​ 
September 25, 2022
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Let me remind you quickly of our protocols for everyone’s safety.                  
· Attendance was taken by Ushers as you entered.
· Masks are required by those not vaccinated  as well as social distancing
· Offerings may be placed in the plate by the doors.
· Please write your prayer request on the Yellow cards.  An usher will pick them up during the 1st hymn.
· Please join us after service for fellowship in Calvin Hall
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
  Gary Iverson's Family as they Mourn the Passing of Gary this Week , Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston has been moved into a Hospice unit,   Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett, Jo Lefleur and family as they mourn the loss of Thomas Mulholland was a postman since 1963, Judy Welcher, Dr Dyke, Harlan Marx,   Lois Seger, Jon Ryner, Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Kay Werner, Ukraine, Arlene   Pawlik, Angela and Tristan, Bonnie Pillers and family her brother’s dementia has taken a turn for the worse , Deb Weller.
 
PRELUDE
 
*CALL TO WORSHI      
L:  Come, Lord Jesus, the joy of your kingdom calls to us.
P:  We seek your call in the quiet of our heart, and in the movement of our being.
L:   May we push away all competing masters,
P:  That you alone we might serve with thanksgiving and joyful praise.  Amen.
 
*GATHERING PRAYER
From a world where pain abounds, we come, O Lord.  We come with broken hearts, broken promises, broken lives and relationships.  Hold us close this day, and allow us to glimpse your holiness and healing.  Help us to be a part of your love poured out onto our world.  Amen.
  
*HYMN                              Come Christians Join to Sing                                        #150                                                     
(You may be seated.)
CALL TO CONFESSION
                                               
With the Psalmist we come before our Lord asking, “Help us, O God of our salvation for the glory of your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins.”
We trust in a God who bends low to hear our confessions, to touch our hearts.  Let us lay bare our failings that we might be made new in the blood of Jesus Christ.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
All around us, Gracious Lord, we see the problems of our world.  Like Jeremiah, we ask, “Is there no balm in Gilead”--or in Washington DC or in our hometown?  We have been so busy with work and family, with managing things for our well-being.  We’ve lost sight of your call to share the gifts you have given with those who are hurting.  We have hoarded.  We’ve turned away from the pain around us.  We’ve assumed that your call to generosity was for others.  Forgive our self-centered view of faith.  Help us to open our hearts to find the joy of sharing and living into your grace. Amen
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE                                            adapted from 1Timothy 2: 4-6
 
“God desires that everyone might be saved, for there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind.  Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself for the forgiveness of our sins.
 
SONG OF PRAISE  Gloria Patri  #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE
  (Please greet those around you as we all say these words in unison.)
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
 
INTERLUDE
Word
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
“Let us find ourselves in the words we hear this day, Gracious Lord.  Let us discover that one small truth that convicts us, while also offering us new life and new possibilities in your glorious name.  Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
 Jeremiah 8:18,Jeremiah 9:1
 
 
18 My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick. 19 Hark, the cry of my poor people from far and wide in the land: ‘Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not in her?’(‘Why have they provoked me to anger with their images with their foreign idols?’) 20 ‘The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.’21 For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me. 22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored? 9 O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people!
 
Luke 16: 1-13
16 Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. 2 So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.”3 Then the manager said to himself, “What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.” 5 So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?” 6 He answered, “A hundred jugs of olive oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.” 7 Then he asked another, “And how much do you owe?” He replied, “A hundred containers of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill and make it eighty.” 8 And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. 9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.10 ‘Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? 13 No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
 
 
SERMON    It’s Just Money!
 
