Service for the Lord’s Day

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time: February 18, 2007  10:30 a.m.

 

GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

PRELUDE                                              Kum Ba Yah                                          arr. J. Behnke

 Someone’s Praying, Lord             Someone’s Crying, Lord           Someone’s Singing, Lord

 

WELCOME, ANNOUNCEMENTS & REGISTRATION

           

CHORAL INTROIT # 316                                                       Breathe on Me, Breath of God

            LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE

 

*CALL TO WORSHIP                         from Gathered by Love, Lavon Bayler, The Pilgrim Press, 2001

           

We come together, a community of faith.

We have gathered to talk with and listen to our God.

        May our faces shine in anticipation.

                    Our God has invited us to this moment of meeting.

We share in a new covenant of promise and hope.

Our spirits have been set free for worship and praise.

        We come with boldness to encounter our Creator.

        We assemble here, eager to be changed by God.

Our fears melt into awe and wonder before God.

Our failures become opportunities for learning.

        Let us praise God’s holy name in chorus.

        Let us share in the glory of life. What a gift!

 

 

*PROCESSIONAL HYMN # 356                                Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

 

*CALL TO CONFESSION

 

Day after day we are surrounded by the majesty of God, yet our eyes do

not see nor our thoughts comprehend the wonders of creation or the gift

of transcendence. God calls us to be eyewitnesses of good news, to believe

what we have eyes to see and to trust in the One beyond our knowing.

Let us come to God, confessing our need.

 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

 

            Glorious God, we admit that we find it difficult to give you serious

consideration except, perhaps, on Sunday morning. Our lives are filled with

so many competing interests and we take you for granted. The mystery of life

eludes us because we fail to seek you in what seems commonplace and we refuse

to deal with matters beyond our own understanding. We have tried to put our relationship with you in a compartment separate from the rest of life. Shake our complacency, we pray, and awaken us to new life in all its fullness. Amen.

(time for silent, personal confession) Amen.

 

*RESPONSE # 572                                                                        Lord, Have Mercy Upon Us

 

*ASSURANCE OF PARDON              from Taught by Love, Lavon Bayler, United Church Press, 1998

 

Happy are all who take refuge in God. We are accepted as God’s own children.

To us, the Holy Spirit comes as a gift, interpreting to us the truth of the Scriptures.

Do not be afraid of the vision God sets before us. A new day is dawning among us

as we become aware that God is with us. Amen.

 

*THE PEACE

            The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

     Peace be with you. (worshipers share words and gestures of God’s peace)

 

PROCLAIM GOD’S WORD

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON                                                        Exodus 34: 29-35 (NRSV)

 

ANTHEM                                        Hold Out Your Light                                   arr. M. Hogan                                   

 

WORD WITH CHILDREN

 

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON                                                             Luke 9: 28-36 (NRSV)

 

SERMON                                                                                                       “Beyond the Veil”

 

RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

 

OFFERING OURSELVES TO GOD’S PURPOSES

Call to respond

Offertory                                  Humble Service                                         L.L. Fleming                 

*Prayer of Dedication

 

PRAYERS OF THANKS, INTERCESSION & LORD’S PRAYER                 Hymnal P. 16

 

            DEPART IN GOD’S NAME

 

*HYMN # 538                                                                   Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing

 

*CHARGE & BLESSING                                                                                                 

 

*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE  # 587                                                                  Amen           

 

POSTLUDE                                  We Are Marching (Siyahamba)                    arr. R. Schaffer                                                                

*Congregation stands as able

Next Week’s Scriptures: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-2; Roman 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13

 

 

WE ARE A STEPHEN MINISTRY CONGREGATION

 

WORSHIP LEADERS

Liturgists 

Rev. Jonathan C. Siehl

Sermon

Betsy Maurath, Coordinator of Education for Children & Youth,

Word with Children

Jonathan C. Siehl

Musical Leadership

                                                                           Chancel Choir

Sarah Shaffer, Director

Nancy Deeth, Organist/Pianist