Grace Presbyterian Church
Seeking to equip people to live as Christian disciples wherever God has placed them.
June 27, 2021 Live Worship
Welcome And Opening Prayer
Prelude
Intermezzo Opus 118 No. 2 A Major Johannes Brahms
David Malyszko, guest organistt
Responsive Call to Worship
We have gathered today in search of reformation.
We want to reform ourselves, our church, and our society.
We stand fearless at the edge of change.
For God is in the midst of us and we shall not be moved.
Be still, and know that God is God.
God is our rock and our redeemer
You are my vision, Rend Collective
Call to Confession
Confession of Sin
Gracious and loving Creator of All, we gather here in community acknowledging that our community and our world falls short of the glory for which it was created. Our actions disrespect the earth that you created. Our actions disrespect the people that you created. We have put up walls and became gatekeepers of who is worthy or you love. We hoard wealth, fight wars, destroy the environment, judge your children, ignore progress, and treat other human beings as less than. We have attempted to put God and God’s story into a box. We confess that we do not see the greatness of Your love for all people. We fear that we may be wrong. We fear change. We fear what is different. We fear. Hear our confession as a humble acknowledgment that we have so much to learn. (Please continue in silent prayer, personalizing the prayer for yourself.)
Assurance of Pardon
Gloria Patri
Prayer for Illumination
God, through the power of your Holy Spirit, open us to your Word that we would hear what you would say to us today; through Jesus Christ, who invites us to welcome him in, even before we are ready or worthy. Amen
Psalm 46:8-10
Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
2 Corinthians 5:11-20
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Sermon: “Testimony”
Nick Wallwork
Affirmation of Faith
from the Confession of Belhar
We believe that any teaching which attempts to legitimate such forced separation by appeal to the gospel, and is not prepared to venture on the road of obedience and reconciliation, but rather, out of prejudice, fear, selfishness and unbelief, denies in advance the reconciling power of the gospel, must be considered ideology and false doctrine.
Offertory
People of God, Mark Hatten
Doxology
Pastoral Prayer/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.
Come Thou Fount
Benediction
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