SUNDAY ORDER OF WORSHIP
9th Sunday after Pentecost/Communion
August 7, 2022
PRELUDE:
WELCOME
CALL TO WORSHIP
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Faith is a gift to be received, treasured, and shared with joy and thanksgiving.
*HYMN #687 (Red) ‘Our God, Our Help in Ages Past’
Our God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home:
Beneath the shadow of thy throne
thy saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received its frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.
A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone,
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all our years away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
Our God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guard while life shall last,
and our eternal home.
CALL TO CONFESSION
God calls us to walk in faith, but we do not always follow. Trusting in God’s mercy, let us confess our sin.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of the ages, God of the old, old story, we hear of our ancestors and are astounded by their faith. They trusted you, but we waver. They believed your promise, but we cling to our own ideas. Forgive us and free us from our fear, that we may follow with joy wherever you may lead; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Silent reflection)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON/DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
From age to age, from generation to generation, God’s mercy never fails.
Hear the good news!
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven!
*GLORIA PATRI (please stand)
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.
*HYMN # 701 (Red) ‘Lord Prepare Me’ (sing twice)
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Listen to the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:4
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 33:12-22 (read responsively)
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all humankind.
14 From where he sits enthroned he watches
all the inhabitants of the earth--
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
16 A king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
and by its great might it cannot save.
18 Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 to deliver their soul from death
and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
21 Our heart is glad in him
because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance, and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith, with Sarah’s involvement, he received power of procreation, even though he was too old, because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Keep these words in your heart. The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God. Deuteronomy 6:6
REFLECTION: ‘Hope Is…’ Rev. Norlita Kaul
*HYMN #353 (Red) ‘My Hope is Built on Nothing Less’
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness sems to hide his face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
His oath, his covenant, his blood,
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found:
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH –APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
INVITATION TO OFFERING
*DOXOLOGY (please stand)
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
Faithful Father, you ask us to place you first in all that we do. You call us to surrender completely to your will and to be obedient to your word. However, letting go is such a great barrier to overcome. We fool ourselves into the premise of being in control. Lift this barrier! Increase our hearts desire to freely provide for others in our giving and our serving. In the name of your servant son, Jesus, the Christ, we bless these offerings to your glory. Amen. (Luke 12:32-40 David S. Bell)
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
INVITATION TO THE TABLE
Jesus said: I am the bread of life. All who come to me shall not hunger, and all who believe in me shall not thirst.
With Christians around the world and throughout the centuries,
We gather around these symbols of bread and wine—simple elements that speak of nourishment and transformation.
THE GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Let us pray.
Loving God, we thank you that you are as close to us as breath, that your love is constant and unfailing. We thank you for all that sustains life, and especially for Jesus Christ, who teaches us how to live out an ethic of justice and peace, and for the promise of transformation made manifest in his life, death and resurrection.
We ask you to bless this bread and this cup. Through this meal, make us the body of Christ, that we may join with you in promoting the well-being of all creation.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION:
We remember on the night when Jesus and the disciples had their last meal together, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and gave it to the disciples, saying “This is my body, which is broken for you. Take and eat it, and as often as you do, remember me.”
In the symbol of the broken bread, we participate in the life of Christ and dedicate ourselves to being his disciples.
In the same way he took the cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to the disciples, saying: “Drink this, all of you. This cup is the new covenant, poured out for you and for many. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
In the symbol of the cup, we participate in the new life Christ brings. We thank you, O God through Your Holy Spirit, for the gifts we receive as sure provisions, manna in the wilderness, the source of our unending joy. So as your children we pray,
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.
SHARING OF THE BREAD AND CUP
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
We give thanks, loving God, that you have refreshed us at your table. Strengthen our faith; strengthen our nation, increase our love for one another. As we have been fed by the seed that became grain, and then became bread, may we go out into the world to plant seeds of justice, transformation, and hope. Amen.
*HYMN #39 (Red) ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not.
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain]
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP will be meeting on August 9 at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House at 9:30ish.
PIECES & PRAYERS will resume on August 9th at the church at 1:30 PM. All are welcomed to help with quilting. Questions, contact Lee P (692-7757).
MISSION/FINANCE MEETING will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, August 9 at 6:30 PM.
THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY will be meeting at 9:30 AM at the church. We are studying the book of Matthew.
BENEDICTION
Happy are those whose God is the Lord—God is our help and hope!
May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent, one from another. Amen. (Mizpah Benediction)
POSTLUDE
Thanks to everyone who helped with our worship this morning. It takes a village to raise a child the saying says. It takes a village to do worship virtually, our new saying during these days of pandemic. Stay safe and well. Pray often. Love always! Blessings for your week!
Sources: Call to Worship Lectionary Aids for 2020-2021 Year A Vo.54.1 PCUSA; Copyright © 2019 David S. Bell. Reprinted with permission from www.DavidSBell.org. and from the Book of Common Worship, Westminster Knox Press, Louisville KY, 1993;
9th Sunday after Pentecost/Communion
August 7, 2022
PRELUDE:
WELCOME
CALL TO WORSHIP
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Faith is a gift to be received, treasured, and shared with joy and thanksgiving.
