Welcome to Worship!

I was glad when they said, “Let us

go to the house of the Lord!”

Psalm 122

As we prepare for worship, let us

be still… and know God is our God

and we are God’s people.

Ringing of the Hour

O For a Thousand Tongues to

Sing (#466)

O for a thousand tongues to sing

My dear Redeemer's praise,

The glories of my God and King,

The triumphs of God's grace!...

Jesus, the name that charms our

fears, That bids our sorrows

cease;

'Tis music in the sinner's ears,

'Tis life, and health, and peace.

Welcome

Sharing Joys & Concerns

We’re glad you’re in worship

with us today! May you be

blessed even as your

presence is a blessing to us!

What has joy or concern would

like to lift up in prayer today?

Call to Worship Gladys Bowles

In the beginning was the Word,

who was with God and was God.

In Jesus Christ, God’s Word

became a human being….

Jesus brings life and light for all

people; nothing can put out his light.

Those who trust their lives to him are

called the children of God....

From the fullness of his spirit,

we’ve received grace upon grace.

No one has ever seen God, but to

know Jesus is to know the God of

Creation.

I Sing the Mighty Power of God (#288)

I sing the mighty power of God,

That made the mountains rise;

That spread the flowing seas abroad,

And built the lofty skies….

I sing the wisdom that ordained

The sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at God’s

command, And all the stars

obey....

I sing the goodness of the Lord,

That filled the earth with food;

God formed the creatures with a

word, And then pronounced

them good….

Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed,

Where'er I turn my eyes;

If I survey the ground I tread,

Or gaze upon the skies….

There's not a plant or flow'r below

But makes Thy glories known,

And clouds arise and tempests

blow, By order from Thy throne.

While all that borrows life from

Thee Is ever in Thy care;

And everywhere that we can be,

Thou, God, art present there.

Prayer for the Day

Lord Jesus Christ, we gather to give

thanks for your grace and help this

past week and to seek your strength

and guidance for the coming days….

Open our hearts and minds this

morning to receive your life-giving

Word so that we might be better

prepared to share your Good News

with those around us….

In the power of your Spirit, may we

find healing and challenge, hope

and courage as we faithfully seek

to follow you and to serve our

neighbor. In Your name, amen.

I Sing the Mighty Power of God (#288)

There's not a plant or flow'r below

But makes Thy glories known,

And clouds arise and tempests blow,

By order from Thy throne….

While all that borrows life from

Thee Is ever in Thy care;

And everywhere that we can be,

Thou, God, art present there.

Passing the Peace

Leader: The peace of Christ be with you.

People: And also with you!

Please welcome those around you

with “The Peace of Christ.” As we

“pass the peace,” we witness to being

reconciled by God with one another.

Time with Young Disciples

After this, children

ages 4-10 are

invited to follow

their leader to

Children’s Church

“Let the little children come to me for of

such is the kingdom of God.”Matthew 19:14

Psalm 103:2-18

Let my whole being bless the Lord

and never forget all his good deeds…

How God forgives all your sins,

heals all your sickness,

saves your life from the pit,

crowns you with faithful love

and compassion…

And satisfies you with many good

things so that your youth is made

fresh like an eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness;

does justice for all

who are oppressed…

God made his ways known to

Moses; made his deeds known

to the Israelites.

The Lord is compassionate

and merciful, very patient,

and full of faithful love….

God won’t always play the judge;

he won’t be angry forever.

He doesn’t deal with us

according to our sin or repay us

according to our wrongdoing…

Because as high as heaven is

above the earth, that’s how large

God’s faithful love is for those who

honor him.

As far as east is from west,

that’s how far God has removed

our sin from us….

Like a parent feels compassion for

their children— that’s how the Lord

feels compassion for those who honor

him.

Because God knows how we’re made,

God remembers we’re just dust….

The days of a human life are like

grass: they bloom like a wildflower;

But when the wind blows through it,

it’s gone; even the ground where it

stood doesn’t remember it….

But the Lord’s faithful love is from

forever ago to forever from now for

those who honor him.

And God’s righteousness

reaches to the grandchildren

of those who keep his covenant and

remember to keep his commands.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God!

