July 26, 2020
/Thanks for joining us for this week’s Home Worship! As you gather, we invite you to take a moment to set up your space differently. Sit at your dining room table or arrange chairs in your living room. Set out a candle, a bowl, and a small pitcher of water before you. If you’ve gathered with a group, you can take turns reading and praying so that everyone has a chance to help lead us in worship. The sections in bold can be read aloud together.
“Her finely-touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her full nature, like that of which Cyrus broke the strength, spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.”
GATHERED BY GOD
WELCOME
Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth, Amen.
-Psalm 124:8
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
LIGHTING THE CANDLE
Action: Light a candle
One: Jesus Christ
All: is the Light of the World.
One: The Light shines in the darkness
All: and the darkness did not overcome it.
INVITATION TO WORSHIP
“Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens.”
-Psalm 113:1-4
SONG OF PRAISE
“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; brothers and sisters, draw near,
join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things is wondrously reigning,
sheltering you under his wings, oh, so gently sustaining.
Have you not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?
Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
as with his love he befriends you.
Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the amen sound from his people again.
Gladly forever adore him!
PRAYER FOR RENEWAL
O Lord, you reign in glory over all things. In Christ, we have seen your glory, full of grace and truth. By your truth we come to see our sin. We come to know our poverty of righteousness, our desperate need of your grace. Have mercy on us and forgive us. Look down, raise us from the dust, and fill us with your joy. Teach us to trust your steadfast love, no matter the circumstance, and to return that love to you and our neighbor. In the name of Jesus, we pray, amen.
PROMISE OF GRACE
Action: Pour water into the bowl and remember your baptism!
“Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!”
SONG OF GRACE
“Who is Like the Lord, Our God? (Psalm 113)”
Our Father, He lifts from the ashes
He raises the poor and the lost;
He seats them to dine at his table,
To feast without money or cost.
The lonely he settles in families
The barren, a mother he makes;
O happy the heart of the stranger
Who’s welcomed by this King of Grace.
Refrain:
Who is like the LORD our God?
Who with glory fills the sky?
But humbles himself with the broken to dwell
Who is like our God?
Though equal to God in His glory,
Christ Jesus became like a slave;
He humbled himself in obedience
To Death, and the Cross, and the Grave.
Victorious, he rose to the highest;
In glory, the Savior was raised.
His name above all names exalted;
The heavens and earth sing His praise
Refrain
O Saints, fix your eyes on the Savior
And count all your righteousness lost.
Be found in his love and his favor,
And share in his death on the cross.
That all of his power in victory,
Imparted to you, may abound;
And sharing the suff’rings of Jesus,
You share in his glory and crown
Refrain x2
OFFERING
We respond to the love and grace of Jesus by giving back our whole lives to God in worship. In this offering, we give our financial gifts as a symbol that all we have comes from God and is to be used for God’s glory. Even though we aren’t worshiping together, our ministry still continues! Please continue to support us!
DOXOLOGY
May be spoken or sung
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him, above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
LISTENING TO GOD
Scripture: Ruth 1:1-22
Sermon: HESED
Pastor Andy Kadzban
DISCUSSION
What did you hear?
What are you going to do about it this week?
RESPONDING TO GOD
APOSTLES’ CREED
We join our voices together with Christians throughout the ages and across the world to proclaim these words:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
We praise and thank you, O Lord, that you have fed us with your Word. Grateful for your gifts and mindful of the communion of your saints, we offer to you our prayers for all people.
God of compassion, we remember before you the poor and the afflicted, the sick and the dying, prisoners and all who are lonely, the victims of war, injustice, and inhumanity, and all others who suffer from whatever their sufferings may be called. [Silence]
O Lord of providence holding the destiny of the nations in your hand, we pray for our country. Inspire the hearts and minds of our leaders that they, together with all our nation, may first seek your kingdom and righteousness so that order, liberty, and peace may dwell with your people. [Silence]
O God the Creator, we pray for all nations and peoples. Take away the mistrust and lack of understanding that divide your creatures; increase in us the recognition that we are all your children. [Silence]
O Savior God, look upon your church in its struggle upon the earth. Have mercy on its weakness, bring to an end its unhappy divisions, and scatter its fears. Look also upon the ministry of your church. Increase its courage, strengthen its faith, and inspire its witness to all people, even to the ends of the earth. [Silence]
Author of grace and God of love, send your Holy Spirit’s blessing to your children here present. Keep our hearts and thoughts in Jesus Christ, your Son, our only Savior, who has taught us to pray:
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.
SONG OF RESPONSE
“Psalm 126”
Our mouths they were filled, filled with laughter
Our tongues they were loosed, loosed with joy
Restore us, O Lord
Restore us, O Lord
Refrain:
Although we are weeping, Lord, help us keep sowing
The seeds of Your Kingdom For the day You will reap them
Your sheaves we will carry, Lord, please do not tarry
All those who sow weeping Will go out with songs of joy
The nations will say, "He has done great things!"
The nations will sing songs of joy
Restore us, O Lord
Restore us, O Lord
Refrain
SENT WITH GOD’S BLESSING
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up his presence to you and give you his peace,
Now and always, Amen.
-Numbers 6:24-26
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Copyright Info:
“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”, Words: Joachim Neander, 1680; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1863. Music: Ernewerten Gesangbuch, Stralsund, 1665. Public Domain
“Who Is Like the Lord Our God?”, Words and music: Wendell Kimbrough and Bruce Benedict, ©2013 Wendell Kimbrough, Used by Permission, CCLI #2588005
“Psalm 126”, Words and Music: Isaac Wardell, ©2012 Bifrost Arts Music. Used by Permission. CCLI #2588005