Several years ago, when my youngest daughter was newly out of nursing school and finally earning a nice pay check, I was moaning to her about an unexpected bill that was going to wipe out my savings.  She listened to me for a time before saying  “Mom  It’s just money.  They’ll give you more in two weeks!”  --Out of the mouth of babes!  Or in this case 20 somethings!  (By the way, I often remind her of these words of wisdom now that she has a family and those same unexpected bills arrive!)
How we think about our money and manage our finances is an important task of adult life.  We’ve learned to ask ourselves, “Do I NEED this thing that has caught my attention, or do I just want it?”  We ask, “If I say yes to this now, will I regret it tomorrow when the mortgage bill or the rent is due?”
It can be worrisome.  Experts tell us we should have at least 2 months of living expenses in an emergency fund. Today some are saying we need up to 6 months to feel secure.  And then there are other things to consider too.  How much will we need to retire, and will we have enough?  Will we be able to send our children to college?  Can we afford to buy that house that we like?  What will be the expenses if we do?  What happens if we need to go into a nursing home?  And even, how will we plan our estate so that we leave the unused portion of God’s blessings to offer life and wellness into our world?
It can make us anxious.  It can push us to grab a calculator in the middle of the night when we suddenly remember that a bill is due.  So much is tied to our checkbook, to our 401K plan and to our investment portfolio.
Our scriptures for today even hint that how we use our resources can be tied to the Kingdom of God.  It’s not like buying a ticket into heaven, but how we use the gifts and resources that have been put into our hands—well, it matters.
Our Old Testament lesson from Jeremiah deals with this in a more remote way.  It’s definitely NOT the passage to read when we are feeling down in the dumps.  Lament is the name of the game here.  Jeremiah is heart sick for the people of God.  Their worst fear has come to pass and they don’t know what to make of it.  You see, Jerusalem was the setting for God’s holy temple.  They thought of it as God’s residence, the place where God literally lived.  There were two kingdoms of God’s people.  Israel to the north and Judah to the south.  135 years earlier the northern kingdom of Israel had been overrun by the Assyrians and then wiped off the face of the earth.  At that time it looked like the Assyrians were going to continue moving south and take Judah with its capital city of Jerusalem, as well.  It was close, but it didn’t happen.  “Why?”  They asked.  “Well,” others responded, “It’s because God would never allow his temple to be desecrated and destroyed.”  They had become a bit complacent under that assumption.  They had come to rely upon the belief that God would always protect Jerusalem. They were safe from all enemies!”
And then the Babylonians rolled into town!  At first they just demanded tribute to be paid and they put a puppet king on the throne.  But then….then they did what the good people of Jerusalem thought could never be done.  The Babylonian Army completely took over the city, wiping out the meager force of Judah’s protection, destroying the temple and even rounding up any who had leadership capacity and marching that group across the wilderness to be prisoners of war in Babylon.  HOW COULD GOD HAVE ALLOWED THIS?
Jeremiah offers the answer earlier in chapter 8.  There God is accusing the people of perpetual backsliding, holding fast to deceit.  “From the least to the greatest, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.  They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying peace, peace when there is no peace.”  Jeremiah tells them that God had gotten fed up with their greed and abuse of the poor, the way they ignored his commands to gather more wealth.  God was allowing Babylon to be his instrument of punishment.
In today’s reading Jeremiah says, “My joy is gone. Grief is upon me.  For the hurt of my poor people, I am hurt.  I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.  Is there no balm in Gilead?  Is there no physician there?”  Even the healing ointment that famously comes from Gilead, a mountainous region that has long been the place where the fleeing faithful can run and hide is of no use.  It can’t make a dent in the suffering of God’s people.
So what is a servant of God to do?  How are we called to be, to manage our finances, to be faithful in today’s world?  What does it look like?
Let’s bring Jesus into the conversation.  (That’s always a good idea, right?)  He offers a parable that feels pretty confusing to us, and maybe even a bit offensive to our modern ear.  But we need to sort this out because when Jesus tells a parable, it is designed to teach us something about how we are to live as people of faith.
This is a story about a manager who’s about to be fired.  The boss wants to see the books, and then the manager is out.  Oh NO!  How will he survive?  He’s not strong enough to do manual labor, and it’s too humiliating to beg.  But this manager was smart.  He decided to feather his nest with what he did have—the debts of his boss.  So he went to those who owed the rich man, and he worked with them to recalculate those debts in such a way that they owed much less.  Now they were obliged to the manager.  Now they could give him a place to stay, offer him a cushy job, make referrals to other positions.  He would be able to start over again.
Was it ethical?  NO, but surprisingly it did earn him the respect and admiration of the boss.  This guy knew how to take care of himself.  Jesus ends the parable with these words, “Make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into eternal homes.”  Another way we might say this is “Use earthly things to participate in the Kingdom of God, to create that kingdom in our midst—in our homes and neighborhoods, in our communities and in our world.”  Use what we have to lift up others in order to bring hope to the hopeless, to offer healing to our world, and in the process we, too, are blessed.
I think of my daughter’s words of wisdom.  “It’s just money, Mom.  They’ll give you more in 2 weeks.”  When we use our money in ways that bless the world, are we not buying our way into the Kingdom of God?  Doesn’t God put resources into our hands so that we can use them well, not just for ourselves but for our hurting world?
God has given us the means to do our jobs.  He gave us aptitudes and talents.  He exposed us to experiences that formed us.  He gave us the opportunity to study in college or as apprentices or in other ways.
God gives us our possessions—homes, cars, our toys and tools, even our garden produce and that dented popcorn popper at the back of your pantry.  Didn’t God have a hand in giving you all of this?
God gives us our finances.  The cash in our wallet and checking account, our insurance policies, our investments, 401Ks, pension plans, Social Security payments.  How easy it is to assume that all of these things are MINE, and MINE ALONE.  I worked hard for these things.  I earned it.  I shouldn’t be asked to throw away my effort and hard work for others who might not deserve it.
In our society we celebrate people who have made it—Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg.  But have you noticed the stories about these titans of wealth signing the Giving Pledge?  It’s a promise to give away at least half of their wealth in their life-time or upon their death.  They are divesting themselves of wealth in order to make a dent in the real human problems of our world.
A couple weeks ago there was also a story on the news that Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, the very successful outdoor clothing company, had transferred his company into a trust when all the profits would go to battling climate change. That’s pretty remarkable.
Maybe we should celebrate these folks, not because they got rich, but because they are giving so much away to make our world a better place.  Several of them, like Warren Buffet, planning to give it ALL away—Billions of dollars to invest in the well-being of our world.
And if they can do it on such a grand scale, and if God invites us to do it on our more modest scale, maybe we should consider how we can use what God has given to ease our way into the kingdom.  “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
It’s not buying our way into heaven.  What we are talking about is to act in ways that change our perception of what is important.  It allows us to see the bigger picture, to feel a connection to something that is beyond ourselves. It lights up a corner of our heart with joy because we know that we’ve participated with God for the healing and hope of our world.
And life will give us more money in just a couple weeks!  Our needs WILL be met and in the process of giving, we will feel that all important connection with our God.
I don’t believe that God is in the punishment business.  I don’t think God was smiting the folks in Jerusalem.  But I do believe that we often live the consequences of our behaviors or of other people’s bad choices.  Sometimes bad things just happen, and we can’t discern a cause at all.  I also believe that in the grace of Jesus Christ we are invited and enabled to share our lives and our resources in ways that bring joy and life to all—including ourselves.  That might not be heaven in the traditional way that people think of it as a destination for when we die, but it is definitely life eternal which begins right now.
Maybe the balm from Gilead in this context is our life that is led forward by God taking our hand and leading us into new ways of being.  Let’s all live the kingdom of God and walk with our Lord.
“It’s just money, Mom.  They’ll give you more in a couple weeks.”
Praise be to Christ our Lord.  Amen
 
 
 
 
*HYMN                       We Give Thee But Thine Own                                               #428
(You may be seated.)
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
 
 
 
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.
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, now and forever. Amen.
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
 
*DOXOLOGY                 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow                      #592
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                                 (from The Confession of 1967.. 9.46)
  Our reconciliation through Jesus Christ makes it plain that enslaving poverty in a world of abundance is an intolerable violation of God’s good creation…..
 
