1. Men of faith rise up and sing of the great and glorious King.

You are strong when you feel weak; in your brokenness complete.     

Refrain: Shout to the north and the south, 

sing to the east and the west.

Jesus is savior to all, Lord of heaven and earth. 

2. Rise up women of the truth. Stand and sing to broken hearts

who can know the healing power of our awesome King of love. (Refrain)

Bridge: We’ve been through fire; we’ve been through rain;

we’ve been refined by the power of your name.

We’ve fallen deeper in love with you. 

You’ve burned the truth on our lips. (Refrain)

3. Rise up, church, with broken wings; fill this place with songs again

of our God who reigns on high; by God’s grace again we’ll fly.  (Refrain)

Refrain: Shout to the north and the south, 

sing to the east and the west.

Jesus is savior to all, Lord of heaven and earth.

He is Lord of heaven and earth.

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN                

 RESPONSE HYMN [GTG#171] A Sower Came from Ancient Hills

4 O Christ, you come among us still, the Sower and the Seed. 

As once you sowed the truth of God in glowing word and deed,

Implant your Word in waiting hearts, and let it there take hold, 

Until it bears in fruitful lives a harvest hundredfold. 

REPENTANCE

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

God of glory, you sent Jesus among us as the light of the world, to reveal your love for all people. We confess that our sin and pride hide the brightness of your light. We turn away from the poor; we ignore cries for justice; we do not strive for peace. 

In your mercy, cleanse us of our sin, and pour out the gifts of your Spirit, that forgiven and renewed, we may show forth your glory shining in the face of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

ASSURANCE OF PARDON                     

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.

THE WORD READ AND PROCLAIMED

SCRIPTURE [Pew Bible NT 35 or 38]                                 Mark 4:1-20

Again [Jesus] began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that

‘they may indeed look, but not perceive,

and may indeed listen, but not understand;

so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’”

And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON                     “The Purpose of It All”         Mr. Mike Isham

 RESPONSE     

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

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. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY

DOXOLOGY [GTG#606]

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise God, all creatures here below.

Praise God above, ye heavenly host;

praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND 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

HYMN [GTG#714] God of the Fertile Fields

1 God of the fertile fields,

 shaper of earth that yields our daily bread:

 forth from your bounteous hand

come gifts your love has planned,

that all in every land be clothed and fed.

2 We would be stewards true,

holding in trust from you all that you give;

help us in love to share, teach us like you to care

for people everywhere, that all may live.

3 As grows the hidden seed

to fruit that serves our need, so your reign grows.

Let all our toil be used, no gift of yours abused,

no humble task refused your love bestows.

4 God of the countryside,

dear to the Christ who died to make us one:

we pledge our lives anew in faithful love to you.

Guide all we say and do. Your will be done.