2. The pain that will not go away,

the guilt that clings from things long past,

the fear of what the future holds,

are present as if meant to last.

But present too is love, which tends

the hurt we never hoped to find,

the private agonies inside,

the memories that haunt the mind.

WORDS OF WELCOME           

CALL TO WORSHIP John 1:36, 39

ONE: Look, here is the Lamb of God!

MANY: Jesus calls us: Come and see.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Lord of forgiveness, you healed a paralytic by forgiving his sins. Forgive us, heal us, and teach us to walk in your ways. Amen.

HYMN [GTG#319] Shout To The North

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)

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN                

 RESPONSE HYMN [GTG#795] Healer of Our Every Ill

 Refrain: Healer of our every ill, light of each tomorrow,

give us peace beyond our fear, and hope beyond our sorrow.

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 34 or 36]                                 Mark 2:1-22

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, ‘Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Stand up and take your mat and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the paralytic— ‘I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.’ And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’

Jesus went out again beside the lake; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax-collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax-collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this, he said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The wedding-guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.

‘No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.’

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON                “Up on the Rooftop”                the Rev. Aaron Ochart

 RESPONSE     

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Apostles’ Creed

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, 

And in Jesus Christ [God’s] 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.     

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 

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#731] Give Thanks For Those Whose Faith is Firm

1. Give thanks for those whose faith is firm

when all around seems bleak:

on God’s good promise they rely,

so while they live and when they die

how forcefully they speak: the strong, who once were weak!

2. Give thanks for those whose hope is clear,

beyond mere mortal sight:

who seek the city God has planned,

the true, eternal promised land,

and steer on toward that light, a beacon ever bright.

3. Give thanks for those whose love is pure,

a sparkling precious stone:

they show by what they say and do

an inward beauty warm and true,

for God’s concerns they own: God’s love through them is known.

4. Give thanks for saints of ages past and saints alive today:

though often by this world despised,

their hearts by God are richly prized.

Give thanks that we may say we share their pilgrim way.

PARTING PRAYER

Everlasting God, the radiance of faithful souls, who brought the nations to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising: Fill the world with your glory and show yourself to all nations; through him who is the true light and the bright morning star, Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

RESPONSE [*Blue#394][GTG#792] There is a Balm in Gilead                

There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;

there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

POSTLUDE                                   

*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.

Participating in today’s service are Rev. Aaron Ochart, Pastor; Louise Ochart, CE Leader; Kelly Cuppett, Music Director. Appreciation to Dennis Lauland. Mike Fortin, and David Garland for the video production of today’s service. 

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

The Reverend Aaron Ochart – Head of Staff

Louise Ochart – Christian Education Leader

Kelly Cuppett – Music Director

Lauren Crisler  – Playschool Director

Stephanie Galliano – Playschool Admin. Asst.

For more information, visit our website at www.JohnCalvinChurch.org

 or find us @JohnCalvinMetairie on