Bulletin for July 16, 2023 Worship Service
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GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME

PRELUDE
“Sonata No. 1” Charles Ore

As the prelude begins, you are invited to begin your personal preparation for worship.

SILENT MEDITATION
“When someone is broken, don’t try to fix them. (You can’t.) When someone is hurting, don’t attempt to take away their pain. (You can’t.) Instead, love them by walking beside them in the hurt. (You can.) Because sometimes what people need is simply to know they aren’t alone.”
– Jenny Albers, as quoted in ‘Our Daily Bread’

CALL TO WORSHIP from Psalm 139
O Lord, you have searched us and known us.
You know the paths we choose to travel; you know when we lie down to rest.
You discern what we are thinking from far away.
You are well acquainted with all our ways.
Even before we speak, you know what we will say.
You go in front of us and behind us.
It is almost too much to comprehend, O Lord,
For you know us and accompany us completely.
Let us worship the Lord our God, who is always with us, and is with us now!

PRAISE AND ADORATION

*OPENING HYMN
#365 “God Reigns! Let Earth Rejoice!” MARION
(*Please stand, if you are able.)

God reigns! Let earth rejoice! Let oceans shout God’s might!
Borne up by truth and righteousness, God’s throne is our delight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! God reigns! Let earth rejoice!

God’s fire ignites the clouds with judgment swift and just;
The evil find their deeds in vain; God’s foes are brought to dust.
Rejoice! Rejoice! God reigns! Let earth rejoice!

False idols rise to claim the weakness of our pride,
but cannot touch the faithful ones, for God stands at our side.
Rejoice! Rejoice! God reigns! Let earth rejoice!

The radiance of God’s light beams joy into our days;
now filled with God’s own peace and love, our hearts resound with praise.
Rejoice! Rejoice! God reigns! Let earth rejoice!

CALL TO CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of love, in the wrong we have done, and in the good we have not done, we have sinned in ignorance; we have sinned in weakness; we have sinned through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry. We turn to you in repentance to ask your forgiveness. Thank you for never giving up on us. Make us people who desire your will to be done in our lives, and continue your work in us, so that when others look at us, they would see Jesus. Hear this, our prayer, and hear us now as we pray in silence.

SILENT PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

KYRIE ELEISON
“Lord, Have Mercy” Schubert

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

*GLORIA PATRI
(#581) “Glory Be to the Father” GLORIA PATRI

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

A MOMENT FOR THE PRESBYTERY
Pam Otto, for the Commission on Ministry
Review Discernment Document

HYMN #171
“A Sower Came from Ancient Hills” SEACHRIST

A Sower came from ancient hills and cast good seed abroad:
his field, ten thousand human hearts;his seed, the word of God.
And some who listened would not hear, and some who heard forgot.
But some received in fertile soil the truth the Sower taught.

A Sower walked throughout the land and, everywhere he trod,
he sowed his life because he was himself the Seed of God.
But then, atop a barren hill, beneath a darkening sky,
they threw God’s Seed on stony ground and left it there to die.

The Seed was buried deep in death beneath a blood-red sky,
and deeper still was buried hope for those who watched him die.
But then, in Joseph’s garden fair, as dawn broke o’er the land,
the Seed, from three days’ silent sleep, awoke at God’s command!

O Christ, you come among us still, the Sower and the Seed.
As once you sowed the truth of God in glowing word and deed,
Implant your Word in waiting hearts, and let it there take hold,
until it bears in fruitful lives a harvest hundredfold.

OLD TESTAMENT READING
Isaiah 55: 10-13 page 598 of the pew Bible

FELLOWSHIP OF PRAYER

JOYS AND CONCERNS

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
The 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; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

ANTHEM
”Christ Ever with Me“ Michael Cox

PROCLAMATION OF GOD’S WORD

SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23 page 794 of the pew Bible

Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

SERMON
“Your 100-fold Harvest” Dr. Zieman

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH from the PC(USA) Declaration of Faith
We know that God is not confined to the story we can tell. The story itself tells us God works his sovereign will among all peoples of the earth. We believe God works beyond our imagining throughout the universe. We acknowledge no other God. We must not set our ultimate reliance on any other help. We must not yield unconditional obedience to any other power. We must not love anyone or anything more than we love God. We praise and enjoy God. To worship God is our highest joy. To serve God is perfect freedom. Amen.

*SANCTUS
“Holy, Holy, Holy” SANCTUS (Schubert)

RECEPTION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY
“What a Fellowship” arr. Gilbert M. Martin

* DOXOLOGY
(#609) “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” LASST UNS ERFREUEN
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise God, all creatures high and low.
Alleluia, alleluia! Praise God, in Jesus fully known; Creator, Word, and Spirit one.
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Gracious God, thank you for these gifts given this day and for the many gifts of our lives. May they be used ever and only to glorify you. Amen.

*HYMN
#816 If Thou but Trust in God to Guide Thee WER NUR DEN LIEBEN GOTT

If thou but trust in God to guide thee, with hopeful heart through all thy ways,
God will give strength, whate’er betide thee, to bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love builds on the rock that nought can move.

Only be still, and wait God’s leisure in cheerful hope, with heart content
to take whate’er thy Keeper’s pleasure and all-discerning love hath sent.
No doubt our inmost wants are clear to One who holds us always dear.

Sing, pray, and swerve not from God’s ways, but do thine own part faithfully.
Trust the rich promises of grace; so shall they be fulfilled in thee.
God never yet forsook at need the soul secured by trust indeed.

*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

*BENEDICTION RESPONSE
“Amen” Peter Lutkin

POSTLUDE
“Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr” Johann Ludwig Krebs
(From my heart I hold you dear, o Lord)

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