Gathering Gathering Music Prelude in C JS Bach Welcome *Opening Hymn #688 vss 1, 2 & 4 Lord of Light *Confession and Forgiveness If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Let us confess our sin to God who is faithful and just and who has promised to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Silence for reflection and self-examination *Kyrie Most merciful God, have mercy on us. We confess to you that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not trusted you with our whole heart; we have not loved one another in deed and in truth. In your compassion forgive our sin and so uphold us by your Spirit that we may live and serve you in newness of life through Jesus Christ our light and our truth. Amen. With joy, I proclaim to you that Almighty God, rich in mercy, abundant in love, forgives you all your sin and grants you newness of life in Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God! *Now the Feast and Celebration *Prayer of the Day Life In Community Children s Message Word of Life Scripture Reading...1 Kings 12:1-11 (NIV) 12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4 Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you. 5 Rehoboam answered, Go away for three days and then come back to me. So the people went away. 2
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. How would you advise me to answer these people? he asked. 7 They replied, If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants. 8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, Lighten the yoke your father put on us? 10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, These people have said to you, Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter. Now tell them, My little finger is thicker than my father s waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions. Leader: The Word of the Lord. *Gospel Reading...Matthew 12:22-25 (NIV) Thanks be to God. 22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, Could this be the Son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons. 25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. *Song of Response #512 Message *Message Hymn Leader: The Gospel of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil Pr. Tom Grevlos Come Build a Church *Statement of Faith Into the silence of the void the Creator spoke, and the world came into being. The Word of God in the vastness brought light from darkness, matter from nothing, flesh from dust, life from lifelessness. In the quiet of a small town in Palestine the Word of God came to us. Even though of one being with the Creator, Jesus our Christ, taking on human form, was born, 3
*Prayers of the Community *Sharing of the Peace Thank Offering lived and walked among us, speaking the words of life. He was crucified, died, and was buried. He rose from the dead and speaks to us today. He is the one who saves us from ourselves. In the stillness of our souls the Spirit of God, who is one with the Creator and the Christ, whispers the Word, and calls us back to the Creator, back to the Christ, back to the wholeness of everlasting life in the unity of the Creator, Christ and Spirit. Offertory Senior Choir The Lord Is A Mighty God Mendelssohn *Offertory Response *Offering Prayer Leader: Lord s Supper *Words of Institution *Lord s Prayer Give Thanks God of every good gift, here we present our offerings. There is money here, fulfilling our pledges to support the ministries we do in your name. There are gifts that we give in response to your Spirit, which we remember in joyful song and holy story, in prayer and silence. God, we offer them all to you. We ask your blessing on all that we give, so that your loving care reaches into us and out to all the world, ever more deeply and gracefully. We ask it in Jesus name; Amen. Communion Distribution O Lord Most Holy Cesar Franck Communion Blessing 4
Sending *Benediction Arise, people of God! Shine! The light of our Christ is in you and among you, guiding you and blessing you, now and always: Amen. *Song of Sending They ll Know We are Christians *Sending Leader: May our light shine before others as we go out to love and serve the Lord... Thanks be to God...and WE WILL! Postlude Fugue in C JS Bach Prayers Please pray for Joan Kerr, Dennis Von Waaden, Courtney Moore Hjaltman and Claudia Arredondo on their health challenges and recovery Please pray for Ethel Kunze on the death of her brother, Del Johnson Please pray for Ann Watt and her mother, Trudy Dunphy Please pray for Linda Squires, sister of Laura Hills Please pray for Karen Oehler, sister of Kurt Oehler Please pray for those traveling from The Ranch at Cow Creek after the Women's Retreat Please pray for our faith community, that we may be a church without walls and live out loud...faithfully! 5