Order of Worship 08_08_21

SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY

11th Sunday after Pentecost

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA)

August 8, 2021 Ten Thirty in the morning

 Minister: The Rev. Aaron Ochart

                                                  Liturgist: Lorraine Hicks                                                   

Please silence all cell phones. 

Face masks must be worn while entering and exiting 

Bold face indicates congregational participation

GATHERING

WORDS OF WELCOME

PRELUDE           “Chaconne in F Minor by Pachelbel”

ADORATION

CALL TO WORSHIP                                                      Psalm 85:8

Let us hear what the Lord will speak.

God will speak peace to the faithful.                         

PRAYER OF THE DAY

God of grace, you do not judge us according to our sins, which are many. If we had to live up to the perfection of your Law, we would fail every time. You do not judge us on our imperfection, but according to the perfection of Jesus Christ. Since you do not expect perfection of us, help us not to expect perfection from others. Help us to grant others the grace that you so freely give. Amen.

HYMN                 “In Christ There Is No East or West”  

1 In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north,

but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth.

2 In Christ shall true hearts everywhere their high communion find;

his service is the golden cord close-binding humankind.

CALL TO CONFESSION        

SILENT CONFESSION                                                          

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)

Merciful God, in your presence we confess our sin and the sin of this world. Although Christ is among us as our peace, we are a people divided against ourselves, as we cling to the values of a broken world. The profit and pleasures we pursue lay waste the land and pollute the seas. The fears and jealousies that we harbor set neighbor against neighbor and nation against nation. We abuse your good gifts of imagination and freedom, of intellect and reason, and have turned them into bonds of oppression. Lord, have mercy upon us; heal and forgive us. Set us free to serve you in the world as agents of your reconciling love in Jesus Christ. Amen. 

ASSURANCE OF PARDON               

GLORIA PATRI 579         

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.

PROCLAMATION

FIRST LESSON                                         Romans 3:19-26

Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.

                                  

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN   

         

SECOND LESSON                                         Acts 15: 1-29

Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the believers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; from its ruins I will rebuild it, and I will set it up, so that all other peoples may seek the Lord—even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called. Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things known from long ago.’ Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues.” Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled[j] and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. 

SERMON                              “Standards”                 Rev. Aaron Ochart

RESPONSE 

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                                          Apostle’s 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.                          

COLLECTION OF OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY            “I Danced in the Morning” 

*DOXOLOGY

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise God, all creatures here below;

Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND 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.

SENDING

*HYMN                “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God” 

1 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.

2 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 a fierce wild beast:

and there’s not any reason, no, not the least, why I shouldn’t be one too.

3 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.

PARTING PRAYER       Attributed to Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-c. 547)   

O gracious and holy God, give us diligence to seek you, wisdom to perceive you, and patience to wait for you. Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you; eyes to behold you; ears to listen for your word; a heart to love you; and a life to proclaim you; through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.                  

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE                         “Ode to Joy”



Order of Worship 08_01_21

SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY

10th Sunday after Pentecost

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA)

August 1, 2021 Ten Thirty in the morning

Minister: The Reverend Aaron Ochart             

Liturgist: David Garland

Please silence all cell phones. 

Face Masks optional for those fully vaccinated.

Bold face indicates congregational participation.

*Please stand in body or Spirit

GATHERING

WORDS OF WELCOME     

PRELUDE      Sarabande from French Suite No. 5 (J.S. Bach)   

ADORATION

CALL TO WORSHIP                                                 

Leader: Arise, Shine; for your light has come,

People: and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Lord of Light, you show us the light of Love, help us to show that love to one another. You show us the light of Trust, help us to put our trust in you. You show your light of Faith, help us to depend upon you in faith. You show us the light of your Joy, Help us to live lives of deep joy. And you show us your light of Hope, help us to bring your hope to the world. Amen. 

*HYMN                    “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”  

1 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea.

There’s a kindness in God’s justice, which is more than liberty.

There is no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in heaven.

There is no place where earth’s failings have such kindly judgment given.

2 For the love of God is broader than the measures of the mind.

And the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.

If our love were but more faithful, we would gladly trust God’s Word,

and our lives reflect thanksgiving for the goodness of our Lord.

CONFESSION 

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

   Merciful God, in your presence we confess our sin and the sin of this world. Although Christ is among us as our peace, we are a people divided against ourselves, as we cling to the values of a broken world. The profit and pleasures we pursue lay waste the land and pollute the seas. The fears and jealousies that we harbor set neighbor against neighbor and nation against nation. We abuse your good gifts of imagination and freedom, of intellect and reason, and have turned them into bonds of oppression. Lord, have mercy upon us; heal and forgive us. Set us free to serve you in the world as agents of your reconciling love in Jesus Christ. Amen.      

ASSURANCE OF PARDON                     

GLORIA PATRI 579 

PROCLAMATION                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

SCRIPTURE LESSON       Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine; for your light has come,

   and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth,

   and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,

   and his glory will appear over you.

Nations shall come to your light,

   and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

ANTHEM                     “Discovery on Adventure Island” 

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN                                                                              

SERMON                     “Arise and Shine”                 Rev. Aaron Ochart

 RESPONSE     

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                  Confession of Belhar   10.5-10.6

We believe that God has entrusted the church with the message of reconciliation in and through Jesus Christ; 

that the church is called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, that the church is called blessed because it is a peacemaker, that the church is witness both by word and by deed to the new heaven and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. 

that God’s lifegiving Word and Spirit has conquered the powers of sin and death, and therefore also of irreconciliation and hatred, bitterness and enmity, that God’s lifegiving Word and Spirit will enable the church to live in a new obedience which can open new possibilities of life for society and the world;  

that the credibility of this message is seriously affected and its beneficial work obstructed when it is proclaimed in a land which professes to be Christian, but in which the enforced separation of people on a racial basis promotes and perpetuates alienation, hatred and enmity; 

that any teaching which attempts to legitimate such forced separation by appeal to the gospel, and is not prepared to venture on the road of obedience and reconciliation, but rather, out of prejudice, fear, selfishness and unbelief, denies in advance the reconciling power of the gospel, must be considered ideology and false doctrine. 

Therefore, we reject any doctrine which, in such a situation sanctions in the name of the gospel or of the will of God the forced separation of people on the grounds of race and color and thereby in advance obstructs and weakens the ministry and experience of reconciliation in Christ. 

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

   The Lord be with you.

        And also with you.

   Lift up your hearts.

        We lift them to the Lord.

   Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise…

…Therefore with all creation we sing your praise:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest…

Great is the mystery of faith:

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION and 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.

COLLECTION OF OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY                         “Running”                   Discovery Island VBS

DOXOLOGY

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise God, all creatures here below;

Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 

HYMN               “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound”  

1 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.

2 ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed!

3 Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come;

’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.

4 The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures.

5 When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.

PARTING PRAYER       Attributed to Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-c. 547)   

O gracious and holy God, give us diligence to seek you, wisdom to perceive you, and patience to wait for you. Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate on you; eyes to behold you; ears to listen for your word; a heart to love you; and a life to proclaim you; through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE         “Mit Freuden Zart”         




ANNOUNCEMENTS