ORDER OF WORSHIP
Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday
Rev. Norlita Kaul’s Last Sunday
November 20, 2022
PRELUDE ‘We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing’
WELCOME
CALL TO WORSHIP
God has looked favorably on all of God’s people and has redeemed all of creation.
God has given us a mighty Savior, the Lord whose reign we celebrate.
We gather to offer our thanks and praise to almighty God.
Let us worship God!
*HYMN #12 (Red) ‘Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise’
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice, like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all, life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
then wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.
Thou rulest in glory, thou dwellest in light.
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight.
All praise we would render; O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.
CALL TO CONFESSION
In humility we are called to confess our sin, reaching out in penitence to our Lord and Savior. Trusting in the merciful love of God, let us pray together.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Gracious Lord, we are quick to identify our enemies and slow to name the ways we hurt others. You lead us in the ways of righteousness, and yet we prefer to walk our own path. We are called to follow your lead in creating a beloved community, yet we idolize wealth and power. Heal us and help us, O God. Turn us from the ways of sin, the means that create unjust ends. Grant that we may seek to be for others what you are for us: a source of light on the way to peace. (Silent reflection)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON/DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
The Lord gives light to those who dwell in darkness and guides our every step in the path of salvation. In the name of Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!
*GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Sovereign God, let your Word rule in our hearts and your Spirit govern our lives until at last we see the fulfillment of your realm of justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
:
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Listen to the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:4
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Jeremiah 23:1-6 (The Message)
1-4 “Doom to the shepherd-leaders who butcher and scatter my sheep!” God’s Decree. “So here is what I, God, Israel’s God, say to the shepherd-leaders who misled my people: ‘You’ve scattered my sheep. You’ve driven them off. You haven’t kept your eye on them. Well, let me tell you, I’m keeping my eye on you, keeping track of your criminal behavior. I’ll take over and gather what’s left of my sheep, gather them in from all the lands where I’ve driven them. I’ll bring them back where they belong, and they’ll recover and flourish. I’ll set shepherd-leaders over them who will take good care of them. They won’t live in fear or panic anymore. All the lost sheep rounded up!’ God’s Decree.
5-6 “Time’s coming”—God’s Decree--
“when I’ll establish a truly righteous David-Branch, a ruler who knows how to rule justly.
He’ll make sure of justice and keep people united.
In his time Judah will be secure again and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name they’ll give him: ‘God-Who-Puts-Everything-Right.’
Colossians 1:9-20 (The Message)
9-12 Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
13-14 God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.
15-18 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.
18-20 He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so expansive, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.
Keep these words in your heart. The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God. (Deuteronomy 6:6)
REFLECTION: ‘Christ Holds It All Together’ Rev. Norlita Kaul
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH –
Biblical visions and images of the rule of Christ, such as a heavenly city, the household of God, a new heaven and earth, a marriage feast, and an unending day culminate in the image of the kingdom. The kingdom represents God’s triumph over all that resists the divine will and disrupts God’s creation. Already God’s reign is present as a ferment in the world, stirring hope in all people and preparing the world to receive its ultimate judgment and redemption. With an urgency born of this hope, the church applies itself to present tasks and strives for a better world. It does not identify limited progress with the kingdom of God on earth, nor does it despair in the face of disappointment and defeat. In steadfast hope, the church looks beyond all partial achievement to the final triumph of God.
(Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.54–55)
INVITATION TO OFFERING
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Let us offer our lives to the Lord. Romans 12:1
*DOXOLOGY
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
Exalted Lord, how can we sufficiently prepare our hearts to stay firm in your love? We praise your name with songs and prayers, yet are we truly ready to stand on your promises and risk persecution for being a fully committed Christian? Are we devout to your will by the way we live and give? Our offertory response is one means of answering those questions. Thank you for this opportunity to dedicate these gifts as we become bold in our faith and slow in our judgment. Let your stream of living water flow from our lips as we share your Good News. Amen. (Luke 21:5-19 David S. Bell)
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
-Paige F
-Marge V
-Nelda H (recovery at the Neighborhoods)
-Betty G
-Carol G (recovery)
-Bob J and Jan as caregiver
-Bob O
-Andrew & Beth L
-Laura (Linda’s niece)
-Gwen B (Lee P’s friend)
-Patty (friend of Michele)
-Harry (Bonnie S’s father)
-Darwin L (Jeanne’s husband) and Jeanne as caregiver
-Nadia (Mike & Judy’s granddaughter)
-Gwen M (friend of Elizabeth)
-Rocky (Judy & Mike’s nephew-for continued strength)
Our homebound or in care members: Bob J, Bob B, Delores K, Rose P, Cliff R, Art & Marge V, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This Week’s Prayer Families: Terry & Ann S, Janet T, Nancy T
Those who mourn: We pray for the Kemp, Peterson, Goodale, McCann, Webster, & Salonen families and all who have lost loved ones.
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.
SAYING GOODBYE – A SERVICE OF DISSOLUTION LITANY
Session Representative (Clerk of Session): Our church family is constantly changing. People come and go. Babies are born, Children grow up. People commit themselves to one another. Loved ones and friends among us come to the end of their lives. Individuals move into our community and church life. Others leave us, moving away to new places, new experiences, and new opportunities. It is important and right that we recognize these times of passage, of endings and beginnings. Today we share the time of farewell with friends who are leaving.
Presbytery Representative: In November 2019, the congregation called the Rev. Norlita J. Kaul to serve as its Interim Pastor. Our work together began on January 15, 2020. This week, that service comes to an end.
Pastor: I thank all of you the members and friends of First Presbyterian Church. Your kindness and support, your prayers, caring and love have sustained me over these past years, and I shall remember you with deep gratitude and appreciation.
Presbytery: Good Christian people, I bid you now pray for the saving presence of our living Lord; in this world,
Be present Lord.
Presbytery: In this Congregation,
Be present Lord.
Presbytery: In this Community,
Be present Lord.
Presbytery: In our Presbytery and the whole Church,
Be present Lord.
Presbytery: In the homes and hearts of all your people,
Be present Lord.
Pastor: I bid you to pray with me now for the mercy of the Lord: For thing not finished,
Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For expectations not met,
Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For wounds not healed,
Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For gifts not given,
Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For promises not kept,
Lord have mercy.
Session Representative: I bid you to pray in thanks for our journey together in this place: for friendshi9ps made, for joys celebrated and for times of nurture and growth.
Thanks be to God.
Session Representative: For wounds healed, expectations met, gifts given and promises kept.
Thanks be to God.
Session Rep.: For each other, and for God’s love which has sustained us.
Thanks be to God.
Presbytery: Do you, the members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Brookings, now release the Rev. Norlita J. Kaul from her service as your Pastor?
We do, with thanks to God.
Presbytery: Do you, Norlita, now recognize and accept the completion of your ministry with this people as their Pastor?
Pastor: I do, with my thanks to God.
Presbytery: On behalf of Presbytery of South Dakota, I witness to the words spoken here; words of thanksgiving, of forgiveness and release. The Presbytery celebrates with you all that has been found here of new life and hope in your journey together as Pastor and people and we pledge to you, our brothers and sisters, our continued support and prayers. I declare, with thanks to God for the life and ministry of this congregation and the ministry of its faithful servant, Norlita, and with a sense of hope for God’s abiding grace in the future, that the pastoral relationship is now dissolved and that this pulpit is declared vacant as of December 15, 2022.
Pastor: And now our journeys lead us on in separate ways, yet always bound together with all who call Christ Lord. May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. Go in peace.
Go in peace.
Presbytery: So, with God’s help and love, may your works be blessed and your labors fruitful, as you offer yourselves gladly into the service of our common Lord. Let us pray:
All: O God, our endings and beginnings are rooted in your love. You are Alpha and Omega, both beginning and end. So, whether near or far, we are always held by your love and so are safe from any lasting loss. End this time together with your blessing. Touch all memories with your grace and peace. Help us to live in the new futures you give us with courage and glad hearts. And grant that, in every new time you give us, we may offer you, our highest and our best. Together, always, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia! Amen!
