PRELUDE For the Beauty of the Earth by Jon Schmidt      

PROCESSIONAL HYMN [GTG#14] For the Beauty of the Earth

1 For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,

for the love which from our birth over and around us lies:

Refrain:

Lord of all, to thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise.

2 For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night,

hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light: [Refrain]

3 For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and mind’s delight,

for the mystic harmony linking sense to sound and sight: [Refrain]

4 For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child,

friends on earth, and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild:  [Refrain]

5 For thyself, best gift divine to the world so freely given;

WORDS OF WELCOME 

ADORATION      

CALL TO WORSHIP Matt. 23:12

ONE: Those who exalt themselves will be humbled,

MANY: and those who are humble will be exalted.

                                                   

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Creator God,

you have filled the world with beauty. Open our eyes to behold

your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him by whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,

HYMN [GTG#324] For All the Faithful Women

For all the faithful women who served in days of old,

to you shall thanks be given; to all, their story told.

They served with strength and gladness in tasks your wisdom gave.

To you their lives bore witness, proclaimed your power to save.

 We praise your name for Miriam, who sang triumphantly

while Pharaoh’s vaunted army lay drowned beneath the sea;

For Ruth, who left her homeland and ventured forth in faith,

who pledged to serve and worship Naomi’s God till death.

We sing of busy Martha, who toiled with pot and pan

while Mary sat in silence to hear the word again. 

We praise the other Mary, who hastened to the tomb

and found her Lord arisen, dispelling doubt and gloom. 

Lord, hear our praise of Dorcas, who served the sick and poor.

Her hands were cups of kindness, her heart an open door.

O God, for saints and servants, our fervent prayer we raise,

that, faithful in your service, our lives may sing your praise.

REPENTANCE

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Almighty and merciful God,

we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Forgive those who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to the world in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O merciful God, for his sake, that we may live a holy, just, and humble life to the glory of your holy name.

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

1st SCRIPTURE                     Psalm 146

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.

When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God,

who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;

who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!

2nd SCRIPTURE                           Mark 12: 28-34

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.  

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON     “(B)ut the Greatest of These is…”      CP Ford Dieth

 RESPONSE     

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.     

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;

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE 

THE LORD’S PRAYER 

HYMN [GTG#366] Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

1 Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven, to earth come down,

fix in us thy humble dwelling; all thy faithful mercies crown.

Jesus, thou art all compassion; pure, unbounded love thou art;

visit us with thy salvation; enter every trembling heart.

2 Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast;

let us all in thee inherit; let us find the promised rest.

Take away the love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be;

end of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.

3 Come, Almighty, to deliver; let us all thy life receive;

suddenly return, and never, nevermore thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above,

pray, and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.

4 Finish then thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be;

let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee:

changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,

till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.

PARTING PRAYER 

We pray to you, O God: be our helper and protector. Save the afflicted, have mercy on the lowly, raise up the fallen, help the needy, humble the proud, return the lost, feed the hungry, release the captive, heal the sick, revive the weak, and comfort those in fear. All this we ask for the sake of the world you love, and in the name of the one you sent to save us: Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

RESPONSE [GTG#716] God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending

3. Treasure, too, you have entrusted, gain through powers your grace conferred: ours to use for home and kindred,

and to spread the gospel word.

Open wide our hands in sharing, as we heed Christ’s ageless call,

healing, teaching, and reclaiming, serving you by loving all.

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.

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. 

STAFF

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