Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The Preparation

The beginning of the prelude is a call to silence to  enter into the spirit of prayer and community.

PRELUDE “La Réjouissance” from Music for the Royal Fireworks – G.F. Handel, arr. S. Conrady

CALL TO WORSHIP

OPENING HYMN “We Gather Together” No.

1. We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens his will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing:
Sing praises to his name; he forgets not his own.

2. Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side: all glory be thine!

MORNING PRAYER

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. How long will humanity turn your glory into shame? How long will your people love delusions and seek false gods? In my anger I have sinned; though you continue to search my heart for love. Forgive me, O Lord, and help me to follow your teaching and live a life that is pleasing to you, so that your face may once again shine upon me. Amen.

A moment of silence for personal reflection

WORDS OF ASSURANCE
God pardons those who humbly repent and truly believe the gospel.
Since Jesus died for us, we have peace with God, to whom be praise and honor forever. Amen

The Message

SPECIAL MUSIC “Simple Gifts” – A. Copland

SCRIPTURE READINGS
Genesis 12:1-8
Mark 7:1-23

MORNING REFLECTION  

Hymn      “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” No. 228

1. Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heav’n to earth come down,
Fix in us they humble dwelling, all they faithful mercies crown;
Jesus thou art all compassion, Pure unbounded love thou art’
Visit us with they salvation, Enter every trembling heart.

2. Finish, then, they new creation; Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see they great salvation Perfectly restored in thee;
Change from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee, Lose in wonder, love, and praise

The Thanksgiving

CHORAL CALL TO PRAYER “Hear our prayer” – D. Whelpton

A moment of personal prayer

LORD’S PRAYER
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 Thy daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

CHORAL RESPONSE TO PRAYER “Thou will keep Him” – Scottish Psalter, 1615

Sharing of Our Gifts

Your gifts to the church matter now more than ever! We encourage people to continue to make an offering by mailing to the church. Your generosity in this time makes a big difference.

OFFERTORY PRAYER
Freely you have received, freely give.  Let you light so shine before all that they may see your good works, and glorify your God who is in heaven.

DOXOLOGY

The Departure

CLOSING PRAYER

CLOSING HYMN “Be Thou My Vision”   No. 391

1. Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

2. Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

3. High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heav’n’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

BENEDICTION PRAYER

POSTLUDE “La Réjouissance” from Music for the Royal Fireworks – G.F. Handel, arr. S. Conrady

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Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
& Communion Sunday

CENTERING WORDS
“It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.”  – Leo Buscaglia

The Preparation

The beginning of the prelude is a call to silence to  enter into the spirit of prayer and community.

PRELUDE “A Fairy Tale” – S. Conrady

CALL TO A JOYFUL WORSHIP
We climb up through Scripture so we can see God’s Presence.
We climb down in prayer so we can meet God’s love.
We ask for forgiveness, so we can entertain God’s forgiveness.
We come out in offering so we can give ourselves to others in repentance and joy.
Seeking God, call us from where we wander or hide, and choose us to welcome you and turn our lives upside down. Amen.
-from Maren C. Tirabassi & Joan Jordan Grant, An Improbable Gift of Blessing

OPENING HYMN “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”

MORNING PRAYER
We gather in this sacred place to worship you O God.
Bless our gathering of faith and lead us in new ways.
Open our hearts that we might invite you to dwell within us.
Heal us, lest we use our limitations as an excuse for inaction and ignore your command to love one another.
Amen.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Merciful God, we humbly confess our sins to you and ask your mercy. We have not loved you with a pure heart, nor loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have fallen short and have not sought justice, loved kindness, or walked humbly with you, our God. Have mercy on us, O God, in your loving-kindness. In your great compassion, cleanse us from our sins.

A moment of silence for personal reflection

WORDS OF ASSURANCE
God loves the world too much to let your sin define you and be the final word. God forgives us and makes all things new. Thanks be to God.

The Message

SPECIAL MUSIC “Little Waltz for Little Odin” – S. Conrady

SCRIPTURE READING Matthew 22:34-40

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

MORNING REFLECTION   “What Is Love?”

COMMUNION HYMN    “We Remember You”

The Communion

The Thanksgiving

CHORAL CALL TO PRAYER “Hear our prayer” – D. Whelpton

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

A moment of personal prayer

LORD’S PRAYER
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 Thy daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

CHORAL RESPONSE TO PRAYER “Thou will keep Him” – Scottish Psalter, 1615

Sharing of Our Gifts

Your gifts to the church matter now more than ever! We encourage people to continue to make an offering by mailing to the church. Your generosity in this time makes a big difference.

OFFERTORY PRAYERS
The commandment to love one another is inclusive and ongoing, our charge to love does not stop at these walls, nor after the service is over, but keeps moving ever outward to the community, the nation and world.
Bless the offerings we bring to you today, Dear God, that through them we may share your love with the whole world.
Bless us, too, to do your will and to do your work. Amen.
-Rev. Mary Nelson Abbott

DOXOLOGY

The Departure

CLOSING HYMN “The Gift Of Love”

CLOSING PRAYER
Dear God, remind us of your love for us, empower us to love each other, and draw us into a community of love and respect. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

POSTLUDE “Lift Every Voice” – S. Conrady

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Music Notes: Our special music, written by Stephan, is for his 2-year-old grandson who loves to dance. The music is just as busy as most toddlers, containing three different rhythms and twenty-one different chords in two minutes. 

Our hymns are always chosen by our pastor, and Gary made some very special choices for today, his last Sunday with us as interim minister. Therefore, we have some special recordings of the songs to share.