John Calvin Presbyterian Church

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”

1. 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.

2. 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.

MANY:The righteous will live by their faith.

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

Loving Lord, you gave commandments to your people as a gift. Teach us to be  obedient to your word and to care for each other as we do your will. 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 #453] 

“Open Your Ears, O Faithful People (453)”

Open your ears, O faithful people,

open your ears and hear God’s word.

Open your hearts, O royal priesthood,

God has come to you.

God has spoken to the people, Hallelujah!

God has spoken words of wisdom, Hallelujah!

God has spoken to the people, Hallelujah!

God has spoken words of wisdom, Hallelujah!

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 156 or 162] Deut. 5:1-21; 6:4-9

Moses convened all Israel, and said to them:

Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances that I am addressing to you today; you shall learn them and observe them diligently. The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. Not with our ancestors did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the fire. (At that time I was standing between the Lord and you to declare to you the words of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain.) And he said:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. For six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

Neither shall you commit adultery.

Neither shall you steal.

Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor.

Neither shall you covet your neighbor’s wife.

Neither shall you desire your neighbor’s house, or field, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON:  “Big Ten” Rev. Aaron Ochart 

 RESPONSE     

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH            Heidelberg Catechism: BOC 4.001          

ONE: What is your only comfort, in life and in death?

MANY: That I belong body and soul, in life and in death not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit his purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by the Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY You Shall Love the Lord Your God 

by Victoria Davison and Rudy Lupinski

You shall love the Lord your God with

 all your heart and soul and mind and strength:

This is the greatest commandment. (Repeat)

And the second commandment is like it:

 You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

On these two commandments

 the whole law is based, and the prophets as well.

Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone!

Therefore, you shall love the Lord your God 

with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.

This is the greatest commandment. (Repeat)

And the second commandment is like it: 

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

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. 

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#519]  “You are My Strength When I Am Weak”    

You are my strength when I am weak; you are the treasure that I seek;

you are my all in all.

When I fall down you pick me up.

When I am dry you fill my cup.

You are my all in all.

Jesus, lamb of God, worthy is your name.

Jesus, lamb of God, worthy is your name.

MINUTE FOR MISSION Peace and Global Witness

ADORATION 

CALL TO WORSHIP    

ONE: We gather from the west to the east, from the south to the north,

MANY: to celebrate the God of peace who accompanies us in our acts of peace.

ONE: This God of peace accompanies us in each and every circumstance around us.

MANY: We praise God’s name! Amen!

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

God of deliverance, you called Moses to be your hands, feet, and voice in a troubled world. Teach us how to work, walk, and speak your word in a troubled world. 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 #530] “One Bread, One Body”

One bread, one body, one Lord of all

One cup of blessing which we bless

And we, though many, throughout the Earth

We are one body in this one Lord

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 47 or 48] Exodus 1:8-14

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

MEDITATION:               “Bread of Freedom”                Rev. Aaron Ochart

SCRIPTURE  [Pew Bible NT 48 or 51]             Mark 14:22-25

While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

MEDITATION: “Partaking Together!”               Rev. Susan Lassalle

 RESPONSE     

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH             Nicene Creed (Eccumenical) 

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY Follow the Drinking Gourd        arr. Victor Johnson

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. 

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

THE GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

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.

ONE: …Therefore with all creation we sing your praise:

MANY: 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.

ONE: … Praise to you, Lord Jesus:

MANY: Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory…

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

ONE: … The gifts of God for the people of God.

MANY: Thanks be to God.

HYMN [BLUE#563] [GTG#339] “Lift Every Voice and Sing”  

1 Lift every voice and sing till earth and heaven ring,

ring with the harmonies of liberty.

Let our rejoicing rise high as the listening skies;

let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;

sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

let us march on, till victory is won.

2 Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,

felt in the days when hope unborn had died.

Yet, with a steady beat, have not our weary feet

come to the place for which our parents sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered;

we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,

out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last

where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

3 God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,

thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;

thou who hast by thy might led us into the light,

keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;

lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee;

shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand,

true to our God, true to our native land.