*HYMN #687 (Red) ‘Our God, Our Help in Ages Past’
Our God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home:
Beneath the shadow of thy throne
thy saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received its frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.
A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone,
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all our years away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
Our God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guard while life shall last,
and our eternal home.
CALL TO CONFESSION
God calls us to walk in faith, but we do not always follow. Trusting in God’s mercy, let us confess our sin.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of the ages, God of the old, old story, we hear of our ancestors and are astounded by their faith. They trusted you, but we waver. They believed your promise, but we cling to our own ideas. Forgive us and free us from our fear, that we may follow with joy wherever you may lead; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Silent reflection)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON/DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
From age to age, from generation to generation, God’s mercy never fails.
Hear the good news!
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven!
*GLORIA PATRI (please stand)
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.
*HYMN # 701 (Red) ‘Lord Prepare Me’ (sing twice)
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Listen to the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:4
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 33:12-22 (read responsively)
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
he sees all humankind.
14 From where he sits enthroned he watches
all the inhabitants of the earth--
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
16 A king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
and by its great might it cannot save.
18 Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 to deliver their soul from death
and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
21 Our heart is glad in him
because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance, and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith, with Sarah’s involvement, he received power of procreation, even though he was too old, because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Keep these words in your heart. The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God. Deuteronomy 6:6
REFLECTION: ‘Hope Is…’ Rev. Norlita Kaul
*HYMN #353 (Red) ‘My Hope is Built on Nothing Less’
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness sems to hide his face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
His oath, his covenant, his blood,
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found:
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH –APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
INVITATION TO OFFERING
*DOXOLOGY (please stand)
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
Faithful Father, you ask us to place you first in all that we do. You call us to surrender completely to your will and to be obedient to your word. However, letting go is such a great barrier to overcome. We fool ourselves into the premise of being in control. Lift this barrier! Increase our hearts desire to freely provide for others in our giving and our serving. In the name of your servant son, Jesus, the Christ, we bless these offerings to your glory. Amen. (Luke 12:32-40 David S. Bell)
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
INVITATION TO THE TABLE
Jesus said: I am the bread of life. All who come to me shall not hunger, and all who believe in me shall not thirst.
With Christians around the world and throughout the centuries,
We gather around these symbols of bread and wine—simple elements that speak of nourishment and transformation.
THE GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Let us pray.
Loving God, we thank you that you are as close to us as breath, that your love is constant and unfailing. We thank you for all that sustains life, and especially for Jesus Christ, who teaches us how to live out an ethic of justice and peace, and for the promise of transformation made manifest in his life, death and resurrection.
We ask you to bless this bread and this cup. Through this meal, make us the body of Christ, that we may join with you in promoting the well-being of all creation.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION:
We remember on the night when Jesus and the disciples had their last meal together, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and gave it to the disciples, saying “This is my body, which is broken for you. Take and eat it, and as often as you do, remember me.”
In the symbol of the broken bread, we participate in the life of Christ and dedicate ourselves to being his disciples.
In the same way he took the cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to the disciples, saying: “Drink this, all of you. This cup is the new covenant, poured out for you and for many. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
In the symbol of the cup, we participate in the new life Christ brings. We thank you, O God through Your Holy Spirit, for the gifts we receive as sure provisions, manna in the wilderness, the source of our unending joy. So as your children we pray,
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.
SHARING OF THE BREAD AND CUP
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
We give thanks, loving God, that you have refreshed us at your table. Strengthen our faith; strengthen our nation, increase our love for one another. As we have been fed by the seed that became grain, and then became bread, may we go out into the world to plant seeds of justice, transformation, and hope. Amen.
*HYMN #39 (Red) ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not.
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain]
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP will be meeting on August 9 at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House at 9:30ish.
PIECES & PRAYERS will resume on August 9th at the church at 1:30 PM. All are welcomed to help with quilting. Questions, contact Lee P (692-7757).
MISSION/FINANCE MEETING will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, August 9 at 6:30 PM.
THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY will be meeting at 9:30 AM at the church. We are studying the book of Matthew.
BENEDICTION
Happy are those whose God is the Lord—God is our help and hope!
May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent, one from another. Amen. (Mizpah Benediction)
POSTLUDE
Thanks to everyone who helped with our worship this morning. It takes a village to raise a child the saying says. It takes a village to do worship virtually, our new saying during these days of pandemic. Stay safe and well. Pray often. Love always! Blessings for your week!
Sources: Call to Worship Lectionary Aids for 2020-2021 Year A Vo.54.1 PCUSA; Copyright © 2019 David S. Bell. Reprinted with permission from www.DavidSBell.org. and from the Book of Common Worship, Westminster Knox Press, Louisville KY, 1993;