Grace Presbyterian Church

Grace Presbyterian Church

Meeting in the Chapel at Union Congregational Church

Printable Bulletin

Serving people, through Christ, to meet the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the community and the world around us.

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Welcome and Centering Prayer

Prelude “Be Merciful Unto Thee, O God” Julia Perry

ROCK OF AGES: GOD IS HERE

Call to Worship         Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

One: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die;

All: a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

One: a time to kill, and a time to heal;

All: a time to break down, and a time to build up;

One: a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

All: a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

One: a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

All: a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

One: a time to seek, and a time to lose;

All: a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

One: a time to tear, and a time to sew;

All: a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

One; a time to love, and a time to hate;

All: a time for war, and a time for peace.

Opening Prayer

Responsive Scripture Lesson         Genesis 35: 1-4, 6-7

God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.’ So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your clothes; then come, let us go up to Bethel, that I may make an altar there to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.’ So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak that was near Shechem. Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother.

Opening Hymn 356*   “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

GOD IS OUR ROCK: THE CHURCH’S FIRM FOUNDATION

Unison Scripture Lesson:   Matthew 7:24-29

‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’ Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Time with Children

Meditation

Congregational Song 362   “I Love the Lord, Who Heard My Cry”

Passing of the Rocks with Prayer

Congregational Song 374   “Lord, Make Us Servants of Your Peace” vv. 1-2 only

Scripture Lesson: Ephesians 2:11-22

Congregational Song* “Your Peace Will Make Us One”                    words by Audrey Assad 

                                 (sung to the tune of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”)

Sermon:           Stained Glass Houses

Choral Anthem: “Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart”         Healy Willan

GOD IS OUR REDEEMER: IN FORGIVENESS, WE ARE FREED

Scripture Lesson:     John 8: 2-7

Unison Prayer of Confession followed by Personal Prayer

Merciful God, we confess that we have not done the work to understand our fellow citizens. We are all fearful or angry or both. As a church, we have been afraid to enter into conversations that might bring conflict. Is it that our relationships are too fragile and our unity too frail? We pray for our church and our communities that they might grow stronger as we learn to listen and learn from one another. This is the path to peace. This is the path to justice. This is the path to beloved community. 

Scripture Lesson:   John 8: 8-11

Congregational Song 358*     “Help Us Accept Each Other”

                            (to the tune of “The Church’s One Foundation”)

RESPONDING TO GOD’S WORD

Passing of the Peace

Call for the Offering

Offertory

Doxology 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.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. 

Prayer of Dedication

Pastoral Prayer concluding with 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.

Congregational Song 361* “How Firm a Foundation” vv. 1-5

Announcements

Call and Benediction

This morning’s liturgy was written by Pastor Robin. The pastoral prayer has been shaped in conversation with World In Prayer, a ministry of the Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist, in Lodi, CA, USA, whose mission is to assist Christians to pray with current events in mind.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Mark your calendars:
Sunday, Nov. 10, Friends of Grace Dinner, 5 pm-6:30 pm at St John’s Episcopal Church, 55 Montclair Ave.
Wednesday, Nov 13, Norma’s Bible Study at UCC Learning Center
Thursday, Nov 14, Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 pm in the Chapel

Daily Devotionals online Monday-Friday 9:00 AM. Check out www.gracemontclair.org for more information.

Food for the Little Pantry is always wanted and needed. Non-perishables only please. Food may be dropped off at the Manse or placed in the basket as you enter or leave the chapel on Sunday.

Give online to Grace Church:  https://gracemontclair.org/give

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