Grace Presbyterian Church
Seeking to equip people to live as Christian disciples wherever God has placed them.
Welcome And Opening Prayer
Prelude When Jesus on the cross was bound (Versus I) Samuel Scheidt
Responsive Call to Worship
One: All who are thirsty and all who are weak, come to the fountain, dip your heart in the stream of life.
All: Flow, Holy Spirit, flow.
One: All who are hungry, whose ears are filled with the growling of your appetites feed your souls with words of life.
All: Come, Savior, Jesus, the Christ, come.
One: Deep cries out to deep.
All: Let us worship the Living God.
Hymn Red 45* “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
Come, Thou Fount of every 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 his name–I’m fixed upon it–
name of God’s redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer,
hither by thy help I’ve come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
bought me with his precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering 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.
Call to Confession
Confession of Sin
God, you offered to your people that anyone who is thirsty should come to you. We drink from other streams. You promise living water to lost and lonely souls. We drink from other streams. You are the God who would fill our cups to overflowing, who has poured out yourself for us, and still, we would drink from other streams. We seek to be satiated by that which does not satisfy. We confess our foolishness, our stubbornness, and our need. Time for silent prayer and reflection.
Assurance of Pardon
Gloria Patri
Passing of the Peace
Prayer for Illumination
Lord, we are thirsty for a good word, a word of truth that acts like a buoy or a life preserver. Open our hearts and minds to your word. Convict us with your call and give us wisdom and courage to live it out.
First Scripture Reading (In Unison) Psalm 69:1-8, 16-21
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.
More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; many are those who would destroy me, my enemies who accuse me falsely. What I did not steal must I now restore? O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.
Do not let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me, O Lord God of hosts; do not let those who seek you be dishonored because of me, O God of Israel. It is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother’s children.
Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress—make haste to answer me. Draw near to me, redeem me, set me free because of my enemies.
You know the insults I receive, and my shame and dishonor; my foes are all known to you. Insults have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Second Scripture Reading John 19:28-29
After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.
Sermon I Thirst Rev. Robin Miller Currás
Hymn Red 227* “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me”
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure,
save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law’s demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress,
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly,
wash me, Savior, or I die!
While I draw this fleeting breath,
when my eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Affirmation of Faith The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
Offertory When Jesus on the cross was bound (Versus IV) Samuel Scheidt
Doxology
Prayer after the Offering
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Pastoral Prayers/The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Hymn Red 212* “What Wondrous Love Is This”
What wondrous love is this,
O my soul, O my soul,
what wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse
for my soul, for my soul,
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul!
When I was sinking down,
sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down, sinking down;
when I was sinking down
beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul,
for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul!
To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing,
to God and to the Lamb I will sing!
To God and to the Lamb, who is the great “I AM,”
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
while millions join the theme, I will sing!
And when from death I’m free,
I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on!
And when from death I’m free,
I’ll sing and joyful be,
and through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and through eternity I’ll sing on!
Benediction
——————————————————————————————————————–
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84531485041?pwd=UXRMUGJIOFVOWUh4cFFRK3BoenVsQT09
Meeting ID: 845 3148 5041
Passcode: 391303
Phone In 19292056099,,84531485041# US (New York)
https://gracemontclair.org/covid-19/worship/