Worship Guide
August 27, 2023
Thirteenth 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: “You Say” Charles
Centering Words:
When we give ourselves fully to God, God transforms our lives. In this transformation, God connects us to others whose lives are being transformed, as they too give themselves fully to God.
*Call to Worship:
Leader: Our help is in God,
People: who calls us to worship.
Leader: Our hope is in love,
People: that calls us to care.
Leader: Come, let us bring our full selves to worship.
People: Let us bring our full love and care.
Leader: Let us pray.
ALL: Gracious and loving God, bless us with your presence as we worship this day. Bless us with your love as we grow in love and mature faith. Bless us with your guidance as we give ourselves to you, to your church, and to your work in the world. Amen.
Hymn: “Sanctuary”
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,
pure and holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
sanctuary for you.
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,
pure and holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
sanctuary for you.
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,
pure and holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
sanctuary for you.
PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
Words of Assurance
Our help is in God, the maker of heaven and earth.
God is our rock, a fortress of mercy and grace.
Praise the Lord our God. Amen
*Old Testament Reading: Exodus 1:8-2:10
8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. 10 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.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. 13 The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, 14 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.
15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.”
2 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. 4 His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
WORD AND RESPONSE
Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”
Children’s Message: “Who”
Hymn: “The Churches One Foundation”
The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is his new creation, by water and the Word.
From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.
Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth,
her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.
Though with a scornful wonder we see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed;
yet saints their watch are keeping,
their cry goes up, "How long?"
and soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.
Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war
she waits the consummation of peace for evermore;
till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blessed,
and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.
Yet she on earth hath union with God, the Three in one,
and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we
like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with thee.
Sermon: “Who Do You Say?” Matthew 16:13-20
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
RESPONSE TO THE WORD
Hymn: “His Eye is on the Sparrow”
Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely,
and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is he:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me;
his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
for his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.
“Let not your heart be troubled," his tender word I hear,
and resting on his goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
though by the path he leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me;
his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
for his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.
Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
when songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to him, from care he sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me;
his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
for his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.
Psalter: Psalm 124
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on
our side-
let Israel now say-
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on
our side,
when foes rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us
up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then the raging waters
would have gone over us.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth!
7 We have escaped as a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped!
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord
who made heaven and earth.
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen
Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns:
Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer
SENDING FORTH
Hymn: “God Will Take Care of You”
Be not dismayed what e'er betide, God will take care of you;
beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you;
God will take care of you,
through every day,
o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you;
Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
when dangers fierce your path asail, God will take care of you;
God will take care of you,
through every day,
o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you;
All you may need he will provide, God will take care of you;
nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you;
God will take care of you,
through every day,
o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you;
No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you;
lean, weary one, upon his breast, God will take care of you;
God will take care of you,
through every day,
o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you;
Benediction
