in Jesus Christ you do not call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Draw us away from the easy road that leads to destruction, and guide us into paths that lead to life abundant, that in seeking your truth, and obeying your will, we may know the joy of being a disciple of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

HYMN[Blue #404][GTG#834] Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Precious Lord, take my hand; lead me on, help me stand;

I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, 

lead me on to the light; take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

When my way grows drear, precious Lord, linger near;

when my life is almost gone, Hear my cry, hear my call, 

hold my hand lest I fall; Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

REPENTANCE

CALL TO CONFESSION 

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION 

Gracious God, 

our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo . Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past that we cannot change; 

open to us a future in which we can be changed; and grant us grace 

to grow more and more in your likeness and image; through Jesus Christ, the light of the world.

GLORIA PATRI [Blue#579[ [GTG581]                                          

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.  

THE WORD READ AND PROCLAIMED

1st SCRIPTURE                       Job 23:1-9, 16-17       

Then Job answered: “Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge. “If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.

God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!

2nd SCRIPTURE                       Psalm 22:1-15       

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.

Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.

To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people.

All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;

“Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver— let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.

On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

Many bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 

3rd SCRIPTURE                       Hebrews 4:12-16       

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

4thSCRIPTURE                                                  Mark 10:17-31

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

 RESPONSE     

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH         Apostles’ Creed 

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY     Children of the Heavenly Father by Dan Forrest 

DOXOLOGY [GTG#606]

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise God, all creatures here below;

Praise God above, ye heavenly host;

THE LORD’S PRAYER 

HYMN [Blue#356][GTG#475] Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

1 Come, thou Fount of every blessing; tune my heart to sing thy grace;

streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above;

praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of God’s unchanging love!

2 Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come;

and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God;

he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

3 O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!

Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;

here’s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.

PARTING PRAYER 

Come, O Holy Spirit. 

Come as Holy Fire and burn in us, come as Holy Wind and cleanse us within, come as Holy Light and lead us in the darkness, come as Holy Truth and dispel our ignorance, come as Holy Power and enable our weakness, come as Holy Life and dwell in us. Convict us, convert us, consecrate us, until we are set free from the service of ourselves, to be your servants to the world. Amen

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

RESPONSE [GTG#765] 

May the God of Hope Go with Us / Canto de esperanza

¡Dios de la esperanza, danos gozo y paz! Al mundo en crisis, habla tu verdad. Dios de la justicia, mándanos tu luz,

luz y esperanza en la oscuridad.

Oremos por la paz, cantemos de tu amor.

Luchemos por la paz, fieles a ti, Señor.

May the God of hope go with us every day, filling all our lives with love and joy and peace. May the God of justice speed us on our way,

bringing light and hope to every land and race.

Praying, let us work for peace; singing, share our joy with all;

working for a world that’s new, faithful when we hear Christ’s call.

POSTLUDE     Come Thou Fount, arr. Jason Payne  

*Note: the hymn lyrics in the bulletin and on the projection screen are from the Glory To God Hymnal (© 2013 Westminster John Knox Press), which we are transitioning to. Words in the “Blue” Presbyterian Hymnal (© 1990) in your pew may differ slightly.

The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved. 

Church Office: 504.888.1375 Playschool Office: 504.888.1378

Briana Mayfield – Church Office Assistant 

Kelly Cuppett – Music Director

Lauren Crisler  – Playschool Director

Stephanie Galliano – Playschool Admin. Asst.

Deacons

Bill Bottomley 504-885-3850 pslclerk@earthlink.net

Mary Antill 504-247-5720 buzz2moosetaco@gmail.com

Tony Hill 504-214-8095 rolandohill2003@yahoo.com

Laurie Hill 504-344-9079 la.tres@yahoo.com