*HYMN #80 (Red) ‘You Shall Go Out With Joy’
You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth before you;
There’ll be shouts of joy,
And all the trees of the field will clap,
Will clap their hands.
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands; XX
the trees of the field will clap their hands; XX
the trees of the field will clap their hands XX
while you go out with joy.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR REV NORLITA KAUL will be held after worship service today—this will be her last service here at First Presbyterian Church in Brookings.
TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP will be meeting at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House at 9:30ish.
PIECES & PRAYERS will not be meeting until January 3, 2023.
THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY will not be meeting on the 24th as it is Thanksgiving Day.
THE CHURCH OFFICE will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 24 in observance of Thanksgiving Day.
BENEDICTION (read responsively)
When I look at the blood all I see is love, love, love.
When I stop at the cross I can see the love of God.
But I can’t see competition.
I can’t see hierarchy.
I can’t see pride or prejudice
or the abuse of authority.
I can’t see lust for power.
I can’t see manipulation.
I can’t see rage or anger
or selfish ambition.
I can’t see unforgiveness.
I can’t see hate or envy.
I can’t see stupid fighting
or bitterness, or jealousy.
I can’t see empire building.
I can’t see self-importance.
I can’t see back-stabbing
or vanity or arrogance.
All: I see surrender, sacrifice, salvation,
Humility, righteousness, faithfulness, grace, forgiveness,
Love! Love… love…
When I stop! … at the cross
I can see the love of God.
Godfrey Birtill
May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent, one from another. Amen. (Mizpah Benediction)
POSTLUDE ‘Now Thank We All Our God’
Sources: Call to Worship Lectionary Aids for 2021-2022 Year C Vo.55.1 PCUSA; Copyright © 2021 David S. Bell. Reprinted with permission from www.DavidSBell.org. and from the Book of Common Worship, Westminster Knox Press, Louisville KY, 1993; Meditation by Godfrey Birtill
Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday
Rev. Norlita Kaul’s Last Sunday
November 20, 2022
PRELUDE ‘We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing’
WELCOME
CALL TO WORSHIP
God has looked favorably on all of God’s people and has redeemed all of creation.
God has given us a mighty Savior, the Lord whose reign we celebrate.
We gather to offer our thanks and praise to almighty God.
Let us worship God!
*HYMN #12 (Red) ‘Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise’
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice, like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all, life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
then wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.
Thou rulest in glory, thou dwellest in light.
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight.
All praise we would render; O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.
CALL TO CONFESSION
In humility we are called to confess our sin, reaching out in penitence to our Lord and Savior. Trusting in the merciful love of God, let us pray together.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Gracious Lord, we are quick to identify our enemies and slow to name the ways we hurt others. You lead us in the ways of righteousness, and yet we prefer to walk our own path. We are called to follow your lead in creating a beloved community, yet we idolize wealth and power. Heal us and help us, O God. Turn us from the ways of sin, the means that create unjust ends. Grant that we may seek to be for others what you are for us: a source of light on the way to peace. (Silent reflection)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON/DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
The Lord gives light to those who dwell in darkness and guides our every step in the path of salvation. In the name of Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!
*GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Sovereign God, let your Word rule in our hearts and your Spirit govern our lives until at last we see the fulfillment of your realm of justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
:
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Listen to the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:4
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Jeremiah 23:1-6 (The Message)
1-4 “Doom to the shepherd-leaders who butcher and scatter my sheep!” God’s Decree. “So here is what I, God, Israel’s God, say to the shepherd-leaders who misled my people: ‘You’ve scattered my sheep. You’ve driven them off. You haven’t kept your eye on them. Well, let me tell you, I’m keeping my eye on you, keeping track of your criminal behavior. I’ll take over and gather what’s left of my sheep, gather them in from all the lands where I’ve driven them. I’ll bring them back where they belong, and they’ll recover and flourish. I’ll set shepherd-leaders over them who will take good care of them. They won’t live in fear or panic anymore. All the lost sheep rounded up!’ God’s Decree.