 
The Church calls us to use our abilities, possessions, and the fruits of technology as gifts entrusted to us by God for the maintenance of God’s family and the advancement of the common welfare….
 
A church that is indifferent to poverty, or evades responsibility in economic affairs…makes a mockery of reconciliation and offers no acceptable worship to God.
 
*CLOSING HYMN                    There Is a Balm in Gilead                                       #394
 
Sending Forth
*CHARGE & BLESSING   

September 18, 2022
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Let me remind you quickly of our protocols for everyone’s safety.                  
· Attendance was taken by Ushers as you entered.
· Masks are required by those not vaccinated  as well as social distancing
· Offerings may be placed in the plate by the doors.
· Please write your prayer request on the Yellow cards.  An usher will pick them up during the 1st hymn.
· Please join us after service for fellowship in Calvin Hall
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
Gary Iverson, Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston has been moved into a Hospice unit, Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett, Jo Lefleur and family as they mourn the loss of Thomas Mulholland was a postman since 1963, Judy Welcher, Dr Dyke, Harlan Marx, Lois Seger, Jon Ryner, Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Kay Werner, Ukraine, Arlene Pawlik, Angela and Tristan, Bonnie Pillers and family her brother’s dementia has taken a turn for the worse , Deb Weller.
 
PRELUDE
 
*CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 113:1-4, CEB
Praise the Lord! You who serve the Lord—praise! Praise the Lord’s name!
Let the Lord’s name be blessed from now until forever from now!
From sunrise to sunset, let the Lord’s name be praised!
The Lord is high over all the nations; God’s glory is higher than the skies!
 
*GATHERING PRAYER
Lord of Creation, Lord of the Nations, we do indeed praise your sacred name. We give thanks for all the ways you have blessed us. We seek to honor you as we live each day sunrise to sunset, may we truly praise you with our worship and with our very lives. Amen.
 
*HYMN All Creatures of our God and King                      #455
(You may be seated.)
 
CALL TO CONFESSION                                                   Deuteronomy 30:16-18, NCV
Hear this plea of God’s people in ages past, “Do not punish us for the sins of our ancestors. Have mercy on us now; we have lost all hope. Help us, O God, and save us; rescue us and forgive our sins for the sake of your own honor.”
 
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Let us confess the sins of the past and the sins of today that God might bring healing and forgiveness to our land.
Almighty God who knows all things past and present.  We acknowledge that our ancestors did not always follow your path or understand your intentions. We acknowledge that crimes were committed by various people against others. We acknowledge the hurts of your people who suffered at the hands of others. We acknowledge that in humanity’s march toward progress, our forebearers did not always stop to count the cost of that progress in terms of damage done to creation or to humankind. We acknowledge that human insecurity and greed for some led to other lives being were trampled.
 
We confess, O God, that we don’t always know what to do with the sins of those who went before us or how to change the consequences we live with in the present. But Lord, we also confess that humanity’s propensity for sin is still within us. We confess the times we fail to lift one another up, to protect someone else’s worth, to bear one another’s burdens, to be good stewards of creation, to listen without judgement, to forgive as we are forgiven, and yet…And yet we come before you today as your people, seeking forgiveness and guidance to begin yet again and live a better way walking humbly with our God. For the healing our world needs, we seek you our God. Amen.
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE                                                       2 Chronicles 7:14, NCV
“Then if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, if they will pray and seek me and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.”
 
This has been God’s plan all along, and it was accomplished through Jesus’ sacrificial love, if we will but turn back to God and receive it. Through Christ we are forgiven.  Thanks be to God!
 
SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE
(Please greet those around you as we all say these words in unison.)
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
 
INTERLUDE
Word
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Lord, today as we hear your Word proclaimed help us to see and understand how we may also assist in the mission you set before us on this earth. Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSON John 6:1-13, NCV
6 After this, Jesus went across Lake Galilee (or, Lake Tiberias). 2 Many people followed him because they saw the miracles he did to heal the sick. 3 Jesus went up on a hill and sat down there with his followers. 4 It was almost the time for the Jewish Passover Feast.5 When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?”
6 (Jesus asked Philip this question to test him, because Jesus already knew what he planned to do.)
 
7 Philip answered, “Someone would have to work almost a year to buy enough bread for each person to have only a little piece.”
 
8 Another one of his followers, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, 9 “Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish, but that is not enough for so many people.”
 
10 Jesus said, “Tell the people to sit down.” There was plenty of grass there, and about five thousand men sat down there. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves of bread, thanked God for them, and gave them to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, giving as much as the people wanted.
 
12 When they had all had enough to eat, Jesus said to his followers, “Gather the leftover pieces of fish and bread so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they gathered up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with the pieces left from the five barley loaves
 
SERMON Mission Assists
 
When I came up with today’s sermon title, I was thinking about team sports when someone scores a goal and another player might be credited with the assist. They weren’t the one to score the goal, but they helped make it possible, probably with a good pass. Well that’s how I want to think about Andrew in today’s story. Andrew did not feed thousands of people. Jesus did. But Andrew was the one team player who helped make it possible with a good pass by bringing to Jesus a little boy who was willing to share his lunch.
 