Offering of Music

Emily Berger

Carol Short

Philippians 2:5-11

Let the same mind be in you that

was in Christ Jesus, who, though

he was in the form of God, did not

regard equality with God as

something to be exploited, but

emptied himself…

taking the form of a slave, being

born in human likeness. And being

found in human form, he humbled

himself and became obedient to

the point of death—even death on

a cross….

Therefore God also highly exalted

him and gave him the name that is

above every name, so that at the

name of Jesus every knee should

end, in heaven and on earth and

under the earth…

And every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God!

The Making of a…

Presbyterian

Confessing the Faith

in Troubled Times

“Who do you

say I am?”

“You are the

Christ, the

messiah, the

Son of the

living God.”Matthew 16:16

Jesus and Martha

“Yes, Lord, I believe

you are the messiah,

the Son of God, the

one for whom we’ve

waited so long.”John 11:27

Jesus and Thomas

“My Lord and

my God!”

John 20:28

The Bible: Where

faith is confessed…

Psalm 103

God as gracious parent

Philippians 2

Jesus who gave it all up for us!

PCUSA… a Confessional Church

“The church declares to its members

and to the world who and what it is,

what it believes, and what it

resolves to do.” Book of Order

PCUSA… a Confessional Church

“These statements identify the church as

a community of people known by its

convictions as well as by its actions...

The creeds and confessions of this

church arose in response to particular

circumstances within the history of

God’s people.” Book of Order

In other words, our Presbyterian

confessions…

Must lead to both thought

and action

Arise out of conflict

The Book

of Confessions

The Nicene Creed The Shorter Catechism

The Apostles’ Creed The Larger Catechism

The Scots Confession The Barmen Declaration

The Heidelberg Catechism The Confession of 1967

The Second Helvetic Confession A Brief Statement of Faith

The Westminster Confession

The Nicene Creed 325 C.E.

We believe in one Lord,

Jesus Christ, the only Son

of God, eternally begotten

of the Father, God from

God, Light from Light, true

God from true God, begotten,

not made, of one Being with

the Father; through him all

things were made.

The Reformation

Scottish & 2nd Helvetic Confessions

Heidelberg Catechism

Q. 1. What is your only

comfort, in life and in death?

A. That I belong—body and soul, in life

and in death—not to myself but to my

faithful Savior, Jesus Christ…

Westminster

Standards

1647

Confession

Shorter Catechism

Longer Catechism

What is the

chief end of man?

To glorify God and

enjoy Him forever.

Theological Declaration

of Barmen 1934

“We reject the false doctrine…

[that] the State… should and

could become the single

totalitarian order of human

life, thus fulfilling the Church’s

vocation as well.” (8.23)

Confession of 1967

“In Jesus Christ, God was

reconciling the world to himself…

Therefore the church calls men to

be reconciled to God and to one

another.”

“Our generation stands in peculiar

need of reconciliation in Christ.”

The Apostle’s Creed 7th Century

I BELIEVE…

…In God, the Father almighty, creator

of heaven and earth.

…In Jesus Christ, God’s only Son,

our Lord…

…In the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic

Church, the communion of saints, the

forgiveness of sins, the resurrection

of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Confessions… What difference?

They serve to strengthen personal

commitment and the life and witness of

the community of believers.

Elders pledge to be guided…

Declaring who and what we are, what

we believe, and what we resolve to do.

Who do YOU say I am?

What do you confess?And what difference does it make?

For

You?

For

the

Kingdom?

We Respond to God’s Word

…Song

…Affirming Our Faith

…Prayer

…Sharing Our Gifts

How Firm a Foundation (#361)

How firm a foundation,

ye saints of the Lord,

is laid for your faith

in God's excellent Word!...

What more can be said

than to you God hath said,

to you who for refuge

to Jesus have fled?...

"Fear not, I am with thee,

O be not dismayed,

for I am thy God,

and will still give thee aid;

I'll strengthen thee, help thee,

and cause thee to stand,

upheld by my righteous,

omnipotent hand….

"When through the deep waters

I call thee to go,

the rivers of sorrow

shall not overflow;

for I will be near thee,

thy troubles to bless,

and sanctify to thee

thy deepest distress….

"When through fiery trials

thy pathway shall lie,

my grace, all sufficient,

shall be thy supply;

the flame shall not hurt thee;

I only design

thy dross to consume,

and thy gold to refine….

