250518-Worship Bulletin

A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 3:18

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

The Voluntary for Silent Prayer

*Call to Worship: Psalm 99:1-3, 5

Minister: The Lord reigns;

People: let the peoples tremble!

Minister: He sits enthroned upon the cherubim;

People: let the earth quake!

Minister: The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.

People: Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!

Minister: Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool!

Unison: Holy is he!

*Hymn of Adoration: “Holy, Holy, Holy” (No. 100)

1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

2 Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

3 Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee
perfect in pow'r, in love, and purity.

4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

*Prayer of Adoration and Congregational Prayer

Unison: Holy God, Gracious Father, you who inhabit eternity, who is like you? You are high above the nations, and your glory is above the heavens. How unsearchable are your judgments, how inscrutable are your ways! From you, through you, and to you are all things. To you be glory forever! Yet in mercy you set your love on us. You take thought for us, you hear our cries for help, and you save us. You who are mighty have done great things for us. Holy is your name!

*Confession of Faith: Westminster Larger Catechism, 6

Minister: What is God?

People: God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

*Gloria (Tune: “Regent Square")

Glory to you, God the Father;
glory to you, God the Son;
glory to you, Holy Spirit,
ever Three and ever One,
One in might, and One in glory,
while unending ages run.

Psalter Reading: Psalm 34

Minister: I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

People: My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Minister: Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

People: I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears;

Minister: Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

People: This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

Minister: The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

People: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Minister: Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

People: The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Minister: Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

People: Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

Minister: keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.

People: Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Minister: The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.

People: the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Minister: The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

People: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Minister: A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;

People: he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

Minister: Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

People: The Lord redeems his servants; not one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

*Hymn of Praise: “All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above" (No. 4)

1 All praise to God, who reigns above,
the God of all creation,
the God of wonders, pow'r, and love,
the God of our salvation!
With healing balm my soul he fills,
the God who every sorrow stills.
To God all praise and glory!

2 What God's almighty pow'r hath made
his gracious mercy keepeth;
by morning dawn or evening shade
his watchful eye ne'er sleepeth;
within the kingdom of his might,
lo, all is just and all is right.
To God all praise and glory!

3 I cried to him in time of need:
Lord God, O hear my calling!
For death he gave me life indeed
and kept my feet from falling.
For this my thanks shall endless be;
O thank him, thank our God, with me.
To God all praise and glory!

4 The Lord forsaketh not his flock,
his chosen generation;
he is their refuge and their rock,
their peace and their salvation.
As with a mother's tender hand
he leads his own, his chosen band.
To God all praise and glory!

5 Ye who confess Christ's holy name,
to God give praise and glory!
Ye who the Father's pow'r proclaim,
to God give praise and glory!
All idols underfoot be trod,
the Lord is God! The Lord is God!
To God all praise and glory!

6 Then come before his presence now
and banish fear and sadness;
to your Redeemer pay your vow
and sing with joy and gladness:
Though great distress my soul befell,
the Lord, my God, did all things well,
To God all praise and glory!

The Prayers of Intercession

Unison: Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in His name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions, as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

Minister: Father, I pray for your Church, that she may be revived. I pray especially for this congregation, that our hearts may be drawn more deeply into fellowship with you.

People: We pray for those in this congregation who serve Christ in various ministries in our community, especially for The Women’s Refuge and Care Net.

Minister: I pray for those whom we know who serve Christ in this country and around the world, especially for the pastors of Tanzania, for Amjad and Sarah in the UK, the Lees with RUF, and the Mugaris in Zimbabwe.

People: We pray for the poor, the sick, the bereaved, the burdened and for the widows, orphans and prisoners. Please help those in any need or trouble, especially our brothers and sisters throughout the world suffering persecution.

Minister: I pray for those who do not know Christ and for those who seek a deeper knowledge of Him. May they find and be found by You.

People: We pray for our children and future generations which will be born to them. May the knowledge of you, Lord, fill the earth through them.

Minister: May we have grace to glorify Christ in our own day.

Unison: Lord, hear our prayers.

Silent Prayers

Pastoral Prayer

Words of Assurance

Minister: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

*Hymn of Thanksgiving: “Speak, O Lord” (SH No. 11)

1 Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of your holy word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfil in us
All Your purposes, for Your glory.

2 Teach us Lord full obedience,
Holy reverence, true humility.
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity.
Cause our faith to rise
Cause our eyes to see,
Your majestic love and authority.
Words of power that can never fail;
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.

3 Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us.
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time,
That will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we’ll stand on Your promises;
And by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, ’til your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory.

CCLI 3036374

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 18:15-20

Minister: This is the Word of God.

Unison: Thanks be to God for his Word!

*The Prayer for Illumination

Sermon: “Making Peace in the Kingdom” (Rev. Seth Wallace)

*Hymn of Response: “The Church’s One Foundation” (No. 347)

1 The church's one foundation
is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the Word:
from heav'n he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.

2 Elect from ev'ry nation,
yet one o'er all the earth,
her charter of salvation
one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with ev'ry grace endued.

3 Though with a scornful wonder
men see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping,
their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.

4 The church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
to guide, sustain, and cherish,
is with her to the end;
though there be those that hate her,
and false sons in her pale,
against or foe or traitor
she ever shall prevail.

5 'Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation
of peace forevermore;
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious
shall be the church at rest.

6 Yet she on earth hath union
with God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.

*Benediction

Postlude

*Denotes congregation standing, if able.

If you would like someone to pray with you, an Elder will be available at the front of the sanctuary following the service.