5-6 “Time’s coming”—God’s Decree--
“when I’ll establish a truly righteous David-Branch, a ruler who knows how to rule justly.
He’ll make sure of justice and keep people united.
In his time Judah will be secure again and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name they’ll give him: ‘God-Who-Puts-Everything-Right.’
Colossians 1:9-20 (The Message)
9-12 Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
13-14 God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.
15-18 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.
18-20 He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so expansive, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.
Keep these words in your heart. The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God. (Deuteronomy 6:6)
REFLECTION: ‘Christ Holds It All Together’ Rev. Norlita Kaul
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH –
Biblical visions and images of the rule of Christ, such as a heavenly city, the household of God, a new heaven and earth, a marriage feast, and an unending day culminate in the image of the kingdom. The kingdom represents God’s triumph over all that resists the divine will and disrupts God’s creation. Already God’s reign is present as a ferment in the world, stirring hope in all people and preparing the world to receive its ultimate judgment and redemption. With an urgency born of this hope, the church applies itself to present tasks and strives for a better world. It does not identify limited progress with the kingdom of God on earth, nor does it despair in the face of disappointment and defeat. In steadfast hope, the church looks beyond all partial achievement to the final triumph of God.
(Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.54–55)
INVITATION TO OFFERING
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Let us offer our lives to the Lord. Romans 12:1
*DOXOLOGY
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
Exalted Lord, how can we sufficiently prepare our hearts to stay firm in your love? We praise your name with songs and prayers, yet are we truly ready to stand on your promises and risk persecution for being a fully committed Christian? Are we devout to your will by the way we live and give? Our offertory response is one means of answering those questions. Thank you for this opportunity to dedicate these gifts as we become bold in our faith and slow in our judgment. Let your stream of living water flow from our lips as we share your Good News. Amen. (Luke 21:5-19 David S. Bell)
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
-Paige F
-Marge V
-Nelda H (recovery at the Neighborhoods)
-Betty G
-Carol G (recovery)
-Bob J and Jan as caregiver
-Bob O
-Andrew & Beth L
-Laura (Linda’s niece)
-Gwen B (Lee P’s friend)
-Patty (friend of Michele)
-Harry (Bonnie S’s father)
-Darwin L (Jeanne’s husband) and Jeanne as caregiver
-Nadia (Mike & Judy’s granddaughter)
-Gwen M (friend of Elizabeth)
-Rocky (Judy & Mike’s nephew-for continued strength)
Our homebound or in care members: Bob J, Bob B, Delores K, Rose P, Cliff R, Art & Marge V, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This Week’s Prayer Families: Terry & Ann S, Janet T, Nancy T
Those who mourn: We pray for the Kemp, Peterson, Goodale, McCann, Webster, & Salonen families and all who have lost loved ones.
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.
SAYING GOODBYE – A SERVICE OF DISSOLUTION LITANY
Session Representative (Clerk of Session): Our church family is constantly changing. People come and go. Babies are born, Children grow up. People commit themselves to one another. Loved ones and friends among us come to the end of their lives. Individuals move into our community and church life. Others leave us, moving away to new places, new experiences, and new opportunities. It is important and right that we recognize these times of passage, of endings and beginnings. Today we share the time of farewell with friends who are leaving.
Presbytery Representative: In November 2019, the congregation called the Rev. Norlita J. Kaul to serve as its Interim Pastor. Our work together began on January 15, 2020. This week, that service comes to an end.
Pastor: I thank all of you the members and friends of First Presbyterian Church. Your kindness and support, your prayers, caring and love have sustained me over these past years, and I shall remember you with deep gratitude and appreciation.
Presbytery: Good Christian people, I bid you now pray for the saving presence of our living Lord; in this world,
Be present Lord.
Presbytery: In this Congregation,
Be present Lord.
Presbytery: In this Community,
Be present Lord.
Presbytery: In our Presbytery and the whole Church,
Be present Lord.