Note that it is again Philip and Andrew who are the named disciples in this story as they were in the Invitation story of John 1 when they brought Simon Peter and Nathanael to Jesus. But in today’s story, while they are both skeptical about Jesus’ insistence that they feed the crowd who have come to listen to Jesus’ teachings, Philip thinks it is impossible. Andrew offers one available resource of which he was aware, even though he knows logically it won’t be enough.
 
We aren’t talking about a handful of people, a synagogue, or even a temple full of people. Jesus is outdoors in an area that had to serve as a natural amphitheater. There were not hundreds in attendance but thousands. As many scholars and preachers will point out, based on the same story told in Matthew, the estimated count is of the men in attendance, but they mostly had women and children with them. It was a young boy who offered to share his lunch. MacArthur estimates this could bring the total up to as much as 20,000. (NKJV MacArthur Study Bible, 2nd Edition) Now we are talking a stadium or arena sized crowd for a sold-out ball game or concert. Have you been in a venue like that? Can you picture that size crowd? How many vendors and concession stands would it take to feed them? Perhaps then you can empathize with Philip’s response. It would take several months wages to give them a snack let alone a whole meal. But this is Jesus in charge. As Max Lucado writes simply, “Jesus demonstrated his power to meet spiritual and physical needs.” (NKJV Lucado Encouraging Word Bible)
 
This is the only miracle story told in all four gospels, so it’s worth paying attention to it. Notice that they are in the wilderness not in town or village. It parallels God’s provision of manna and quail in the wilderness of the Exodus. The faith statement of both stories is that even when you think it is impossible because you cannot see any resources are available, God has the power to provide. Sometimes it may be through a miracle. Sometimes it will be through sharing. The miracle was not the point, however. What Jesus wanted was for people to trust God through him.
 
I like two more points made by the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible. First, Jesus paused to give thanks to God for what had been offered. Whether it is meeting our own needs or gathered resources offered to meet other needs, it is important to give our thanks to God who is the true source of it all. Second, there were leftovers! Twelve baskets of scraps were collected, because Jesus didn’t want anything to go to waste. The leftovers demonstrate that there was more than enough to feed all those thousands of people. There was enough! The study bible suggests this “may symbolize that the Lord has enough to supply the needs of the 12 tribes of Israel.” It also reminds us that Jesus can supply all that we need.
 
So let me return to my analogy that Andrew can be credited with an assist by bringing the boy to Jesus. The boy also deserves credit.
 
Missions are a team sport. You can have an individual mission such as helping a particular neighbor or raising a rescued animal, but even that becomes a team event if you think about others helping in the neighborhood or others involved in the rescue. Then multiply that by many neighborhoods and many rescue efforts. It takes a team to do missions.
 
Some of my friends have been involved in mission teams. One in particular who comes to mind a few of you may have met when she has spoken here. Rita Wolf is a retired nurse, retired pastor, retired hospice chaplain, who with her husband now participates in mission projects wherever needed living out of their RV. They have met a lot of people and done repair work on a lot of homes. I enjoy following their work as Rita posts pictures on Facebook. Recently they have been in Kentucky doing cleanup and repairs after the flooding.
 
Through the Presbyterian Church USA, you are also part of a wide team doing missions around the world. Let me share some things from your mission agency’s website. First, similar to what Rita and Ken do, there is disaster response. Listen: When natural or human-caused disasters impact communities, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is poised to respond and work closely with congregations and local mission partners to bring Christ’s love and healing.
Through the PDA you are also at work in Kentucky working with local churches in the area coordinating volunteers and resources for the work of cleaning up and rebuilding. In addition to this physical assistance, there is a powerful yet intangible component as the physical support also brings encouragement and hope to people who have survived these disasters. It is a big team effort no matter how you look at it. You assist this work when you contribute to One Great Hour of Sharing, because that special offering supports the work of PDA.
 
You could also assist this type of work putting together flood buckets. I remember doing that here years ago. People donated all of the ingredients from buckets and mops to sponges and cleaners. Then we incorporated a mission moment into a concert we hosted having the attendees put those buckets together. It would be fun to select items to donate with help from the Mission team, then assemble them after worship and dedicate them before sending them to the supply depot. That would be a great assist to the volunteers who then go to help with the actual cleanup and the persons who receive the buckets to clean their own homes and neighborhoods.
 
These are just a sample of ways you can be like Andrew, giving an assist as Jesus, through his Body, the Church, reaches out to meet needs.
 
Since there is so much information available on the Presbyterian Mission Agency website, I wanted to take this opportunity to increase my own knowledge and yours about the ways your mission agency is at work. One area I hadn’t thought about is Advocacy and Social Justice. I expect Social Justice to be a concern, and I should have expected advocacy to be part of raising those concerns just as it is in my own denomination. Several agencies within the church approach social justice issues including the Office of Public Witness. Concerns are addressed by educating local congregations as well as witnessing to public officials and in the corporate arena. Concerns noted on the website include environmental justice, hunger, and human trafficking. That’s a pretty diverse range of issues.
 
One story on the Hunger and Poverty section of the website is about Black Mountain Presbyterian Church in North Carolina where this question is engraved on the front of their communion table, “Have you been fed?” One parishioner sees it as a constant reminder of their mission. This congregation is among 100 churches recognized as a Hunger Action Church, meaning they participate in at least three of the following: “hunger alleviation, development assistance, hunger education, lifestyle integrity, corporate and public policy witness, and worship.” They work with local community programs because, as we said before, missions are a team sport and require team effort. Church members support this work through food collections, volunteering, adopting a family for the holidays, gardening, and even letter writing campaigns. They are actively involved and collaborating with others in many ways to alleviate hunger in their community.
 