PARTING PRAYER 

Gracious God, we offer our thanks, for the whole communion of saint’s witness to this feast, and for the ministry of churches around the world who gather with us today. By this broken bread may we each be restored for the work yet to come. By this shared cup may we each be claimed for the proclamation of your Kindom. At this shared table may we be united as children of your promise, children of your word, dying and made new again, sent boldly together into the world as servants of your peace. 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 Lift Every Voice and Sing by J. Rosamond Johnson

*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 John Calvin Presbyterian; Rev. Susan Lassalle, Pastor Little Farms UCC Louise Ochart, CE Leader; Kelly Cuppett, Music Director. Appreciation to Dennis Lauland, Mike Fortin, Cam and Bri Mayfield, 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. 

MANY: and lifts up the needy from the ashes.

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

Holy God, your servant Jacob wrestled with your angel and prevailed. In honor of his persistence you gave him a new name. Teach us to persist in the face of struggle, and call us by name. Amen. 

HYMN OF THE MONTH [BLUE#458] [GTG #26] 

“Earth and All Stars”

1. Earth and all stars! loud rushing planets!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Hail, wind, and rain, loud blowing snowstorms!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

2. Trumpet and pipes! Loud clashing cymbals!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Harp, lute, and lyre! Loud humming cellos!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

3. Engines and steel! Loud pounding hammers!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Limestone and beams! Loud building workers,

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN             

RESPONSE HYMN [GTG #760] 

“Bring Many Names”

1 Bring many names, beautiful and good,

celebrate, in parable and story,

holiness in glory, living, loving God.

Hail and Hosanna! Bring many names!

REPENTANCE

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Eternal God, our judge and redeemer, we confess that we have tried to hide from you, for we have done wrong. We have lived for ourselves, and apart from you. We have turned from our neighbors, and refused to bear the burdens of others. We have ignored the pain of the world, and passed by the hungry, the poor, and the oppressed. In your great mercy forgive our sins and free us from selfishness, that we may choose your will and obey your commandments; through Jesus Christ our Savior. 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 489 or 517]                     Psalm 46

To the leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth. A Song.

God is our refuge and strength,

   a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,

   though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

though its waters roar and foam,

   though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

          Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

   the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;

   God will help it when the morning dawns.

The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;

   he utters his voice, the earth melts.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

   the God of Jacob is our refuge.

          Selah

Come, behold the works of the LORD;

   see what desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

   he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;

   he burns the shields with fire.

‘Be still, and know that I am God!

   I am exalted among the nations,

   I am exalted in the earth.’

The LORD of hosts is with us;

   the God of Jacob is our refuge.

          Selah

SCRIPTURE  [Pew Bible NT 28 or 29]             Genesis 32:6-13, 22-30

Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, ‘Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, “I have lived with Laban as an alien, and stayed until now; and I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male and female slaves; and I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.” ’

The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, ‘We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.’ Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies, thinking, ‘If Esau comes to one company and destroys it, then the company that is left will escape.’

And Jacob said, ‘O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, “Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will do you good”, I am not worthy of the least of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him; he may come and kill us all, the mothers with the children. Yet you have said, “I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted because of their number.” ’

So he spent that night there, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau,…

The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day is breaking.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go, unless you bless me.’ So he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then the man said, ‘You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.’ Then Jacob asked him, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.’

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON: “Striving with God and with Humans” Rev. Aaron Ochart 

 RESPONSE     

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH             “Scots Confession”

We confess and acknowledge one God alone, to whom alone we must cleave, whom alone we must serve, whom only we must worship, and in whom alone we put our trust. Who is eternal, infinite, immeasurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent, invisible; one in substance and yet distinct in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. By whom we confess and believe all things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, to have been created, to be retained in their being, and to be ruled and guided by [God’s] inscrutable providence for such end as [God’s] eternal wisdom, goodness, and justice have appointed, and to the manifestation of [God’s] own glory.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown       Daniel L. Mennicke 

Ft. Jessica Martinez

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. 

RECEIVING OF NEW MEMBERS

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#119] [GTG#236]  “The Strife is O’er”    

Refrain: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

1 The strife is o’er, the battle done;

the victory of life is won;

the song of triumph has begun.

