Order of Worship 10-15-23
SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY
Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost
October 15th, 2023 Ten Thirty in the morning
Minister: Rev. Aaron Ochart
Lay Leader: Denis McCrea
Please silence all cell phones.
Bold face indicates congregational participation.
Please stand, in body or spirit
THE PEOPLE ARE GATHERED IN
PRELUDE
PROCESSIONAL HYMN [Blue #414] [GTG#712]
“As Those of Old Their Firstfruits Brought”
1 As those of old their firstfruits brought of vineyard, flock, and field
to God, the giver of all good, the source of bounteous yield,
so we today our firstfruits bring, the wealth of this good land:
3 In gratitude and humble trust we bring our best today,
to serve your cause and share your love with all along life’s way.
O God who gave yourself to us in Jesus Christ your Son,
help us to give ourselves each day until life’s work is done.
WORDS OF WELCOME
DEACON MINUTE/MINUTE FOR MISSION: Bill Bottomley
ADORATION
CALL TO WORSHIP Isa. 25:6–7
ONE: The Lord will make a feast for all people
MANY: and destroy the power of death forever.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of the people, your servant Ruth showed great love when she clung to Naomi. Teach us to show great compassion, and to turn to you when we are in need. Amen.
HYMN OF THE MONTH [BLUE#330] [GTG #50]
“Deep in the Shadows of the Past”
1 Deep in the shadows of the past,
far out from settled lands,
some nomads traveled with their God
across the desert sands.
The dawning hope of humankind
by them was sensed and shown:
a promise calling them ahead,
a future yet unknown.
2 While others bowed to changeless gods,
they met a mystery,
invisible, without a name:
“I AM WHAT I WILL BE”;
and by their tents, around their fires
in story, song, and law,
they praised, remembered, handed on
a past that promised more.
3 From Exodus to Pentecost
the promise changed and grew,
while some, remembering the past,
recorded what they knew,
or with their letters and laments,
their prophecy and praise,
recovered, kindled, and expressed
new hope for changing days.
4 For all the writings that survived,
for leaders, long ago,
who sifted, copied, and preserved
the Bible that we know,
give thanks, and find its story yet
our promise, strength, and call,
the model of emerging faith,
alive with hope for all.
MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN
RESPONSE 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 pow’r 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.
REPENTANCE
CALL TO CONFESSION
SILENT CONFESSION
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
O Lord our God, you call us to proclaim your gospel, but we remain silent in the presence of evil. You call us to be reconciled to you and one another, but we are content to live in separation. You call us to seek the good of all, but we fail to resist the powers of oppression. You call us to bring liberty for the oppressed, but we do not insist on freedom for all. You call us to fight pretensions and injustice, but we sit idly by, endangering the lives of people far and near.
Forgive us, Lord. Reconcile us to you by your Spirit, and give us the courage and strength to be reconciled to others; through Jesus Christ. Amen
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
GLORIA PATRI [BLUE#579] [GTG#581]
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
SCRIPTURE [Pew Bible OT 230 or 241] Ruth 1:1-17
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there for about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons or her husband.
Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had had consideration for his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.’ Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’ But Naomi said, ‘Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.’ Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
So she said, ‘See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth said,
‘Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die—
there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!’
ONE: The Word of the Lord
MANY: Thanks be to God
SERMON: “Where You Go, I Will Go” Rev. Aaron Ochart
RESPONSE
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH “Westminster Shorter Catechism”
ONE: What is the main purpose for humanity?
MANY: The main purpose for humanity is to glorify and enjoy God forever.
ONE: What rule has God given to tell us how we may glorify and enjoy God?
MANY: The Word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the only rule to tell us how we may glorify and enjoy God.
ONE: What do the Scriptures mainly teach?
MANY: The Scriptures mainly teach what we are to believe about God, and what duty God requires of us.
ONE: How many Persons are there in the Trinity?
MANY: There are three Persons in the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.
ONE: What is Sin?
MANY: Sin is any lack of obedience to, or violation of, the law of God.
ONE: Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?
MANY: The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continues to be, God and human, in two distinct natures, and one Person forever.
ONE: How does the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
MANY:The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
OFFERTORY God Moves in a Mysterious Way by Raymond H. Haan
DOXOLOGY [*BLUE#592] [GTG#606]
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. Amen.
REMEMBRANCE OF BAPTISM
ONE: The Lord be with you.
MANY: And also with you.
ONE: Lift up your hearts.
MANY: We lift them to the Lord.
ONE: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
MANY: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
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 [BLUE#482 [GTG#35] “Praise Ye The Lord, The Almighty”
1 Praise ye the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near;
join me in glad adoration!
2 Praise ye the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
granted in what he ordaineth?
3 Praise ye the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the amen sound from his people again;
gladly for aye we adore him.