Another article was about a couple from Southminster Presbyterian in Waukesha, WI who bring donations and work with Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. It reminded me of several things. At the time I was attending Dubuque Seminary the Chaplain was a Native American who kept a connection with seminary students from the reservation.  The teacher of whom I have the fondest memories along with his wife were our Missionaries in Residence one semester. He was a Presbyterian Pastor who had served 27 years on a reservation to that point. I also remember Heather and Harold going with a group from Second Reformed in Fulton one summer on a mission trip to a reservation. In the article I read, Gloria and Steve Klomsten participate in similar mission trips often.
 
On a recent trip the group fixed up a community building used for various events so that it can additionally serve as a homeless shelter and for an after-school program. They also set up a food bank. These trips focus on interaction with the people of the community. While striving to bring hope and help to others it is often that case that those who came to help are the ones transformed by the experience.
 
I like Gloria’s quote regarding teamwork:
“I just can’t emphasize enough that any project we do is a ‘we’ project,” Klomsten said, stressing the importance of teamwork and collaboration. “Even the people that don’t give material things, they pray for us. The prayers and the moral support — to me that’s just as important, if not even more important, than any monetary or material donations that we get.”
It’s a reminder that not only is the team important in missions, but so are those cheering on the sidelines. This gave me a couple more ideas while editing today’s message. What used to be the Presbyterian Prayer Calendar is now online with a daily story, Bible readings, and names of mission workers with a prayer. Perhaps we could start supporting these mission workers by praying for them. I was also thinking in October, which is clergy appreciation month, what if we appreciated some of our missionaries by sending cards with a brief note from our congregation? If either of these ideas sound good to a few of you, I’d be happy to work on them.
 
Another upcoming opportunity through the Presbyterian Church is the Peace & Global Witness offering usually taken in October for World Communion Sunday. According to the website:
By giving to the Peace & Global Witness Offering your gifts work to restore communities through peacemaking and reconciliation.
You may recall that this offering supports the mission of the church at many levels including your own choice of a local project with 25% of what is received.
In that true team spirit, your mission agency and its staff around the world including missionaries in 80 countries have this concept:
Presbyterians do mission in partnership. We believe that doing mission in partnership broadens our awareness of how interconnectional God’s mission is at the local, national, and global levels. The one table around which we gather is God’s table and the one mission to which we are called is God’s mission.…
True mission partnership is about building relationships, learning from one another and walking together in faith and friendship. Together we can build the body of Christ around the world.
 
What about locally? Over the years I have known you, this church has supported food pantries, Information & Referral Assistance Services, distributed Christmas baskets, purchased Christmas gifts, donated countless hats, scarves, mittens, etc., and supported teachers with school supplies. Individuals have served with Associated Benevolence Society, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Salvation Army, and I’m sure many other agencies and projects I don’t know or remember. You have been giving mission assists faithfully in many arenas. It’s part of how you live out your mission statement to “Receive Christ, Reach Out, and Share Love.”
 
I’m simply reminding you to continue that important aspect of what it means to be a church of Jesus Christ. We give mission assists now as Andrew did then by looking around us for the resources at hand and offering them to Jesus, letting him put them to work to meet the needs of others. It may not seem like we have much to offer some times, but the quantity is not the point. If Jesus can feed thousands of people with an initial offering of a couple fish and a few loaves of bread, what can Jesus do with what we have available. Remember, it isn’t our own efforts alone that accomplish the task. It’s a team sport, but that still requires us to do what we can do. The point is not to sit on our hands but to get in the game.
 
What is it we can still do as a church to assist mission needs locally and around the world? Celebrate that! And stay involved where you can. Amen!
 
*HYMN Open My Eyes #324
You may be seated.)
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
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.
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, now and forever. Amen.
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
God of Mercy and Grace, God of Abundance and Joy, with grateful hearts for all your blessings we offer our lives back to you in service and in praise. Amen.
 
*DOXOLOGY                 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow                    #592
 
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We believe in “the sovereignty of God,
the authority of Scripture,
justification by grace through faith
and the priesthood of all believers.”
 
We believe “that God is the supreme authority throughout the universe.”
 
We believe “Our knowledge of God and God’s purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly what is revealed in the New Testament through the life of Jesus Christ.”
 
We believe “Our salvation (justification) through Jesus is God’s generous gift to us and not the result of our own accomplishments.”
 
We believe “It is everyone’s job — ministers and lay people alike — to share this Good News with the whole world.”
 
We affirm our “conviction that neither the Church as the body of Christ, nor Christians as individuals, can be neutral or indifferent toward evil in the world.”
 
We affirm our “responsibility to speak on social and moral issues for the encouragement and instruction of the Church and its members, seeking earnestly both to know the mind of Christ and to speak always in humility and love.”
 
We affirm that as a Church our “duty is not only to encourage and train [our] members in daily obedience to God’s will, but corporately to reveal God’s grace in places of suffering and need, to resist the forces that tyrannize, and to support the forces that restore the dignity of all [people] as the children of God, for only so is the gospel most fully proclaimed; . . .” (see credits at the end of the service notes)
 
May God strengthen our faith commitment and help us to fulfill our mission as God’s Church and God’s People.  Amen.
 
*CLOSING
HYMN                                   Lord, You Give the Great Commission     #429 
 Sending Forth
*CHARGE & BLESSING             
 
*POSTLUDE
 
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.
The affirmation today is based on quotes from the Theology section and Social Issues section of “What We Believe” on the PC (USA) Presbyterian Mission website. (https://www.presbyterianmission.org/what-we-believe/) The Social Issues section also quotes (1958 Statement – PC(USA), p. 537).
 

