250706: Worship Bulletin

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 146

Minister: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

People: Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.

Minister: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.

People: The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

Unison: The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

*Hymn of Adoration: “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah” (No. 57, Tune: “Austrian Hymn”)

1 Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
of my God through all my days.
Put no confidence in princes,
nor for help on man depend;
he shall die, to dust returning,
and his purposes shall end.

2 Happy is the man that chooses
Israel's God to be his aid;
he is blessed whose hope of blessing
on the Lord his God is stayed.
Heav'n and earth the Lord created,
seas and all that they contain;
he delivers from oppression,
righteousness he will maintain.

3 Food he daily gives the hungry,
Sets the mourning prisoner free,
raises those bowed down with anguish,
makes the sightless eye to see.
Well Jehovah loves the righteous,
and the stranger he befriends,
helps the fatherless and widow,
judgment on the wicked sends.

4 Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
of my God through all my days.
Over all God reigns forever,
through all ages he is King;
unto him, your God, O Zion,
joyful hallelujahs sing.

*Prayer of Adoration and Congregational Invocation

Unison: Our Father, Everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth: In your Word and creation, we delight to behold you. In great might, you rule over all. You measure the waters in the hollow of your hand. You mark off the heavens with a span. You weigh the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance. To you, all the nations are like a drop from a bucket. Yet like a shepherd, you tend your flock: you gather us in your arms, you carry us close to your heart, you gently lead us. You never grow faint or weary, and your understanding is unsearchable. So when we are faint, you give us power. When we have no might, you increase our strength. For all this we praise you and thank you. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

*Affirmation of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism 26

Minister: What do you believe when you say: I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?

People: That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and all that is in them, and who still upholds and governs them by his eternal counsel and providence, is, for the sake of Christ his Son, my God and my Father. In him I trust so completely as to have no doubt that he will provide me with all things necessary for body and soul, and will also turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this life of sorrow. He is able to do so as almighty God, and willing also as a faithful Father.

Unison: Thanks be to God!

*Gloria (Tune: “Ode to Joy”)

"Glory, blessing, praise eternal!" Thus the choir of angels sings.
"Honor, glory, power, dominion!" Thus its praise creation brings.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! To the King of Glory sing!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the mighty King of kings!

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.

People: You shall have no other gods before me.

Minister: 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.

People: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Minister: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

People: Honor your father and your mother.

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.”

People: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, mind and strength…and your neighbor as yourself.”

Minister: Have you fully obeyed the Lord in all that he has commanded?

People: No, but we have sinned against him in thought, word, and deed.

Minister: Then confess your sins, for with him there is mercy and abundant pardon.

*Hymn of Confession: “O, Thou That Hear’st When Sinners Cry” (No. 485)

1 O thou that hear'st when sinners cry,
though all my crimes before thee lie,
behold them not with angry look,
but blot their mem'ry from thy book.

2 Create my nature pure within,
and form my soul averse to sin;
let thy good Spirit ne'er depart,
not hide thy presence from my heart.

3 I cannot live without thy light,
cast out and banished from thy sight;
thy holy joys, my God, restore,
and guard me, that I fall no more.

4 A broken heart, my God, my King,
is all the sacrifice I bring;
the God of grace will ne'er despise
a broken heart for sacrifice.

5 My soul lies humbled in the dust,
and owns thy dreadful sentence just:
look down, O Lord, with pitying eye,
and save the soul condemned to die.

6 Then will I teach the world thy ways;
sinners shall learn thy sovereign grace;
I'll lead them to my Savior's blood,
and they shall praise a pard'ning God.

Prayer of Confession

Unison:
Eternal Father: You are good beyond all thought, but we are slow of heart and blind; our lips are ready to confess, but our hearts are slow to feel, and our ways reluctant to amend. Unmask to us sin’s deformity that we may hate it, abhor it, and flee from it. Our faculties have been a weapon of revolt against you; as we rebel, we misuse our strength and serve the foul adversary of your kingdom. Give us grace to bewail our insane folly; and grant that through the tears of repentance, we may see more clearly the brightness and glories of the saving cross.

Adapted from “Yet I Sin” in The Valley of Vision

Silent Confession

Pastoral Prayer

Words of Assurance

Minister: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. (Ephesians 1:7-8)

Unison: Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

*Hymn of Response: “Jesus, Love of My Soul” (No. 508)

1 Jesus, lover of my soul,
let me to thy bosom fly,
while the nearer waters roll,
while the tempest still is high:
hide me, O my Savior, hide,
till the storm of life is past;
safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last!

2 Other refuge have I none,
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me!
All my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenseless head
with the shadow of thy wing.

3 Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
more than all in thee I find:
raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is thy name;
I am all unrighteousness;
false and full of sin I am,
thou art full of truth and grace.

4 Plenteous grace with thee is found,
grace to cover all my sin;
let the healing streams abound;
make and keep me pure within:
thou of life the fountain art,
freely let me take of thee;
spring thou up within my heart,
rise to all eternity.

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 20:29-34

Minister: This is the Word of God.

Unison: Thanks be to God for his Word!

*The Prayer for Illumination

Sermon: “Let Our Eyes Be Opened” (Rev. Seth Wallace)

*Hymn of Response: “Be Thou My Vision” (No. 642)

1 Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art -
thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

2 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou my great Father, I thy true son;
thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

3 Be thou my battle shield, sword for my fight;
be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
thou my soul's shelter, thou my high tow'r;
raise thou me heav'n-ward, O Pow'r of my pow'r.

4 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

5 High King of heaven, my victory won,
may I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'n's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

*The Benediction

Postlude

*Denotes congregation standing, if able.