Alleluia!

2 The powers of death have done their worst,

but Christ their legions hath dispersed:

let shouts of holy joy outburst.

Alleluia!

3 The three sad days are quickly sped;

Christ rises glorious from the dead:

all glory to our risen Head!

Alleluia!

4 Lord, by the stripes which wounded thee,

from death’s dread sting thy servants free,

that we may live, and sing to thee:

Alleluia! (Refrain)

MANY: God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

God of promise, Abraham scoffed and Sarah laughed when they were told of your plans for them and their family. Yet you remained faithful to your promise, and gave them a son, Isaac. Help us to trust in your promises for our lives, and to live according to your will. Amen. 

HYMN OF THE MONTH [BLUE#458] [GTG #26] 

“Earth and All Stars” Ver. 1,3,4

1. Earth and all stars! loud rushing planets!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Hail, wind, and rain, loud blowing snowstorms!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

3. Engines and steel! Loud pounding hammers!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Limestone and beams! Loud building workers,

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

4 Knowledge and truth! Loud sounding wisdom!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Daughter and son! Loud praying members!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN             

RESPONSE HYMN [GTG #488] 

“I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry”

2.”When you heard the wonder of the Word

I was there to cheer you on;

You were raised to praise the living Lord,

to whom you now belong.

If you find someone to share your time

and you join your hearts as one,

I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme

from dusk ’till rising sun.”

REPENTANCE

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Eternal God, our judge and redeemer, we confess that we have tried to hide from you, for we have done wrong. We have lived for ourselves, and apart from you. We have turned from our neighbors, and refused to bear the burdens of others. We have ignored the pain of the world, and passed by the hungry, the poor, and the oppressed. In your great mercy forgive our sins and free us from selfishness, that we may choose your will and obey your commandments; through Jesus Christ our Savior. 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 541 or 573]                 Psalm 127

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

Unless the LORD builds the house,

   those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the LORD guards the city,

   the guard keeps watch in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early

   and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious toil;

   for he gives sleep to his beloved.

Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD,

   the fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

   are the sons of one’s youth.

Happy is the man who has

   his quiver full of them.

He shall not be put to shame

   when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

SCRIPTURE  [Pew Bible NT 13 or 14]           Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, ‘My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.’ So they said, ‘Do as you have said.’ And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.’ Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

They said to him, ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’ Then one said, ‘I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?’ The LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, and say, “Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?” Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.’ But Sarah denied, saying, ‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid. He said, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’…

The LORD dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Now Sarah said, ‘God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.’ And she said, ‘Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON:       “God of Hope”               Rev. Aaron Ochart 

 RESPONSE     

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH             “Nicene Creed”

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY Hymn of Promise Natalie Sleeth

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.

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#498] [GTG#486] 

“Child of Blessing, Child of Promise”    

1 Child of blessing, child of promise,

baptized with the Spirit’s sign,

with this water God has sealed you

unto love and grace divine.

2 Child of love, our love’s expression,

love’s creation, loved indeed!

Fresh from God, refresh our spirits;

into joy and laughter lead.

3 Child of joy, our dearest treasure,

God’s you are, from God you came.

Back to God we humbly give you:

live as one who bears Christ’s name.

4 Child of God, your loving Parent,

learn to listen for God’s call.

Grow to laugh and sing and worship;

trust and love God more than all.

PARTING PRAYER 

Lord, the gift of your Word is a light for our path. Help us to study your way and follow your teaching, until we know the true Light who has come into the world and will come again in glory: Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

RESPONSE [GTG# 547] “Go, My Children, with My Blessing”

“Go, my Children, with my blessing, never alone. 

Waking, sleeping, I am with you, you are my own. 

In my love’s baptismal river I have made you mine forever. 

Go, my children, with my blessing. You are my own.”  

POSTLUDE Invention No. 8 in F J.S. Bach

*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. 

2. God cares for me, God cares for me, 

God cares for me; God’s so good to me. 

3. God loves me so, God loves me so, 

God loves me so; God’s so good to me. 

4. God is so good, God is so good, 

God is so good; God’s so good to me.