​September 4, 2022
Gathering
 
MUSICAL OFFERING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Let me remind you quickly of our protocols for everyone’s safety.                  
· Attendance was taken by Ushers as you entered.
· Masks are required by those not vaccinated  as well as social distancing
· Offerings may be placed in the plate by the doors.
· Please write your prayer request on the Yellow cards.  An usher will pick them up during the 1st hymn.
· Please join us after service for fellowship in Calvin Hall
 
PRAYER REQUESTS
Gary Iverson, Bob Bock, Joan Boyd, Wanda Hirl, Marilyn Neymeyer, Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner, Annette Conzett, Jo Lefleur, Judy Welcher, Dr Dyke, Harlan Marx, Lois Seger, Jon Ryner, Abagail Niles, Helanah Niles, Kay Werner, Ukraine, Arlene Pawlik, Angela and Tristan, Bonnie Pillers, Deb Weller.
 
PRELUDE
 
*CALL TO WORSHIP          Psalm 139:1-6, GNT
Lord, you have examined me and you know me.
You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.
You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions.
Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.
You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.
Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.
 
*GATHERING PRAYER
We come to praise our God who is our Creator and our Redeemer. We give
thanks to our healer and our deliverer. We seek renewal and inspiration to go
on with our lives, to be God’s people, to offer God’s love and compassion to all God’s people. Amen.
 
*HYMN  Oh For A Thousand Tongues                                       #466
(You may be seated.)
 
CALL TO CONFESSION                                                   Deuteronomy 30:16-18, NCV
Long ago Moses warned God’s people before they entered the promised land: “16 If you obey the commands of the Lord your God, which I give you today, if you love him, obey him, and keep all his laws, then you will prosper and become a nation of many people. The Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are about to occupy. 17 But if you disobey and refuse to listen, and are led away to worship other gods,  18 you will be destroyed—I warn you here and now. You will not live long in that land across the Jordan that you are about to occupy.” The message is not that different for our own day. If we love God and live according to God’s intentions we will be blessed, but if we turn away from God to other priorities, we will not long survive as a people.
 
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
  Let us, therefore, confess our sins to the Lord.
 
God of mercy, we confess that we do not always obey your commandments. We do not always listen to the voice of your Holy Spirit whispering your truth in our inner being. We do not always care for our neighbor or care for the earth. We are not always good stewards of the resources you provide. We are not always grateful for the blessings you bestow. Though we may try our best, we can do better. Give us your grace to live more and more according to your will for our lives and forgive the times we have fallen short of our intentions to live for you. Amen.
 
WORDS OF ASSURANCE                                                          Ephesians 1:7-8, CEB                                         
“7 We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace, 8 which he poured over us with wisdom and understanding.” Through Christ we are forgiven.  Thanks be to God
 
SONG OF PRAISE  Gloria Patri  #579
 
PASSING THE PEACE
  (Please greet those around you as we all say these words in unison.)
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
 
INTERLUDE
Word
 
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
  Lord, as we come to hear your word, reveal to us the message you would have us hear and give us courage to pursue it. Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSON    John 1:35-51, GW
35 The next day John was standing with two of his disciples. 36 John saw Jesus walk by. John said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God.” 37 When the two disciples heard John say this, they followed Jesus.
 
38 Jesus turned around and saw them following him. He asked them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means “teacher”), “where are you staying?”
 
39 Jesus told them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went to see where he was staying and spent the rest of that day with him. It was about ten o’clock in the morning.
 
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two disciples who heard John and followed Jesus. 41 Andrew at once found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). 42 Andrew brought Simon to Jesus.
 
Jesus looked at Simon and said, “You are Simon, son of John. Your name will be Cephas” (which means “Peter”).
 
43 The next day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee. He found Philip and told him, “Follow me!” 44 (Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.)
 
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the man whom Moses wrote about in his teachings and whom the prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, son of Joseph, from the city of Nazareth.”
 
46 Nathanael said to Philip, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
 
Philip told him, “Come and see!”
 
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and remarked, “Here is a true Israelite who is sincere.”
 
48 Nathanael asked Jesus, “How do you know anything about me?”
 
Jesus answered him, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
 
49 Nathanael said to Jesus, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!”
 
50 Jesus replied, “You believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 Jesus said to Nathanael, “I can guarantee this truth: You will see the sky open and God’s angels going up and coming down to the Son of Man.”
 
SERMON                                              Invitation
 
 
 
Among their favorite memories of their grandma, my daughters both shared grandma’s “tea” parties which were hot chocolate and marshmallows instead of tea and sugar cubes. But the happy memory begins long before sitting at the table. What they especially liked was the hand written and decorated invitations. They would each receive one, and they say it made them feel very special. It made the tea party feel grown up and made them feel important to receive that invitation to it.
 
There is power in a personal invitation, and that is a theme in today’s Bible lesson from the gospel of John.  
We begin with John the Baptist who was preaching and baptizing in the region of the Jordan River. John had students who were following him even before Jesus began his ministry. Two of them were with John the Baptist when Jesus passed by. One of them was Andrew. Most scholars believe the other was our gospel writer, John. They assume he was being modest by not identifying himself. If you think about it they were the younger sons of two fishing families who often worked together. I wouldn’t be surprised if the two of them went together to listen to John the Baptist whenever they had time.
 
