NOTES: As we root our hearts and minds in gratitude this month, we can take a moment to open a fresh perspective on something we hear mentioned a lot: The Kingdom of God, God's Reign, Heaven, God's Will for the World. By the time Isaiah 65 was written, Israel and Judah had experienced the full dose of the consequences of unfaithfulness. Their relationship with God had broken apart in every possible way - physical losses like the temple, the land, their loved ones, their livelihood; spiritual losses like their worshiping community, their deep connection to God through the land, their sense of well being, their freedom and self-determination....captivity had taken its toll. Before they can live a new life in relationship with God, they will need to imagine that something new is possible. So the word God sends to them, the message carried by the later disciples of the prophet Isaiah is a word of hope. God is envisioning something new and the people of Israel and Judah will be included in that new vision. What they lost, well, it's gone. But lies ahead, it will be good. Can gratitude assist our hearts and minds in making this shift when our lives turn upside down and we feel we have lost everything? How does this word from God speak to us today as we try to imagine new wholeness and deeper relationships with God?
Scripture: Isaiah 65:17-25
17 For I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
and its people as a delight.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain,
or bear children for calamity;[a]
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
and their descendants as well.
24 Before they call I will answer,
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord.
8:30 am Order of Service
We Gather in God's Presence
Prelude
Lighting the Christ Candles
Praise Hymn
Call to Worship
Come, let’s praise God together!
For God is great, and worthy of our praise!
Let’s tell stories of God’s power and majesty,
His mighty acts throughout history:
for God is great, and worthy of our praise!
Let’s remember the compassion He has shown toward us;
His mercy and unfailing love, generation after generation:
for God is great, and worthy of our praise!
Let’s pass these stories along to our children and grandchildren,
so that they, too, may come to know and love our God.
For God is great, and worthy of our praise!
Let’s worship God together!
-by Christine Longhurst https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/10/call-to-worship-prayer-psalm-145-1-5.html
Invocation
Holy One, you have promised to be with us,
And long ago sent your Spirit to abide among us
and guide us to a future of goodness and hope.
We come seeking your truth, your justice, your kindness.
O God, you are with us this morning.
Let us feel your presence and
welcome you into our lives.
Come and fill these desires of our hearts.
~ from Hold on to Faith: Service Prayers for the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost, written by The Rev. Catherine Rolling. Posted on the Worship Ways page of the United Church of Christ website. http://www.ucc.org/worship/worship-ways/
We Contemplate God's Word
ScriptureSermon
We Pray Together
Joys & ConcernsPrayer Hymn
Praying Together
Everlasting God, in the beauty of your holiness we gather to worship you, to praise you for your goodness and mercy; and for the way that here especially, we can be aware and know your holy presence. We come together into this our beloved place of prayer and praise, where we are not only surrounded by the signs and symbols of your presence, but also of the memories of people, who in the past, have inspired us with their faith and their nurture of us; but who have also pointed to us towards the only way forward for our life’s faith journey.
Welcoming God, we come as your vulnerable children to worship you, to offer ourselves to you with all our frailties and faults; and all our struggles with life’s complexities, because you open your arms with love and compassion to all in need of your generous love and support. As the wise Psalmist wrote: “Even the sparrow finds a home there, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young near your altar.” We come together today, to gain strength, hope and encouragement for life’s journey from the Source of all power and strength – our God.
God of grace and God of glory, you are our Light and our Protector—and our God in whom we trust, regardless of our worldly status or influence over others. We come in humility, before such a Forgiving God as is our God, and acknowledge that it is only in your presence that we can find life’s balance and perspective; and that only in your holy presence, we can know true acceptance and our true home. Amen.
~ written by Joan Stott, and posted on Geelong City Parish UCA website. If used in shared worship, please provide an acknowledgement as follows: © 2012 Joan Stott – "The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year B, used with permission.
We Come to the Lord's Table
Invitation to the TableCommunion Hymn
Elder's Prayer
Words of Institution
The Lord's Supper with instrumental meditation
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We Go Forth into the World
Challenge for DiscipleshipDiscipleship Hymn
Blessing
10:40 am Order of Service
We Gather in God's Presence
Welcome
Prelude
Call to Worship
Come, let’s praise God together!
For God is great, and worthy of our praise!
Let’s tell stories of God’s power and majesty,
His mighty acts throughout history:
for God is great, and worthy of our praise!
Let’s remember the compassion He has shown toward us;
His mercy and unfailing love, generation after generation:
for God is great, and worthy of our praise!
Let’s pass these stories along to our children and grandchildren,
so that they, too, may come to know and love our God.
For God is great, and worthy of our praise!
Let’s worship God together!
-by Christine Longhurst https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/10/call-to-worship-prayer-psalm-145-1-5.html
Praise Hymn
Lighting of the Candles
Invocation
Holy One, you have promised to be with us,
And long ago sent your Spirit to abide among us
and guide us to a future of goodness and hope.
We come seeking your truth, your justice, your kindness.
O God, you are with us this morning.
Let us feel your presence and
welcome you into our lives.
Come and fill these desires of our hearts.
~ from Hold on to Faith: Service Prayers for the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost, written by The Rev. Catherine Rolling. Posted on the Worship Ways page of the United Church of Christ website. http://www.ucc.org/worship/worship-ways/
Passing of the Peace
Faith Hymn
We Contemplate God's Word
ScriptureChildren's Sermon
Sermon
We Pray Together
Joys & ConcernsPrayer Hymn
Praying Together
Everlasting God, in the beauty of your holiness we gather to worship you, to praise you for your goodness and mercy; and for the way that here especially, we can be aware and know your holy presence. We come together into this our beloved place of prayer and praise, where we are not only surrounded by the signs and symbols of your presence, but also of the memories of people, who in the past, have inspired us with their faith and their nurture of us; but who have also pointed to us towards the only way forward for our life’s faith journey.
Welcoming God, we come as your vulnerable children to worship you, to offer ourselves to you with all our frailties and faults; and all our struggles with life’s complexities, because you open your arms with love and compassion to all in need of your generous love and support. As the wise Psalmist wrote: “Even the sparrow finds a home there, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young near your altar.” We come together today, to gain strength, hope and encouragement for life’s journey from the Source of all power and strength – our God.
God of grace and God of glory, you are our Light and our Protector—and our God in whom we trust, regardless of our worldly status or influence over others. We come in humility, before such a Forgiving God as is our God, and acknowledge that it is only in your presence that we can find life’s balance and perspective; and that only in your holy presence, we can know true acceptance and our true home. Amen.
~ written by Joan Stott, and posted on Geelong City Parish UCA website. If used in shared worship, please provide an acknowledgement as follows: © 2012 Joan Stott – "The Timeless Psalms" RCL Psalm Year B, used with permission.
We Come to the Lord's Table
Invitation to the Table
Communion Hymn
Words of Institution
The Lord's Supper with instrumental meditation
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We Go Forth into the World
Challenge for Discipleship
Discipleship Hymn
Blessing
Closing Hymn
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