October 23 @ St. Paul's UMC: Worship

Sunrise at St. Paul's

Lorie at the piano

"Yum!"

Enjoying the morning's fare

Sharing as a community

20th Sunday after Pentecost

YouTube link

 

Today’s Meditation Verse: “Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to You shall vows be performed.” —Psalm 65:1

Welcome... Pastor Charles 

Prelude... Lorie Courier / “Joyous Fanfare”

*Call to Worship (Psalm 84:1-4)... Tim Cook

Leader: How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at Your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. Happy are those who live in Your house, ever singing Your praise.

*Hymn...“Wonderful Words of Life” (UMH #600)

Prayer of Confession (Rev. Darin Arntson, Cal-Pac Conference, 2019)... Tim Cook

Merciful God, We confess that we have not loved You with our whole heart. We have made idols of our desires, our perceived righteousness, and even our fears.  We have failed to be an obedient church. We have failed to embrace one another as equally valued members of one body, of which Christ alone is the head. We have not done Your will; we have broken Your law. We have been lured into legalism and the confines of church polity, favoring human security over divine,  radical   grace. We have rebelled against Your love... believing that Your favor is earned by faithfulness, rather than freely given to us and every sibling in Christ. We have not loved our neighbors... When we valued certain voices, perspectives, and bodies above others. And we have not heard the cry of the needy... When we overlooked the hungry, the poor, and the outcast; when we turned our back on the one who was lost; when we chose for ourselves who was welcome at Your feast. Even when we fail to seek forgiveness, and have not yet forgiven one another... Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Christ our redeemer. Amen.

Silence for personal prayers of confession

Words of Assurance: Hear the good news: Through the expansive, mysterious, divine gift of grace, made known in the person of Jesus Christ, we have been reconciled and restored to our Creator, and

entrusted to bear this unimaginable love to the world. Through Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God. Amen.

*Offering/Doxology (UMH #95)

Community prayer requests, concerns, and celebrations

Pastoral Prayer / The Lord’s Prayer... Pastor Charles

Gospel Lesson: Luke 18:9-14... Tim Cook

Choral Anthem... “Forward Through the Ages”

Epistle Lesson: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18... Pastor Charles

This is the Word of God for the people of God. People: Thanks be to God.

Sermon... Pastor Charles / “Was it worth it?”

*Hymn...“My Hope Is Built” (UMH #368)

*Words for the Journey... Pastor Charles

Postlude... Lorie Courier / “To God Be the Glory”