John the Baptist had been teaching that someone greater than he is coming. When Jesus approached John to be baptized, the Holy Spirit indicated to John the Baptist that this was the One he had been waiting for. He proclaimed, “Look! This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29b) Perhaps Andrew and the other disciple were not present that day, for it was the next day that they were with John the Baptist when Jesus passed by. Again John the Baptist proclaimed, “Look! This is the Lamb of God.” (John 1:36) That proclamation captured these disciples’ interest, and so they sought Jesus to learn more from him.
 
Let me add an aside here. You may have noticed that our gospel writer included some vocabulary lessons in our story. Since John’s was the last gospel put into writing, perhaps by then these reminders were needed. How fortunate for us because we need them even more than the late first century audience. So we learn that Rabbi means Teacher, and in particular in that age in usually meant a scholar who taught and interpreted the scriptures of the Old Testament to whatever students gathered around him.  Disciples was the word for these students. One Bible dictionary translates Rabbi as Master indicating it is “a title of dignity given by the Jews to their doctors of the law and their distinguished teachers.” (Easton)
 
Andrew believed from the start that Jesus was the Messiah, which John tells us means the same as Christ. This is usually translated into English as “anointed one.” In scripture it specifically refers to “the Anointed One” of God who was promised by Old Testament prophets. That one word Messiah in Hebrew or Christ in Greek when capitalized in our translations represents all the hopes and dreams of God’s people since the exile, to have a shepherd, a savior, one who would be sent by God to deliver them. Another Bible dictionary states, Messiah “denotes someone who has been ceremonially anointed for an office.” It goes on to say, “In the OT two office-bearers are expressly described …. as anointed (with oil): the high priest (the one responsible for the official cult) and the king …. In both cases the anointing… was essential for the conferring of the authority connected with the office and for the resulting responsibility before God.” (New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology) In the New Testament, Jesus is understood to be the fulfillment of those promises and those centuries of longing. Jesus is referred to both as High Priest in the letter to the Hebrews and as King in many places in the New Testament. Therefore Jesus receives the title of Messiah or Christ from those who believe.
 
One more vocabulary relates to Jesus giving a new name to Andrew’s brother when they meet. This fisherman had been known as Simon, a fairly common name at the time. There are many Simons in the New Testament. But Jesus gave him a new name, and that usually indicated a new identity or even mission as when God gave new names to Abram and Sarai or to Jacob. Simon’s new name was Cephas in their native Aramaic or in the Greek, Petros which we call Peter. We’ve often been told it means stone or rock, but I like the fuller description given in Easton’s Dictionary, "a mass of rock detached from the living rock." I ponder what Jesus meant by that. I can imagine Jesus or God as the living rock because the Psalms often refer to God as the Rock. To me that represents a solid, sturdy, stable foundation. Was Peter then to become a separate mass representing the living rock? Jesus did say that on the Rock named Peter, Jesus would build his church. I think Jesus was announcing that he would turn Simon into a solid, sturdy, stable foundation for his future Church, though it would take a long time to get Peter to that point. As we head back to our story, let me specifically point out, it was younger brother Andrew who invited Simon Peter to come and meet Jesus.
 
Now then, back to our story. Andrew and friend went to Jesus to ask a simple question, “Where are you staying?” It showed their interest not only for that encounter but expressed a hope for further interaction. Jesus response was to extend an invitation, “Come and see.” This invitation was in one form or another made four times within this story. First Jesus invited these two who expressed interest. They took him up on the invitation and spent the entire day following him, listening to him, seeing what Jesus was all about from the very beginning of his ministry.
 
Andrew, extended that invitation then to his brother, Simon. “We have found the Messiah!” Since Andrew brought Simon with him to Jesus, there was an implied sense of “Come and see.” Depending on what that sibling relationship was like, I can picture a younger brother tugging on the older brother’s sleeve, as if he was urging, “We really did find him, you have to come and see and hear for yourself. The chores you are trying to do aren’t that important. Come on, you don’t want to miss this!” Perhaps there was even a polite, apologetic nod to his sister-in-law as he pulled his brother away from the house. I imagine she would have shrugged or shook her head used to their antics. Whether it was a playful exchange or a calm, sedate one, I still imagine gentle Andrew had some urgency in his voice as he invited his older brother to come and meet Jesus.
 
Not long after, Jesus invited another friend, Philip who was from Andrew and Simon Peter’s hometown. “Follow me!” which again I believe implies “Come and see what I have to offer, what I have to teach you.” Philip accepted that invitation and came to the same conclusion as Andrew, that Jesus was the one they have been hoping to find.
 
Philip went to his friend Nathanael and described Jesus as the one Moses and the prophets taught about. Philip was eager for Nathanael to join them, but Nathanael was a skeptic. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” he asked. Philip’s response was once again the simple invitation, “Come and see.” In other words, don’t just take my word for it, but come and decide for yourself.” Of course, Jesus was more than prepared to meet Nathanael. Jesus’ few words of foresight were enough to convince Nathanael that Jesus was the One.
 
So I ask, what was being offered in these invitations? When my daughters received those special tea party invites from their grandma, they expected hot chocolate and marshmallows and probably cookies served in a fancy tea set at the dining room table. That is exactly what mom gave them. What did Andrew and John or Philip expect when they accepted Jesus’ invitation? They believed he might be the Messiah, the long awaited anointed one who would fulfill God’s promises to God’s people. This is why Andrew invited Simon and Philip invited Nathanael to join them.
 
John the Baptist to whom Andrew and John had been listening, was the first prophetic voice in a few hundred years. It stirred up their hopes based on the ancient teachings. It meant to them that God was on the move and something new was going to happen. It meant hope in a time when it was not easy to be a Jew. They expected Jesus to offer meaning and purpose and probably much more.
 
