FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
ORDER OF WORSHIP
10th Sunday of Pentecost
August 17, 2025
PRELUDE Largo by Handel
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
- BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS will be during the Children’s Sermon today.
-TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP at 9:30ish AM at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY at 9:30 AM in the FPC Center Meeting Room
-SISTERHOOD meets Thursday, Aug. 21, 11:30 AM at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House.
-MEN’S BROTHERHOD meets Thursday, Aug. 21, 5:30 PM at the church lounge.
-NEXT SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, John Brawand of Gideons International will be our guest speaker.
-THANK YOU to Andrew L’Amour for staffing the office while Rozanne works from home.
CALL TO WORSHIP
We come together to worship the living God.
With open hearts, we receive God’s love.
We come to be renewed in faith and strengthened for service.
With willing hands, we offer our lives to God.
Let us worship God with joy, gratitude, and hope.
*OPENING HYMN # 458 (blue) “Earth and All Stars”
Earth and all stars, loud rushing planets
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Hail, wind, and rain, loud blowing snowstorm
Sing to the Lord a new song!
God has done marvelous things.
We will sing praises with a new song!
Steel and machines, loud pounding hammers
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Limestone and beams, loud building workers
Sing to the Lord a new song!
God has done marvelous things.
We will sing praises with a new song!
Classrooms and labs, loud boiling test tubes
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Athlete and band, loud cheering people
Sing to the Lord a new song!
God has done marvelous things.
We will sing praises with a new song!
Knowledge and truth, loud sounding wisdom
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Daughter and son, loud praying members
Sing to the Lord a new song!
God has done marvelous things.
We will sing praises with a new song!
*CALL TO CONFESSION
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of truth, we confess that we often fall short of Your hopes for us. At times, we fail even to meet our own expectations. In the busyness of daily life, we wander away from You, ignoring Your call and turning away from those in need. Forgive us, Lord. Draw us closer to You through prayer and Your living Word, and help us build loving, supportive relationships with one another. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*GLORIA PATRI (on screen)
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.
CHILDREN’S SERMON and BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS
Leader: Let us pray for the children, youth, young adults, and teachers, and all who learn and grow this school year.
People: God of grace, hear our prayer.
Leader: Bless these children, youth and young adults as they carry their backpacks each day. May they carry more than books — may they carry courage, kindness, and curiosity.
People: Guide their steps and protect their hearts.
Leader: Bless the teachers who prepare lessons, who guide and encourage, and who share their love of learning.
People: Give them patience, wisdom, and joy.
Leader: Bless the classrooms, the hallways, the labs, the libraries, the playgrounds, and all the places where learning happens.
People: Fill them with safety, peace, and friendship.
Leader: Bless the parents, families, campuses, and communities who support these learners and teachers.
People: Strengthen them with grace and hope.
Leader: May this school year be filled with growth in knowledge and in faith, in friendship and in kindness.
People: Let all who learn and teach know your presence each day.
Leader: We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who teaches us to love and serve.
People: Amen.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE READING
Isaiah 1:10-20
10Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
12When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; 13bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation-I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity. 14Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. 15When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
16Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
18Come now, let us argue it out, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Luke 6:5-10
5 Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 6 On a Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.
9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored.
SERMON Worship: More than Just Sunday Morning
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH -- Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come 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.
*HYMN OF RESPONSE #420 (blue) “God of Grace and God of Glory”
God of grace and God of glory, on Thy people pour Thy power;
Crown Thine ancient church's story; bring its bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.
Lo! the hosts of evil round us scorn Thy Christ, assail His ways!
From the fears that long have bound us, free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days,
For the living of these days.
Cure Thy children’s waring madness, bend our pride to Thy control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness, rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.
Set our feet on lofty places; gird our lives, that they may be
Armored with all Christ-like graces, pledged to set all captives free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, that we fail not them nor Thee!
That we fail not them nor Thee!
Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore;
Let the gift of Thy salvation be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, serving Thee whom we adore,
Serving Thee whom we adore.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Concerns: Jan J, Judy Se, JoAnn G, Marlys J, Rozanne P, Arlyce T
Our homebound or in care members: Richard & Dolores C, Bob F (Pat caregiver), Jan J, Darwin L (Jeanne caregiver), Marlys M, Bob O (Nancy caregiver), Rose P, Joyce R, Steve VB, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This Week’s Prayer Families: Neal & Julie F, Elizabeth F, Betty G
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.
OFFERING OF OURSELVES AND OUR RESOURCES
*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.
* CLOSING HYMN #362 (blue) "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God"
I sing a song of the saints of God, patient and brave and true,
Who toiled and fought and lived and died for the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen, and one was a shepherdess on the green:
They were all of them saints of God, and I mean, God helping, to be one too.
They loved their Lord so dear, so dear, and God’s love made them strong;
And they followed the right, for Jesus’ sake, the whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest and one was slain by fierce wild beast:
And there’s not any reason, no, not the least, why I shouldn’t be one too.
They lived not only in ages past, there are hundreds of thousands still;
The world is bright with the joyous saints who love to do Jesus’ will.
You can meet them in school or in lanes, or at sea, in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea;
For the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE Ariosa by Handel