WORDS OF WELCOME         

MINUTE FOR THE CHURCH Christian Education and Fellowship 

ADORATION 

CALL TO WORSHIP                     Ps. 1:1–3

ONE: Happy are those who delight in God’s word.

MANY: They are like trees planted by the water. 

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

Holy Creator, you created all people in your own image to till the earth and help one another. Give us hearts to continue tending to all that you have made so that the earth will sustain life for generations to come. Amen.

HYMN OF THE MONTH [BLUE#458] [GTG #26] 

“Earth and All Stars” Verses 1, 2, and 4

1. Earth and all stars! loud rushing planets!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Hail, wind, and rain, loud blowing snowstorms!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

2. Trumpet and pipes! Loud clashing cymbals!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Harp, lute, and lyre! Loud humming cellos!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

4. Knowledge and truth! Loud sounding wisdom!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Daughter and son! Loud praying members!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN 

COMMISSIONING of TEACHERS: 

Playschool Teachers to be commissioned: Lauren Crisler Director, Stephanie Galliano, Adm. Asst., Michelle Henry, TK Teacher, Sue McKenzie, TK Teacher, Nancy James, PK+ Teacher, Cherie Corcoran, PK+ Teacher, Briana Pertuit, PK+ Teacher, Debbie Perrie, PK+ Teacher, Sherry Welch-Kinler, 3’s Teacher, Virginia LaHatte, 3’s Teacher, May Masri,  3’s Teacher, Sharon Penny, 3’s Teacher, Kim Knouse, 3’s Teacher, Jamie Orlando, 3’s/2’s Teacher, Brittanie Amerland, 2’s Teacher, Kim Joseph, 2’s Teacher,  Angle’ Young, 2’s Teacher, Amanda Rowell, 2’s Teacher, Stacey O’Neil, 2’s Teacher, Gina Nissenbaum, 2’s Teacher, Yvette Burst, 1’s Teacher, Brittany Louis, 1’s Teacher, Alexandria Franks, Music Teacher, Hollie Gomila, Body Movement Teacher, Kaitlin Novak, Art Teacher, Cherie Mosbey, Substitute Teacher, Angelle Muscarello, Substitute Teacher, Laura DaCunha, Substitute Teacher, Janelle D’Herete, Substitute Teacher, Marleen Delle, Substitute Teacher, Debby Haydel, Substitute Teacher. 

JCPC Sunday School Teachers and Nursery Care workers to be Commissioned: Briana Mayfield, Cameron Mayfield, Linda Lowry, Louise Ochart, Rev. Aaron Ochart, Cynthia Palmisano

ONE: God calls ordinary people from ordinary places to do extraordinary work with God’s people. God called Abraham and Sarah to pack their belongings and follow God to a new land.

ALL: So they followed God. 

ONE: God called Moses to take the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. 

ALL: So they followed God. 

ONE: God called David to be a king, even though he was a young boy and the youngest of all of Jesse’s sons.

ALL: So they followed God. 

ONE: God called Mary to have a baby and name the child “Jesus,” because he would save the people from their sins.

ALL: So they followed God.

ONE: God called Peter and James and John away from their families, their homes, and their work as fishermen.

ALL: So they followed God. 

ONE: God called Martha away from the kitchen and Lydia away from her purple cloth, and Priscilla to open her home as a new church.

ALL: So they followed God. 

LOUISE: Sunday School teachers and other church educators, You have been called to teach the faith to those in your congregation, from the youngest to the oldest. You are called to teach and to learn lessons from the Bible, deep spiritual truths, and to mutually call one another to deeper faith and life. Will you serve with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love? 

SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS: We will.

LAUREN: Playschool Teachers, You have been called to serve God in this place by teaching our smallest ones. You will teach colors, letters, and numbers, as well as foundational lessons of how to be a human being.  Will you serve with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love?

PLAYSCHOOL TEACHERS: We will.

AARON: Lord our God, we are like trees planted by the Living Water of your Word. May we meditate on your Word day and night. Your Spirit calls out to us in the business of our lives to learn her wisdom, to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not to rely on our own understanding. 

