240804-Worship Bulletin
He who has ears, let him hear.
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Psalm 119:18
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
The Voluntary for Silent Prayer
*Call to Worship: Psalm 28:6-7
Minister: Blessed be the Lord!
People: For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
Minister: The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
People: my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Unison: Come, let us praise the Lord!
*Hymn of Adoration: “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” ( No. 457)
1 Come, thou fount of ev'ry blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
mount of God's unchanging love.
2 Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wand'ring from the fold of God:
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
3 O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be;
let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wand'ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander – Lord, I feel it –
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.
*Prayer of Adoration and Congregational Prayer
Unison: Eternal God, we praise you for your surpassing greatness, your unspeakable goodness, and your super-abundant grace. We can more easily count the sands on the seashore than number your mercies to us. We know but a part of all you have done for us, but that part exceeds our ability to praise. And so, as we mourn our sin, we fly repenting to your outstretched arms, for we know you will not cast us off. Because we are in your Son, you will draw us near. And you will not condemn us, for Jesus died in our place. In his precious name we come to you. Amen.
Adapted from “Divine Mercies” in The Valley of Vision
*Affirmation of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism, No. 126
Minister: What is the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer?
People: Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. That is: For the sake of Christ's blood, do not impute to us, wretched sinners, any of our transgressions, nor the evil which still clings to us, as we also find this evidence of your grace in us that we are fully determined wholeheartedly to forgive our neighbor.
Unison: Thanks be to God! With you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
*Gloria (Tune: “To God Be the Glory”)
To God be the glory, great things he has done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate that we may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father thro' Jesus the Son,
and give him the glory, great things he has done!
The Revelation of God’s Will: Ex. 20:1-17; Mt. 22:37-40
Unison: And God spoke all these words saying: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘
Minister: You shall have no other gods before me.
People: You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Minister: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
People: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.
Minister: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
People: Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
Minister: You shall not murder.
People: You shall not commit adultery.
Minister: You shall not steal.
People: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Minister: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’”
Unison: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, mind and strength…and your neighbor as yourself.”
Hymn of Confession: “God, Be Merciful to Me” (No. 486)
1 God, be merciful to me,
on thy grace I rest my plea;
plenteous in compassion thou,
blot out my transgressions now;
wash me, make me pure within,
cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.
2 My transgressions I confess,
grief and guilt my soul oppress;
I have sinned against thy grace
and provoked thee to thy face;
I confess thy judgment just,
speechless, I thy mercy trust.
3 I am evil, born in sin;
thou desirest truth within.
thou alone my Savior art,
teach thy wisdom to my heart;
make me pure, thy grace bestow,
wash me whiter than the snow.
4 Broken, humbled to the dust
by thy wrath and judgment just,
let my contrite heart rejoice
and in gladness hear thy voice;
from my sins O hide thy face,
blot them out in boundless grace.
5 Gracious God, my heart renew,
make my spirit right and true;
cast me not away from thee,
let thy Spirit dwell in me;
thy salvation's joy impart,
steadfast make my willing heart.
6 Sinners then shall learn from me
and return, O God, to thee;
Savior, all my guilt remove,
and my tongue shall sing thy love;
touch my silent lips, O Lord,
and my mouth shall praise accord.
Corporate Confession
Unison: Almighty and most merciful God and Father: we have erred and strayed from your ways; like lost sheep we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts; we have offended against your holy laws; we have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. But you, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders; spare those, O God, who confess their faults; restore those who are penitent according to your promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord; and grant, O merciful Father, for His sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, sober and righteous life to the glory of your holy Name and the salvation of our own souls. Amen.
Silent Confession
Pastoral Prayer
Assurance of Pardon
Unison: I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness. Thanks be to God!
Isaiah 61:10
*Hymn of Response: “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” (Insert)
1 Beneath the cross of Jesus
I find a place to stand,
And wonder at such mercy
That calls me as I am.
For hands that should discard me
Hold wounds which tell me come.
Beneath the cross of Jesus
My unworthy soul is won.
2 Beneath the cross of Jesus,
His family is my own.
Once strangers chasing selfish dreams;
Now, one through grace alone.
How could I now dishonor
The ones that You have loved?
Beneath the cross of Jesus,
See the children called by God.
3 Beneath the cross of Jesus
The path before the crown,
We follow in His footsteps
Where promised hope is found.
How great the joy before us
To be His perfect bride.
Beneath the cross of Jesus,
We will gladly live our lives.
Worship of God through Tithes and Offerings
*Doxology: (Tune: “Lasst Uns Erfreuen”)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below; Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;
O Praise Him! O Praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
*Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication
*Reading of The Holy Scriptures: Matthew 13:1-17
Minister: This is the Word of God.
Unison: Thanks be to God for his Word!
*The Prayer for Illumination
Sermon: “The Parables of Jesus” (Rev. Seth Wallace)
*Hymn of Response: “Thou Art the Way” (No. 154)
1 Thou art the Way: to thee alone
from sin and death we flee;
and he who would the Father seek
must seek him, Lord, by thee.
2 Thou art the Truth: thy Word alone
true wisdom can impart;
thou only canst inform the mind,
and purify the heart.
3 Thou art the Life: the rending tomb
proclaims thy conquering arm,
and those who put their trust in thee
nor death nor hell shall harm.
4 Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life:
grant us that Way to know,
that Truth to keep, that Life to win,
whose joys eternal flow.
*The Benediction
Postlude
*Denotes congregational standing, if able.
