Grace Presbyterian Church
Seeking to equip people to live as Christian disciples wherever God has placed them.
Welcome And Opening Prayer
Prelude Le Tombeau de Couperin: Forlane Maurice Ravel
Responsive Call to Worship based on Psalm 42
One: As a deer longs for flowing streams,
Many: so our souls long for God.
One: Our souls thirst for God,
Many: for the living God.
One: We remember
Many: as we pause to consider
One: how God has always been faithful.
Many: The longing of our souls
One has been met with presence and blessed peace.
Many: And for this we take time to praise and to pray.
One: In gratitude and thanksgiving,
Many: let us worship God.
Hymn 16 green* “I Love you Lord”
I love you, Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
Oh, my soul, rejoice!
Take joy my King
In what You hear
Let it be a sweet, sweet sound
In Your ear
Call to Confession
Confession of Sin
Lord, you know what we hold back from you. Like little children, we hide things behind our backs hoping you won’t notice them. The things we cling to for comfort. Things we think we need. Or also like little children, we keep our eyes shut thinking you cannot see us. We prefer not to look. We confess that while we will pray for forgiveness for not abandoning ourselves fully to you, we sincerely hope that you will just pat us on the back and say, “It’s okay. I’ve got bigger fish to fry.” So, with a desire to be faithful and an acknowledgement of all the work that’s left to do in our spirits, we pray… (Let us continue, personalizing this prayer for ourselves, in silent prayer.)
Assurance of Pardon
Gloria Patri
Passing of the Peace
Prayer for Illumination in Unison
God, source of all light, by your word you give light to the soul. Pour out on us a spirit of wisdom and understanding that our hearts and minds may be opened and transformed. Through Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen.
First Scripture Reading (In Unison) Hebrews 4:12-16
Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Second Scripture Reading Mark 10:17-31
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Sermon The Sewing Room Floor Rev. Robin Miller Currás
Hymn Red 579* “I Surrender All”
All to Jesus I surrender,
all to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust him,
in his presence daily live.
[Refrain:]
I surrender all, I surrender all,
all to thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender,
humbly at his feet I bow,
worldly pleasures all forsaken: take me, Jesus, take me now. (Refrain)
All to Jesus I surrender,
make me, Savior, wholly thine;
may thy Holy Spirit fill me,
may I know thy power divine. (Refrain)
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to thee;
fill me with thy love and power,
let thy blessing fall on me. (Refrain)
Affirmation of Faith from “A Brief Statement of Faith”
We trust in Jesus Christ, Fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal.
Offertory Pavane Maurice Ravel
Richard Hagen, horn
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.
Hymn Red 584* “Have Thine Own Way, Lord”
Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
while I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
as in thy presence humbly I bow.
Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray.
Power–all power–surely is thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
Benediction
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