1. Called as partners in Christ’s service, called to ministries of grace,

We respond with deep commitment fresh new lines of faith to trace.

May we learn the art of sharing, side by side and friend with friend,

Equal partners in our caring to fulfill God’s chosen end.

2. Christ’s example, Christ’s inspiring, 

Christ’s clear call to work and worth

let us follow, never faltering, reconciling folk on earth.

Men and women, richer, poorer, all God’s people young and old,

blending human skills together gracious gifts from God unfold.

3. Thus new patterns for Christ’s mission, in a small or global sense,

help us bear each other’s burdens, breaking down each wall or fence.

Words of comfort, words of vision, words of challenge said with care,

bring new power and strength for action, 

make us colleagues free and fair.

4. So God grant us for tomorrow ways to order human life

that surround each person’s sorrow with a calm that conquers strife.

Make us partners in our living, our compassion to increase,

messengers of faith, thus giving hope and confidence and peace.

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN             

RESPONSE HYMN [GTG#727]  

“Will You Let Me Be Your Servant”

Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you?

Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.

REPENTANCE

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

God of grace, love, and communion, we confess that we have failed to love you with all our heart, soul, and mind; and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We ignore your commandments, stray from your way, and follow other gods. Have mercy on us. Forgive our sin and raise us to new life that we may serve you faithfully and give honor to your holy name. 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 647 or 688]  Isaiah 58:6-11

Is not this the fast that I choose:

   to loose the bonds of injustice,

   to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

   and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

   and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,

   and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

   and your healing shall spring up quickly;

your vindicator shall go before you,

   the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

   you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,

   the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

if you offer your food to the hungry

   and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness

   and your gloom be like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually,

   and satisfy your needs in parched places,

   and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

   like a spring of water,

   whose waters never fail.

[Pew Bible NT #27 or 29] Matthew 25:31-46

‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON Responding to God’s Activity in the World Through Service to Others”         Caroline Kothari

 RESPONSE     

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH         “A Brief Statement of Faith”- Spirit

In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. 

 

We trust in God the Holy Spirit everywhere the giver and renewer of life. The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church. The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls women and men to all ministries of the Church. In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!

With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah J. Hughes, arr. V. Labenske

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. 

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 [*BLUE339] [GTG#450] 

“Be Thou My Vision”    

1. Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; 

naught be all else to me, save that thou art;

though my best thought, by day or by night,

waking or sleeping, thy presence my light. 

2. Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true Word;

I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;

thou my soul’s shelter and thou my high tower;

raise thou me heavenward, O Power of my power. 

3. Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise;

thou mine inheritance, now and always;

thou and thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art. 

4. High King of Heaven, my victory won, 

may I reach heaven’s joy, O bright heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

still be my vision, O Ruler of all. 

PARTING PRAYER 

Grant unto us, O God, the fullness of your promises.

where we have been weak, grant us your strength;

where we have been confused, grant us your guidance;

where we have been distraught, grant us your comfort;

where we have been dead, grant us your life.

Apart from you, O Lord, we are nothing,

in and with you we can do all things. Amen.

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

RESPONSE [*Blue#432] [GTG# 765] “Song of Hope” 

May the God of hope go with us every day,

filling all our lives with love and joy and peace. 

May the God of justice speed us on our way,

bringing light and hope to every land and race.

Praying, let us work for peace; singing, share our joy with all;

Working for a world that’s new, faith-ful when we hear Christ’s Call

¡Dios de la esperanza, danos gozo y paz!

Al mundo en crisis, habla tu verdad.

Dios de la justicia, mándanos tu luz,

Luz y esperanza en la oscuridad.

Oremos por la paz, cantemos de tu amor,

luchemos por la paz, fieles a ti, Señor.

POSTLUDE