PARTING PRAYER
O come to me, O servant Lord, pour water in your bowl, and wash my feet. I am bold to ask this because of my longing for fellowship with you. Wash my feet, then, and be my companion. Amen.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
RESPONSE [GTG#406] “We Are Standing On Holy Ground”
We are standing on holy ground
And I know there are angels all around
Let us praise Jesus now
We are standing in his presence On holy ground
POSTLUDE LOBE DE HERREN setting by Noel Rawsthorne
Announcements 10-15-23
Announcements:
PROGRAM OF HOPE: October is our month for the Program of Hope. We will be making sandwiches and bagging lunches at 2:00 PM every Tuesday in October except Oct. 31st.
MATTHEW 25: Tuesdays in October we will be presenting another program on the Matthew 25 initiative. Join us for this wonderful program at 12:30 PM in the Library. After the program you are welcome to join us in making sandwiches for Program of Hope. More information to come so mark your calendar now.
Books On Gratitude: As Fall approaches, our thoughts begin to turn to the upcoming Holidays. As we start to prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving and Christmas this is the perfect time to reflect on Gratitude. How do we live a life of Gratitude for what God has done for us? As Christians our gratitude goes beyond a list of things we are thankful for and turns our hearts to action. The first three books recommended by Christian Education Director for this month will help us to learn to live a life of Gratitude and the last two books will help us to understand that being thankful leads to action to give back to God through our time, tallents, and tithe. TOct. 15th God’s Abundant Table by Cynthia M. Campbell Goodnough (Editor) According to John Calvin, the true church was wherever the Word was rightly preached and the sacraments rightly administered. Put another way, church happens when believers gather to tell the story and break the bread. In God’s Abundant Table, Cynthia Campbell begins with the premise that the Eucharist (the ‘thanksgiving meal’ of the church) is far more than a re-enactment of the meal in the Upper Room. Rightly understood, the Lord’s Supper is connected to Jesus’ entire ministry, to the entire story of God’s relationship with God’s people, to our everyday meals and to the ministry to which each of us is called as Christ’s followers.
This reflection on key biblical texts and a six-session study guide, will invite you to discover the many connections in the Bible between what we do in the Lord’s Supper, what it means to be in relationship with God, and how God would have us live every day.
Pledge Drive: The Annual Pledge drive is starting soon. Be on the lookout for your pledge letter and card in the mail. Please send in your pledge card by November 5th, even if you are unable to pledge at this time.
Pictures: Do you have pictures of recent church events? We would love to have a copy too. Please share your pictures with Louise via email or text so we can add them to the slides.
PLAYSCHOOL: As always the Playschool is keeping busy. Here are few ways you can get involved:
- We are collecting candy and snacks in the narthex, church office, and playschool office for Trunk or Treat on Oct. 27th.
- Oct 18th Cane’s fundraiser at the Canes 4036 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70002 Just say you are with John Calvin and the playschool will receive a portion of the sales that day.
- The Annual gift wrap and cookie fundraiser will be starting on Oct. 20th. So be on the lookout for more information soon.
Food Drive: The Presbyterian Women are sponsoring a Fall Food Drive from Sunday, Oct 15th – Sunday Oct 22nd. This year the food will be given to Jefferson Presbyterian Church Food Bank, an USDA certified food bank. The food is distributed twice a month – the first and third Saturdays, servicing between 120 and 140 clients each Saturday. This is the only food bank in the area that is open on Saturday. Donations come mainly from Second Harvest with other churches, groups and individuals contributing. We would appreciate your support.Boxes will be provided to receive your donations. Should you choose to make a monetary donation please make the check out to the church and indicate that it is for the Food Drive.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: Pastor Aaron will be attending Homebrewed Christianity’s Theology Conference: the God-Pods Strike Back, October 19th to the 22nd.
CANTATA REHEARSAL: While Christmas still seems far off, rehearsals for the Christmas Canta are just around the corner. We will be starting Wednesday evening rehearsals in November so be on the lookout for more information and plan to join us.
CALENDAR
10/15 – 10:30 AM – Worship W/Children’s Church
10/16 – 9:00 PM – Bible Time for 3’s in their classroom
1:00 PM – Staff Meeting
6:30 PM – Session Meeting
10/17 – 9:30 AM – Bible Time PreK – TK
10:00 AM – Grace Circle
12:30 PM – Mathew 25
2:00 PM – Making Sandwiches for Program of Hope
10/18 – 8:00 AM – Program of Hope
Noon – 8:00 PM – Playschool Cane’s Fundraiser
2:30 PM – EJICA
10/19 – 10:00 AM – COM Nola Cluster
10/20 – Office Closed
10/22 – 9:15 AM – Sunday School – Adults in the Library / Fellowship Time for Elementary Youth
10:30 AM – Worship Children’s Church