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Psalm 119:18
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
The Voluntary for Silent Prayer
*Call to Worship: Psalm 28:6-7
Minister: Blessed be the Lord!
People: For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
Minister: The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
People: my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Unison: Come, let us praise the Lord!
*Hymn of Adoration: “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” ( No. 457)
1 Come, thou fount of ev'ry blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
mount of God's unchanging love.
2 Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wand'ring from the fold of God:
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
3 O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be;
let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wand'ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander – Lord, I feel it –
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.
*Prayer of Adoration and Congregational Prayer
Unison: Eternal God, we praise you for your surpassing greatness, your unspeakable goodness, and your super-abundant grace. We can more easily count the sands on the seashore than number your mercies to us. We know but a part of all you have done for us, but that part exceeds our ability to praise. And so, as we mourn our sin, we fly repenting to your outstretched arms, for we know you will not cast us off. Because we are in your Son, you will draw us near. And you will not condemn us, for Jesus died in our place. In his precious name we come to you. Amen.
Adapted from “Divine Mercies” in The Valley of Vision
*Affirmation of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism, No. 126
Minister: What is the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer?
People: Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. That is: For the sake of Christ's blood, do not impute to us, wretched sinners, any of our transgressions, nor the evil which still clings to us, as we also find this evidence of your grace in us that we are fully determined wholeheartedly to forgive our neighbor.
Unison: Thanks be to God! With you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
*Gloria (Tune: “To God Be the Glory”)
To God be the glory, great things he has done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate that we may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father thro' Jesus the Son,
and give him the glory, great things he has done!
The Revelation of God’s Will: Ex. 20:1-17; Mt. 22:37-40
Unison: And God spoke all these words saying: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘
Minister: You shall have no other gods before me.
People: You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Minister: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
People: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.
Minister: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
People: Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
Minister: You shall not murder.
People: You shall not commit adultery.
Minister: You shall not steal.
People: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Minister: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’”
Unison: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, mind and strength…and your neighbor as yourself.”
Hymn of Confession: “God, Be Merciful to Me” (No. 486)
1 God, be merciful to me,
on thy grace I rest my plea;
plenteous in compassion thou,
blot out my transgressions now;
wash me, make me pure within,
cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.
2 My transgressions I confess,
grief and guilt my soul oppress;
I have sinned against thy grace
and provoked thee to thy face;
I confess thy judgment just,
speechless, I thy mercy trust.
3 I am evil, born in sin;
thou desirest truth within.
thou alone my Savior art,
teach thy wisdom to my heart;
make me pure, thy grace bestow,
wash me whiter than the snow.
4 Broken, humbled to the dust
by thy wrath and judgment just,
let my contrite heart rejoice
and in gladness hear thy voice;
from my sins O hide thy face,
blot them out in boundless grace.
5 Gracious God, my heart renew,
make my spirit right and true;
cast me not away from thee,
let thy Spirit dwell in me;
thy salvation's joy impart,
steadfast make my willing heart.
6 Sinners then shall learn from me
and return, O God, to thee;
Savior, all my guilt remove,
and my tongue shall sing thy love;
touch my silent lips, O Lord,
and my mouth shall praise accord.
Corporate Confession
Unison: Almighty and most merciful God and Father: we have erred and strayed from your ways; like lost sheep we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts; we have offended against your holy laws; we have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. But you, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders; spare those, O God, who confess their faults; restore those who are penitent according to your promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord; and grant, O merciful Father, for His sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, sober and righteous life to the glory of your holy Name and the salvation of our own souls. Amen.
Silent Confession
Pastoral Prayer
Assurance of Pardon
Unison: I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness. Thanks be to God!
Isaiah 61:10
*Hymn of Response: “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” (Insert)
1 Beneath the cross of Jesus
I find a place to stand,
And wonder at such mercy
That calls me as I am.
For hands that should discard me
Hold wounds which tell me come.
Beneath the cross of Jesus
My unworthy soul is won.
2 Beneath the cross of Jesus,
His family is my own.
Once strangers chasing selfish dreams;
Now, one through grace alone.
How could I now dishonor
The ones that You have loved?
Beneath the cross of Jesus,
See the children called by God.
3 Beneath the cross of Jesus
The path before the crown,
We follow in His footsteps
Where promised hope is found.
How great the joy before us
To be His perfect bride.
Beneath the cross of Jesus,
We will gladly live our lives.
Worship of God through Tithes and Offerings
*Doxology: (Tune: “Lasst Uns Erfreuen”)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below; Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;
O Praise Him! O Praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
*Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication
*Reading of The Holy Scriptures: Matthew 13:1-17
Minister: This is the Word of God.
Unison: Thanks be to God for his Word!
*The Prayer for Illumination
Sermon: “The Parables of Jesus” (Rev. Seth Wallace)
*Hymn of Response: “Thou Art the Way” (No. 154)
1 Thou art the Way: to thee alone
from sin and death we flee;
and he who would the Father seek
must seek him, Lord, by thee.
2 Thou art the Truth: thy Word alone
true wisdom can impart;
thou only canst inform the mind,
and purify the heart.
3 Thou art the Life: the rending tomb
proclaims thy conquering arm,
and those who put their trust in thee
nor death nor hell shall harm.
4 Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life:
grant us that Way to know,
that Truth to keep, that Life to win,
whose joys eternal flow.
*The Benediction
Postlude
*Denotes congregational standing, if able.
August 1, 2024
