First Presbyterian Church
August 1, 2021
10:00 AM
Order of Worship
CALL
TO WORSHIP (Ephesians
4: 1-3)
Called
to community,
we
gather with humility, gentleness and patience,
bearing
with one another in love,
making
every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit
in
the bond of peace
Let
us worship the Living God.
*Hymn
of Praise: “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”
1.
Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and
sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel's strength and
consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation, joy
of every longing heart.
2.
Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King, born to reign in us
forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring. By thine own eternal spirit rule in
all our hearts alone; by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious
throne.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (In Unison)
Nurturing God, like a hen gathers her brood under her wings, you
desire to gather your children. But division and disagreement plague us. We
cling to rigid certainties, approach each other in arrogance and fail to
listen. We walk away from conflict, rather than working through it. Forgive us,
Holy God. Help us mature in faith and relationship. Help us build each other up
in love. Amen.
*SILENT PRAYERS
OF CONFESSION
ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Isaiah
43:1)
Do not fear, says the Lord, for I have
redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Thanks be to God; we are
forgiven and freed. Amen.
*THE GLORIA
PATRI
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.
INVITATION: “Dear Lord, I
need You, please come into my life today.
Amen”
LESSON:
I John 5: 1-12
Everyone
who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who
loves the parent loves the child. 2By this we know that we love
the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For
the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments
are not burdensome, 4for whatever is born of God conquers the
world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. 5Who
is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of
God?
6This
is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only
but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for
the Spirit is the truth. 7There are three that testify: 8the
Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree. 9If
we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the
testimony of God that he has testified to his Son.
10Those
who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do
not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that
God has given concerning his Son. 11And this is the testimony:
God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever
has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
SERMON: “How Does God
Understand God…for Us?” Rev. Peter Hofstra
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (From the Belhar Confession)
We believe that Christ’s work of reconciliation is made manifest
in the church as the community of believers who have been reconciled with God
and with one another; that this unity of the people of God must be manifested
and be active in a variety of ways: in that we love one another; that we
experience, practice and pursue community with one another; that we are
obligated to give ourselves willingly and joyfully to be of benefit and
blessing to one another; that we share one faith, have one calling, are of one
soul and one mind; have one God and Father, are filled with one Spirit, are
baptized with one baptism, eat of one bread and drink of one cup, confess one
name, are obedient to one Lord, work for one cause, and share one hope;
together come to know the height and the breadth and the depth of the love of
Christ; together are built up to the stature of Christ, to the new humanity;
together know and bear one another’s burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of
Christ that we need one another and upbuild one another, admonishing and
comforting one another; that we suffer with one another for the sake of
righteousness; pray together; together serve God in this world; and together
fight against all which may threaten or hinder this unity.
PASSING OF THE
PEACE
THE OFFERING OF
OUR TITHES & GIFTS (Hebrews
13:16)
Do good and share what you have, for
such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
*DOXOLOGY
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.
*PRAYER OF
DEDICATION
Take our
hearts, our hands, our gifts, Holy God. Mold us, shape us, send us, so that we
might be your body in the world you so love. Amen
INVITATION
All
are welcome at God's table - at Christ's table - at this table.
People from near and far. Neighbors and strangers. Young and old. Rich and
poor. In whatever way you know the Christ, know you are invited to eat and
drink with him... and with us. Alleluia!
God
be with you.
And
also with you.
Lift
up your hearts.
We
lift them up to God.
Let
us give thanks to God, our God.
It
is right to give God thanks and praise.
We do say thank you, loving
God. We thank you for creating the heavens and the earth. We thank you for
being the source of all life and all creation - for sharing with us the tiniest
seed and the grandest stars... for creating us - with our tears and our
laughter, with our joy and our sorrow, with our curiosity and our thinking...
with our life. We thank you for Jesus, the Christ - for all that he learned
from you and in you, for all that he taught, for all that he shared with the
disciples, and all that he shares with us. Thank you, loving God!
Therefore, we praise you,
wonderful God, joining our voices to sing out the glory of your name!
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Power, God of 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!
Hosanna in the highest!
THANKSGIVING
We rejoice that, through Eve and Adam and all of their
children, You entered into relationship with us. We rejoice that, through Sarah
and Abraham and all of their children, You entered into covenant with us. But we also remember that the covenant and
relationship with You has been broken, many times by our ancestors - and by us.
Each
time the covenant was broken, You invited us back! Through prophets and pastors
and wise ones, You invited us back! And still we broke faith with You. But, at
the right time, You sent Jesus to live with us.
Given
life by the Holy Spirit, given life by the decision and action of your favored
one, Mary, He came to share our life - to bring us back to each other and to
our covenant with you! At the Jordan River Your Spirit came upon him, calling
Him to tell the world the good news of your love. He healed people who were
sick and fed people who were hungry. He cried with those who mourned and danced
with those who celebrated. He looked for people who were lost and alone... and
helped them to understand that they were welcome at your table! He lived out
the fullness of your grace. We saw his holy love.
INSTITUTION
On the night before he was put to death, Jesus gathered with
his friends for a special meal. He took bread and gave thanks to you, O Lord.
He broke the bread and offered it to those gathered around him, saying,
"Take this and eat; this is my body which is given for you, do this in
remembrance of me."
Taking a cup, he once again gave thanks to you, and shared
the cup with those gathered, saying: "This is the cup of the new covenant
in my blood. Drink from this, all of you. This is poured out for you and for
many, for the forgiveness of sins."
After the meal, Jesus was arrested. His disciples and friends
ran away. He was beaten for what people thought he had said. He stood
trial... and was put to death on a cross. He gave all of himself to your
people, O God. His life and his death. Then you raised him from that death,
holy God - that he might be one with you, now and forevermore!
As
we remember his death, proclaim his resurrection, and look for His coming
again, we offer to you, O God, this bread and this cup. Send your Holy Spirit
upon us and upon these gifts, so that everyone who eats and drinks at this
table might be one in Christ's body... your holy people.
Through
Christ, with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory
is yours, God most holy, now and forever more!
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. Lead us not into temptation but
deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory
forever. Amen.
Jesus Christ, the
bread of life. Jesus Christ, the true vine. The gifts of God, for the people of
God. Thanks be to God! Come, for the table is prepared and our cup is
overflowing.
SHARING THE BREAD AND THE CUP
*CLOSING HYMN #513 “Let Us
Break Bread Together”
1. Let us break
bread together on our knees; Let us break bread together on our knees. When I
fall on my knees, With my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.
2. Let us drink
wine together on our knees; Let us drink wine together on our knees. When I
fall on my knees, With my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.
3. Let us praise
God together on our knees; Let us praise God together on our knees. When I fall
on my knees, With my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.
*BENEDICTION
*THREE FOLD AMEN
Elements of Order of Worship Liturgy written by Andrew Taylor Troutman,
pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, North
Carolina
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