Bless the teachers called to these particular ministries, whether they are here in person or elsewhere. Give them your strength when they have none and your peace that passes all understanding. Help them to remember that they are called to learn as well. Bless all of their students, no matter the age, and give them a great year of learning and growth. Bless also all of the students, teachers, staff, and administration of the many schools around us. Keep them all safe and in your tender loving kindness. Amen.    

RESPONSE HYMN [BLUE#304] [GTG #188] 

“Jesus Loves Me!”

1 Jesus loves me! This I know,

for the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong.

They are weak, but he is strong.

Refrain: Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

REPENTANCE

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Eternal God, our judge and redeemer, we confess that we have tried to hide from you, for we have done wrong. We have lived for ourselves, and apart from you. We have turned from our neighbors, and refused to bear the burdens of others. We have ignored the pain of the world, and passed by the hungry, the poor, and the oppressed. In your great mercy forgive our sins and free us from selfishness, that we may choose your will and obey your commandments; through Jesus Christ our Savior. 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 472 or 499]                   Psalm 20

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

The LORD answer you in the day of trouble!

   The name of the God of Jacob protect you!

May he send you help from the sanctuary,

   and give you support from Zion.

May he remember all your offerings,

   and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices.

          Selah

May he grant you your heart’s desire,

   and fulfill all your plans.

May we shout for joy over your victory,

   and in the name of our God set up our banners.

May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;

   he will answer him from his holy heaven

   with mighty victories by his right hand.

Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,

   but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.

They will collapse and fall,

   but we shall rise and stand upright.

Give victory to the king, O Lord;

   answer us when we call.

SCRIPTURE  [Pew Bible NT 2]                         Genesis 2:4-25

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’

Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

‘This at last is bone of my bones

   and flesh of my flesh;

this one shall be called Woman,

   for out of Man this one was taken.’

Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON: “Rescuing Deliverer” Reverend 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   You Are the One         Thomas Keesecker   

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 

THE LORD’S PRAYERS

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#455] [GTG#15] 

“All Creatures of Our God And King” Verses 1, 3, and 6    

1 All creatures of our God and King,

lift up your voice and with us sing,

Alleluia! Alleluia!

O brother sun with golden beam,

O sister moon with silver gleam,

sing praises! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

3 O brother fire, so warm and bright,

chase off the shadows of the night.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Dear mother earth, who day by day

unfolds such blessings on our way,

sing praises! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

6 O sisters, brothers, take your part,

and worship God with humble heart.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

All creatures, bless the Father, Son,

and Holy Spirit, Three in One!

Sing praises! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

PARTING PRAYER  (Jarome c.342-420)

Lord, the gift of your Word is a light for our path. Help us to study your way and follow your teaching, until we know the true Light who has come into the world and will come again in glory: Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

RESPONSE [GTG# 547] “Go, My Children, with My Blessing”

“Go, my Children, with my blessing, never alone. 

Waking, sleeping, I am with you, you are my own. 

In my love’s baptismal river I have made you mine forever. 

Go, my children, with my blessing. You are my own.”  

POSTLUDE LASST UNS ERFREUEN

MANY: who gives birth to us through the word. 

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

O God, author and giver of all good things, plant in our hearts the love of your name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. 

HYMN OF THE MONTH [BLUE#458] [GTG #26] 

“Earth and All Stars”

1. Earth and all stars! loud rushing planets!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Hail, wind, and rain, loud blowing snowstorms!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

2. Trumpet and pipes! Loud clashing cymbals!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Harp, lute, and lyre! Loud humming cellos!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

3. Engines and steel! Loud pounding hammers!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Limestone and beams! Loud building workers,

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

4 Knowledge and truth! Loud sounding wisdom!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Daughter and son! Loud praying members!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

God has done marvelous things.

We too sing praise with a new song!

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN             

RESPONSE HYMN [GTG #700] 

“I am Gonna Live So God Can Use Me”

1 I’m gonna live so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime!

I’m gonna live so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime!

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 156 or 162]           Deuteronomy 5:12-15

Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. For six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

SCRIPTURE  [Pew Bible NT 11 or 12]                   Matthew 12:1-14

At that time Jesus went through the cornfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, ‘Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.’ He said to them, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests. Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice”, you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.’

