Worship

Prelude: “God Our Help and Constant Refuge” Hymn 192, arr. Burkhardt (Karen Holl, Organist)

Gathering Hymn: BLESSED JESUS, AT YOUR WORD (454)

Welcome and Announcements

Call to Worship: (Psalm 46:1-3, 7, & 10-11)

One: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

All: Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

One: though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

All: The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

One: He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

All: The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

One: He is with us here and now. Let us exalt him in worship!

GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND OUR STRENGTH (191)

Prayer of Confession & Assurance of Pardon: (Augustine)

All: O God, the light of the hearts that see you, the life of the souls that love you, the strength of the minds that seek you; from whom to turn is to fall, to whom to turn is to rise and in whom to abide is to stand fast forever; grant us your blessing as we offer up our confessions and supplications, and though we are unworthy to approach you or to ask anything of you at all, hear and forgive us, for the sake of our great High Priest and only Mediator, Jesus Christ your Son. Amen. (SILENT CONFESSION)

One: Let us assure one another of God’s pardon with these words from Psalm 130:7-8

All: O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Old Testament Lesson: Jeremiah 23:23-24 (p.774)

Prayers of the People

DOXOLOGY (592)

The Passing of the Peace

Sermon: “Everywhere All the Time”       Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20 (p.989)

Confession of Faith: (from A Brief Statement of Faith)

One: We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life.

All: The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the church.

One: The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls women and men to all ministries of the church.

All: In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.  

One: In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, Come, Lord Jesus!

All: With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Closing Hymn: HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,

Why should my heart be lonely and long for heav’n and home,

When Jesus is my portion?  My constant friend is he:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” his tender word I hear,

And resting on his goodness, I lose my doubt and fear;

Tho’ by the path he leadeth, but one step I may see:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.

            I sing because I’ m happy, I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

            Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,

When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,

I draw the closer to him, from care he sets me free;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he cares for me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he cares for me.

            I sing because I’ m happy, I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Benediction

• How do we “tune in” to God’s presence?
• Where and when do you expect to encounter God’s presence? Do you have any “thin” places? Where and when has God’s presence surprised you?
• How does a heightened awareness of God’s presence impact what you do or don’t think, say, and do?
• How can we help one another and others tune into God’s presence?
• How can we join what God is doing in every place and time?