Worship Guide
September 1, 2024
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World
ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE
Greetings:
Minister: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
People: And also with you!
Special Music: “Thank God I Do” Stefanie
Centering Words:
My heart longs to be close to you, O God. May my life and my deeds honor you.
*Call to Worship:
Leader: Creator, you bless us with the heavenly lights-
People: the moon that waxes and wanes,
Leader: the planets that whirl around the sun,
People: the galaxies that wink from afar.
Leader: In the darkness you call out, “Let there be light,”
People: and the universe is filled with heavenly light.
Leader: You are our creator, too,
People: the One who formed us and who forms us still.
Leader: May your word of truth ring out today with your call to new life.
Let us pray.
ALL: Creator of the heavenly lights, there is no shadow in your divine light. It remains unchanging across the eons, even as the stars come and go. You are our faithful creator, the Gardener of our lives. You plant your truth within us and inspire lives of caring and love. We honor and worship you. Amen.
Hymn: “Ivory Palaces”
My Lord has garments so wondrous fine,
and myrrh their texture fills;
its fragrance reached to this heart of mine
with joy my being thrills.
Out of the ivory palaces,
into a world of woe,
only his great eternal love
made my Savior go.
His life had also its sorrows sore,
for aloes had a part;
and when I think of the cross he bore,
my eyes with teardrops start.
Out of the ivory palaces,
into a world of woe,
only his great eternal love
made my Savior go.
His garments too were in cassia dipped,
with healing in a touch;
each time my feet in some sin have slipped,
he took me from its clutch.
Out of the ivory palaces,
into a world of woe,
only his great eternal love
made my Savior go.
In garments glorious he will come,
to open wide the door;
and I shall enter my heaven-ly home,
to dwell forevermore.
Out of the ivory palaces,
into a world of woe,
only his great eternal love
made my Savior go.
PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
Words of Assurance
God has chosen to give us new life.
This is God’s choice, give freely to us, as is every other good gift God has given.
We rejoice in this good news! Amen.
*New Testament Reading: James 1:17-27
17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. 21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24 for they look at themselves and, ongoing away, immediately forget what they were like. 25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Leader: This is the Word of God for the people of God
People: Thanks be to God.
WORD AND RESPONSE
Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”
Children’s Message: “The Beauty of Love”
Hymn: “For the Beauty of the Earth”
For the beauty of the earth
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour,
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For thy church, that evermore
lifteth holy hands above,
offering up on every shore
her pure sacrifice of love.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For thy-self, best Gift Divine,
to the world so freely given,
for that great, great love of thine,,
peace on earth, and joy in heaven;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
this our hymn of grateful praise.
Sermon: “The time of Singing Has Come” Song of Solomon 2:8-13
8 The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
11 for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.
RESPONSE TO THE WORD
Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns
Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer
THE SACRAMENTS OF HOLY COMMUNION
Invitation, Prayer of Confession and Pardon:
Christ our Lord invites to his table
all who love him,
who earnestly repent of their sin
and seek to live in peace with one another.
Therefore, let us confess our sin before God
and one another.
Merciful God,
we confess that we have not loved you
with our whole hearts.
We have failed to be an obedient church.
We have not done your will,
we have broken your law,
we have rebelled against your love,
we have not loved our neighbors,
and we have not heard the
cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us for joyful obedience,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Hear the good news:
Christ died for us while we were yet sinners;
that proves God's love toward us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
Glory to God. Amen
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of
heaven and earth.
You formed us in your image and
breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed,
your love remained steadfast.
You delivered us from captivity,
made covenant to be our sovereign God,
and spoke to us through your prophets.
And so, with your people on earth
and all the company of heaven
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
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.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.
Your Spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to announce that the time had come when you would save your people.
He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners.
By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection, you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
When the Lord Jesus ascended, he promised to be with us always, in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
When the supper was over, he took the cup,
gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Drink from this all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it
in remembrance of me."
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith
Christ has died;
Christ is risen;
Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever. Amen
And now with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever.
Amen
Sharing of the Cup and Loaf
Moment of Prayer and Meditation
Prayer of Thanks
Eternal God, we give you thanks
for this holy mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
Grant that we may go into the world
in the strength of your Spirit,
to give ourselves to others,
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
SENDING FORTH
Hymn: “Two Fishermen”
Two fishermen, who lived along the Sea of Galilee,
stood by the shore to cast their nets into an ageless sea.
Now Jesus watched them from afar,
then called them each by name.
It changed their lives, these simple men;
they'd never be the same.
"Leave all things you have and come and follow me."
And as he walked along the shore
'twas James and John he'd find,
and these two sons of Zebedee
would leave their boats behind.
Their work and all they held so dear they left beside their nets.
Their names they'd heard as Jesus called;
they came without regret.
"Leave all things you have and come and follow me."
O Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John beloved one,
you heard Christ's call to speak good news
revealed to God's own Son.
Susanna, Mary, Magdalene who traveled with your Lord,
you ministered to him with joy for he is God adored.
"Leave all things you have and come and follow me."
And you, good Christians,
one and all who'd follow Jesus' way,
come leave behind what keeps you bound
to trappings of our day,
and listen as he calls your name to come and follow near,
for still he speaks in varied ways to those his call will hear.
"Leave all things you have and come and follow me."
Benediction
Hymn: “God Be with You till We Meet Again”
God be with you till we meet again;
by his counsels guide, uphold you,
with his sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again.
