John Calvin Presbyterian Church

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

3. God of the rainbow

God of the cross

God of the empty grave

How does the creature say Grace

How does the creature say Thanks

WORDS OF WELCOME   

ADORATION 

CALL TO WORSHIP Ps. 103:8          

ONE: The Lord is merciful and gracious,

MANY: slow to anger and abounding in love.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Almighty God, you have taught us that all our deeds without love are worth nothing. Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the very bond of peace and of all goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

HYMN                                                “Thy Word”

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

 

1. When I feel afraid, and I think I’ve lost my way, 

still you’re there right beside me. 

Nothing Will I fear as long as you are near

please be near me to the end. (chorus)

             

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN

 CONFESSION 

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 #579 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, 

world without end, Amen, Amen.

PROCLAMATION

SCRIPTURE LESSON                                                  Genesis 6:9-24; 8:15-22

These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and put the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks. For my part, I am going to bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind shall come in to you, to keep them alive. Also take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them.’ Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him…

 Then God said to Noah, ‘Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.’ So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. And every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out of the ark by families.

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing odor, the Lord said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done.

As long as the earth endures,

   seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,

summer and winter, day and night,

   shall not cease.’

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON                    “The Great Flood”                      The Rev. Aaron Ochart 

RESPONSE     

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                                   Brief Statement of Faith

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 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.

We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone equally in God’s image …, of every race and people, to live as one community. But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation. Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation. 

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. 

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              Listen to God Ronald Palmisano  

*DOXOLOGY

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise God, all creatures here below;

Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen

REMEMBRANCE OF BAPTISM 

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

CLOSING PRAYER

Gracious God, by water and the Spirit you claimed us as your own, cleansing us from sin, and giving us new life. You made us members of your body, the church, calling us to be your servants in the world. Continue the good work you have begun in us. Send us forth by the power of your Spirit to love and serve you with joy, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

*HYMN [Blue Hymnal #384]  O love that Will Not Let Me Go

1. O love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee;

I give Thee back the life I owe,

That in thine ocean depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.

2. O light that followest all my way,

I yield my flickering torch to thee;

My heart restores its borrowed ray,

That in Thy sunshine’s blaze its day

May brighter, fairer be.

3. O joy that seekest me through pain,

I cannot close my heart to Thee;

I trace the rainbow through the rain,

And feel the promise is not vain

That morn shall tearless be.

4. O cross that liftest up my head,

I dare not ask to fly from Thee;

I lay in dust life’s glory dead,

And from the ground there blossoms red

Life that shall endless be.

*PARTING PRAYER    

Almighty God, by the love of Jesus Christ you draw people to faith, and welcome them into the church family. May we show your joy by embracing new siblings, who with us believe and with us will work to serve you. Keep us close together in your Spirit, breaking bread in faith and love, one with Jesus Christ our Lord and Master. Amen

*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE   

Participating in today’s service are Rev. Aaron Ochart, Pastor; Louise Ochart, CE Leader; Sam Garnett, Music Director; and Kelly Cuppett, Asst. Music Director; and Josh Sierra Delgado, guest musician.  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.  

STAFF

Church Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504.888.1375

Playschool Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .504.888.1378

The Reverend Aaron Ochart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Head of Staff

Louise Ochart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christian Education Leader

Sam Garnett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Music Director

Kelly Cuppett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Music Director

Lauren Oufnac. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Playschool Director

Stephanie Galliano. . . . . Playschool Administrative Assistant

For more information, visit our website at www.JohnCalvinChurch.org

 or find us @JohnCalvinMetairie on

JCPC Prayer Team You may write your prayer request on one of the forms, located in the pew rack in front of you, and place it in the offering plate. You may also enter prayer requests on-line at www.johncalvinchurch.org, just click  “Prayer Request.”