Jesus did come to offer that along with interpretation and understanding of what was written in the scriptures up to that point. Jesus offered a realignment for those who had gotten more focused on human tradition and protocol than on the intentions of God’s Word and covenant. Jesus offered a way of life that fulfilled the biblical message for their relationship with their Creator. Jesus did this through his teachings and by his own example. Becoming his disciples gave them a front row seat for all he would share, so that they could learn and grow and become people God could use to build the future.
That building process is always based on two things: observing Christ and striving to live by his teachings, and then inviting others to join you.
 
The Church (big C) as the Body of Christ and Community of Faith, is always in that building process. Through generations of disciples and apostles, evangelists and writers, preachers and teachers, but especially through ordinary people with ordinary lives, Jesus has continued to build his Church adapting as needed along the way. Peter’s letter put it this way, “Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5, GNT) We become more useful in this process when we learn all we can of Jesus through scripture and study and when we put what we have learned into practice in our daily lives. But don’t stop there!
 
If Jesus’ Body, God’s Community is going to grow, going to endure, and going to fulfill its purpose, we have to remember it’s not just for us. When Andrew invited Peter and Philip invited Nathanael, the number of believers doubled. The potential for future disciples and hence future apostles doubled. The church grew exponentially in the first century because in spite of all obstacles, those who believed Jesus was sent by God, continued to live out and share what Jesus taught. They continued to invite others to join them.
 
Did everyone invited choose to believe, choose to join the fellowship, choose to become a disciple themselves. No. When we get brave enough to talk about God, to talk about Jesus, to talk about Church to those around us, we need to remember that it is our mission only to share and to invite, but it is the Holy Spirit’s work to convince.
 
 
If we want to be like Andrew and Philip, to invite others to meet Jesus, to meet God, then we are simply finding our own version of “Come and see.” You might invite someone to worship or to a Bible study or you might share a book or a devotional with them that you have found helpful. Or perhaps the person you want to invite might not be ready for study. Then you want to start with fellowship. You might begin with a lunch group or a breakfast group that includes others from church. If we have a game day or movie night again, that might be a safe place to begin or if the church hosts an event. If the person is community minded, invite them to participate in a local mission project with you. All of these and many more ideas are potential entry points. Perhaps you can see that over time, if we want to invite more people to meet Jesus with us, then we have to offer multiple opportunities to extend such invitations. While worship is a priority for those of you sitting in our pews on Sunday morning, it is not always the starting place for others. When you are extending an invitation to someone to connect with Jesus through the church, you’ll want to know about that person and have an idea of what is going on in that person’s life. You also want to know what is going on in the life of the church. Then you choose the invitation by finding the best match available of an opportunity that will meet something that person needs.
 
Let me go back to our Bible story to make that example. Peter and Nathanael each in their own way had for much of their lives been waiting for the Messiah. What they heard in the synagogue made them long for God’s promised deliver. What they experienced under Roman occupation made it feel even more urgent. They lived their daily lives but with one ear cocked or one eye searching for the movement of God in their midst and the fulfillment of all their hopes as a culture, as a people, as well as their dreams individually. When Andrew and Philip extended their invitations they included their excitement in finding the one they had all been looking for all this time.
 
What are people in the world around you looking for today? They may indeed need God’s anointed one, but that is not how they are expressing their need. That is not the teaching or the language of the culture around us. However, people are aware and can sometimes voice a need to belong, a need for fellowship, a need to be accepted, a need for something to believe in that won’t let them down, a need for healing, a need for peace, a need for hope, a need to do something that makes a difference. People around us all have needs. So, next ask yourself how might Jesus through the church meet some of those needs? If there is something we are already doing that might be the right opportunity, you know where to invite the person you have in mind. If it’s something we aren’t offering in any way right now, is it something we could potentially offer? Instead of making excuses why we can’t, ask God “What if…” Then after lifting it in prayer several times, if you are still pondering the possibility, take your “What if…?” to Pastor Joyce. She can help you explore the maybes. It might just be an opportunity we can create with God’s help for another way to meet someone’s needs.
 
Let me give you an example from my own ministry here. Over a decade ago, when I was the one preaching upstairs for New Hope Lutheran’s closing worship service, I recognized a need. Not everyone knew where they wanted to go to church after that Sunday. I wanted to offer something to tide them over until those decisions could be made. So I tossed out the idea of a Bible Study. Four women took me up on the offer. That’s how God Sighting Gals started. Out of that Bonnie and Deb worshipped with us for several years, Karla followed me in the office. Sadly, Carol passed away. Eventually Judy Welcher became part of the group. After several years of Bible Studies, we no longer met regularly but to this day we are still a support group and prayer circle by text messages.
 
What I am saying is, if you see a need and a way the church might meet it, extend the invitation. You never know what God might choose to do with it or who might say “Yes.” Don’t worry about the rest. Perhaps God didn’t intend that particular invitation for them. Be content to meet the need of those who choose to participate. God may meet far more needs through those connections than you can imagine.
 
 
*HYMN                              Eternal God, Whose Power Upholds                             #412
(You may be seated.)
 
PASTORAL PRAYER
 
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.
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, now and forever. Amen.
 
OFFERING OUR LIVES
With thanks for the grace of Jesus Christ in our lives, we offer ourselves to share the good news of Christ with others and invite them to come and see for themselves. We seek the courage to do this whenever God gives the opportunity. Amen.
 
*DOXOLOGY                 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow                      #592
 
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH  Nicene Creed (Ecumenical)          p. 15                                                      
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 on 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.
 
*CLOSING HYMN  Go, Ye, Go, Ye                                      STF #2239
 
Sending Forth
*CHARGE & BLESSING  
 
*POSTLUDE
* Sections of the service preceded with * are times to stand if you are able to do so.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.