Presbytery: In the homes and hearts of all your people,
Be present Lord.
Pastor: I bid you to pray with me now for the mercy of the Lord: For thing not finished,
Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For expectations not met,
Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For wounds not healed,
Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For gifts not given,
Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For promises not kept,
Lord have mercy.
Session Representative: I bid you to pray in thanks for our journey together in this place: for friendshi9ps made, for joys celebrated and for times of nurture and growth.
Thanks be to God.
Session Representative: For wounds healed, expectations met, gifts given and promises kept.
Thanks be to God.
Session Rep.: For each other, and for God’s love which has sustained us.
Thanks be to God.
Presbytery: Do you, the members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Brookings, now release the Rev. Norlita J. Kaul from her service as your Pastor?
We do, with thanks to God.
Presbytery: Do you, Norlita, now recognize and accept the completion of your ministry with this people as their Pastor?
Pastor: I do, with my thanks to God.
Presbytery: On behalf of Presbytery of South Dakota, I witness to the words spoken here; words of thanksgiving, of forgiveness and release. The Presbytery celebrates with you all that has been found here of new life and hope in your journey together as Pastor and people and we pledge to you, our brothers and sisters, our continued support and prayers. I declare, with thanks to God for the life and ministry of this congregation and the ministry of its faithful servant, Norlita, and with a sense of hope for God’s abiding grace in the future, that the pastoral relationship is now dissolved and that this pulpit is declared vacant as of December 15, 2022.
Pastor: And now our journeys lead us on in separate ways, yet always bound together with all who call Christ Lord. May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. Go in peace.
Go in peace.
Presbytery: So, with God’s help and love, may your works be blessed and your labors fruitful, as you offer yourselves gladly into the service of our common Lord. Let us pray:
All: O God, our endings and beginnings are rooted in your love. You are Alpha and Omega, both beginning and end. So, whether near or far, we are always held by your love and so are safe from any lasting loss. End this time together with your blessing. Touch all memories with your grace and peace. Help us to live in the new futures you give us with courage and glad hearts. And grant that, in every new time you give us, we may offer you, our highest and our best. Together, always, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia! Amen!
*HYMN #80 (Red) ‘You Shall Go Out With Joy’
You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth before you;
There’ll be shouts of joy,
And all the trees of the field will clap,
Will clap their hands.
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands; XX
the trees of the field will clap their hands; XX
the trees of the field will clap their hands XX
while you go out with joy.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR REV NORLITA KAUL will be held after worship service today—this will be her last service here at First Presbyterian Church in Brookings.
TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP will be meeting at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House at 9:30ish.
PIECES & PRAYERS will not be meeting until January 3, 2023.
THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY will not be meeting on the 24th as it is Thanksgiving Day.
THE CHURCH OFFICE will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 24 in observance of Thanksgiving Day.
BENEDICTION (read responsively)
When I look at the blood all I see is love, love, love.
When I stop at the cross I can see the love of God.
But I can’t see competition.
I can’t see hierarchy.
I can’t see pride or prejudice
or the abuse of authority.
I can’t see lust for power.
I can’t see manipulation.
I can’t see rage or anger
or selfish ambition.
I can’t see unforgiveness.
I can’t see hate or envy.
I can’t see stupid fighting
or bitterness, or jealousy.
I can’t see empire building.
I can’t see self-importance.
I can’t see back-stabbing
or vanity or arrogance.
All: I see surrender, sacrifice, salvation,
Humility, righteousness, faithfulness, grace, forgiveness,
Love! Love… love…
When I stop! … at the cross
I can see the love of God.
Godfrey Birtill
May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent, one from another. Amen. (Mizpah Benediction)
POSTLUDE ‘Now Thank We All Our God’
Sources: Call to Worship Lectionary Aids for 2021-2022 Year C Vo.55.1 PCUSA; Copyright © 2021 David S. Bell. Reprinted with permission from www.DavidSBell.org. and from the Book of Common Worship, Westminster Knox Press, Louisville KY, 1993; Meditation by Godfrey Birtill