Order of Service

 

Gathering

 

Call to Worship                             ÒAve VerumÓ                             W.A. Mozart

Soprano Soloist: Patti Jacobina

 

Greeting  (Adapted from 2 Corinthians 13:14)

(L)  May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,...the Holy Spirit be with you all.

(R) And also with you.

(L)  Let we who are many join in one heart and voice to worship the God who

is three yet one.

 

Announcements, Concerns, Joys & Opening Prayer

 

*Responsive Reading   (Based on Psalm 50:1-6)

(L)  The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the

rising of the sun to the place where it sets.

(R) From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.

(L)  The Lord summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his

people:  "Gather to me my consecrated ones, with whom I have made a

covenant

(R) The heavens proclaim GodÕs righteousness, for God himself is judge.

 

*Hymn                             ÒOpen Now Thy Gates of BeautyÓ                                      489

Open now thy gates of beauty, Zion, let me enter there,

Where my soul in joyful duty Waits for God who answers prayer;

O how blessed is this place, Filled with solace, light, and grace.

 

Gracious God, I come before Thee, Come Thou also down to me;

Where we find Thee and adore Thee, There a heaven on earth must be;

To my heart O enter Thou, Let it be Thy temple now.

 

Speak, O Lord, and I will hear Thee, Let Thy will be done indeed;

May I undisturbed draw near Thee, While Thou dost Thy people feed.

Here of life the fountain flows, Here is balm for all our woes.

 

Profession of Faith  (ApostlesÔ Creed)

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.  I believe in Jesus Christ, GodÕs only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father and he will come to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit; one holy universal Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.  Amen.

 

*Passing Of the Peace (Hope, Unity, Purpose)

 

The Word Proclaimed

 

Prayer for Illumination  (Based on 2nd Corinthians 4:6)

Spirit of the Living God, open our hearts and minds to your word for us this day, that the light may shine out of the darkness and into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.  Amen.

 

Gospel Reading                              Mark 9: 2-10                             (page 1,567)

(L)  This is the word of the Lord.

(R)  Thanks be to God.

 

Choral Anthem                  ÒCome, Follow MeÓ    Elly & Steve Kupferschmid

 

ChildrenÕs Time

 

Sermon                                    ÒThere and Back AgainÓ

 

 

Responding to the Word

*Hymn                      ÒThe Church of Christ in Every AgeÓ          421 (vs. 1-3,5)

The church of Christ in every age,  Beset by change but Spirit led,

Must claim and test its heritage And keep on rising from the dead.

 

Across the world, across the street, The victims of injustice cry

For shelter and for bread to eat, And never live until they die.

 

Then let the servant church arise, A caring church that longs to be

A partner in Christ's sacrifice, And clothed in Christ's humanity.

 

We have no mission but to serve In full obedience to our Lord:

To care for all, without reserve, And spread Christ's liberating word.

 

Prayer of Repentance

Lord, we confess, that often we donÕt understand our own lives. We often donÕt understand fully our time on the mountain tops, or perhaps why we have to spend so much time in the valleys. We are grateful for your patience with us and the unending presence of your Spirit. We thank you that in Christ, everything that separates us from you is dealt with once and for all, so that throughout our lives we find that time and again we are rising from the dead, until we reach that ultimate mountain top experience when   we see you face to face. Amen.

 

Assurance of Pardon

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, Amen.

 

Invitation to Stewardship & Receiving of Tithes and Offerings

Offertory                                       ÒMagnifique PaixÓ                        arr. Oliver Latry

*We Give Thee But Thine Own                                                                       (vs. 1-2)

 

We give Thee but Thine own, Whate'er the gift may be;

All that we have is Thine alone, A trust, O Lord, from Thee.

 

May we Thy bounties thus As stewards true receive,

And gladly, as Thou blessest us, To Thee our first fruits give.

*Prayer of Thanksgiving & LordÕs 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; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power; and the glory, forever.  Amen.

 

Send Forth

*Hymn                        ÒO Wondrous Sight, O Vision FairÓ                                            75

(Tune: ÒChrist is AliveÓ)

O wondrous sight, O vision fair Of glory that the church shall share,

Which Christ upon the mountain shows, Where brighter than the sun He glows!

 

From age to age the tale declare, How with the three disciples there,

Where Moses and Elijah meet, The Lord holds converse high and sweet.

 

The law and prophets there have place, Two chosen witnesses of grace;

The Father's voice from out the cloud Proclaims His only Son aloud.

 

With shining face and bright array Christ deigns to manifest today

What glory shall be theirs above Who joy in God with perfect love.

 

And faithful hearts are raised on high By this great vision's mystery,

For which in joyful strains we raise The voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.

 

*Charge and Benediction

 

*Congregational Response      ÒSong of HopeÓ                                           432

May the God of hope go with us every day,

Filling all our lives with love and joy and peace.

May the God of justice speed us on our way,

Bringing light and hope to every land and race.

Praying, let us work for peace, Singing, share our joy with all,

Working for a world that's new, Faithful when we hear Christ's call.

 

Postlude                                     ÒDuke StreetÓ                              arr. D. Dorty

 

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