He left that place and entered their synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, ‘Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?’ so that they might accuse him. He said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.’ Then he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON:                   “Sabbath Rest”                   Rev. Aaron Ochart 

 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        

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. 

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

THE GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

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.

ONE: …Therefore with all creation we sing your praise:

MANY: 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.

ONE: … Praise to you, Lord Jesus:

MANY: Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory…

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

ONE: … The gifts of God for the people of God.

MANY: Thanks be to God.

HYMN [BLUE#343] [GTG#761] 

“Called as Partners in Christ’s Service”    

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.

MANY: And so we are transfigured much like Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

Living God, you call us as your church, as the body of Christ. Help us do better today than we did yesterday, and tomorrow do better still at reflecting your glory! Amen. 

HYMN [BLUE #333] [GTG #175] 

“Seek Ye First”

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

And His righteousness

And all these things shall be added unto you

Allelu Alleluia

Ask and it shall be given unto you

Seek and ye shall find

Knock and it shall be opened unto you

Allelu Alleluia.

3 You shall not live by bread alone,

 but by every word

that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Allelu, alleluia!

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN             

RESPONSE HYMN [GTG#177] “I Will Come To You”

“I will come to you in the silence; I will lift you from all your fear. 

You will hear my voice; I claim you as my choice. 

Be still and know I am here.

Do not be afraid I am with you. I have called you each by name. 

Come and follow me, I will bring you home;

I love you and you are mine.”

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 535 or 566]           Psalm 119:9-16

How can young people keep their way pure?

   By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you;

   do not let me stray from your commandments.

I treasure your word in my heart,

   so that I may not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O LORD;

   teach me your statutes.

With my lips I declare

   all the ordinances of your mouth.

I delight in the way of your decrees

   as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on your precepts,

   and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes;

   I will not forget your word.

SCRIPTURE  [Pew Bible NT 146 or 156]           Romans 6:1-14

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON: “Be the Church 12: reviewing and evaluating regularly the integrity of one’s membership, and considering ways in which one’s participation in the worship and service of the church may be increased and made more meaningful.” Reverend Ochart 

 RESPONSE     

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH             “A Brief Statement of Faith” – Jesus

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 Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal.

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        

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

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#364] [GTG#730] “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.

the Lord God made them all.

1 Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings,

God made their glowing colors; God made their tiny wings. [Refrain]

2 The purple-headed mountain, the river running by,

the sunset, and the morning that brightens up the sky: [Refrain]

3 The cold wind in the winter, the pleasant summer sun,

the ripe fruits in the garden, God made them every one. [Refrain]

4 God gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell

how great is God Almighty, who has made all things well. [Refrain]

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN             

RESPONSE HYMN [BLUE#272] [GTG#22]  “God of The Sparrow”

1 God of the sparrow God of the Whale God of the swirling stars

How does the creature say Awe How does the creature say Praise 

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 525 or 555]          Psalm 104:24-35

O LORD, how manifold are your works!

   In wisdom you have made them all;

   the earth is full of your creatures.

Yonder is the sea, great and wide,

   creeping things innumerable are there,

   living things both small and great.

There go the ships,

   and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.

These all look to you

   to give them their food in due season;

when you give to them, they gather it up;

   when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

When you hide your face, they are dismayed;

   when you take away their breath, they die

   and return to their dust.

When you send forth your spirit, they are created;

   and you renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of the LORD endure for ever;

   may the LORD rejoice in his works—

who looks on the earth and it trembles,

   who touches the mountains and they smoke.

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;

   I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

   for I rejoice in the LORD.

Let sinners be consumed from the earth,

   and let the wicked be no more.

Bless the LORD, O my soul.

Praise the LORD!

[Pew Bible OT #2]               Genesis 2:4b-17

In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’

[Pew Bible NT #148 or 158]         Romans 8:18-25

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON: “Caring for God’s Creation” Reverend Ochart 

 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         “Creation” from God’s Trombones+D

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 LORDS 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 #473] [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;

for that great, great love of thine, peace on earth and joy in heaven: [Refrain]