"The soul that on Jesus hath

leaned for repose,

I will not, I will not desert to its foes;

that soul, though all hell

should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no, never,

no, never forsake.”

The Apostle’s Creed (Ecumenical Version)

I believe in God,

the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ,

God’s only Son, our Lord, who

was conceived by the Holy Spirit…

Born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again,

he ascended into heaven…

He is seated at the right hand

of the Father

and he will come again to judge

the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy Catholic Church,

the communion of saints…

The forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

We Respond to God’s Love

by Sharing Our Gifts

Offertory

Doxology (#593)

Praise God,

from whom all blessings flow.

Praise Him,

all creatures here below.

Praise Him above ye heavenly host.

Praise Father, Son,

and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of

Dedication

THE LORD’S SUPPER

Invitation to the Lord’s Table

Giving Thanks to God…

Our Creator, Redeemer

& Sustainer

GRACIOUS GOD, our Creator, we

give you thanks…

For the wonder and goodness

of Creation, for so bountifully

providing for our needs,

for staying with us though

we turn away from you…

And, in your abounding mercy,

for seeking to restore us

in our brokenness

to your wonderful image….

LOVING JESUS, our Redeemer,

we give you thanks...

For your servant's life of preaching,

teaching and healing and

for your atoning sacrifice

on the Cross which has both

restored our relationship…

With our Creator and

broken the power of sin

to control our lives.

HOLY SPIRIT, who sustains

us moment by moment, we

give you thanks…

For your transforming presence

which creates unity

from our diversity

and makes us one

with the living God

we worship in Jesus Christ…

Prepare us to be faithful disciples,

modeling Jesus' love…humility,

obedience and concern for justice

for a world in need….

O Lord, as the Body of Christ,

bearers of Good News and

God's ambassadors of

reconciliation…

We now lift up to you the thanksgiv-

ings and concerns we’ve shared

today and these personal requests

for your merciful and powerful inter-

vention [each prays in silence]

now we pray the prayer

which Jesus taught, saying…

The 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

our daily bread….

And forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors;

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom

and the power and the glory,

forever. Amen.

Let Us Break Bread Together (#513)

Let us break bread together

on our knees

Let us break bread together

on our knees…

When I fall on my knees,

with my face to the rising sun,

O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us praise God together

on our knees

Let us praise God together

on our knees…

When I fall on my knees,

with my face to the rising sun,

O Lord, have mercy on me.

The Words of Institution

The Communion of

the People

Do this in remembrance of me!

The Bread

of LifeThe Cup of

Salvation

Prayer of Sending

Gracious God, you have made us

one with all your people in heaven

and on earth.

You have fed us with the

bread of life, and renewed

us for your service….

Help us who have shared Christ's

body and received his cup, to be

his faithful disciples,

So that our daily living may

be part of the life of your

kingdom…

And our love be your love reaching

out into the life of the world,

Through Jesus Christ our

Lord, amen.

Come Sing, O Church, in Joy! (#430)

Come sing, O church in joy.

Come join, O church in song.

For Christ the Lord has led us

Through the ages long….

In bold accord, Come celebrate the

journey now, and praise the Lord….

Long years have come and gone,

And still God reigns supreme,

Empowering us to catch the vision,

Dream the dream….

In bold accord, Come celebrate the

journey now, and praise the Lord….

Let courage be our friend,

Let wisdom be our guide,

As we in mission Magnify the

crucified….

In bold accord, Come celebrate the

journey now, and praise the Lord….

Come sing, O church in joy.

Come join, O church, in song.

For Christ the Lord has triumphed,

Over the ages long….

In bold accord, Come celebrate the

journey now, and praise the Lord.

Blessing

We are God’s people...

Loved and forgiven!

Healed and called!

Empowered and

sent out!

Beloved of God,

our worship ends,

and our service

begins!

Alleluia! Amen.

O For a Thousand Tongues

to Sing, (#466)

Christ breaks the power

of reigning sin,

And sets the prisoner free;

Christ's blood can make

the sinful clean,

Christ's blood availed for me….

My gracious Master and my God,

Assist me to proclaim,

To spread through all

the earth abroad

The honors of Thy name.

Worship ends…

and the service

begins!

Please greet

one another

as you leave!