dinner, September 26
EBSC is thrilled to invite the St. John’s community to EBSC’s 2026 Annual Dinner. Join on Saturday, September 26 from 3-7pm at St. John’s as we share a delicious meal catered by immigrant chefs from Oakland Bloom, enjoy live music and performances from Duniya Dance & Drum Company, and celebrate our 2026 Sanctuary Champions. Learn more and reserve your tickets.
QR Code for Giving Money to St. John’s
One can now donate via PayPal for weekly giving and special events. Simply scan the PayPal QR Code in our bulletin or church lobby. All donations are tax-deductible. Thank you for your continued support.
Featured image by GILBERTO SOARES DOS SANTOS